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CHICKEN POT PIE

~Submitted by Jean, Syracuse, NY

Warm your belly with this traditional favorite. The fillo dough not only adds a unique texture, but also contains less fat than pie crust or puff pastry.

Ingredients
1 (2-1/2 lb.) chicken, quartered
2 quarts water
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt, divided
2 cups medium diced carrots
2 cups medium diced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
1-1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
15 sheets Athens or Apollo fillo dough, thawed
1/2 cup butter, melted

Place chicken, water and 1 tablespoon salt in 4-quart stock pot. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer chicken until tender, about 60 minutes. Remove chicken, reserving broth. Cool chicken; dice to make 2 cups meat. Strain chicken broth into fresh pan.

Simmer carrots, celery and onion in strained chicken broth until tender. Strain the vegetables, reserving the stock. Over high heat, reduce stock in volume to 2 cups, then strain and reserve the stock. 

In small saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Stir in flour; mix well. Cook 1 minute, then whisk in 2 cups reserved broth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; simmer 2 to 3 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

In large bowl, mix chicken, cooked vegetables and thawed peas. Pour thickened chicken broth over chicken and vegetable mixture. Season with basil, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cool completely; stir in sour cream.

Layer 9 fillo sheets, brushing each sheet with melted butter. Do not butter top sheet. Cut fillo to line bottom and sides of 9-inch pie pan. Spread chicken mixture over dough. Top with 6 fillo sheets, brushing each sheet with melted butter. Cut to cover pie pan. Butter top and edges. Pierce top layer with fork several times to vent.

Bake in preheated 375°F oven for 10 minutes; lower oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves 6

NUTTY CHICKEN SALAD

1 lb. cooked chicken breast, diced
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. sliced almonds
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. Splenda®
2 tsp. minced onion
seasonings to taste

In a large bowl combine diced chicken, celery, almonds, walnuts and onion. Mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl combine the cream and Splenda® and whip lightly. Add the mayonnaise and seasonings and blend well. Add this to the chicken salad and combine. Serve on crisp lettuce or other greens.

Makes 6 servings.

Per Serving: 418 Cal; 8 g Fat; 66 mg Chol; 16 g Prot; 3 g Carb; 1 g Fiber.

POP'S CRUSTY CHICKEN
Serves 6

~Submitted by Jean, Syracuse, NY

A tasty version of fried chicken, that's grilled not fried.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
3 1/2 pounds skinless chicken thighs
1 cup lightly crushed corn flakes
4 California peaches, chopped
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, grated

Procedure:

In small bowl, combine first 6 ingredients to make orange-ginger marinade. Place chicken in zip-top plastic bag. 

Pour marinade over chicken; close bag securely, turning to coat well. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade and roll in corn flakes. Pat extra corn flakes on if necessary to make a solid coating. 

Place chicken in lightly oiled disposable aluminum foil pan; cover loosely with foil.

Cook on covered grill over medium, direct heat 30 to 40 minutes or until cooked through. Uncover last 10 minutes.

Tangy Peach Salsa: Combine peaches, marmalade, green onions, vinegar and ginger root (last 5 ingredients) in medium bowl. 

Refrigerate until ready to use. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Serve chicken hot or cold with tangy peach salsa.

Note: If fresh ginger is unavailable, use 1/4 teaspoon dried for the 1 teaspoon fresh.

Chicken can be baked in a conventional oven. Prepare as above and baked in a 350 degree F. oven 30 to 40 minutes.

AVOCADO AND CHICKEN CASSEROLE

1 cup broad flat green noodles
1 large ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 
1/2 cup butter 
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt 
5 dashes Tabasco sauce 
2-1/4 cups half-and-half 
1 cup grated cheddar cheese 
6 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, (approximately 2 pounds) poached
1/2 cup roasted, peeled, and coarsely chopped fresh chiles or 1 (4-ounce) can whole green chiles, chopped coarse 

Prepare noodles according to package directions, drain, and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Drizzle avocado slices with lime juice and set aside. Melt butter in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, and Tabasco over low heat until mixture bubbles. Add half-and-half slowly, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Add cheese and stir until it has melted. Reserve 1 cup of this sauce. Mix remainder with cooked noodles. Place chicken in bottom of a 9 x12 x 3-inch rectangular baking dish. Cover with chopped green chiles. Spoon noodle mixture over chicken and chiles. Place avocado slices on top and pour reserved sauce over avocados. Bake, uncovered, 35 minutes. 

