CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

This recipe is form Cathy, pictured with her family in St. Louis this past Thanksgiving. Cathy is related by marriage and I always love when she serves this for a family get-together. It has become a family favorite around my house. Not your usual to dry chicken spaghetti, this one is moist and has a southwestern flare.

~

Chicken Spaghetti

3 pounds frozen chicken tenders or fresh boned chicken breasts

1 large onion to cook with chicken

1 large onion chopped for recipe

2 large celery stalks, diced

3 cloves garlic minced or to taste

1/2 pound of fresh white mushrooms, sliced or 8 ounces canned mushrooms

28 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 can Rotel

2 bricks of chili, found in grocery near lunch meat*

4 ounce can chopped black olives

1 pound package of grated cheddar cheese

~

Cook chicken in water with large onion quartered until just done. Dice cooked chicken and set aside.

~

Saute onion, celery and garlic in butter or oil. Mix in fresh mushrooms and cook a few minutes. Add tomatoes, Rotel and chili. Cook spaghetti separately. Add cooked spaghetti to mix and put into greased roasting pan. Add olives and chicken and toss.

~

Top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and cheese melts..

~

*Some of my friends from other states other than Arkansas, have had trouble finding brick chili, at this writing, I can't remember the brand, I'll find that out. I did google brick chili and found several recipes for brick chili, a possibility, more to come on this.

~

To freeze, I leave off cheese. After freezing, I bake for about 1 hours (or until hot) and then add the cheese and bake for 30 minutes longer.

~

This serves a bunch, at least 12. I have made it up and divided into two pans and frozen one pan for future use.

EGGPLANT, ZUCCHINI OR CHICKEN PARMESAN

A friend ask me for a good Chicken Parmesan recipe, that's like waving a carrot in the front of nose of donkey. I set out to try a recipe, this comes from the 1970s 'Moosewood Cookbook', which is a very good vegetarian cookbook. My husband loves Eggplant Parmesan* (which is listed in this cookbook) more than Chicken, so I decided to test both at the same time. This is the recipe with tomato sauce, I would probably prefer Chicken Parmesan without tomato sauce, I will test that another time. I made the dish by frying the eggplant and chicken, I don't fry much, now my kitchen smells like an Italian, slightly greasy cafe. Next time I will bake the eggplant or chicken instead of frying. The tomato sauce is a good recipe for other dishes, so I will list that separately. It can be made a few days ahead, making the dish easier to handle the day you are serving it.

*Zucchini is listed in recipe as a substitute for eggplant. When you have a lot zucchini in the summer, this is a good way to cook it.

Eggplant, Zucchini or Chicken Parmesan

I batch of Italian Tomato Sauce, see Sauces
2 large eggplants peeled and sliced 1/2" thick
or
4 medium zucchini sliced 3/4" thick
or
6 skinned and boned half chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4" thick, since pounding makes the piece very large, I cut them in half, this gives you 12 pieces medium of chicken
1 cup or more flour, mixed with salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs
1 cup or more fine dry Italian bread crumbs mixed with basil, oregano (Italian seasoning my be substituted) and some grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
1 pound mozzarella cheese grated
1 cup Parmesan grated cheese + enough more to add to bread crumbs

Have ready in three shallow bowls, flour, 2 beaten eggs and breads crumbs. Dip in flour, then beaten eggs, then roll in bread crumbs. Fry in olive oil until done, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side for vegetables and longer for chicken.

If you don't wish to fry, bake vegetables in oiled pan, for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Chicken will need to back for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees, check for doneness.

To assemble:

Layer chicken or vegetables, sauce and cheeses in an oiled large shallow baking dish, or two smaller dishes. I made in two dishes and cooked only one and refrigerated the other, I will give the second one to Melissa and Bernie to take home and bake tonight. For my daughter and her husband, it's like carry-out gourmet.

Bake at 375 degrees covered with foil for 30 to 40 minutes, uncover for last 15 minutes. Let set for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve over pasta with a green salad and crusty Italian bread.

Serves 6 to 8

WILD'N CHEESY CHICKEN

This dish has been a life saver so many times.  When I make it, I usually double the recipe and freeze one pan, just to have on hand.  I have taken it frozen in a cooler from Arkansas to Virginia, it arrives partly frozen, ready to thaw and cook.  It can also be made up and stored in the refrigerator for a couple days before cooking.  It is great for a tailgate, potluck or a casual dinner party.  Cousin Barbara from Little Rock shared this with me.

Wild'n Cheesy Chicken

Saute' in 1/2 stick butter until tender: 
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

Add:
1/4 cup pimientos
1 cup sliced water chestnuts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup of chicken broth
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 pound Velveeta
1 cup milk
Stir until cheese is melted

Add 2 boxes cooked Uncle Ben's long grain-wild rice, (not instant) cooked according to directions.

Add 8 boneless, shinned chicken breasts (as large as chicken breast are today, I think you could get by with a little less, probably (6) cooked and chopped. 

Mix all togethr and top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  If cold it will take 1 hour to heat completely through.

Serves 10 to 12

CHICKEN OR SHRIMP CURRY

Today I cooked at Community Meals, it was a good day for food. We served oven fried chicken, mash potatoes, peas mixed with pimientos, onions and bacon, salad, homemade rolls and dessert. It was a hard cooking day, but I'm sure everyone enjoyed a comfort food meal in this cold weather. I wish our meals could be this good everyday, but then it wouldn't be a special meal, would it?

I have two curry recipes that are favorites. I think either sauce could be used for shrimp or chicken, but I'll include both as written and you can decide.

CHICKEN CURRY

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 medium onions chopped

2 tart apples, peeled and chopped

6 ribs celery chopped

5 tablespoons curry powder

1/4 cup flour

4 cups chicken stock

4 cups whole cooked chicken breasts, chopped

1/4 cup raisins

Melt butter in large skillet, add onions, apples and celery. Combine flour and curry. Add to vegetables, cook 1 minute. Stir in chicken stock, cook until smooth, add chicken and raisins. Cover and simmer about 25 minutes. Serve over rice with condiments.

CONDIMENTS FOR BOTH DISHES:

Chutney

Grated coconut

Peanuts, roughly chopped

Green onion chopped

Bacon crumbled

Pineapple chunks

Banana slices

SHRIMP CURRY

Place 5 pounds of shrimp in enough water to cover, add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 medium onion sliced, 2 lemons sliced and 6 peppercorns. Bring to a boil, cook until pink, 1 to 2 minutes, no more than 5. Drain and set aside. When cool, shell and remove dark veins.

1/2 cup butter

2 to 3 tablespoons curry powder

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 1/2 cups peeled, chopped tart apple

2 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon corn starch

1/4 cup cold water

1 cup evaporated milk

5 pounds shrimp, see above

Melt butter in extra large skillet. Add curry powder,chopped onions and diced apples, saute 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 2 cups chicken stock, simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine cornstarch and 1/4 cup water, mix into hot liquid, stir until thickened. Add shrimp and 1 cup evaporated milk. Mix well and simmer, covered for 10 minutes.

When cooled, this may be refrigerated for one to two days or frozen.

Serve with rice and condiments.

I will post in a day or two a Rice Pilau which also goes well with these dishes.