one more thing to do with chicken

I threw this together last night and it was tasty and easy and quick. I like cooking with brown rice and black beans; with the chicken and corn it was a complete meal, high in protein low in fat and filling. Did I mention it was quick?
here it is:

• 4 cooked chicken breasts cubed (leftovers work perfectly if you are in a hurry and who isn't)
• 1 large can diced tomatoes
• 3 cobs of corn cut off the cob (i bought it at the farmers market and had to use it up quick and didn't want to eat it off the cob ) or frozen corn equaling about 3/4 cups.
• 2 cans of black beans 14oz cans
• 1/2 package of chili seasoning like chili-o by French's or to taste.
• 1tsp liquid smoke ( i love the flavor of liquid smoke (i bought it at Kroger) but just use a small amount or omit all together cause the dish is good without it too.)

1. start with the chicken if it's not cooked already saute it in a large skillet or throw in the cubed chicken
2. dump in the tomatoes, black beans, corn and chili mix and liquid smoke.
3. serve over brown rice. (the package of frozen brown rice at Trader Joe's is the best rice I have eaten including rice i cook myself. it takes 3 minutes in the microwave and it is easy and quick and delicious.)

Love to all my Georgia friends, Sally

Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad

3 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup evoo
6 ears fresh corn, husked (about 4 cups of kernels)
2 cups red or orange grape tomatoes, halved
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
8 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
Fresh basil leaves

Whisk vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream, to make a smooth dressing.
Shear off the corn kernels with a sharp knife over a bowl. Toss in the tomatoes, scallions,and mozzarella. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat. Cover and let set for15 minutes or up to 2 hours. Before serving tear the basil over the salad and stir.
From foodnetwork.com

***Oh my gosh, this was so good! I am so mad I just made it for the first time. It is a perfect summer salad, especially with some good sweet corn. Delicious! I actually found small "pearl-sized" mozzarella which I just dumped right in.

Tortilla-Lime Soup

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
4 cups vegetable broth
1 (14 1/2 ounce can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes)
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 breast of chicken (cooked)
2 corn tortillas (cut into strips)
juice of two limes
1 avocado (cut into slices)

Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook onion & garlic about 6 minutes. Add cumin and cayenne and cook while stirring for one minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, chicken & corn and bring to a boil. Simmer about five minutes.

Meanwhile, spray pan with Pam and cook tortilla strips about four minutes, turning when needed. Remove the soup from heat. Stir in lime juice and top with avocado & tortilla strips.

Chicken Casserole

This is my grandmother's recipe. I use fat free/low fat of anything that I can. It is total comfort food!

3 to 4 chicken breasts
can of cream of chicken soup
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 sleeve of Ritz crackers
1/2 stick butter

Boil chicken breasts and cube them. Layer the bottom of the dish with the cubed chicken. Mix your sour cream and cream of chicken soup and spread on top of chicken. Crush your Ritz crackers and spread on top of soup mixture. Top with melted butter and bake at 350 for twenty-five minutes.

Stuffed Fiesta Burgers

1 lb. ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey, whatever)
1 package taco seasoning
1/4 cup chive and onion cream cheese
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
hamburger buns
salsa
avocado

Preheat grill to medium heat
Mix meat and taco seasoning
Mix cream cheese and shredded cheese
Shape meat into eight thin patties
Place about 2 tbsp of the cheese mixture in middle of four patties
Top with the other patties, pinching the edges together
Grill patties about 7-9 minutes on each side
Top with salsa and avocado
Makes four burgers, from KRAFT FOOD & FAMILY Summer 2006

**I found the burgers cooked very quickly because the top and bottom layers are thin, but I may have had the heat too high on the BBQ. We used turkey meat and topped with ketchup and mustard. A big hit at our house.

"Vegetarian" Stuffed Peppers

1 1/4 cup chicken broth (sub. veggie broth for true vegetarian)
1 cup couscous
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh spinach
1 cup canned corn, drained
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup grated mozzarella
4 red or yellow bell peppers, cored, stemmed, and seeded
4 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 350
Use chicken broth to cook couscous, using directions on the package
Warm olive oil in a large pan over medium heat; saute onion and garlic until translucent (5-10 minutes)
Add spinach and saute until wilted
Add corn (drained) and tomatoes (with juices) and cook for five minutes
Remove from heat, drain, and transfer to a bowl
Stir in couscous and mozzarella, season with salt and pepper
Place peppers upright in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray and fill with stuffing
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and bake for 20 minutes
Serves four, from SELF DISHES Spring 2006

**I cut this recipe in half and had plenty to stuff two peppers, plus some left over which we ate on the side. Also, I used a yellow pepper and a green pepper.