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Here we are into the second week of May, and I still have had my heat on some nights. Unbelievable! So it’s not too hot to start up the oven and bake this easy but impressive chicken dish. I’ve found the low-fat mushroom soup and low-fat mayonnaise work just as well as their regular counterparts.

Easy Chicken-Broccoli Bake

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Pepper to taste

1 lb. fresh broccoli

1 can low-fat mushroom soup

½ cup low-fat mayonnaise

2 tsp. curry powder (don’t skip this)

Small squeeze lemon juice

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Egg noodles, cooked and tossed with butter

If baking right away, preheat oven to 350 F. In a skillet, heat olive oil on medium until shimmery. Meanwhile, cut breasts into two or three pieces each. Drop into hot skillet, sprinkle with pepper, cook for 3 minutes without moving. Turn over, cook 2 more minutes. Turn off heat.

While meat cooks, cut broccoli tops into bite-size florets, arrange around outside of a large baking dish. Peel stems (because they’re tough) with carrot peeler, slice into ¼ inch coins and arrange in center. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes. Remove plastic, arrange chicken in center over stems.

In a bowl, stir together soup, mayo, curry and lemon juice. Spread evenly across top. (If you’re cooking ahead, stop here, cover with plastic and refrigerate. A half hour before serving, remove from refrigerator and preheat oven.) Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and hot all the way through. Serve over hot, buttered noodles.

Serves 4.

And I needed to find ways to use the great Vidalia onions I purchased from Bob Keene with the Mecca Shrine organization, so I tried these that I found in one of my many cookbooks and thought they were very good. Try them, Bob.

Grilled Vidalia Onions

As many Vidalia onions as you have company

Beef bouillon cubes

Butter

Garlic powder

Peel, wash and core the center of each onion. Place one bouillon cube in each onion. Top with butter and garlic powder. Wrap each onion individually in tin foil and cook on the grill for about 45 minutes or until tender. You may also cook these in the oven at 350 degrees.

This oatmeal-raisin cookie recipe came from my Aunt Cecelia, who was a great cook in her day.

Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

3 eggs, well beaten

1 cup raisins

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2-1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups oatmeal

Combine eggs, raisins, and vanilla and let stand for one hour, covered with plastic wrap. Cream together butter and sugars. Add flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda to sugar mixture. Mix well; blend in egg-raisin mixture and oatmeal. Dough will be stiff. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet or roll into small balls and flatten slightly on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly brown.

Pam Buchda encouraged me to enter the Sweetest Contest being held at the Care Center on Thursday afternoon. I’m sure it will be interesting and hopefully I’ll have some “winning” recipes for you in a future edition.