Here's one way that I have used up a chicken breast. If the breast is already cooked, then cook onion in step 2 and add chicken pieces to onion in pan to warm them. Chicken & Chunky Pesto on Whole Wheat Spaghetti I made the pesto (the yellow one at left) rather than the food processor as it was such a small amount and it turned out lovely and chunky. Here's the recipe as I made it for the two of us, using half of my usual pesto recipe: 1 chicken breast cut into bite sized strips 1 small onion - sliced 2 portions of whole wheat spaghetti 1/4 teasp sweet smoked Spanish paprika (optional) olive oil for cooking Pesto - this is the halved version: 2 cloves of garlic - minced 1 cup of loosely packed basil leaves - chopped 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 teasp salt 1/4 teasp fresh ground black pepper 1/4 cup grated parmesan 1/4 cup pine nuts 1/2 teasp water 1. Put a large lidded pot of salted water on to boil for the spaghetti. 2. Prepare chicken and put into a small frying pan with onion and a bit of oil. Saute until cooked, turning and shaking pan.....about 12 minutes or until chicken pieces are cooked and all is lightly browned. Sprinkle with paprika and stir. Put on lid and keep warm while preparing the rest. 3. Meanwhile put in a ceramic mortar the salt, pepper, minced garlic and a few drops of the measured oil. Pound to a medium paste and add pine nuts, pounding some more, then add the chopped basil leaves, grated parmesan and some more of the oil. Continue grinding to a paste then add the rest of the olive oil. If it looks a little dry, add a few drops of water, up to 1/2 a teaspoon. 4. Boil the spaghetti 12 minutes or according to package. Drain and return to pan. Scoop out the pesto with a spoon and spatula and stir it into the spaghetti, mixing well. Serve on heated plates or platter and top with the chicken-onion mixture. Garnish with a sprig of basil and pass around the block of parmesan with a grater. SharonCb

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Lamb with Wild Greens and Egg-Lemon Sauce (Arni Fricassee) ========================================================== Lamb with Wild Greens and Egg-Lemon Sauce (Arni Fricassee) Source: Krinos Ingredients 1/2 cup Krinos olive oil 2 1/2 pounds boneless lamb, cut into stewing size pieces 2 large red onions, peeled, halved and sliced 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped Salt, pepper to taste 1 cup dry white wine Water 3 pounds dandelion, chard or spinach, trimmed, washed and drained well 1 bunch dill, chopped 2 eggs Strained juice of 1-2 lemons . 1. Heat the olive oil and brown the lamb. Add the onion and sautuntil golden. Stir in the garlic, salt and pepper. Add the wine and enough water to cover the meat. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 40 minutes. 2. In a separate pot filled with a little water, steam the greens until wilted and drain. Add the steamed greens to the lamb, together with the dill, and continue cooking another 25-30 minutes. Add water if necessary. 3. Beat the eggs until frothy and add the lemon juice, beating. Take a ladleful of the simmering pot juices from the lamb and gradually drizzle them into the egg-lemon mixture, beating all the while. Quickly pour the mixture back into the pot, stir to combine and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Seafood Salad ============== Combination plate of Cold Shrimps, Crab meat, or crab claws, or lobster, slices of avocado. Drizzle with Homemade Seafood Sauce. Home Cookin 4.9 Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Shellfish sauce - remoulade sauce ================================= Source: My Own 1 cup Homemade Mayo, or 1 cup Hellman's mayo 1/4 cup Chile Sauce 1 garlic Clove minced 1 tablespoon horseradish 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (Coarse) splash of Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons HP Sauce (or A 1 Sauce) fresh squeezed lemon juice fresh dill salt and pepper . Mix all of the ingredients together. Taste and adjust to suit personal taste. If you like Horseradish, add more, or more mustard. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Greek Meatballs With Avgolemono Sauce ===================================== These are extremely tender and flavourful meatballs 1 1/4 lbs Lean Ground Beef 1/2 lb lean ground pork 2 slices of bread, made into crumbs and soaked with milk 3 garlic cloves 1 small grated onion 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1/2 to 1 cup chopped spinach, squeezed dry 1 tablespoon chopped mint 2 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 teaspoons dried oregano 2 eggs 1/3 cup uncooked rice salt and pepper to taste Option: Add some fresh chopped dill as well 5 cups chicken broth Sauce 2 egg yolks 1 whole egg juice of 1 large lemon (1/4 cup) 1 1/2 cups of broth (from cooking meatballs) Makes approximately 48 meatballs. As an alternative to the egg/lemon sauce, try doing this instead: Make a roux with butter and flour, add the chicken stock that you cooked the meatballs in, simmer, add some of the hot sauce to an egg yolk and then slowly stir the mixture back into the remaining sauce. Add lemon juice. Add the meatballs and simmer on low for a few minutes. Do not boil if using the egg yolk. . Mix the two meats together well and add the rest of the ingredients and mix well using hands. Saute a small amount to taste for seasoning and adjust seasoning as needed. Form into meatballs the size of walnuts and saute until brown. Drain on paper towels and then add to a pot of chicken broth. Simmer for 40 minutes until tender. Remove meatballs from broth. Strain broth and reserve 1 1/2 cups. Return broth to stove and bring to a boil. Beat egg yolks and egg with lemon juice and slowly whisk the hot broth into egg mixture. Return sauce to sauce pan and heat on low stirring until sauce thickens. Do not bring to a boil. Add meatballs and continue to heat until meatballs are hot and coated with sauce. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Greek Cabbage Rolls in Avgolemono Sauce ======================================= 1 large Savoy cabbage (Steam cabbage just long enough so that you can separate the leaves) Chicken broth head of garlic For the Stuffing 1 onion chopped 1/4 cup chopped parsley 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil 1 pound ground pork 2 cloves minced garlic 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill zest from one lemon 3/4 cup to 1 cup of raw rice, Cooked until almost tender. Prepare filling Saute onion in oil or butter until tender. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Mix together the pork, rice, cooked onions, parsley, dill , lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. Form the cabbage rolls and place in a deep oven proof casserole. Add enough chicken broth to almost cover. Add a number of peeled and cracked garlic cloves and a few sprigs of dill. Top with any leftover cabbage leaves. Cover and bake for about 2 hours in a low oven (325°F). Avgolemono Sauce Rather than make the traditional Avgolemono sauce enriched with eggs, I make a sauce using: 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 3 cups of chicken broth salt pepper juice of one lemon lemon zest optional Make a roux using the butter and flour. Add the chicken broth and when the sauce is cooked add the juice of one lemon and the zest if using. Season with salt and pepper and serve over the cabbage rolls. Cabbage Rolls can be prepared earlier in the day and then reheat in the Avgolemono sauce.

