Lentil-Rice Salad with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette This is a great summer salad, and goes well with grilled fish of any kind or by itself. I make this a few times a month in the summer when we grill out frequently--its very easy to prepare and is low in fat. The lentil and rice mixture should marinate in the vinaigrette for at least 4 hours. If you have the time, let it marinate for 24 hours. 1/2 cup dry lentils 1/2 cup long grain rice 1/2 cup chopped red pepper 1/2 cup shredded carrot 1/4 cup sliced green onion (2) 2 cups water Vinaigrette 3 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoons snipped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed basil 1/4 teaspoon salt Rinse and drain lentils. Transfer to medium saucepan; add water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 5 minutes. Add uncooked rice. Cover and simmer 15 minutes more. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered for about 10 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. In large mixing bowl combine lentil mixture, red pepper, carrot, and green onions. Set aside. For the vinaigrette, in a screw-top jar combine oil, lemon peel, lemon juice, basil, and salt. Cover and shake well. Pour over lentil mixture, and stir gently to coat. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours. Serve with tomato wedges Chicken Enchilada Bake with Spicy Mushroom Sauce I found this recipe in Cooking Light magazine, but modified it a bit. I added jalapeno peppers in place of the Anaheim chiles and used homemade chicken stock in place of the canned chicken broth. Using homemade stock really makes a difference in cooking sauces like this one -- or any recipe that calls for chicken broth. This dish takes some time to prepare, but it's worth the effort. I recommend wearing non-latex plastic gloves while chopping and pealing the jalapenos -- you dont want to accidentally rub your eyes after touching the peppers. 2 poblano chiles (about 6 ounces) 2 jalapeno peppers (about 4-1/2 ounces) 1 red bell pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 cups sliced cremini mushrooms (about 8 ounces) 1-1/2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms (about 1 (3-1/2-ounce) package) 1/2 cup sliced green onions 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1-1/4 cups homemade chicken stock (or canned chicken broth) 1/2 cup water 4 ounces block-style fat-free cream cheese (about 1/2 cup), softened 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese Cooking spray 9 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut in half 2-1/4 cups chopped skinned roasted chicken breast (about 3/4 pound) 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Romano cheese Non-latex plastic gloves (for handling hot peppers) Preheat broiler. Cut the chiles and bell pepper in half lengthwise, and discard seeds and membranes. Place chile and bell pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet, and flatten with hand. Broil for 5 minutes or until blackened, turning occasionally. Place in a zip-top plastic bag, and seal. Let stand 15 minutes; peel and chop chiles, jalapeno and bell pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onions, and garlic; saut 5 minutes. Stir in flour, sage, cumin, and black pepper, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in chopped chiles and bell pepper, chicken stock, and water; simmer 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Stir in cream cheese. Remove from heat; stir in Jack cheese. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon 1 cup mushroom sauce into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with 6 tortilla halves, 3/4 cup chicken, and 1 cup sauce. Repeat layers twice, ending with sauce. Sprinkle with Romano. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes. Champagne-Feta Risotto 1/3 cup water 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 2 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup Arborio rice or other short-grain rice 1/2 cup Champagne or white wine 2/3 cup (about 2-1/2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese Bring the first 3 ingredients to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, and saut 3 minutes. Add rice; saut 2 minutes. Stir in Champagne; cook 1 minute or until the liquid is absorbed. Stir in 1 cup broth mixture; cook for 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes total). Stir in feta. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese. Fontina, Asparagus, and Leek Strata 1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine 5 cups (1-inch) sliced asparagus (about 1-1/2 pounds) 2 cups thinly sliced leeks (about 3 small) 1/2 cup water 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 2 teaspoons minced fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided 12 (1-ounce) thin slices firm white sandwich bread (such as Pepperidge Farm) Cooking spray 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fontina cheese, divided 2-1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk 3 large eggs 1 large egg white 1-1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (about 3 slices) Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add asparagus, leeks, and water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley, tarragon, lemon rind, salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Arrange half of bread slices in a single layer in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top bread slices with half of asparagus mixture, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat procedure with the remaining bread, asparagus mixture, and 1/2 cup cheese. Combine 1/8 teaspoon pepper, milk, eggs, and egg white, and stir with a whisk until well-blended. Pour the milk mixture over strata. Cover strata, and chill for 8 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 400F. Uncover strata; sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake at 400F for 40 minutes or until set. Simmered Sicilian Chicken This is a very tasty dish with many different flavors that blend together nicely. Believe it or not, the green olives go perfectly with the red grapes and the Marsala wine gives it just a bit more sweetness without being overpowering. I sometimes add fresh mushrooms and artichoke hearts to this dish for even more flavor. 