Chicken with Olives and Dates

I am still dreaming about those lovely dates that I saw the other day at the market. Why can't I get those little fruits out of my mind! Well I am going to give in to them again tomorrow. I shall head to Dot's for some chicken (because if you're buying meat anywhere else, Eeeewwww) and then perhaps a run to 2nd Street Market for some bread to go with this dish. Oh yeah this Middle Eastern inspired dish has Sunday Dinner written all over it. I love mixing spices, fruits and meats together. The dish actually calls for chicken drumsticks, but since my family prefers chicken breasts, I changed it.

Chicken with Olives and Dates 4 servings

1 T. olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 t. ground ginger 1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. paprika 1/4 t. turmeric
1/4 t. cinnamon 1/4 t. salt
1# skinless boneless chicken breasts 1/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 c. dried apricot halves, chopped 2 pitted dates, coarsley chopped
10 small Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped 1 T. grated lemon zest


1. Prepare the marinade: in a gallon sealable plastic bag, combine the oil,garlic, ginger, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and salt; add the chicken. Seal the bag, turn to coat the chicken. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Drain and discard the marinade.

2. Using a Dutch Oven or skillet set on medium heat, place chicken and broth and cook for 15 minutes covered. Turn the chicken over; add the apricots, dates, olives, lemon zest and 1 - 2 T. of water. Cook, covered, checking occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through; 15 - 20 minutes more. If the chicken begins to stick to the surface, add water 1 T. at a time. Cook through; serve with rice, noodles or your favorite side.

Rustic Lasagna

Oh why am I craving Lasagna this week? Maybe because it's easy to throw together, put into the oven and forget it for a bit? Maybe it's because I can make 2 pans right away; one for right now and one for the freezer? Or maybe, just maybe it's because I am a long lost ancestor of Garfield the Cat!!! No matter, here is a delicious way to get more veggies into your family's dinner. Broccoli and carrots added to the lasagna will add vitamins and fiber. This dish uses part-skim milk ingredients, which lowers the calorie and fat content. You won't miss it. For those who want to know: each serving has 268 calories.
Enjoy this dish!

Rustic Lasagna Serves 8

9 lasagna noodles
2 cans (8 oz. each) low-sodium tomato sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t. fresh oregano or 1/4 t. dried oregano
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
1 c. shredded carrot
1 container (15 - 16 oz.) part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions, but do not add salt.

2. While noodles are cooking, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 14" baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine tomato sauce, garlic and oregano. Mix well. In a medium bowl, combine broccoli, carrot, ricotta and Parmesa. Mix wel.

4. Drain noodles in a colander. Spread 1/2 c. of tomato sauce in bottom of prepared dish. Place 3 noodles on top of tomato sauce. Spread half the broccoli mixture over noodles. Spoon 1/2 cup of tomato sauce over broccoli; place 3 noodles on top. Spread with remaining broccoli mixture; top with 1/2 c. of tomato sauce.

5. Top with remaining noodles and tomato sauce; sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top. Bake until bubbling, about 45 minutes. Place on a wire rack and cool for about 15 minutes; cut into squares.

Pistachio Ambrosia

Spring is coming ... spring is coming ... spring IS coming!

What a nice fruity, light and cool dessert treat. Who can resist pudding, whipped topping and fruit. Ok, there are some who will say, "I don't like chunky in with my smooth", but hey there are more of us who like it rather than not. Really, anything with mini marshmallows can't be bad for you, right???

This recipe makes ALOT, so I suggest either making it for a pot luck party or sharing some with friends and neighbors ... or you could just down size the recipe, but where's the fun in that?

Pistachio Ambrosia 16 - 20 servings

2 cans (17 oz. each) fruit cocktail

2 cans (20 oz. each) crushed pineapple

2 cans (11 oz. each) mandarin oranges

4 packages (3.4 oz. each) instant pistachio pudding

2 c. (16 oz.) sour cream

1 carton (12 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 c. mini marshmallows

chopped pecans, optional

1. Drain fuit cocktail, pineapple and oranges, reserving 3 c. juice. Set fruit aside; pour juice into a large bowl.

2. Add pudding mix to juice and mix until smooth. Stir in sour cream, add whipped topping and mix until smooth.

3. Fold in fruit and mini marshmallows; chill for several hours. Top with pecans just before serving.

Four Cheese Lasagna

I was thinking "oh it's raining today", maybe it's a good day for something hot and hearty for dinner. At first I thought "steak" but changed my mind. Lasagna sounds delicious right now; mainly because I haven't eaten breakfast yet and I have no coffee in the house. How horrible is that? Here's a yummy 4 cheese lasagna recipe and for my family and friends who are Vegetarians, leave out the beef. BTW, I don't use the fennel seed called for in this recipe. I don't know why, but it's one herb I don't care for. This recipe would be very easy to cut in 1/2; one to the freezer, one to the oven.

Four Cheese Lasagna 12 servings

1# ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced 1 can (28 oz) tomatoes with liquid
1 can (8 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 t. salt 1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried basil 1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. fennel seed 1 carton (16 oz.) cottage cheese
2/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 c. (6 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided 2 eggs
1 # lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

1. In a skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic until beef is browned and onion is tender; drain.

2. In a blender, process tomatoes until smooth. Stir into beef mixture along with mushrooms, tomato paste and seasonings; simmer 15 minutes.

3. In a bowl, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan, Monterey Jack and 1/2 of the mozzarella and the eggs.

4. Spread 2 c. of the meat sauce in the bottom of an ungreased 13 x 9" baking dish. Arrange half the noodles over the sauce. Spread cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Top with remaining noodles and meat sauce.

5. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Return to over for 15 minutes, uncovered, or until cheese melts.