Recipe: Broiled Chicken with Spiced Vegetables topped with Mozzarella Cheese

When Hubster is in the mood for cooking, it really shows in the dishes he prepares.  One: he comes up with his own combination of prepared meals, and Two: it becomes an artistic venue for him.

On this cold, wintry day, Hubster came up with this fabulous, healthy, delicious dish.I present to you the Broiled Chicken with Spiced Vegetables topped with Mozzarella Cheese.
Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of boneless chicken breasts, thawed
• 2-4 pieces of fresh mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups of cut carrots 
• 1 medium size zucchini 
• 2 medium size tomatoes
• 1 cup of fresh mushrooms
• 1 1/2 tsp of mixed spices: turmeric, curry, chili powder, paprika, saffron,dried garlic, and lemmon pepper
• 1/2 tsp of dried basil
• a pinch of sea salt (optional, for taste)

Mix all veggies together with olive oil in pan on medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Then add the chicken on top of the veggie mixture.  Cover the pan, allow cooking for 15 minutes on medium heat.   Put the veggie mixture in an oven pan, and place the chicken pieces on top of the mixture.  

Place the pan in the oven, and broil for 20 minutes.  Be sure to flip the pieces of chicken halfway through broiling.  Put the chicken aside, to place fresh mozzarella on the veggie mixture.  Broil in the oven 1-2 minutes.  

Be sure to serve on plates, and as we say in Arabic: Sahtain (Bon Appetit in French).   

 Look at the mozzarella cheese! Yumm...

It is so delicious!  You will be wanting seconds.  

On the Road to Savannah with Paula Deen

he second season of the Real Women of Philadelphia cooking competition is in full swing!

Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Southern Cooking Queen Paula Deen have announced many of the finalists in the second annual Real Women of Philadelphia cooking competition. The quest to crown four fantastic female cooks heats up as they prepare for Savannah.

Members of the site have self-produced short videos showcasing how they use Philly in their favorite dishes, created their own site profiles, uploaded pictures, and written articles. Throughout the competition the community of women has supported each other as they discovered recipes, built friendships and shared their experiences.

The 16 finalists chosen will travel to Savannah for a full week of exciting events as they have the opportunity to meet Paula Deen in person and compete in a cook-off on June 28 and attend the 2nd Annual Real Women of Philadelphia Live Event on June 30 for the chance to be crowned the winner in their cooking category.

The four winners will each receive a talent contract worth $25,000, star in their own cooking videos, contribute to a cookbook featuring the community's favorite cream cheese recipes from the season, and host the Real Women of Philadelphia community for the rest of the year.

Finalists announced thus far in each of the four categories include:

Appetizer:
Carmell Childs- Provo, UT 
Paula Todora- Keller, TX
Dalena Benavente- Orange, CA 
Sharon Sorensen- Providence, UT

Side Dish:
Bekah Frost- Lowry City, MO 
Rachael Collins- Dubuque, IA
Beth Peterson- Naperville, IL
Monica Williams Staniec- Lake Arrowhead, CA

Entrée:
Josee Lanzi- New Port Richey, FL
Kirsten Shabaz- Lakeville, MN 
Kelly Shippey- Orange, CA
Paula Musegades- Waltham, MA

Dessert:
Amy Williams- Keller, TX
Rebecca Regnier- Lambertville, MI

Go Fish with Carla Hall of "Top Chef"

As summer grows near, people are craving fresh and healthy foods more than ever, and swimming at the top of that list is fish! Unfortunately, preparing fish still has many home chefs sunk.


Carla Hall, finalist on “Top Chef” Seasons 5 and 8, is hoping to resolve some of those “fishy” fears with a new video and recipe collection she created with CanolaInfo. Her delicious and nutritious recipes are full of flavor and the videos cast a wide net of “how to” tips that make preparing fish “ticky-boo” easy!


Hall’s video and recipe collection is available at CanolaInfo.org.


In addition, Carla will host a Twitter party from @CanolaInfo on Tuesday, May 17 from 8:30-10 pm EST, when she will discuss her new recipe collection, tips on selecting and preparing fish and more! To join, RSVP at Facebook.com/CanolaInfo and then follow @CanolaInfo and use #GoFish during the party. Door prizes will be given to the first 25 attendees.

