Entree: Chicken and Basil Dumplings

http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/2010/01/chicken-and-basil-dumplings.html

Soup:
* 2 tsp olive oil
* 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
* 3-4 carrots, diced
* 3 stalks of celery, diced
* 2 cloves of garlic, minced
* 8 cups of chicken broth (I used homemade)
* 2 cups of roasted chicken, shredded
* 1 tsp dried basil
* Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
* 2 tsp chicken bouillon granules

Dumplings:
* 1 1/4 cups of flour
* 1/2 tsp dried basil
* 1/2 tsp garlic powder
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 2 tsp baking powder
* 2 tbsp butter, softened
* 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Remaining Ingredients:
* 1/4 cup of cornstarch
* 1/4 cup of chicken broth
* 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the carrots, celery and minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, dried basil, bouillon granules, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cover and cook on medium low for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.

Combine the flour with basil, garlic powder, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. But in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine buttermilk and egg, stirring with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until just combined.

Add the chicken to the soup then taste to re-season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, if needed; bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Combine the cornstarch with the chicken broth and mix thoroughly to make a slurry. Add slurry to the soup, simmer for 3 minutes.

Drop dumpling dough, 1-2 tsp per dumpling, (I used two spoons to drop them into the soup) into the chicken soup. Cover and cook for 7 minutes (DO NOT LET THE BROTH BOIL). Add the chopped parsley to the soup and serve. Enjoy.

Entree: Red Curry Coconut Noodles

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/red-curry-coconut-noodles/


Ingredients

* 6 whole Chicken - Boneless, Skinless Breasts (cubed)
* 2 cans Coconut Milk
* 2 teaspoons Red Curry Paste
* 1 Tablespoon Ginger (fresh, Grated)
* 1 Tablespoon Cilantro (fresh, Chopped)
* ¼ cups Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
* 500 milliliters Chicken Or Vegetable Broth
* 1 package Rice Noodles
* 1 whole Onion (julienne)
* 2 whole Red Peppers (julienne)
* 1 cup Broccoli Slaw
* 1 Tablespoon Salt To Taste


Preparation Instructions

Start with a large pot over medium-high heat. Scoop the cream off the top of the coconut milk, and put into the pot. The cream will be used as the “fat” instead of oil or butter. Along with the cream, add the curry paste and ginger. Let this simmer for 1 minute.

Then add the chicken. Cook the chicken through.
Then add the rest of what is in the coconut milk cans, sweet Thai chili sauce, cilantro, and chicken broth. Bring this to a simmer.

Then add your julienned veggies and rice noodles. Simmer this. You will see the broth slowly thicken as the rice noodles absorb it. It should only take about 5 minutes for the rice noodles to be cooked through.

Pull the pot off the heat, and let sit for about 5 minutes. It will thicken during this time. Then, it’s done. Slurp these noodles out of big noodle bowls! Garnish it with a bit more cilantro.

* I have also added peanut butter to this recipe, and a bit of honey if you want a less savoury/spicy version.

Entree: Cajun Chicken Pasta

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/04/cajun-chicken-pasta/

Ingredients

* 3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Cubes
* 3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix, More To Taste
* 1 pound Fettuccine
* 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
* 2 Tablespoons Butter
* 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
* 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
* ½ whole Large Red Onion, Sliced
* 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
* 4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
* 2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
* ½ cups White Wine
* 1 cup Heavy Cream
* Cayenne Pepper To Taste
* Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
* Salt To Taste
* Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.

Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.

Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!

Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Top with chopped fresh parsley and chow down!

Entree: Carnita-Style Beef With Roasted Peppers and Onions

http://threemanycooks.com/recipes/meaty-mains/carnita-style-beef-with-roasted-peppers-and-onions/

1 boneless chuck roast, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds
3 tablespoons pure olive oil, divided
1 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and ground black pepper
1 can (4.5 ounces each) chopped green chiles
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chicken broth
2 medium-large onions, ends left in tact, peeled and each onion cut into 8 wedges
2 medium multi-colored peppers, each cut into 8 wedges
1 dozen medium flour tortillas
1 container (8 ounces) light or regular sour cream
1 bunch cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges

Adjust oven racks to lowest and middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees.

Heat a 5 to 6-quart heavy Dutch oven over low heat.

Meanwhile, place roast in a large bowl; coat with 1 tablespoon of oil and season with 1 tablespoon of the cumin and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Mix chiles, chili powder, remaining 1 teaspoon of cumin, and oregano in a small bowl.

A few minutes before searing, increase heat to a strong medium-high until wisps of smoke start to rise from the pan. Add roast; sear, turning only once, until both sides form an impressive brown crust, about 8 minutes total. Transfer roast to a plate; set aside. Add garlic to the now empty pot; sauté until fragrant and golden, about 30 seconds. Add chili mixture; sauté to intensify flavor, another 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, bring to a simmer; return roasts to pot.

