Creamy Chicken & Cranberry-Pecan Wild Rice

Take a simple chicken-and-rice meal to the next level by jazzing up the rice and rounding it out with a deliciously creamy sauce. With this wine to accompany the chicken, it was a very tasty meal! The glass grapes on the wine bottle are actually napkin holders but I found they look nice on the wine bottle too! They were on sale at our local Peebles store for $1.25 each so I got 4 of this color and 4 light colored ones. I'll show them in a future post. I have a bottle of red and light wine sitting on the counter with the grapes on them which looks very cute. Some raffia could also be added.

Creamy Chicken & Cranberry-Pecan Wild Rice

2 tbs. flour

1/2 tsp. each dried thyme leaves and black pepper

6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves

2 tbs. oil

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup pecan pcs., toasted

6 green onions, sliced, divided

1 pkg. (6oz.) long grain & wild rice side dish, prepared as directed on pkg.

1 cup fat-free reduced sodium chicken broth

6oz. cream cheese, cubed

Mix flour, thyme and pepper; coat chicken with flour mixture. Heat oil in skillet, cook 5 - 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

Stir cranberries, pecans and 1/3 cup of the onions into cooked rice; spoon onto serving platter. Remove chicken from skillet, reserving drippings in skillet. Place chicken over rice mixture; cover to keep warm. Add broth to skillet; stir to break up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Add cream cheese, cook 2 to 3 minutes or until cream cheese is melted and sauce starts to thicken, stirring constantly with wire whisk. Spoon some of the sauce over chicken; sprinkle with remaining onions. Serve with remaining sauce on the side.

Fresh Broccoli Mandarin Salad

For my dinner tonight I had a bowl of potato soup, a dinner roll and this salad. I had seen this recipe in a small booklet I had purchased not too long ago and decided to try it. (yes, still buying recipe books!) It was very good. I didn't put in the mushrooms as I really don't like them to eat, although I do like to add them to baked dishes such as chicken beef, etc. I just pick them out! LOL! Fresh Broccoli Mandarin Salad.........

1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup tarragon wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons butter, softened
4 cups fresh broccoli flowerets
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can (11ozs.) mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup raisens
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 large red onion, sliced
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

In the top of a double boiler, whisk together egg, egg yolk, sugar, cornstarch, and dry mustard. Combine vinegar and water. Slowly pour into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Place over simmering water and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat; stir in mayonnaise and butter. Chill.
To serve, toss dressing with salad ingredients.

A Small Touch of Fall

Where are the days flying to? It won't be too much longer and we will all be thinking of Thanksgiving settings and deciding what recipes to use. I was in JoAnn Fabric's the other day and on the sale table were these fall sprays for $1 each, so I purchased 4 of them with the intent on using them for the blog. The centerpiece was only $3 and I found the napkins at Kohls for $1.50 each. I bought three different designs in the fall colors for that price! I love sales!! I had the maple leaf dishes last year and bought them at Walmart for $1 each. I also have them in green.

I think the pumpkin sprays are really cute and to dress them up more.... a wired ribbon could be tied on the stem...just pick the color you want to use. And yes, I am keeping an eye on the candle as I am taking pictures...don't want a repeat of the "white table"! LOL!