Lighter King Ranch Casserole

I had never heard of King Ranch Casserole until I was perusing my new Comfort Food Makeovers cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen.  This traditional Texas casserole takes corn tortillas, chicken, spiced onions and tomatoes, then smothers them in a cheesy, creamy sauce before baking it all in the oven.  How could that be bad, right? […]

Chicken Fricasee

I realize that a lot of people hate mushrooms and the fact that I make so many dishes with mushrooms is probably offending their very nature.  In fact, when I poll people, it’s usually about a 50/50 chance that person will either love or hate mushrooms.  Very rarely do I find people who are just […]

“Spa” Chicken with Apricot-Orange Chipotle Sauce

I found this recipe for “Spa Chicken” in my 2011 America’s Test Kitchen Light & Healthy Cookbook.  The title of the recipe has a perfectly logical explanation – If you go on vacation to a fancy spa resort, often you will be served a lot of boneless, skinless chicken dishes.  There are a variety of […]

Chicken Chilaquiles Casserole

The quest for wellness in 2013 continues…. So far I’ve followed through of my goals for the new year.  I quit the over priced gym, purchased a treadmill for my home, and even started doing P90X. …..and even still  doing P90X after 2 weeks.  Sometimes I want to slap Tony Horton in the face, especially on […]

I Made Me a Chicken!

It occurred me to the other day that while I’ve probably made countless chicken recipes over my cooking career, I’ve never actually made a WHOLE chicken at once.  I’ll admit that secretly, I had always been a little intimidated by the whole chicken.  Something about it being broken down into its various parts always made […]

Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry with Spicy Basil Sauce

So I may have actually made this dish back in March…you guys don’t mind a little 3 month delay right? While I may have made this in March, when I think about it, it’s actually quite appropriate that I’m posting it now.  Winter is the time when we indulge in comfort foods, usually full of […]

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Red-Skinned Potatoes

I believe that even if you aren’t a great cook, as long as you can master a few basic dishes, you’ll always be able to please a crowd with a meal.  On top of that, sometimes it’s nice to just stick with a few simple ingredients because most food does not need a lot of […]

Parmesan Chicken with Cherry Tomato Salad

I’ve been working away at my personal challenge of cooking all of the covers on my cookbooks that have pictures.  I’ve just been slow to post them! One of my favorite cookbooks is The Best Simple Recipes from America’s Test Kitchen.  This book focuses on satisfying and flavorful dinners, that are made with minimal ingredients […]

Creamy Chicken Orzo with Asparagus and Sun-dried Tomatoes

I am a giant fan of one-pot meals that have a little bit of everything in them to keep them balanced.  When I was in high school, things like “whole grains” just weren’t in my food vocabulary.  I can’t even really say that many vegetables were a part of my college diet. Now, I’m always […]

Make-Ahead Creamy Baked Penne with Chicken, Artichokes, Lemon, and Tarragon

Our good friends Annie and Spencer had their first baby girl this past weekend.   Being a new parent is hard enough without having to worry what you’re going to eat that night and then subsequently prepare that meal.  While take-out is always an option, it can old pretty fast (and usually ends up not […]