A BIG ficken Sandwich

I made a wonderfully tasty and LARGE ficken sandwich for dinner last night. It took a little bit of creative eating, but we managed to fill our bellies with this delicious sandwich.

Ficken and Rice with Cilantro-Poblano Sauce

This was offered in Cooking Light June 2008 as a reader recipe. The woman that developed it said it is easy to prepare and can be made any night of the week. Hmmm, I am not so sure about the easy description. While there was nothing complicated, there were many different steps and pans involved, which made it longer to prepare and clean up than an "easy" meal should. But, it was yummy and I consolidated some of the steps to cut down on after dinner dishes.

The grocery store was sold out of Poblano peppers, so I ended up using two different kinds - a red one and light green one- in place of the Poblano. It worked out nicely, so if you can't find that particular pepper, just choose some other moderate/mild temperature pepper instead.

I did not have enough wild rice, so I ended up using wild rice, forbidden rice and brown rice. Worked great, although the deep color of the forbidden rice turned the mushrooms purple!

Chicken and Rice with Cilantro-Poblano Sauce

3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 tsp salt, divided

1/4 tsp black pepper, divided

14 oz veggie broth, divided

1 poblano chili, seeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

olive oil

1 large package white mushrooms, sliced

1 cup uncooked long grain rice

1/2 cup water

1 tsp ground cumin

2 TBS fresh parsley, chopped

1 TBS butter

1 pkg of quorn naked patties, slightly thawed and cut into strips

3/4 cups grape or cherry tomatoes

1 avocado, chopped

1. Combine 1/4 cup green onions, cilantro, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper, 1/2 cup broth, chili and 1 garlic clove in a food processor. Process until smooth.

2. Heat 1 TBS oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms to pan and saute until softened. Add garlic clove to pan and cook another couple minutes. Add cilantro mixture, remaining 1 1/4 cup broth, rice, 1/2 cup water and cumin to skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 25 minutes. Add parsley, remove from heat.

3. Heat small amount of olive oil in different skillet over med-high heat. Sprinkle small amount of salt/pepper and 1/2 tsp cumin in the pan. Add ficken. Cook until browned and heated through. Remove from the skillet.

4. Add small amount of olive oil to the same skillet the ficken was just cooked in. Add 1/4 cup green onions and tomatoes. Saute 2 minutes. Add ficken back to skillet.

5. Finally-arrange rice on a plate, top with ficken and tomatoes, then some avocado. Yummy!!!

Ficken and Feta Tabbouleh

This is a nice dish for a warm spring evening, exactly like the one last week when I served this for dinner. I was lucky to have tomatoes, cucumbers, mint and green onions from the farmers market to use in this recipe which made it even better. I served it with a side of toasted pita bread.

Ficken and Feta Tabbouleh (modified from April 2009 Cooking Light)

3/4 cup uncooked bulgur

1 cup boiling broth

1 pkg (4 patties) naked quorn patties

lemon pepper seasoning

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 cucumber, chopped

3/4 cup chopped fresh parsely

1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled

1/3 cup finely chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

2 TBS lemon juice

1 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Place bulgar in a medium bowl. Cover with 1 cup boiling broth and let stand 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

2. Heat small amount of oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Add 1/2 tsp of lemon-pepper seasoning and garlic. Add quorn patties and cook until brown on both sides. Cut into cubes.

3. Combine ficken and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add bulgur to ficken mixture. Toss gently to combine.

Ficken Cashew and Red Pepper Stir-fry

The newest Cooking Light arrived in the mail a week or so ago and I eagerly scanned the pages for new dishes to try. It has been awhile since I've made any kind of asian inspired dish, so I gave "Ficken" Cashew and Red Pepper Stir-fry and shot, and it was very tasty. Easy and pretty quick too. This dish would be nice with a side or Edamame, which I did not think of until just now. Bummer.

"Ficken" Cashew and Red Pepper Stir-fry modified from April 2009 Cooking Light

3 3/4 teaspoon cornstarch, divided

2 TBS low-sodium soy sauce, divided

2 tsp cooking sherry

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

3/4 tsp sugar (I think I omitted this)

1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)

1 pkg Veggie Delight patties, cut into strips

1/2 cup coarsely chopped cashews

2 TBS olive oil

1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 tsp fresh minced peeled ginger

3 TBS thinly sliced green onion

1. Combine 1 tsp cornstarch, 1 TBS soy sauce and next 4 ingredients through hot sauce, into a small bowl and stir with a whisk.

