Easy Baked Chicken Chimichanga

Description:
If you have leftover chicken and you're hoping to stretch it into meals for a couple more days, then this is the recipe for you.

Ingredients:
1 cup picante sauce (mild or hot)
1-1/2 cup cooked chicken, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. dry oregano
6 pieces flour tortilla (8-inch), warmed
2 tbs. olive oil or butter or margarine

Directions:
mix picante sauce, chicken, cheese, cumin, oregano, black beans, and green onions.

Warm the tortilla by preheating the oven to 325 degrees F. Stack tortillas and wrap in foil. place in oven and bake for 7 minutes, or place stack on microwaveable plate. Cover in plastic wrap and microwave on high for 45 seconds to 1 minute or until warm.

Place about 1/2 cup chicken mixture in center of each tortilla. Fold opposite sides over filling (do not overfill). Roll up from bottom and place seam-side down on baking sheet. Brush with olive oil.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes or until golden. Serve with additional picante sauce.

Tip: You can also serve with southwestern flavored rice by Birds Eye. Yum!

Karina's Chicken Noodle Soup

Description:
comfort food during the winter season!

Ingredients:
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, cubed
2 potatoes, cubed
3 cans low sodium chicken stock
1 cup water
1 package egg noodles or veggie pasta shapes (i personally love the pasta shapes!)
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
patis and pepper to taste

Directions:
heat oil and butter in dutch oven. saute onion until transluscent, then add carrots and potatoes. season with patis and pepper. add the chicken stock and water. bring to a boil. drop the pasta shapes and cook for about 10 minutes or until al dente, with constant stirring. Add the shredded chicken and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve with crusty rolls!

Salmon Cakes with Creamy Ginger Sesame Sauce

Description:
Had a mini feast today hehe. We had some leftover roasted salmon but not enough to feed 2 so I decided to just make them salmon cakes. Partnered with some rice, and leftover Ramen Coleslaw, yum yum!

Ingredients:
Salmon Cakes:
6 slices bread, whole wheat, removed crust
30 ounces salmon, remove skin and bones
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
5 scallions (green onions), set aside 1 stalk
1/2 cup water chestnuts, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
3 tsp olive oil, divided

Ginger Sesame Sauce:
1/2 cup yoghurt, fat free, plain or 6 tbs Greek-style nonfat yoghurt
2 tbs mayonnaise
1-1/2 tbs ginger, fresh, peeled, grated
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce


Directions:
Salmon Cakes:
1. Remove crusts from the bread, break into pieces, and process in a food processor until you get a fine bread crumb
2. In a large bowl, flake apart the salmon with a fork. Add the egg and mix well.
3. Finely chop 4 of the scallions and add to the bowl. Add the water chestnuts, cilantro, pepper, and the bread crumbs and mix well.
4.Shape the mixture into 12 patties.
5. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil over a medium heat. Add 6 patties and cook for 5 minutes on each side.
6. Transfer the cooked patties to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
7. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil to the pan, and cook the rest of the salmon cakes, 5 minutes on each side.
8Chop the remaining 1 scallion. Serve salmon cakes with the sauce and garnish with scallion.

Creamy Ginger-Sesame Sauce:
1.If using regular yogurt place the yogurt in a strainer lined with a paper towel. Put the strainer over a bowl and place in the refrigerator to drain and thicken for 30 minutes.
2. Place drained yogurt or Greek-style yogurt into a small bowl. Add mayonnaise, ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce.
3. Whisk until smooth.
Yield = 2/3 cup

Ramen Noodle Coleslaw

Description:
An awesome twist to the classic coleslaw. Carrie brought this to the cookout and I simply loved it

Ingredients:
Slaw:
2 1-lb bags of cole slaw or broccoli slaw (or similar amount of cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, broccoli, etc. that you process yourself)
1 bunch of green onions (optional), sliced

Dressing:
2 packages of Ramen noodle seasoning
1/3 cup cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar
½ cup sugar (more or less to taste)
½ cup oil, add a few drops of sesame seed oil

Crunchies:
2 packages Ramen noodles, broken up (Oriental flavor - or 1 oriental, 1 chicken)
4 oz. package of almond slivers
4 oz. package of sunflower seeds (shelled)

Directions:
Combine salad ingredients and dressing ingredients separately. Toss salad with dressing and crunchies right before serving.

Do not add dressing until just before ready to serve. If taking this dish away from home, transport the dressing and the noodles/seeds/nuts in a separate container.

Quick Chicken and Shrimp Pasta

Description:
Had some leftover chicken breasts and a package of shrimp so I decided to extend these by making them part of a pasta dish.

Ingredients:
1 package thin spaghetti
1 package shrimp, cut into small pieces
leftover chicken breasts, cubed (about 1 big piece or 3 pcs of chicken tenders)
1-1/2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 bottle Prego Onion, Garlic and Herb pasta sauce
1 small can of black olives, sliced
sausage, fried, sliced (optional)
1 cup water
salt
pepper
Italian seasoning
1 bayleaf
Parmesan Cheese
Breakfast or Italian sausage, cut into small pieces (optional)

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat on medium high the olive oil and add garlic. When slightly browned, add onions. Saute for about a minute then add the can of diced tomatoes. Simmer for about 2 minutes then add the cubed chicken. Season with salt and pepper, italian seasoning and bayleaf. Lower heat and simmer to cook chicken (if chicken is already cooked, simmer for about 2 minutes).

Cook pasta as directed in the box. Once done, drain but leave some pasta water. Set aside.

Once chicken is cooked, add shrimp. Cook until slightly pink then add the pasta sauce and water. Simmer until sauce is slightly bubbly. Season to taste. Add the sausage and olives. After a minute, lower heat and add pasta with the pasta water.

Toss to coat pasta. You may add some parmesan cheese or you can serve the cheese as topping to the pasta when served.

Enjoy!