Feta-Topped Chicken

4 boneless chicken breasts
2 tbs. balsamic vinegarette dressing
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. seasoned pepper
1 large roma tomato (cut into 8 slices)
1/4 c. crumbled feta cheese

Set oven to broil. Mix dressing, italian seasoning, and pepper. Brush both sides of chicken with mixture and place on rack of broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from heat for about 10 minutes, turning once. Top with tomato, then cheese. Broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese is lightly browned.


I cooked my chicken for about 10 minutes on each side, but I am really paranoid about not cooking chicken long enough. It was still tender and juicy after cooking that long, but the 10 minutes might be enough. I guess it will depend on the size of your chicken breasts. I also used about double the feta it called for, but that's just my personal preference. :)

Yogurt Baked Chicken

2 c. crushed Ritz crackers (1 pkg. is just under 2 cups)
3 tbs. Parmesan Cheese
2 tsp. garlic salt
8 small (or 4 large) chicken breasts
1/4 c. butter melted
1 small carton plain (or lemon) yogurt

Rinse chicken, pat dry. Coat in yogurt. Dip in mixture of crackers, cheese and salt. Place chicken on a greased baking pan. Drizzle melted butter over chicken. Bake @ 350° for 1 hour (about 45 minutes if using 4 large chicken breasts)

Black Bean Salsa

- submitted by Nell -

1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 cup frozen corn, thawed (can use drained, canned corn)
1 large tomato, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, chopped (can use yellow onion, chopped)
2 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together. Garnish with lemon wedge or cilantro.

As a side note to this recipe, I am not a cilantro fan so never put it in. I also use lime juice for all or a portion of the lemon juice whatever you have on hand works well and whatever taste is your preference. I also add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of cumin when I make this.

Chicken Chile Verde

- submitted by Nell -

4 chicken breasts (if frozen omit water)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can black beans - drained
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 small can diced green chilies

Cook on low in crock pot 5-6 hours.
@ hour 5 shred chicken, return to pot, and let sit until ready to serve.

Serve on tortilla shells with cheese, lettuce, & tomatoes.

As a side note to this recipe, I sometimes don't have as much time so will cook on high about 3 hours.

Contest Winner

I'm a little late in posting this, but Katrina was the winner of our recipe drawing for all the recipes posted up to Valentine's Day. Congrats Katrina. If you haven't received your gift card yet, talk to your mom. :)

Thanks for all the wonderful recipes. I tried a ton of them. Yum.

I look forward to trying more. Next contest: Every time you post up until the end of April you will be entered in the next drawing.

Happy Cooking!

Easy Roll-up Cannelloni

3 Tlbs olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage
1 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 can (28-oz) crushed tomatoes
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt, plus 1 Tlbs for the pasta water
½ tsp black pepper
15 oz part-skim ricotta
1 cup mozzarella
1/3 cup Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
1 egg
Pinch of Nutmeg
1 package no-boil lasagna pasta (Barilla brand)

1. Heat oven to 375 and bring a large pot of water to boil.
2. Heat a Tlbs of the olive oil in a medium pan over medium high heat. Add the sausage and cook it until it loses its pink color, breaking into smaller pieces with a slotted spoon, about 10 minutes. Using the spoon, transfer the sausage to a large bowl and set aside.
3. Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel. Heat the remaining oil in the pan. Add the onion and cook it until it is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook it until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the broth and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Mix the cheese, egg, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper and the nutmeg with the bowl of cooked sausage. Stir to combine well, then set aside.
5. Add the Tlbs salt to the boiling water, then drop in the lasagna pasta. Boil for 1 minutes, stirring every few seconds to keep it from sticking. Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water until it’s cool enough to handle. Separate the pasta sheets and lay them out on a clean, dry kitchen towel.
6. Cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan with 1 cup of sauce. Spread about 1/3 cup of filling across a short end of a pasta sheet and roll it up. Put it in the prepared pan. Repeat. You should have enough for about 12 rolls.
7. Top the cannelloni with the rest of the sauce and bake until heated through, about 30-40 minutes. Severe hot with Parmesan for sprinkling. Serves 6.

Orange Chip Cookies

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 cup White Chocolate Chips
1 Tlbs grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 350. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into small bowl. Beat butter, granulated and brown sugars in large mixer bowl until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix well. Gradually add flour mixture. Stir in morsels and orange zest. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; removed to wire racks to cool completely.