Cheesy chicken and kale casserole

I'm attempting to find new ways to introduce vegetables in my diet because I'm told they are good for you. This was an experiment a few weeks ago and I quite enjoyed it but I'm searching for some zing to add to it when I make it again. Artichoke? I adapted it from Martha Stewart and found that halving the recipe definitely made more than enough.

Serves 4

2-3 cups of fusilli pasta (I am no good at measuring pasta, apologies)
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 large yellow onion, minced
1 bunch of kale, washed and leaves chopped off the stems
2 cups of chicken, cooked and diced
1 500 g container of ricotta
2 tablespoons of lemon zest
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated/shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to directions. Make sure to rinse if using gluten free. I've found corn pasta to be the best lately, especially for leftovers. Drain and return to pot.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add kale and cover, cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to pot with pasta (or pasta to skillet if using gluten free).

Stir in chicken, ricotta, lemon zest and 1/4 cup of parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 9x9 baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan. Bake until the top is golden, 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Butternut squash pasta with sausage and spinach

Squash. I thought I hated you. Turns out I love you. Time to re-evaluate all my life decisions.

I think I've eaten squash every day this week which is an all time vegetable record.  The original recipe comes from Skinnytaste but the first time I made it I struggled with the measurements so this has quite a few adaptations.

Serves 4

3 links of Spolumbo's chicken apple sausage (gluten free) or alternatively spicy italian sausage
5 cups of butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 Tbsp light butter
10 oz of corn pasta (I like fusilli)
1/3 cup shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced (and more if you like)
2 cups of baby spinach, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp fresh shaved parmesan cheese
4-5 sage leaves, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft. Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender. Blend until smooth. At this point I found I needed to add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water to help the blending action. Set aside.

Add pasta to boiling salted water. Cook according to directions and if you are using gluten free pasta, rinse well after it is cooked.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan, saute sausage over medium heat. I find this works best if I break the sausage up rather than slice it. Cook until browned, and once cooked, set aside on a plate.

Reduce heat of the saucepan to medium low. Melt the butter and add the shallots and garlic. Cook until they are golden, about 4-5 minutes. Add pureed butternut squash, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder if you are crazy about it like me. At this point, if you feel like you want your sauce thinner, add more water. Add baby spinach, parmesan cheese, and sage.

Toss in cooked pasta and sausage. Stir until it is well coated and heated.

Enjoy!

Sesame Chicken

Another great Pinterest find. This recipe comes from the Budget Bytes blog that promises great food on, well a budget. It was quick, easy and used ingredients that were already in my pantry.

1 large egg
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken (I used thighs, you could use breasts)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp water
1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 inch grated ginger (I used stuff out of a tube so measuring an inch wasn't exact. I probably used 2 tsps)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp cornstarch
4 cups jasmine rice cooked (I probably used 2)
2 whole green onions, sliced (I used 1)

In a bowl, whisk the egg and cornstarch together with a pinch of salt and pepper. Trim any fat from the chicken and cut into small 1 inch pieces. Toss the chicken into the egg mixture and coat thoroughly.

Heat a skillet with 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and all of the egg mixture. Cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, until it is golden brown and cooked all the way through. I found this took about 10 minutes. Drain off excess oil.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the soy/sesame sauce. In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, and cornstarch.

Once the chicken is cooked, pour the soy mixture over it. Toss the chicken to coat through. As soon as the sauce hits the hot skillet it will thicken (mine caramelized a bit as I was too slow), so once it is coated remove the pan from the heat.

Serve over jasmine rice and garnish with green onions. Serves about 4 or 3 if you are really hungry.

Taco Zucchini Boats

A few friends have recently been busy posting recipes on Pinterest that come from the Skinnytaste blog. The recipes are healthy, low-fat, delicious and it's easy to find gluten-free ones.  I gave this recipe a try a few nights ago and really enjoyed it, though I altered the measurements a bit (I found I only filled 2 zucchinis instead of the recommended 4. Maybe my zucchinis were bigger).  I believe the author is bringing out a cookbook which I'm looking forward to.

Serves 2-3

2 medium zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup mild salsa
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp kosher salt (I usually leave out)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 small onion, minced
2 Tbsp bell pepper, minced
4 oz can tomato sauce (I used about 3/4 of a 200 ml can)
1/4 cup of water
1/2 cup reduced fat Mexican shredded cheese
1/4 cup chopped scallions or cilantro for topping (I forgot of course)

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Preheat your oven to 400 F. Place 1/4 cup of salsa in the bottom of a large casserole dish.

