Cheesy Lemon Chicken Pasta

Pecorino Romano and Parmesan give cheesy flavor to this easy lemon-chicken pasta dish that's sure to please the whole family!

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package linguine pasta

• 1 cup frozen peas

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 (8 ounce) package button mushrooms, sliced

• ½ cup diced onion

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks

• kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

• ½ (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed and softened

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons lemon zest

• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

• ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Directions

• Step 1

  Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook linguine at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes, adding frozen peas during the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain pasta and peas, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

• Step 2

  While the pasta is cooking, heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion; cook until mushrooms are brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

• Step 3

  Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook in the same skillet over medium-high heat until browned and no longer pink, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms back to the skillet. Add cream cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest; stir until cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat.

• Step 4

  Fold in Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheeses, then parsley. Toss with pasta and peas, adding reserved cooking liquid as necessary to make a sauce.

Tom Ka Gai (Coconut Chicken Soup)

Ready in 35 minutes. A broth of coconut milk and lime juice is seasoned with ginger root and cayenne pepper, with strips of white chicken, fresh cilantro, and chopped scallions.

Ingredients

• ¾ pound boneless, skinless chicken meat

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 (14 ounce) cans coconut milk

• 2 cups water

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root

• 4 tablespoons fish sauce

• ¼ cup fresh lime juice

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

• Mushrooms

Directions

• Step 1

  Cut chicken into thin strips and saute in oil for to 2 to 3 minutes until the chicken turns white.

• Step 2

  In a pot, bring coconut milk and water to a boil. Reduce heat. Add ginger, mushrooms, fish sauce, lime juice, cayenne powder and turmeric. Simmer until the chicken is done, 10 to 15 minutes.

• Step 3

  Sprinkle with scallions and fresh cilantro and serve steaming hot.

Baked Chicken Schnitzel

This dish is oven-friendly using less oil, and an easier cleanup. This dish tastes great with potato salad, or mashed potatoes and a nice crisp salad.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, or as desired

• 6 chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise (butterflied)

• salt and ground black pepper to taste

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon paprika

• 2 large eggs eggs, beaten

• 2 cups seasoned bread crumbs

• 1 large lemon, zested 

Directions

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and drizzle olive oil over foil. Place baking sheet in preheated oven.

• Step 2

  Flatten chicken breasts so they are all about 1/4-inch thick. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

• Step 3

  Mix flour and paprika together on a large plate. Beat eggs with salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Mix bread crumbs and lemon zest together on a separate large plate. Dredge each chicken piece in flour mixture, then egg, and then bread crumbs mixture and set aside in 1 layer on a clean plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.

• Step 4

  Remove baking sheet from oven and arrange chicken in 1 layer on the sheet. Drizzle more olive oil over each piece of coated chicken.

• Step 5

  Bake in the preheated oven for 5 to 6 minutes. Flip chicken and continue baking until no longer pink in the center and the breading is lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Frozen Vegetable Stir-Fry

Soy sauce and peanut butter add a nice Thai-style flavor to this stir-fry. Using frozen vegetables makes it a very quick and tasty vegetable side dish.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 2 teaspoons peanut butter

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables

• Chicken (Optional)

Directions

1. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, and peanut butter in a small bowl.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir frozen vegetables until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and fold in soy sauce mixture.