Many of you know I love Pampered Chef, especially their Stoneware! My favorite piece is the Large Bar Pan and I cook everything on it. I roast potatoes, zucchini, butternut squash, yams, turnips, parsnips, sweet potatoes and tomatoes. I bake fish, chicken, turkey meatloaf, pork roast and meatballs. I also make desserts on it too!!
But enough about the Bar Pan. As I leafed through my Pampered Chef cook books looking for some ideas for sweet treats to make for the Cuttyhunk Church Fair, I came upon some of my old favorite recipes and thought I would share them here.
Chicken, Avocado & Grapefruit Salad
Ingredients
For Chicken:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Dressing and Salad:
1 large ruby red grapefruit
1 tbsp orange marmalade
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
4-6 radishes
1 firm, ripe avocado
1 bag (6 oz) fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup sliced red onion (optional)
Sweet Caramel Cashews (optional)
Directions:
1. For chicken, combine ingredients in bowl. Heat grill pan over medium heat 5 minutes. Cook chicken 4 minutes or until grill marks appear. Turn chicken over; grill 4-6 minutes or until thermometer registers 170°F. Remove chicken to cutting board; let stand 10 minutes.
2. For dressing, zest grapefruit to measure 1 tsp zest. Cut grapefruit in half; remove sections to using a grapefruit knife. Juice grapefruit halves to measure 1/4 cup juice. Combine zest, juice, marmalade, oil, salt and black pepper in small bowl; mix well using whisk.
3. For salad, slice radishes. Peel and dice avocado. Slice chicken crosswise into thin strips. Place spinach into large bowl. Top with sliced chicken, grapefruit, radishes, avocado and onion, if desired. Pour dressing over salad; toss gently. Garnish with Sweet Caramel Cashews, if desired. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings
Cook’s Tips: Poppy seed dressing can be substituted for the grapefruit dressing, if desired. CA Garlic Pepper can be used to season the chicken in place of the Lemon Pepper Blend, if desired. _______________________
Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Ingredients:
1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch wedges
1 medium red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch wedges
2 garlic cloves, pressed OR substitute the natural gso for 1 tbsp garlic gso Salt and coarsely ground black pepper (optional)
3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 package (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup pitted whole kalamata olives
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley
1/4 cup prepared Greek vinaigrette dressing
Romaine lettuce leaves (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine asparagus, bell pepper, onion and oil in mixing bowl. Press garlic into mixing bowl using garlic press; toss to coat. Season with salt and black pepper, if desired. 2. Spread vegetables in a single layer on Large Bar Pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and golden brown. Remove from oven to cooling rack; cool completely. Cut asparagus and bell pepper into 1-inch pieces.
3. Meanwhile, prepare orzo according to package directions in small saucepan; drain and rinse under cold running water in small colander. Place orzo in mixing bowl. Add vegetable mixture, beans, feta cheese, olives, parsley and salad dressing; toss gently. Serve at room temperature or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve over lettuce leaves, if desired. Yield: 4 servings
Cook’s Tips:
~ Vegetables can be roasted up to 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature until you're ready to use them.
~ Orzo is a tiny, rice-shaped pasta, which can be found in the pasta section of most grocery stores.
~ To trim asparagus, snap off and discard tough stem ends.
~ Italian dressing can be substituted for the Greek vinaigrette dressing, if desired.
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Strawberry Spinach Salad
Dressing:
1 lemon
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp poppy seeds
Salad:
¼ cup sliced natural almonds, toasted
8 oz. (1 ½ cups) strawberries, hulled and quartered
½ med. English Cucumber, sliced and cut in half
¼ small red onion, sliced into thin wedges (1/4 cup)
1 package (6 ounces) baby spinach
For dressing, zest lemon to measure ½ tsp zest. Juice lemon to measure 2 tbsp juice. Combine zest, juice, vinegar, sugar, oil and poppy seeds in small bowl. Whisk until well blended. Cover; refrigerate until ready to use. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For salad, spread almonds in single layer over bottom of Small Bar Pan. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven; cool almonds in bar pan. Meanwhile, hull strawberries and cut into quarters. Slice and halve cucumber. Slice onion into thin wedges.Place spinach in large serving bowl; add strawberries, cucumber and onion. Whisk dressing; pour over salad, gently tossing to coat. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve immediately.
Cook's Note – add cooked chicken or steak to make into a hearty meal.
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Quick Chicken Primavera Risotto
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each)
Salt and ground black pepper
1 lemon, cut in half crosswise
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups cooked rice (I have used long grain jasmine rice) For best flavor, prepare rice with chicken broth instead of water.
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into julienne strips
1 medium zucchini, chopped in to bits size pieces
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2-2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Asiago cheese
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil leaves
2 ounces mascarpone cheese or cream cheese
Directions:
1. Flatten chicken to 1/2-inch thickness using flat side of meat tenderizer. Season both sides with salt and black pepper. Heat skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes; add a drizzle of garlic gso. Arrange chicken and lemon halves, cut sides down, in skillet; cook 6-8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning chicken once (do not turn lemon halves). Remove chicken and lemon from skillet. Cool slightly; slice chicken into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside.
2. Using same skillet (you might need to add a little more gso). Cook onion over medium heat 4-6 minutes or until onion is tender.
3. Add rice and juice from caramelized lemon halves using a citrus press. Cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until lemon juice is completely absorbed into rice. Add vegetables and 2 cups of the broth to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 4-5 minutes or until broth thickens slightly. Stir in chicken; cook until heated through.
4. Remove risotto from heat. Add Asiago cheese and basil; stir until cheese melts and sauce thickens (adjust sauce consistency with additional broth, if necessary). Stir in mascarpone cheese, if desired. Yield: 6 servings