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 4 (4-ounce) skinned, boneless chicken breast halves 2 teaspoons olive oil (divided) 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 4 garlic cloves, minced 2/3 cup homemade chicken stock (or canned chicken broth) 1/3 cup sweet Marsala wine 1/2 cup pitted green olives, quartered 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved 3 cups hot cooked angel hair (about 6 ounces uncooked pasta) Place first 3 ingredients in a zip top plastic bag; add chicken. Seal and shake to coat. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; saute 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan; keep warm. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, oregano, red pepper, and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in stock or broth and Marsala wine; reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute. Add the chicken and olives; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add the grapes; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve over pasta. Donna's Mediterranean Chicken This is a great dish for those who love artichoke hearts and mushrooms! It's a recipe that has sort of evolved over the course of a few different recipes I have made over the years. The white wine sauce is low in fat, but still very flavorful. (Serves 4) 4 large boneless chicken breasts (cut into large chunks) 6-8oz tomato basil feta cheese-crumbled (or plain feta if you cannot find the tomato basil, but be sure to add dried basil for flavoring) 1 can artichoke hearts (drained very well and coarsely chopped) 1 small can whole small black olives (drained very well) 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced 4 plum tomatoes (seeded, and chopped and patted dry with paper towels) Olive oil (2-4 tablespoons) Fresh garlic (4-6 teaspoons) 1-2 cups good quality dry white wine (not "cooking" wine bought in the supermarket) 1-2 teaspoons dried rosemary 1 teaspoon dried basil (if not using flavored feta) Salt and pepper to taste 8oz of cooked linguini or other desired pasta Add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil to sauté pan. Over medium high heat, sauté 2-3 teaspoons garlic for one minute, add chicken pieces. Very lightly coat chicken pieces with dried rosemary-- sauté about 7 minutes or just until chicken is almost cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm. Wipe pan with paper towel. In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add 2-3 teaspoons garlic, sauté for one minute and add mushrooms. Cook mushrooms until just about tender. Drain the pan a bit as the mushrooms will produce some liquid, and add ½ cup of the wine, the chicken, the artichoke hearts, black olives and most of the crumbled feta (save a bit to top the plates), and a teaspoon of dried basil if using plain feta. Reduce heat to med/med low and stir frequently until the cheese melts into a light sauce and chicken is done -- about 5 minutes. Add white wine a ¼ cup at a time until desired sauce thickness (the wine will reduce). Add the chopped plum tomatoes until heated through, and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss well with the cooked pasta. Transfer to 4 dinner plates, top with remaining feta cheese and serve immediately. Gruyere, Baby Spinach, and Prosciutto- Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Caramelized Shallot Sauce Another recipe I found in Cooking Light, but modified a bit. The original recipe called for arugula, but I substituted baby spinach. This is a great recipe to make if you are having guests over for dinner--it's not as difficult as you may think, and it looks impressive and is very tasty. (6 servings) Chicken (Stuffing the chicken a day ahead and refrigerating it makes it easier to sauté.) 6 (4-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves) 6 (1/2 ounce slices good quality prosciutto) 6 (1/2 ounce slices Gruyere cheese 1 1/2 cups baby spinach 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon olive oil Sauce 1 cup thinly sliced shallots 2 teaspoons tomato paste 2 cups dry white wine 2 1/4 cups chicken stock (or canned broth if you don't have homemade stock) 1 1/2 water 1 teaspoon cornstarch Preheat over to 350. To prepare the chicken, place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4 inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Discard plastic wrap. Top each chicken breast half with 1 slice prosciutto, 1 slice cheese, and 1/4 spinach, leaving a 1/4 inch border around edges. Fold in half, pinching edges together to seal; sprinkle with salt and pepper.(The chicken can be prepared up to a day ahead and refrigerated at this point--I really recommend doing this, as it does make it much easier to sauté chicken when it has been refrigerated overnight) Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes on each side. Place chicken in a shallow baking pan; bake at 350 for 5 minutes or until done. Keep warm. To prepare sauce, add shallots to skillet; sauté 4 minutes over medium-high heat or until browned. Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until reduced to 1 cup (about 6 minutes). Add stock or broth; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half (about 8 minutes). Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a fork until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to sauce; bring to boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly until sauce is to desired thickness. Serve immediately over the chicken breasts (about 1/4 cup sauce per serving)