Mixed (frozen) Berry Trifle

3 packages (12 oz each) frozen unsweetened mixed berries

12 oz prepared angel food cake, torn into bite-sized pieces373.24 g prepared angel food cake, torn into bite-sized pieces

1 cup fat-free cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

12 oz frozen fat-free non-dairy whipped topping (thawed), divided12 oz frozen fat-free non-dairy whipped topping (thawed), divided

1/3 cup sugar79.92 ml sugar

3 whole strawberries, sliced (garnish)

Fresh mint leaves (garnish)

1. Arrange the frozen berries in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Allow to sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, or until completely thawed.

2. While the berries are thawing, place the cake pieces in a large bowl. Set aside.

3. Place the cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl. Add the powdered sugar, and, using an electric mixer, beat at low to medium-low speed until well blended.

4. Stir all but 1 cup of the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Chill the remaining cup of topping for use as a garnish.

5. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the cake pieces, making sure that all of the pieces are well covered. Set aside.

6. Transfer the thawed berries to a medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle the sugar over them, and gently stir until well mixed.

7. Remove a third of the berries--about 1-1/2 cups--and add to the cake mixture. Using a large spoon, gently mix the cake, cream cheese mixture, and berries together.

8. Spoon a third of the cake and berry mixture into the bottom of a 3-quart glass serving bowl. Gently spread a third of the remaining berries over the top of the cake mixture. Repeat the cake and berry layers twice, so that you have 3 layers of cake mixture divided by 3 layers of berries.

9. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours. To serve, arrange the reserved whipped topping in dollops over the top of the trifle. Garnish with the sliced strawberries and mint leaves, and serve immediately.

Serves 12 serving

Spicy Sweet Sour Chicken

from One Particular Kitchen

Basil Vinaigrette Pasta Salad ***** (Giada)

Vinaigrette:

• 1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed and leaves chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Antipasto Salad:

• 1 pound fusilli pasta
• 1/2 cup hard salami, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
• 1/2 cup smoked turkey, cut into strips (about 3 ounces)
• 1/4 cup provolone cheese, cut into strips
• 1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
• 2 tablespoons green olives, halved and pitted
• 2 tablespoons roasted red peppers, cut into strips
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Vinaigrette: In a blender, add the basil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Serve.

Emeril's Chicken & Dumplings

Prep Time:50 min

Cook Time: 1 hr 45 min

Serves:6 to 8 servings

For the broth:

• 2 chickens (4 pounds each), backs removed and cut into 8 pieces each
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 6 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

For the dumplings:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup milk
• 7 tablespoons butter
• 10 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 3 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces on the diagonal
• 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces on the diagonal
• 1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Cut chicken backs, necks and wings into 1-inch pieces.

For the broth: in a large pot, combine the chicken, onions, water, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the chicken is tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside. Discard the chicken backs, necks, and wings. When the chicken pieces have cooled, remove the meat from the bones in chunks and set aside. Discard the skin and bones. Strain the broth and discard the vegetables.

Prepare the dumplings: In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together. In a small saucepan over low heat, bring the butter and milk to a simmer. Stir the butter and milk mixture into the dry ingredients with a fork and stir until the mixture just comes together. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into long strips 1-inch wide. Transfer to a large plate or baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In the cleaned Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden-brown, 3 to 4 minutes. While whisking, add the wine, the reserved chicken broth, Essence, and thyme. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes, then add the celery, carrots, and onion. Cook until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 15 minutes. Add the reserved chicken meat, heavy cream, and peas. Season with salt (if necessary), and add black pepper, to taste.

Place the dumplings on top of the chicken mixture and gently stir into the hot liquid. Cover and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Gently stir in the parsley. Serve in large soup bowls.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Fortified WInes

• Port, sherry, Madeira and Marsala are wines that tend to be very misunderstood and under appreciated. Some view these as wines for the eccentric or aged. To the contrary, these fortified wines bring classic and contemporary flavors to the kitchen.

  "Fortified" wines are wines that have been strengthened with the addition of brandy. Centuries ago sherry, port, Madeira and Marsala were "created" from inferior wines which were doctored with a spirit like brandy to make them last longer in the bottle. The rest is history. The winemaker's secret of doctoring mediocre grapes with brandy created the classic fortified wines that are enjoyed today for sipping and cooking.

  All of these wines have a higher alcohol content (17-21%) than table wines (which contain 10-14% alcohol) and therefore they stand up better to heat when cooking, keeping their deep flavors intact. Stored properly in a cool place, all of these wines keep indefinitely even after opened, so keep a bottle or two around.

  - Port, often sipped after dinner, is sold as both Ruby and Tawny. Ruby port is younger, a bright red color, and can be quite fruity. Tawny port is aged in wood from 10 to 40 years, golden in color and can be quite complex in flavor. Port originated from Portugal 's Duoro
  Valley .

