This recipe scales very well.  The photos you see here are from a double batch.  It is wonderful served with hot, fresh bread and freezes very well.  I make mine in a dutch oven but I’m sure it would do well in a slow cooker too.

1 lb chicken breast cut into bite site pieces
1 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 cup mushrooms-chopped
1 bag frozen of Italian style mixed vegetables (squash, zucchini, asparagus,carrots)
1 can of diced tomatoes with garlic and onions
½ large can of crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup red wine
¼ cup barley
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp salt
½ tsp rosemary
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp old bay seasoning
1 tsp paprika

Saute garlic, mushrooms and onions in oil in dutch oven.

Add all other ingredients

and bake, covered at 250 for 90 minutes (minimum, can go longer, up to 4 hours)  increase heat to 400 and bake for an additional 20-40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
• 1 tablespoon Lysanders chicken seasoning
• 2 1/4 cups herb stuffing mix
• 1 jar chicken or turkey gravy
• 2 tsp minced onion

Directions

1. Cut the chicken up into bite size pieces and put it into a bowl

2. Add all of the ingredients and mix it up, then press it into a baking dish that you’ve sprayed with oil.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, then turn on broil for a couple minutes to crisp up the top

4. Eat it.

See how easy that was?

Ingredients

• 3 links Garden Vegetable, Mushroom and Asiago Chicken Sausage (Trader Joe’s)
• 1 cup chopped portabella mushrooms
• 3/4 cup chopped balsamic glazed grilled sweet onions (Trader Joe’s find)
• 1 cup Roasted Garlic Marinara sauce
• 1 package Garlic Basil Linguine (Trader Joe’s)
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 cup shaved Romano & Asiago Cheese (Trader Joe’s)
• 1 tsp salt

Directions

1. Squeeze sausages out of their casings in to a pan

2. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until sausage is cooked through

3. Add marinara sauce and salt and bring to a simmer

4. Cook pasta according to package directions

5. About 2 minutes before pasta is done, incorporate the spinach into the sauce.  It took me about 3 batches to get it all in, stirring each batch until it wilted down before adding the next batch

6. Drain pasta and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking

7. Spoon sauce over pasta and top with cheese

Ingredients

• One and a quarter to one and a half pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (sliced thin)
• 2 tsp Lysaders chicken rub (or other spice of your choice)
• 1 cup portabello mushrooms-chopped
• 1/3 cup onion-chopped
• 1/3 cup red or orange bell pepper-chopped
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 2 tbsp sliced green olives
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup roasted garlic marinara sauce

Directions

1. Lay the chicken out in a baking dish and sprinkle with the chicken rub

2. Saute mushrooms, onions, garlic, carrots, peppers and olives in pan with olive oil

3. Spread the mixture over the chicken

4. Spread on the marinara sauce

5. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees

Ingredients

• boneless skinless chicken breast
• Durkee tomato garlic pesto marinade
• provolone cheese slices
• sliced onions
• creamy horseradish
• mayonnaise
• garlic powder
• barbecue sauce
• buns
• red wine vinegar
• vegetable oil
• chopped, cooked bacon
• tomato slices (optional)

Directions

1. Lay your chicken breasts out on a cutting board, cover with a layer of plastic wrap and using a meat mallet (flat side) pound until they are a uniform thickness all the way across

2. Next, tenderize the chicken (I like to use a blade tenderizer but if you don’t have one then the other side of the meat mallet works too)

3.  Next, take your packet of Durkee Tomato Garlic Pesto Marinade and take out 1/8 of a tsp of the mix and set it aside (look, it made a heart!)

