Low-fat Gingery Oriental Meatballs

1 Lb ground chicken or pork
2 green onions
1 egg
2 tsp ginger, fresh ground
1 tsp garlic, chopped
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs (unseasoned)
1 1/2 cup water
2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp parsley, freshly chopped for garnish


Combine ingredients for meatballs together in a bowl. Shape meatballs the size of large walnut. Place meatballs on a pie plate and microwave until done (approx 8-10 min) turning once or twice during cooking. In a small sauce pan, blend water with soy sauce and add white wine to make sauce. Carefully mix cornstarch. Heat sauce slightly. Add meatballs to sauce pan with sauce and heat until bubbly and thickened. Sprinkle garnish when serving.

***During the first luncheon, as I was serving these meatballs, my friends could not believe that something that tastes so good was good for their waistlines, too!

Chicken Broccoli Bake

from the kitchen of a friend


1 whole chicken or 4 chicken breasts cooked, boned and chunked
1 medium onion -- chopped
2 packages broccoli cooked and drained
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 box chicken flavored instant stuffing mix
salt and pepper -- to taste

Put chicken and onion in sauce pan, add salt and pepper, cook until done.
Remove from heat; let cool.
Bone and chunk chicken; set broth aside.
Cook and drain the broccoli. Layer the broccoli in the bottom of casserole dish. Layer the chunked chicken on top of the broccoli.
Sprinkle the paprika on top of the chicken.
Mix the mushroom soup, lemon juice, mayonnaise and curry powder.
Spread this over the chicken layer.
Mix the Stove Top dressing, substituting the chicken broth, you have saved, for the liquid needed in the dressing recipe.
Spread this on top of the casserole.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
If you have made ahead and refrigerated, bake for 45 minutes.

Chicken 'n' Biscuits

from the kitchen of a friend



1 medium onion -- chopped
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 cups skim milk
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 package frozen mixed vegetables (16-oz)
2 cups cooked chicken
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

BISCUITS

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fresh parsley -- minced

In a saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender. Stir in flour, basil,
thyme and pepper until blended. gradually stir in milk and
Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2
minutes. Stir in vegetables, chicken and Parmesan cheese; reduce heat to
low.

Meanwhile, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Combine milk, oil and parsley; stir into dry ingredients just until
combined. Transfer hot chicken mixture to a greased 1-1/2 quart baking
dish. Drop biscuit batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto chicken
mixture.

Bake, uncovered at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned.

Baked Chicken and Rice

from the kitchen of a friend



1 cup rice -- uncooked
1 cut up chicken or 6 small chicken breasts
salt and pepper -- to taste
1 can cream of mushroom soup -- undiluted
1 can cream of chicken soup -- undiluted
1 can cream of celery soup -- undiluted
1 can water

Place chicken in a baking dish, salt and pepper. Top with the soups and
water. Bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours.

SEMUR AYAM (INDONESIAN CHICKEN STEW)

from the kitchen of Ida...

Ingredient:
~ 1 medium size whole chicken with bone, rinse, cut into about 12 pcs
~ 3 whole garlics
~ 6 shallots (can be substituted by 1 onion)
~ 3 regular size tomatoes
~ 8 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
~ 2 cups of chicken broth
~ 2 tablespoon oil
~ Nutmeg powder, salt & pepper to taste

How to cook:
~ Peel & blend garlics & shallots together, set aside. Slice tomatoes, set aside.
~ In a pan/pot, heat the oil, stir in blended garlics & shallots until the good smell come out. Add sliced tomatoes, stir a while, then add chicken, continue stirring, sweet soy sauce, stir well, nutmeg powder, salt & pepper, stir to mix.
~ Pour chicken broth in & turn low the fire. Cook until the chicken tender & the sauce become thick.

Salata de Boeuf (Boeuf Salad) – Chicken salad with vegetables

From the kitchen of Dorina

1 kg mixed frozen vegetables
500 g chicken breast
4 potatoes
1 tbsp mustard
mayonnaise (to taste)
5 picked cucumbers
pickled peppers
salt and pepper

Boil the vegetables together and the chicken breast separately. Let everything cool. Cut the chicken breast into small cubes. Cut the picked cucumbers and peppers and mix it with the other vegetables.

Add the chicken breast.

Mix everything together and add the mustard, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.

Le Coq au vin

from the kitchen of a French friend

6 chicken breast (boneless or with bone)
salt and pepper
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp of dried thyme)
1 bay leaf
10 sprigs of parsley
1 stalk of celery, sliced
6 cups dry red wine
vegetable oil
Cognac
250 g pearl onions (shallots), sliced
2 carrots (sliced)
10 large whole mushrooms
1/2 package of bacon
chicken bouillon
salt
1 tbsp sugar

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, add garlic, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, and celery. Add wine and mix together. Add chicken, cover bowl and place it in refrigerator for 12 hours (longer is better because it allows the meat to absorb more wine and seasoning).

Remove chicken from marinade and dry with paper towels and reserve marinade. Heat oil in a wok-type frying pan and sauté bacon (which was cut into strips). Add chicken pieces and cook until browned. Carefully, flambé chicken with cognac. Sauté the pearl onions, mushrooms, and carrots together in oil until tender-crisp in a separate frying pan.

Into a large saucepan, which has a cover, place the chicken, vegetable mixture, and the marinade (which was reserved) into the pan. Add a small amount of chicken bouillon, salt, and sugar (to taste). Cook the chicken with the vegetables over a low heat for about two hours or until the chicken is tender. If there is not a sufficient amount of liquid, you can add some water.

Makes 6 servings.