Related articles

• Top Chef 5: Conference Call with Carla Hall (buddytv.com)

Paula Deen Twitter Q&A Today!

Submit your questions as we catch up with Paula Deen via Twitter to discuss Kraft Food’s The Real Women of Philadelphia and other tales from the kitchen TODAY!

PAULA DEEN AND THE REAL WOMEN OF PHILADELPHIA TWITTER Q&A

FEATURING THE ONE AND ONLY PAULA DEEN

WHEN:                 Thursday, April 14, 2011, 1 PM ET

                                               

WHAT:                 Twitter Q&A with Paula Deen hosted by MSN Wonderwall

LIVE Q&A:           Tune in to a LIVE Twitter Q & A featuring Paula Deen at http://twitter.com/WonderwallMSN or http://www.twitter.com/paula_deen

THE REAL WOMEN OF PHILADELPHIA:

Southern Cooking Queen Paula Deen and Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese are back to help make four women's dreams come true in Season 2 of the Real Women of Philadelphia cooking competition.  Home cooks nationwide are finding their favorite Philly recipes to compete for the chance to be one of four lucky women to win $25,000, star in their own cooking videos and contribute to a cookbook featuring the Real Women of Philadelphia online community’s favorite cream cheese recipes.

Beginning April 4, women will create short, tasty, entertaining and creative cooking videos for submission in one of four categories:  Appetizer, Side Dish, Entree and Dessert. Videos will be submitted to www.realwomenofphiladelphia.com.

Each week, one recipe from each of the four categories will be selected. The 16 finalists will have the opportunity to meet Paula Deen in person and compete in a cook-off at the 2nd Annual Real Women of Philadelphia Live Event which will take place June 30 in Savannah, GA.  Paula Deen will crown 4 winners; 1 in each cooking category.

To learn more about The Real Women of Philadelphia go to www.realwomenofphiladelphia.com or www.pauladeen.com. 

6 In 30 Watercress Recipe Contest Offers $1000 First Prize

B & W Quality Growers is pleased to announce its 6 in 30 Watercress Recipe Contest.  

Potential contestants are invited to submit recipes that contain no more than 6 ingredients including watercress and that require a maximum 30 minutes combined prep and cooking time.  The Grand Prize winner will receive $1000 in cash. His/her recipe will be featured on the B&W website at www.watercress.com as well as the company’s Facebook and Twitter feeds, with appropriate credit to the winner.  Five Second Prize winners will each receive $100 in cash. His/her recipes will also be featured on B&W’s website, Facebook and Twitter feeds with appropriate credit.

Recipe must: (a) be an original creation, and not based on any other published recipe, (b) include a list of all required ingredients in specific, common U.S. household measurement units, step-by-step preparation instructions, and cooking times, (c) involve only ingredients commonly available at grocery stores, and (d) not have won a prize in any other contest.  Deadline for entries is May 1, 2011.  Detailed information and rules are available at http://www.watercress.com/recipecontestentry.aspx.

Andy Brown, Vice-President of Marketing, sees the recipe contest as a way to acknowledge the enthusiasm of the growing legion of watercress fans.  “We can see from the dialogue on our facebook page that watercress lovers are full of clever, fun ideas about how to enjoy this delicious, healthful green. We want to give them a way to express their culinary creativity and reward their invaluable loyalty.”

Winners will be announced June 1^st, 2011. 

About B &W Quality Growers

B&W is the world’s largest watercress grower. This 140 year young specialty produce operation also grows the popular ‘wild roquette’ variety of baby arugula as well as pea tendrils.  It has seasonal farms in six states in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. that ensure an unrivaled, year-round supply of fresh product is always available.

Add Flavor to Sweet and Savory Dishes This Thanksgiving

The tastes and scents of Thanksgiving food are a source of cherished memories over generations. The feasting table will always have room for time-honored traditions, as well as new interpretations of classic recipes. Chefs at restaurants and home cooks alike often have a secret weapon in their kitchen to give dishes that extra "something." Many times this weapon comes in the form of pure flavor extracts.

Adding pure flavor extracts to dishes can offer convenience and flavor without compromising your dishes. When Pure Coffee Extract is added to cocoa it makes a delicious mocha drink and you can punch up the flavor of tea by adding a touch of Pure Lemon Extract. Manufacturers like Nielsen-Massey Vanillas offer top quality pure flavor extracts that are ideal for both sweet and savory fare.

