Simple Elegance: Quick Coq Au Vin

I used to make a quick version of Coq Au Vin, or so I thought, as part of our regular weeknight meal rotation. I had a recipe that was all made in one pot and could be done in less than an hour. The hubs really liked it and I liked that it was easy. I hadn't made the dish in quite some time and I thought of it the other day when trying to come up with something delicious but a little more special to make for the hubs on my day off. I figured since I had the day off I could find a different recipe that maybe would be more work but would be more like the classic Coq Au Vin, which takes a whole lot longer to prepare. When searching for a new recipe, I learned my old dish was really nothing like what Coq Au Vin is supposed to be. It was a good dish, but now I don't even think it can be called Coq Au Vin. Here I was searching for a chicken dish with tomatoes and wine but apparently I was way off. Obvi, Coq Au Vin is the super fancy french way of saying chicken cooked in wine, and to my surprise, there are no tomatoes involved. There is however a whole lot of wine, yummy mushrooms, bacon, garlic, shallots, chicken, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. What I realized in the end that I was not wrong that I love Coq Au Vin, I was just totally wrong in what it actually was... and boy am I glad to be wrong!

The absolute best thing about this dish is that it sounds totally impressive but I'll let you in on a little secret- it's totally easy! Totally simple elegance!

Quick Coq Au Vin

3 tbsp olive oil
3 slices thick cut bacon, roughly chopped
4 chicken thighs
1 handful flour seasoned with salt and pepper
8 oz crimini mushrooms, halved
8 shallots, cut into slices
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 bottle red wine, less one glass (for the cook!)
1 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme

Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Set bacon aside.

Shake chicken with the seasoned flour in a plastic bag until coated. Shake off any excess flour and brown chicken in pot, 4-5 minutes per side. Set chicken aside with bacon.

Saute mushrooms, garlic and shallots in pot until they just begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Pour half of wine into pan and cook over high heat for about 8 minutes. Add broth and the rest of the wine. Bring to a boil and add the chicken, bacon and herbs to pot. Return to a boil then cover and simmer 45 minutes. Remove bay leaf, thyme and serve.

Recipe adapted from 2 epicurious recipes found here and here.

Sunday Supper For the Hubs: Chicken Parmesan with Homemade Chunky Tomato Sauce

I'm doing my best to strive in my wifely duties lately while working the crazy hours that I do. Most nights, I'm not home to make dinner and I have to admit, that is one thing I really miss about having a 9-5. There was nothing I enjoyed more than coming home after a long day at work than pouring myself a glass of wine and spending a little quality time in my kitchen. I still get to enjoy nights like this a couple times a week but I've found that now that I am not able to cook as much during the week, I need to find meals that can last a couple days for the hubs to enjoy on those nights when I'm not around. Not that he isn't self-sufficient. He absolutely is. I think he just got very pampered the last few years when it comes to his dinners and he misses that. So, while he is paying the bills, I'll do my best to oblige and ensure that he still gets delicious home-cooked dinners as many nights as possible. One way I am able to accomplish this is by making one of his favorite dishes last.

The last few weeks he's been requesting Chicken Parmesan. I have to admit, this isn't one of my favorite dishes and after each request for it, I'd try to find something else that he would be just as happy with. But when I wasn't going to be home really at all to make dinner a couple weeks ago, I gave in and made him chicken pram. Clearly chicken pram can be incredibly easy- a jar of good tomato sauce, some chicken cutlets, and some bread crumbs. But that is just not how I roll so I turned to one of my bff's, Miss Martha Stewart, and made it a little more special with her recipe for easy homemade chunky tomato sauce.

Easy Chunky Tomato Sauce

3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried thyme or Italian seasoning

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice and thyme. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, 20-25 minutes.

Chicken Parmesan

3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 chicken cutlets
salt and pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 cups Chunky Tomato Sauce, recipe to follow
1/4 cup olive oil
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into eight 1/4-inch-thick slices

Heat broiler. Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan in a shallow bowl. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in beaten egg then dredge through breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat both sides.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Cook chicken in skillet until golden brown on both sides. Spread tomato sauce on bottom of a baking dish and place browned chicken cutlets on sauce. Top each cutlet with slice of mozzarella cheese. Broil about 4 inches from heat source until cheese is melted and lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately over pasta.

