Not sure where this recipe came from or who to credit for it’s inception, but I got it from the couple who brought this delicious dish to a dinner party we attended earlier this year. I loved it so much, I begged for the recipe. I’m shameless in that respect. Hee. It’s a very yummy dish, and fairly straightforward to make, so give it a whirl.

Cajun Chicken Casserole

1 lb of cooked and slicked chicken breast
3 tablespoons of olive oil (any kind you like)

Cook chicken in a skillet while your oven pre-heats to 375 degrees.

1 red bell pepper, coarsely cut up
1 green bell pepper, coarsely cut up
1 medium onion, coarsely cut up (your choice of onion type)

Remove chicken from the skillet and place in a rectangle dish; set aside. Sautee the veggies in the skillet till soft and heated through (about five minutes).

1 14 oz can of Cream of Chicken soup
Half a large can of diced or crushed tomatoes (your choice which you use)
Cajun seasons of your choice (I use a few dashes of cumin and chili pepper, and match it with a pinch of red pepper flakes)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix soup, tomatoes and seasonings in a bowl to blend well; set aside. Place sauteed veggies over chicken in the glass dish and top with the soup and tomato mixture. Mix well.

1 C all purpose or whole wheat flour (I use a mixture of both)
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1/3 C vegetable oil
3/4 C milk or water

Mix pancake batter up in mixing bowl with lid, cover and let it rest in the fridge for five or more minutes.

Pour pancake batter over the top of the glass dish mixture, spooning it up to about 1/2″ away from all edges. The topping will puff and rise as it bakes. Cook for 25 minutes.

If you notice about half way that the pancake topping is already golden brown, pull the dish from the oven and use a sheet of tin foil loosely draped over the dish (resist the urge to fold the tin foil down at the sides of the dish) to create a tent to shield it from burning while it cooks in the hot oven for the remainder of the time.

Serve with sour cream and guacamole or a light green salad.

Got this pilaf recipe from the back of the Goya bulgur bag. It was very yummy in that, “I’m eating comfort food,” yummy. Even DH liked it enough to eat a bit more than he should have comfortably, but he’s not complaining. If this pilaf were on menus at my local restaurants, I would order it every time. The ingredients guarantee it will be a winner no matter who cooks it. Bulgur is an amazing rice or starchy ingredient substitute for most recipes. Try this one and see for yourselves.

Bulgur Pilaf w. Two Cheeses Skillet:

3 teaspoons of the best olive oil you have
1 C halved and thinly sliced white or yellow onion

1 C medium to course bulgur
1 minced or finely chopped clove of garlic

1 C Diced or crushed tomatoes (I diced large cherry tomatoes)
1 3/4 C chicken stock of your choice
A few pinches of salt

1/2 C mozzarella or edam
Grated parmesan cheese

Heat skillet and then heat up oil in it. Add onions and cook till translucent (about five minutes). Add bulgur and garlic, stir and cook for two minutes to heat through.

Add tomatoes, stock and salt. Cover and lower temperature to cook for 20 minutes.

Add mozzarella or edam cheese to skillet and blend well. Plate the pilaf and top with parmesan cheese.

Note: I added pre-cooked, thawed and quartered chicken meatballs to the skillet when I added the tomatoes, stock and salt. It adds a nice protein that my husband appreciates because I can’t be bothered to make any meat dishes anymore.

Ahh, the things I do for the sake of domestic harmony. 🙂

Sometimes when you’re hungry and everything you can and usual do make as a snack isn’t appealling to you at that moment, you need to break out of your rut and make a simple, rustic snack. But not just any simple, rustic snack. You need to make something that is as easy to make as it is satisfying to eat.

Enter the zucchini fritter (a.k.a. zuke cakes).

Zucchini Fritters:

– Shredded zucchini, drained of as much water and moisture as possible
– fresh bread crumbs
– one egg, beaten
– handful of shredded mild cheese like parm or mozza
– dried basil and dried parsley
– pinch of cayenne pepper
– salt and pepper to taste

Heat good olive oil in a skillet over med. to low heat.

Mix together till it’s one big clump in a bowl. Take chunks and roll in your hands; set on a plate.

Place about five to seven balls into the hot skillet oil, spray the back of a spatula and flatten each ball to a patty shape. (See photo.)

Let each side cook till a lovely brown crusty coating appears. Flip each patty over gently to cook the same brown, crusty coating.

Take out of the pan and place on paper towel on a plate to drain and cool. Serve with salsa, sour cream and more shredded cheese.

Note: I used a medium zucchini and three slices of whole wheat bread ground up in my Magic Bullet to make the bread crumbs. My batch yielded 13 smaller patties (or 6 healthy medium patties).