2. Combine remaining 2 3/4 tsp cornstarch, 1 TBS soysauce and ficken in a medium bowl. Toss to coat.

3. Heat large non-stick skillet over med-high heat and add cashews to pan. Cook 3 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from pan.

4. Add oil to the hot skillet and swirl to coat. Add ficken to pan and saute 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook another couple minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and ginger, cook 30 seconds. Add green onions and cornstarch mixture. Cook until sauce in slightly thickened. Sprinkle with cashews.

Rice

1 cup white Jasmine or Basmati rice

1 1/2 cups water

2 TBS drained, chopped water chestnuts

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

salt and pepper

Cook rice and add the water chestnuts and seasoning at the end, allowing about 5 minutes to before serving.

Broccoli and Cheddar Pasta

Looking for a quick simple dinner tonight? This is it. A one dish wonder if you want it to be. If offers a veggie, carb and protein all in one! I love that. As far as fake chicken, I think veggie delight or quorn work best for this dish.

Broccoli and Cheddar Pasta

olive oil

1/4 cup pine nuts OR walnut halves

1 pkg veggie delight chicken OR 1 box quorn naked patties, cubed

1 bunch broccoli, chopped

2 cloves garlic, mashed

1/2 cup veggie broth

1 TBS fresh basil, chopped

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (Cabot white cheddar is excellent for this!)

12 oz. small pasta like penne or shells

1. Heat small amount of oil over medium heat in a skillet, add nuts and cook a couple minutes until just turning brown.

2. Remove nuts. Add "ficken" to the skillet and cook a few minutes until just browning.

3. Add broccoli and garlic, cook 3 - 5 minutes. Add broth and red pepper flakes.

4. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute.

5. Stir in cheddar and nuts. Serve.

Parmesan "Ficken" and Rice Casserole

This is not the red sauce Chicken Parmesan you may be thinking of. Oh no. This is a wonderfully simple and delicious dish using Parmesan cheese and a bit of whipping cream to for a casserole. We had this on Monday night and I modified the dish a little bit from the original recipe found in Cooking Light. The obvious change is using fake chicken. The second modification is replacing boil-in bag brown rice (yuck) with real wild rice (yum!). This of course adds a bit of time to the preparation, but well worth it for the added flavor and nutrition.

Parmesan "Ficken" and Rice Casserole

1 cup chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup wild rice, uncooked

1 1/2 cups veggie broth

1/3 cup dry white wine OR white cooking wine

1 package veggie delight patties, cut into quarters

1/2 tsp dried thyme OR 1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

3 TBS whipping cream

1/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Cook rice in veggie broth for 45 - 50 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Set aside.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Saute onion for about 3 minutes, then add garlic. Cook until onion begins to brown. Deglaze pan with the wine, cook about 3o seconds. Stir in rice. Remove from heat.

3. Spoon rice mixture into a 13 X 9 inch baking dish. Arrange veggie chicken on the top, sprinkling with thyme and salt. Pour cream evenly over the chicken and rice mixture.

4. Bake for 25 minutes at 425 degrees. Sprinkle with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes.

This was great with Green Beans Tarragon as a side dish. Look back in my blog archive to find the recipe.

Sauteed Chicken with White Wine Sauce

This is another oldie but goodie, found in the red and white plaid Better Homes cook book. This was dinner on Monday night.

1 pkg veggie chicken

2 - 3 TBS flour

salt/pepper

2 TBS butter

1 package mushrooms, sliced

2 - 3 shallots, chopped

1 cup white wine

2 cups veggie broth

2 TBS fresh parsley, chopped

1. Saute veggie chicken until golden brown, remove from heat. Let cool enough to touch, cut into cubes.

2. Add shallots, mushrooms, salt and pepper to pan. Saute until browning.

3. Add wine, letting the bits loosen. Add flour to the veggie (cool) veggie broth, mix together until smooth, no flour clumps. Add broth to wine mixture, cook 10 - 15 minutes. The sauce should thicken slightly, and reduce a bit. Add chicken and parsley.

I served this with white Jasmine rice which was great for soaking up the yummy sauce. Good with a side veggie such as peas.

