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CHEESY CHICKEN AND TOMATO BRUSCHETTA TURNOVERS

• 1 package (2 sheets) puff pastry thawed
• 2 pound rotisserie chicken (1 small)
• 1/2 cup tomato bruschetta (store-bought)
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Remove meat from chicken and chop -- you need 2 cups. Save leftover chicken and carcass for other recipes.
3. Unfold puff pastry and cut each sheet into 4 even squares.
4. Beat egg and water until frothy and brush the outer edge of each square with mixture.
5. Mound in the center of each pastry square: 1/4 cup chicken, 1 tablespoon each of bruschetta, Parmesan and mozzarella.
6. Fold pastry over diagonally, making a triangle, and press the edges well to seal. Brush the top of each pastry with egg wash and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling at the edges.
7. For appetizer-sized turnovers: Cut each pastry sheet into 8 squares and top each with a tablespoon of chicken and a teaspoon each of bruschetta, Parmesan and mozzarella. Brush with egg wash and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling at the edges. Makes 16 appetizers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   SAUTEED CHICKEN

• 2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup dry white wine or just use 1 cup chicken broth or another tasty liquid of your choosing if the wine is going to be too wine-y for your kids
• 1 handful fresh chopped parsley

Directions

1. Begin by trimming the chicken breasts if they need trimming. Use kitchen scissors and snip off any shaggy bits of fat or gristle.
2. Pat them dry with paper towels (to helps them brown) and sprinkle them with some kosher salt.
3. Heat a very large pan over medium-high heat and add the butter, which should melt and foam, and the olive oil, which should stop the butter from burning. When the fat is all very hot but not turning black (recipes say "when the foam subsides"), add the chicken breasts in one layer. Now leave them alone for 5 or so minutes while the bottom gets nice and crusty and brown.
4. Use tongs or a spatula to flip them over as they brown, and then cook another 4 or so minutes until the bottom is very brown and the chicken is cooked through. You may want to cut a piece open to check, but pressing a cooked breast with your fingertip will give you a feel for its doneness, which will develop over time into the skill of knowing when it's done without cutting it.
5. Pile the chicken on a heat-proof plate and pop it into a 200ºF heated oven while you "deglaze" the pan. Pour the wine in and scrape with a spatula to dissolve all the yummy browned bits while the wine bubbles and boils furiously in the hot pan.
6. When the wine has cooked down about halfway, add the broth, turn the heat to high, and cook until the sauce seems syrupy and delicious. Taste it for salt, then drizzle it over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley, and serve. Sometimes, if the chicken has browned but doesn't seem quite cooked through, I leave it in the pan while I make the sauce so that it can simmer in there a bit longer.
   

FIVE CHEESE PASTA

• 1 pound Rigatoni, fusilli or small shells, dired
• 2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon Basil, dried
• 1 cup Crushed tomatoes in heavy puree
• 1 package Italian blend cheese (8 ounces divided - mozzarella, mild cheddar, provolone, and asiago)
• 1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. Boil pasta two minutes less than the package directs in plenty of well-salted water and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together the cream, crushed tomatoes, basil, 1 1/2 cups of Italian cheese blend, and gorgonzola cheese.
3. Add cooked pasta to the cream and cheese mixture. Stir to combine. Pour into prepared casserole dish and top with remaining 1/2 cup of Italian cheese blend. Bake for 30 minutes, or until top is browned slightly and pasta is bubbling hot. Serve immediately.

ALMOST LASAGNA

• 1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked (or other similarly shaped pasta-like small shells)
• 1 pound Ground turkey (or beef, chicken, sausage or tofu crumbles)
• 1 jar Pasta Sauce (26 ounces)
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 pound Ricotta cheese
• 2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 cup Veggies (diced zucchini, matchstick carrots, etc.)
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Brown meat and drain well, if necessary.
2. While meat is cooking, stir together eggs, ricotta, grated Parmesan and salt and pepper.
3. Mix cooked meat, macaroni, sauce and veggies. Add ricotta mixture and blend well.
4. Coat a 9-by-13 baking pan with cooking spray or olive oil and spread half of macaroni mixture evenly over the bottom. Top with a cup of mozzarella and a healthy sprinkle of grated Parmesan. Add the remaining macaroni mixture and top with another cup of mozzarella and another sprinkle of Parmesan. Cover with foil.
5. Coat a 9-by-13 baking pan with cooking spray or olive oil and spread half of macaroni mixture evenly over the bottom. Top with a cup of mozzarella and a healthy sprinkle of grated Parmesan. Add the remaining macaroni mixture and top with another cup of mozzarella and another sprinkle of Parmesan. Cover with foil.
6. Heat your oven to 350 degrees F and bake the casserole for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes until the cheese on top is lightly browned and bubbly.

SUMMER VEGGIE MELT

Ingredients

4 whole wheat pitas - uncut and unsplit
4 Tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon freshly snipped herbs such as dill, basil, oregano or thyme    
1 medium zucchini - thinly sliced
1 medium summer squash - thinly sliced
1 medium green bell pepper - thinly sliced
1 large tomato - thinly sliced
1 small red onion - thinly sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded, about 1 cup
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

 

1. Combine mayo and herbs and stir until well blended. Spread 1 Tablespoon on top of each pita.
2. Layer each pita with squashes, pepper, tomato and onion. Top with a 1/4 cup of shredded carrots and 1/4 cup shredded cheese.
3. Microwave on 50% power for approximately 2 minutes, or until cheese is just melted. Alternately, you can place the pitas under a broiler for several minutes or in a 350 degree F oven until cheese is melted.