I have an annual potluck to attend on Halloween day. I have taken the paella salad posted above. It is delicious and everyone loved it. I did add fresh garlic to the rice (I used basmati). This year I have decided on Ann's Greek Meatballs. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Greek Meatballs With Avgolemono Sauce ===================================== These are extremely tender and flavourful meatballs 1-1/4 pounds Lean Ground Beef 1/2 pound lean ground pork 2 slices of bread, made into crumbs and soaked with milk 3 garlic cloves 1 small grated onion 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1/2 to 1 cup chopped spinach, squeezed dry 1 tablespoon chopped mint 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 eggs 1/3 cup uncooked rice Salt and pepper to taste Option: Add some fresh chopped dill as well 5 cups chicken broth Sauce 2 egg yolks 1 whole egg Juice of 1 large lemon (1/4 cup) 1-1/2 cups of broth (from cooking meatballs) Makes approximately 48 meatballs. Mix the two meats together well and add the rest of the ingredients and mix well using hands. Saute a small amount to taste for seasoning and adjust seasoning as needed. Form into meatballs the size of walnuts and saute until brown. Drain on paper towels and then add to a pot of chicken broth. Simmer for 40 minutes until tender. Remove meatballs from broth. Strain broth and reserve 1 1/2 cups. Return broth to stove and bring to a boil. Beat egg yolks and egg with lemon juice and slowly whisk the hot broth into egg mixture. Return sauce to sauce pan and heat on low stirring until sauce thickens. Do not bring to a boil. Add meatballs and continue to heat until meatballs are hot and coated with sauce. As an alternative to the egg/lemon sauce, try doing this instead: Make a roux with butter and flour, add the chicken stock that you cooked the meatballs in, simmer, add some of the hot sauce to an egg yolk and then slowly stir the mixture back into the remaining sauce. Add lemon juice. Add the meatballs and simmer on low for a few minutes. Do not boil if using the egg yolk.

Last night was lime & chipoltle talapia with red skins and braised green beans. Tonight is grilled sirloin steak (with some kind of rub--haven't decided which one to use yet), baked potatoes, and spinach salad. Tomorrow is a pork sirloin roast in crockpot with apples & sauerkraut, onions, potatoes, & carrots. The last couple of weeks have included beef stew (in pressure cooker), pork green chile, ginger chicken stir fry, salmon, and beef & barley soup. DH just returned from a conference in New Orleans and brought me a signed copy of "Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen," so I'll be trying out some of those recipes soon. Chef Prudhomme catered the opening night reception and DH said the gumbo was the best he ever had. Oh, almost forgot, I don't make desserts very often, but I'm going to make a Wacky Cake tonight (only 3/4 c. sugar in it). Recipe is from my "America's Best Lost Recipes" cookbook. I've never tried the Wacky Cake before but it sounds good (essentially a chocolate snack cake).