Using a small spoon, scoop out the inside of the zucchini halves but leave about 1/4 inch around the sides and bottom. Save about 3/4 cup of the scooped zucchini, chop it into small pieces. Squeeze out the extra water in it onto paper towel and then set it aside. Discard the rest. Drop the zucchini halves into the water and let them boil for 1 minute. Remove from water and set aside.

In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey. Break it up with a spoon while it is cooking. When it is no longer pink, add the spices and mix well. Add the onion, bell pepper, chopped zucchini, tomato sauce and water. Stir and cover, simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.

Fill the hollowed zucchini boats with the turkey mixture evenly, Top each with 1 Tbsp of shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through. Top with scallions or cilantro and serve with remaining salsa on the side.

*When I made these I cooked 1 zucchini the first night and saved half the meat mixture in tupperware. The next day all I had to do for great leftovers was to boil another zucchini, fill with meat and bake. I also found that I ate about 1 and 1/2 zucchinis. If you served one big boat per person I'd also make a side like rice or salad.

The spice rub to end all other spice rubs

Oh my god. This is amazing. I went to visit my uncle Andrew and aunt Carolyn last week on the West Coast and they treated me to barbecued ribs with this amazing homemade rub. It's official title is "Couzan Billy's" rub and a quick google search gave me a few different variations. I don't know who Couzan Billy is, but thumbs up dude.

This has also been successful on chicken thighs and I can't wait to try it on salmon on the grill.

4 tsp paprika
3 tsp Kosher salt
2 tsp black pepper, roughly ground
1 1/2 tsp basil, dried
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp oregano, dried
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp white pepper (I didn't have any so I just threw in more regular stuff)
1 tsp thyme, dried

In a mortar and pestle, grind the basil, oregano and thyme. Add to the rest of the ingredients. Thoroughly mix and bottle.

Maple buttermilk grilled chicken

So these were delicious. I made them with boneless, skinless chicken thighs but I'd like to try it with some chicken on the bone next time like drumsticks. The cinnamon is subtle but delicious.

Serves 2 (the original recipe serves 10 which is nuts so I paired it down)

1/3 cup buttermilk (To make 1 cup of buttermilk, take a cup of milk. Add a Tbsp of lemon juice. Let it sit in the fridge for 10 minutes and you have a good substitute)
1 green onion chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp crushed hot pepper flakes
6 chicken thighs boneless or 2 chicken breasts (The original recipe called for bone-in, skin-on but this is probably healthier)
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbsp maple syrup (or more...yurm)

In a bowl, combine the buttermilk, green onion, garlic, pepper, cinnamon, and hot pepper flakes. Add chicken, turning to coat. Refrigerate and let marinate for 2 hours or upwards of 24 hours.

Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Sprinkle with salt (I skipped this step). Place on greased grill over medium heat. Grill until internal thermometer registers at 165 F. The original recipe for boned chicken says this takes about 35 minutes. My boneless thighs took probably 20.

Grill, brushing with maple syrup, until glossy and coated, about an additional 5 minutes.

Courtesy of Canadian Living with some adjustments

Chicken and Zucchini Skewers

This recipe worked out to be quick and delicious. The perfect weeknight grill meal with vegetables!
As someone who is just trying zucchini voluntarily for the first time, I give it two thumbs up. Courtesy of Everyday Food.

Serves 4.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used 2 chicken breasts as that is what was on hand) cut into 1 inch pieces.
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1 inch sections
1/2 small red onion, quartered with layers seperated
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Coarse salt and pepper

In a bowl, combine chicken, zucchini, red onion, oil, oregano and vinegar. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Marinate covered and in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Heat grill to medium. On each metal skewer, thread the chicken, red onion and zucchini (3 chicken, 2 each of the vegetables). Grill skewers, turning them occasionally for about 12 minutes.

I served this with tzatziki and quinoa salad.

Spicy Coriander Grilled Chicken

This recipe comes friend approved, by the wonderful Jennie. To be honest, I ran out of propane while attempting to make this (and apparently there is a shortage of refill tanks in my neightbourhood) so we had to bake it in the oven. But I would recommend it on the grill as the recipe suggests. Courtesy of Canadian Living.

