Chicken Stuffed with Spinach, Feta, and Pine Nuts

So D made this. He is very good at stuffing chicken, so no issues on that. And it seemed easy, since I was talking to him while he was doing this.

Perhaps because we were watching Family Guy where Peter and Chris go to Vegas for a quickie Bar Mitzvah, it put this in my head. The chicken tasted like dry buffet chicken you get at a wedding or Bar Mitzvah. Good, but not great. It needed something wet, even like a fattier cheese, or wine/lemon juice on top.

We had with Creamy Parmesan Orzo to use more of the pine nuts.

Chicken Stuffed with Spinach, Feta, and Pine Nuts

Other Time: 40 minutes minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed chicken breast half)

5 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Heat a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach to pan; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts, tossing constantly. Place spinach in a colander; press until barely moist. Wipe pan clean.

3. Combine spinach, cheese, nuts, thyme, juice, and garlic. Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff 3 tablespoons filling into each pocket. Seal with wooden picks. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

4. Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until brown. Add broth, and cover pan. Place pan in oven. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until done.

CALORIES 297 ; FAT 11.6g (sat 3.4g,mono 4.4g,poly 2.4g); CHOLESTEROL 111mg; CALCIUM 131mg; CARBOHYDRATE 3.4g; SODIUM 493mg; PROTEIN 43.3g; FIBER 1.2g; IRON 2.7mg

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2010

Gingery Pork Meatballs with Noodles

D was not looking forward to making this. But he did. It took about 30 minutes to prep and cook.
We loved the meatballs. They tasted like potsticker filling. The pasta was a bit on the dry side. With the meatballs good, but alone, eh. D put extra soy sauce on his. We both put chili sauce on ours, but we always do with Asian dishes.

Definitely will have again. I can see subbing fettuccine to make cheaper.

Gingery Pork Meatballs with Noodles

Wide rice noodles are available on the ethnic-foods aisle at most major supermarkets and at Asian grocers. If you can't find them, any rice noodle or even spaghetti will work in this dish. You can also use ground sirloin, if you can't find pork.

Yield: 4 servings

Cost per Serving: $2.06

Meatballs:
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound lean ground pork
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Noodles:
8 ounces uncooked wide rice noodles
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 cup red bell pepper strips
1 cup julienne-cut snow peas
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

1. Place a foil-lined jelly-roll pan in oven. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl; stir gently just until blended. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Divide pork mixture into 20 equal portions; shape each portion into a meatball. Arrange meatballs in a single layer on preheated pan. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes or until done.
3. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Rinse noodles under cool water; drain. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, peas, salt, and crushed red pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add noodles; toss. Place 1 3/4 cups noodle mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 5 meatballs. Sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons green onions.

CALORIES 506 ; FAT 15.4g (sat 5.1g,mono 6.2g,poly 3.3g); CHOLESTEROL 138mg; CALCIUM 81mg; CARBOHYDRATE 58.8g; SODIUM 700mg; PROTEIN 30.6g; FIBER 3.7g; IRON 3.4mg
Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2010

Rio Grande Meat Loaf

So D made this. He cooked it for 35 minutes. If he cooked it any longer it would have been a brick. It was really dry. Not bad but dry. I liked the flavor. It would have been better with cheese. We had it with salsa and sour cream. We also had with Southwest Potatoes.

Rio Grande Meat Loaf

Yield: 8 servings Sandwich suggestion: Serve leftover meat loaf slices i (serving size: 2 slices)

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 taco shells, finely crushed (about 1 1/2 ounces) - used broiled corn tortillas
2 egg whites
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 pounds ground round
Vegetable cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375°. Combine first 12 ingredients in a large bowl, and stir well. Crumble beef over vegetable mixture, and stir just until blended.

Pack mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 1 hour (maybe 30 minutes but not 60) or until meat loaf registers 160°. Let meat loaf stand in pan 10 minutes.

Remove meat loaf from pan; cut loaf into 16 slices. Serve with commercial salsa, if desired.

CALORIES 234 (29% from fat); FAT 7.5g (sat 2.3g,mono 3.2g,poly 0.9g); IRON 4.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 66mg; CALCIUM 31mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.6g; SODIUM 483mg; PROTEIN 28.9g; FIBER 1.9g

Cooking Light, MARCH 1996

Garam Masala Lamb Chops

I love these lamb chops. D eats them. He is not as big of a fan as I of garam masala. But he eats them. They were quick for D to make. They were from CL Superfast. We had with Curried Rice and sauteed zucchini

Garam Masala Lamb Chops

Prep: 5 minutes; Cook: 6 minutes. Garam masala is an Indian spice blend which can be found in the spice section of the grocery store.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 2 lamb chops)

1 1/2 tablespoons prune baby food
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 (4-ounce) lamb rib chops, trimmed (about 1 inch thick)
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
Cooking spray

Preheat broiler.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a shallow dish. Rub lamb chops with prune mixture; dredge in breadcrumbs. Coat lamb with cooking spray. Place lamb on broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 3 to 4 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

CALORIES 263 (38% from fat); FAT 11g (sat 3.8g,mono 4.4g,poly 1.1g); IRON 3.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 67mg; CALCIUM 64mg; CARBOHYDRATE 16g; SODIUM 808mg; PROTEIN 23.8g; FIBER 1g

Oxmoor House, JANUARY 2003

Curried Pecan Rice

So this was good. Heavy on the curry, but I still liked it. I'm sure it was easy for D. It was in the Superfast Cooking Light Cookbook. We had with lamb chops and zucchini.
D doubled the recipe and used jasmine rice.

