Tasty Tuesday: Summer Casserole

My mom has a pretty large garden, so on our last visit out to see her, she sent me home with a couple of large zucchinis. In my quest to find a recipe for a casserole that uses chicken and zucchini, but did NOT contain sour cream or cream of chicken soup, I came across this recipe from the Taste of Home website. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for, so I adapted it to create what I am calling Summer Casserole. Ben loves the chicken in this casserole, and Sam, as usual, cleared his plate!

Summer Casserole

 

 1 medium zucchini, peeled, quartered and sliced

1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, sliced

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

dash of salt

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut-up and cooked

1 cup chicken-flavored stuffing mix

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, cook zucchini and carrots in 1 tablespoon oil 5-6 minutes or until tender; drain and set aside. In the same skillet, saute the onion in remaining oil for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper and chicken; cook for 5 minutes longer or until heated through. Remove from heat; gently stir in zucchini and carrots.

Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with stuffing mix; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Bake, uncovered 5 minutes longer. Yield: 6 servings


Note: The next time I make this, I plan to simmer the vegetables in water instead of sauteing in oil to cut down on some of the fat content.

Read to Me, Please!: Stuck in the Mud

                                                                                                                                    
Every week, I take Owen to the library for story hour and to checkout new books. After coming across a plethora of less than mediocre children's books, I have decided to review some of our favorites, and some of our not so favorites.
                                                                                                                                    


Stuck in the Mud by Jane Clarke

Stuck in the Mud by Jane Clarke is a bright and colorful story sure to delight all preschoolers.

Early in the morning, a hen wakes up to discover that one of her young chicks has run off! She is utterly distraught to find that he has gotten himself stuck in the mud! Hen tries to free him, only to end up stuck herself! Comedy ensues as one by one, the animals on the farm try to help out, only to meet with the same disastrous results as the hen. In the end, the young chick has a surprise for them all!

Clarke's repetitive, nursery-rhyme style of writing provides children with the opportunity to interact with the story. The predictable text allows children to anticipate and predict what will happen next, a necessary skill for developing readers to acquire . They will be eager to "push" and "pull" again and again as each animal struggles to help the little chick free himself from the mud.

Young children will be immediately drawn to Garry Parsons' bright and colorful illustrations in this picture book. Beyond the story itself, the pictures lend themselves to provide an interactive experience for young readers. Among the background images on each page, children will enjoy looking for all of the farm animals and watching for the farmer's wife through the farmhouse windows as she goes through her morning routine, unaware of the happenings outside.

This charming picture book is sure to become one of any child's favorite stories to read over and over again.

Tasty Tuesday: Sweet Citrus Chicken

I made this really simple chicken recipe for the first time for the boys a couple of weeks ago. I was surprised that Owen was so willing to try it. (I think it was because I told him that it had orange juice in it, a favorite beverage of his). After he tried it, he said, "Mmmmm. Yummy!" His approval automatically put it on my "make again" list.

S

Sweet Citrus Chicken

1-2/3 cups hot water
1 pkg. (6 oz.) stuffing mix 

6 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, (1-1/2 lb.) pounded to 1/2-inch thickness

2/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 400. Add hot water to the stuffing mix; stir just until moistened. Set aside. Place chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish. Mix juice, sugar and butter until well blended; pour over chicken. Top with prepared stuffing. Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Yield: 6 servings

Note: I was a little disappointed that the chicken did not have a really strong citrus flavor throughout the whole thing. I could only taste it on the bottom where it came in direct contact with the juice in the pan while baking. The next time I make this, I plan to marinate the chicken in the orange juice mixture prior to baking. I may also try something different on top as I am not a huge fan of packaged stuffing mix; too salty.