Travel along on a culinary tour with recipes from the four corners of the Earth

We are going to take a world tour today and sample some recipes from different places on our beautiful planet Earth. A few weeks ago, we had many different types of casserole recipes in this column, mostly just American origin, but today we will branch out and try something different, and the last recipe will bring you back to America for a chicken dish recipe. The cabbage roll casserole recipe combines many of the traditional flavors of stuffed cabbage rolls, but not all of the rolling. Enjoy!

This first recipe uses many ingredients, but all of those flavors should blend together to make a nice, more authentic-tasting enchilada.

Chicken Enchiladas

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
• Salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 16 corn tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
• Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.

Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute. Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 13-x9-inch pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

Cabbage Roll Casserole

Layer cabbage and a ground beef filling lasagna-style in this hearty casserole that cabbage roll lovers will savor.

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) tomato sauce, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1 medium head cabbage (2 pounds), shredded
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in one can of tomato sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in rice and bacon; heat through. Remove from heat. Layer a third of the cabbage in a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture. Repeat layers; top with remaining cabbage. Pour remaining tomato sauce over top. Cover and bake 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 12 servings.

One-Pot Chicken Feta Alfredo

• 12 ounces cooked chicken, chopped (half a rotisserie chicken or about 2 small chicken breasts)
• 4 ounces pancetta
• 8 ounces uncooked campanelle pasta (or penne or bowtie)
• 4 ounces crumbled feta
• 1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper
• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

In a 10-inch skillet, cook pancetta. Drain fat. Add remaining ingredients to skillet. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer 15-20 minutes. Serves 4.

Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/3 pounds chicken breast tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white wine

1 lemon, juiced

• 1 cup chicken broth or stock
• 3 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 pound penne rigate pasta, cooked al dente
• Chopped or snipped chives, for garnish

Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the chicken to the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until lightly golden all over, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and return the skillet to the heat. Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter, the garlic and shallots to the skillet. Saute garlic and shallots 3 minutes. Add flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in wine and reduce liquid 1 minute. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce. Stir in capers and parsley. When the liquid comes to a bubble, add remaining *½ tablespoon butter to the sauce to give it a little shine. Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce and serve. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste. Top with fresh snipped chives.

Ranch Cheddar Chicken

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons dry ranch dressing seasoning
• 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the chicken in a large baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ranch and cheddar cheese. Spread on top of the chicken breasts. Sprinkle the panko on top and spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.