Finally tried recipes....

[RUSTYSMOM]

Well thsi weekend I finally tired several recipes that have been on my long list of must trys (thanks to great feedback from many of you). Here are my reviews:

Jamacian Banana Bread - YUMMY (how could i have waited so long to try this!!!)

African Chicken Peanut Soup - also delicious - I love the texture and aroma! My 1 year old loved it as well!

Lentil Vegetable Soup (2000) - smells very good - will have for lunch this week and will let you know if it is exceptional.

Chicken Florentine Casserole (I don't know what issue this is from, I got the recipe off the BB)- I made to have for dinner tomorrow night - the sample taste I tried was excellent. The lemon gives it such an interesting flavor.

I don't think I have been steered wrong yet on this board. These are all recipes I would have overlooked had it not been for rave reviews here. Thank yoU!

[luv2cook]

I couldn't find the chicken florentine casserole. Sounds good. Can one of you wonderful recipe finders direct me? thx

[HARRYET]

here you go, enjoy!

Ann


CHICKEN FLORENTINE CASSEROLE

4 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 large clove garlic, sliced
1 pound fresh spinach, rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 ounces less-fat cream cheese, cut up and softened
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 pound linguine, broken in half
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon paprika

1. Heat oven to 375. Lightly oil 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Bring large pot of lightly
salted water to boiling over high heat.

2. Combine chicken, 3/4 cup water, wine and garlic in saucepan. Bring to boiling over high
heat; reduce heat; gently simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Remove chicken from broth and
set aside to cool. Measure broth, adding water if needed to make a total of 1 3/4 cups.
Tear chicken into about 1/2-inch wide shreds.

3. Place wet spinach in a large nonreactive pot; cover; cook over high heat until wilted,
3 minutes. Drain, lightly pressing out excess water. Coarsely chop; return to pot.

4. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute. Stir in reserved 1 3/4 cup broth mixture; cook, stirring until thickened and smooth, 3-4 minutes. Add lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in cream
cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add cheese sauce and shredded chicken to
spinach in pot.

5. Meanwhile, add linguine to boiling water; cook until firm but tender, 9-10 minutes. Drain; add to spinach mixture. Turn into prepared casserole. Combine remaining Parmesan cheese, crumbs and paprika in a small bowl. Sprinkle over top casserole. Bake in 375 oven about 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes. Serve.

[BethR]

This looks like a good thread to post some miscellaneous reviews. While waiting for the Jan/Feb issue, I've been making a few favorites and trying some new (for me) recipes.

Tamale Pie (Dec 00) -- easy to make and surprisingly good. A repeater for sure.

Double-Herb Roasted Chicken and Potatoes (Jan/Feb 99) -- my favorite way to roast a chicken -- the garlic, oregano, and basil make it taste wonderful. Can't give an opinion on the potatoes because I skip that part -- we like mashed potatoes with roast chicken.

A "Grape" Chicken-Salad Sandwich (Jul/Aug 98) -- this was very tasty. My husband didn't like the idea of adding grapes to chicken salad so I only put them on my portion. I think they added to the taste.

Polpette and Orzo in Broth (Oct 99) -- One of our favorite comfort foods. This is really tasty and goes together fairly quickly.

Kim's Best Pumpkin Bread (Oct 00) -- Very good. I may use less cinnomon next time -- I thought the cinnamon taste was a bit strong. I replaced the raisins and pecans with fresh cranberries.

Beth http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[almiter]

I made the Potato-Vegetable Au Gratin that I got from the CL recipe search for the supper club that I joined recently. It was very good and everyone liked it. I added a little bit of garlic powder for flavor and used extra-sharp cheddar. I will definitly make again and I think it would freeze well.

The host of the supper club made Southwestern Spiced Elk with Raspberry Puree (not a CL recipe) that was very delicious. My first time trying elk so was interesting.

[RUSTYSMOM]

Had to tell you - my husband had the [African Peanut CHicken] soup for lunch today and thought it was the best soup i have ever made (even better then Grubbin Spicy CHicken SOup!!.

Also recieved rave reviews on the [Chicken Florentine Casserole]- This was really yummy. A great make ahead dinner!