Green Lentils & Bacon

Green Lentils & Bacon

Ingredients
1 Tbsp Wegmans Pure Olive Oil
2 pieces Food You Feel Good About Applewood Smoked Uncured Bacon, chopped
1 pkg (8 oz) Food You Feel Good About Mirepoix
1 carton (32 fl oz) Food You Feel Good About Thai Culinary Stock
1/2 of a 16 oz pkg Food You Feel Good About Organic Green Lentils
1 Tbsp Wegmans Basting Oil
Salt and pepper


You'll Need: Braising pan
Directions:

Heat olive oil in pan on MEDIUM-LOW 1-2 min. Add bacon; cook 5 min.

Add mirepoix; cook, stirring, 5-7 min, until soft but not browned. Add stock; bring to simmer.

Stir in lentils; mix well. Cover. Simmer gently 50-60 min, until liquid has been absorbed and lentils are tender.

Season with basting oil, salt, and pepper.

Mustard Rosemary Chicken with Carrots and Potatoes (Martha Stewart)

***Susan's Note: Since the fall began, I've been craving roast chicken and I've made this recipe with boneless skinless chicken thighs, boneless skinless chicken breasts, and drumsticks too. Drumsticks take longer to cook (45 min.) than boneless / skinless thighs or breasts, which will only need about 25 - 30 min. I also use baby carrots - it's easier - and they are surprisingly delicious. This is EASY! Don't worry about the type of potatoes. I've used baby red potatoes, the Yukon Gold recommended, or a potato blend from Wegman's with red, blue, and white fingerling potatoes. All turned out well.

Mustard Rosemary Chicken with Carrots and Potatoes (Martha Stewart)
Martha Stewart Living October 2009

Mustard Rosemary Chicken with Carrots & Potatoes
Source: Martha Stewart Living, October 2009
Ingredients:
12 thin carrots, (or half a 16 oz. bag of baby carrots)
1 tbsp. plus one tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
4 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 tsp. garlic powder)
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary, plus 3 sprigs
4 skinless chicken thighs
4-6 skinless chicken drumsticks
6-8 baby Yukon gold or Red potatoes, halved or quartered
1 lemon
Freshly Ground Pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss together carrots, 1 tsp. olive oil, and 1/8 tsp. salt in a bowl. Spread out evenly on a baking sheet and bake until carrots begin to soften, about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine mustard, garlic, chopped rosemary, 1/8 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper and 2 tsp. olive oil in a small bowl. Whisk together until well combined. Rub mixture over chicken thighs & legs to coat.

Toss together remaining tsp. oil, 1/8 tsp. salt and the potatoes in a bowl.

Remove baking sheet from oven and add chicken, potatoes, and rosemary sprigs to the carrots.

Bake until chicken is golden brown (or a instant read thermometer inserting into the thickest part registers 165 degrees) approximately 45 minutes. Squeeze lemon over top and sprinkle with pepper.

Laura's Quick Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

***Susan's Note: I had a bunch of cans of beans and tomato sauces and stuff that I wanted to use up, so I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. It was easier to put together than the other turkey chili recipe on my blog. This recipe recieved 502 reviews, with an average of 4 1/2 stars. What makes me laugh, though, is that most of the reviewers modified the recipe. I did, too!!

My modifications:
- omitted allspice (I don't have this in my cupboard)
- used 1 can diced tomatoes in place of one can of tomato soup
- added 1 4 oz. can diced green chiles
- didn't cook the turkey in oil
- replaced the 2 cans regular kidney beans with 2 cans rinsed/drained chili beans

I cooked it on high for 4 hours and it was yummy!

Laura's Quick Slow Cooker Turkey Chili

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound ground turkey
2 (10.75 ounce) cans low sodium tomato soup
2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 pinch ground allspice
salt to taste

Directions

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place turkey in the skillet, and cook until evenly brown; drain.
Coat the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray, and mix in turkey, tomato soup, kidney beans, black beans and onion. Season with chili powder, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, allspice and salt.
Cover, and cook 8 hours on Low or 4 hours on High.

Easy Roasted Cauliflower

****SUSAN'S NOTE: I googled "easy roasted cauliflower" and this was the first result. Very yummy.

Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
Cook time: 28 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 head of cauliflower
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely minced
Lemon juice from half a lemon
Olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese

METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut cauliflower into florets and put in a single layer in an oven-proof baking dish. Toss in the garlic. Sprinkle lemon juice over cauliflower and drizzle each piece with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If the oven hasn't reached 400°F yet, set aside until it has.
2 Place casserole in the hot oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown. Test with a fork for desired doneness. Fork tines should be able to easily pierce the cauliflower. Remove from oven and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Yield: Serves 4.

