Chicken Fried Rice

3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/2 cup water
2 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
2 Tbsp. oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup bell peppers, red and green
2 cups cooked rice (2 boiling bags)
2 green onions, chopped
salt & pepper to taste

In a medium bowl combine soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil and water.  Add chicken.  Toss to coat.  (this mixture will be thick).  Preheat a large wok.  Add oil.  Pour in eggs and scramble until cooked.  Remove from wok.  Add onions and peppers to the wok and stir fry over med. high heat until fragrant.  Add chicken mixture, rice and eggs.  Stir to mix and heat.  Add green onions, salt and pepper to taste.  Serves 6

Martha:  I found this recipe in a circular that comes out in my local paper.  I did, of course, make a few changes.  I increased the soy sauce from 1 to 3 Tbsp. and added the water.  It was entirely too thick and dry without the water and I like soy sauce.  This still comes out a bit thick but it coats the chicken nicely.  The peppers were to be added at the end but I wanted to lightly sauté them so I added these with the onions.  I also increased the sesame oil by 1/2 Tbsp.  I like its flavor too.  This would be good with chopped water chestnuts too.

Lillian:  This dish is perfect as is!  I love Oriental dishes and this is a great example of their cuisine.  I also, would add the water chestnuts or sliced bamboo.  I'm going to try this with thinly sliced steak too.  Great dish!

Tip:  When planning an appetizer party, Think With Your Taste Buds.  Balance rich, highly flavored foods with simple, fresh ones.  Plan one or two hot appetizers that can be made ahead and heated just before serving.  Also select several chilled appetizers that can be prepared early and served without last-minute attention.  If you serve buffet style, choose foods that guests can pick up easily.  Too many choices that must be spooned out, sliced, or spread may cause people to bunch around the buffet table.

Mozzarella Chicken & Rice Casserole

2 chicken breast halves (about 1 pound), cooked and cut into 1" pieces
1 can (4 oz.) mushrooms, drained
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Cream of Celery Soup
1 cup chopped broccoli (thawed if frozen)
2 cups cooked rice (1 boiling bag cooked)
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 3 qt. baking dish with non-stick spray.  Evenly place chicken in the dish.  Top with drained mushrooms.  Spoon celery soup over the mushrooms.  Sprinkle with broccoli.  Evenly add rice.  Spoon the mushroom soup over the rice.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake 20 - 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Serves 6

Martha:  I found this recipe on the internet and made my changes.  The original called for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I used bone-in which I feel provides better flavor.  They fried their chicken, I boiled mine.  Their recipe called for a can of peas (I assume English peas), drained.  I had no peas so I used the broccoli.  It also called for fresh mushrooms which I didn't have so I used canned.  My changes not only fit my own taste but it also fit what I had in my pantry, saving me a trip to the grocery store.  I do feel this would be delicious with English peas and I also think that a nice sprinkling of French fried onions added in the last 5 minutes would be delicious.  You could also use Panko bread crumbs if you don't want to add the onions.  Both would give another texture and added taste.  You could also use cream of broccoli soup instead

Lilllian:  My hubby loves this type dish as it has chicken , mushrooms and broccoli in it.  Each day, after he has finished his dinner, he says "Good dinner, Hon." and this is what I would expect from this casserole.  This is great to take to a pot luck dinner as well as for company fare.

Tips:  When entertaining,  keep hot appetizers warm simply heat one round of appetizers at a time.  This way, another batch will be coming out of the oven just as the last batch is eaten.  Or, if you own an electric skillet, hot tray, griddle, or bun warmer, use one of these appliances to keep cooked appetizers hot.

Black Beans and Rice Chicken

1 box (7 oz.) Zatarain's New Orleans Style Black Beans and Rice
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite size pieces

Cook beans and rice according to package directions.  During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add chicken.  Serves 4.

Martha:  This is one of the simplest dishes you'll find.  The flavors from the Zatarain is simply wonderful and if you happen to have leftovers, the flavors absorb even more so into the chicken.  I have to say that this isn't one of the healthiest dishes due to the sodium from the package mix but it's so quick to make and the taste is simply heavenly.  Spicy but not hot like a lot of the New Orleans dishes.

Tips:  when breading chicken pieces before frying, take the time to refrigerate the coated chicken for at least 30 minutes.  The chilling sets the crust and keeps it on the chicken instead of in the skillet.

Chicken Chowder

1 large chicken breast, cooked and chopped
4 slices of bacon
2 1/2 cups chopped, peeled potatoes (3 medium)
1 Tbsp. dried onions
1 cup hot water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
2 cups milk
1 cup half-and-half or light cream
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup cheese
salt & pepper to taste

In a large saucepan cook bacon until crisp.  Remove bacon and reserve 1 Tbsp. of drippings in pan.  Dissolve bouillon in hot water.  Pour into pan.  Add potatoes, onions, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and Old Bay.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat.  Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.  In a bowl whisk milk, half-and-half and flour.  Add to potato mixture.  Cook and stir constantly until slightly thickened and bubbly.  Stir in chicken, bacon and cheese.  Cook until hot and cheese melts.  Serves 4-6. 

Martha:  I found a recipe for New England Clam Chowder and decided to see how it would work using chicken instead of the clams.  It turned out pretty good but didn't have enough flavor.  That is when I decided to try adding the Old Bay.  I took out a spoonful of the chowder and added just a tiny amount of the Old Bay.  That was exactly what this dish needed.  

Lillian:  I love Chowder and soups.  Chowders are more filling, I think, and this one would supply everything that we need in a meal.  I always thought that the Old Bay Seasonings was for seafoods, but this proves otherwise.  I think, too, that I would add a bit of whole kernel corn as I love Corn Chowder.