The most exciting part of working with pure flavor extracts, for many cooks, is finding out how to make new and creative flavor pairings that are unexpected, and delicious. Vanilla and sweetness will always go hand in hand, but the flavor and scent profile of different types of vanillas can vary widely. Nielsen-Massey's Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract has a creamy, sweet, velvety flavor that is perfect for a range of products from baked goods to ice creams, salad dressings to barbeque sauces, while Nielsen-Massey's Mexican Pure Vanilla Extract is known by its creamy, spicy flavor that has a special affinity for dishes that contain chocolate, cinnamon and other warm spices, and Nielsen-Massey's Tahitian Pure Vanilla Extract is especially symbiotic with fruit-based products such as fruited yogurt and sorbet.

It's the variety and complexity that make vanilla perfect to experiment with in new and treasured Thanksgiving recipes. Home cooks can also intensify tastes with other pure flavor extracts such as Pure Chocolate Extract that can add a rich character, without sweetness, or Pure Peppermint Extract that can bring the standard pairing of lamb chops and mint jelly up to date.

Thanksgiving feasts are the perfect opportunity to get in the kitchen and prepare delicious cool weather treats. The savory flavors of fall are ideal to accent with extracts like Orange, Lemon or Coffee. Wow the crowd this Thanksgiving with an added twist to these autumn favorites.

Rich Corn Bread
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup unbleached flour, sifted
1 teaspoon each salt and sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup melted butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12 x 16 inch pan or large cast iron skillet. Combine cornmeal, flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and vanilla. Add eggs lightly beaten with milk and beat until the batter is thoroughly blended. Stir in heavy cream and butter. Spread the batter into baking pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until well browned.

Golden Squash Bisque
Ingredients:
2 acorn squash, peeled and quartered (about 2 cups)
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups (or more) organic chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 whole fresh sage leaves
1 cup heavy whipping cream, warmed
1/2 teaspoon Pure Orange Extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the squash in a covered baking dish with the water. Bake for 30 minutes or until fork tender. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and saute until golden brown. Whisk in the flour until blended. Add 1 1/2 cups chicken stock gradually, whisking constantly. Add the squash, salt and white pepper. Mash with a potato masher. Add the bay leaf and sage leaves. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Remove the bay leaf and sage leaves. Spoon the squash mixture into a blender. Add the warm cream a little at a time, pureeing after each addition. Add the orange extract. Pour into the saucepan and reheat thoroughly. If the bisque is too thick, you may change the consistency by adding additional stock 1/4 cup at a time.

Serves 4 to 6.

About Nielsen-Massey Vanillas Throughout its more than 100 year history, Nielsen-Massey Vanillas has earned its reputation as a manufacturer of the finest extracts in the world. The full line of Nielsen-Massey's Pure Vanilla products include: Vanilla Beans and Extracts from Madagascar, Tahiti and Mexico; sugar and alcohol-free Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Powder; Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste; Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar and Certified Organic Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract and Beans. Nielsen-Massey Vanillas recently introduced a line of Pure Flavors: Pure Chocolate Extract, Pure Almond Extract, Pure Orange Extract, Pure Lemon Extract, Pure Coffee Extract, Pure Peppermint Extract, Orange Blossom Water and Rose Water. All Nielsen-Massey products are Allergen-Free and certified Kosher and Gluten-Free. The company is headquartered in Waukegan, Illinois, with production facilities in Waukegan and Leeuwarden, The Netherlands.

Related articles

• Vanilla's comforting taste makes it all better (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

Things just got easier for Moms with ‘Delicious Days…’

Delicious Days is Kraft’s new headquarters for all things seasonal. Watch featured videos to learn new recipes that really take advantage of fall’s unique vegetables – even picky eaters will dive right in! There are also tons of classic recipes that are sure crowd pleasers - your family will definitely be asking about your secret recipe stash when you serve them an apple crumble filled with fresh picked apples and fragrant cinnamon!

The site also features content the whole family will love. Check out fun games, budgeting ideas, and party planning must-haves. If you want to get creative in time for Halloween, Delicious Days also features fun recipes that are spookily delicious, like eyeball cupcakes and the Ghosts in the Graveyard cake, perfect for getting kids to help out in the kitchen! After these recipes, your house is sure to be haunted with delicious candy ghosts! 

