Posted by: Gazania (My Page) on Tue, May 13, 03 at 9:37
This is one we love. And it makes 2 casseroles. One to serve now and one to freeze.

Two-Bean Cassoulete

4 oz. smoked turkey sausage thinly sliced
2 c. chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in 1" pieces
2 cans(14.5oz each) low sodium tomatoes
1 can(15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can(14.5oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. reduced-fat chicken broth
2 c. sliced carrots
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 c. snipped fresh parsley

In a pot over medium heat, saute sausage, garlic and onions about 3 mins. add chicken and cook till browned and cooked through.

Add rest of ingredients except parsley. Stir to break up tomatoes.

Spray two 2 quart casseroles with cooking spray, and divide mixture into them. Wrap one for freezer. Finish cooking the other.

TO FINISH COOKING: Bake, covered at 375 for 25 min. Stir and bake 15 minutes longer. Stir in parsley.

Bake frozen casserole 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Each casserole serves 4.

SHEPHERD'S PIE
2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch thyme
Dash Tamari Sauce
Dash Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup beef broth
2 cups cooked mixed vegetables (leftover or frozen)
5 potatoes and 2 garlic cloves, boiled and mashed with butter and milk
1 tablespoon butter
Brown meat in oil and drain. Stir in onions, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme and cook 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, flour and broth, Tamari and Worcestershire. Add cooked vegetables. Transfer to casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes and dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serves 8

CINDY MAC'S Louisiana BBQ Shrimp

1 1 1/2 lbs. large shrimp
1 stick butter, melted
3 tablespoons Worcestershire
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper
2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon olive oil

DEHEAD shrimp if necessary, but don't peel. Place in a shallow dish (I use a pie pan). Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over shrimp. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 2-3 hours. BAKE in preheated 350 degree oven uncovered for 15-20 minutes. Serve with French bread to sop up all the wonderful juice.

What about soup? A great hearty soup (or two) with bread or rolls and crackers and you're off to the concert. There are 100's of 1,000's of soup recipes out there.

SAUSAGE TORTELLINI SOUP

1 pound sweet Italian sausage meat, crumbled
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup red wine
1 can diced tomatoes with their juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup sliced carrots
2 cups zucchini, sliced or diced
8 ounces tortellini pasta

Brown sausage in 5 quart soup pot. Remove sausage and drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings.
Saute onions and garlic in drippings. Stir in beef broth, water, wine, tomatoes, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 40 minutes.

Stir in zucchini and carrots. Simmer covered for 10 minutes.

Add tortellini and simmer for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each serving.

Sheperhed's pie was something I was thinking too...but then again two old farts like Woodie and I think alike.

Another thought would be Beef Bourguignon, Julia Child's recipe is the bomb! If you think your Mom would like to make it I can post the recipe. A bit time consuming to make but it can be done a day or two in advance and reheated. Lovely with just a simple boiled noodle.

Here's another dish that is always well received. A bit "fancier" than some casseroles but really easy to put together. This recipe serves 10-12 but you can cut in half or better still eat the leftovers.

Chicken Marbella

9 Lb chicken - either whole birds quartered or a combo of thighs and breasts (If using breasts be sure not to overcook)
1 head garlic peeled and chopped
1/4 Cup dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 Cup red wine vinegar
1/2 Cup olive oil
1 Cup pitted prunes
1/2 Cup pitted Spanish olives
1/2 Cup capers and a bit of the juice
6 Bay leaves
1 Cup brown sugar
1 Cup white wine
1/4 Cup
Italian parsley chopped

Combine chicken garlic, oregano,salt,vinegar, oil, prunes, olives. capers and bay leaves. Marinate & refrigerate overnight.

Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large baking dishes.
Spoon marinade over evenly. Sprinkle chicken evenly with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.

Bake in a for 50 minutes to 1 hour at 350. Do not over cook.

Transfer chicken and prunes etc to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Pass the remaining sauce in a sauceboat.

If preparing a few days in advance refrigerate cooked chicken in the sauce and allow to come to room temp before reheating, just until warmed through.

If serving cold allow to come to room temp before serving.

Shepherds Pie is always good. Or what about Salisbury steak? Can be made earlier in the day and just warmed up to serve.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Salisbury Steak In Mushroom And Green Peppercorn Sauce
======================================================
What I call "Diner" Food. Serve with mashed potatoes and your favourite veggies.

