Morgan Recipe Corner

Bacon Chicken Pasta

2012-01-23T12:48:00.000-08:00

16 oz farfalle pasta (bow-tie)

1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

4 chicken breasts

3-4 cloves of garlic

1T pepper

3/4 cup butter

1 lb bacon (previously cooked and crumbled) **must be real, fresh cooked bacon. not "bacon bits or real bacon"

3/4 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

1 120z lawry's mesquite marinade with lime juice

In Crock Pot cook chicken in marinade on low for 6 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices and allow to cool, shred. Set aside.

Half an hour before serving, boil pasta.

in a small sauce pan melt better. Then add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, cheese and bacon. Wisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add some milk for desired consistency. In a large bowl pour sauce over cooked drained pasta. Add chicken, stir through. Sprinkle with a little bit more cheese for presentation on top.

This is so good and so easy!

Thai-Style Chicken Soup

2012-01-19T09:20:00.000-08:00

2 onions, minced

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 T minced or grated fresh ginger

1 T vegetable oil

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 (14 oz) cans coconut milk

2 stalks lemon grass, bottom 5 inches only

2 carrots, peeled and sliced, 1/4 inch think

3 T fish sauce

10 cilantro stems, tied together with twine

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed

Salt and pepper

8 oz white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin

3 T fresh lime juice from 2 limes

1 T sugar

2 tsp Thai red curry paste

Garnishes

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

2 fresh Thai, serrano or jalapeno chiles, stemmed seeded and sliced thin

2 scallions sliced thin

Lime wedges, for serving

**This is a crock pot recipe. However, my friend Jamie recommended stove top, which is what I did. I just adapted the following recipe.

1. Microwave onions, garlic, ginger and oil in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.

2. Stir broth, 1 can coconut milk, lemon grass, carrots, 1 T fish sauce, and cilantro stems into slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4 to 6 hours on low.

3. Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-sized pieces. Let soup settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using large spoon. Discard lemon grass and cilantro stems.

4. Stir in mushrooms, cover and cook on high until mushrooms are tender, 5 to 15 minutes. Microwave remaining can coconut milk in bowl until hot, about 3 minutes, then whisk in remaining 2 T fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and curry paste to dissolve.

5. Stir hot coconut milk mixture and shredded chicken into soup and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with garnishes.

Clam Chowder

2011-10-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

This is the one Alicia sent me. I need it somewhere where I can always find it so I'm posting it here.

Mom Morgan Boston Clam Chowda

2 cans chopped clams
1 cup onions, chopped fine
1 cup diced celery
2 cups diced potatoes
3/4 cup flour
1 cube butter
1 quart 1/2 and 1/2
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp sugar

Drain juice from clams and pour over veggies in medium saucepan. Add enough water to barely cover and summer until veggies are tender- about 20 min.

In the meantime melt butter; add flour and cook for a minute or two. Add cream and cook and stir until smooth and thick using a wire whisk to blend.

Add cooked veggies and clams and heat through. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Optional: add thyme and marjoram to taste.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

2011-09-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

(I would double it next time for my family--as is it only makes about 3-4 good sized servings)

1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 Tbsp. roasted garlic olive oil
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. flour
14 oz. chicken broth
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Place cauliflower in small roasting pan, drizzle with oil and season with garlic powder, salt & pepper, toss to coat
Roast the cauliflower, stirring frequently until golden brown and tender (20 min or so)
Melt butter in saucepan, add onion and brown (about 10 min.). Sprinkle with flour and add liquid, bringing to a boil while it thickens.
Turn down heat and add the roasted cauliflower. Blend half and add back in for thicker consistency.

So yummy!!

Pizza Wheels

2011-09-08T19:33:00.000-07:00

I made these the other day just to mix it up a little bit and I was so happy I did. These were delicious.

1 recipe pizza dough (below)
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1 pkg pepperoni (I use turkey pepperoni)
1-2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 tbs. Johnny's Garlic seasoning (You can get this at Costco and will be glad you did, so good!)
1/4 cup grated parmesan.

Make pizza dough and let it raise for 30 minutes. Roll it out into a long rectangle, like cinnamon rolls. Spread sauce (you want the sauce to be thin), layer pepperoni, and cheeses, then sprinkle with Johnny's. Roll it up lengthwise, so you have a long roll, again just like cinnamon rolls. Cut into 1 1/2-2 inch slices and lay on a greased cookie sheet. Let them raise for about 45 minutes, sprinkle with a little extra parmesan cheese, back at 375 for about 20-30 minutes or until it looks cooked and golden brown.

Serve with marinara or ranch. So good!

Flaxseed Apple Muffins

2011-09-07T17:24:00.001-07:00

Sorry! It's me again. I made these muffins this morning. So healthy and really yummy (just don't overcook them like I did - totally forgot they were in the oven). I am big fan of flaxseed and throw it in where I can. Give them a try!

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 c ground flax seed

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 apples, peeled and cored

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients (flour, ground flax seed, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon).

STEP 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (egg, brown sugar, yogurt, apple sauce, and vanilla). Core and chop the apples into small pieces.

STEP 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir just until combined. Fold in the chopped apples just until they are evenly distributed. Try not to over stir the mixture or else the muffins may become tough or rubbery.

STEP 4: Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray or line with paper cups. Evenly distribute the muffin batter between 12 muffin cups. Bake in the preheated 400 degree oven until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 20-25 minutes). Remove the muffins from the tin and let cool on a wire rack.

Originally posted here.

