Friday, September 14, 2007

Parchment Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 zucchini, sliced in very fine slices- as thin as possible
1 jar of sundried tomato pesto
4 oz. feta cheese (any kind is great)

Cut yourself a 1 by 1 foot square of parchment paper and lay one individual chicken breast right int he middle. Use 5-6 slices of zucchini and place them on top of the chicken. Then add approximately 2-3 tablespoons of the sundried tomato pesto on top. (you can determine how much sundried tomato pesto you would like on your chicken; the amount is not that important, but it's important that it is in this dish!) Sprinkle at least 2 tsp. of feta cheese on top of that. Wrap the chicken up in the parchment paper so that it is sealed tight and bake it in the oven on 350 degrees for 45 minutes (or until the chicken is fully cooked)! Repeat this process with the rest of the three chicken breasts. This is very yummy. The parchment does not allow moisture to evaporate from the chicken, so this dish is very moist!

FYI- this is a meal you can order at the Studio Kitchen; Kim had assembled it herself in the past, which is why we know rough estimates on the amounts of the ingredients. You can't go wrong though. Just add of each ingredient whatever you prefer and you will find that it's yummy!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Southwestern White Chicken Chili

I lost the recipe about 5 or 6 times back, so I have been making it by memory lately. :) Here is the way I made it tonite:

1.5 lbs boneless/skinless chicken breast
4c chicken broth
1 medium onion, diced
8oz chilis, diced
3(15oz) cans of white northern beans(yes, I see the irony too)
1tbsp oregano, crushed(between your palms, and you smell good all day!)
1tbsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
2c monterrey jack cheese, shredded

*brown chicken in a little evoo, then using two forks, shred it. I have tried dicing it, and it's just the wrong texture for this dish.

*drain and rinse the beans, you don't have to rinse, but I have found that it's a little heavy on the salt if you don't.

*combine all ingredients except cheese in Crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours. I have found that this is one CP recipe that does not taste as good when shortened in time and cooked on high, so I wouldn't suggest it.

*The original recipe called for you to stir the cheese in at the last minute and serve that way, but I have found most people like to regulate the amount of cheese that's in it, so I serve it on the side. If you want it "mixed in" just put it in the bottom of the bowl before ladling in the chili.

*Enjoy with tortilla chips, sour cream, or even some more chilis to garnish.

*Either everyone loves this stuff, or I have a lot of friends with some sins to confess!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Kim's Fav Five

Ok, I have alot of the same favorites as Myra, but here's my fav five that aren't already taken =)

1. Pampered Chef (PC) batter and mini-prep bowls- This is really 3 items, but they all are the same design just different sizes. I love that they're heavy glass, dishwasher safe on the bottom shelf, and they all have lids!

2. PC Measure-All cup- It makes measuring peanut butter and mayo so easy!

3. Kitchenaid Chef and Santuko knives- I asked for nice knives one Christmas, and my mother-in-law got me these. I use them every day. And I LOVE storing them on my nifty black knife rack from Ikea =)

4. Stoneware, stoneware, stoneware (PC of course)- I never burn cookies, casseroles, bread anymore, and it's easy to clean...what else is there that needs to be said?

5. PC Corer- I love how easy it is to remove the core or hull from my strawberries, and it fits in the dishwasher too.

Barbecue Peppers and Onions

2 Bell Peppers (I prefer anythng but green)
1/2 medium onion (whatever kind that is in season)
1/2 bottle Sweet Baby Rays Honey BBQ sauce

Cut peppers and onions into pieces slightly bigger than bite sized (they shrink while cooking). Throw them into a skillet, pour BBQ sauce over mixture, cook on medium for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir frequently. This can also be done on the grill if you put all ingredients into a foil packet. It seems to tke a little longer on the grill.