Chicken Divan Casserole

Boy, this casserole sure takes me back. This was one of my children's favourite meals when they were growing up. I haven't made it in a long time. I had a head of broccoli in my veggie drawer today that I wanted to use before it went off.



There are a lot of versions of this floating around that use cream of chicken soup, and you are free to do just that if you wish . . . I prefer it with my homemade cheesy bechamel sauce though . . .



It's like having a bit plate of broccoli cheese and chicken all in one go . . . of course the crisp cracker and cheese topping is awfully scrummy as well.



I add rice to make it a full meal, and a bit heartier. You can either use leftover cooked rice, or one of those pouches of steamed rice. I just happen to always have those in my cupboard. They come in really handy for all sorts and are usually on special. I usually like to use the Tilda brand . . . and I always stock up when they have them on for £1 a piece.



I try to use low fat or half fat ingredients as well . . . which just goes to prove that low fat can be tasty!



As the Toddster tucked into his second helping I was heard to say . . . "I do believe I have found a way to get you to eat your broccoli."



SCORE!! I served ours with a tossed salad on the side. It was all we needed.



*Chicken Divan Casserole*
Serves 4 to 6, depending on appetitesPrintable Recipe

A economical, delicious casserole that is so simple to make! By using low fat ingredients you can also keep it fairly healthy.

1 medium head of fresh broccoli
400g of chicken tenders (about 1 pound)
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
splash of hot pepper sauce
1 2-serving size pouch of steamed basamati rice (about 2 cups cooked rice)

For the sauce:
2 TBS butter
2 TBS plain flour
500ml of milk (2 cups I use skim), warmed
1/4 tsp curry powder (I use medium)
1 chicken boullion cube
4 ounces grated strong cheddar cheese (1 cup, I use half fat)
2 TBS finely grated Parmesan cheese
salt and white pepper to taste

To top:
a handful of crushed crackers (about 1 cup)
2 ounces grated strong cheddar cheese (1/2 cup)
2 TBS finely grated Parmesan cheese

Place the chicken iinto a saucepan along with cold water to cover. Add some salt and black pepper, the bay leaf and a splash of hot pepper sauce. Bring to the boil. Take off the heat, cover and set aside to cool.

Wash and trim the broccoli. Break up into bite sized florets. Peel the stems and cut into chunks. Steam until crispy tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Melt the butter for the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring for one minute. Whisk in the warm milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Crumble in the boullion cube and whisk in along with the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Taste and add salt and white pepper to taste. Keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Spray a shallow baking dish with cooking spray. Open the rice and sprinkle it over the bottom of the dish. Drain the chicken and break into pieces, sprinkle this over the rice. Top with the broccoli florets and stems. Nap the top with the warm cheese sauce, covering everything completely and allowing it to sink down into the casserole dish. Mix together the topping ingredients. Sprinkle them evenly over top of the casserole. If desired, spritz lightly with cooking spray.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until heated through, bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Delicious!

Note: You can use leftover cooked chicken in this as well instead of cooking chicken especially to use. You will need between 2 and 3 cups of cooked chicken depending on how meaty you want your casserole to be. Personally I would rather have more broccoli than anything else! You can also use frozen broccoli florets, thawed. I'd use about 3 to 4 cups of them, but then I am a broccoli nut!

Chicken Parmesan Casserole 2012 – New HD Version of the Most Popular Chicken Recipe on the Internet

On Thursday, February 21, 2008, we published a post called, “The End of Chicken Parmesan As You Know It,” offering an easy casserole version of this iconic Italian-American restaurant favorite. 

The title was hyperbolic, but inexplicably, the poorly lighted, lamely voiced, low-res video actually did go on to become the most popular chicken recipe video in the history of the Internet.

Thanks to YouTube, and social media sites like Pinterest, this alternative to the much, much messier and time-consuming chicken Parmesan went viral, and literally millions of people have watched and made this dish. So, with all the massive traffic visiting that old post, I felt the need to upload a nice, new version in HD.

