Vittles Divine

My friend Emily recommended The Rookie Cookie website for yummy recipes. A quick perusal of Rookie's listings landed me in the arms of her Sesame Chicken . Mmmm... no more Panda Express for us. Sesame Chicken Ingredients 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of any fat and cut into bite-size pieces 2 Tbsp flour salt and ground pepper 2 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup sugar 2 tsp sesame seeds 1 stalk green onion, chopped** 2 cups white or brown rice, cooked according to package directions In a bowl, combine soy sauce and sugar and stir well to combine. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken pieces and flour. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Once hot, add chicken. Cook, stirring often, until cooked through, about 5-10 minutes, depending on how large or small your pieces are. Transfer chicken pieces onto a plate and put the pan back on the heat. Stir the soy sauce mixture again (some...

I originally got this yummy recipe from my sister, Heather. I love it and make it all the time. I have been working on it for a few years, tweaking to maximize taste and texture while minimizing caloric content. I'm there!* Salad: 1/2 lb. rotini pasta, cooked al dente, drain, rinse in cold water 1.5 C cooked chopped chicken 4 cups fresh spinach, shredded/torn 1/2 C black olives, chopped in 1/4’s 2 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled 1.5 cups diced tomtatoes (grape tomatoes, YUM!) 1/2 C monterrey jack cheese, shredded Dressing: 1 Tbs Dijon mustard 4 Tbs olive oil** 5 Tbs vinegar 1/4 tsp black pepper 1 Tbs honey 1 clove garlic, minced Blend dressing ingredients. Pour over mixed salad. Refrigerate 20-30 minutes before serving. Salt to taste at table. *This makes 12 delicious 1-cup servings, 178 calories each. Not bad for all that pasta and cheese! **If the dressing is too tart, add another Tbs of olive oil.

For Valentine's Day, I made a delicious baked ziti for the family. It was extremely easy and just as delicious! I see why it had such high ratings on allrecipes.com . INGREDIENTS 1 pound dry ziti or mastaccioli pasta 2 cups onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic 1 pound lean ground beef 2 (24 ounce) jars PLUS 1 cup of spaghetti sauce** 6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced 16 ounces sour cream (fat-free is OK) 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded 3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese DIRECTIONS Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente; drain. In a large skillet, brown onion, garlic and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce; warm through. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a (deep!) 9x13 inch baking dish.  Make sure it's plenty deep; this is a large meal! Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti Sour Cream (I like to mix the first half of the ziti WITH the sour cream.  Easier and faster) Provolone cheese...