Meal Planning

2011-09-06T19:21:00.001-07:00

I'm sure no one else has a problem with meal planning (wink, wink) but it's something I dread and avoid. However, I need a schedule and I need to stop making quick trips to the grocery store. So I started thinking of ways to encourage meal planning. And I decided to do theme nights. Every week, each day has a theme and I try to find meals to fit that theme. I have all of September planned out - and I am super excited about it. Here are the themes for us for September (I may change them up in October - we'll see):

Meatless Monday

Taco (or any Mexican) Tuesday

World (different ethnic foods) Wednesday

Throwaway (leftovers) Thursday

Italian (usually a carbo load) Friday

Soup/Salad Saturday

Home Cooked Sunday

Of course you could change it up to meet your family's tastes, but so far, I really love the theme idea. I use foodgawker and pinterest for a lot of my ideas. Let me know what you think and what themes you come up with. Also if you are interested in any of the meals I have planned for the various nights, let me know and I'll send you my calendar.

Chicken Gyros

2011-09-01T16:48:00.000-07:00

photo from Handle the Heat

{I wish I had taken a picture of mine because they really did look this good!}

I am so excited about tonight's dinner that I couldn't wait to post. Seriously, so yummy! I also found a new food blog that L.O.V.E. It's could Handle the Heat and it's definitely worth looking into. So onto tonight's meal...

For the tzatziki sauce:

16 oz. greek yogurt or plain yogurt
1/2 hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
2 cloves garlic, finely minced {I used the jar minced garlic and only did 1 tsp instead of 2}
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:

4 cloves garlic, smashed {Again the jar garlic and only did 3 tsps instead of 4}
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tbsp. plain yogurt
1 tbsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips or bite sized chunks

To assemble:

Pita bread, whole wheat if possible
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin (I skipped this because I don't like raw onion) {so did I}

To make the tzatziki sauce:
If using plain yogurt, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl. Let strain for several hours or overnight, if possible, to remove as much moisture as possible. Note, if using lower fat yogurt there will be more liquid strained. If using Greek yogurt, skip this step.

Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel and squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

To prepare the chicken:
Combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Preheat broiler. Cook chicken under broiler for about 2-4 minutes per side, depending on size of pieces. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.

Warm pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Copied from here.

Fruit and Spinach Salad

2011-09-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

This has become my FAVORITE salad. I really love it. I try to have everything on hand so I can make it anytime. I don't use spinach (Matt can't eat it) so I used red and green baby romaine instead. Give it a try. So good!

1 head red leaf lettuce

1 bunch spinach

2 Johnny smith apples

2 cans mandarin oranges

1/4 red onion slices {I leave these out}

1/2 c sugared almonds (see recipe below)

feta cheese to taste

poppy seed dressing {I either make my own - Alicia's recipe - or use Brianna brand}

Sugared almonds

1 C chopped raw almonds

3 T sugar

1. For the salad, just chop all the ingredients and toss together.

2. For the Sugared Almonds, place the nuts in a small skillet and sprinkle with sugar. As the sugar melts, stir the contents of the pan and let the sugar turn brown, being careful to not let it burn. When the sugar has reached the color of a paper sack place the nuts on a cookie sheet to cool. That's it!

Chicken, Corn and Black Bean Quesadillas

2011-08-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

I made these tonight. I wasn't sure if my kids would eat it and Matt was still at work, so I invited some friends over. They were a hit! Everyone (except Ethan because he doesn't like anything!) loved it. And it was super fast. Probably 30 minutes start to finish...maybe less. I did a little less garlic and I used half pepper jack and half mild cheddar cheese. I also did butter instead of oil when cooking the quesadillas. I would really recommend these!

Photo by sugaredwhisk.

2 tablespoon canola oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded or cubed*
1/3 cup water or broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 can black beans
2 ounces cream cheese
2 cups Mexican blend cheese (PepperJack would be great too)
4 large (burrito sized) flour tortillas

* I seasoned my chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and chili powder and cooked it stove top.

Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large skillet, stir in the garlic and corn and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add the chicken, water (or broth), cumin, chili powder, oregano, and black beans and bring to a light boil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to let the flavors meld. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the cream cheese.

Heat another large pan (grill pan, or cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat, brush pan surface with canola oil. Place a flour tortilla onto the hot pan. Build a quesadilla by layering a handful of cheese, 1/4 of the chicken mixture and another handful of cheese on one half of the tortilla. Fold tortilla in half and apply pressure to top to create a sear on the bottom of the tortilla and to make everything stick together. Once the bottom of the tortilla is browned flip over and brown the other side, once again applying pressure to the top to help the browning process. When both sides are browned remove quesadilla from pan and cut into 4 even triangles with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Repeat process with remaining tortillas, brushing pan with canola oil before each quesadilla.

Originally posted here: http://www.sugaredwhisk.com/2011/chicken-corn-and-black-bean-quesadillas/

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bites

2011-08-28T14:21:00.001-07:00

It has been a while since anyone posted and I am making this tonight so I thought I would share it. So good and so rich! I want to say Rachel gave me this recipe but now I can't remember.

Ingredients:

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

Mix these two together and set aside

4-6 oz cubed swiss cheese (I buy slices and it does not make any difference)

8 oz cubed ham

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup milk

Mix these two things together and set aside

Bread crumbs

2 lbs chicken

Drop bite size raw cubed chicken into milk and egg mixture. Roll in bread crumbs. Brown in a oil on stove. Place chicken in a baking dish with ham and cheese mixed throughout. Pour milk and soup mixture over chicken

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Very creamy and very delicious.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

2011-03-11T18:50:00.001-08:00

I got this from http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com/ and LOVED it. We all did. Enjoy!

2 (14oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup finely diced onions
1/2 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 Tbsp fresh oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups half and half, warmed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

In a large slow cooker, combine tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, bay leaf, oregano, and basil (if using fresh oregano and basil; if using dried oregano and basil add those two ingredients in the last hour of cook time). Cover and cook on low for 5 to 7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.

