Baked Parmesan and Garlic Crusted Chicken

I found this recipe a long time ago, modified it to my tastes (and existing equipment) and have been making it ever since. It is really a winner--tasty, quick and make ahead. You can assemble the whole thing the night before, keep it in the fridge until you get home and throw it in the oven. Done! On the side, I nuke a few sweet potatoes, mash them, add a bit of butter and brown sugar, and serve with chicken and steamed broccoli.

Adapted from Real Simple

• 1 tablespoon of pressed garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (I usually use 1 tablespoon of dry parsley)
• 1/2 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Lightly coat a medium baking dish with vegetable cooking spray.

2. Mix garlic, parmesan, breadcrumbs, oil and pepper.

3. Arrange the chicken in the baking dish. Spread with the mustard, then pat the crumbs on top.

4. Bake until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings

Chili

I love this recipe because it requires almost zero-prep: just throw it all together and turn it on. It can be done in the crock pot or on the stove. 'Tis the season for chili!

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 (46 fl oz) can tomato juice
• 1 (29 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 cup chili powder

Extras:

• shredded cheddar cheese
• sour cream
• Frito chips or corn bread

1. Browne ground beef in a large, deep skillet. When it gets evenly brown, drain and crumble.

2. If using a crock pot, combine all ingredients in a crock pot lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Turn it to low and cook for 8-10 hours.

2a. If making it on the stove, combine all ingredients (minus extras) in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

3. Place frito chips or corn bread in individual bowls. Top with cooked chili, add shredded cheese and a dollup of sour cream.

Peach Salsa and Ham Roll-Ups

The peach salsa is absolutely delightful. I have made it many times this summer--for this recipe and simply as a dip for corn chips. The trick is to find ripe yellow peaches or nectarines. They have to be juicy and a bit tart (hence, white peaches won't do--they are too sweet). Yumsters! Have to add the disclaimer though: the Child did not like cilantro or shallots in the salsa, so I simply reserved a few peach cubes and cranberries and used those instead of salsa in his roll-up.

The original recipe had ham and salsa paired with corn bread, which was very tasty, but definitely more labor intensive. If you would like to try it, skip the tortillas and put ham and salsa between two slices of corn bread.

Salsa:

• 3 cups diced peeled peaches
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 3 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Remaining ingredients:

• 9 (1 1/2-ounce) slices smoked ham
• 12-inch tortillas (spinach tortillas are the best)
• Cilantro sprigs (optional)

1. To prepare salsa, combine the first 9 ingredients in a bowl, and toss gently. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add ham to pan, and sauté 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. [You can skips this step, but browning the ham really intensifies the smoky flavor, which works perfectly with the salsa.]

3. Warm up tortillas in the microwave, top each tortillas with a slice of ham and 2 tablespoons of salsa and roll up.

Yield: 9 servings