Creole Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

There is nothing like spice to warm you up on a cold day. This zesty gumbo is flavorful, yet doesn't take hours to make and won't break the bank. Serve with thick slices of bread to sop up the juices.

2 cups and 1 cup chicken broth, divided

1 cup uncooked rice

2 celery ribs, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized cubes

1 pkg. kielbasa or turkey kielbasa, sliced

1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. Creole seasoning (Such as Zatarain’s)

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

1 green pepper, diced

1 onion, roughly chopped

¼ cup cold water

3 Tbs. flour

1 Tbs. lemon juice

In a large saucepan, bring 2 cups of broth to a boil. Stir in rice, celery, and garlic. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat a large pot with olive oil. Add chicken and brown for about 2 minutes. Add kielbasa, tomatoes, remaining broth, and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Add onion and green pepper. Stir in lemon juice. Combine water and flour until smooth, then stir into the gumbo. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 5-8 minutes, until thickened.

Remove rice from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Serve gumbo over rice and sprinkle with additional Creole seasoning for extra heat.

*Modified from "New Orlean's Gumbo" in Simple & Delicious

Lemon-Basil Chicken

I am definitely not known for my green thumb. In fact, I habitually kill plants - from your average house plant to Chia Pets. When my sister got me an herb garden (AeroGarden - it's amazing!) for Christmas I thought she must be crazy to trust me with young plant lives. But, lo and behold, my little kitchen garden has thrived and I chose this recipe to debut my first batch of fresh basil. I used Rachael Ray's technique for "ribboning" the basil by stacking several leaves together, rolling it up like a burrito, and chopping from the end (creating ribbons). The effect was not only delicious, but gorgeous as well. 

1 ½ lbs. chicken tenders

2 Tbs. butter

1 Tbs. olive oil

½ c. white wine

3 Tbs. lemon juice

½ c. heavy cream

1/3 tsp. fresh thyme

2 Tbs. fresh basil, ribboned

Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper to taste; melt butter & olive oil in a large pan and add chicken to brown, turning once. Remove chicken from pan; cover with foil to keep warm. Add wine and lemon juice to the hot pan (over medium heat) to deglaze. Boil until reduced by half. Add cream, thyme, and basil; simmer until sauce thickens. Add chicken back to the pan and simmer 5 minutes.

Serve chicken and sauce over angel hair pasta (mix in a splash of white wine, parmesan cheese, olive oil, and red pepper flakes). 

*Adapted from cookeatshare.com 

Honey-Dijon Chicken

Once I progressed beyond preparing Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, this was the first meal I learned to make on my own. My brother and sister used to request this on nights when I would babysit and I gradually learned to make it my own. The original recipe took help from Campbell's Kitchen, but the current version suits my current tastes and budget. 

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in ½

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 cans Campbell’s Healthy Choice Cream of Chicken soup

¼ c. milk

¼ c. light sour cream

3 Tbs. honey

3 Tbs. Dijon mustard

Salt & pepper to taste

Optional: Crushed peanuts

Season chicken with salt and lemon pepper to taste. In a large pan, brown chicken in olive oil. Meanwhile, combine soup, milk, sour cream, honey, mustard, and salt/pepper in a medium bowl. Once chicken is browned, add soup mixture to the pan; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve chicken with sauce over steamed rice. For an extra crunch, top with crushed peanuts.

Sweet & Tangy Pretzel Dip

The combination of sweet and savory flavors always makes my mouth water. This easy dip, especially when combined with salty pretzel sticks, is a winner in terms of flavor and cost. 

½ cup coarse ground mustard

½ cup honey

3 Tbs. raspberry preserves

1 bag pretzel sticks

Combine mustard, honey, and preserves in a small bowl. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour to thicken. Serve with pretzel sticks.