About an hour before serving prepare a roux: Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour; stir constantly with a whisk for 5 to 7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup from the slow cooker. Add another 3 cups soup and stir until smooth.

Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for another hour until ready to serve. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Boursin Chicken

2011-03-07T17:32:00.000-08:00

This recipe it so yummy! I thought I had posted it here, but alas I have not, so here it goes.

1 small onion diced
1 pkg mushrooms sliced
4 chicken breasts, sliced in strips (like for stir fry)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup cream (or you can use milk or 1/2 and 1/2 or a combination of them all)
2 Tbs. sour cream
1 pkg Boursin Cheese

Saute the mushrooms and onions in the oil. (You can of course, leave these out if you are not big fans, I however, love them in it.) Once the onions are translucent, add the chicken and cook over low heat until it is cooked through. Add the milk and sour cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Crumble the Boursin into the sauce and slowly stir it in until melted and smooth. Bring to a low boil for just a second and then serve over rice, mashed potatoes, egg noodles or just eat it plain.

Fish Tacos

2011-03-06T17:23:00.000-08:00

Took some of the ingredients from another recipe and made them my way...EASY. Used fish sticks that I already had. This was really good its what we had for dinner tonight.

Yummy white fish sticks
1 orange peeled and seperated
2 avocados
1 oz Lime juice
green onions (I used yellow because that is what I had)
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
lemon pepper to taste
tortillas

Cut up oranges and avocados into cubes. Mix in a bowl with lime juice, onions, and seasonings for salsa.

Bake the fish sticks. And then put it all in a tortilla and eat....yummo and super easy.

Chicken Stir Fry

2011-02-12T17:34:00.000-08:00

I do not contribute very often, and I am sick and tired of the same old foods and having stuff in my freezer that I never know what to do with. So, when I find a recipe, then I want to put it on here so that I can go back to it often. I really wish cooking was one of "my" things.

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth or Swanson® Chicken Stock

1 tablespoon soy sauce or low-sodium soy sauce

Vegetable cooking spray

1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into strips

5 cups cut-up fresh vegetables (broccoli florets, green or red pepper strips, sliced mushrooms, carrots, celery and green onions)

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup regular long-grain white rice, prepared according to package directions (about 3 cups)

Stir the cornstarch, broth and soy sauce in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth.
Spray a 12-inch skillet with the cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken and stir-fry until well browned. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
Add the vegetables, ginger and garlic powder to the skillet. Stir-fry until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
Stir the cornstarch mixture in the skillet. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Return the chicken to the skillet and cook until the chicken is cooked through. Serve the chicken mixture over the rice.

Berry Quinoa Salad

2011-01-27T10:23:00.001-08:00

This can be for breakfast or a side salad, or lunch or just a midnight snack.

2 cups dry quinoa
4 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups berries (any combination)
1/2 cup sour cream (can use fat free) or plain Greek yogurt
3-4 tbs. brown sugar

Rinse dry quinoa, then add to salted water and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Allow quinoa to cool completely. Add sour cream and sugar and mix thoroughly then toss in berries. You can always adjust amounts on everything to suit your liking.

Quinoa Chicken Stew

2011-01-26T20:28:00.000-08:00

Found this here and made it tonight for dinner. So good! I didn't have any peppers so I omitted those, but everything else was in there. However, if you don't love it all, you could just use the veggies you like. I think next time I would cut out the zucchini because no one (but me) in my family likes it. You could really vary this however you want. Definitely worth a try.

Oh and it makes a TON! It fed my little family, plus my friend's family (4 people) and I still have at least two servings leftover. Not sure how well it freezes, so you might want to half the recipe.

Also, Alicia, would you post some of your other Quinoa recipes on here? Jacque made a request for Quinoa yummies. Thanks!

2 T extra virgin olive oil (I always skimp on this just a little)
1 large onion, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 Cups sweet pepper, chopped
1 large zucchini, quartered and sliced
64 oz chicken broth
15 oz can diced tomatoes
5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cubed into 1" pieces (get the Yukon potatoes, it's worth the extra few dollars)
3 cups cooked quinoa
4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked, shredded and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper
2 T Dijon Mustard
1 T Hot Sauce (Cholula brand is good)
Kosher Salt, fresh cracked black pepper, Garlic Salt (Lawry's is good), and Parsley to taste
1 1/2 cups fresh parsley chopped

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, carrots, peppers, and zucchini until softened. This takes about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, and potatoes. Increase heat to high just until broth starts to boil Reduce to medium high and cook potatoes for 10 minutes or until fork tender. Reduce heat to low and stir in quinoa, chicken, dijon mustard, hot sauce. Season to taste with kosher salt, pepper, garlic salt. Stir in fresh parsley and simmer until ready to serve.

Apple Dumplings--soooo good!!!

2010-12-10T10:21:00.000-08:00

Apple Dumplings
2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls (16 rolls)
2 sticks butter (not margarine!)
1 ½ cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Cinnamon
8 oz. Mt. Dew
Peel and core apple. Cut apple into 8 slices. Roll each apple slice into a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.
In a saucepan, melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. The butter/sugar mixture should look grainy. Add vanilla, stir and pour over apple rolls. Pour Mt. Dew around the edges and down the center of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake @ 350 for 40 minutes, it should look really brown. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream. Spoon some of the sweet sauce from the pan over the top. ENJOY!

Something German made American!!

