Veggie Party Tray Leftover Stir-fry

What do you do with that veggie party tray the next day. Certainly don't waste those good (expensive) vegetables - especially since they're already cup up! Saute everything except the cherry tomatoes in olive oil with some chopped garlic. Pour in 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar and cook down 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile cut those cherry tomatoes in half then stir in. Serve over pasta and top with arugula or chopped parsley.

Rosemary Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, flattened to 1 inch
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Zest from 2 lemons
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh arugula or parsley
2 tablespoons clarified butter (melt butter in a microwave and skim the gold-colored curd part off the top, leaving the clear liquid)
1 egg
½ cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tbs. corn starch
3 tbs. water
cooked spaghetti

Instructions:

Warm oven on lowest heat setting. Get pot boiling for pasta. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper then press the rosemary into the chicken. Chill. Meanwhile, prepare the clarified butter. Mix flour and salt. Beat egg in small flat dish. Heat skillet to medium then add butter. Dredge chicken in egg, then cover with flour mixture, add to skillet and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turn and cook another 5 to 6 minutes, or until juices flow and it looks done. Transfer to plate and keep warm in the oven. Add half the chicken broth to pan and deglaze (scrape the chicken particles loose with a spatula). Add rest of broth and lemon juice. Cook down for five minutes, meanwhile make a slurry by combining corn starch with water, stir well. Add to chicken-lemon broth to thicken. Place chicken atop pasta on serving plate. Top with broth, arugula, and lemon zest. Serve.

Alyson's Brocolli Salad

Alyson's Brocolli Salad

Ingredients

10 slices bacon
1 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sunflower seeds

Directions

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli, onion and raisins. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and mayonnaise. Pour over broccoli mixture, and toss until well mixed. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
Before serving, toss salad with crumbled bacon and sunflower seeds.

For Valentines Day - Raspberry Chicken

Donna's Favorite Raspberry Chicken

When I offer to cook Donna a special dinner she often requests Raspberry Chicken. It’s quite indulgent. Most grocery stores carry the raspberry vinegar.

3 – 4 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbs butter
¼ cup yellow onion, finely chopped
4 tbs raspberry vinegar
¼ cup chicken broth
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tbs crushed tomatoes
15 - 16 fresh raspberries

Flatten each breast pressing it gently with the palm of your hand. Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Raise the heat, add the chicken and cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until they are lightly colored. Remove from the skillet and reserve.

Add the onion to the fat in the pan and cook, covered, over low heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the vinegar and deglaze pan. Raise the heat and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until vinegar is reduced to a syrup spoonful. Whisk in the chicken stock, heavy cream and crushed tomatoes. Simmer for one minute. Return chicken to the skillet and simmer them gently in the sauce, basting often, until they are just done and the sauce has been reduced and thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook.

Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and arrange on a heated serving platter. Add the raspberries to the sauce in the skillet and cook over low heat for 1 minute. Do not stir the berries with a spoon, merely swirl them in the sauce by shaking the skillet. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.