Curried Pecan Rice

Prep: 1 minute; Cook: 10 minutes.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

1 (4-ounce) package boil-in-bag long-grain and wild rice mix (used jasmine rice)
2 teaspoons light butter
2 tablespoons pecan pieces
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Prepare rice according to package directions, omitting butter, fat, salt, and seasoning packet. Drain well.

Melt 2 teaspoons butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pecans; sauté 3 minutes. Add curry powder, and sauté 1 minute.

Combine rice, pecans, salt, pepper, and parsley.

CALORIES 295 (29% from fat); FAT 9.4g (sat 1.8g,mono 3.1g,poly 1.6g); IRON 1mg; CHOLESTEROL 7mg; CALCIUM 12mg; CARBOHYDRATE 46.5g; SODIUM 329mg; PROTEIN 6.4g; FIBER 3.7g

Oxmoor House, JANUARY 2003

Light King Ranch Chicken Casserole

So both D and I liked this. I don't know who King Ranch is but he has a good casserole named after him. D made this. He said it was very easy to make.

The result looked a little gross, like a lot of tortilla style casseroles but it tasted very good. We had with sauteed potatoes with SouthWest seasoning.

Light King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Serve with a veggie-loaded salad and vinaigrette. For added Southwest flavor, whisk a few dashes of hot sauce into the dressing.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes minutes
Other Time: 35 minutes minutes
Yield: Makes 8 servings

1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
Vegetable cooking spray
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breasts
1 (10-ounce) can fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 (10-ounce) can fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomato and green chiles
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 (8-ounce) block reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, shredded

Sauté onion and bell pepper in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender.

Stir in chicken and next 6 ingredients; remove from heat.

Tear tortillas into 1-inch pieces; layer one-third tortilla pieces in bottom of a 13- x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with one-third chicken mixture and one-third cheese. Repeat layers twice.

Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly.

Note: Freeze casserole up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, and bake as directed.

CALORIES 282 (32% from fat); FAT 9.9g (sat 5g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.7g); IRON 0.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 54.4mg; CALCIUM 248mg; CARBOHYDRATE 26.4g; SODIUM 947mg; PROTEIN 21g; FIBER 3.1g

Southern Living, MARCH 2004

Chicken in Garlic-Vinegar Sauce

Both D and I liked this recipe. We had with rice and broccoli. The chicken was fall-off-the bone, and there was a lot of sauce. D said it was very easy to make. We used chicken thighs.

Chicken in Garlic-Vinegar Sauce 

From EatingWell: January/February 2009

Photo by ALB

Braising chicken in vinegar and herbs is a very popular way of cooking in Mediterranean Europe. Often paired with sweet sausage, this is a gutsy, wholesome dish that can be made a day ahead. Serve with whole-wheat couscous tossed with fresh herbs and steamed broccolini.

6 servings | Active Time: 1 hour | Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients
3-3 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces, (thighs, drumsticks and/or breasts), skin removed, trimmed (see Tip)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus a pinch, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
7 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup minced shallots
16 large cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 cup sherry vinegar, or red-wine vinegar
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 2 teaspoons dried
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh chives

Preparation
Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil and butter in a large heavy casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add half the chicken pieces and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove to a large plate. Add 2 teaspoons oil to the pot. Add the remaining chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove to the plate. Heat 2 more teaspoons oil. Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, until the shallots are soft and lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add vinegar and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pot. Pour in broth and then carefully nestle the thyme sprigs among the chicken pieces (or stir in dry thyme).

Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and simmer over medium-low heat until the chicken is very tender, about 50 minutes.

Just before the chicken is done, whisk sour cream, mustard, tomato paste and flour in a small bowl until smooth. Combine tomatoes, chives, the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and pinch of salt in another small bowl; reserve for garnish.

When the chicken is done, remove to a plate, discarding the thyme sprigs (if using). Stir the sour cream mixture into the sauce; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, return the chicken to the sauce and reheat, about 1 minute. Serve garnished with the tomato mixture.

Nutrition
Per serving : 301 Calories; 14 g Fat; 5 g Sat; 6 g Mono; 116 mg Cholesterol; 9 g Carbohydrates; 34 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 427 mg Sodium; 612 mg Potassium; 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 4 lean meat, 2 fat

Tips:

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 4; cool to room temperature and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Finish with Steps 5-6 before serving.

• Tip: If you are using a combination of thighs, drumsticks and breasts, cut each breast in half crosswise to make pieces about the size of a thigh. And if you buy whole legs, separate the drumsticks and thighs. When the pieces are about the same size, they'll cook at about the same rate.