Recipes adapted from Martha Stewart.com

Super Simple Weeknight Meals: Country Chicken and Biscuits

Life seems to be flying by lately and my days seem to do the same. I have very few nights these days where I have time to make a nice dinner for the hubs and I, which means I'm in search of more and more quick and easy weeknight supper recipes. My dad gave me a cookbook a while ago and while thumbing through it one night, I found this recipe. I've made it many, many times as the hubs absolutely loves it. I love it because it's cheap and if using already cooked chicken, such as a rotisserie chicken from your local market, the prep work takes about 10 minutes and you can let your oven do the rest. Oh, and feel free to add any mixture of your favorite veggies to change up the dish as you'd like. 

Now as much as I'd love to live an organic lifestyle, sometimes life just doesn't permit it and this recipe is the perfect solution to those days. With that said, I plan to create my own version of this dish this summer when fresh veggies are in full swing and my days are a little longer. If it works out, you can expect a delish organic, Jersey Fresh Sunday supper to come your way in a few months. 

Country Chicken and Biscuits

1 14.5 oz can cream of soup, any variation you like such as cream of mushroom

1/3 cup milk

1 14.5 oz can green beans

1 cup frozen or canned peas

2 cups chicken, cooked and cut into bite size pieces

salt and pepper, to taste

1 11 oz can refrigerated biscuits

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine soup and milk in a large bowl. Add chicken, green beans, peas and salt and pepper. Spoon into an 11x7 inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 20 to 25 minutes. 

Remove from oven. Separate biscuits and place on top of heated chicken mixture. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until biscuits are baked through and golden brown. Serve hot.

Recipe adapted from "Old Fashioned Favorite Recipes of All Time" by Barnes and Noble

For My Loving Cup: Lettuce Cups

I first met lettuce cups on the hubs and my very first dinner date after moving to San Fran. We had been in town about a week, it was our first Friday night in the city by the bay. We found an Asian fusion restaurant by the name of Betelnut and the hubs made a reservation. Everything sounded insanely delicious on the menu, including the dirty sake martini, which I enjoyed immensely. We ordered a bunch of different items: chile-crusted calamari, Szechuan green beans (the hubs' fave!), something with Kobe beef that I don't recall the name of but it was damn good, and of course... lettuce cups!

I've tried to re-create these lettuce cups many times and somehow I manage to lose every recipe I've found after the first time I use it. Some of them have been great, others... not so much. BUT- I found this delicious recipe on one of my new found food blog loves- Crepes of Wrath. I made a tweak because sometimes I'm kind of a dummy and forget major components at the grocery store and in this instance, I forgot the beef... oh silly me! But alas, a good little modern housewife must be able to improvise and thus, I did just that. I had some ground turkey and ground pork in the freezer so I combined the 2 and well, it wasn't half bad... and healthier to boot! I have to say though, that is one of the best things about this dish. We originally had it with chicken at Betelnut and the Crepes of Wrath recipe calls for beef. I love it with beef, but all proteins work well. So all in all, this recipe was a success and now that I've documented my source here, I'll never lose it again!

Asian Lettuce Cups

16 lettuce or cabbage leaves
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground turkey1 tbsp cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 tsps sesame oil


Rinse lettuce leaves with water and pat dry. Set aside.


In a large skillet over high heat, brown pork and turkey in oil. Drain and set aside. Cook onion in same pan until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, green onions, sesame oil, and continue cooking just until the onions begin to wilt, about 2 minutes more. Serve mixture in a bowl with lettuce leaves on the side for diners to make their own lettuce wraps. 


Recipe adapted from Crepes of Wrath

Sunday Supper: Chile Garlic Chicken

With the Christmas holiday only a week away and all of us busy preparing, this weeks Sunday supper is a dish that tastes like it's been simmering for hours but will only take you a cool 45 minutes to prepare. This would also make a great weeknight meal to last a couple days. Make a big pot of this chicken and you'll have delicious leftovers for the next day. I found this dish in my inbox a couple weeks ago a la my ever trusty Martha Stewart daily recipe newsletter. Simmering the chicken in the sauce makes it so moist and flavorful and I found that it was even better heated up the next day. The chicken soaked up the flavor even more. Just throw some rice in your rice cooker and dinner is done!

Chile Garlic Chicken

1 tbsp vegetable oil
4-6 chicken legs, thighs and/or drumsticks
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup sugar

Heat oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan, skin side down, and cook until skin is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Turn over and cook about 2 minutes more. Transfer chicken to plate.

