Cleaning out the recipe box

We are keeping busy with a full schedule of basketball activities at our house. Both my children are playing, so that involves practices and, of course, the games. It is so much fun to see them play and score.

My daughter is the tallest player on her team and she uses that to the team's advantage. My son, recovering from pneumonia, isn't seeing quite the playing time he is used to, but when he does play, it is a thrill to see the hustle and watch him make a few points. There is one mother of this team that loves to cheer the boys on, and she does a great job of it. What great memories we are building with our children.

Again this week I am cleaning up some old recipe e-mails and pass-along recipes from friends. Be sure to try the nutty chicken dinner salad -- it is quite yummy.

Chocolate-filled monkey bread

18 frozen white dinner rolls, thawed

1 1/2 cups (9 ounces by weight) semisweet chocolate morsels

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup butterscotch sauce (optional)

1/4 cup chocolate flavor Nestle Nesquik calcium fortified syrup (optional)

Grease a 12-inch bundt pan. Cut each roll in half. Press each half into 3-inch circle. Place 10 or 11 morsels in center of dough circle, shaping dough into a ball around morsels. Pinch dough to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and morsels.

Dip each in melted butter and roll in sugar. Arrange dough balls in prepared pan, seam sides up. Cover; let rise in warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes. Loosen sides and invert onto serving platter. Drizzle with butterscotch sauce and Nesquik. Serve warm. Yields 18 servings.

Nutty chicken dinner salad

Strips of crunchy granola-coated chicken, juicy raspberries and toasted pecans over leafy greens make this a refreshing meal.

1 (10-ounce) bag frozen raspberries

1/2 cup oil and vinegar dressing

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing

2 tablespoons maple-flavored syrup or real maple syrup

4 Nature Valley cinnamon crunchy granola bars (2 pouches from 8.9-ounce box), finely crushed (3/4 cup)

1 egg

1 pound uncooked chicken breast tenders (not breaded)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 (10-ounce) bag or 2 (5-ounce) bags mixed baby salad greens

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

2 slices (3/4 to 1 ounce each) Swiss cheese, cut into thin julienne strips

1/4 cup pecan halves, toasted or glazed

Spread frozen raspberries on paper towel; let stand to thaw while making dressing and salad. In small bowl, mix dressing, chopped pecans, brown sugar, mayonnaise and syrup with wire whisk until well blended. Refrigerate until serving time. Place finely crushed granola bars on paper plate or in pie plate.

In shallow bowl or another pie plate, beat egg with fork. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken to beaten egg; stir to coat. Dip each chicken strip lightly into crushed granola bars; add to skillet. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until chicken is no longer pink in center and browned on all sides.

Remove from skillet; drain on paper towels. In large serving bowl, mix salad greens, onion, cheese and thawed raspberries. Toss; adding only enough dressing to evenly coat ingredients. Arrange greens mixture on individual plates. Place chicken evenly over greens. Arrange pecan halves on top. Drizzle with remaining dressing. Yields 4 servings.

Note: To toast pecans, bake uncovered in ungreased shallow pan in 350-degree oven about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.

I'm out of room again, so until next week, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail to P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes have not been kitchen-tested.