Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1 1/2 lb. Chicken breast tenders, cut into small bite sized pieces (easier to chop when partially frozen

1/3 cup Mr. Yoshida's Original Gourmet Sauce (I buy it at Costco)

1/8 cup Soy Sauce

1/8 cup Water

2 Tbsp. Oil

1 Tbsp. flour

1- 8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained & sliced into strips

1 cup chopped cashews

1 head of lettuce, seperate the leaves

1 package of Maifun Rice Sticks (found in Asain food aisle), fried according to package directions

1. Place chicken in a bowl with Mr. Yoshida's sauce, soy sauce and water. Mix together and let chicken marinade 15-30 minutes.

2. While chicken marinades cook rice sticks, slice water chestnuts, chop cashews, and prepare lettuce.

3. Put oil in a stir-fry pan and put over medium high heat. When oil is hot place the chicken in the oil with the marinde and cook about five minutes. Then add the flour to the chicken and stir.

4. Mix in water chestnuts and cashews and let it cook a minute or two more.

5. Place chicken on lettuce leaves and top with rice sticks. Serve with steamed white or brown rice.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I am finally posting a recipe! I can't claim it as my own recipe but it is one of my favorite soup recipes. This is a Rachel Ray recipe so it has a fun name. This chicken tortilla soup is absolutely delicious and it's loaded with veggies! I don't put cheese and sour cream on mine just to keep it a little healthier. This is one of her 30-min. meals. I have actually gotten it down to 35 min. but it is worth it even if it takes a little longer to make.

Why-the-Chicken-Crossed-the-Road Santa Fe-Tastic Tortilla Soup

Vegetable or corn oil, for drizzling, plus 2 Tbsp. -- 2 turns of the pot in a slow stream

3 ears corn on the cob or 2 ears fresh-frozen cobs, defrosted

1 red bell pepper, split and seeded

1 lb. chicken breast tenders

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

1 tsp. cumin

Salt and pepper

1 small medium zucchini, small dice

1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 to 2 chipotle peppers (medium to hot heat level), chopped-- available in small cans in the Mexican and Spanish food section of market

1 can stewed tomatoes, 28 ounces (I usually take some kitchen scissors and chop the tomatoes right in the can since I like smaller tomato chunks)

1 can tomato sauce, 8 ounces

3 cups chicken stock

4 cups blue corn tortilla chips, broken up into large pieces ( I prefer regular round tortilla chips or I make my own by cutting tortillas in half and then into strips and frying them myself)

1 cup shredded cheddar or pepper Jack cheese

1/2 cup cour cream

Optional garnishes:

1/4 red raw onion, chopped

2 to 3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

1 ripe avocado, diced and dressed with the juice of 1/2 lemon

Heat a grill pan to high (I cook the corn and pepper on the bar-b-que grill) and a soup pot to medium high. Drizzle oil on corn and place on grill. Add red pepper to grill with corn. Char vegetables 10 minutes, total, turning occasionally. Remove to cool, 5 minutes (Put the pepper in a Ziploc bag and close it. The steam in the bag makes it easier to remove the skin). Remove charred skin from the pepper.

While vegetables cook, dice chicken. Add 2 Tbsp. oil to hot soup pot. Add chicken to pot Season with poultry seasoning, cumin, salt and pepper. Lightly brown chicken on each side. Add zucchini, onions, and garlic, add chipotle peppers. Cook vegetables with chicken 5 to 7 minutes to soften. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and stock. Bring soup to a bubble, reduce heat to medium low.

Scrape corn off cob and add to soup. chop grilled red pepper and stir into soup. Add chips to soup in handfuls and fold in (I put the chips as a garnish in each bowl. I don't like mushy chips.) Serve soup immediately with scatter of cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Top with any or all of the suggested garnishes (yummy with avocado).

Chicken Lasagna Alfredo

This recipe comes from Aimee, who has lots and lots of yummy recipes and who I hope will start contributing her recipes to this blog soon!

Chicken Lasagna Alfredo
10 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 16 oz jar alfredo sauce
1/4 cup milk1 tsp oregano
3 cups coarsley cooked chicken1
14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, pressed
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (4 oz) package crumbled feta cheese
2 cups packed fresh baby spinach (4 oz)

Preheat oven to 375. Cook noodles; drain. Combine Alfredo sauce, milk and oregano. Whisk until blended; set aside.Coarsely chop chicken. Chop artichokes, bell pepper and onion; place all in bowl. Press garlic over bowl. Add mozzarella and feta cheeses; mix well.To assemble, spread 2/3 cup of sauce over bottom of 9x13. Top with half of the noodles, overlapping to fit. Layer half of the spinach leaves over noodles; top with half of the chicken mixture. Repeat layers, starting with half of the remaining sauce. After layering, pour remaining sauce over top of lasagna.
Cover with foil. Bake 45 min. Remove foil. Continue baking 10-15 min or until bubbly.
Remove from oven and let stand 15 min.

BBQ Chicken Salad

So this is a super easy thing to make and I'm not sure anyone will be "wowed" by it but this is a family favorite and really yummy.

Torn lettuce-Romaine is my favorite but use what you want

1 can of corn, drained

1 can of black beans, drained & rinsed

1 lb chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

BBQ Sauce

Ranch Dressing

Tomatoes, chopped

Avocado, chopped

French Fried Onions

(Any other toppings you might like)

Toss the cooked chicken with BBQ sauce to make it as saucey as you like, then toss with the remaining ingredients and drizzle with Ranch and additional BBQ sauce. Super Yummy with lots and lots of flavor!