Garlic Cashew Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

· Nonstick cooking spray

· 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

· 1/4 cup hoisin sauce

· 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

· 4 teaspoons cornstarch

· 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

· 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

· 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch strips

· 2 medium onions, cut into thin wedges

· 2 cups sliced bok choy

· 1 cup sliced celery (2 stalks)

· 1 cup sliced carrots (2 medium)

· 3/4 cup chopped red sweet pepper (1 medium)

· 6 cloves garlic, minced

· 2 cups cooked brown or white rice

· 1 cup chow mein noodles, coarsely broken

· 1/2 cup cashews

· 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (2)

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a 2-quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

2.       For sauce, in a medium bowl whisk together broth, hoisin sauce, ginger, cornstarch, crushed red pepper, and black pepper; set aside.

3.       Lightly coat an extra-large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken to skillet; cook until lightly browned. Remove from skillet. Add onion wedges, bok choy, celery, carrots, and sweet pepper to the skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables start to soften. Add garlic; cook for 30 seconds more. Stir in the sauce. Cook and stir about 3 minutes or until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Stir in cooked rice and browned chicken.

4.       Spoon chicken-rice mixture into the prepared baking dish. Cover and bake about 20 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and chicken is no longer pink (165 degrees F). Sprinkle chow mein noodles and cashews over. Bake, uncovered, for 4 to 5 minutes more or until noodles and cashews are golden brown. Sprinkle with green onions.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

Servings Per Recipe: 6
PER SERVING: 340 cal., 10 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 49 mg chol., 480 mg sodium, 40 g carb. (4 g fiber, 8 g sugars), 23 g pro.

Chorizo and Cornbread Stuffing

1/2 lb. chorizo (or linguica)
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
6 corn muffins, crumbled
1 t. smoked paprika
2 T. chopped fresh thyme, from 4 - 5 sprigs
chicken or beef broth

1. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 1 T. olive oil.  When oil smokes, add chorizo and brown for 2 minutes.
2. Add the celery, onion, garlic and bell peppers; season with salt & pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
3. Crumble the cornbread into the skillet and combine with the vegetables.  Dampen the stuffing with chicken or beef broth and season with the paprika and thyme.
4. Transfer to a baking dish and bake at 350 for approx. 30 minutes*

*all the ingredients are cooked, so it really just needs to be reheated.

Shrimp Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:

1 (12 ounce) package penne pasta 1 lb. shrimp 1 yellow squash, chopped 1 zucchini, chopped 1 carrot, julienned 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned 1/2 pint grape tomatoes 1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces 5 spears asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces 1/4 cup olive oil, divided 1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 1 tablespoon butter 1/4 large yellow onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 2 teaspoons lemon zest 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2.	Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3.	In a bowl, toss squash, zucchini, carrot, red bell pepper, tomatoes, green beans, and asparagus with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning. Arrange vegetables on the baking sheet, and roast 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender.
4.	Heat remaining olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until tender. Add shrimp and sauté. Mix in cooked pasta, lemon zest, basil, parsley, and balsamic vinegar. Gently toss and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with roasted vegetables and sprinkle with Romano cheese to serve.