POM Wonderful Recipe Contest Entry: Marcona Almond Encrusted Chicken Tenders with a Creamy Pomegranate dipping sauce

I am entering the POM Wonderful Blogger recipe contest, that I learned about from the foodie blogroll, who is also having their own contest involving POM Wonderful. I have posted my recipe here, cross your fingers!!! The Pomegranate Dipping Sauce is not too sweet and has a nice tangy taste. It pleased the discriminating palate of the husband. This recipe would be great for a party as an appetizer, or served with vegetables and cous cous as a main meal. It is easily made ahead up until the chicken going in the oven, and the sauce is versatile. I think the sauce would also work over pork loin.

Pomegranate Dipping Sauce

1 and 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 small shallot, sliced thin and separated into rings
1 tsp. sugar
the zest of one orange
1/2 C. POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate juice
1/4 tsp. dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 C. heavy cream
1 Tbsp. Cream Cheese
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
POM Wonderful Pomegranate seeds for garnish

Melt butter over medium heat and add shallots and sugar. Saute over medium low for approximately 8 minutes, stirring frequently until caramelized. During the last minute, add orange zest and continue stirring.

Add POM Wonderful Pomegranate juice, mustard, nutmeg, and cardamom and whisk to combine. Simmer over medium heat about 8-10 minutes until reduced slightly and syrupy. Add heavy cream and whisk until combined. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Take off heat, taste and season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use. This sauce can be made a day in advance, and is easily doubled for a larger recipe. Garnish with Pomegranate seeds, and serve with Marcona Encrusted Chicken Tenders (recipe follows).

Marcona Almond Encrusted Chicken Tenders

1 and 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders 1 C. finely chopped Spanish Marcona Almonds
1/2 C. Italian Bread Crumbs
1/4 C. honey mustard
1-2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling.
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine breadcrumbs, and almonds in a shallow dish. Brush a thin coating of honey mustard on the chicken tenders and coat completely in almond breading mixture.

Place wire cooling rack over baking pan or in Large Baking dish, and place encrusted chicken tenders on rack. Drizzle olive oil over chicken and season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Cook 25-30 minutes (depending on your oven), mine took 25 minutes, or until no longer pink inside. If desired, broil for one minute to further brown the coating. Serve with Creamy Pomegranate Dipping Sauce (recipe above). Chicken can be breaded a few hours ahead of time and placed in fridge until ready to cook.

Bake sale

Here are some pics of our bake sale for Breast Cancer Research

Breast Cancer Bake Sale

We did Denim Day on Oct 24th at work and I decided to do a bake sale that day too all to benefit Breast Cancer Research. The staff at my job were sooo generous in both their donations to our bake sale and to denim day.....in all we raised over $260! I was so thrilled! One of my best friends lost her mom to Breast Cancer at a very young age, and because of that this cause is so close to my heart. I was inspired by Katie #s, and here is her recipe that I used for my cookies, that sold sooo quickly! I didnt make them that big, but I thought they were perfect!
White Chocolate Chip Pink M&M Cookies

Orig ATK (lifted from Katie102006)

2 Cups plus 2 Tbsp All purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) butter , softened (orig called for melted and cooled until warm)
1 C brown sugar packed
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 large egg, 1 yolk
1 Tbsp Vanilla extract
1 C pink m & m s
1 C white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Whisk dry ingredients together, set aside. Mix butter and sugars together until thouroughly combined. Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until blended.

Add dry ingredients and beat low speed until just combined. stir in m & ms and chocl chips.

Put by Tbsp onto baking sheet. Bake about 17 minutes .
Makes 4 dozen

black bean pasta salad

I love pasta salad, and I think the addition of black beans really makes it heartier and healthier. I usually use whole wheat pasta or enriched pasta (Ronzoni Healthy Harvest or Ronzoni smart taste are the best).

Black Bean Pasta Salad

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

juice and zest of 1 lime

1 jalepeno, chopped (seeds and all...leave seeds out if you are fraid)

1 T EVOO

2 T red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp dijon mustard

1/3 C chopped cilantro

1 tsp curry powder

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 C frozen sweet corn (it will thaw out quickly)

1/2 C salsa

3 Tbsp low fat mayo

1 Cup uncooked pasta (I used spirals)

2 C shredded colby jack or pepper jack cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse until cool. While pasta is cooking whisk together EVOO, vinegar, mustard, curry powder, salt and pepper, and mayo. Toss Black beans, corn, tomatoes, jalepeno, lime juice, lime zest, cilantro, and salsa. Toss drained pasta, black bean mixture and dressing mixture. Fold in cheese. Voila!

Cremini Mushroom Lentil Soup

Sooo...it is getting to be soup weather, and I had a bag of dried lentils in my cabinet...so what is a girl to do?! Make up a soup recipe! it was really good, sorry the pictures look like puke!

Cremini Mushroom Lentil Soup

1 T Evoo

small vidalia onion, chopped fine

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (6oz) pkg cremini mushrooms (also baby bellas), roughly chopped

1/2 C dry sherry, divided (NOT cooking sherry)

5 C Chicken or Vegetable stock (not broth)

1 and 1/2 cups dried brown lentils, rinsed and drained

salt and pepper

3 bay leaves

1/4 tsp curry powder

crushed red pepper to taste (optional)

1 med red potato (peeled and cut into small cubes)

1/4 C half and half

1 Tbsp Butter and 1 Tbsp flour for roux (optional thickener)

Immersion Blender

Heat oil in over med heat. Saute onion about 7 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and saute another minute. Add mushrooms, and sherry, salt and pepper and 1/4 c dry sherry and raise to med high heat. Saute 6 minutes and add carrots, stir and cook another 1-2 minutes. Add lentils and stir and add chicken stock, bay leaves, curry powder. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat to med and simmer about 10 minutes. Add potatoes and simmer another 20 minutes, until potatoes and lentils are tender. Remove bay leaves and puree some of soup with immersion blender (this will thicken it slightly). Taste and add seasonings if needed. Add half and half and stir. I love thick soups, so I melted some butter in a small pot over med and add flour and whisk to make a roux. Cook a few minutes until golden and no longer smelling like flour. Add ladle of soup to roux and whisk. Turn off heat, add roux mixture back to soup and whisk. Adjust seasonings and add crushed red pepper if you like. Let sit to thicken about 10 min on low heat. Serve with sour cream or greek yogurt dolloped on top.

healthy homemade macaroni salad

I just have to warn you that I like my macaroni salad on the dry side (I am not a mayo person), so add more mayo if you really like it.

1 (14.5 oz) pkg macaroni elbows (I used Ronzoni Smart Taste)

2 and 1/2 Cups low fat mayo

2 T cider vinegar

1 Tbsp sugar

1 and 1/2 C shredded carrot

1 and 1/2 C chopped celery

2 tsp mustard

salt and black pepper to taste

1 tsp onion powder

Cook pasta according to directions and drain, do not rinse (dressing will not stick as well). While pasta is cooking mix, mayo, vinegar, sugar, mustard, onion powder, salt and pepper. Toss dressing with warm pasta (absorbs some of mayo). Fold in carrots and celery.

Easy Blue Cheese Dip

OK, you will laugh, but it is this easy:

Blue cheese crumbled (however much you want)
16 oz Low Fat Sour Cream
salt and pepper to taste

mix all ingredients and enjoy with veggies or on a burger. I say however much you want because some people like it really cheesy (like me)