3/4  cup plain yogurt
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin (yurm)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 lb (8 pieces) chicken thighs, skinned (the recipe calls for bone in, but I used boneless and just cut the cooking time)
2 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

In a large bowl mix together yogurt, garlic, paprika, coriander, oil, cumin, salt and cayenne. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours (I only had time for 3 and it was still delicious).

Reserving marinade, place chicken bone-side down on greased grill over medium heat; brush with the remaining marinade. Throw out any remaining marinade as it's touched raw meat. Close lid and grill, turning once, for about 20 minutes. Chicken juices should run clear when pricked. Serve with sprinkled fresh cilantro (I left this out as I didn't have any on hand)

Serves 4. I served it with the Quinoa Greek Salad from last week.

Chicken breasts with wild mushroom sauce

This recipe comes from my dear dad, Steve. I believe he found it somewhere on the interweb, maybe Canadian Living. It was quite delicious but not a fast meal so save it for a Sunday dinner. I served it with rice and kale salad.

Serves 4

4 boneless breasts, with skin on (I used skinless)
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 1/2 lb mixed mushrooms, eg. cremini, oyster, shitake, roughly chopped or whole
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
3/4 cup chicken stock (gluten free)
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce (gluten free, sodium reduced)
2 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces
2 Tbsp chives, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Season the chicken with salt, pepper and 1 tsp of the tarragon.  Heat the oil and butter in a large, ovenproof skillet (I used my iron Kitchen Aid one). Sear the chicken over medium-high heat for 3 minutes on each side or until golden.  Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.

Add shallots to skillet and return to heat. Saute for 1 minute, then add mushrooms, garlic and remaining tarragon.  Saute for an additional 5 minutes or until mushrooms "exude" their juices and the juice begins to evaporate. This really does happen! Who knew mushrooms were this juicy? Immediately add stock, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce.  Boil for 1 minute to combine flavours.

Return the chicken to the skillet and place the whole thing in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on the thickness of the breasts) or until the juices are clear. Remove chicken and keep warm.

Stir in butter, piece by piece, until absorbed and melted, with the pan off the heat. Place the mushrooms and sauce on a serving plate and top with chicken. Garnish with chives (optional).

Chicken Parmigiana

I have never really tried to make Chicken Parmigiana before but tonight I thought I would give it a shot. I took two different recipes from Bobby Flay and Everyday Foods, kept the bits I liked of both and made this hybrid. It was much faster than I expected and I liked serving it with a salad to keep it light rather than pasta.

Serves 4

3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs (gluten-free)
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups flour (I used a gluten-free all purpose mix)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into halves horizontally
Salt and pepper
1 large egg, beaten
2 cups of jarred tomato sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
6 oz mozzarella cheese cut into eight thick slices (or whatever works)
Extra parmesan for sprinkling

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the breadcrumbs and parmesan in a bowl. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge each chicken breast half in the flour, then dip in the egg. Let the extra drip off, and then dredge in the breadcrumb/cheese mixture.

Spread the tomato sauce onto the bottom of a 10 by 15 inch baking dish. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place 4 chicken cutlets in the skillet; cook until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the browned chicken to the baking dish, placing them on top of the sauce. Repeat with the remaining chicken and oil.

Top each cutlet with the mozzarella cheese, a dash of parmesan and some extra sauce if you like.  Bake in the oven until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted. Flay's recipe said to do this for 5-7 minutes but I gave it a good 10.

These were great! The cheese with the breadcrumbs helped hide the gluten-free crunchy texture breaded food tends to have.

Spicy Goat Cheese-stuffed Chicken

This is an old favourite that for unknown reasons
 I have forgotten about. I love chicken because it is so versatile and this recipe brings out all of its best qualities. It's meant to be barbecued but I often do it in the oven in winter months.

Serves 4. Courtesy of Canadian Living with adjustments.

6 oz of plain goat cheese
2 minced cloves of garlic
1 green onion, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1 pinch cayenne pepper
4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix goat cheese, garlic, green onion, thyme, marjoram and cayenne together. Set aside.

Trim any fat from chicken. With knife held horizontally and starting at the thinner side, cut chicken in half almost but not all the way through. I think fancy people call this a butterfly chicken breast. Open chicken like a book. Spread 1 side with one-quarter of the cheese mixture. Fold over and close with toothpicks.

In small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper. Brush all over the chicken breasts.

Place chicken in dish or on lined baking sheets. Cook at 350 for about 35-40 minutes. My oven can be a little off so feel free to check and adjust.