Besides culinary vanity, I wanted to repost to address the concerns of a few that the cooking time wasn’t long enough. This recipe has generated more positive comments and emails than just about any recipe we’ve done. People LOVE this recipe, and seem to enjoying spreading the word with unbridled enthusiasm, so I found these occasional “doesn’t work” emails very mysterious.

Anyway, I’m happy to report that just like in the original recipe, 350 degrees F. for 35 minutes, plus a 10 minute rest, was plenty long enough to cook my fairly large chicken breasts. So, why did some people have a problem? Breast size and temperature.

I believe that most of the people that had issues were using just-thawed chicken that was still very, very cold inside. Of course, the optional quick sear in a pan as shown here will take care of that issue. Also, grocery store chicken breasts can range in size from 6-ounce up to 10-ounce, which obviously will have much different cooking times. So, the best thing to do is forget time, and simply use a thermometer.

I like to pull at around 155 degrees F. internal temp, and after a little rest, they are perfect. I would start checking at the 30-minute mark, and be sure to test in the middle of the thickest part of the breast. Besides cooking time, the rest of the recipe is ridiculously easy, and really does provide a very high-quality chicken Parmesan experience.

So, if you are one of the few people in the civilized world who has not given this recipe a try yet, I hope you like the new HD version, and give it a whirl soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed, optional

hot red pepper flakes, to taste

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 1/2 cups marinara sauce (more sauce is fine)

1/4 cup chopped basil, if available

8 oz mozzarella, shredded, divided

3 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated fine, about 3/4 cup, divided

*by the way, the same amount of fake Parmesan will not taste the same, and the amount may need to be adjusted…go buy some real Parmigiano-Reggiano!

1 (5-oz) package garlic croutons

Herb and Lemon Roasted Chicken Breasts

You've probably noticed by now that we eat a lot of chicken in this house. I am sure we eat it at least 2 or 3 times a week in at least one form or another.



I like to buy whole chickens and cut them up myself. It's not all that hard to do really and you can really save a lot of money by doing it yourself!



This is a really good video showing you how to do just that. I had contemplated doing one myself, but this lady does it very well and I just figured . . . why mess with success!



I always pack the parts together into separate freezer bags . . . one for legs, one for breasts and one for the wings and the backs ( to be used to make stock when I get enough of them.) I usually buy two or three chickens at a time.



I completely bone out about half of the breasts, and then I leave the bone and skin on the other half. Nothing tastes better or is moister than chicken breasts which are roasted on the bone with the skin intact.



This is a delicious marinade that I like to use when I am roasting them on the bone. It's nicely flavoured with lemon, garlic and a variety of herbs. You don't really need to let them marinate for that long, about an hour will do it . . . but of course the longer you marinate them the more flavour will be imparted from the herbs into the chicken.



Keeping the skin on helps to keep the herbs next to the flesh and also to keep in a lot of that moisture. I've eaten far too many dried up chicken breasts in my lifetime. There is a fine line when cooking boneless chicken breasts between perfect and dried out as heck!



This recipe is also very easily cut in when there are just two of you, like there is with me and Todd. When I am only cooking two, I like to cut some potatoes into wedges, toss them with some spices and a bit of olive oil and roast them right along with the chicken. Oh my . . . but it all tastes so very good at the end!!



Just look at that moist chicken meat. So tender and flavourful. I would have to say that this is one of my absolute favourite ways to eat it.

Oh yes . . . Nom Nom!!



*Herb and Lemon Roasted Chicken Breasts*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

This is a delicious way of preparing chicken breasts which keeps them moist and very flavourful. I like to buy whole chickens and cut them up myself. Plan ahead as the chicken needs to marinate for about an hour before cooking.