Yield: 6 servings.

Source: The Pink Adobe Cookbook by Rosalea Murphy (Dell Publishing)

GENERAL TSO'S CHICKEN

~Submitted by Jean, Syracuse, NY

I found this recipe online in a chat room on July 11, 1995 from a fellow named Bob. He wrote, This is not a “Purists” GT Chicken, (Few are) but it is my family’s favorite Chinese meal.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs. chicken, boneless, 3/4 inch cubes
1 egg
1 cup flour
Oil for frying
3/4 cup water
3 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. corn starch
2 tbsp. white vinegar
3 tbsp. Mirin, Sweet Rice Wine
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. Hoisin sauce
2 tbsp. chili paste with garlic
10 black peppercorns
1 tbsp. oil for veggie stir fry
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh ginger root, shredded
5 stalks bok choy, sliced against the grain
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into short strips
1red bell pepper, seeded and cut into short strips

Procedure:

Beat egg in a small bowl and put flour in a separate bowl. Dip the chicken in the egg, then into the flour and fry in oil until light brown. Set aside.

In a bowl combine water, soy sauce, cornstarch, vinegar, wine, sugar, hoisin, chili paste and peppercorns. NOTE: If you desire a saucier GTC, increase the sauce ingredients by half.

Heat the tbsp. of oil in a wok or large skillet and add the garlic and ginger. Stir-Fry for a few moments and add the bok choy and peppers. 

Stir-Fry for only a minute, undercooking the veggies.

Add the sauce and stir until thickened then add the chicken to heat through and coat.

Serve on or with rice on the side.

CHICKEN SURPRISE

It should surprise no one that this chicken and rice casserole with tomatoes and mushrooms tastes great! 

1 & 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cubed
2 cups water
2 cubes chicken bouillon
2 cups uncooked white rice
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, drained
1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1. Sauté chicken in a large skillet over medium high heat until it is cooked through and juices run clear. Meanwhile, bring water and bouillon to a boil in a large pot; when boiling, add rice, stir, cover pot and remove from heat. Let sit 5 minutes or until 

2. To rice add cooked chicken, tomatoes and mushrooms and stir together over medium low heat to heat through. Serve hot. 

Serves 6 

Nutrition: Fat: 2.06, Carbs: 55.44, Protein: 31.92, Calories: 367.93

COCA COLA BARBECUE CHICKEN

~Submitted by Jean, Syracuse, NY

12 oz chili sauce
8 oz Coca-Cola
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup chopped peeled onion
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Several drops hot pepper sauce, to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
About 2 to 2-1/2 pounds chicken

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a slow cooker/crock pot or Dutch oven. Add chicken pieces, coating each well with sauce. For slow cooker, cover and set cooker at high setting. Allow sauce to come to a simmer, reduce heat to low setting and allow chicken to cook, cover ajar, about 8 hours or until chicken is fork tender. Skim off any fat from sauce and discard. For Dutch oven, bake, uncovered, in a very slow oven (275F) for 3 to 4 hours, or until fork tender. Skim off any fat from sauce and discard. Adjust seasoning and serve chicken accompanied with sauce.

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For Two...

SKILLET CHICKEN FOR TWO

2 chicken breasts, skinned and boned
2 tbsp flour
salt & pepper to taste
3 slices bacon diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
parsley for garnish

Cut chicken into 2 inch pieces. Sprinkle with flour, salt, and pepper. Fry bacon until crisp, push to one side of skillet. Add chicken pieces and garlic and brown lightly. Mix bacon pieces and chicken, add broth and wine. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Serves 2.