Want a super tasty dinner that is quick to make?  Italian spices and taste mixed with cheese and chicken...yum!  You have to try this dish...it all just works together to make a super tasty dinner. I served mine with a side salad and some fresh garlic bread to make the meal complete. Enjoy ~ Diane.

Easy Chicken Provolone

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
8-10 3 oz. chicken cutlets 
3 cups tomato marinara/sauce *your choice
8 slices of provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 450.
Heat the oil in large pan, add chicken cutlets (I used boneless, skinless, fat removed, thighs.) place herbs in a small bowl to blend (sprinkle over chicken as it cooks - both sides) Season with salt and pepper. Cook just until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Place a spoonful of the marinara sauce (I used my own fresh canned tomato sauce) in bottom of baking dish and place cutlets over sauce, lay slices of provolone on-top of chicken and sprinkle tomato sauce over and around the cutlets. Bake until the cheese melts and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Recipe Partially Adapted from: Giada/FoodNetwork 
Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home
#easydinner #chicken #provolone 

How about a great use for Summer Poblano Peppers (pasillas) and 
corn!  This soup is a real treat.  A wonderful soup created by my friends Mom and published too - your gonna love this soup! Enjoy - Diane 

Chicken Poblano Chowder

Ingredients: 
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 onions, diced
5 stalks celery, chopped
2 T garlic, minced
2 to 3 poblano peppers, chopped and seeds removed
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t ground cumin
1/4 t dried thyme
2 T olive oil
12 C chicken broth
3 C cooked boneless skinless chicken breast, diced
11 oz can of whole kernel corn
1/2 C butter
1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 t hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1 C whipping cream

Directions:
In a large soup pot over medium heat, saute carrots, onions, celery garlic, peppers and seasonings in oil, until vegetables are tender. Add broth; cook until carrots are tender. Stir in chicken; cook, stiring often, until mixture begins to thicken, about 30 minutes. Add corn; remove from heat. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes, until flour is golden. Ladel one cup of hot liquid from stockpot into skillet, whisking constantly. Pour misture from the skillet into the stockpot, stirring to blend. Return soup pot to heat and cook 3 to 5 minutes longer, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat; stir in hot sausc and cream. Servs 12 to 16.
freezes and reheats in the microwave really good too.

Recipe by: Margie Slentz
From Goosberry Patch, The Christmas Table Cookbook
Photo by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home

Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake Bars

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon zest, or the zest of (1) large lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup fresh blueberries

Topping Ingredients:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8" square pan with butter or spray with non-stick baking spray. Beat the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined.

Place the blueberries in a small bowl and sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of the dry flour, stir gently to coat the berries. Add half of the dry ingredients (flour & baking powder) to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the sour cream, mix again, and add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.

Gently stir in the blueberries and pour the batter into the prepared pan. Place the flour and sugar for the topping in a small bowl and add the melted butter. Stir lightly with a fork to combine. Sprinkle the sugary crumbs over the batter in the pan.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Let cool before slicing. Enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Coca Cola Ribs

Ingredients:
3 1/2 pounds pork loin back ribs
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons liquid smoke
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 cup coca cola *not diet
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce

Directions
Spray inside of 4- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
Remove inner skin from ribs. Mix brown sugar, salt, pepper, liquid smoke and garlic; rub mixture into ribs. Cut ribs into 4-inch pieces. Layers ribs and onion in slow cooker. Pour cola over ribs.
Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 9 hours or until tender. Remove ribs from slow cooker. Drain and discard liquid.
Pour barbecue sauce into shallow bowl. Dip ribs into sauce. Place ribs in slow cooker. Pour any remaining sauce over ribs. Cover and cook on low heat setting 1 hour. 

Note: This recipe was tested in slow cookers with heating elements in the side and bottom of the cooker, not in cookers that stand only on a heated base. For slow cookers with just a heated base, follow the manufacturer’s directions for layering ingredients and choosing a temperature.

My Note: I have a Kitchen Aide 6 Qt. Slow-Cooker and cooked this on 'Medium' the whole time...

Recipe found at: Betty Crocker and Food Network
Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home

I made these a few weeks back when I scooped up a deal at the Farmers Market on Okra. I wanted to try adding a bit of white wine vinegar to the brine to see how much of an impact it would have...now, weeks later - I am happy to report that it makes these little okras taste fantastic!! Perfect for snacking, or on an appetizer tray - much better in a Bloody Mary!! The kind of different flavor that will leave people thinking they can't quite guess what it is but, its good!  Diane

Fridge Pickled Okra

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon dill seed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes *optional but, great! 
10 ounces okra, rinsed and pat dry

Combine all the ingredients except the okra in a small sauce pan and gently heat, only until sugar is dissolved.
While that mixture is heating, pack each pint jar with half of the okra.
Once the sugar's dissolved in the brine, remove from heat. Use a canning funnel and a ladle to transfer brine to jars. The ladle is important because you'll be able to scoop up mustard and celery seeds for each jar instead of them just all ending up in the last jar. Top off with just a little water if some of the okra pods are above the brine.
Allow to cool to room temperature and then secure jar lids. Refrigerate for 4 weeks. Shake gently every week to ensure that the flavors evenly distribute.
These should last in the fridge for another month after the aging period.

Recipe Adapted by: Culicurious
Photo by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home