4 bone in chicken breasts, skin on (you can do this yourself, or ask your butcher to do it for you)
2 fluid ounces of extra virgin olive oil
the finely grated zest of two unwaxed lemons (cut the remainder of the lemons into thin slices and set aside)
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
4 TBS finely chopped fresh chives
4 TBS finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
4 TBS finely chopped fresh tarragon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix together the olive oil, lemon zest and minced garlic. Remove the leaves from the thyme and rosemary and mince. Stir them into the olive oil along with the chives, parsley and tarragon. Mix all very well together. Lift the skin from the chicken breasts and rub half of the herbe mixture underneath and replace the skin over top. Rub the remainder of the herb mixture over all of the chicken. Lay each breast in a flat plastic container, placing each one on top of two lemon slices. Lay another two lemon slices on top of each breast. Cover and chill for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 5. Have ready a shallow baking dish. Place the chicken breasts into the dish, keeping the lemon slices on the bottom of each breast and the slices on top of each breast. Sprinkle with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Roast in the heated oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken breasts are cooked through, with the juices running clear and the skin is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving. These go very well with oven roasted potato wedges and purple sprouting broccoli. I sometimes roast the potato wedges in the pan with the chicken, which gives them a fabulous flavour as well. Delicious!

Chicken, Asparagus and Potatoes in a Garlic Cream Sauce

It will soon be fresh asparagus season over here and I can't wait. I think that the UK has some of the best asparagus in the world! Fresh asparagus is available pretty much all year round these days . . . but more often than not it is from Kenya . . . not the local seasonal stuff . . .



I just love asparagus. It epitomizes spring to me . . . like strawberries and Wimbledon, the three seem to go together hand in hand. It was not a vegetable we ever had in my home when I was growing up. I think I only ever tasted it once rolled inside some sandwiches at a childhood tea party and I wasn't sure that I liked it. It was probably tinned, and so it's no wonder . . .



Fresh asparagus is one of the true treasures of springtime. I love it slightly steamed and served with some lemon butter for dipping or with some rich and delicious hollandaise. I love it tossed with olive oil, sea salt and cracked black pepper and then roasted in the oven until it gets all slightly caramelized on the edges, and crispy tender inside. I know it's not quite fresh asparagus season just yet, but I can't help but getting a jump start on it.

Asparagus pairs up wonderfully with chicken . . .



*Chicken, Asparagus and Potatoes in a Garlic Cream Sauce*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

I like to use Charlotte potatoes in this. They have a wonderful flavour and roast up nicely, keeping their shape. You will need two bunches of asparagus for this recipe.

500g of charlotte potatoes, cut into wedges (1 1/4 pound)
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 TBS olive oil
4 single boneless chicken breasts (with the skin)
400g asparagus trimmed (about 1 pound)
a small packet of chopped pancetta lardons (about 1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
125ml chicken broth (or dry white wine if you are so inclined, 1/2 cup)
2 TBS whole grain french mustard
300ml double cream (about 1 1/8 cup)


Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. Combine the potatoes, pepper and olive oil in a large bowl. Tip them onto a large shallow baking tray in a single layer. Roast uncovered in the heated oven for 20 minutes or until just beginning to brown.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add a tiny bit of oil and then brown the chicken breasts well on both sides. Place the chicken, in a single layer, over top of the potatoes and roast for an additional 10 minutes, until the potatoes are nicely done and the chicken juices run clear.

Steam or boil the asparagus for several minutes, until just tender. Drain and keep warm.

Place the pancetta lardons in a nonstick skillet and brown over medium high heat, until nicely crisped. Drain off all of the fat. Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring until fragrant. Don't brown. Tip in the broth. Bring to the boil, scraping up the pan drippings and crispy bits. Boil until reduced by half. Add the cream and mustard. Bring back to the boil. Boil, stirring, until the mixture thicken slightly.

Divide the asparagus between 4 heated plates. Top with the potatoes. Spoon on half of the sauce. Lay the chicken breast on top and then spoon the remaining sauce over top. Serve immediately.

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup – Thank Goodness We Had Roasted Chicken Broth Around!

In case you haven’t been following along, let me catch you up. On Wednesday we made a gorgeous roasted chicken broth for the expressed purpose of making this soul-warming soup. Here, we used that wonderfully flavorful broth to complete the recipe, and let me tell you, it was incredible.

You know how much I hate to complicate a recipe, and I'll always err on the side of too few ingredients vs. too many, so when I make this chicken noodle soup it’s a constant battle to not add other “stuff.”

Not that’s there’s anything wrong with stuff, per se, but if properly made, this soup is just too amazing in its pure and natural state for any distracting, supercilious additions. By the way, a little advice to you young up-and-coming food bloggers; never use “per se,” and “supercilious” in the same sentence.