Using 2 potholders to protect hands, place a sheet of heavy-duty foil over the pot, pressing on the foil so that it touches the stew. Seal foil around the edges; repeat with a second sheet of foil to completely seal. Turn burner on medium-high until you hear juices bubble. Set pot on middle oven rack; cook for a total of 1 1/2 hours. Remove roast from oven, cool to room temperature, and shred into bite size pieces. About 30 minutes before roast is done, toss onions and peppers with remaining 2 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper on a baking sheet large enough for vegetables to fit in a single layer. Place pan on bottom oven rack; cook until tender-crisp, about 30 minutes.

When ready to serve, gently warm meat and peppers and onions over low heat. Serve with warm tortillas*, bowls of sour cream, cilantro sprigs, and lime wedges.

*Of course you can always microwave tortillas, but I prefer to oven-steam them. For each 8 tortillas, lay a damp paper towel on a 24- by 18-inch piece of heavy-duty foil. Set 2 stacks of 4 flour tortillas each side by side on towel. Cover with another damp paper towel; seal foil completely. Warm in a 350-degree oven until steamy, about 5 minutes.

Dessert: Nutella Caramel Hazelnut Brownies

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/nutella-caramel-hazelnut-brownies/

Ingredients

* ½ cups All-purpose Flour
* ⅓ cups Cocoa Powder
* ¼ teaspoons Baking Powder
* 1 pinch Salt
* 1 cup Sugar
* ½ sticks Unsalted Butter
* 2 whole Eggs
* 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
* ¼ cups Nutella - Melted (more If Desired)
* ¼ cups Caramel Sauce - Melted
* 1 bag (8 Oz.) Small Bag Of Hazelnuts, Or More If Desired

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Into a mixing bowl, add your flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Using a whisk, mix together and set aside. Into your stand mixer, add the sugar and butter; cream together. Add in eggs one at a time and mix well. Add in your vanilla. GRADUALLY add in your flour mixture until it’s well combined. Batter should be thick and sticky.

Spray an ovenproof dish with cooking spray. Place a piece of parchment paper (slightly larger than your dish to allow for handles) inside. It will adhere to the bottom of the dish. Take HALF of your brownie batter and smooth it on top of the parchment paper. Take your caramel sauce and spoon it on top of the brownie mixture covering the entire layer of brownie. Place the remaining brownie batter on top, smoothing it out. Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until sides are firm and center is no longer giggly.

Allow brownies to cool completely before removing. Cut your brownies to your desired size using a serrated knife. Make a small indentation with your finger into each brownie. Take your melted Nutella and drizzle over the tops of the brownies. Garnish with the hazelnuts.

Dessert: Lemon Gelato

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/gelato-al-limone-lemon-gelato/

Ingredients

* 6 whole Egg Yolks
* 1-¼ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
* 2-½ cups Half-and-half
* 6 whole Lemons, Zested And Juiced
* 1-¼ cup Sugar
* ½ teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract



Note that serving size will depend on how much you dish out.

Whisk your egg yolks and heavy cream together into a bowl and set aside. Into a large sauce pan, add half-and-half, lemon zest and sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add some of the warm half-and-half mixture to the egg yolk mixture into order to temper. GRADUALLY add the egg yolk mixture into the half-and-half mixture and stir well to combine. Return to medium heat and cook until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

Allow pan to cool slightly. Cover with Saran wrap and place into the fridge to cool completely. When you’re ready to make your gelato, stir in the lemon juice and follow instructions on your gelato maker!

Bread: Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/08/cheesy-garlic-bread-swirls.html

Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls
French Bread Dough:
1 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
4-5 1/2 c. flour
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp. cold water
Garlic Butter:
1/2 c. (1 stick) of real butter, no substitutions
1 1/2 Tbsp. garlic bread seasoning

Shredded mozzarella cheese



Combine yeast, water, and sugar in large mixing bowl and allow to stand 10 minutes or until bubbly. Add salt, vegetable oil, and egg yolk (set white aside for later) and combine. Add 3 c. flour and mix well until combined. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough that barely sticks to your finger. Knead, either by hand or in mixer (my personal and very lazy choice) for another 2-3 minutes. Cover and allow to rise 1 hour.

While dough is rising, combine butter and garlic bread seasoning. Set aside.

Now...here's a little trick I've been using a lot lately. I really, really hate cleaning up flour on my work surface after I've been working with dough, but I obviously have to use SOMETHING to keep it from sticking. If you spray a little non-stick cooking spray on your work surface and your rolling pin, your dough won't stick and clean-up is super easy!

Anyway, roll your rough into a rectangle that's about 18-20 inches by 6 inches. Smear garlic butter over the entire surface of the dough and then sprinkle with cheese.

Roll up jelly-roll style and then use dental floss to cut into 12 equal slices. Place each slice in a muffin tin. Cover with a clean cloth. Preheat oven to 350 and allow rolls to rise while the oven is heating.

When the oven is ready, bake for 18-22 minutes.

You're going to need to keep a CLOSE eye on these puppies during the last 10 minutes or so--once you notice the cheese getting brown, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the rolls (you don't need to press it down or anything, just lay it on top). This will keep the cheese from burning, although it will get pretty brown on top. It's okay, though, because the insides are still all ooey-gooey.

Pull these out of the oven and eat 'em up ASAP