Chicken Manicotti with Chive Cream Sauce

Recipe from Pillsbury and Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Here’s another one of my favorite manicotti dishes. (For another manicotti recipe, try Spicy Cheese Manicotti. Recipe is on this blog.) Manicotti is the big tube shaped pasta found in boxes in the pasta aisle. I think this is yummy enough for a casual dinner party with good friends. What’s not to like?! It’s pasta filled with chicken, flavorful cream cheese, parmesan cheese, roasted peppers and broccoli. It’s easy to make, but stuffing the pasta can be a bit time consuming. If you own a pastry bag, fill it with the filling and squeeze the filling into the pasta. If you don’t have a pastry bag, try putting the filling in a gallon size Ziploc bag, cutting off a corner of the bag and then squeezing the filling into the pasta. Serve this with a crisp salad and a whole wheat roll or slice of toast for a good-for-you dinner. This recipe can be easily doubled.


12 packaged dry manicotti shells
1 (8-ounce) container soft-style cream cheese with chives and onions
2/3 cup milk (We always use skim milk.)
1/4 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
2 cups (10 ounces) chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1/2 of a 7-ounce jar roasted red sweet peppers, drained and sliced or one 4 ounce jar of diced pimiento, drained
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Paprika for sprinkling over the top
1. Cook manicotti shells according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cold water and drain again.
2. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small heavy saucepan, melt cream cheese over medium-low heat; stirring constantly. Slowly add milk, stirring until smooth. Stir in Romano or Parmesan cheese. Remove from heat.
3. For filling, in a medium mixing bowl stir together 3/4 cup of the sauce, chicken, broccoli, roasted red peppers and black pepper. Using a small spoon, carefully fill each manicotti shell with about 1/3 cup of the filling.
4. Arrange the filled shells in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover with foil.
5. Bake in a 350*F (175*C) oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through.
Makes 6 servings.

Cranberry Cream Punch

Recipe from Sheila Wheeler and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Bill and Sheila hosted this year’s holiday party for the band. Sheila made this fabulous punch. It’s really pretty on the table and was addictively delicious. We all kept going back for more. Everyone (including me) asked her for the recipe, so here it is. This was perfect for the Christmas holiday, but if you’re having a gathering for Valentines Day, this is the perfect solution for a special drink to serve your valentines!

Cranberry Ice Ring:
2 cups of cranberry juice cocktail
1 ½ cups cold water
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 -2 limes, sliced
Combine the cranberry juice and water. Pour ½ cup of the mixture into a
1½ quart ring mold. (A Bundt pan or an angel food cake pan would also work and in a real pinch, muffin tins might do the trick.) Arrange the cranberries and lime slices in the mold and freeze. Pour the remaining mixture over the frozen mold and refreeze.

Punch:
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 (12 oz.) can frozen cranberry juice cocktail concentrate, thawed
1-1 ½ of a one liter bottle(s) ginger ale, chilled, or to taste
½ of a large bottle Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail, or to taste
⅓ of a one liter bottle of rum
Combine all of the ingredients in a large punch bowl. Carefully place frozen cranberry ring on the top of the punch and allow it to float.

Mashed Potatoes with Celery Root and Mascarpone

Bon Appétit | November 1997 Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen Serves 10

I served this dish when our son, Kurt and his wife, Marimar were with us during the holidays. Celery root looks like a vegetable that came from an alien planet, but once it's peeled, cubed and put in soups or as in this recipe along with potatoes, you're sure to make it a staple in your fall/winter repertoire. It lends a very nice celery flavor to these creamy potatoes. The mascarpone cheese can be found just down the aisle from celery root at Lost River Market & Deli. It makes these mashed potatoes especially rich tasting!

3 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds celery root (celeriac), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 whole peeled garlic cloves plus 1 tablespoon minced garlic

8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

Place potatoes, celery root and whole garlic cloves in large pot. Add enough cold water to cover vegetables. Salt the water and bring to boil. Cover partially and boil until vegetables are very tender, about 40 minutes. Drain.
Transfer vegetables to large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until almost smooth. Add minced garlic, mascarpone and butter; beat until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.)

