For crispy chicken sandwiches, I split a boneless chicken breasr, so it is only 1/2 as thick...then put it between plastic and with a meat mallet pound it to be 1/4 inch thick. I mix flour with seasonings...let's say 1 cup flour with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp ground mild red chilis, 1 T dry parsley crumbled and 2T grated parmesan cheese. Beat an egg in a flat dish with 1 T milk or water... Pat the split chicken breast dry and dip into the egg and then into the flour....and fry it in a couple of T of oil in a non stick pan...brown on both sides, and turn down the heat and cook another 5 minutes. Sometimes I skip the chilis and add a teaspoon of grated lemon peel. The crisp will be gone when you serve them leftover...but they are still good. Linda C

Over cooked chicken breast is ALWAYS dry ! Chicken breast should not be cooked in the slow cooker. Try pan frying them, oven baking or cutting into strips ands tir frying...but all cooking methods should be fast. Cook until the inside of the thickest part is no longer pink...just...no longer. For a really yummy meal, try cutting the breast horizonatlly, so you get a thin piece of meat and then put between plastic wrap and pound so it's eavn thinner. Mix up somes easoned flour...start with 1/2 cup of flour with about 1/8 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp crushed parsley and 1/2 tsp paprika. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour and fry in about 1/4 inch of hot oil in a big fry pan. Fry until browned and turn...brown on the second side ands erve. Should take no more than 5 minutes of cooking. You can also season the flour with some parm cheese and some grated lemon...or just salt and pepper. But quick cooking is the clue. Try thawing the breasts and then dipping in mayo thinned with a little milk and then in crushed corn flakes...or crushed tortilla chips and baking on a baking sheet in a 425 oven for about 20 minutes....until the thickest part is just not pink. You may just find you like chicken breasts!

You can find lots of variations on this red kidney bean curry online at Indian cooking sites, etc. This is the only recipe I can vouch for. Mixing up just the right balance for a curry I'm finding is very difficult. Also, for some reason I am just much more in love with the flavors of the Mediterranean. Here's another recipe I make in the crockpot. It is a soup, but pretty thick. Black Bean Soup with Red Paprika Sauce 1 lb. dried black beans, soaked overnight and drained. 8 cups water or broth (I always use mild veggie broth) 2 chopped med. onions 2 ribs celery 2 cups chopped tomatoes 2 TBLSP paprika 2 tsp. ground cumin 2 bay leaves 1/2 cup cilantro 1 cup corn Simmer beans and veggies until beans are soft. Then add tomatoes and spices and cook a couple hours more. Add the red paprika "sofrito" after the soup is done, just before serving. Do not add peppers to the dish while it's slow cooking, because peppers get bitter made in a slow cooker. I basically throw in everything except the tomato into the crockpot, add the tomatoes towards the end, and then when it's finished I stir in the Red Paprika Sauce. Yummo! Part of the charm of this soup comes from having good paprika on hand. If you miss a smokey taste in your black bean soup you can throw in some chorizo or ham or something. Being vegetarian, I sometimes add a tiny dash of fake bacon bits. Or fake sausage. But this soup I like plain. Red Paprika Sauce 2 TBLSP olive oil 1 large red pepper, diced 3 scallions, minced 2 tsp. paprika, or less, to taste 2 tsp. salt 2 TBLSP lime juice Sautee the peppers and onions in the olive oil and add the paprika, salt and lime juice at the end. Stir into the black bean soup. That's what gives this soup its yumminess, the addition of this fresh herb sofrito at the end. Here's another one that is easy and hearty, but I don't make it because it takes me so long to eat it up. Bean Cornbread Crockpot Casserole from vegetarian.about.com Serves 6 1 med. onion, chopped 1 med. green pepper, chopped (add at the end to the crockpot) 2 cloves garlic or 1/4 tsp. minced garlic powder 1 16 oz. can of kidney beans 1 16 oz. can of pinto beans (I'm not a pinto bean fan so I probably would use black beans) 1 16 oz. can chopped tomatoes 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce 1 tsp. chili powder 1/2 tsp. black pepper 1/2 tsp. prepared mustard 1/8 tsp. hot sauce or chopped jalepeno to taste Cornbread topping to be added at the last 1.5 hours of cooking. 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1 cup all purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 TBLSP sugar 1 1/2 cups milk 2 eggs 3 TBLSP veg. oil 1 can cream style corn (8 oz. can) Lightly grease crockpot. Add bean chili ingredients except peppers. Cook 8 hours on low. Add peppers and cornbread topping for the last 1.5 hours. Cook on high for the last 1.5 hours. (Directons sound kind of confusing but I think this is one of those "throw it in the crockpot and go to work and have dinner ready when you get home" recipes. So basically cook the bean chili all day on low in the crockpot, and when you get home make the cornbread topping and add the peppers. I'd sautee the peppers.) But I don't cook at all on the weekdays, so I made this on the weekend and adjusted the times accordingly. I cook the chili for 5-6 hours on low, then add the cornbread crust and the sauteed peppers, finish it off, and have it for Sunday dinner. And Monday, and Tuesday, and Wednesday, and Thursday, and Friday. Which is why I don't make this often!

I've made something similar, but it didn't contain the cream cheese, which I guess would make it much creamier. I would like the addition I think, & will try this soon. I rarely buy the Italian dressing envelopes, if you are interested here are the spice ingredients I found for replacement: Italian dressing mix 1 1/2 T garlic salt 1 T onion powder 1 T sugar 2 T dried oregano 1 t pepper 1/4 t dried thyme 1 t dried basil 1 T dried parsley 1/4 t celery salt Store in a tightly sealed container. To prepare dressing, whisk together 1/4 white vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons water or olive juice and 2 tablespoons of the dry mix. I have assumed that the 2 tablespoons of the mix equals a package of the purchased stuff. I've also used garlic powder instead of garlic salt to decrease the salt content, but some dishes I end up adding a bit of salt back to the dish. I've never really compared it to see how close it is, but I like it.