Spicy Chicken with Celery and Cashews

For Marinade:

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup lime juice

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon Sriracha

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon dried cilantro

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced

4 ribs celery, sliced

1 cup matchstick carrots

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

handful roasted, salted cashews, chopped

sesame oil

Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl and add chicken breast. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Coat a skillet with sesame oil and add celery and carrots, cook for 5 minutes until carrots are starting to soften. Remove from pan. To the same pan, add chicken with half the marinade. Discard the other half. Cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked, and liquid has boiled off, about 10 minutes. Add sesame seeds and toss, return vegetables to the pan. Add cashews to finish.

Serves 4.

Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 large head cauliflower, chopped

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup half and half

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

In a large, heavy bottomed pot heat olive oil and sautee onion and celery until soft. Add cauliflower, stock and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until cauliflower is soft enough to mash with the back of a spoon. Add cheese until melted, then half and half. Remove from heat.

Use an immersion blender to puree soup, or puree in blender in batches.

Serves 4

Black Bean and Pepper Strata

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large red pepper, cut into small dice

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon onion powder (or 1/2 small yellow onion, diced)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

pinch of chili powder

6 eggs

1/2 cup milk or cream

8 ounces black beans, rinsed (about 1/2 a can)

1/4 cup frozen corn

3 ounces colby jack cheese, shredded.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray, set aside.

In a small pan, combine olive oil, red pepper, and spices, and sautee, until pepper is soft, approximately 5 minutes.

In a bowl, combine eggs and milk, beat until combined. Add beans, corn and cheese, stir to combine. Add cooked peppers to mixture, pour into casserole dish.

Bake at 350 for approximately 35 minutes, or until a knife in the center comes out clean.

Serve with sour cream.

Serves 4-6

Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf

1 pound ground chicken

1 egg

1/4 pasta sauce +1 cup for topping

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese + more for topping

1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs + 2 tablespoons for topping

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Coat the inside of a loaf pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl combine ground chicken, eggs, pasta sauce, garlic, onion powder, Italian seasoning, breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Mix well and shape into a loaf. Place loaf in pan, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs and some parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Add pasta sauce and mozzarella to top, and return to oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned.

Serves 6.

Spiced Chicken and Chick Pea Stew

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, quartered

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon Ras El Hanout

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/2 teaspoon dried mint

1 15ounce can chick peas, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup couscous (uncooked)

2 cups packed baby spinach leaves

salt to taste

Over medium heat, in a pot with a tightly fitting lid cook onion in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic, saute 1 minute. Add chicken breasts, stock and spices, uncovered until chicken breast is cooked through and can be shredded with a fork. Remove chicken breasts and shred, return to pot and add chick peas, cook 5 minutes longer to heat chick peas through. Turn heat off. Add couscous and stir to combine. Add spinach, do not stir, and cover the pot and let it sit approximately 5 minutes until couscous absorbs the liquids and the spinach has wilted. Stir to combine before serving.

Serves 4

Apple Cinnamon Raisin French Toast Casserole

1 stick butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1-1/2 loaves white bread

2 apples, peeled, cored and diced

1/2 cup raisins

8 eggs

1/2 cup half and half

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Combine eggs, half and half, vanilla extract and cinnamon in a large bowl. Tear or cut bread int0 chunks and add to egg mixture along with apples and raisins.

In a small sauce pan melt butter over medium heat. Add sugar and stir continuously until all sugar is combined and syrupy. Remove from heat and pour into the bottom of a 9x13 glass dish. Add egg mixture to glass dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes, remove foil and bake 10 minutes more until top starts to brown.

Can be prepared the day before and refrigerated until baking.

Italian Wedding Soup

for meatballs:

1lb ground beef or meatloaf mix (veal/pork/beef mix)

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 egg

1/3 cup jarred tomato sauce

1/3 cup plain bread crumbs

olive oil for frying

for soup:

1 large onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 ribs celery, whole

8 cups chicken stock

1 zucchini, sliced thick

1 cup mini pasta

15 oz can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 head escarole or about 1/2 bag fresh baby spinach

pecorino romano for serving.

for the meatballs, combine all ingredients in a large bowl, roll mixture into mini meatballs.

in a large stock pot add olive oil and brown meatballs in batches. set aside.

in the same pot add onion and garlic to pan drippings and sautee until onion is translucent. add stock, celery and Italian seasoning and bring to a boil, reduce heat and add pasta, cook 10 minutes, then add meatballs, zucchini and beans, cook until zucchini is cooked but not mushy. Before serving add spinach or escarole until wilted but still bright green. Remove celery before serving. Finish with cheese.