Chick Parmesan

I can't believe I forgot to post this one! Well, yes I can actually. Given that last week was extremely busy with painting the kitchen after work, having a terrible headache Wednesday, working all day Thursday, then leaving the house Friday while it was still dark to catch a plane to Tampa....

Chick Parmesan is a favorite of ours, and is actually fairly simple. I think Morning Star original breaded chick patties work best for this recipe. If you want an extra rich smokey flavor, add sliced provolone on the top.

A salad and dinner bread make this a filling meal, especially when served over cooked spaghetti.

Chick Parmesan

4 chick patties

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 bay leaf

2 - 3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/8 tsp pepper

a little tiny bit of salt

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 small onion, chopped

2 1/4 pound canned tomato (1 big and 1 normal can)

shredded mixed Italian cheese

Parmesan or Romano cheese

4 slices provolone (optional, but good)

1. Heat oven to 375

2. Saute onion until just tender. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds.

3. Add chopped tomatoes, sugar, herbs, salt and pepper to pan. Stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes.

4. Place about 1/3 cup of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.

5. Place chic patties in, spoon tomato sauce on top.

6. Sprinkle with cheeses - use as much or little as you like.

7. Bake 30 minutes.

**** I usually use 2 boxes of chick patties (8 total patties) and just repeat the layers. I put chick patties, cheese, sauce, chick patties, sauce, cheese. This leaves us with alot of delicious leftovers. ****

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Yummy. I am tired this evening, so no descriptive write up about this dish - sorry, yummy is all you get. Well, I will say this is not a spicy dish, so if you are scared of heat in your food, this is one that is safe. There is always leftovers with this dish, so look forward to eating it again the next day for lunch, or later in the week for a quick dinner.

1 TBS olive oil

1 cup onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

3 cloves garlic, mashed

2 X 15oz Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups diced veggie chicken (your choice, but quorn works well)

1 cup chopped green onion

1/2 cup black olives, sliced

18 X 6inch corn tortillas

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup milk

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

16 oz jar green salsa

sour cream for topping

1. pre heat oven to 350

2. Saute onion about 3 minutes. Add cumin, garlic and chili powder. Stir in chicken and cook another few minutes.

3. Add beans and cook over medium heat until warm. Add green onion and remove from heat.

4. Lightly grease 9 X 13 inch baking dish with oil. Layer 6 tortillas on the bottom. Spread 1/2 bean mixture, then sprinkle with some cheese. Repeat layers once, topping with tortillas.

5. Combine milk, cilantro and salsa in blender. Blend until smooth. Pour over tortillas.

6. Cover and bake 35 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese, green onions and black olives. Bake 5 - 10 minutes until melted.

Top with a dollop of sour cream if you want. I think it's delicious this way.

Sesame Chicken And Noodles

I have this recipe in my book with "good" written over the top. It has been a while since I made this dish and put it on the menu last week. I have no modifications noted, other than using fake chicken of course. After making this dish, and eating it, I am not sure if I agree with the good rating. It was not bad, but I did not eat the leftovers the next day. I'll post the recipe and leave it up to you - try or not?

I do have to admit I did make a few alterations this time around that may have led to the so-so result. First, I chose to use rice noodles, not traditional spaghetti. I also had regular peanut butter, not natural style. To make up for the added sweetener in the regular peanut butter, I did not add any brown sugar.

12 oz uncooked spaghetti

1/2 cup veggie broth

1/4 cup natural style peanut butter

2 TBS sesame seeds, divided

1 TBS brown sugar

2 TBS rice vinegar

2 TBS low sodium soy sauce

1 TBS lime juice

1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)

2 tsp olive oil

1 pkg fake chicken, cut into cubes

2 cups chopped carrots

1 cup sliced green onions

1. Cook pasta, drain.

2. Combine broth, peanut butter, 1 TBS sesame seeds, and next 5 ingredients.

3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken to pan and saute 3 minutes. Add carrots and onions, saute another couple minutes. Stir in broth mixture.

4. Add pasta to pan, tossing to coat. Top with remaining sesame seeds.

Chicken with Pear-Sage Chutney

Yummy! I love this dish! Not only is it beautiful with red pears and red bell peppers, it tastes so good. The flavors offered in this recipe are so wonderful - sweet, but not too sweet all offset by the savory touch of sage.

This dish cooks up quickly and the prep time is pretty minimal. I use Quorn naked patties for this recipe.