Discard all but 1 tbsp fat from pan. Add garlic and cook, stirring, about 30 seconds. Stir in vinegar, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and sugar. Return chicken to pan, skin side up, and submerge in liquid to cover as much as possible. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low until liquid is gently simmering. Cook 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to medium and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Serve chicken over rice.

recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Fall at the Farmhouse: Cornbread Stuffed Cornish Game Hens with Roasted Root Vegetables

I have to tell you that I had the most fabulous weekend! My mama came down to visit for the weekend while the hubs was away on business. We did a whole bunch of antiquing and went to a whole lot of thrift stores. I even stumbled upon a gorgeous vintage faux fur leopard print double breasted coat- something I've been pining for, for at least the last year or two- all thanks to the mama! I gotta tell you, the girl knows how to shop when it comes to re-sale shopping! I can remember being a kid and hating when she dragged me to every garage sale and every antique shop. Funny thing is- the tables have turned! I dragged her to every antique, resale, or thrift store I could find this weekend. And we had the most fun along the way!

Maybe the best moment of the weekend (it's tough to choose because there were so many great moments!) was when we made a fabulous fall dinner at the farmhouse together. We chopped, cooked, chatted, drank plenty of wine, and even had The Golden Girls playing in the background. I don't think it gets any better! The weather was cool, crisp, and sunny and I was craving Fall flavors so we searched for a yummy fall recipe. We stumbled upon this dish on my Epicurious app on the ever trusty iphone and it was just what the doctor ordered.

Chicken isn't my favorite protein, but I love Cornish hens. They have more dark meat and are slightly richer in flavor, but still so much like chicken. I absolutely die for cornbread and stuffing so when this recipe called for cornbread stuffing- put a fork in me! I was done!! Nothing says fall like apples, cornbread, and stuffing! As for the roasted root veggies- it's nothing special, but when fall and winter come around, I can't wait to smell carrots, potatoes, parsnips, squash, and rutabaga roasting away in the oven. So as the cooler weather draws near and your craving the tastes of fall, give this menu a shot. It'll make your evening cozy and comforting, even if it ain't that cold out!

Cornbread Stuffed Cornish Game Hens

Stuffing:
3 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 cups diced, peeled, cored Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples
2 tsps chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups 1/2 inch cubes cornbread (about 11 ounces)
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1/2 cup (packed) coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese
6 tbsps fresh apple cider or fresh apple juice

Game hens:
4 Cornish game hens, rinsed and patted dry
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
2 tsps coarse kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
4 bacon slices, each halved crosswise

For stuffing:
Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and celery. Saute until beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Add apples, saute until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Mix in sage, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Transfer to a large bowl. Let stand until almost cool, about 10 minutes.

Mix cornbread into vegetables. Add egg and toss to blend. Mix in cheese, then enough apple cider by tablespoonfuls to form stuffing that is moist but not wet.

Game hens:
Sprinkle cavity of each hen lightly with salt and pepper. Pack 1 cup stuffing into each (place any leftover stuffing into buttered ramekins and cover with foil). Skewer cavities closed with toothpicks. Tuck wing tips under; tie legs together to hold shape. Mix sage, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle mixture over hens.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Place 2 hens in skillet. Saute until brown, turning often with wooden spoons, about 10 minutes. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet, breast side up. Repeat with remaining hens. Drape 2 bacon strip halves over breast of each hen. Using kitchen string, tie bacon strips in place. (Place any ramekins of stuffing on baking sheet with hens.)

Place hens in oven. Roast until cooked through and juices run clear when thigh is pierced, about 45 minutes. Cut string off hens. Transfer hens to plates and serve- about 1 hen per guest depending on size.

Roasted Root Vegetables

Any selection of root vegetables such as the following:
potatoes
rutabaga
parsnips
turnip
carrots
squash

Peel and chop into large chunks. Mix with enough olive oil to coat. Toss with your favorite herbs. This time around I tossed with some Emeril's Essence and some fresh sage which we had leftover from the game hens. Roast in pre-heated oven at 375-400 degrees for 30-45 minutes, until vegetables are tender but not mushy.

Modern Housewife Tips:
1. Typically you would serve 1 hen per guest, but depending on your side dish and size of the hen, one hen for every two people could work. The mama and I shared one and it was just enough for the two of us.
2. This recipe calls for apple cider to mix with the stuffing to make it moist. I followed the recipe and found that the stuffing was a bit on the sweet side between the cornbread and the apple cider. Next time I'll try using chicken broth. I think the cornbread adds enough sweetness that it will be much more balanced if cut with a little bit of saltiness.
3. The recipe calls for bacon to be draped over the hens before you put in the oven. We weren't really feeling the bacon so I topped each hen with about a half a tbsp of butter- just enough to brown the skin and also give it a bit more flavor.