Korean Chicken

I spent years craving the delicious Korean barbecue I had when I visited Seoul known as galbi. It is typically made with beef and you cook it it on a grill at your table when it is ordered. I found this recipe in a great bbq cookbook by Canadian Living and it definitely brings back some mouth-watering memories. I'd recommend serving it with rice or in lettuce wraps.

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/4 cup sodium-reduced soy sauce (gluten-free)
2 Tbsp sesame oil
4 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp minced fresh ginger (or jar stuff)
2 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 green onions, trimmed

Trim any fat from thighs. Between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper, pound the chicken to about 1/2 inch/1cm thickness. I use my marble rolling pin to do the trick.

Mix together soy sauce, oil, sugar, ginger, sesame seeds, pepper and garlic; add chicken and onions. Let stand for 15 minutes, turning occasionally to soak up all the awesomeness.

Brush garlic off chicken and onions. Grill chicken, covered on a greased grill over medium-high heat, turning once for 6 minutes. Add onions; grill covered, until juices run clear with chicken is pierced and onions are slightly charred. This takes about 2 minutes. Cut onion into bite-size pieces.

I also sometimes in winter fire this up on my stove with a raised grill pan that does the trick nicely. It takes a little bit longer.

Serves 4

Basque-style Chicken

Yes I know it's Pancake Tuesday and alas, I didn't make them for supper tonight. As much as I've loved Shrove Tuesday (which is up for debate) I've never really understood why you would pick pancakes as your last meal before Lent. So tonight, I pulled an old favourite out of the recipe book. This recipe makes a lot of sauce, so I recommend serving it with a hearty pasta or rice.

Serves 6

12 boneless chicken thighs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sweet green peppers, thinly sliced
1 tsp smoked paprika or chili powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/3 cup dry red wine
1 can (796 ml) whole tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (which I bought but am now realizing I forgot)

Sprinkle chicken with half each of the salt and pepper. In large shallow Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown chicken in batches. Transfer to plate.

Drain any fat from pan. Add onion, garlic, and green peppers; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened, this takes about 5 minutes. Stir in paprika, thyme and remaining salt and pepper. Add wine; cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom until almost no liquid remains.

Add tomatoes, breaking up with spoon. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pan, spooning over top. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer. Stir occasionally, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced, about 25 minutes.

Tex Mex Lasagna Awesome

This recipe according to my mother is officially known as "Brenda's Chicken Lasagna." Now, I don't know who Brenda is but she gets full credit for making something delicious and different. I love this recipe because it's a crowd pleaser and it freezes easily to make great lunches.

1 pkg lasagna noodles (I use gluten free)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion (optional)
1 chopped red or green pepper
350 ml salsa sauce (or more)
375 ml meatless spaghetti sauce (or more)
1 1/2 tsp cumin
2 cups drained ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 Tbsp jalapeno pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp chopped coriander
4 cups cubed cooked chicken (the pre-cooked deli chicken at the grocery store makes this quick)
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Cook your noodles to the directions on the box! Set oven to 375 deg F.

Fry up garlic, pepper and onion in oil to soften. This takes 3-5 minutes. Stir in salsa, spaghetti sauce, and cumin. (I find that that I like more sauce so I often throw more salsa and spaghetti than it calls for). Bring to a boil and simmer for 6-7 minutes. Set aside.

Mix ricotta cheese, eggs, coriander, jalapeno in bowl. Set aside.

Mix together cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Set aside.

In a 9 x 13 pan place a layer of noodles in the bottom. Layer with 1/2 the tomato sauce mix. Spread in dots 1/2 the ricotta cheese mix and top with half the chicken. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cheese mix. Repeat!

Cook in oven for 35-40 minutes. Full recipe serves 8.

Panko-crusted Chicken Fingers

This is a great weeknight meal if you are getting sick of chicken the same old way over and over again. I do find that when I half the recipe for myself (to 2 chicken breasts) I keep the crumb mixture and sauce so as not to run out because they are too delicious! I like to serve this with salad. Serves 4. Recipe courtesy of Canadian Living with gluten free adjustments.

