This tender chicken is smothered in a sweet, warm sauce that is beautifully complimented by wild rice, buttered green beans, and your favorite red wine.
1 - 8 3/4 oz. can pitted dark cherries
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon
dash pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 oz. total)
1 T. cooking oil
Drain the cherries, reserving 1/3 c. of the juice. Place the juice in a 1/2 c. measuring cup and fill with water until filled. Combine cherry juice mixture, green onion, cornstarch, bouillon, and pepper. Set mixture and cherries aside.
Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper. Then pound with the flat side of a meat mallet to 1/4 inch thickness. In a large skillet, cook the chicken in hot oil over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until it is tender and no longer pink. Transfer the chicken to individual plates and keep warm.
Stir the sauce and add to the skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Add cherries and heat through.
To serve, spoon some of the sauce over the chicken.
These crusty dinner rolls are easy to make because they let you use a muffin pan to get a nice shape consistently. Start these rolls first, as they require a bit rising time.
3/4 c. flour
1/2 pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 c. low-fat cottage cheese
1/8 c. water
1/2 T. sugar
1 T. caraway seed
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg white
Nonstick spray coating
Combine 1/2 c. of the flour and the yeast in a small mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, heat and mix the cottage cheese, water, sugar, caraway seed, and salt until warm. Add to flour mixture along with the egg white.
Beat the mixture with an electric mixer on low speed for about 30 seconds, scraping the bowl as you do so. Then beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Add the remaining flour and beat on low speed for 2 minutes or until the mixture is almost smooth.
Cover the batter and let it rise in a warm place until it doubles (about 45 minutes). Stir batter down with a wooden spoon and let it rest for 5 minutes. Spray 6 muffin cups with nonstick spray. Spoon the batter evenly into the cups. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the batter rise until it's nearly double (about 30 minutes).
Bake the rolls in a 375 degree oven for 15-18 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.
This rich sauce is wonderful over a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream. It also shimmers nicely in candlelight (hint-hint).
1/8 c. apple juice
2 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. margarine
dash ground nutmeg
1 large banana, peeled and sliced
1/2 T. rum
1/2 c. vanilla ice cream
Combine apple juice, brown sugar, margarine, and nutmeg in a 1-quart microwave-safe casserole. Micro-cook, uncovered, on high for 1 minute. Add bananas, tossing to coat. Cook on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until bananas are heated through. Spoon sauce over bananas again.
Pour the rum over the bananas in the casserole. Carefully ignite with a long match. Serve the mixture over ice cream.
