Chicken Oreganata

Serves 4

•  2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (5 oz each)
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 small green bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can (4 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 can (15 oz) Italian-style diced tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

1. In a large heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add chicken; cook, turning once, until browned, about 10 minutes.  Remove chicken from skillet; set aside. 
2. Reduce heat to medium.  Add onion and bell pepper to skillet; sauté until tender, about 4 minutes.  Add garlic and mushrooms; cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes longer. 
3. Stir in tomatoes with juice, oregano, salt and pepper, mix well.  Return chicken to skillet.  Spoon vegetables over chicken to cover; simmer until cooked through, about 25 minutes.

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Ravioli “Lasagna”

Makes 8 servings

• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 jar (26 oz) pasta sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 small zucchini (3/4 lb total), trimmed and cut into half moons
• 2 cups mushrooms, trimmed and quartered (from 10 oz package)
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 pkg (12 oz) fully cooked turkey meatballs, quartered
• 2 pkg (9 oz each) four cheese ravioli
• 1 bag (8 oz) shredded mozzarella

1. Heat oven to 375°F.  In bowl, stir salt, pepper and sauce.  Coat a 13x9x2″ baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Ladle 1/2 cup sauce over bottom. 
2. In a large nonstick sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add zucchini, mushrooms and Italian seasoning.  Cook, stirring, 5 minutes. 
3. Scatter a third of the meatball pieces over sauce on bottom of pan.  Top with one package ravioli, 1 cup vegetable mixture, 1 cup of the cheese and second third of the meatball pieces.  Top with remaining ravioli, vegetables, meatballs, sauce and cheese.  Cover with foil. 
4. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes.  Uncover dish and bake 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted and lightly browned. 

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Outback’s Cyclone Pasta

Makes 7-8 servings

• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms
• 1 onion
• 1 (16 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce, (Classico Sun Dried Tomato)
• 1 cup chicken breasts, chopped
• 1 cup of shredded ham
• 1 (16 ounce) box penne pasta, cooked
• Swiss cheese, Italian blend, as much as you like
• oregano
• thyme
• garlic

1. Mix all ingredients together in a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
2. Bake at 375°F until golden.

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Spanish Potato Omelet Bites

Makes about 4 dozen squares

• 6 eggs
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half, light cream, or milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• Pinch powdered saffron
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups frozen loose-pack diced hash brown potatoes with onions and peppers
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh chives or 2 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat oven to 450 degree F. Grease an 8x8x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs; half-and-half, cream, or milk; salt; pepper; and saffron. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add mushrooms and garlic; cook for 1 minute. Stir in potatoes. Cover and cook over medium-low heat about 10 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned and tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in chives or parsley.
3. Spread potato mixture evenly into prepared baking pan. Pour egg mixture evenly over potato mixture, pressing down lightly with the back of a spoon to completely cover potatoes. Bake, uncovered, about 15 minutes or until set and top is golden (center may puff during baking, but will fall during standing time). Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 1-inch squares. Serve warm.

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Ravioli Primavera

Serves 4

• 1 (16 oz) package frozen cheese ravioli
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup thawed frozen peas
• 1/2 cup cut green beans
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup fresh asparagus spears, chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook ravioli according to package directions; drain. 
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over high heat.  Add peas, green beans, mushrooms, asparagus and tomato to skillet; sauté until tender.  Reduce heat.  Add half-and-half, salt and pepper and simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. 
3. Place ravioli in a serving bowl, pour the sauce over pasta and toss to coat.  Sprinkl with Parmesan and serve. 

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Chicken with Morels

Makes 6 servings

• 1 oz dried morels, soaked for 30 minutes in 3 cups very hot water
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 1⁄4 cup clarified butter
• 1⁄3 cup chopped shallots (2 large)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 1 cup Madeira wine
• 1 cup (8 ounces) creme fraiche
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Lift the morels carefully from the hot water in order to leave any grit behind in the liquid. Rinse a few times to be sure all the grittiness is gone. Discard the liquid and dry the morels lightly with paper towels. Set aside.
3. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge them in flour and shake off the excess. Heat half the clarified butter in a large saute pan and cook the chicken in 2 batches over medium-low heat until browned on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to an ovenproof casserole.
4. Add the rest of the clarified butter to the pan along with the shallots, drained morels, and garlic. Saute over medium heat for 2 minutes, tossing and stirring constantly. Pour the Madeira into the pan and reduce the liquid by half over high heat, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the creme fraiche, cream, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3⁄4 teaspoon pepper. Boil until the mixture starts to thicken, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake for 12 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through.

To make ahead, refrigerate the chicken and sauce in the casserole and reheat slowly on top of the stove.

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All-in-One Pot Saucy Pasta

No need to boil the noodles separately for perfect pasta – I just simmer all the ingredients together for an exceptionally easy dish. 

Makes 6 servings

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cups rotini pasta, uncooked
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1 jar (26 oz) spaghetti sauce (about 3 cups)
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped red peppers
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Brown meat in large deep nonstick skillet; drain.  Add onions; cook until tender.
2. Add pasta, water and spaghetti sauce.  Bring to boil; cover.  Reduce heat to low; simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add mushrooms and red peppers; cook 5 minutes.
3. Sprinkle with cheese.

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“Roast Pork” and Apple Dinner in a Pan

Makes 4 servings

• 4 pork chops, about 3/4 inch thick
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
• 1 1/2 cups white rice, uncooked
• 1 can (10 1/2 oz) condensed chicken broth
• 1 broth can water
• 2 red apples, sliced
• 1 tsp dried thyme leaves

1. Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray.  Add chops; cook on medium-high heat 4 minutes on each side or until browned.
2. Add onion, mushrooms and dressing; cook an additional 3 minutes.
3. Stir in rice, broth, water, apples and thyme.  Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10 minutes or until heated through.

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