4 boneless chicken breasts
2 eggs
1 cup finely-grated parmesan or parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1 cup panko or bread crumbs (I have found gluten-free panko crumbs by Kinnikinnick in the bakery section of some Safeways)
4 tsp fresh chopped oregano (or 2 tsp dried)
1 tsp salt (I always reduce)
1/2 tsp each pepper and paprika
1/4 cup butter, melted (I leave this out to decrease the chance of heart attack)
Honey-mustard sauce:
1/3 cup light mayo
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp liquid honey

In small bowl, stir mayo, dijon and honey. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Between sheets of plastic wrap, pound chicken with a rolling pin until it's about 1/2 inch thick. Cut lengthwise on diagonal into 10x4 cm strips. In bowl, whisk eggs. In shallow bowl, combine cheese, bread crumbs, oregano, salt, pepper and paprika.

One at a time, dip chicken strips into eggs, letting the excess drip off. Dredge in cheese mixture, coating generously (which is why I sometimes make more).

Arrange on greased baking sheets; drizzle with butter (I leave out). Bake in 425 F oven until golden, crispy and no longer pink inside, usually about 15 minutes.

Serve with dipping sauce and great with snap peas!

Courtesy of Canadian Living

Tandoori Chicken with Green Apple Raita

I'm not going to pretend this is probably authentic Indian food. But it is delicious! And bonus, I'm not allergic to it. Serves great with brown rice.

1 cup plain yogurt (I use low fat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt (recipe calls for 2 but I always cut salt down)
1/4 tsp ground pepper
4 bone-in skinless chicken breast halves (I usually just use 2 boneless breasts)
2 Granny Smith apples
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (or the tube stuff from Safeway)

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. IN a large bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of yogurt, the garlic, tumeric, ginger, salt, and pepper. Add chicken and turn to coat.

Transfer the chicken to a rimmed (and tinfoil lined) baking sheet. Roast for 25-30 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, peel the apple. Grate into a medium bowl. Add the cilantro and the rest of the yogurt. Season with salt and pepper (I usually don't). Serve the sauce with the chicken. Goes great with rice!

Recipe is from Everyday Foods.

"Better than Classy" Chicken Divan

I've squared off with a few people over the years as to what exactly is on my plate at lunch. They call it Classy Chicken. I call it Chicken Divan. What divides these two delicious dinners is about a teaspoon of curry and 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs. Not enough to start an all out war over, but I still maintain Divan is better. Recipe is courtesy of my mom, the one and only Margie Heard.

2 10 oz frozen broccoli spears (I use about 1 1/2 fresh broccoli heads)
2 cups cooked chicken (a roasted one from the store saves you time)
2 cans of cream of chicken soup (get No Name brand at Superstore if you want gluten-free)
1 cup of mayo (I always go low fat)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 cup bread crumbs (gluten-free)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar (or more)
1 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook broccoli until just tender. I tend to boil/steam it. Arrange stalks in a greased 11x7 dish (or 8x8 if you broke the other one like me). Add chicken.

Combine soup, mayo, lemon juice and curry. Pour on broccoli and chicken.

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs with melted butter and fluff with a fork. Sprinkle this over the dish.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. I serve it with brown rice. Serves 4-6.

Sidebar: What makes my mom so special? Well, for one she's put up with me for 32 years and 6 concussions (stories to follow later). But mostly she's awesome cause she takes pictures like this when she stays up later than me over the holidays.

Maple Chicken Curry Sauce on Pasta

This is courtesy of my dad, Stephen Heard. He uses penne pasta but I prefer fusilli. A healthier option is brown rice.

Serves 4 people

2 boneless chicken breasts, cubed
1 Tbsp of olive oil
Pasta (approx. 1/2 cup per person)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter/margarine
1-2 Tbsp mild curry paste (for a nut-free/gluten free option, I use VH's Yellow curry)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup diced red pepper
3 Tbsp cream cheese, in small pieces.
3 Tbsp chopped chives, or the ends of green onions
1-2 Tbsp chopped parsley

Saute chicken pieces in large skillet until cooked. Remove to a bowl.

Saute onion and garlic in oil and butter for 2 minutes at low-medium heat. Add curry pates and cook 1 minute, stirring.

Start cooking pasta

Add the maple syrup to the onions and garlic in the skillet and cook 1 minute, stirring. Add chicken stock and the yogurt. Turn up the heat and boil until reduced by half, stirring occasionally. This takes at least 10 minutes.

Turn down the heat to a simmer, add red pepper and chives. Add cream cheese and stir until melted and blended in. This takes 3-4 minutes.

Stir in chicken and chopped parsley. Drain pastsa, when cooked add to the chicken sauce and stir to coat.

Serve and enjoy!