Chicken Piccata

CHICKEN PICCATA

I got this recipe from a weight watcher magazine, and I couldn't believe how good it was!!

4 (6oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c. egg substitute

1 cup Italian-seasoned panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 Tbsp minced shallots

1/4 cup fat free, less-sodium chicken broth

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp capers

2 tsp chophped fresh parsley, divided

Place chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2 inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper evenly, dip in egg sub. ; and dredge in panko.

Heat 1 1/2 tsp oil in a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat. Add half of chicken; cook 3 min on each side or until done. remove chicken from pan; keep warm. repeat precedure with remaining oil and chicken. Add shallots to pan, saute 1 min or until tender. Add broth, lemon juice, and capers. Increase heat to high, and cook 1 min. stir in 1 tsp parsley. Spoon sauce evenly over chicken. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp parsley.

I served this with angel hair pasta and put some of the sauce on the noodles. Then I served broccoli as a side dish. My whole family enjoyed it (which is saying a lot!)

Baked Chicken with Dried Beef and Bacon

I had this at a friend's house as her "company meal". And as the way of most "company meals" it got my compliments and request for the recipe. So I thought I would share it with the rest of you...

8 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup of sour cream

4 oz jar dried beef

8 slices of bacon

Place 2 slices beef on each chicken breast. Wrap bacon around the meat to hold it together. Mix mushroom soup and sour cream together well and pour over chicken spreading evenly. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 300 degrees for 2.5 hours. (I don't think it hurts it to cook at a higher temp like 350 or 375 to cut back on some of the time.) Also note that this chicken is somewhat tinted pink from the bacon, so don't freak out about it being pink, make sure it is cooked all the way through however.

Taste Rating: 3.5

Difficulty Rating: 3 (not really hard to do, but timely on the cooking)

Great served with rice! Also another variation of this that I tried was instead of using dried beef I used a thin slice of deli ham, actually I prefer the ham over the dried beef, but that is just me, let me know what you like.

Sweet Catalina Chicken

I got this recipe from my aunt. Now I know you can do chicken and rice about 5000 different ways, so if you don't know of this one, you may want to add it to the list...

Sweet Catalina Chicken

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed

Mix together:

1 small bottle catalina dressing

1 cup apricot or peach preserves

1 pkg dry onion soup mix

Pour over chicken in casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve over rice.

Taste Rating: 4

Difficulty Rating: 2.5

Let me know what you think, or what your favorite chicken and rice dish is.

Unstuffed Peppers

This I learned from a friend who is way into health foods, so I am proud to present a dinner that is not only healthy for you, but also tastes great!!!

Unstuffed Peppers

1 lb ground turkey (sometimes I cheat and use ground beef)

1 pkg sweet peppers (they sell this at walmart they are just small red, yellow, and orange peppers, but you don't have to use all of them, just put in how many you would like)

1/2-1 cup traditional ragu sauce (be careful, you don't want to make it soupy)

garlic salt (season to taste)

salt (season to taste)

pepper (season to taste)

brown the ground turkey/beef in skillet, add diced peppers, and ragu sauce. Season to taste and voila!! I love to serve this with brown rice to keep with the healthy theme.

Taste Rating: 4 (I make this a lot, and my kids love it!!)

Difficulty Rating: 2.5 (it is quick and easy!!)

Halloween Treats

Halloween is just around the corner and you might be looking for some cute snacks for a party, or just to make with the kids. I have not made any of these yet so I can't give them a rating, but I promise I will. Also check out some other really cute ideas for halloween treats at picky palate!

Bugs in a blanket

Bugs in a Blanket

by Pillsbury

1 can (11 oz) refridgerated original breadsticks

24 cocktail-size smoked link sausages

3/4 cup shoestring potatoes

Ketchup, bbq sauce, or mustard

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll dough; separate at perforations into 12 breadsticks. with a knife or kitchen scissors, cut each breadstick into half crosswise, making 24 pieces.

2. wrap each piece of dough around center of each sausage, pinching to seal and leaving each end of sausage showing. Place seam side down and 1/2 inch apart on ungreased large cooking sheet.

3. Bake 11-14 min or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet; place on serving plate or tray. Cool 2 minutes.

4. Insert shoestring potatoes into baked dough to resemble legs and antennae. Decorate "bugs" with dots or stripes of ketchup.

Taste Rating: 3

Difficutly Rating: 3

Scary Skull Cakes

Scary Skull Cakes

by Pillsbury

1 box (18.25 oz) white cake mix with pudding in the mix

Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box

12 large marshmallows, halved

1 container (12 oz) vanilla whipped ready-to-spread frosting

48 small chocolate-covered mint candies (from 4.75-oz box)
24 chocolate chips

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make and cool cupcakes as directed on box.

2. Carefully pull back a small section of paper from each cupcake; insert marshmallow half between paper and cake of each. Frost tops of cupcakes and marshmallows to look like skull shape.

3. For each skull cake, use 2 mint candies for eyes, 1 chocolate chip, point side down, for nose, and 6-8 almonds for teeth. Store loosely covered.