Tomato Basil Chicken, An Original Recipe

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 1 box Wheat Thins Tomato Basil flavor
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup lowfat milk
• 4 portions of your favorite pasta
• basil pesto, enough to coat pasta

1. Crumble crackers into crumbs in blender, processor or by hand [place crackers in large ziploc or other bag and crush with heel of your hand or with rolling pin or other heavy object]
2. blend egg and milk thoroughly
3. dip chicken in egg wash, draining off excess
4. coat chicken with cracker crumbs
5. bake for 20-30 minutes @ 350 degrees
6. Cook pasta, drain, stir in pesto
7. Just before done, sprinkle chicken with your favorite shredded or sliced cheese; return chicken  to oven to melt cheese.
8. Serve chicken with pasta and a salad or green vegetable

WATERMELON LEMONADE

• 1 WATERMELON
• 1 HANDFUL STRAWBERRIES OR RASPBERRIES [fresh or frozen]
• LEMONADE [HOMEMADE, DRY MIX, OR FROZEN]

1. SCOOP OUT PINK "MEAT" FROM MELON
2. PLACE IN BLENDER WITH BERRIES
3. LIQUIFY AND STRAIN
4. COMBINE WITH EQUAL AMOUNT OF PREPARED LEMONADE [OR LIMEADE]
5. CHILL THOROUGHLY

Chicken Gumbo

Now that I must [for health reasons] follow a low sodium and a low carb diet I have been converting some of my favorite recipes to be"healthier".

This is a low sodium recipe. The key to keeping it low sodium is by making homemade broth and andouille sausage, both of which are loaded with sodium [even broth labeled low or lower sodium] if you use "store bought". I can easily fit this into my carb counting by limiting my rice portion to 1 cup [cooked]

Chicken Broth [stock]

• 1   whole chicken
• 1 or 2 carrots
• 1 small onion
• 2 celery stalks
• 2  garlic cloves, or as much as you want

1. combine all in a large pot  [can be cooked in crockpot, through step 4]
2. cover with water plus another inch
3. bring to boil, then reduce to simmer
4. cook until chicken pulls easily away from bone
5. remove chicken, cool, remove skin and bones, reserve all
6. return skin and bones to pot, continue to simmer, add water if needed [doubtful]
7. when broth is reduced by half refridgerate
8. remove solidified fat
9. heat broth just until it liquifies, then strain out solids

Andouille Sausage   [salt free]

• 1 1/2 #'s ground pork
• 2 T. minced garlic
• 1 t. paprika
• 1/4 t. cayenne [more if you like it HOT]
• 1/8 t. each: thyme, sage, black pepper
• 2 t. liquid smoke
• 2 t. Mrs.Dash Garlic and Herb

1. combine all ingredients
2. brown in skillet, reserve

Gumbo

• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup each: diced celery, bell pepper
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 T. olive oil
• all purpose flourill just te
• 2-3 cups broth [from recipe above]
• chopped chicken [from broth making]
• 1 1/2 cups sliced okra [frozen,thawed or canned,drained]
• 1 cup canned, diced tomatoes, drained, juice reserved
• gumbo file' powder
• black pepper
• Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb

1.  saute onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic in olive oil tender
2. stir in just enough flour to make a thick paste, cook while stirring 3 minutes, remove from heat
3. heat broth until barely boiling
4. Stir into flour-veggie mix, cook, stirring until thickened
5. add juice from tomatoes, add more broth or water if too thick
6. stir in chicken, tomatoes, andouille, and okra
7. simmer on low until hot ,stirring  often
8. season to taste with file' powder, blackpepper and Mrs. Dash [if you are not on sodium restriction add salt in addition or instead of Mrs. Dash
9. serve over  bowls of rice

Promises, promises, promises!

This time I'm reeeeeeeeeeally serious! I'll keep this blog updated and fresh!!!!  Here's a new recipe from my friend Linda H. They are good hot or cold.

Sesame Carrots

• Carrots {you can cut up big carrots...I used the baby ones
• Olive oil
• Sesame seeds

1. Toss the carrots with just enough olive oil to lightly coat them
2. Sprinkle with sesame seeds
3. Bake in 350 degree oven 'til as done as you want. Test with fork. I like them tender, but not mushy.

Broken Promises, Sour Grapes, and Curdled Milk

Question? What are three of my least favorite things.

I know I promised to add new recipes and other posts on a regular basis, but then I got a job [ of all the silly things to do!], and got bronchitis 3 times in as many months, yada, yada, yada, whine, whine, whine...

My friend Deb Carper told me about making a "quickie" bread pudding [individual] with a cinnamon raisin bagel, an egg, milk, vanilla and sugar. Will get the details and pass along to you.

Another friend, MaryAnn, from Phoenix,sent me a recipe for Pizza Soup that she got from another friend. It sounds really good, I will try it and pass along the recipe.

HERE'S A QUICKIE I MADE AND THOROUGHLY  ENJOYED LAST WEEK!

not your usual SPINACH SALAD

• 2 10 oz. boxes frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 4 strips cooked bacon, chopped
• Mayo
• salt, pepper, garlic

1. Squeeze as much moisture from spinach as possible
2. Combine all ingredients, adding mayo and seasonings to taste
3. Add sour cream to make a dip

3-Cheese Asparagus

Found this on the little white tag attached to a bundle of asparagus. Its quick to fix, doesn't take long in the oven, and its very tasty.

Feel free to sub your favorite cheeses, I did. Original recipe had mozzarella instead of provolone.

• 1 # fresh asparagus
• 4 oz. brie [or sub any soft cheese]
• 4 oz. extra sharp cheddar [ or any cheddar]
• 4 oz provolone [or mozz, swiss, etc. ...one that melts well
• fresh cracked black pepper

1. in heat proof casserole or triple thick, heavy foil place asparagus in a single layer
2. sprinkle with pepper
3. layer pepper alternately with cheeses in the order given
4. Bake about twenty minutes at 375 degrees; you can broil last 5 minutes

HE'S BAAAAAAAAAAACK !!!

Hope you enjoy the salmon recipe! It sounds bizarre, but it is sooooo good. The salmon melts in your mouth!

I'm hoping to add some video to the site. Julia Child Classics and some of me and guests doing demos. Stay tuned.