Simply Marvelous White Chicken Chili

Perfect for a rainy day.  Heat it up to your taste with the Tabasco- I usually go for the maximum amount, but then, that's my preference.

Haystacks

This is great for first time guests or finicky kids! Everyone chooses his own combination of tastes, yet you haven’t had to be a short-order cook to accomplish it. And use your imagination- the possibilities for toppings are pretty endless. 

Green Enchiladas

 Just dusted off this old family favorite to make for dinner tonight.  It has been a long time since I made it, and it's a lot of work, but I will have some hungry guys at the table tonight and it will be just the thing to fill them up. 

Blackened Chicken Breasts

While I'm thinking about yummy, spicy chicken sandwiches, here's another favorite from the past which we haven't made in way too long! 

1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6 sandwich rolls, split and lightly toasted

Spray oil or low-fat margarine

Spice mix:

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

½ tsp. white pepper

½ tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. dried thyme leaves

½ tsp. dried oregano leaves

Place chicken breasts, one at a time, inside a plastic zip-top bag and beat with a meat mallet to about a 1/2 inch thickness.  Using a pastry brush, gently baste each piece of chicken with melted margarine, or spray with light coating of oil.  Coat each piece of chicken with 1 tablespoon of spice mix.  The mixture is hot and spicy (!), so adjust to taste of each person.  Grill chicken, basting after turning once.  Grill about 3 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the middle.  You may also cook in a non-stick skillet in hot oil over medium heat.  Serve on sandwich rolls spread with a little low-fat margarine or mayonnaise.

Hot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

This recipe came to mind this morning as I stared into the depths of the refrigerator, willing the ingredients therein to reveal a menu to my out-of-ideas brain.  We haven't made this in years, for which I owe my family an apology.  We all love these sandwiches, and they aren't complicated to make!  

Fragrant Chicken in Creamy Almond Sauce

I found this years ago in Cooking Light Magazine and I love it.  Sometimes I just want the fragrant spices of the East and this dish headlines the meal.  Serve with Tomato Chutney; a match made in heaven.

Wanita's Marinade for Grilled Chicken

This recipe is as simple as it gets.  I got it from a friend in Pennsylvania who had to translate the ancient hand-written copy handed down the generations in her family.  She substituted butter for the margarine and decided that the vinegar called for must be white vinegar, since that's all anybody used back then.  She also wisely chose to allow the marinade to cool before pouring it over the chicken.  I'm adding to the quantity of chicken, since this goes pretty far.  For the overnight bit, you may keep it in a covered bowl or put it all into a couple of gallon-size zip-closure bags.

As far as grilling instructions go-- you're on your own.  When we had a gas grill we cooked this over a nice low flame to avoid burning it outside before it cooked through to the inside.  I'm now struggling to re-learn using a charcoal grill.  I think "patience" must be key....

Chicken Scarpariello

Okay, here it is: our favorite meal.  We learned to make this when Kate was 2 months old, so as of today we have been making and loving this for 25 years.  Chicken Scarpariello was introduced to us by our dear, darling, beloved friends, Jim and Cathy DePiante.  When they were newlyweds they worked in an Italian restaurant somewhere in New Jersey; Jim learned to make this while cooking in the restaurant kitchen.  It is now our go-to special-occasion meal, birthday meal, welcome-home meal, and "Let's have something special tonight" meal.  

When Kate was living in Europe for a semester and the DePiantes were living in Rome at the same time, she took the train to Rome to see them for a long weekend.  After a full and exhausting day of sight-seeing and black-market purse shopping with Anthony, she walked into their house to the familiar home-smell of Chicken Scarpariello cooking and Kate knew she was among family.

As with most of my recipes, I haven't made a "single," but I've doubled this for years.