Low - Fat Chicken or Turkey Divan

This past Saturday night we had a Newcomer's Dinner in our home. This is a ministry that my husband and I really enjoy doing for the new people that are attending our church. The recipe I'm sharing here is one that I pasted on to a friend so that she could make it and bring it to our dinner. I "trimmed down" the original version of this dish when I was helping my husband lose weight last year. Everyone enjoyed my variation, I hope you do as well.

Recipe:
1 1/4 lbs. chopped fresh broccoli, cooked or 2 - 10 oz. pkgs. frozen broccoli, cooked. (broccoli must be well-drained)
3 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) low-fat condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup low-fat (lite) mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/8 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 cup low-fat shredded medium cheddar cheese

1. Arrange broccoli in a 9" x 13" baking pan; sprinkle chicken or turkey evenly over broccoli.
2. Put all remaining ingredients, except cheese, in a medium size bowl. Using a wire whisk, gently whisk until mixture is smooth and well combined.
3. Pour mixture evenly over broccoli and poultry; sprinkle with the cheese.
4. Cover casserole with foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until sauce is hot and bubbly.

Tip: When using frozen cooked broccoli, squeeze out extra moisture by wrapping in paper toweling and pressing gently. Extra moisture always cooks out of broccoli.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

As you can tell by my last post date, I have been gone for awhile. It has been a wonderful and very busy time, and I have done a great deal of thinking about this blog. We'll see how things go...but for now, here is a very good and easy meal to prepare when you are short on time.

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2" cubes
3 tablespoons taco seasoning
a little vegetable oil for frying
1 jar (11 oz.) chunky salsa
1/2 cup peach or apricot jam
hot cooked rice

Place the chicken in a large resealable plastic bag; add taco seasoning and toss to coat. In a skillet, brown chicken in oil.

Combine the salsa and jam; stir into skillet and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2 - 3 minutes or until meat is cooked through.

Serve over rice.

Recipe serves 4

Quick Red Beans and Sausage

This dish is fast, simple and tasty. I love to serve it over instant brown rice with a green salad to go along side.

Recipe:
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup green pepper or celery, diced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) red beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 pound smoked turkey sausage, sliced
3/4 cup canned diced tomato
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Hot cooked rice

Directions:
In a saucepan, saute garlic, green pepper or celery, and onion in oil until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook for 5-7 minutes or until the sausage is heated through. Serve over rice.
Recipe serves 6
Yield: 5-1/2 cups, 206 calories per cup without rice

Food, Friends, Games, and Hospitality

A few weeks ago, on Super Bowl Sunday, our small group bible study decided to have an afternoon of food and games together. Each of us brought a snack food to share, and either watched the "big game" or played table games together. The cheering seemed to be equal in both locations of the house! What a great way to relax and build relationships with others. This kind of easy hospitality is so valuable. Below is the recipe for the cookies I shared, which is very fast to put together, and delicious. Enjoy!

Sour Cream Cranberry Bars

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1-1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, divided use
2 cups dried cranberries
2/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup plain yogurt (or more sour cream)
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar.
2. Combine oats and 1-1/2 cups flour; add to creamed mixture until blended. Set aside 1-1/2 cups for topping.
3. Press remaining crumb mixture into an ungreased 13" x 9" baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire rack.
4. Meanwhile, in another bowl combine the sour cream, yogurt, sugar, egg, lemon zest, vanilla and remaining flour with an electric mixer until blended. Stir in cranberries and pour evenly over crust.
5. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture and return to oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

An Afternoon with Friends

This past weekend seven friends and I got together for lunch and a game of scrabble in my home. I called this time of hospitality a Scrabble Luncheon. I asked each friend to contribute a small part of the lunch menu and I provided the condiments and a hot beverage. I have provided the recipe for the hot beverage, which has been a favorite for years. This Christmas punch is delicious and makes the kitchen smell so welcoming.

We had deli meat and cheese on croissants, fruit, and cookies. So easy to do and so appreciated by each one of the ladies. This was a great time of fellowship, laughter, and just plain being lazy on a Saturday afternoon! I get great pleasure from opening my home to others in order to give them a break from the everyday work and stress of life. I think this is so important in this crazy world of ours. Blessings...

Hot Christmas Punch:
2-1/2 cups cranberry juice
1 cup orange juice
1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks, broken
2 quartered orange slices
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons instant tea

In a 2 quart saucepan, combine the first 7 ingredients. Heat just to boiling; cover and reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in instant tea. Serve hot. Serves 6

Tip: recipe can easily be doubled. Serves 9-12

Hospitality, The Gift of Welcome

"You can share your heart and life with others, even if the meal is simple and the setting is humble. The most important gift of welcome simply says I care, I love you, and I have prepared a place for you. Hospitality must begin at home."

The Woman's Study Bible, Second Edition

Copyright 1995, 2006 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

New King James Version, Page 1636

A Thoughtful Hospitality Gift

Oh, the joy of chocolate! These chocolates would be a great little hospitality gift to take if you were invited to someone's home for a special occasion. Hospitality gifts, or hostess gifts as they are often called, are a wonderful way of saying, "thank you for inviting us into your home". When we offer a little gift to the hostess for her hospitality, we are acknowledging all of her hard work and time in preparing for us. It is a very thoughtful thing to do.

Easy Chocolates:

1 (12 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon almond extract, or other flavor of your choice

dash of salt

1/3 cup finely diced maraschino cherries

finely ground pecans to roll chocolates in, about 1 cup.

1. Place chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a microwave safe bowl; microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Stir to combine and microwave for another 30 to 60 seconds, or until melted. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Be careful not to burn chocolate.

2. Add extract, salt and cherries and stir well. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes until mixture is firm enough to roll into balls.

3. Form mixture in 1" balls and roll in pecans. Store in an airtight container at room temperture.

Tip: You don't have to use cherries. If you choose to add extract only, you may want to roll the chocolate in coconut, or chocolate sprinkles, or something else.

Tip: Please don't refrigerate chocolate unless it is made with a dairy product such as cream cheese or whipping cream. The flavor of chocolate is greatly diminished by being chilled.