  - Madeira is named for Madeira Island , off the coast of Portugal . Curiously, Madeira is made from "cooking" the wine in tanks to bring about its notable flavor. Madeira is then aged in wooden casks. Styles of Madeira include sercial, which is lightest and driest, verdelho, which is sweeter and stronger, and boal, which is full and sweet.

  - Marsala is Italy 's famous fortified wine, named for the port city of Marsala on the western tip of Sicily . Marsala is sold in three styles: secco (dry), semisecco (semisweet) and dolce (sweet). Sweet Marsala is used in the classic dessert zabaglione, and is also used in cooking.

  - Sherry originated in the south of Spain , and range broadly in color, flavor and sweetness. Oloroso Sherries tend to be golden to deep brown and have a nutty flavor. Fino Sherries tend to be pale, very dry and tangy. Any sherry that is labeled cream sherry will be an oloroso that has been heavily sweetened. Sherry can be sipped before or after dinner, and used in desserts.

  Besides sipping these wines, use in cooking: Both tawny and ruby ports, Madeira and Marsala are suitable for deglazing the skillet after sautéing chops, steaks or chicken breasts.

• Use any of the fortified wines as part of a marinade before meat is grilled.
• Add depth of flavor to a vinaigrette salad dressing with the addition of port, sherry or Marsala .
• To glaze grilled or roasted meats or poultry, stir a couple tablespoons of port or Madeira into fruit preserves; brush onto meat towards end of cooking time.
• Cut pound cake into cubes, drizzle with sherry and top with whipped cream.
• Serve any of these wines with nuts, fruit and a little cheese for an elegantly simple dessert.

Crescent Roll ideas

Breakfast: honey + brown sugar spread inside and baked.

Chicken and Dumplings

Friends rave every time I make this recipe. It's comfort food, and I especially enjoy making it on cold or rainy days. I often use a whole chicken cut into pieces and skinned. You can make the store-bought chicken stock taste more like homemade by adding some fresh herbs and parsley and simmering until it's reduced by half. ****add a small can of corn. I doubled it as it just did not seam to be enough for a family of 5 plus we like leftovers. **** To save time, I shredded the white meat only from store bought rotisserie chicken. I also used low fat low cream of celery soup instead as well. **** To up the flavor and the heartiness, I add three cloves of garlic, 2 chopped carrots, 2 diced celery stalks, one diced potato and add a bay leaf while it boils. Enjoy with a nice light red wine!**** I used 2 cloves of garlic and pre-made buttermilk biscuit dough ****make the dumplings to the box recommendations vs. the recipe.


Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
4 pounds chicken pieces, skinned
1 cup frozen green peas
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Dumplings:
2 cups baking mix (such as Bisquick)
2/3 cup fat-free milk

Remaining ingredient:
Chopped parsley (optional)

Heat a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in sherry and the next 4 ingredients (sherry through soup), and bring to boil. Add chicken pieces; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken pieces from cooking liquid. Place chicken in a bowl, and chill 15 minutes.

Remove chicken from bones, and cut meat into bite-size pieces. Discard the bones. Add chicken to pan; stir in peas.

Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; stir well.

To prepare dumplings, combine baking mix and milk. Drop the dough into chicken mixture to form 16 dumplings. Bring to a simmer; cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the dumplings are done. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture and 2 dumplings)

CALORIES 373 (24% from fat); FAT 10.1g (sat 2.8g,mono 3.1g,poly 1.5g); IRON 2.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 99mg; CALCIUM 116mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.7g; SODIUM 725mg; PROTEIN 35.9g; FIBER 2.4g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2001

Chicken & Dumplings in the Crockpot, MENU

The Menu

CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS IN THE CROCKPOT
A wedge of iceburg lettuce with Thousand Island Dressing
UPSIDE DOWN CHOCOLATE UGLY CAKE

The Recipes

CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS IN THE CROCKPOT

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut to small chunks
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
2 cups water
2 (10 oz) packages refrigerated biscuits
1 chicken bouillon cube

Combine all ingredients, except biscuits, in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. 30 minutes before serving, tear biscuit dough into 1-inch pieces. Add to your slow cooker; stirring gently. Cover and cook on HIGH for an additional 30 minutes or until biscuits are fluffed up and cooked through.

A wedge of iceburg lettuce with Thousand Island Dressing

1 cup pickle relish
1 cup ketchup
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

Mix all together and store in fridge. Keeps well.

UPSIDE DOWN CHOCOLATE UGLY CAKE
~Submitted by Judy, MI

2 cups mini-marshmallows
1 cup brown sugar
1 chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups hot water

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare chocolate cake mix according to the box. Mix marshmallows, brown sugar, cocoa, and water in a bowl. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Spoon cake mix on top of marshmallow mixture, but don't mix them. Bake for 45 minutes. Then, after the cake cools, flip over onto a cookie sheet. Be careful--the marshmallow mixture might run. No need to frost.