2010-12-06T09:58:00.000-08:00

So, my German friend made lunch for us the other day and bragged about this "secret" sauce that I couldn't make because the main ingredient is a german sauce. Well, it was pretty stinkin' good. So I tried to make it with my own stuff and it tasted pretty close to hers and was also pretty stinkin' good. (It really doesn't seem very german, but she swore by this sauce and it was good, so I'll give her that, but it wasn't too hard to duplicate)

Cook chicken pieces in a saucepan. Remove chicken from pan and add the following:
1 pint heavy cream
a little milk ??? (maybe 1/2 cup or so, doesn't really matter)
2 bouillon cubes (I used chicken but I think you could use beef as well)
Seasoning salt (who knows how much, whatever looks good to you)

Let that mix and simmer and then add the chicken back in and simmer for whatever time you need! We put it on noodles, but I'm sure rice would be good too. Enjoy!

Turkey, Artichoke and Pesto Panini on Focaccio Bread

2010-10-12T20:37:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from the Kneaders Bakery Menu in Provo, never eaten there, but this still sounded good, so I decided to try it. I called Rachel to get her focaccio bread recipe, so I will post that also. Great recipe Rachel and you can do so many things with it, kids loved it too.

Turkey, Artichoke and Pesto Panini

Cut bread in half lengthwise and spread both top and bottom with pesto. Then on bottom layer;

sliced turkey
spinach
marinated artichoke hearts
tomato slices
red onion slices
mozzarella cheese (I used a little cheddar as well)
salt and pepper

Place in panini maker until cheese is ooey gooey and dripping out the side. So yummy!!!

Variation: I haven't tried it yet, but I think it would also be really yummy to add thin granny smith apple slices as a layer.

Focaccio Bread

1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tbs. yeast
1 tsp. water
Combine and allow to proof, about 5 minutes
Then add:
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Start with only 2 cups of flour and then add the remaining if necessary to get a light, airy and soft dough.

Mix in mixer for 5-10 minutes allowing it to knead. Cover with a towel and let it double in size, about an hour. Punch it down and shape into a large ball. Spread into a pan, either in a circle about 12" in diameter or an oblong shape about a 1/2 inch thick. (Since I was making this into panini, I made to small rectangle shapes about 5x9 inches give or take. Don't roll it, as you want the air bubbles and you want it to stay light and airy.

Cover with a towel and let raise about an hour, with your fingertips, gently tap small indents all over the dough, then brush with olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. kosher salt. (I added some Rosemary on one of the loaves for kicks and giggles)

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. (I undercooked mine just a wee bit since I was using them for panini and would be cooking them again, so you might want to let them get a little more golden brown than the picture shows.

Yummy BBQ marinade for Salmon

2010-09-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbl. white vinegar
2 Tbl. lemon juice
1 Tbl. olive oil
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Mix together and boil until reduced to syrupy consistency (about 15 min.) Brush salmon (seasoned with a little salt & pepper) with sauce and grill on cedar plank. Serve with remaining sauce. Yum!!!

York Peppermint Patty Brownies

2010-08-22T14:47:00.000-07:00

I found this on a new recipe blog I ran across, so of course, I had to make them promptly as they seem to be the perfect dessert. They were really good, but definitely plan on a glass of milk and a small brownie. She recommends making 40 brownies from a 9x13 and that sounds about right.

1 C butter + 1T to coat the pan

8 -1 oz squares unsweetened chocolate

5 eggs

3 3/4 C sugar

2 t vanilla

1/2 t salt

1/2 t almond extract

1 2/3 C flour

1 C semi sweet chocolate chips

2 bags York Peppermint Patties (the generic brand has been known to make this recipe flop. I would advice buying the good stuff) (I bought 2 bags and had almost an entire bag left over, so you could probably go with just one)

1. Line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with tin foil and grease it with butter.

2. Microwave the unsweetened chocolate and butter for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each cooking interval. Keep cooking and stirring until the chocolate and butter are melted. Set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl (or in your stand mixer) beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt and almond extract for 3-4 minutes.

4. Add the melted chocolate mixture and flour. Mix until incorporated.

5. Stir in the chocolate chips.

7. Spread half of the batter into the buttered pan.

8. Unwrap your peppermint patties and line them up over the top of the bottom layer of batter.

9. Cover the patties with the second half of the batter.
10. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. This part is a little tricky. Stick a knife in the top layer of brownie and be sure that it comes out clean before you take them out of the oven.

11. Cool on a wire rack and then refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.

Quinoa edamame salad

2010-08-19T15:29:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup dry quinoa (cooked according to package)
1/2 chopped red pepper
1/2 cup shelled edamame
1/8 diced green onion
1/4 cup craisins
4 tbsp sunflower seeds, shelled

Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing

4 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Pinch sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Lemon Zuchinni Bread

2010-08-19T15:18:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon zest

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8x4 inch loaf pan.
In a bowl, beat together the zucchini, sugar, egg, and oil. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder; stir in the cinnamon and lemon zest. Stir the flour mixture into the zucchini mixture just until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from heat, and cool about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

After it has cooled slightly, pour the glaze over the top.

Glaze:
1/4 cup FRESH squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar

Mix together, it will be grainy, that's part of the charm.

Alicia's Rice Pudding

2010-07-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

I made this last night....lots of leftover rice. It was so yummy. Thanks, Alicia!

3 cups cooked rice
3 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar

2 T butter

1 tsp vanilla

cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Combine everything (except cinnamon) in saucepan. Cook on medium for about 25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Broccoli Salad

2010-06-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

LaNae asked me to make this for the memorial day party and I had to look it up and ask Alicia because I have never made it. Well, it's my new favorite!! Made it again for a get together at Smith's and as at the Memorial Day Party, everyone raved about it. (I didn't do the onions because I don't like them, but it's in the recipes so I'll include it.)

5 cups fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup Craisins
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon
1/4 cup of red onion, chopped
1 cup of frozen peas, thawed

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

Combine broccoli florets, Craisins, sunflower seeds, crumbled bacon, chopped onion, and peas in a large serving bowl. In a separate bowl or large cup, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. Add dressing to the salad and toss to mix well; chill thoroughly before serving.
Broccoli salad serves 4 to 6.

