Let's keep this thread going. We enjoy Lidia's Family Table/ Italian-American shows. She featured an easy recipe using chicken breasts, capers, red wine vinegar. She said it could be made using pork chops. This appealed to hubby so he made it for dinner one nite this week, using boneless pork chops. It's a delicious sauce. Skillet Chicken Breasts Aglio e Olio source: Lidia's Italy 6 chicken breast halves, skinless and boneless, about 2 pounds (we used boneless pork chops) 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed 1/2 cup flour, for dredging the chicken 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 8 garlic cloves, sliced 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 3 tablespoons capers, drained 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 cup vegetable broth 3 tablespoons Italian parsley, freshly chopped 1 tablespoon bread crumbs Trim the chicken breast halves of all bits fat, skin or connective tissue with a paring knife. Do not cut off the tenders-the small loose flap of muscle on the underside of each half-but flatten them firmly against the larger piece, to form a neat oval. Sprinkle both sides of the breasts with salt, using about 1/2 teaspoon in all. Spread the flour on a piece wax paper and press and toss each breast to coat lightly on all surfaces; shake off excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and all the butter in the pan over medium heat. When the butter is almost completely melted, lay the breasts in the pan, with space between them. Let them cook in place, without moving them, until they're sizzling. After 2 minutes or so, lift the first breast you put in the pan and check the underside. You want it to be lightly tinged with brown (not merely pale, but not brown all over either). Cook longer if needed, and then turn all the breasts over when they've just begun to color. Quickly scatter all the garlic slices into the spaces between the chicken, turn the heat up slightly, shake the pan and stir the slices around in the hot fat so they separate. After a minute or a bit more, when the garlic has begun to sizzle, sprinkle the red pepper flakes in a hot spot; toast for a minute; then spill the capers in several hot spots around the pan. Give the skillet a few good shakes to distribute the seasonings and run the hot juices all around the breasts. Raise the heat another notch: when everything's sizzling hard, pour the red wine vinegar into the open spaces and shake the pan to spread it. Let the vinegar sizzle and reduce for a 1/2 minute or so, then pour in the broth. Cook at full blast now, quickly bringing the liquid to a boil. As it cooks, drizzle the remaining two tablespoons of oil all around the pan and sprinkle on another 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Let the sauce bubble and reduce for a couple of minutes, shaking the skillet frequently, then sprinkle the bread crumbs into the sauce (not on the chicken) and stir and shake to mix it in. Within a minute or two, the crumbs will thicken the sauce visibly; cook, shaking the skillet, until it has the consistency you like. Turn off the heat, scatter the parsley over everything-and shake the skillet again. Serve immediately.

Best cake I have ever made is this one..... APPLE CIDER POUND CAKE 3 cups sugar 1-1/2 cups butter, softened 6 eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1 cup apple cider 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ICING: 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup butter, cubed 1/4 cup buttermilk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon baking soda Directions In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir together all dry ingredients; set aside. Combine cider and vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with cider mixture to batter. Mix until well blended. Spoon into a greased 10-in. angel food cake pan or fluted tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Meanwhile, combine icing ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. While cake is warm, drizzle half of icing over cake. Serve remaining icing over individual cake servings if desired.

INGREDIENTS tablespoon LAND O LAKES Butter, softened 1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury Grands! Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (8 biscuits) 1 can (10.2 oz) Pillsbury Grands! Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (5 biscuits) 13 large marshmallows 1/2 cup LAND O LAKES Unsalted or Salted Butter 1/2 cup hot fudge ice cream topping 1 teaspoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon Hersheys Special Dark baking cocoa DIRECTIONS 1 Heat oven to 350F. Grease 12-cup fluted tube cake pan with 1 tablespoon butter. Cut all 13 biscuits into quarters; set aside. 2 In large microwavable bowl, place marshmallows, 1/2 cup butter, hot fudge topping and vanilla. Microwave uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring once, until melted. Using wire whisk, stir until smooth. 3 In medium bowl, stir sugar and cocoa until blended. 4 Carefully place 1/4 of the biscuit pieces into hot chocolate mixture, gently folding in to coat. Add another 1/4 of the biscuits, gently folding in to coat. Using tongs, remove biscuits from chocolate, letting excess chocolate drip off. Drop 1 biscuit piece at a time into sugar mixture; spoon sugar over biscuit to coat. Layer biscuits in cake pan. Repeat with remaining biscuits. Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over biscuits. 5 Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until biscuits are deep golden and no longer doughy in center. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; carefully turn plate and pan over. Remove pan; immediately scrape any remaining topping in pan onto bread. Pull apart warm bread to serve. Using fresh marshmallows is key to the success of this recipe.

Spinach Salad with Chicken and Fruit (Canadian Living) 6 cups (1.5 L) baby spinach 2 cups (500 mL) watercress, trimmed 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and sliced 1/2 cup (125 mL) each fresh raspberries and blackberries 1/2 cup (125 mL) thinly sliced red onion 1/3 cup (75 mL) slivered almonds Half mango, peeled and chopped Mint Poppy Seed Dressing In large bowl, toss together spinach, watercress, chicken, raspberries, black-berries, onion, almonds and mango. Add dressing; toss to coat. Mint Poppy Seed Dressing 2 tbsp (25 mL) chopped fresh mint 2 tbsp (25 mL) extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp (25 mL) canola oil 2 tbsp (25 mL) red wine vinegar 1 tbsp (15 mL) minced shallot 1 small clove garlic, minced 1 tsp (5 mL) poppy seeds Pinch each salt and pepper In bowl, whisk together mint, olive oil, canola oil, vinegar, shallot, garlic, poppy seeds, salt and pepper. Source : Canadian Living Magazine: July 2008