Yes, other than the mirepoix, and a tiny pinch of fresh thyme, the rest of this soup is basically chicken and noodles. Speaking of the noodles, I’m hoping you go with the wide ones I used. I was only half-kidding about this soup being a meditation, and egg noodle wrestling is half the fun.

Like I said in the video, this will work with regular chicken stock, but if you do decide to make this, I sincerely hope you go ahead and make the roasted chicken broth first. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4-6 servings:
1 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp rendered chicken fat

1/2 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced celery

1/4 tsp fresh thyme leaves or pinch of dried thyme

2 quarts roasted chicken broth

1 pound cooked chicken breast, cubed

4 oz dry wide egg noodles

cayenne, salt and black pepper to taste

Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken Stuffed with Dried Cherries (Aphrodisiac-Amplifying Alcohol Sold Separately)

As I mention in the opening of the video, this stuffed, prosciutto-wrapped chicken breast has everything you want in a Valentine’s Day entrée; it looks fancy, it tastes amazing, and contains dried cherries, a known aphrodisiac.

Of course, the efficacy of aphrodisiacs has been hotly debated for centuries, and while I think that some foods can have this effect, it’s virtually impossible to prove as scientific fact. One challenge with objectively analyzing the libido-leavening effects of these substances is that they’re often served alongside copious amounts of alcohol.

Would eating two-dozen oysters still turn you on, if you didn’t down all that champagne with them? Does chocolate mousse have the same effect if not preceded by a bottle of wine? I guess we could do some experiments eating these foods without drinking, but to be honest, I’m really not curious enough to do something that extreme.

Anyway, whether this delicious stuffed and rolled chicken breast helps gives your Valentine the urge to merge, or not, no one will argue that it would still make for a beautiful and romantic meal. I hope you give it a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

salt and pepper to taste

4 thin slices prosciutto

For the stuffing:

1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

1/3 cup dried cherries, chopped

1 tsp freshly picked thyme leaves

1 tsp freshly minced oregano
2 cloves minced garlic

1 rounded tbsp finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 tsp olive oil

1 egg yolk

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of cayenne

For optional pan sauce:

3/4 cup chicken broth

1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp cold butter

salt and pepper to taste

Buffalo Chicken Salad

In my continuing quest to eat healthily today I made myself a most delicious Buffalo Chicken Salad for my lunch, once again pinching and adapting it from a recipe I found in the cookery book, "The Food You Crave," by Ellie Krieger. (Fabulous book by the way. Everything tastes so good!)



I didn't have chicken breasts, but I did have chicken tenders and so I used them instead. I just popped them into a plastic baggie and pounded them a bit with the bottom of the vinegar bottle, so that they were of an even thickness throughout.



I had some Louisanna Hot Sauce that someone had gifted me with, so I used that, but you can use Tabasco or any other hot sauce you may have. (Taste it first to see how hot it is and adjust accordingly.) I also sprinkled mine with some paprika for colour, and seasoned it lightly with some fine sea salt. (I am trying to break the salt habit, but it's hard!)



Ellie called for grating the carrot, but I thought cutting the carrot into ribbons with a vegetable peeler was much prettier and gave a nice texture to the dish. As well, I used a baby gem lettuce, broken into leaves as I had cut the salad ingredients back to feed only one. (My man is not a salad man per se. Salad for lunch. He's just not going there!)



The real winner here is that luciously rich salad dressing. It's hard to believe that it is low fat! It's creamy and just wonderful and full of flavour. I used Danish Blue Cheese and it's just marvelous how much flavour just a little blue cheese can add!!



All in all I gave this salad a rousing 10 out of 10, for ease, for presentation and for taste! Just call me one very happy camper! Low fat and low calorie doesn't have to equate with low taste.



*Buffalo Chicken Salad*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

A delicious chicken salad with crisp vegetables, spicy chicken tenders and a fabulous low fat blue cheese dressing!

