Poached Chicken and Vegetables with Couscous

We just love this one...thanks Rachael Ray

Poached Chicken and Vegetables with Couscous

Ingredients

• 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
  
• Salt
• 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch slices
• 3 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch pieces on an angle
• 1 small to medium onion, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
• 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup instant couscous
• 10 blades chives, snipped or chopped, garnish
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions

Season chicken breasts with salt and arrange in a deep, large skillet. Cover chicken with vegetables. Add bay leaf, thyme sprigs, and chicken stock to the pan. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, covered. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove bay and thyme sprigs. Remove the chicken breasts and cut into slices. Return chicken slices to the pan and adjust seasoning, to your taste. Put the couscous into a heatproof serving bowl. Ladle 1 1/2 cups of the hot cooking liquid over the couscous, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, season the couscous with salt, and fluff with a fork. Put a scoop of couscous into a serving bowl, top with chicken chunks and vegetables. Cover meat and vegetables with some broth. Garnish each serving with chives and parsley.

Refrigerate or freeze the whole breast pieces for Portuguese Chicken.

Vegetable Soup in a Food Processor

I experimented last night and made a super yummy vegetable soup that is super healthy too! Thought I'd post it for anyone that wants to try it.

Vegetable Soup in a Food Processor

1 large onion
1 Tbsp butter
1 whole green pepper
1-2 cloves garlic
1 handful fresh parsley
3 cups fresh spinach
5-6 whole carrots, peeled
1 large can diced tomatoes
1/2 fresh tomato
1 tsp celery salt or 2 stalks celery
1 Tbsp salt
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
3 cups chicken stock
4-5 potatoes
1 can beans (I used white but you could use any kind)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Saute 1/4 onion in butter in deep soup pot on stove top. Add 1/2 cup vegetable stock to onions and bring to boil. In your food processor add all the fresh vegetables and canned tomatoes, except the potatoes and beans. Blend vegetables until all are blended together well...add salt and blend again. (You may have to do this in a couple of blending rounds depending on the size of your food processor.) Add vegetables and stocks to pot and bring to boil. Then allow to simmer on low/medium for 15 minutes. Add potatoes and beans and cook until potatoes are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Moistest Sugar Cookies

This is the best sugar cookie recipe ever...Thought it would be fun for Valentines Day Cookies. The key is to not roll the dough to thin and to use the cream cheese frosting recipe for the frosting...have fun!
Beat:

2 eggs well beaten

1 cup sugar

1 cup shortening

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Add:

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

4 tsp baking powder

3 1/2 cups flour

Chill dough for 2 hours. Roll out with flour and cut to desired shapes. Place on greased cookie sheet.Bake at 350 degrees until light brown (8-10 min).

Cream Cheese Frosting recipe

1 cube butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 pkg softened cream cheese

Powdered Sugar

Add enough powdered sugar until reaching desired consistency and taste. Add 1 drop of lemon extract to remove powdered sugar/cream cheese taste.)

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll

Serves/Makes: 12 | Difficulty Level: 3 | Ready In: 1-2 hrs

Ingredients:

***Dough***
2 packages active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)
2/3 cup sugar, PLUS
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warmed milk
2/3 cup butter
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
7 cups flour, or more if needed
***Filling***
1 cup melted butter, divided
1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
1 1/2 cup raisins, optional
***Creamy Glaze***
2/3 cup melted butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 tablespoons hot water, more as needed

Directions:
In a small bowl mix together warm water, yeast and sugar and set aside. In a large bowl, mix milk, remaining 2/3 Cup sugar, melted butter, salt and eggs; stir well and add yeast mixture. Add half the flour and beat until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour until dough is slightly stiff (dough will be sticky). Turn out onto a well-floured board; knead 5-10 minutes. Place in well-buttered glass or plastic bowl, cover and let rise in warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 1-1 1/2 hours. When doubled, punch down dough and let rest 5 min. Roll out on floured surface into a 15x20" rectangle.

Filling: Spread dough with 1/2 Cup melted butter. Mix together 1 1/2 Cup sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over buttered dough. Sprinkle with walnuts and raisins, if desired. Roll up jellyroll-fashion and pinch edge together to seal. Cut into 12-15 slices. Coat bottom of a 13x9 inch baking pan and a 8 inch square pan with remaining melted butter, then sprinkle with remaining sugar. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in pans. Let rise in warm place until dough is doubled in bulk, about 45 min. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until rolls are nicely browned. Cool rolls slightly.

Creamy Glaze: Meanwhile, in med. bowl, mix melted butter, powdered sugar and vanilla; add hot water 1 Tablespoon at a time until glaze reaches desired spreading consistency. Spread over slightly cooled rolls.

Recipe Location: http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/512/Cinnabon_Cinnamon_Roll31443.shtml

Yummy, Healthy Breakfast Muffins

I found this on Facebook, and substituted pumpkin for carrots..they were so yummy!
2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup diced, peeled apple
1/2 cup cranberries, soaked in hot water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup muesili, bran or granola
2 tsp. baking powder1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon1/2 tsp. salt
Combine pumpkin through coconut and set aside. Beat sugars, butter, eggs and vanilla. Add pumpkin mixture and mix well. Combine dry ingredients in another bowl. Add sugar mixture and combine until flour moistened. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Yields 12 large or 18 small muffins.

Nuts & Berry Salad

This is one of my favorite salads...
It's just fresh spinach and green leaf lettuce....and
strawberries, cinamon almonds (nuts), grapes, craisins, and
some yummy poppyseed dressing or some type of fruit dressing!