6 Oz. dry angel hair pasta, uncooked
½ Cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. La Choy® Lite Soy Sauce
2 Tsp. cornstarch
½ Tsp. ground ginger
3 Servings (1/3 sec spray) PAM® Olive Oil No-Stick Cooking Spray
1 Small bunch green onion, cut into 1/2-inch lengths (1 bunch = about 1/2 cup)
2 Cloves garlic, minced (2 cloves = about 1 tsp)
1 Medium yellow crookneck squash, 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 Small red or green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
8 Oz. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
4 Oz. medium shrimp, thaw if frozen, peeled, deveined

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, except omit any salt or fat.
2. Meanwhile, whisk broth, soy sauce, cornstarch and ginger in small bowl with wire whisk until well blended; set aside. Spray large skillet with cooking spray. Heat 1 minute over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until garlic is golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove onions and garlic from skillet; set aside.
3. Add squash to skillet; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bell peppers; cook 2 minutes, or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Remove vegetables from skillet; set aside. Add chicken and shrimp to skillet; cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until chicken pieces are no longer pink in centers and shrimp turn pink. Push chicken and shrimp to 1 side of skillet. Stir broth mixture; pour into skillet. Cook 1 minute, or until broth mixture is thickened, stirring constantly. Mix in the cooked vegetables; cook 1-2 minutes, or until heated through, stirring frequently.
4. Drain pasta; place on serving plate. Spray with cooking spray; top with the vegetable mixture.

Ingredients:

Directions:
Throw 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over a medium heat. Add the chicken, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Cook until the chicken is white all the way through. Remove from the skillet and set aside for later. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the fettuccine pasta. Cook for about 10 minutes, then drain. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in the skillet and sauté 2 tablespoons of garlic. Stir in the flour, pepper, and salt and cook for about 2 minutes. Slowly add in the milk and half and half, but be sure to stir constantly. When the sauce turns smooth, add the Parmesan and Colby-Monterey Jack cheeses. Stir until all cheese is melted, then add the chicken mixture and sour cream. Stir well and serve over the fettuccine noodles.

I rarely follow exact measurements while cooking, so the ingredients below are approximated. Please forgive me in advance.

Ingredients

2 Large Chicken Breasts on the Bone, Skin on
3 Large Celery Stalks Sliced (Reserve Leaves)
3 Large Carrots Sliced
1 Medium Onion Chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic Crushed
2 Medium Russet Potatoes Cubed
1 Cup of Small Pasta for Soup (Orzo, Ditalini)
Water
Chicken Stock
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Grated Italian Cheese (Optional)
Bouquet garni of Thyme, Sage and Rosemary (Instructions Below)

Directions

Step 1 – Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the chicken breasts skin side down and brown.

Step 2 – Add water and chicken stock to the pot. Add a 50/50 mixture of water and chicken stock. The chicken stock gives the soup a boost in flavor. Add enough liquid so that the chicken is completely submerged, plus a little more.

Step 3 – Add celery leaves, garlic and Bouquet Garni (instructions follow). Bring liquid to a boil, then cover and simmer. Cook chicken on a low simmer until you can easily pull the chicken off the bone. One chicken is done, remove it from the pot and place it on a large plate. Remove the garlic and bouquet from pot and discard.

Bouquet Garni Instructions/Description

A bouquet Garni is just a fancy French name for a bundle of herbs that can be added to stocks, soups and stews. When translated to English it means: “garnished bouquet”. It is very easy to make. You can either tie the bundle together using strings or you can wrap it in cheesecloth. I like to use the cheesecloth as it keeps the herbs contained so that they do not fall off and become part of the soup. If you don’t mind the herbs in the final soup, you can wrap it with string. This bundle of herbs will impart a deliciously rich flavor to the broth.

Step 4 – Add the onion, potatoes, celery and carrots to the pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender.

Step 5 – Add your pasta and cook along with vegetables until pasta is al dente.

Step 6 – While the pasta is cooking, pull chicken from the bone and shred into bite size pieces. Add the chicken to the pot and stir.

Step 7 – Serve. Top with grated cheese if desired. Enjoy!

Supermarket rotisserie chickens are perhaps the best innovation of the past twenty years. Yes, even better than the iPhone. What did we do before we had this fabulous, ready-made poultry at our disposal? When you’re really in a hurry, you can grab a chicken and a bag of salad, and you’re done. If you have a few minutes more, you might want to try this delicious Creamy Chicken Ranch Soup, a recipe I came up with in a fit of creativity. From start to finish, this soup takes about half an hour.

Ingredients

1 Rotisserie chicken, fully cooked

6 Cups chicken broth

1 Small onion, chopped

1 Head of cauliflower, chopped

1 Head of broccoli, chopped

2 Cups of whipping cream

1 Packet of Hidden Valley Ranch mix

Procedure

Discard the skin of the chicken and tear the meat from the bone. Put the chicken, broth, and all the vegetables in a pot. If you don’t like cauliflower or broccoli, feel free to substitute about six cups of your favorite vegetables. Potatoes, carrots, corn, celery, peas, red peppers… this is a very versatile soup. Heat to boiling over high heat, then lower the heat, cover the pot, and allow to simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Mix the ranch mix with the cream and add to the soup, stirring gently to blend. Allow to sit a couple of minutes to blend the flavors and to allow the cream to heat through.

Pair with a nice Chardonnay. If you want, you can even substitute a cup of wine for one cup of the broth in step 1 above, then serve the same wine with dinner. Add a hunk of fresh, crusty bread from the bakery at the grocery store, and you’ve got a hearty meal that’s sure to satisfy even the finicky eaters in your family.