4. Take the rest of the mix and put it in a large zip top bag and mix it according to packet direction then add about 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

5. Place the chicken in the bad, squeeze out most of the air, squish it around to coat the chicken well then set it in the refridgerator for at least half hour (an hour is better)

6. Next, made the spread by combining 3 tablespoons mayonaise, 1 tsp barbecue sauce, 1 tsp creamy horserasdish, 1/8 tsp marinade powder and 1/2 tsp garlic powder (this is enough for 3 sandwiches, increase if you are making more)

7.  Now slice up some onions (how many depends on how many sandwiches you are making) and fry them in a pan with a bit of oil until very brown

8.  Go heat up the grill, its time to put the chicken on.  Grill the chicken for about 7 minutes on each side or until done

9. While the chicken is grilling, toast your buns under the oven broiler, then leave the broiler on, we are going to use it again in a minute

10. Once the chicken is done place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and sprinkle with chopped, cooked bacon

11. Pile on the cooked onions

12. Top each with a slice of Provolone cheese

13. Place under the broiler to melt the cheese

14.  Put the spread on the buns

15.  Top with a slice of ripe tomato (optional) and enjoy

Ingredients

• 1 & 1/2 cups medium pearled barley
• 4 cups beef broth
• 4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
• 12 ounces thinly sliced cooked beef*
• 1/2 cup onion-chopped
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper-chopped
• 1 & 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp cilantro
• 2 tsp parsley
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette dressing**
  

Directions

1. Bring beef broth to boil, add barley, reduce to a simmer, cook 35 minutes
2. Pour barley into a bowl (its okay if it still has a little bit of liquid on it)

3. Add onion, pepper, garlic, cilantro, parsley, mustard, salt & pepper

4. Stir in cheese

5. Stir in beef strips
6. Make dressing by mixing the red wine vinegar with the balsamic vinaigrette.

7. Pour the dressing on and stir to combine
8. Refrigerate overnight if you can then reheat when ready to serve otherwise, serve promptly

*I like to use John Soules Angus Beef Fajita Strips, they are precooked and come in a bag.  I usually get them at Wal-Mart

**My favorite brand is Maple Groves Farms Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette, it works great on salads, as a marinade and in all kinds of sauces

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey breast (I use turkey breast because its lower in calorie and we are trying to lose weight, but feel free to use ground beef, pork or chicken or any combination of meats)
• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper chopped
• 1 can black beans (black beans are essential to this recipe, they have a wonderful texture and flavor)
• 1 can pinto beans (can also use kidney beans or white beans)
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 1 packet chili seasoning mix ( My favorite is Carroll Shelby’s Original Texas Chili Kit but I also like  Brooks or Williams brands)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup medium picante sauce
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Cook the meat until about half done

2. Add peppers and onions

3. Cook until peppers and onions start to become soft

4. Add one can of the diced tomatoes (with  juice)

5. Simmer for about 5 minutes

6. Place mixture in crock pot (or large pot) and add remaining ingredients

7. Stir well

8. Cook for 2-3 hours if using a crock pot or 1 hour if cooking on the stove top (you can cook this all day on low in a crock pot to have a nice dinner when you get home from work or sledding)

Serve straight up or with tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, sliced green onion or sour cream.

Nutritional Information (based on the ingredients and brands I use)

Servings: 8 (breakdown is per serving)

Calories: 213

Fat: 3 grams

Cholesterol: 26.5 mg

Sodium: 972 mg

Carbs: 24.5 grams

Sugars: 6 grams

Fiber: 8.75 grams

Protein: 19 grams

Ingredients

• 1 Rotisserie Chicken
• 8 cups water
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
• 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 medium onion-chopped
• 1/2 cup coarsely  chopped carrot
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup shiitake mushrooms (dried or fresh)
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1/2 tsp ground mustard
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp sage
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cups whole wheat egg noodles

Directions

1. Remove all of the chicken meat from the bones and set it aside (how much meat you have depends on how much leftover chicken you have)

2. Place the bones and skin in a large pot

3. Fill the pot with water and add the first half of herbs and seasonings (1 tablespoon minced onion, 1/2 tbsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp sage, 1 tsp kosher salt)

4. Boil for  minimum of 2 hours (the longer the better)

5.  Drain the broth through a colander to remove bones and skin

Make sure its a colander and not  seive, you want the spices and bits of chicken and fat to come through