2 Pounds of ground Sirloin
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 Teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste

Sauce

1/2 small onion chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 Tablespoon green peppercorns
Fresh Mushrooms sliced
2 Tablespoons Flour
Broth 2 to 3 cups (Beef or chicken)
Pan drippings plus 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter or oil.
. Saute onions in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil until tender but not
browned. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. In a bowl combined
ground sirloin, parsley, thyme, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and
salt and pepper. Add onions and garlic and mix well. (I use my hands).
Form into oval shaped patties. (I made 5 nice size ones from the 2
pounds, but you could make smaller if you prefer)

Brown the patties in a heavy skillet in a little olive oil. You can
also brown these in a grill pan.

Remove the meat from the pan. Add a little more oil if needed and saute
the onions, garlic and mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little flour, cook
for a couple of minutes and add the broth and the green peppercorns.
Add the patties to the pan, cover and simmer on low for at least one
hour. Make sure there is enough sauce to almost cover the steaks.

Salisbury steak should be very tender and not have the texture of a
just fried hamburger. Simmering the meat n the gravy also enhances the
flavour of the sauce.

What about a simple roast chicken dinner? That's my "no-brainer" meal. Easiest dinner to put together.

Ann

I think Jessy's "Aunt Sadie's Chicken" would be ideal here too.

AUNT SADIE'S CHICKEN

Marinade:
1/2 cup light olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
1 head garlic, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
4 sprigs fresh oregano, chopped
1 cup pitted black olives, halved
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 bay leaves
8 shallots, diced
2 Tblsp. olive oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, halved
2 (16 oz.) cans artichokes, halved and drained
1 cup red wine

In a bowl, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, oregano and halved black olives. Pour over chicken breasts in baking dish and top with 3 bay leaves. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerator overnight.

After chicken has marinated overnight, sauté diced shallots in 2 tablespoons olive oil and drizzle over chicken. Add light brown sugar, halved sun-dried tomatoes and halved and drained artichokes. Pour red wine over all and bake in 350° F. oven for an hour.

Posted by Jessica at Gardenweb Cooking Forum.

This standby came to mind:

Chicken Marbella

From the Silver Palate Cookbook

* 4 chickens, 2 1/2 lb. each, quartered
* 1 head of garlic, pureed
* 1/4 c dried oregano
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1/2 c red wine vinegar
* 1/2 c olive oil
* 1 c pitted prunes
* 1/2 c Spanish green olives
* 1/2 c capers with a bit of juice
* 6 bay leaves
* 1 c brown sugar
* 1 c white wine
* 1/4 c chopped parsley

Combine all ingredients except brown sugar and white wine, and marinate overnight.

Arrange chicken in pan, spoon marinade over, and sprinkle with brown sugar and wine.

Bake 50-60 min at 350 degrees, basting often.

Sorry guys and gals....but if I am served one more "chicken Marbella" I think I might elect to stop over at KFC for dinner. Waaay too much over done....at least among my friends and family.
How about Curried chicken and rice casserole?
Cook chicken thighs in a fry pan with some sliced onion until done. De-bone and skin.
Into a casserole put the cooked chicken a cup of basamati rice, raw and a chopped apple.
Pour the grease out of the fry pan and deglaze with 1/2 cup of white wine or a little apple juice.
Add 2 1/2 cups of liquid to the pan, including the deglazing liquid and chicken broth.
Cover and refrigerate....and bake for an hour, covered at 350.
Linda C

I've had Chicken Marbella twice over a period of ten years. Once at a friend's house and once when I made it. Not so over used in my circle. I still like it!

Thanks so much all, and I really hope you keep a few more coming. One of my very first thoughts was Shepherd's Pie, but of course mashed potatoes have dairy. Mashed potatoes as a side would probably be ok, one tiny woman can opt out. So ideas like Salisbury Steak would probably be fine - one guest skips one side.

One thought I had was along Linda C's lines - it's pretty hard to overcook dark meat chicken. Ironically one of Mom's recipes is in my failing oven right now, quarter-cooked and about to "bake" on the grill instead, and I'm not worried about it going wrong cuz you can't kill thighs.

Thanks again, from someone who never heard of Chicken Marbella before this thread, though likely my 80-year-old parents and similarly aged friends have!

FYI - Mashed potatoes can be made using chicken broth and margarine instead of milk or butter - and spread upon a meat pie, would probably taste just fine.

I've never heard of Chicken Marbella either, although my 89 y/o mom used to make Chicken Eisenhower, I'll have to get the recipe from her - - "I Like Ike" (that is not a political statement BTW :)

As Woodie mentions, mashed potatoes do not need any dairy, just use chicken broth. I even skip the margarine when I make Shepherd's pie.