Recipe adapted from Bon Apetit, October 2008 by Bruce Aidells

Game Day: Bring on the Chicken Wings

It's game day in my house which means the Yankees are on. I have to say, as much as I love to see Derek Jeter's beautiful face on my giant television, I hate baseball season. Now, now, don't start thinking that I'm an awful wife because I don't let the hubs enjoy a little sports from time to time. I'm totally fine with a little sports being watched in my house. But do you know how often teams play each other in baseball? I swear, the Yankees are on EVERY day. Not only do they play all the time but it seems like just when the season ends, its starting up again. But alas, instead of being a crabby wife, I try to embrace it, as much as possible. One of the best ways I've found to embrace baseball season is by enjoying my Uncle Jim's homemade chicken wings.

These aren't your typical buffalo style chicken wings but are actually soy sauce based so they have a slightly sweet, slightly salty, slightly soy flavor and they are delicious. They were one of my favorite things growing up. I loved going to family parties when Uncle Jim made wings. Between those and the shrimp cocktail that was sure to be on the table, I was a very happy little girl. I've actually taken to making them for my own parties and people eat them right up. My guests are pleasantly surprised at the nontraditional wing flavor.

Uncle Jim's Chicken Wings

3 lbs chicken wings
3 tbsp oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup cooking sherry
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ginger
green onions (for garnish and can cut up a few to add to the wings during cooking if you wish)

In a 5 qt. saucepan over high heat cook chicken in oil, approximately 7 minutes. Add soy sauce, sherry, ketchup, sugar, and ginger. Stir to blend. Cover and cook 25 minutes. Uncover and cook about 10-20 minutes until sauce is reduced, stirring frequently.



recipe courtesy of my Uncle Jim Trow
photo by Susie M. Eising

Fit for a Farmhouse: Chicken and Dumplings

Well hello all you pretty little modern housewives. How I've missed you so!! I am dearly sorry for my absence this past week. The hubs and I headed back to the east coast for his sister's wedding on Saturday and then we roamed New Jersey and a tiny piece of New York in search of the perfect town and perfect house to start our next adventure on the east coast. We certainly had no intention of finding said perfect house but were more focused on finding the perfect town. Amazingly so, we found both!

When asked what I would love in a home, my short version is "an old farmhouse that is fully modernized on the inside". Well, I have to say I found just that. We found an 1830's dutch colonial on 2 acres of gorgeous land along a pretty little brook. The house has that old world charm but was remodeled in 2000 and is absolutely to die for on the inside. Obvi, the kitchen is of huge importance and I DIED for this kitchen, especially the 1952 Wedgewood stove. And now all I can think about (other than crossing every part of myself that will cross so that we get this house) is the perfect meal to cook in my old farmhouse kitchen. One of the most delicious things to come to mind so far is a classic comfort food dish that we all know and love: Chicken and Dumplings.

I found this Chicken and Dumplings recipe in Cooking Light a few years back and not only is it delish, but being that it is from Cooking Light it's a bit healthier than the Chicken and Dumplings that may have been made in my farmhouse's kitchen back around the Great Depression, which is when this dish originated. So light a fire, turn off the TV, and set the dining room table because this is one classic dish to be enjoyed by you and your loved ones while appreciating a little old world charm.

Herbed Chicken and Dumplings

Cooking Spray

8oz skinless boneless chicken breasts or thighs cut into bite-sized pieces

3/4 cup chopped celery (about 1/4 inch pieces)

1/2 cup chopped carrot (about 1/4 inch pieces)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/8 tsp dried thyme

3 parsley sprigs

1 bay leaf

3 cups fat free, less sodium chicken broth

about 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk

Heat a large saucepan over medium high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan and cook 4 minutes, browning all sides. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm. Add celery and next 5 ingredients (through bay leaf) to pan. Saute 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Return chicken to pan, cook 1 minute. Add broth to pan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup and level with a knife. Combine flour, chopped parsley, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add milk. Stir just until moist. Spoon by heaping teaspoonfuls into broth mixture. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until dumplings are done. Discard parsley sprigs and bay leaf. Serves 2 (serving size: 2 cups).

