Use the Chicken Cannelloni filling to stuff whole green chilies. Use canned chilies since they’ve already been cooked and the seeds and membranes have been removed.
Roll the stuffed chilies in soy, chestnut, coconut, brown rice or whole wheat flour, then in beaten egg, then in whole wheat bread crumbs or panko.
Saute over medium high heat in a little extra-virgin or canola oil. Drain on paper towels.
The recipe for this soup comes from Epicurious.com. You’ll also find many other versions of cucumber soup from Chilled Mango & Cucumber to Smoked Salmon and Dill at Epicurious. This recipe makes about 4 1/2 cups. It can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.
In a blender puree
Transfer to a container with a lid. Chill soup at least 6 hours or overnight.
Stir in 1 cup peeled, seeded, and finely diced cucumber.
Variations:
By now you shouldn’t be surprised that this recipe has several variations and a companion recipe (to be posted tomorrow) for using the leftovers.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In large bowl mix
Pour 1/2 cup bottled tomato pasta sauce or pureed red bell peppers into the bottom of a large baking pan .
Spoon 1/4 to 1/3 cup chicken filling onto 2 brown rice wrappers or 2 sections from a whole wheat filo sheet cut into quarters stacked on top of each other. Roll and place seam side down in the baking dish. Spoon pasta sauce in a stripe across each roll, sprinkle with more shredded cheese.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted.
Substitute one of the following for the red bell pepper and green chili:
Substitute diced baked tofu for the chicken.
Use leftover filling to make Giant Chicken Poppers.
I love Imagine brands boxed soups. They taste so fresh, they have tons of varieties & you can add anything you might have in your fridge, pantry or freezer to change them up. Frankly I’ve been to restaurants that would have done better to chuck their soup recipe and used Imagine soup instead. I guarantee that their customers would not know they’re using boxed soup and the end product would be better than what they’re serving.
Here’s my dirty little secret – I haunt the aisles of health food stores looking for items on sale. Many of these items are disappointing but I can’t stand to throw them away, so I generally add them to one of Imagine’s boxed soups (which I have a pantry full of) and they have yet to disappoint me. It’s magic, how something that was ho-hum, when added to one of Imagine’s soups is suddenly escalated into the “can’t stop eating it” category.
I can’t say it any better than Imagine says it: “Imagine the finest, organic vegetables, lightly simmered with fresh herbs and delicious seasonings. Imagine no more … Imagine Organic Soups and Broths are available in more than twenty varieties and are packaged in re-sealable aseptic cartons to lock in their wholesome gourmet flavor.”
I love this wrap. It’s so versatile. You add your favorite pizza toppings so there are endless variations. It’s fun to lay out the toppings and let everybody build their own wrap.
This wrap can be either Protein, Starch or Vegetarian depending on what you top it with. While the tortilla is a Starch it is little enough that it is okay with Protein toppings, although not okay if you’re on a low carb diet.
Place several slices of mozzarella cheese (dairy or soy) on top of a whole wheat tortilla. Add any combination of your favorite pizza toppings.
Suggested toppings:
Roll tortilla tightly around toppings and place seam side down in hot pan lightly coated with olive oil. Turn when browned and brown the other side.
Amazing what kinds of things you’ll think up when you have hungry kids, little time and even less patience. Necessity is the mother of … good recipes 🙂
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt a little extra-virgin olive oil and butter in a flameproof casserole dish or Dutch oven.
Add 4 cups fresh or frozen chopped vegetables and saute until al dente.
Turn off heat and stir in
Bake, uncovered for 20 minutes until hot and bubbling. Sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheese over top of casserole and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until cheese is melted.
This recipe is so easy to vary and have a completely different dish each time. Below are some of my favorites, but please add to the Comments if you come up with a winner.
Broccoli with Cream of Chicken or Cream of Celery Soup
Mushrooms with Cream of Mushroom Soup
California Veggie Mix with Cream of Celery Soup
Cauliflower with any cream soup
Asparagus with Cream of Asparagus, Cream of Chicken or Cream of Celery Soup
If you have any leftover Zucchini Fingers you can use them in this recipe but if you’re starting from scratch simply brush or spray 1/4 zucchini slices with a little olive oil and bake them in 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes until al dente, then continue with the recipe below.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place enough baked Zucchini Fingers in a lightly oiled casserole dish to make a single layer. Spoon tomato or red pepper pasta sauce over zucchini. Top with sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese (can also use nondairy cheese). Continue layering until all zucchini slices are used, ending with a layer of mozzarella or Parmesan.
Bake for twenty minutes until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted.
Add crumbled sausage as a layer after the mozarella cheese.
This recipe is a gradual evolution that started with the traditional breaded and fried zucchini fingers. Every time I made them though they became simpler and simpler as I eliminated ingredients. The final result is so easy and quick you’ll be turning to them whenever you have no time or energy to cook for dinner.
Preheat broiler.
Trim ends from zucchini. Slice zucchini lengthwise to make 1/4 inch thick slices. Arrange in one layer on oiled baking sheet (foil lined for easy cleanup). Top with shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese. Don’t use the kind of Parmesan that comes in a can and is grated so fine it is basically a powder.
Place under broiler for about two minutes. Check with a fork and when they are tender, remove from oven. That’s it, they’re done!
Reheat leftovers in toaster oven or oven. Microwaving them will make them soggy.
