Chicken Couscous with Cherry Tomatoes

from the July 2009 Family Circle magazine

makes 4 servings
prep 15 min
cook 17 min
stand 5 min

1 tbsp olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 carrots, sliced and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup plain couscous

1. Heat oil in large skillet over med high heat. Add chicken and saute for 6-7 min, turning halfway through or until internal temp registers 160. Remove to a plate and keep warm. (I usually just leave it in)
2. Add the broth to the skillet and stir in salt, pepper, cumin, and cinnamon. Add carrots and onion. Simmer, covered for 10 min or until tender.
3. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes, couscous, and chicken. Cover and let stand 5 min.
4. Fluff gently with a fork and serve.

per serving 361 calories, 7 g fat (1 g sat), 31 g protein, 43 g carb, 5 g fiber, 685 mg sodium, 65 mg cholesterol

Sometimes I double the veggies b/c they're so good for you. I can't wait to make this again with veggies from our garden.

Tetrazini

Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:
a few tablespoons of butter
about two large spoonfuls of flour
one can of swanson's chicken broth (it's seriously better than the other stuff!)
about a can full (almost 2 cups) milk (I don't really measure)
salt and pepper
1 package grated parmesan cheese, about 6 ounces (NOT the stuff in the green labeled bottle- actual cheese)
Cooked and shredded or diced chicken or turkey (I've also made it with tuna and it was alright but not as good as chicken or turkey. I tried it with bacon once too and that was pretty good)
1 package linguini or fettucine noodles.

In a large frying pan, melt the butter on medium low heat. Add flour, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth, stirring constantly. Add milk, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add parmesan cheese and chicken or turkey (or whatever meat you're using). Stir well. (This time I also added some whipping cream b/c it needed to be used. I've also added leftover turkey gravy after Thanksgiving).

Pour cooked noodles into an oven safe 9x13 pan. Add mixture from the frying pan. Toss to coat and try to evenly distribute any unmelted cheese and meat. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Let stand for about 30 minutes if you have time. The sauce thickens up nicely as it cools.

Imitation Doubletree Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup rolled oats
2 1/4 cups AP flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 eggs
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Grind oats/blend until fine. Combine with flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Cream together butter, sugars, vanilla, lemon juice in another bowl with an electric mixer. Add eggs and mix until smooth. Stir dry mix into wet mix and blend well. Add chocolate chips and nuts to dough and mix by hand until ingredients are well blended.

For best results, chill overnight.

Scoop rounded 1/4 cup portions onto ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake at 350F for 16-18 minutes or until done.



I was skeptical about the walnuts (b/c I don't usually care for them in desserts) but they add a great texture to these cookies! I definitely missed them this time around. I also didn't like the extra dark chocolate chips. Next time I'll stick with the regular or semi sweet chocolate chips.

Shortcake Knickers

I sewed these adorable knickers up last night during the commercial breaks of "The Office." I used this excellent tutorial and pattern. I think I need to make several more. I might experiment with skinny elastic instead of shirring. Shirring was remarkably painless but the bottom is a little tight on Ansley's legs.

Here she is trying them on last night (and laughing, b/c "The Office" was pretty funny):



They were perfect for a great day at the park!

Spicy Spaghetti

About a pound of spaghetti noodles
1/2 pound lean ground turkey
a little bit of olive oil
minced garlic (I use the stuff from the jar- it's faster and doesn't make my fingers smell)
salt and pepper
1 medium to large can of diced tomatoes
sriracha chili sauce
a little bit of sesame oil

In a large frying pan, add your oil and garlic. Cook on medium low, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden brown. Add the ground turkey, salt and pepper. Stir well. Add as much sriracha chili sauce as you want (I used the very technical method of drawing a medium sized heart with the sauce. Do you draw pictures in your food too?). Cook the turkey thoroughly. Add the whole can of tomatoes, sauce and all. (If you'd like to thicken the sauce, you can add tomato sauce and/or cornstarch). Turn off the heat and add a little bit of sesame oil. I add it at the end b/c it seems to heat up quickly and burn. Serve over hot spaghetti noodles.

Here's a picture of the hot sauce:

Sometimes I Wish We Lived on the Top of a Hill

So does Ansley.

Finally, A Nice Day!

It is fun to go down the slide.





It is even more fun to climb up it!













Playing in the tunnel.