Slow-Cooked Tex-Mex Chicken and Beans

Recipe from Everyday Food and Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

I'm thinking this would be a perfect meal for your Super Bowl dinner!! This is so easy to make, but really has lots of flavor and is packed with a whopping 13 grams of fiber per serving. For this memorable fix-and-forget chicken stew, use a high-quality salsa to save time without skimping on flavor; choose a jar with a short ingredient list. I used "Green Mountain Gringo Salsa" medium heat which is found at Lost River Market & Deli. It also comes in mild heat for those who shy away from anything spicy. This salsa has no perservatives in it; it's all natural. Chipotle Chilis in Abobo Sauce are smoked jalapeno chilis. A little goes a long way. You'll only need a small amount, so put the leftover from the can in the freezer for when you make this dish again. Serve this chicken stew on its own or over brown rice or even tortilla chips. Add a crisp salad for a complete meal! Try the Orange and Avocado Salad . The recipe is on this blog!

· 1 cup dried pinto beans, rinsed
· 1 jar (11 ounces) mild or medium salsa (1 1/2 cups)
· 2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
· 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8)
· Coarse salt and ground pepper
· 1 medium red onion, chopped
· 1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
· 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream, for serving (optional)
· 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for serving (optional)

1. In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, stir together beans, salsa, chiles, flour, and 1 cup water. Season chicken with salt and pepper; arrange on top of bean mixture. Scatter onion and bell pepper on top of chicken.
2. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. (Do not open lid or stir.)
3. Remove chicken from stew; shred into large pieces and return to stew. Serve topped with sour cream and cilantro.

Oven method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Follow step 1, using a 5-quart Dutch oven or large pot, substituting 2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed, for dried beans, and increasing water to 2 cups. Cover pot and bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Transfer to oven, and cook until chicken is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Proceed with step 3.

Pear Clafouti (Pronounced cla-foo-TEE )

Recipe from Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris Cookbook and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Serves 8

Oh, baby! Is this gooooood! Jim and I went to Andy and Linda’s house to celebrate Linda’s birthday. They fixed us a delicious meal and I brought the ingredients for the dessert. They were gracious enough to let me experiment on them. The French dessert was quick and easy to make. It came out beautifully, even when I used Linda’s old fashioned wood cook stove to bake it in! We had it while it was still a bit warm along with real vanilla ice cream. I bought all of the ingredients from Lost River Market & Deli, except for the eggs. They came from Andy and Linda’s chickens. But never fear! You can get locally raised chicken eggs at Lost River Market & Deli too! After dessert, we had a great time playing Charades. Who says you have to have electricity to have fun!?

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons pear brandy or brandy (I used brandy. Pear brandy is very expensive.)
2 to 3 firm but ripe Bartlett pears
Confectioners' sugar
Vanilla Ice Cream, Sweetened Whipped Cream or Crème fraiche, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Butter a 10 by 3 by 1 1⁄2-inch round baking dish and sprinkle the bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. (I used a 10 inch glass Pyrex tart dish.)

Beat the eggs and the 1⁄3 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. On low speed, mix in the flour, cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, and brandy. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel, quarter, core, and slice the pears. Arrange the slices in a single layer, slightly fanned out, in the baking dish. Pour the batter over the pears and bake until the top is golden brown and the custard is firm, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, and vanilla ice cream, sweetened whipping cream or crème fraiche.

Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin

Recipe from Allrecipes.com; Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

I made this quick and tasty dish in my slow cooker one day when I had lots to do and didn't have time to be in the kitchen. I made it exactly as written with a couple of modifications. First, I browned the tenderloin in a skillet with a bit of oil. This I did because I wanted the tenderloin to have a nice brown crust. I then deglazed the skillet with the red wine. I poured the juices from the skillet into the slow cooker. The other modification I made was to make a "slurry" with flour and water after removing the tenderloin at the end of the cooking time. This thickened the sauce just a bit after a few minutes of cooking. You could also use cornstarch and water or even minute tapioca to thicken the sauce. Jim and I actually thought the whole thing tasted much better the second day, so this is a great main dish to make in advance. Be sure to serve this with something to soak up the flavorful sauce such as brown rice, mashed potatoes, couscous Couscous with Pistachios Easy Tasty Couscous Dish or other grain Bulgur Pilaf with Cranberries and Almonds (recipes on this blog.) To round out the meal, steam, saute or roast some broccoli, asparagus or carrots.

1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1 cup water
3/4 cup red wine
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper to taste
(a bit flour and water to make a "slurry" thickener is optional)

*Read the note above for modifications. Then, place pork tenderloin in a slow cooker with the contents of the soup packet. Pour water, wine, and soy sauce over the top, turning the pork to coat. Carefully spread garlic over the pork, leaving as much on top of the roast during cooking as possible. Sprinkle with pepper, cover, and cook on low setting for 4 hours. Serve with cooking liquid on the side as au jus.