Provençale Chicken Supper

So I'm not sure how I found this recipe except my brother and I have been talking about crockpots for a few weeks.  Anyway, I suggested this to D and he said ok.

He prepped everything the night before, and I turned it on before going to work.  It was very liquidy for us, so D made rice. It was rather simple.  I suggested to D that he would need salt...it worked fine for me.  Maybe add some more oregano or herbs de Provence would be my advice.

Would have again.

Provençale Chicken Supper

Use bone-in chicken breasts for this French-country dish.

Photo by ALB

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 1 cup bean mixture)

Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) chicken breast halves, skinned (used 8 bone-in thighs)
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained
Basil sprigs (optional)
Preparation
Place the chicken in an electric slow cooker; sprinkle with basil, salt, and black pepper. Add the bell pepper, beans, and tomatoes. Cover with lid; cook on low-heat setting for 8 hours.

Note:
This recipe has been retested for Cooking Light Slow Cooker Tonight, 2012

Nutritional Information
Calories: 281; Fat: 2.2g; Saturated fat: 0.6g; Monounsaturated fat: 0.5g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.5g; Protein: 44.9g; Carbohydrate: 18.1g; Fiber: 4.7g; Cholesterol: 99mg; Iron: 3.2mg; Sodium: 495mg; Calcium: 86mg

Cooking Light SEPTEMBER 1999

Orzo with Spinach and Feta

When I showed D this recipe he must not have really read it. And even writing the grocery list, he looked right at the risotto and crossed out orzo.

So I made everything but the orzo, and then asked D where it was. He realized we only had risotto, so we made it with that instead of orzo.

It was very good. I would have again, although I would make it with orzo.

We had with Mediterranean Grilled Chicken.

Orzo with Spinach and Feta

Photo by ALB

Brain, not brawn: Popeye might have downed spinach to get big muscles, but if he'd been smarter, he'd have known the leafy green powerhouse gets its real punch from abundant antioxidants, which can keep you thinking sharply.

YIELD: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
COURSE: Side Dishes/Vegetables

Ingredients
5 cups water
2 cups uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
5 cups coarsely chopped spinach
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add orzo. Cook 10 minutes; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain.

Combine pasta, spinach, and feta in a large bowl. Combine oil and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle lemon mixture over pasta mixture; toss well to coat.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 244; Calories from fat: 23%; Fat: 5.5g; Saturated fat: 2.5g; Monounsaturated fat: 2g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.6g; Protein: 8.5g; Carbohydrate: 33.8g; Fiber: 2.4g; Cholesterol: 13mg; Iron: 2.7mg; Sodium: 335mg; Calcium: 113mg

Cooking Light DECEMBER 1999

Orzo with Chicken and Asiago

D and I must have missed the boat when it came to all the wonderful reviews of this on CL. Both of us thought it was plain. We see ways to make it better (sautee the chicken with S&P& and herbs). But really it wasn't all that. We had with a spinach salad.

D said it was easy.

Orzo with Chicken and Asiago

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)


1 cup water
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
12 ounces skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 1/4 cups uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Asiago cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, basil, or oregano
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Combine water and broth in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Add chicken and pasta; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in peas, 1/4 cup cheese, salt, herbs, and pepper. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.

CALORIES 384 (14% from fat); FAT 5.9g (sat 2.9g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.7g); IRON 3.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 64mg; CALCIUM 179mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.7g; SODIUM 656mg; PROTEIN 34.3g; FIBER 2.9g

Cooking Light, MAY 1999

Santa Fe Pasta Sauce

This was ok. The portions were too small. Overall, I like Salsa Chicken better. D said it was very easy.

Santa Fe Pasta Sauce

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup sauce, 1/2 cup pasta, and about 4 strips of grilled chicken)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16-ounce) jar salsa
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup chopped ripe olives (didn't use)
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning (such as Louisiana)
4 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
4 cups hot cooked fettuccine (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)
Sliced pickled jalapeño peppers (optional)

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in salsa and tomato sauce; cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn, beans, olives, sour cream, and Creole seasoning; cook 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Keep warm.

Prepare grill or broiler. Place chicken on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Slice chicken lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide strips.

Spoon the sauce over pasta. Top with grilled-chicken strips, and garnish with sliced pickled jalapeno peppers, if desired.

CALORIES 302 (21% from fat); FAT 7.2g (sat 2.1g,mono 3g,poly 1.1g); IRON 2.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 54mg; CALCIUM 73mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.6g; SODIUM 592mg; PROTEIN 24.5g; FIBER 3.8g

Cooking Light, MARCH 1999

Old-Fashioned Chicken Potpie

So I made this. It was time-consuming but good.

I didn't make chicken stock, I used chicken broth.

Also, I used 2 chicken breasts, cut them up and cooked them in a pan with Pam and Herbes de Provence.

The crust was a bit hard. Also the final wasn't the prettiest (didn't look like the picture) and it didn't come out of the casserole pan cleanly (so the crust ended up on the bottom of the plate). Still it was good. I made a spinach salad as the side.

Old-Fashioned Chicken Potpie

Homemade stock adds a depth of flavor to this comfort classic.

Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour, divided

3 tablespoons ice water

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

Filling:

3 cups Chicken Stock, divided

2 1/3 cups cubed red potato (about 1 pound)

1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) sliced carrot

2 teaspoons butter or stick margarine

1/2 cup chopped shallots or onions (I used onion)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups diced cooked chicken (I cooked some with herbes de provence)

1 cup frozen petite green peas

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Dash of black pepper

Cooking spray

2 teaspoons 1% low-fat milk

To prepare crust, lightly spoon 1 cup flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1/4 cup flour, ice water, and vinegar in a small bowl. Combine 3/4 cup flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add vinegar mixture; stir just until moist. Press mixture gently into a 5-inch circle on heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover with additional plastic wrap. Chill for 15 minutes. Roll dough, still covered, into a 13 x 10-inch oval. Place dough in freezer 5 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed.

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare filling, bring 2 1/2 cups Chicken Stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add potato and carrot; cook 2 minutes. Drain mixture in a colander over a bowl, reserving cooking liquid.
(I didn't do this because I didn't see the points since the mixture and the liquid are used later).

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; cook 3 minutes. Lightly spoon 1/2 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup Chicken Stock; stir with a whisk. Add to skillet. Stir in potato mixture, reserved cooking liquid, chicken, peas, 3/4 teaspoon salt, thyme, and pepper. Cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Spoon chicken mixture into a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Remove 1 sheet of plastic wrap from dough. Place dough on top of chicken mixture, pressing to edge of dish. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap. Cut 5 slits in top of crust to allow steam to escape. Gently brush crust with milk. Bake at 400° for 45 minutes or until golden (I cooked 35 minutes and then let sit in a turned-off oven for 10 minutes). Let stand 10 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings

CALORIES 366 (30% from fat); FAT 12.4g (sat 3.6g,mono 4g,poly 3.1g); IRON 3.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 46mg; CALCIUM 40mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42.5g; SODIUM 698mg; PROTEIN 20.2g; FIBER 2.8g

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 1999