Zuppas BBQ Chicken Salad

2010-06-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

I loved this salad when we went to Zupas so here it is:

Lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, black beans, corn, black olives, red onions and tortilla strips.

Top it off with BBQ Sauce and Ranch.

Zupas claims to have a "special" BBQ sauce, but I just used my favorite (Sweet Baby Ray's) and it was awesome.

Southwestern Turkey Sandwich

2010-06-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

1 can chopped olives
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup mayo
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup chopped green onion
1 pound sliced smoked turkey
2 tomatoes chopped
2 chopped avocados
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 loaf of French bread

Mix first top 7 ingredients. Cut bread lengthwise and spread 2/3 of the sauce across both sides. Then layer as follows: Turkey slices, chopped tomato, chopped avocado, remaining sauce and then cheese.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until cheese is ooey, gooey and bubbly.

This can also be made into panini which we really like and best when served with chips and salsa. Oh so good!!!!!

Kristy's Mango Peach Pulled Pork

2010-05-27T07:17:00.000-07:00

Heather (Mike's wife) Morgan posted this on her blog and it sounded so good! And since it's a crock pot meal, it works for this month. I am posting it here and plan on making it when Matt gets back.

1 pork tenderloin

1-2 cup brown sugar
2 cups Mango Peach Salsa (or salsa of your choice)

Stir together brown sugar and salsa in a slow cooker. Add pork (frozen is okay if it'll fit in the slow cooker). Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Shred pork with 2 forks before serving. If you get the Costco pork and cook it fully, it pretty much falls apart on its own. It's super tender and juicy.

Serve on nachos, in tacos, or in a salad. The possibilities are endless and SO YUMMY!

**NOTE: I added the label to all the Crock Pot recipes we currently have the on the blog. There are 14. Just a few more days for this theme so let's get posting. Any ideas for next month?!**

Easy Chow Mein

2010-05-19T14:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this recipe is kind of a make it however you want-type thing. Here are the ingredients we like to use, but you could pretty much add anything you want:

1 pkg. thick spaghetti noodles

2 eggs

green beans (fresh is best)

green onion, chopped as high up as you want

white onion, chopped in large strips

3 chicken breasts, cooked

water chestnuts

soy paste (you can get this at any Asian food store, thicker and stronger than soy sauce)

soy sauce

oil

Crack the eggs in a large wok or frying pan...let cook slightly. Add vegetables, and oil, soy paste, and soy sauce to taste. Once the beans are mostly cooked, add chicken and more soy paste and sauce. Add noodles last, with more oil, paste, and sauce to taste. Basically, the more paste and soy sauce the better...there are no set amounts. When the veggies seem cooked through, it is good to go! Very yummy and great leftovers.

Poppy Seed Chicken

2010-05-17T14:40:00.000-07:00

I know, we all know this recipe, but I can never find it so I am posting here and now I'll be able to find it whenever I want. And no, it's not a stove top or crock pot, so I'm breaking the rules, too!

4-5 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1-2 cans cream of chicken soup (depends on how creamy you want it)
1 cup sour cream
1 stack Ritz crackers - crushed
1 cube butter

Mixed chicken, soup and cream. Layer in 9x13 pan. Melt butter and add to crushed Ritz. Top chicken mixture and bake 1/2 hour at 350 degrees.

Serve with egg noodles.

Black Beans

2010-05-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

Funny story...We had our grandmother dinner the other night for mutual and I was in charge of making beans for the dinner (which I found out about the night before). When I do beans, I do dry....so its a long process, it would have been nice to know a night earlier. Anyway, so I made them and then get a text at 6:10 (mutual is at 7:00)...."paula, did you remember that the dinner is at 6:00".

Ya, nobody told me and I didn't get that memo!

So now I have a ton of black beans that I need to use up.

Recipe:

Boil dry beans for 2 minutes, let sit in water for an hour, drain and rinse.

1 quart water
1 lb beans
garlic clove
1 cup dry onions
2/3 cups bacon bits
pepper

Put all ingredients in crockpot and slow cook for two days. Serve with any mexican food meal...or make a TON of burritos and freeze.

Aren't you all so proud of me for actually posting something on here?

Tres Leche Cake

2010-05-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

First of all, Love, Love, Love the look of this blog, nice work Rachel.

Disclaimer: I know this is not following the theme, but Rachel said I could post it.
Since yesterday was Cinco de Mayo, I decided to make a Tres Leche cake. I have never had it, nor has Tyler but he has been asking me to make one for quite some time. I found this recipe here, which does provide good step by step directions if you want.

But here is the recipe:

1 cup All-purpose Flour
1-½ teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ teaspoons Salt
5 whole Eggs
1 cup Sugar, Divided
1 teaspoon Vanilla
⅓ cups Milk
1 can Evaporated Milk
1 can Sweetened, Condensed Milk
¼ cups Heavy Cream
_____
FOR THE ICING:
1 pint Heavy Cream, For Whipping
3 Tablespoons Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separate eggs.

Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.

Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.

Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool.

Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.

Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes. To ice the cake, whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable.
Spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate cake with whole or chopped maraschino cherries. Cut into squares and serve.

Baked Potato Soup

2010-05-06T05:16:00.000-07:00

I got this from the Family Favorites Website. It's mostly no oven, if you bake your potatoes in the microwave.But it was REALLY good. I thought it rivaled restaurant soup. Too bad I didn't have those cool looking breadsticks.

