Chicken Curry Pasta Salad

One day shortly after we moved here, I found a curry chicken salad at one of the high end grocery stores in our town and I just had to have some! It was amazing! Too bad the price wasn't- I don't remember the exact price but I know that it was high enough that I wasn't going to buy it again. I also wasn't going to live without having this pasta salad either so I created a close replica of the original so that I can indulge (financially) guilt free whenever I want!

I can even usually get my kids to eat this- if your kids don't like any spiciness in foods then try to find a mild curry and you're set!

Oh, and by the way, this is makes an awesome picnic item. I like to make this often in the summer- just pack individual portions in containers and you have a ready to go meal for anywhere- I even take it to the pool!

Chicken Curry Pasta Salad

2 large chicken breasts

½ cup yogurt
2 tsp. curry

 10-12 oz. pasta- I use Campanelle by Barilla

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. curry
½ cup yogurt
½ cup mayonnaise
1 medium red pepper
5 oz. can sliced  water chestnuts
½ cup golden raisins
salt & pepper

In a medium container, put 1/4 cup yogurt in the bottom, top with 1 tsp. curry, lay the chicken breasts on the mixture, lightly salt & pepper, top with another tsp. curry and 1/4 cup yogurt. Marinade in fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Sear chicken in a medium pan drizzled with olive oil until cooked through. Place on a board to cool, cut and place in a large bowl.

Place 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a small pan, add 2 Tablespoons curry, warm on low-med for 2 minutes to release flavor & aroma.

Cook pasta al dente, drain, LIGHTLY rinse but do not cool it too much & place in bowl with chicken. Add curry from pan, 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/2 cup mayonnaise, stir well. Add red pepper, raisins & water chestnuts. Salt & pepper to taste. Stir well.

Place in fridge overnight.

 In the morning, take out pasta, stir, taste & add more yogurt if necessary to re-moisten.

Happy Cooking!

Garden Vegetable Crustless Quiche

There are probably a million different quiche recipes out there with endless combinations and I have made around a hundred of them (OK, it's probably not THAT many but it's been quite a few.) Personally, I could eat quiche everyday. I have been making this recipe for years and love the fact that it packs just shy of a farmer's market in it and is very low in fat. Oh, and it feeds a crowd! For the past two years I have made it for my MOPS group and have been asked to share the recipe and have been promising it to my fellow MOPS mom. Sorry it took so long but here it is!

(This particular one had a few issues due to having to sub ingredients so it had to be

in the oven longer and the top got a little too done but you get the picture!)

Garden Vegetable Crustless Quiche

Substitute corn or spinach for some of the vegetables, if you wish.

1-1/2 cups egg substitute- I have NEVER done this personally. I just keep adding eggs until I get to 1-1/2 cups. Then add 3 more eggs (next ingredient)

3 large eggs

1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided

1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided

1/2 cup milk

1/2 Cup all-purpose flour (about 2-1/4 ounces)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (16-ounce) carton cottage cheese

cooking spray

4 cups sliced zucchini (about 4)

2 cups diced potato with onion (such as Simply Potatoes) OR, I cut up the potato and onion myself

1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper (about 1)

1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tomatoes, thinly sliced

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Beat eggs in a large bowl until fluffy. Add 3/4 cup Jack cheese, milk, flour, baking powder, salt, and cottage cheese.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add zucchini and the next 3 ingredients (through mushrooms); saute for 5 minutes or until tender. Add the zucchini mixture and parsley to egg mixture. Pour mixture into a 3-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining 3/4 cup Jack cheese. Arrange tomato slices over cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° (do not remove dish from oven), and bake for 35 minutes or until lightly browned and set.
Yield: 10 servings.

Recipe comes from Cooking Light magazine

Macaroons

My friend Diane was very kind to share this recipe for the BEST macaroons! I have to hide them from my kids if I want them to last more than an hour! I recently asked her for the recipe again since I had misplaced mine and when she told me she couldn't find hers either I was concerned. That is, until I looked way back into my texts and found the ingredients list she had sent me once. We were able to remember the rest from there. So, enjoy this awesome recipe which was almost lost forever!

