Quote of the Month

"Be not the slave of your own past. Plunge into the sublime seas, dive deep and swim far, so you shall come back with self-respect, with new power, with an advanced experience that shall explain and overlook the old." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Food for thought...

Happiness is the place right between too little and too much.

Given that thought, I'd like to share this recipe with you all because it's probably the easiest and best tasting new recipe I've made in a while. It wasn't too heavy or too filling, but it satisfied our hunger. And it's easy to make a low-fat version. I served it over rice, along with English peas. I will also include that recipe here. If anyone tries these, let me know what you think!

CROCK POT CHICKEN AND MUSHROOMS

Wash 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and trim off the extra fat. Brush lightly with 2 tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil). Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in the crock pot. Sprinkle 1 envelope of dry Italian salad dressing mix over the top of the chicken. Cover, and cook on low for 5 - 6 hours, making sure to turn the chicken every couple of hours to ensure even cooking. One hour before serving time, in a medium saucepan combine 1 can cream of mushroom soup (can substitute low fat soup), 1 block (8 oz.) of cream cheese cut into cubes (can substitute low fat or fat free cream cheese), and 1 small onion, diced. Cook and stir until smooth. Pour into the crock pot over chicken, then add 1 cup chopped mushrooms. Cook an additional 30 minutes on low. Serve over cooked rice or noodles.


ENGLISH PEAS

Blanch 1 pound peas just until tender. To Blanch: Fill a medium sized pot with salted water, and bring to a boil. Add the peas, bring the water to a boil again, and cook for approximately 3 minutes. Drain the boiling water from the peas and dump the peas into a bowl of ice water. Let sit in the ice water for 2 - 3 minutes, just until cool.

After blanching the peas, drain the ice water and return the peas to the pot. Over medium-low heat, toss the peas lightly with 2 ounces (1/2 stick) melted butter, 1 teaspoon chopped tarragon, 2 green onion stalks (chopped), 1 teaspoon dried, chopped chives, 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest, 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

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