4 to 6 potatoes (baked, peeled, and cubed)

½ c. butter

½ c. flour

2 tsp. chicken
bullion

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp. minced garlic

6 c. milk

16 oz. sour cream

10 bacon strips,
cooked and crumbled

1 can corn, drained

shredded cheddar
cheese

In a large saucepan melt butter on low heat. Stir in flour and seasonings. Gradually add
milk and turn heat up to medium. Add minced garlic. Bring to a boil, cook and stir 2 minutes until thick. Remove from heat. Whisk in sour cream. Add potatoes, corn, and bacon. Serve in individual bowls topped with cheddar cheese.

May's Theme

2010-05-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

With summer looming (at least our here), I am looking for meals that don't require an oven. I used my oven today and we are still roasting, six hours later. We don't have AC so I really think limiting oven use is our best bet. So, that's what I'm looking for - no-bake, crock pot, stove top, skillet meals, etc.

Looking forward to all the fun and new recipes!

Baguettes

2010-04-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe today and just made them this afternoon. So good! Matt said they were my best bread yet. Definitely post-worthy. And super easy. Try em out.

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 1/2 Tbs. (2 packages) dry yeast
2 tsp. sugar
3 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. salt

In a small bowl mix the warm water with the yeast and sugar. Let it sit for about 5 minutes - foam should form on the top.

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Gradually add the yeast mixture. Mix until the dough becomes a smooth ball and knead for 5 minutes. (I use my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook)

Cut in half and then shape into 2 baguettes. To make them smooth and pretty, roll each half of dough into rectangle and roll up lengthwise. Pinch the edges to seal and place on lightly greased cookie sheet (or silpat) with seam down. Cover and let it rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. With a very sharp knife (I like to use a serrated blade) gently make a slash down the length of each baguette. This will give it that authentic look. Pour water in a cookie sheet and place it on the bottom rack of the oven. Bake the bread for 15 minutes. Half way through, brush the bread with melted butter. **I tried it with olive oil too... it was less crispy and salty. We liked the butter a lot more!

**Original recipe found here.**

Favorite Recipes!

2010-04-13T11:27:00.001-07:00

Alright everyone! Here are some of my all-time favorite recipes, as requested by Alicia. :) Happy eating!

Summer Pasta Salad

1/3 cup olive oil

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tsp salt

1 tbs oregano

1 tbs basil

2 packages 12 oz. rotelli pasta (spiral)

2 cups tomatoes, sliced

8 oz. mozarella cheese, cubed

1 pkg. salami, low fat, sliced into strips

olives (optional)

In a large bowl, mix vinegar, oil, salt, oregano, and basil. Add cheese cubes, tomatoes, and salami. Mix. Add noodles and toss. Cover and chill overnight or for several hours (MUCH better cold). Toss before serving and add more balsamic vinegar as desired.

Serves 8

Cranberry Apple Turkey Crockpot

2 tsp melted butter

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 or 2 large apples, cored and chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce

1/4 tsp poultry seasoning

2 cups seasoned crumbs

2-3 lbs. turkey breast cutlets

Combine all ingredients and mix. Add to crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours.

Ashley's Healthy Salsa

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can corn, drained

2 avocados, chopped

1 bunch green onions, sliced

2 T cilantros, chopped

2-3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 pkg dry zesty Italian dressing mix

vinegar

tortilla chips

Combine beans, corn, avocado, onion, cilantro, and tomatoes in a bowl. Prepare italian dressing according to directions on package. Pour dressing over salsa ingredients. Serve with chips, quesadillas, or nachos.

Mom's French Bread

2010-03-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

Makes 2 loaves

Mix and let proof:
1 1/2 Tbs yeast
1/2 c. warm water
2 tsp. sugar

Then add 2 Tbs. crisco
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. sugar
2 cups HOT water (tap hot)
6-8 cups flour

Mix together and knead for 10 minutes or so, then let rise to double in size; 1-2 hours. Divide dough into 2 portions. Roll each into a thick rectangle, then roll up jelly roll style, pinch it closed and then pinch and tuck the ends in. Make slits across the loaf and let raise again for 1-2 hours or until it is double in size. Bake at 400 degrees in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. Put melted butter or crisco on the top of the warm loaf.

Barbequed Meatballs

2010-03-12T16:09:00.000-08:00

Rachel won't let it go, so here's a recipe. I tried her cream sauce meatballs and unfortunately I had these to compare to so... I guess you could say "I've had better!"

1 egg, lightly beaten
1 can evaporated milk (5 ounces)
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
1-1/2 lbs grounds beef

Sauce:
1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke, optional
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

In a bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls; place in a greased baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Meanwhile, combine the sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour over meatballs. Bake 10-12 minutes longer.

I serve it on egg noodles.

Crock-Pot Lasagna

2010-03-11T10:10:00.000-08:00

4 cups mozz cheese
1 Tbl. Italian seasonings
28 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 onion, chopped (I leave this out of course!)
1 lb. ground beef
9 lasagna noodles
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 oz. ricotta cheese

Spray inside of crock pot with PAM
Brown ground beef, add garlic, saute slightly
Stir in sauce and Italian seasonings, simmer
Combine Mozz chesse and Parmesan
Layer in crockpot as follows:
1/4 c. meat sauce on bottom
1/4 c. mozz/parm mixture
3 uncooked noodles
1/3 c. ricotta cheese
Repeat until you have three layers
Cook on low for 2-3 hours (I put this in before church and it's just right when we get home)

Meatballs with Cream Sauce

2010-03-10T15:10:00.000-08:00

Yep, it's me again. These were great! And relatively easy.