Spicy Chicken Corn Chowder

Spicy Chicken Corn Chowder
Better Homes and Gardens July 2011

***Susan's Note: Yum! So delicious. I used 1 jalapeno and frozen corn kernels.

8 slices bacon, chopped
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut in bite-size pieces
1-1/2 cups chopped red sweet pepper
1 cup chopped sweet onion
1 to 2 fresh jalapeño peppers, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 large Yukon gold potatoes, chopped
2 cups fresh sweet corn kernels
1-1/2 cups whipping cream
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves


1. In a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven cook bacon until crisp. Remove with spoon; set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in pan.
2. Add chicken to pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Stir over medium-high heat until chicken is no longer pink; remove. Add sweet pepper and onion to pan. Cook and stir until tender. Add jalapeños and garlic; cook and stir 3 minutes. Stir in flour. Cook and stir 1 minute. Add broth and potatoes. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or just until potatoes are tender; stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken, corn, cream, cayenne, and bay leaves. Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes; stir occasionally. Discard bay leaves. Top with bacon. Top with jalapeño slices, if desired.

Makes 8 servings.
nutrition facts
Servings Per Recipe 8 (1 1/2 cups) servings Calories396 Total Fat (g)23 Saturated Fat (g)12, Monounsaturated Fat (g)7, Polyunsaturated Fat (g)2, Cholesterol (mg)105, Sodium (mg)826, Carbohydrate (g)26, Total Sugar (g)5, Fiber (g)3, Protein (g)23, Vitamin C (DV%)85, Calcium (DV%)5, Iron (DV%)9, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Panera Asian Sesame Chicken Salad

*** Susan's note: Oh my goodness! I am so excited that Panera finally made this recipe available via their website! I eat this salad almost once a week, so I am thrilled to be able to make it at home, Don't forget the cilantro! And don't worry about frying your own wontons - that's too much work. Buy those crispy Chinese wontons at the store (bagged in the Asian section).

Asian Sesame Chicken Salad
INGREDIENTS
2 wonton wrappers
Canola oil, for frying
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
4 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces, loosely packed
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
3 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled and sliced thinly on a bias
¼ cup Panera Bread Asian Sesame Dressing (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS
PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. To prepare wonton strips, cut wonton wrappers into 1/4 inch strips. In a deep skillet, pour canola oil to a depth of 2 to 3 inches. Heat oil to 365°F. Carefully drop wonton slices into hot oil and fry for about 30 seconds, or until crisp and golden. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Arrange almonds in a single layer on a sheet pan. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes, toss nuts, then toast for an additional 5 minutes, or until golden. Remove from pan to cool.

To make the salad, toss the lettuce, cilantro, wonton strips, chicken, and dressing in a large mixing bowl until combined. Place the mixture on a serving plate. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and almonds and serve.


Panera Bread Asian Sesame Dressing

Makes 1 ¼ cups

¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¾ cup canola or vegetable oil

COMBINE all ingredients except canola oil in a medium mixing bowl with a wire whisk. Once ingredients are combined, slowly pour in the oil while whisking to form an emulsion.

Quinoa Avocado Salad

***Susan's Note: I made this with white quinoa and I couldn't find the lemon vinaigrette at Wegmans! So I made my own: lemon juice, Wegmans basting oil, and a little honey. We enjoyed this but I like my Wheat Berry Salad recipe better.

Red Quinoa-Avocado Salad
Serves: 10 | Active Time: 20 mins | Total Time: 1 hour(s) 5 mins
Wegmans Winter 2011

Ingredients

1 pkg (7 oz) Food You Feel Good About Red Quinoa (Grocery Dept), cooked per pkg directions, chilled
1 pkg (12 oz) Food You Feel Good About Just Picked and Quickly Frozen Super-Sweet Corn, thawed
1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup green onions, thinly sliced on the bias
2 plum tomatoes, 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, cubed small
1/2 cup Food You Feel Good About Lemon Vinaigrette (Produce Dept)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:
Add cooked quinoa, corn, cilantro, green onions, and tomatoes to mixing bowl. Fold in avocados and dressing; mix until well-combined. Season with salt and pepper; serve.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry

Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir Fry (Woman's Day Feb. 2011)

***Susan's Note: I had some leftover apricot preserves from my family's favorite Apricot Dijon Chicken recipe, so I thought this looked good. The only change I made was that I seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper, and I cut baby carrots into little chunks. Ben and I both enjoyed this.

Sweet & Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry Recipe
By Woman's Day Kitchen from Woman's Day | February 1, 2011

Traditional stir-fry may be low in fat, but it’s also laden with sodium. Lighten things up with this version, which uses a zesty
blend of apricot jam, fresh ginger, vinegar and red pepper flakes.

Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Recipe Ingredients
1 cup brown rice
1⁄2 cup apricot preserves
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1⁄4 to 1⁄2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 tsp canola oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced crosswise 1⁄4 in. thick
2 medium carrots, cut into very thin strips
1⁄2 lb snow peas, halved diagonally lengthwise
Recipe Preparation
1. Cook the rice according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the apricot preserves, vinegar, ginger, red pepper flakes and 1 Tbsp water; set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. In batches, cook the chicken until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.

4. Add the carrots, snow peas and remaining tsp oil and cook, tossing, for 2 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet, add the apricot mixture, and cook until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are just tender, 2 to 3 minutes more. Serve over the rice.

Yield 4 Servings
Servings 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories 458
Total Fat 7g
Saturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 72mg
Sodium 179mg
Total Carbohydrates 69g
Dietary Fiber 5g
Protein 30g