While you’re at Delicious Days don’t forget to enter the AOL Home for the Holidays Sweepstakes* for a chance to win $2,500! It’s the perfect prize to get your family together in time for the holiday season.

Cooking Light Complete Meals in Minutes

Families are busier than ever thanks to busy schedules from the parents to the children.  It is tough usually to prepare meals and still have time for some family time before the day ends.   Today’s home cooks hunger for recipes that have it all—fast, easy, delicious and healthy.

Enter Cooking Light Complete Meals in Minutes, a new cookbook that allows cooks to choose exactly how much time they want to spend in the kitchen—whether it’s 15, 20 or 30 minutes—and find the right recipe in a snap. 

This ring binder recipe collection is brought together by Cooking Light magazine’s renowned Test Kitchen professionals and dietitians with the adage that there’s no need to sacrifice taste, nutrition or quality for speed. Brimming with over 700 amazing recipes—including savory main dishes, appetizers and beverages, salads, soups, and sandwiches—dinnertime will never get boring.

The book’s easy-to-follow, engaging design includes:

• 500+ color images
• Icons identifying each dish as a 15-, 20- or 30-minute recipe
• Complete nutritional analysis for every dish
• Lay-flat ring binder format for easy navigation

Below are tips by Cooking Light Complete Meals in Minutes:

- Plan Ahead & Shop Smart: Taking a few minutes to plan your meals for the week can maximize each trip to the grocery store and give you more direction while you’re there.  Make a comprehensive list that can help you limit your shopping trips to just once per week—saving time, gas and money.

-Befriend Your Freezer: Since frozen fruits and vegetables are preserved at the height of their freshness, their nutritional value is at its peak and they are as beneficial as fresh veggies.  Having a nice selection on hand helps cut down on waste (since they won’t go bad) and saves you from rushing to the store for spur-of-the-moment recipe inspirations.

-Grab Your Gadgets: Mixing by hand might be better for your muscle tone, but using your electric gadgets can save tons of time and help you get the job done right.  

-Don’t Look a Pre-Packaged Gift Horse in the Mouth: Need chopped onions, matchstick carrots, chunked pineapple, pizza dough, minced garlic or lemon juice?  For a slightly added cost, you can save time by letting your grocery store do the work for you.  Time is money.

-Slice Strategically: Stack produce like shitake mushrooms, zucchini slices and tomatoes slices before slicing them.  It’s faster than cutting them one by one.

-Mix Mixes Into Your Repertoire: Premixed spices, cake mixes and more save tons of time and effort, and most people wouldn’t even notice the difference.  

-Master Your Techniques: Taking a little time to learn the proper way to dice, chop, peel and cook will save you oodles of time in the long run.

Paula Deen in Search for Super Fan

Paula Deen is in search for the “Real Women of Philadelphia,” an 8-week casting call for fantastic female cooks, culminating in 16 finalists being flow to Savannah to cook for judges including Paula herself!

 Paula Deen is on the hunt for one super-fan from the community to also come to Savannah to be a part of this project!  The winning lady will act as the “Voice” of the community for the cook-off.  She will receive an all expense paid trip to Savannah to spend time with Paula and the finalists and act as the behind-the-scenes ambassador for the entire four days!

Here’s how the super-fan can get involved, and get herself noticed!

 *   On Facebook:  Create Facebook Shares and posts about the site, Paula’s videos, and the videos in the recipe gallery - make sure that when you post to Facebook you put an "@" sign before the word "Philadelphia' so we can see it on our Facebook – www.Facebook.com/LoveMyPhilly
 *   On Twitter:  Tweet about Real Women of Philadelphia and add in the hash tag #RWOP at the end of your tweets.  Philly is on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/LoveMyPhilly
 *   Or just retweets Paula’s videos and videos from all the girls in the Recipes gallery
 *   Leave comments on videos on the site (quality, not quantity!)

To read the official rules of this Voices of RWoP contest, click HERE.

Visit www.PaulaDeen.com/RealWomen to find out more about the Real Women of Philadelphia cooking competition, the search for #17 and to share recipes and tips with other real-life cooks.

Contest ends June 27, 2010.