Food Tester Maggie:  This Chowder is the best!  It's perfect for a cold day when you want something warming and filling.  And Martha is right, the Old Bay hit the spot.

Tips:  When a recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken cut into pieces, this is what you do.  For perfect pieces, place the uncooked chicken on a cutting board (used for chicken only).  Using a sharp knife, slice the chicken crosswise across the grain into 1/4 to 1/2" strips.  These strips also make great Buffalo chicken tenders but if the recipe calls for diced, line up the strips on the cutting board, a few at a time and cut them again into chunks.  So simple!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

2 chicken breasts, cooked, cooled & cut into small pieces
4 quarts of water
7 chicken bouillon cubes
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. Montreal steak seasoning
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup chopped celery
2 Tbsp. dried, minced onions
4 Tbsp. corn starch
pepper to taste
1 pkg. (14 oz.) egg noodles

In a large soup pot bring water to a boil.  Add bouillon cubes, bay leaves, salt, and Montreal steak seasoning.   Boil for about 5 minutes.  Remove bay leaves.  Add carrots, celery, onions and chicken.  Boil on medium heat until carrots and celery are done.  Mix corn starch in about 1/2 cup of water until smooth.  Pour into pot and stir to blend.  Bring the soup to a boil and allow the corn starch to thicken, about 4-5 minutes.  Add egg noodles and cook until done.  Season with pepper and more salt if needed.

Martha:  This recipe originally came from a site titled Turnips 2 Tangerines.  I did make a few adjustments for my own taste but you can see the original recipe by going to their site.  I took this soup to my daughter's office and the comments I've received back all say the same... "This is the best every!"  

I cooked my 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves in my toaster oven until done.  I like baking my chicken instead of boiling to help hold in the flavor.  You can add more chicken but if the 2 breasts equal about 1 lb. it really goes a long way.  You can add more or less carrots, celery and onions depending upon your taste.  I liked using the dried onions because they don't seem to overpower the taste like a fresh onion sometimes does.  If you decide your soup isn't quite as thick as you might like, you can always add more corn starch in small amounts but always make sure it comes to a boil for thickening.  Your soup will be thicker the next day so keep that in mind too.  This is a dish that I tasted with every step to get the flavor I wanted.  One of the biggest keys, I think, is the Montreal steak seasoning.  Enjoy!



Food Tester Lisa:  This is the most amazing creamy chicken noodle soup I have ever had.  You can't get any better than this!.

Food Tester Leslie (My daughter!):  Yes I have to admit I am biased, Martha is my Mom but I do not remember this recipe while growing up.  My Mom brought a crock pot full of the creamy chicken noodle soup to my office for the girls here to share.  I have been sick with a cold for the past week and not able to keep much down.  The soup was amazing.  I not only kept it down but had two bowls full, it is true comfort food.  I will be making this at home for my family.  Thanks Mom.

Food Tester Carol:  My 95 year old mother says it's like the chicken and dumplings that her mother used to make.  Her mother used to go out and kill a chicken, pluck it, cook it and then make her homemade dumplings for it.  I knew what mother meant.  It has such an intense chicken flavor that permeates the creaminess and the vegetables, we will want to have this a lot.  We both think it's the best chicken noodle soup we've ever tasted!

Tip:  Something else I learned the hard way about eggs is to always look inside the carton when you get them home, before putting them in the refrigerator.  There is always the possibility of an egg breaking during its trip from the store you your home.  If you do find a cracked egg, remove it immediately and if it has leaked onto the other eggs, wash them immediately.

Chicken, Wild Rice & Sausage Casserole

2 pkg. Ready to Serve Brown & Wild Rice
4 chicken breasts, cooked, boned, and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 lb. mild bulk sausage
1 can (4 oz.) Shiitake mushrooms, drained
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup Panko bread crumbs (or 1 cup French fried onions)

Cook rice according to package.  In a large frying pan brown sausage, breaking into pieces.  Drain excess grease. Add mushrooms, soup, Worcestershire sauce and milk.  Mix until well blended.  Add rice and chicken.  Mix well.  Place in 9 x 13 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine breadcrumbs and butter.  Sprinkle over dish (or use French fried onions, no butter added).  Bake 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and breadcrumbs are slightly browned.  Serves 8

Martha:  I was a little unsure about using the sausage in this dish but from the reviews I've gotten from my food testers, I'm glad I did.  The original recipe called for long grain & wild rice but I decided to speed it up by using the Ready to Serve Minute Rice.  I also changed the fresh mushrooms to the canned Shiitake.  It called for canned milk which I changed to half & half.  And then I did something that I do quite often.  I sprinkled half of the dish with the Panko and butter breadcrumbs and the other half with French fried onions.  That gave me 2 different tastes.  Which did I like best?  Both!

Lillian: This dish is great for a pot luck dinner especially since the bulk of the work can be done the day, or evening, before it is needed. For home, I will have to bake it in two smaller dishes and freeze one for later use. This one is definitely a "try it, you'll like it" recipe.

Food Tester Carol:  If you are just lolling around on a Sunday afternoon and need something to bring you up to a positive spin and make you feel like singing, then try this recipe which will be a quick and easy way to remind yourself of all the great Thanksgiving and Christmas meals with sage dressing. How does Martha get such a nice “bite” in these dishes, that are tender and easy to eat but still have something crunchy to make them feel like a snack!

Poultry Seasoning (this isn't a tip but it's good) - This blend brings out the best flavors of chicken and poultry without adding salt.  It's a good addition to stews, soups, casseroles, stuffings, and dumplings.

1/2 cup dried sage, 1 cup dried parsley, 1/4 cup dried rosemary, 1.4 cup dried summer savory, 1 Tbsp. fresh marjoram or 1/4 cup dried, 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, 1.2 tsp. onion powder.