MEATBALLS:

1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 T. ketchup
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup quick oats
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
3 T. flour

CREAM SAUCE:
2 T. butter
3 1/2 T. flour
1/4 t. dried thyme
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
14 oz. can chicken broth (If you want your sauce thicker, cut down the chicken broth to 1 cup)
2/3 cup milk
2 T. minced fresh parsley

In a bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients EXCEPT the beef and flour. Add beef and mix well. Shape into balls. Roll in flour, shaking off excess. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet and bake, uncovered, at 400 for 10 minutes. Turn meatballs, bake 8-10 minutes longer or until no longer pink. Meanwhile, for the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, thyme, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add broth and milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. If using the full can of chicken broth, the sauce doesn't thicken overly much, but it is delicious that way. If you want it slightly thicker, cut down the chicken broth to 1 cup. Drain meatballs on paper towels; transfer to a serving dish. Top with sauce and parsley. Serve over rice or egg noodles (I used egg noodles and loved the result!).

Pizza Rolls and a fun website

2010-02-28T14:54:00.000-08:00

My friend Holly sent this link to me for Pizza Rolls, so much fun and yummy. It was a little tedious making them because I did a double batch and next time I would use string cheese cut into chunks, that would be way easier than shredded cheese. I also made the garlic bread seasoning, yummy as well as the dipping sauce. That is a good recipe, I would use only half of the seasonings for it next time, it was a little too garlicky, or just double the tomato paste and water. It tasted very much like the pizza sauce you buy, Loved it.

Then with this link, check out some of the other fun recipes, I really like her section on sandwiches, gonna have to try a few of those.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/06/stuffed-pizza-rolls.html

So there Rachel, I have posted :)

Sister Traveller's Banana Cookies

2010-02-24T13:34:00.000-08:00

{Side note: I'm going to rename this "Rachel's Recipe Corner" because lately, I've been the only one contributing. I know I am not the only one cooking and I know I'm not even the best cook in the family, so get on it! Please. Side note ended.}

I found this on the blog of a girl I went to high school with. Apparently Sister Traveller made these for all the teenage gatherings at her house, which apparently kept all of Jodi's friends on the right path. I don't know if all that's true but I do know they were good. I had a little taste of one (didn't eat a whole cookie because of the no-sweets thing) and I thought it was good. Matt liked them. Hailey LOVED them (especially the frosting) and all the kids/parents at Music and Movement liked them. So, try them out.

Ingredients:
2.5 cups flour
1.5 tsp. bk.pwd.
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp. bk.soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
Mix and set aside

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup mashed banana (aprox. 2.5 bananas)
1 pkg. choc. chips

Mix butter and sugar 'til fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Alternate dry ingredients and mashed banana. Stir in choc. chips. 350, 10 mins. (I had to bake mine longer.)

Frosting:
2 tb. butter
1/4 cup mashed banana (aprox. 1/2 banana)
2 cups pwd. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Whip until smooth. Frost cooled cookies.

Hamburger Soup

2010-02-03T12:03:00.000-08:00

Made this last night for dinner. It was really, really yummy. I seasoned my beef quite a bit, which I think made all the difference. I also added potatoes (not included in the original recipe), which made it a very hearty soup. Try it out.

1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2-3 cups diced potatoes
6 cubes beef bouillon
5 cups water
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn kernels
1 teaspoon dried basil
3 tablespoons ketchup

In a medium skillet, brown hamburger over medium heat. Be sure to season with salt and pepper. Drain off fat. Combine beef, carrots, celery, onions, bouillon, water, tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, salt, corn, basil, and ketchup in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours.

Chicken Empanadas

2010-01-14T18:05:00.000-08:00

I made these tonight. So good! It wasn't too hard, but it did take time. I wouldn't recommend making them when you have two children who need your attention and no husband around to watch the kids for you. It was insane, but worth it. In fact, I am having to force myself to not eat five more right now!

1 box of pie crust (I ended up making my own because the pie crust I bought was c&*p - I used Alicia's pie crust recipe)
1 chicken breast
2 small potatoes
1/2 white onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 -1/2 cup salsa
Shredded Cheddar cheese
spices (season all, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne)
salt and pepper

Unroll the two crust and use a small cup (3 inch diameter?) to cut out circles, as many as you can get. Lay out on greased tin foil and cover with a towel.

Boil the chicken breast, when cooked shred it (really small) and season with salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder to taste.

Preheat the oven to 450. Peel and dice potatoes, really small! Finely dice the onion. Put a tablespoon of butter in a nonstick frying pan and cook the onions about 5 mins, then add potatoes. Cook until potatoes begin to soften. Add garlic and spices (chili powder, season all, a dash of cayenne, and cumin). Mix in chicken and salsa. Taste, add more salt if needed.

Stuff the dough circles with meat mixture and some cheese. Fold in half and press with a fork around the edges. Brush with an egg yolk and water mixture (about 2 yolks and some water to thin it).

Cook at 450 for 11-13 minutes (until golden on top)

19th Ward Soups-Kimberly Idaho Stake

2010-01-10T11:53:00.000-08:00

TORTILLA SOUP

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces.

1 bottle (4 pounds) mild picante sauce

1 box (32 ounces) chicken broth

2 cans (11 ounces each) corn, drained

2 cans (15.25 ounces each) red kidney beans, drained

Garnishes

Grated cheese

Broken tortilla ships

Black olive slices

Sour cream

Sprig of cilantro

In a large pot, cook the chicken in the picante sauce on medium heat for 20-30 minutes. (I cook the whole chicken breasts, after its cooked and cooled I bit I shred ). Add chicken broth, corn and beans. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with any or all of the garnishes listed.

Baked Potato

4-6 lrg. potatoes- bake @ 400 let cool

2/3 c. butter

2/3 c. flour

6-7 c. milk

1/4 tsp. salt & pepper

4 chopped green onions

12 pcs. bacon crumbled

1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

8 oz. sour cream

Melt butter & flour (rue)

gradually add milk whisk until thick & bubbly. Add sour cream stir until smooth. Peel & dice up cooled baked potatoes. Add cheese & half of the bacon. Garnish with green onion, bacon & cheese.

