Creamy Herbed Chicken and Noodles

Last night’s dinner wasn’t too bad, although it seemed to be missing a bit of something. However, I’m going to post the recipe anyway. I might fiddle with it some more in the future and find that magical, missing element. We’ll see. I also doubled the recipe because one serving as it was written would not have filled Zan up by any means. So, even with it doubled, the main meal came to a little less than 600 calories. Not TOO bad for a dinner. If you don’t count the biscuits I made to go with it. LOL OH! And one change I will definitely make in the future – this would be so much better with shredded rotisserie chicken!

Creamy Herbed Chicken and Noodles

The 1500-Calorie-A-Day Cookbook, pg. 120

6 ounces dry no-yolk egg noodles

½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (4 ounces) light cream cheese with herbs and garlic, such as Alouette

2 tablespoons fat-free milk

1 medium garlic clove, minced

3 medium green onions, chopped fine (1/3 cup)

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the noodles according to package directions, omitting any salt or fat.

Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium heat until hot, and coat the skillet with cooking spray. Cook the chicken 4 minutes or until no longer pink in the center, stirring frequently.

Drain the noodles, return them to the pot, and add the chicken and remaining ingredients, except the Parmesan cheese. Toss until the cream cheese has melted and the mixture is well blended. Sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Calories 290; total fat 6g (saturated fat 4g); protein 22g; carbohydrates 36g; fiber 2g; cholesterol 55mg; sodium 530 mg; vitamin A 2%; vitamin C 4%; calcium 15%; iron 10%

Time Shaver Tip: To save time, you can use about 1 ¼ cups cooked chicken in place of the raw chicken, using either leftovers from a rotisserie chicken or the frozen chopped variety.

Crazy Lady’s Note: You could easily add all sorts of vegetables to this making it more filling and a one-dish meal.

Taco Soup

This was tonight’s dinner.  Very flavorful and filling.  The only changes I made were to use Velveeta (I mixed it right in at the end, stirring until it melted) and topped it with a spoonful of sour cream and some tortilla strips.

 

Taco Soup

Prep Time: 5 min

Total Time: 25 min

Makes: 12 servings, 1 cup each

What You Need!

1 lb. Extra lean ground beef

1   onion, chopped

3 cans (15.5 oz. Each) mild chili beans, undrained

1 can  (14.5 oz.) whole tomatoes, undrained

1 can (14.25 oz.) corn, undrained

1 can  (8 oz.) tomato sauce

1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix

1-1/2 cups  water

1-1/2 cups KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Make It!

BROWN meat with onions in large saucepan; drain.

ADD all remaining ingredients except cheese; stir, breaking up tomatoes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min., stirring occasionally.

SERVE topped with the cheese.

Recipe courtesy of Kraft Foods.

Butterscotch White Chocolate Cookies

Butterscotch White Chocolate Cookies

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 cups butterscotch chips
1-1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Lightly grease and flour baking sheets; set aside. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, brown and granulated sugars. Cream until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Sift or stir together the flour, salt and baking soda. Add to the butter mixture, beating until blended. Stir in the butterscotch and chocolate chips and the pecans with a heavy wooden spoon.

Drop the dough by tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 dozen per sheet. Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, 10 minutes. Let cool on sheets 2 minutes before transferring to cooling racks.

Makes about 4 dozen.

East-West Barbecued Chicken

Review:  This chicken was absolutely delicious!  A bit spicy, a bit sweet and all around yummy.

East-West Barbecued Chicken

Recipe #367070

I am always looking for different recipes, but also ones that I can use up "its and bits" from my fridge. This recipe accomplishes both very well!!
by Abby Girl

35 min | 15 min prep

SERVES 4

chicken pieces
salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce

Place chicken in zip lock bag. Season with salt and pepper.
Place mustard in small bowl. Whisk in orange juice, oil and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken, turning chicken to coat. Let stand 20 minutes.

Combine chili sauce and hoisin sauce in small bowl.

Prepare barbecue medium-high. Grill chicken until just cooked through, about 10 minutes per side.

Brush one side with chili-sauce mixture and grill until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Brush second side with sauce and grill until beginning to brown. Serve hot.

© 2009 Recipezaar. All Rights Reserved. http://www.recipezaar.com

Lighter Penne à La Vodka

Review: This was a quick and easy vodka sauce that turned out very tasty.  A tablespoon of crushed red pepper was a bit much for my family, but they all still ate it anyway.

Lighter Penne à La Vodka

Bethenny Frankel Recipe #375293

Bethenny Frankel is from The Real Housewives of New York City. She is also a natural food chef and cooks for many celebrities. I love pasta, especially when it doesn't have all the guilt attached. Enjoy!
by Nif

25 min | 10 min prep

SERVES 4

1 teaspoon salt
2 cups bottled marinara sauce, preferably no-sugar-added
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk or plain soymilk
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb whole-grain penne
1/4 cup vodka (inexpensive)
1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add salt when simmering.

Warm marinara in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly add milk, stirring until combined. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat; simmer until sauce reduces slightly. Add crushed red pepper.

Add penne to boiling water. Cook until almost done; add vodka to marinara mixture, and raise heat slightly. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.

In a large bowl, toss pasta with sauce and Parmigiano-Reggiano, adding some reserved water to thin sauce, if needed. Garnish with parsley, and serve.

© 2009 Recipezaar. All Rights Reserved. http://www.recipezaar.com

French Bistro Chicken in Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

French Bistro Chicken in Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

8 skinned, preferably boned, chicken thighs

2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onion

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth

3 TB tomato paste

2 TB Balsamic vinegar

1 tsp minced fresh or 1/2 tsp dried tarragon

1/2 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp red pepper

Dash of black pepper

tarragon sprigs for garnish, optional

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium high heat until hot. Add onion; cook 5 minutes till lightly browned. Add chicken and sauté each side 3 minutes or until browned.

Combine wine and next 8 ingredients in medium bowl and stir well blended. Add to the chicken, cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Serve with potatoes or rice.

Paprika Chicken with Sour Cream Gravy

Paprika Chicken with Sour Cream Gravy

From: Campbell's Kitchen

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground red pepper

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/4 cup butter

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

2 green onions, sliced (about 1/4 cup)

1 container (8 ounces) sour cream

Stir the flour, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper and red pepper on a plate. Coat the chicken with the paprika mixture.

Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 10 minutes or until it's well browned on both sides.  Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Stir the soup and green onions in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the sour cream.

Tip: Serve with a rice blend, steamed cut green beans and carrot slices. For dessert serve your favorite fruit and gelatin combination.

Nutrition Information

Using Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup: Calories 506, Total Fat 32g, Saturated Fat 17g, Cholesterol 135mg, Sodium 712mg, Total Carbohydrate 23g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Protein 33g, Vitamin A 36%DV, Vitamin C 5%DV, Calcium 9%DV, Iron 12%DV

Using Campbell's® Condensed 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup: Calories 475, Total Fat 28g, Saturated Fat 16g, Cholesterol 135mg, Sodium 540mg, Total Carbohydrate 23g, Dietary Fiber 2g, Protein 32g, Vitamin A 37%DV, Vitamin C 5%DV, Calcium 9%DV, Iron 12%DV