SATISFIES: 2

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 1 fresh skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into fingerling slices
• Dusting of Lawrys Season salt
• 1/2 t. Montreal steak seasoning
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 large fresh tomato diced
• Romaine lettuce chopped for 2 (approx. 3 cups)
• 1 ripe avocado cut into 8 slices
• 1 T. Red wine

Dressing: shake up in a jar and set aside

• 1/2 c. Olive oil
• 1/4 c. Red wine vinegar
• 1 T. Dijon mustard

LET'S COOK

Mix the chicken with seasoned salt and montreal seasoning. Place romaine on two dinner plates. Top each pile of greens with 4 slices of avocado.

Heat a sauté pan over medium burner. When hot add olive oil. Then add chicken and move around to evenly begin cooking.

When chicken is all cooked throughly, add diced tomato and stir in. Then add red wine and 1/4 c. of well shaken dressing. Bring to simmer in the pan and mix to evenly incorporate.

When all ingredients are well mixed and hot, spoon over the salad. Divide and distribute remaining sauce. Serve with warm crust of bread.

MORE IDEAS:

You could do this recipe with pork tenderloin. Leftovers can work well also. It makes a hearty lunch or dinner in chilly weather.

The bread works well to sop up extra juices on your plate. Keep leftover dressing in the refrigerator and use on any salad.

SATISFIES: 3-4

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 2 slices bacon; diced
• 1 small potato; peeled and diced
• 1/2 C. diced carrots
• 1-2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 1 - 32 oz. boxes of chicken stock
• 8 oz. Fresh or frozen, cheese stuffed tortellini
• chopped scallions
• chopped fresh parsley
• parmesan cheese

LET'S COOK

Cut the bacon into small pieces, drop into a soup pot and cook until it renders and takes on some color.

Then add the potato, carrots and celery, stir it up and cook just until the color on the vegetables deepens.

Now add the tomato and the chicken stock, bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender.

Add the tortellini and cook an additional 5 to 7 minutes.

Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with the scallions, parsley and parmesan cheese.

MORE IDEAS:

Slices of summer squash, zucchini and even sliced mushrooms can be added to the vegetable roster.

FEEDS: 2

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup flour
• 4 T. olive oil
• 2 slices prosciutto
• 2 slices Swiss cheese
• 1 C. chicken stock or broth
• 1/2 C. red wine
• 1 T. tomato paste

LET'S COOK

Flatten the chicken, between 2 sheets of waxed paper, until they are about a 1/2”thick. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan of appropriate size over a medium high burner.

Dredge both sides of the chicken in the flour, then slide into the hot oil and sauté a couple of minutes on each side until lightly golden brown and almost cooked through. Remove it to an oven proof pan or dish.

Leave the sauté pan on the medium high burner and sprinkle the inside of the pan with about a tablespoon or so of the leftover flour you dredged the chicken in. Stir the flour into the cooking oils in the pan using a wooden spoon creating a roux, scraping up the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add and whip in the cup of chicken stock or broth. Then whip in the red wine and tomato paste. Allow the sauce to simmer for a couple of minutes to reduce and for the flavors to combine well.

Meanwhile, top each cooked chicken breast with a slice of the prosciutto and top that with a slice of the Swiss cheese. Next, spoon the red wine sauce around the chicken breasts. Pop into a 400 degree preheated oven, uncovered and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, plate it up and serve.

MORE IDEAS:

This dish is great served with mashed potatoes and a quick saute of mixed vegetables. Use any type of red wine you have in house. Chianti is a nice choice and perfect at the table with dinner.

Tomato paste is now available in a toothpaste like tube. Having one on hand in your refrigerator makes perfect sense when you just need a small amount in a recipe like this.

This food formula is perfect for entertaining since it can be done in advance, refrigerated and then simply finished off in the oven when guests arrive.