For the salad:
1 pound chicken tenders (or boneless skinless chicken breast meat, pounded and cut into 1/2
inch thick strips.)
2 TBS hot pepper Sauce (Tabasco, Louisianna, or some similar sauce)
2 tsp olive oil
1 heart of Romaine lettuce, cut into 1 inch wide strips (about 8 cups)
4 stalks of celery, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into strips with a vegetable parer
2 spring onions, the green part only, thinly sliced (scallions)
1/2 cup of the blue cheese dressing (see below)

Preheat the grill of your oven to high. Put the chicken tenders in a plastic bag and pound out to an even thickness. Place in a bowl and combine with the hot sauce and olive oil, tossing well to coat. Arrange on a baking sheet and put until the grill. Grill for about 4 to 6 minutes, until cooked through, turning once halfway through the cooking time.

Combine the lettuce, celery, carrot and spring onions in a large bowl. Divide between 4 chilled plates. Top with the warm chicken. Drizzle each with a portion of the dressing.

*Blue Cheese Dressing*
Makes 3/4 cup

Delicious "light" version of a classic blue cheese dressing.

2 fluid ounces of plain non fat yoghurt (1/4 cup)
2 fluid ounces of nonfat buttermilk (1/4 cup)
2 TBS low fat or no fat mayonnaise
1 TBS white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp white sugar
75g of crumbled blue cheese (1/3 cup)
fine seasalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Whisk the yoghurt, buttermilk, mayonnaise and vinegar together until smooth. Whisk in the sugar until it dissolves. Stir in the crumbled blue cheese and season to taste. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.



And in The Cottage today, Bread Bowl Meatball Sandwiches.

Maple & Mustard Glazed Chicken Thighs

I have seriously been trying to eat a bit healthier this year. Not as many treats and indulgences . . . I know it may not seem like it, but it's true!



The lighting was really, really poor today, so I apologize for the quality of these pictures. I try always to photograph in natural light. I like the way food looks in natural light. I just think it looks delicious - er. (Is that a word?? Meh . . . it is now!)



Today I had some bone in chicken thighs that I wanted to cook in the most delicious way possible without adding too much fat, calories or bad things to make them taste delectable. It's not all that hard to take the skin and fat off of chicken . . . but I do like to cook it on the bone as often as I can. The bone adds a lot of flavour to chicken and most meats.



I turned to one of my favourite books by Ellie Kreiger, The Food You Crave. A seriously good book. I find though that I have to really make some serious adaptions to some recipes because the ingredients in some of them are not readily available over here, but for the most part, I can cook most of them.



And they're good. Really good. Tasty. Delicious. Simple. Seriously simple.



And the stick man Todd loved them too. He doesn't even realize he's eating healthy. I think that's a good thing don't you??? If you can eat healthy and not know it? No deprivation there. It's all good.



*Maple & Mustard Glazed Chicken Thighs*
Serves 4Printable Recipe

Chicken thighs baked with a delicious maple mustard glaze. Wonderful flavours! Adapted from The Food You Crave by Ellie Kreiger.

8 bone in chicken thighs, skin and any visible fat removed
85g of grainy French mustard (1/3 cup)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced (about 1 tsp)
3/4 tsp dried marjoram
3 TBS pure Maple Syrup

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Have ready a large baking dish.

Whisk together the mustard, garlic, marjoram and maple syrup. Spread about 1 TBS of the mixture over the top of each chicken thigh, trying to cover as much of the surface as you can. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the baking dish. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and glazed, about 45 - 50 minutes, basting it several times with the mustard mixture. The juices should run clear when the chicken is pierced in the centre. Serve hot. We had ours with a baked potato and green beans. Delicious!

Note : In the original recipe Ellie says that the mustard/maple mixture will form a crust. Mine didn't, but more like a glaze. My mixture was quite runny and so I just used it to baste the chicken as it cooked. It was utterly fabulously delicious. Todd had three 1/2 pieces!




Over in The Cottage today, Chili-Roni, a delicious one dish family meal that cooks in a skillet.

Chicken Taco Salad (low fat)

I know it's winter and not really salad days . . . but what's a girl to do . . . I was craving salad today, which isn't actually a bad thing to crave per se . . . salad is pretty healthy stuff.
I was thinking of a delicious Chicken Salad that I used to be able to get at a Mexican Restaurant in downtown Fredericton when we lived there . . . I have long forgotten the name of the restaurant . . . but not the salad. that's the way it usually goes . . .



