Hi Everyone!

What do you make when you have nothing planned and look in the pantry and fridge to see what kind of staples you have? Thankfully I had 4 chicken breasts defrosting...

Mom and I worked awfully hard today cleaning and gardening since early this morning so we want a special treat tonight...

This dinner was built around the chicken, and stuff I found in the pantry. Thus the name Chicken a la Lunes (Monday). We will have that along with Wild Rice, Baby Carrots w/Brown Sugar and Mustard, Fresh Spinach Salad with Pears, Feta and Walnut Vinaigrette and to enjoy this evening later with a cup of coffee, Chocolate Glazed Pound Cake with Sugar Dusted Almonds.

Happy Cooking! Gina

Chicken a la Lunes
serves 4

4 chicken breasts, skinless & boneless
3 T. olive oil
4 T. butter
1 1/2 c. fresh sliced mushrooms
1/2 c. chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 T. flour
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small jar marinated artichokes, drained
1 c. Spanish sherry
1 1/2 c. chicken broth (Superior Touch)
1/2 c. half and half
1/2 t. ground corriander
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. ground white pepper
1 T. fresh chopped parsley
1/4 t. minced tarragon leaves

Set oven at 350. In a skillet, brown chicken in oil and butter til golden. Set chicken in 9x13 casserole dish. Saute onion, mushrooms in same skillet til golden ovedd garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Stir in flour, add broth, stirring. Add cream of chicken, sherry, simmer til thickened about 10 minutes. Stir in half and all spices. Pour over chicken and bake uncovered for 1 hour. Add artichokes cut up and bake for another 15 minutes. Serve with wild rice.

Baby Carrots with Brown Sugar and Mustard
Cold-Weather Cooking by
Sarah Leah Chase, pg. 81

makes 6 servings

1 lb. baby carrots
3 T. butter
2 1/2 T. light brownsugar
1 T. grainy Dijon mustard

Steam carrots til crisp tender, 8 minutes. Melt the butter in a skillet, stir in the sugar and mustard to make a smooth sauce. Add the cooked carrots and toss to coat Cook one minute more and serve at once.

Fresh Spinach, Pear and Feta with Walnut Vinaigrette Salad

serves 4

1 can pear slices, drained
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1 T. fresh lime juice
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Dressing:
6 T. walnut oil
2 T. tarragon wine vinegar
1/4 c. pear juice
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground white pepper
dash cayenne pepper
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 bag fresh spinach leaves

Wash and dry spinach leaves, put into glass bowl; toss in pears, cranbearries, nuts. Sprinkle lime juice to coat.

Whisk oil, vinegar, pear juice and spices to blend. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. When ready to serve individually, scattear feta over salad.

Chocolate Glazed Pound Cake with Sugar Dusted Almonds

1 stick margerine
1 c. Crisco
3 c. sugar
6 eggs
3 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. milk
1 T. almond extract
1 c. sliced almonds
1/2 c. confectioner's sugar

Cream maregrine, crisco, sugar til creamy. Add eggs one at a time. Sift all dry ingredients together and add alternately with the milk. Add in the extract. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake 325 for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Chocolate Glaze:
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/4 c. corn syrup
2 T. water

Melt chocolate, stir in syrup and water and stir til nice and smooth. Drizzle over cake. Sprinkle almonds over top and dust with the confectioner's sugar.