I've had this recipe in my files for years, probably about a decade.  I've made it a couple of times and it's always been really, really good.  I made it tonight and my normally light eater daughter had a whole chicken breast!  Since Rob wasn't home I skipped the starch (he's a meat-n-potato's guy) and served with the peppers and some steamed broccoli.  Don't let the amount of ingredients scare you, as the only prep is some quick slicing of bell peppers (which I sliced into 1/2" strips then cut in half) and breading the chicken.  Once you have it all prepped, it throws together super quick!  I used my electric skillet to cook all the chicken too...and if you don't feel like pounding it out, just slice it in half horizontally with a sharp knife...does the same thing!

Balsamic Vinegar Chicken with Almond Peppers

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 1/2 cup bell peppers)

2 large red bell peppers (about 3/4 pound)

2 large green bell peppers (about 3/4 pound)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/3 cup raisins

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

6 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves

3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 egg whites

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons water

Cut bell peppers into 2 x 2 1/2-inch strips. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers; sauté 8 minutes. Add raisins; sauté 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in almonds. Set aside, and keep warm.

Place each piece of chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Combine breadcrumbs and cheese in a shallow dish. Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge each chicken piece in flour, and dip in egg whites. Dredge chicken in breadcrumb mixture.

Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from heat. Place the chicken and bell pepper mixture on a serving platter; set aside, and keep warm.

Add 2 tablespoons vinegar and water to pan; stir with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Spoon mixture over chicken and bell pepper mixture.


CALORIES 288 (30% from fat); FAT 9.5g (sat 2g,mono 4.9g,poly 1.7g); IRON 2.8mg; CHOLESTEROL 74mg; CALCIUM 73mg; CARBOHYDRATE 19.4g; SODIUM 253mg; PROTEIN 31.3g; FIBER 2.6g

Cooking Light, JUNE 2000

Pumpkin Pound Cake with Buttermilk Glaze

I gotta say this is a pretty darned good cake.  Only two problems: I could taste a bit too much baking powder, so I will try using a smidge less next time.  And the glaze was a bit wierd, so I will try either just sprinkling with powdered sugar or making a powdered sugar glaze next time.  It came out beautifully though, and the kids gobbled their slices up.  So it's definitely a keeper!  Oh, and I don't have a tube pan so I used a bundt pan.  I baked it at 350 for 45 minutes...it was near perfect, I might do a couple minutes longer next time!

Pumpkin Pound Cake with Buttermilk Glaze


Drain the canned pumpkin before making the cake batter to keep the cake's texture light.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Cake:

Cooking spray

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour (about 13 1/2 ounces)

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk

Glaze:

1/3 cup fat-free buttermilk

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare the cake, lightly coat a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour. Spread pumpkin over 2 layers of paper towels; cover with 2 additional layers of paper towels. Let stand about 10 minutes. Scrape drained pumpkin into a bowl.

Place 3/4 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla. Lightly spoon 3 cups flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and 3/4 cup buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare glaze, combine 1/3 cup buttermilk and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Drizzle cake with glaze.

Dinner tonight: Apple-Sage Stuffed Pork Chops

Wow, these were good!  Just use dried sage (not so much though!) and even dried parsley if you don't have fresh.  Salt and pepper the veggies when you saute them and omit the red pepper if you don't want any kick (even add a pinch of sugar instead if you want it sweeter!).  Substitute olive oil for the butter in the veggie mix to eliminate some of the fat.   My chops took a full 40 minutes to get to 165, then I let them rest for 10 minutes to get to 170.  VERY yummy and I think I've found a great new recipe for our Thanksgiving stuffing!


Apple-Sage Stuffed Pork Chops

Dress up traditional pork chops with the fresh flavors of Granny Smith apples and sage.
Yield: Makes 6 servings

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup finely chopped Granny Smith apple

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mushrooms

1 1/2 cups herb stuffing mix

1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth

5 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped*

6 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

6 (2-inch-thick) bone-in center-cut pork chops

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

1 cup water

Garnishes: steamed baby carrots, pearl onions, flat-leaf parsley

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and next 3 ingredients, and sauté 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and liquid evaporates. Remove from heat. Add stuffing mix and broth; stir until liquid is absorbed. Stir in sage, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and ground red pepper. Let stand 20 minutes.

Trim excess fat from each pork chop, and cut a slit in 1 side of each chop to form a pocket. Spoon stuffing mixture evenly into each pocket.

Combine remaining 4 tablespoons parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Rub both sides of stuffed pork chops evenly with 2 tablespoons oil, and spread parsley mixture evenly over chops.

Cook chops in remaining 2 tablespoons hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, in batches, 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Place on a lightly greased rack in a broiler pan. Add 1 cup water to bottom of broiler pan.

Bake at 375° for 30 to 40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish, if desired.

*1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage may be substituted.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing Mix.