Macaroons

2 1/2 cups grated coconut

1 cup cashews, finely ground (I have had bad luck grinding my own without it turning into nut butter- so I prefer to purchase it ground. It's called meal- like almond meal or cashew meal. While on the topic, you can use nuts other than cashew.)

1 cup sugar

3 egg whites

butter

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually add sugar, allowing it to dissolve a little at a time into the egg whites. It should end with a nice glossy appearance. Gently fold in by hand the coconut and ground nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Touch each top with a little butter, this ensures a nice golden top. Bake at 325° for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

 

Basic Cheesecake

This recipe is one of my favorites for a basic 6" cheesecake.  It is a "real" cheesecake that has a creamy, smooth quality to it. Some people may be afraid of the cheesecake old wives' tales but it really can be quite simple. I usually give it a jiggle to see if the middle appears set. If in doubt, I find that cheesecake really doesn't get overdone, it just cracks a bit on top but is still yummy.

Basic Cheesecake

Crust:

2 cups crushed graham crackers

1/2 cup butter, melted

Combine the graham crackers with the butter and press into the bottom and up the sides of a 6" springform pan.  This can be tricky, don't worry about getting the crust up the whole side. It's alright if the filling is higher than the crust.

Filling:

3 eggs

2 8ounce packages of cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla (PLEASE do not use imitation)

3 cups sour cream

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (this can be omitted but I like the combination of the hint of lemon when serving it with a berry sauce)

Beat the eggs well. Add the cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla and beat until light and smooth. Add the sour cream and just beat until blended. Pour into crust and bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes. When making cheesecake, use the time as a guideline, different elevations and different ovens may take less or more time. Remember the jiggle test, it should jiggle like set jello, not like soup.

Berry Topping:

3 cups fresh or frozen berries

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and stir continuously until thick and bubbly. Cool.

Ham & Potato Soup Recipe

This recipe came from my friend Jennifer Shimon, who made it for our family when Annika was born. We loved this non-heavy comfort food (it is a "cream" type soup without cream- you can use skim milk if you like) which was so fast to heat and serve when life is busy with a newborn. I now go to this recipe often when friends have babies or when we are just in the mood for it. It is one of my most requested recipes- enjoy!

Ham &Potato Soup

4 cups cubed peeled potatoes

1 1/4 cup chicken stock

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 Tablespoons parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

 dash dillweed (do not skip this- it makes the dish!)

3 1/2 cup milk

3 Tablespoons flour

1/2 cup milk

ham steak cubed (the original recipe did not call for ham, so put in as much or as little as you like. I usually buy a slice of ham steak)

In a large saucepan or small stockpot, add chicken stock, potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, parsley, salt, pepper and dillweed. Boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15- 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Add ham. Add 3 1/2 cups milk and heat until hot (do NOT let the milk boil or the soup may separate.)  Blend flour and 1/2 cup milk and add to the soup. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soup is thick.

We enjoy this soup with a package of Rhodes heat and serve buns (I know I should be making homemade but oh, well.) If you have time to pre-plan, this soup is much better the second day!

Texas Caviar Recipe

This recipe is from my friend Mandy Puls, who shared it with me since my husband always requested it when we saw her. I since usually make it for family gatherings at the cottage.

Texas Caviar

1 can pinto beans

1 can black beans

1 cup green peppers- diced

1 small jar jalepeno peppers- diced (I use a small can of diced chile peppers when I make it for a group or kids so it's not too spicy)

1 bag frozen corn- thawed

1/2-1 cup green onions- diced

Sauce=

1 cup sugar

1 cup oil ( vegetable or olive)

1/2 cup cider vinegar

Bring to a boil, then cool

Mix all ingredients together and let sit overnight, then drain. Keeps well. Serve with Fritos scoops.

*Any kind of peppers or beans can be used