Chicken Divan

This homestyle casserole is great for using up leftover chicken or turkey.  It's one of my favourite meals to take to families with a new baby.

Ingredients:

20 oz. broccoli (1 large head) or green beans

2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, chopped

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/3 cup evaporated milk (omit if using a European brand of cream of chicken soup)

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Topping: 1 cup soft bread crumbs mixed with 2 Tbsp melted butter or margarine.

Begin by steaming the broccoli or beans until crisp-tender. Put into the bottom of a greased casserole dish.

Layer chicken/turkey on top.

Combine mayonnaise, soup, lemon juice and curry powder.  Pour over chicken/turkey layer.

Spread mayo mixture evenly atop chicken, then sprinkle with cheese:

To make topping:  Melt butter or margarine in microwave-safe bowl.

Break 2 slices of bread into small cubes and blend in melted butter/margarine.  Spread crumb topping evenly on top of cheese layer.

Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 30 minutes or till heated through.

Easy Freezy Chicken Enchiladas

There are plenty of good recipes when it comes to tucking away meals in your freezer space.  This is one of our family's favourites.  Thaw, bake and serve up on a busy day when you don't have time to cook or have it on hand to share with someone in need. 

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 three-oz. (250g) container cream cheese (soft cheese)

1 bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

shredded carrot or zucchini (courgette) - optional

1 jar enchilada sauce

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

tortillas

Method:

In large mixing bowl, combine shredded chicken, cream cheese, bell pepper, onion, garlic and carrot/zucchini.  Add half the jar of enchilada sauce and mix well.

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  Spoon chicken mixture into tortilla and roll up placing seam-side down in pan.  Continue with remaining tortillas.  Pour remaining enchilada sauce along tops of wrapped tortillas and top with grated cheese.

Cover and freeze for up to one month.  To cook: Thaw (put in refrigerator 24 hours before baking).  Then Bake at 350 F/ 180 C for 40 minutes or till heated through and cheese is browned and bubbly.  Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup

Health fact: sweet potatoes contain about 50 times more vitamin E than ordinary white potatoes.  Vitamin E helps protect the heart and blood vessels, as well as promoting healthy skin and boosting the immune system.

1 medium onion, chopped

2 red peppers, deseeded and chopped

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 or 2-inch chunks

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

900-mL just-boiled water

1 vegetable stock cube

salt and pepper to taste

nonfat, plain yogurt to garnish

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently cook vegetables, covered, with the garlic for 10 minutes until softened, stirring regularly.

Crumble the stock cube into the pan and add the water.  Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until all the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.  Remove pan from the heat and leave to cool for about 20 minutes.

Using a hand blender - or transfer to food processor or regular blender - blend until smooth.

Return the pan to stovetop and heat through gently.  Season with salt and pepper, as desired and garnish with nonfat plain yogurt.

Ham & Swiss Cheese Bake

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked green beans

1/2 lb. swiss cheese, sliced or grated

2 cups cooked ham, chopped

1 1/2 cups cornflakes

Sauce:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. grated onion (or sub 1/2 tsp. ) onion powder

2 cups sour cream

For Sauce: stir flour into melted butter; add sour cream, salt, sugar, and onion.

In a 9x13 pan, layer half the beans, cheese, ham and sauce.  Repeat layers.

Sprinkle cornflakes over last layer of sauce:

Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 30 minutes or till heated through.

Three Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

I've made this dish for many years now using a variation of my favorite lasagna recipe. Serve it up with a tossed green salad and a thick loaf of crusty Italian bread for a full meal.

Ingredients:

1 package manicotti pasta tubes (or large pasta shells)

1 egg

1 large carton cottage cheese

8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp parsley flakes

1 Tbsp mixed dried herbs or oregano

The key to cooking good pasta is to use plenty of boiling water and salt. Be generous with the salt. A good rule of thumb is to use enough salt to cover the palm of your hand.

Be careful not to over-cook the pasta. It should be soft, but not soggy. Remove cooked manicotti and let rest in packaging until cool.

For filling: In medium-sized mixing bowl, beat egg, then add cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, half the mozzarella cheese, parsley and herbs. Mix well.

I had some fresh mushrooms that needed to be used up, so I sauteed them in a little olive oil and added them into the filling mixture. This is a great dish to improvise with. Try adding chopped bell peppers, courgettes (zucchini squash), aubergines (eggplant), or even some diced chicken.

Prepare your baking dish by spreading half a jar of spaghetti sauce along the bottom.

Using a long-handled dessert spooon, stuff filling into each manicotti tube. Then, place in baking dish on top of sauce.

Pour remaining spaghetti sauce on top of manicotti and sprinkle with the remaning mozzarella cheese.

Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 C) for 30 minutes. Remove foil and increase oven temperature to 400 F (200 C) and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden-brown and bubbly.