Necessity being the mother of invention . . . and cravings driving me on (no, I'm not expecting, just a glutton) . . . I invented my own version of it. I had to make a few adaptions to the ingredients I had on hand, but I think I did that quite successfully. You be the judge of that!



I didn't have any tortilla chips, but I did have a package of soft corn tortillas and so I made my own. Which are actually much, MUCH better than store bought tortilla chips. YOU get to control the amount of spice and flavour . . . and they are baked, not fried. So easy to do. I love em!



The only chicken I had available was some frozen battered chicken strips . . . not totally healthy, but in small quanities, ok. These were actually chicken tenders . . . not chewed up chicken. I shook them (frozen) in a bag with some Tacon seasoning and baked them. VOILA! Southwestersn chicken strips. Cut in half diagonally, they were fab in this salad.



The real star though is the dressing. It's cool and creamy and very low in fat, which is an extra bonus! I used no fat mayo and sour cream for mine and it turned out just wonderfully delicious with just a bit of heat. You can control that by using more or less of the Chipolte chili paste. (This gives it a nice smokey flavour too.) I used mild salsa, as that is what I had.



If you don't have a stock pot, don't sweat it. You can just use some stock powder. You can of course make it even lower in fat by using plain skinless boneless chicken breast meat, cut into strips and then tossed with the taco seasoning mix. I had to use what I had to use . . .



With low fat cheese, and baked tortilla chips, lots of veggies, a bit of low fat cheese, and a very tasty low fat dressing, I think this is quite a healthy salad meal . . . Todd . . . well, he's not a salad person per se. He had a steak pie. Men!



*Chicken Taco Salad*
Serves 4

The dressing is the real star here. You can make it as spicy or not as you desire. It's easy to keep this low fat as well if you stick to low fat ingredients!

For the Salad:
10 ounces chopped cos lettuce (Romaine, about 9 cups)
1 (4-serving size) package of frozen chicken strips
1 package of taco seasoning mix
1/4 pound of shredded cheddar cheese ( 1 cup)
a handful of pitted olives, sliced (black and green)
4 ounces crushed taco flavoured tortilla chips (about 2 cups)
1 small tin of salad crisp sweet corn, drained well (about 1/2 cup)
4 spring onions, chopped (white and green parts)
1 large ripe tomato, cut into wedges
1/2 small green pepper, chopped
1/2 small red pepper, chopped

For the Dressing:
250ml of sour cream (1 cup)
1 Knorr Vegetable Stock pot
1 heaped TBS mayonnaise
2 TBS tomato salsa
the juice and zest of 1/2 fresh lime
1 tsp chipolte chili paste (or as desired)
1 small clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 TBS chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

First make the dressing. Put the sour cream into a bowl along with the vegetable stock pot and mayonnaise. Mash and mix well together with a fork, until the stock pot is completely dissolved. Stir in the salsa, lime juice and zest, chipolte chili paste to taste, garlic and fresh coriander. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired with fine seasalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover and chill until you are ready to use.

Shake the frozen chicken strips together with half of the taco seasoning mix. Place on a baking tray and bake according to the package directions. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature if desired. Cut in half on a diagonal.

Divide the lettuce amongst 4 chilled salad plates. Divide the olives, drained corn, spring onions, sliced tomatoes and grated cheese amongst the four plates, scattering all on top of the lettuce. Scatter the chicken pieces over top. Sprinkle with the crushed tortilla chips. Serve and pass the dressing at the table.

Note: You may serve this with additional tortilla chips if desired.

To make your own low fat tortilla chips. Cut several corn tortillas into wedges. Place on a baking tray. Spritz with low fat cooking spray. Sprinkle the tops with some ground coriander, ground cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, mild chili powder and oregano flakes to taste. Bake in a 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5 oven until crispy and lightly browned, giving them a stir halfway through the baking time. It should take between 8 and 10 minutes.




In The Cottage today, I'm baking a delicious Walnut-Pear Sour Cream Coffee Cake.