I served this dinner with a side of wild rice cooked in veggie broth and frozen peas. I don't use Uncle Ben's or any other rice with pre-seasoned packets - too much salt and the packet over does the spices. I like plain wild rice cooked with broth and olive oil.

6 quorn naked patties

olive oil

salt/pepper

1/2 red onion chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 TBS brown sugar

3 TBS cider vinegar

1/2 tsp dried sage

1/2 tsp whole mustard seeds

2 cored, chopped red pears

1. Saute quorn patties in olive oil/salt/pepper over med-high until browned on both sides. Remove.

2. Reduce heat to medium and add onion and bell pepper. Cook about 3 minutes.

3. Add sugar, vinegar, sage, mustard seed and salt/pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. Add pears and cook 10 minutes.

4. Add chicken and serve.

***I place the sage and mustard seeds in with the vinegar, that way it's all ready when time to add to the pan. I just dump in all three together, nice and easy. You may want to have the brown sugar pre-measured too, just to make it easier, but don't add it to the vinegar cup because it is difficult to get it all out. You will be scraping the measuring cup, cursing at the left over sugar granules.***

Start the wild rice long before preparing the chicken dish as the rice will cook almost an hour. I started preparing the main dish about 30 minutes into the rice's cooking time.

Pablano Chicken and Rice

Here is a super quick and really tasty dinner to enjoy. I usually just serve it as the main dish, no sides, but if you wanted to add something else, go for it! Maybe a mexican inspired salad...

2 pablano peppers

1 large onion, chopped

2 celery ribs, sliced

2 cubs veggie broth

3/4 cups uncooked rice

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 pkg veggie delight chicken (10 oz I think), cubed

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

salt/pepper to taste

1. Remove stems from peppers. Cut into thin strips lengthwise.

2. Saute onions, peppers and celery until slightly browned.

3. Stir in broth, rice and turmeric. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

4. Saute veggie chicken in a pan with olive oil and cumin until browned.

5. Add chicken to rice mixture after the 15 minutes is up. Stir in the pepper flakes and cheddar cheese. Cook another 5 - 10 minutes.

Chicken pot pie

I used to make the traditional chicken pot pie recipe found on the back of the Bisquick box. It was pretty good, fairly easy, but seemed to be lacking something. One thing I found troublesome about that particular recipe, was getting the biscuit topping to cook through. The last time I made it, the Bisquick left us with a goopy, doughy surprise. Yuck! I was traumatized and decided not to make that again.

Lucky for us, Cooking Light published a different take on chicken pot pie, and this one does not require Bisquick! I tried it, and loved it. I made one modification, and that was to add a bit of cheddar cheese, simply because everything tastes better with cheese. One thing I love about this recipe is it leaves fewer dirty dishes, and that is always a bonus. It is also a one dish wonder, since you get your protein, veggies and carbs all together!

This makes enough for both of us to eat for dinner, and usually leaves enough leftovers for both us to eat the next day for lunch.

I'll post a picture later, only because my sweet cousin told me pictures were a necessity!

Ingredients:

Pillsbury refrigerated pie dough

1 tsp dried sage

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 pkg (~ 10 oz) veggie chicken, cubed (veggie delight works great, found at whole foods/weaver street. I ended up using Morning Star's meal starter chicken strips, cut into chunks)

1 small onion, diced

1 package mushrooms, sliced

1 1/4 cup veggie broth

1 1/2 cups frozen mixed veggies

10 1/2 oz. can cream or mushroom OR cream of celery soup

1/2 cup shredded cheddar

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

2. Cut 4 circles from pie dough. (I use a bowl so that crust fits on top) Grease baking sheet with butter/cooking spray. Place dough circles on sheet and sprinkle with salt and olive oil. Bake 10 - 12 minutes, until a golden color.

3. Heat olive oil in large pan over med - high heat. Add thyme, sage, salt and pepper. Saute onions and mushrooms until tender. Add veggie chicken, cook until just browning.

4. Add broth and soup. Add frozen veggies and cheese if you want it.

5. Simmer 10-12 minutes.

6. Serve in a bowl with the crust placed on top!

*I like the crust topping so much, that I will take the scraps, roll it into a ball, flatten it out, and make extra circles to bake. If you don't have a rolling pin, use a plastic cup or some other smooth rounded object that can be used like a rolling pin.