Chicken and Dumplings

For the soup:
6 c. chicken broth
3 c. plus 1 c. milk
12 oz. can evaporated milk
salt
pepper
1 rotisserie chicken
1 c. Wondra flour

For the dumplings:
3 c. flour
2 t baking powder
1 c. milk
1/2 c. Crisco oil
1/3 c. plus 2 T sugar

In a large pot over medium heat, combine chicken broth, 3 c. milk, evaporated milk and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.

Combine flour, baking powder, milk, Crisco and sugar into a dough, and roll out until 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Cut into 1 inch squares.

Add separated dumplings into the soup, along with chicken. Thicken with equal parts Wondra and milk, up to 1 c. each.

Chicken and Cashews

3 T low-sodium soy sauce, divided
2 T dry sherry
4 t cornstarch, divided
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 c chicken broth
2 T oyster sauce
1 T honey
2 t sesame oil, divided
3/4 c chopped onion
1/2 c chopped celery
1/2 c chopped red bell pepper
1 T grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c chopped green onions
1/4 c chopped cashews

Combine 1 T soy sauce, sherry, 2 t cornstarch, and chicken in a large bowl; toss well to coat. Combine remaining 2 T soy sauce, remaining 2 t cornstarch, broth, oyster sauce, and honey in a small bowl.

Heat 1 t oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture to pan; saute 3 minutes. Remove from pan. Heat remaining 1 t oil in pan. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper to pan; saute 1 minute. Return chicken mixture to pan; saute 1 minute. Stir in broth mixture. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with green onions and cashews. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup).

Chocolate-Hazlenut Thumbprints

4.5 oz all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 c powdered sugar
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa
1/4 t salt
1/2 c butter, softened
2 large egg yolks
1/2 t vanilla extract
2/3 c finely chopped hazelnuts, toasted
1/3 c Nutella

Preheat oven to 350F. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa and salt; stir with a whisk. Place butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Stir egg yolks with a whisk. Add the yolks and vanilla to butter; beat well. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat at low speed just until combined.

Turn dough out onto a sheet of wax paper; knead 6 times or until smooth and shiny. Shape dough into 28 (1-inch) balls. Roll sides of balls in nuts, pressing gently. Arrange balls 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Press thumb into center of each cookie, leaving an indentation. Bake, 1 batch at a time, at 350F for 10 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks. Smooth a scant 1/2 teaspoon of Nutella into center of each cookie. Yield: 28 cookies (serving size: 1 cookie).

Jalapeno, Sausage, Jack and Egg Breakfast Braid

1 (13.8-oz) can refrigerated pizza dough
Cooking spray
1 T olive oil
1/4 c chopped onion
4 oz chicken sausage with jalapeno, chopped
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c (2 oz) shredded monterey jack cheese
1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 425F. Unroll dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat into a 15x10 inch rectangle.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sausage; cook 9 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in eggs; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until set. Remove from heat.

Sprinkle monterey jack lengthwise down center of dough, leaving about a 2 1/2 inch border on each side. Spoon egg mixture evenly over cheese. Sprinkle cheddar over egg mixture; top with jalapeno peppers.

Make 2 inch-long diagonal cuts about 1 inch apart on both sides of dough to within 1/2 inch of of filling using a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Arrange strips over filling, alternating strips diagonally over filling. Press ends under to seal. Brush with egg white. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut crosswise into slices. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 slice).

Spicy Crab Rigatoni

5 c uncooked rigatoni (16 oz uncooked pasta)
2 T butter, divided
1 c chopped red bell pepper
3 T all-purpose flour
3 c fat-free milk
1 c (4 oz) shredded fontina cheese
1 c (4 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
finely chopped jalapeno pepper
3/4 t salt
1/2 c sliced green onions
cooking spray
bread crumbs
1 package imitation crab, cubed or flaked

Preheat oven to 375F. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well; place in a large bowl.

Melt 1 T butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add to pasta. Add flour to pan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, stirring until cheeses melt and mixture is smooth. Stir in jalapeno and salt. Add cheese mixture to pasta, tossing well to coat. Stir in green onions and crab. Spoon pasta mixture into a 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Melt remaining 1 T butter with 1 cup bread crumbs. Toss until blended. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over pasta. Bake at 375F for 15 minutes.

Creamy Lemon Jello

2 small packets of lemon jello
1 large can of pears
8 oz cream cheese
1 tub cool whip

In a saucepan, boil the jello and the juice from the canned pears. Mix in a blender the cream cheese and the drained pears. Combine this mixture with the lemon jello mixture and stir in the cool whip. Stir until creamy. Pour into a casserole dish and regrigerate for several hours.

Lemon Meringue Pie

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c lemon juice
1 t grated lemon zest
3 egg yolks
1 prebaked pie shell

Meringue:
3 egg whites
1/4 t cream of tartar
1/4 c sugar

In a medium bowl, combine milk, lemon juice and zest; blend in egg yolks. Pour into cooled crust. Preheat oven to 325F. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar until stiff. Spread over filling, seal to edge of crust. Bake 12-15 min. or until meringue is golden brown.