Chicken and Pear Salad on Arugula

20 min/4 servings
Source: National Chicken Council/U.S. Poultry & Egg Assn. (www.eatchicken.com)

• 1 whole chicken, pre-roasted, sliced
• 1/2 cup bottled fruit-flavored or blue cheese salad dressing, low-calorie
• 3 pears, sliced
• 2 bunches arugula, rinsed
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Place pears in medium bowl; toss with salad dressing. Add arugula; toss again. Arrange arugula salad on four plates. Divide chicken slices and place on top of salad. Sprinkle with walnuts.

Creamy Onion Dip

20 min/10 servings
Source: www.onions-usa.org (National Onion Association)

• 2 cups finely chopped onions
• 1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt and pepper for taste

Heat oil in large skillet. Add onion; cook over medium heat stirring often, 3 minutes, or until barely tender. Stire in paprika. Combine onion mixture and sour cream in medium bowl. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Cover; refrigerate until ready to serve.

Wilted Spinach Salad with Dried Cranberries, Pecans and Feta Cheese

45 minutes/ 6 servings
Source: www.uscranberries.com (Cranberry Marketing Committee & Spinner Publications)

Salad

• 1 small red onion, vertically sliced
• 8-9 cups spinach leaves, washed and patted dry
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tbsp mint leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• pinch of salt
• black pepper, freshly grounded

Quarter and thinly slice the red onion. Place the slices in cold water and allow to soak for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Brush the bread slices with olive oil. Toast the slices in a 375°F oven until nicely browned. Peel the garlic clove and smash it. Rub the browned slices of bread with the garlic after they come out of the oven. Place the soaked onion slices, spinach, pecans, feta, cranberries, mint and vinegar in a large mixing bowl. Toss together with a large pinch of salt. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil to just below smoking. Pour the hot oil over the salad in the bowl, tossing well as you do. Taste and correct the seasoning with salt, pepper and vinegar.

Cheese Pumpkins

45 mins/8 pumpkins
Source: www.bettycrocker.com

• 8 tbsp smoked Cheddar cold pack cheese food (8 oz container), well chilled
• 2  tsp finely chopped peanuts
• 4 butter-flavored pretzel spindles or sticks, broken in half
• 16  tiny pieces fresh parsley leaves

Line small serving plate with waxed paper. Roll each level tablespoon cold pack cheese food into a ball; place on waxed paper-lined serving plate. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes for easier handles. With end of toothpick, draw ridges around balls to resemble pumpkins. Dip bottoms of cheese balls in chopped peanuts. Just before serving, insert pretzel halves into cheese balls for pumpkin steams. Decorate with parsley for leaves. Store in refrigerator.

Island Chicken Wings

50 mins/4 servings
Source: www.eatchicken.com
(National Chicken Council/U.S. Poultry & Egg Assn.)

8 chicken wings

• 1 4 oz. can of diced green chilies, drained
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 2 tbsp apricot preserves
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1 large banana, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 tbsp garlic oil

Cut off wing tips; discard or save for other purposes. Cut remaining wings apart at joints to make 2 pieces each. To make dipping sauce, in blender, combine chilies, onion, raisins, preserves, brown sugar, lemon juice, allspice and banana; puree. In large skillet, heat garlic oil. Cook wings for 18 to 20 minutes or until well-browned on all sides and internal juices of chicken run clear. Meanwhile, pour sauce in small saucepan and cook uncovered over medium heat for 10 minutes to thicken liquid; stir frequently. Sprinkle wings with salt and pepper. Serve with dipping sauce.

Crunchy Cherry Party Mix

30 minutes/20 (1/2 cup) servings
Source: Choose Cherries (www.choosecherries.com)

• 4 cups bite-size corn or rice square cereal
• 2 cups bite-size wheat square cereal
• 2 cups broken whole grain Melba toast
• 2 cups small fat-free pretzel twists
• 3 tbsp margarine or butter, melted
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 14 tsp onion powder
• 1/8 tsp ground red pepper
• 1 1/2 cups dried tart cherries

Put corn or rice cereal, wheat cereal, Melba toast and pretzels in a large bowl; stir to mix. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, stir together melted margarine or butter, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and ground red pepper. Drizzle over cereal mixture. Toss to coat. Spread cereal mixture in a 15×10x1-inch (or 13×9x2-inch) baking pan. Bake in a preheated 300-degree oven about 25 minutes, stirring every 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven; stir in dried cherries. Pour onto aluminum foil to cool completely. Store in a tightly covered container for up to 1 week.

Patriotic Petit Fours

15 minutes/serves 6
Source: National Watermelon Promotion Board

• 12 1-inch cubes of seedless watermelon
• 1 cup cream cheese frosting
• 12 red and/or blue candied almonds
• Red, white and blue star-shaped sprinkles

Arrange the watermelon cubes on a serving platter. Place the frosting in a Ziploc bag and trim off a bit of one bottom corner. Decoratively pipe the frosting onto each watermelon cube. Place an almond at the top of the frosting on each petit four. Decorate with sprinkles and serve on red, white and blue table decor.

Triple-Hot Chicken

40 mins/ 6 servings

Source: National Chicken Council/U.S. Poultry & Egg Assn.

• 2 1/2 lbs. chicken drumsticks, thighs or wings
• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp liquid hot pepper sauce
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat grill to medium (if using gas grill), or until charcoal is covered with gray ash and is medium-hot. Meanwhile, combine vinegar, sugar, pepper sauce, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne to make hot sauce; mix well. Set aside 3/4 cup of mixture to serve as dipping sauce; use remaining for basting.

Place frozen chicken on grill. Brush with basting sauce. Grill for 15 minutes (10 minutes for wings), basting often. Turn chicken over and baste again. Basting often, grill for 15 to 20 minutes more (10 to 15 minutes for wings) or until internal juices run clear. Discard leftover basting sauce.

Serve chicken with reserved hot sauce.

Watermelon Jelly Logs: Fruit Filled Rectangles

15 minutes | serves 6

• 6 3-inch x 2-inch x 5-inch watermelon rectangles
• 3 flavors all fruit or low sugar preserves
• 6 ginger, molasses or peanut butter cookies

Using a melon baller, cut 3 divots into a long side of each watermelon rectangle. Fill each divot with a different all fruit or low sugar preserve. Serve each rectangle with a cookie or breakfast dish.

www.watermelon.org (National Watermelon Promotion Board)

Easter Chocolate Crispy Treats

38 minutes | serves 20

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