6. Return the broth to the pot and add in the chicken, vegetables and seasonings

7. Cook for about 1 hour (if you need to add additional water you can, do so 1 cup at a time and taste the broth to make sure the seasonings are right)

8. Make sure soup is at a rolling boil and then add in egg noodles and cook for 20 minutes

1 baked pie shell, homemade or store bought.  I recommend Pillsbury if you are getting it from the store, they are as close to homemade as you can get

Cream filling

• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 cups milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/8 cup PLUS 1 tbsp. Cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp. Salt
• 1 tbsp. Butter
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1 tablespoon banana rum

Banana’s Foster layer

• 3 medium bananas, peeled and sliced int 1/4″ rounds
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons banana rum

Whipped Cream Topping

• 2 tablespoons grand marnier
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp cream of tarter

Directions

Cream Filling

• In a saucepan (I like to use a heavy one that conducts heat well) combine, sugar, cornstarch and salt.
• Add the milk and egg yolks.  Turn the burner on LOW heat and whisk ingredients together until no lumps are present.

• Still using the whisk stir slowly, and constantly.

• Slowly increase the heat over the next 15 minutes,  (but not going over medium or you WILL burn the custard and come out with a nasty mess) continuing to stir constantly.
• After about 15 minutes the mixture will start to thicken, watch closely for the first bubble to appear.  When the first bubble appears to indicate that it is boiling, set a timer for one minute (no more, no less) and stir the mixture, at a slow boil for one minute.
• After the one-minute take the mixture off the heat and add the butter and vanilla and rum.
• Set aside and make your bananas foster filling

Bananas Foster Layer

• Melt butter in a skillet and then add bananas

• Cook for about one minute until bananas start to brown on the bottom

• Add rum and brown sugar and cook for about 2 minutes until sugar is dissolved and bananas are starting to carmelize
• Layer the bananas in the bottom of your baked pie shell

• Pour the cream filling on top

• Chill for AT  LEAST on hour, 2 is better. Near the end of the chilling time, make your whipped cream topping

• In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer of you don’t have a stand mixer, or if no other options are available, I have done this BY HAND before, I don’t recommend it), pour the COLD whipping cream. IF using a bowl never use a plastic bowl, your cream won’t whip properly.
• Start the  mixer off on the second to lowest setting and let it go for a minute or so then add the cream of tartar
• Increase the speed (to about medium) and let it whip for about 2 minutes

• Start adding the powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time, letting each addition mix well, this is a very personal taste thing, I think I usually add somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 cup of sugar, you want it to be LIGHTLY sweetened else it will overpower the nice custard.
• Just before it becomes stiff add the Grand Marnier and finish whipping

Be careful not to over whip the cream, you want it stiff but not unspreadable, and defiantly not butter!

• Once the pie has chilled add the whipped cream on top, I like a nice hearty amount, but use the amount you feel comfortable with

You can cut and serve this now, but I recommend chilling another 30 minutes to an hour

• 3 cups of spinach , washed and dried
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• dash of kosher salt
• 1 can of Del Monte diced tomatoes with basil, oregano & garlic
• 3 oz. low fat Italian cheese blend
• 3 cups Egg Beaters
• Black pepper, to taste

1. In a large sautee pan, heat the oil.  Add the spinach and 1 tsp  garlic, stirring continuously for about 30 seconds. Add a dash of kosher salt.  The spinach will wilt down and become bright green.
2. Spray a casserole dish or pie pan with non-stick spray
3. spread the spinach on the bottom of the dish
4. Drain the tomatoes and heat them in the sautee pan, adding 1 tsp of garlic. Heat for about 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes to the dish, spreading evenly.
6. Sprinkle with 3oz of grated, low fat Italian blend cheese
7. Pour Egg beaters over mixture
8. Grind a few grinds of black pepper on top
9. Bake at 400 degree for 40-45 minute or until set.

Very yummy!