Sorry...

I am not very good keeping up with things! I did great the first week taken pictures and posting. And I used a wonderful cookbook, but then I kept forgetting to take pictures, and wasn't as excited about the cookbooks. So I am posting two recipes from the first week to make up for my slacking! I hope you all forgive me! :)

Thai Basil Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Peanut Sauce
2 tbsp dry-roasted peanuts
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup poppy seed dressing
2 tsp Asian Seasoning Mix
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp water

Salad

1 small cucumber
1/2 medium red bell pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cooker chicken
4 large Boston or bibb lettuce leaves
Additional chopped peanuts and basil (optional)

1. For sauce, chop peanuts and basil. Combine peanuts, basil, dressing, seasoning mix, vinegar and water in a small bowl and set aside.

2. For salad, peel cucumber, slice into julienne strips, avoiding seeds. Slice bell pepper into thin strips. Shred chicken; toss with half of the sauce. Set remaining sauce aside for dipping.

3. To serve, divide cucumber among lettuce leaves. Spoon chicken mixture over cucumber. Top with bell pepper. Garnish wraps with additional peanuts and basil, if desired. Serve with remaining peanut sauce.

Yield: 2 servings

Glazed Chicken with Apple Salad

Dressing and Apple Salad
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp apple jelly
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 Granny Smith apple
1 red apple such as Jonathan, McIntosh, or Gala
1/2 cup lightly packed watercress
plus additional for serving
(I use shredded lettuce and sometimes mix with watercress)

Chicken and Glaze
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper
2 tbsp apple jelly
1 tsp stone-ground mustard
1 tbsp brown sugar

1. For dressing, mix together vinegar, jelly and mayo; set aside. For salad, slice apples into julienne strips. Remove leaves from watercress stems (discard stems); coarsely chop watercress leaves. Combine apples and watercress in a bowl and set aside.

2. For chicken, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Meanwhile, flatten chicken to an even thickness using a tenderizer. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken 4-6 minutes or until grill marks appear. Turn chicken over; cook 4-6 minutes or until center of chicken is no longer pink.

3. While chicken is cooking, prepare glaze. Combine jelly, mustard and brown sugar in a bowl. Brush chicken with glaze during last minute of cooking. (WARNING...it burns really easy! I learned the hard way!)

4. To serve, arrange additional watercress on serving plates, if desired. Pour dressing over salad just before serving; toss gently to coat. Top watercress with salad and chicken.

Yield: 4 servings

Hope you all enjoy! Let me know what you think. Also, these pictures and recipes are in the 29 Minutes to Dinner, from the pampered chef...BEST COOKBOOK EVER!