recipe and image courtesy of Cooking Light

Back to Basics: Roast Chicken

I recently was watching an episode of No Reservations with the amazing Anthony Bourdain (I just love him). Instead of travelling in this episode, he focused solely on technique and the basics of cooking. His friend and incredible chef, Thomas Keller (owner of French Laundry which I hope to one day have the privilege and funds to dine at) did a little tutorial on the perfect Roast Chicken. It was an incredibly simple recipe and it made me think how important it is for a modern housewife like myself to be able to make the perfect roast chicken. Now, I have to admit, I've had some practice and am not quite there yet but I'm confident my next bird will be perfection. I've got the flavor and roasting part down. My only problem is I often roast the bird upside down. I can't even believe I'm announcing that to all of you, but its true. For some reason I just have a hard time telling when the little lady is on her stomach or on her back. But I think I've figured it out now. So... I feel its safe to share with you my secrets for roasting the perfect chicken.

Roast Chicken with Vegetables and Herb Butter

3 1/2 to 4 lbs whole chicken
salt and pepper
herb butter (recipe below)
1 lemon, quartered
1 yellow onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 parsnips, cut into large chunks
2 pounds potatoes (fingerling or new red potatoes are both great options), cut into large chunks
2 turnip, cut into large chunks
2 carrots, cut into large chunks

Allow chicken to stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In bottom of roasting pan toss vegetables, including 1/2 of onion, with Olive Oil, salt and herbs (fresh sprigs of thyme are a great option).

Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Season chicken with salt and pepper, including inside of cavity. Fill cavity with lemon, garlic cloves and other half of onion. Rub exterior of chicken allover with some of herb butter, including under skin. Place chicken on top of vegetables. Drop 1-2 tbsp of herb butter over vegetables. Roast in oven for about an hour, occasionally basting with pan juices, until an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees. Let rest 10 minutes before carving.

Herb butter

1 cup loosely packed fresh herbs, such as parley, oregano, thyme, or marjoram
1 cup butter, room temperature

Combine herbs and butter in a bowl or food processor, pulsing until combined.

Some tips:
1. Any unused herb butter can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. It's also great on a sizzling hot steak right off the grill.
2. Vegetables are also delicious when roasted separately and get a little crisper.
3. A great way for the hubby to feel involved and like the "man of the house" (even though we all know who is really in charge) is to have him do the carving.

Herb butter recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart
Roast chicken courtesy of moi, with influences by Martha and Joy of Cooking (a cookbook every modern housewife needs to add to their collection)

Ain't No Marie Callender's Chicken Pot Pie

Who doesn't love to come home to the aroma of classic, cozy comfort food permeating from their oven. I know I do, although, usually the hubs is the one coming home to it while I'm the one preparing. Either way, all those classic comfort food dishes just tickle me pork! I came across this deliciously modern Chicken Pot Pie recipe in Cooking Light magazine a few years back. Being that it came from Cooking Light, it is obviously much lighter in fat than a classic Chicken Pot Pie but my fave thing about this dish (besides that its super tasty and makes great leftovers) is how easy it is. The phyllo dough topping makes this dish unbelievably simple and is a HUGE time saver. I think this dish is an absolute must for all you modern housewives to add to your repertoire.

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cups red potato (about 1 pound)

2 cups diced onion

2 cups sliced mushrooms (about 8oz.)

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced carrot

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

2 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour

3 cups fat free milk

1/2 cup less sodium chicken broth

2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 12oz.)

1 cup frozen green peas

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

6 sheets phyllo dough, thawed

Preheat oven to 375.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over med-high heat; add oil. Add potatoes and next 6 ingredients (through thyme). Saute for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and sprinkle flour over vegetables. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in milk and broth. Increase heat to med-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, peas, salt and pepper.

Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Place 1 phyllo sheet on a large cutting board or work surface. Make sure to cover remaining phyllo dough with a towel to keep from drying out. Lightly spray phyllo sheet with cooking spray. Repeat layers with cooking spray and place phyllo layers loosely on top of mixture in dish. Place dish on baking sheet and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Makes about 6 servings.

A few tips:

1. To save even more time, grab an already cooked rotisserie chicken from your grocery store.

2. Phyllo dough can be found in the freezer section at your grocery store. You will get more sheets than you need in a pkg so feel free to throw those unused sheets back in your freezer for next time.

3. Fresh herbs are always nice, but I've found I can never use up all the herbs that come in a pkg, thus it ends up going to waste, which I hate! Dried herbs are just as yummy in this dish, just make sure to cut the amount in half as dried herbs are about twice as strong as fresh herbs.

recipe courtesy of Cooking Light April 2007