Shrimp & Mushroom Chowder

1/2 lb. small cooked shrimp

1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms sliced

1 med. onion chopped

1/4 c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 c. whipping cream

2 Tbl. butter

2 c. chicken broth

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. dill

Saute mushrooms & onions in butter for 2 min. Stir in flour & cook for 1 min. over medium heat. Stir in broth & bring to boil. Add salt, thyme, dill & nutmeg, stir well. Reduce heat & add shrimp & whipping cream until heated through. Don't boil.

Chicken Tortilini Soup

2 Tbl. olive oil

4 boneless chicken breast

1 lrg. onion chopped

2-3 stalks celery chopped

2-3 carrots chopped

Saute and then add spices

1 clove garlic minced

1 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. sage

1 28 ounce diced tomatoes

1 14.5 ounce chicken broth

1 c. cooking wine

8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 small pkg. tortilini (cook seperate)

3 c. chopped spinach (cook 3-5 min)

Simmer for 1 hour top with Parmesean cheese serves 6-8

Lasagne Soup

1lb. ground beef

1/2 c. chopped onion

1pkg. lasagne dinner mix (hamburger helper)

5 c. water

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 can corn

2 Tbl. grated parmesean

1 small zucchini chopped

Brown ground beef & onion over mediun heat. Add contents of lasgne dinner sauce mix, water, tomatoes, corn & parmesean cheese, bring to boil. Reduce heat cover & simmer for 10 min. stir occasionally. Add lasagne noodles & zucchini. Cover & simmer for 10 min. Serves 10

Taco Soup

1/2 lb. ground beef

1 small onion diced

1 pkg. Taco seasoning

1 can corn

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1can black beans rinsed & drained

1can kidney beans rinsed & drained

Brown ground beef & onion. Add taco seasoning, corn, tomatoes, & beans heat through. Serve over tortilla chips, top with shredded cheese & sour cream.

Green Curry Chicken With Zucchini Keri Oler

2 med zucchini- cut into bite size pieces

1-½ cups unsweetened coconut milk

2 to 3 T green curry paste

¾ pound boneless chicken cut into bite size pieces

1 ½ cusp chicken broth

2 T fish sauce

1 T brown sugar

Handful of basil leaves

Limes (optional)

In a med saucepan, bring ¾ cup of the coconut milk to a gentle boil over medium heat. Cook for 2 to 2 minutes until it begins to thicken and becomes fragrant. Add the curry paste and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken and cook 2 minutes more.

Add the remaining ¾ cup coconut milk, chicken broth, zucchini, fish sauce, sugar and squeeze a lime. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked and zucchini is tender but still firm- 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add basil. Serve with rice.

Thai Coconut Red Curry with Pineapple

½-1 T red curry paste

1 can coconut milk

Combine these and simmer for 5 minutes

1 tsp dry basil

¼ cup or small can bamboo shoots

3 T fish sauce

2 T brown sugar

1/3 cup chicken broth

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup Nicole Ward

¼ lb cooked chicken (1-2 cans chicken)

2 medium stalks celery, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cans chicken broth

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup frozen green peas (optional)

1 T parsley- or 1 tsp. parsley flakes

1 tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp pepper

1 dried bay leaf

1 cup uncooked pasta (rotini works well)

Combine everything except uncooked pasta. Bring to a boil. Add pasta and simmer 10-15 minutes or until pasta is done.

Beef Taco Soup Nicole Ward

1 lb ground beef- browned

1 can stewed tomatoes with chilis

1 can corn, drained

1 can tomato soup

1 can kidney beans

1 soup can of water

1 pkg taco seasoning

Simmer 15-20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, and cheese. Great in the crock-pot! 1 can pineapple tidbits w/ juice. Add these to the milk and simmer 10-15 minutes. Serves 2

Garden Ravioli Soup

6 cups chicken broth

1/4 tsp crushed Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 meduim carrot sliced (or 1 can)

1 can Italian stewed tomatoes

1 cup cheese filled ravioli or tortellini

Mix broth, spices, carrots and tomatoes. Cook until carrots are tender. Bring to a boil and add ravioli. Cook until pasta in tnder...it will rise to the surface when done. I like to serve this with toasted baguette bread.

Clam Chowder

2 cans minced clams

1 can whole baby clams

2 cups potato, diced

1 cup onion, diced

1 cup celery, diced

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter

1 quart 1/2 and 1/2 cream

1/2 tsp sugar

pepper to taste

Drain juice from clams and pour over veggies. Add enough water to barely cover veggies. (I like to buy a bottle of clam juice for this instead of water.) Cook until tender. In a separate pan add flour to melted butter. Blend and cook 1 minute, then add cream until thick and smooth. Add undrained veggies and clams. Stir, heat, and serve.

French Onion Soup

I'm not an onion or a left over fan, but oh mama, this is good for both!!

1 oz butter...just enough to coat

2 lbs onions, julienned, carmelized

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 c red cooking wine

equal amounts of beef and chicken broth

1 Tbsp cooking Sherry

1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Carmelize onions, garlic and butter over low heat. Deglaze with red wine. After this has cooked down add remaining ingredients. Simmer for at least 20 minutes, then adjust flavors to your preference. Serve with french bread....I prefer bag uette...floating in top with gruyere or mozzarella cheese melted over top of bread and soup.

Chicken and Corn Chowder with Sweet Potatoes

3 cups milk
1 cup yellow corn muffin mix (Jiffy works)
2 T. butter
1 onion, chopped fine3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 quarts chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 " cubes I dont use
2 sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
3 cups frozen corn (not thawed) canned works too
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper, to taste

Mix milk and muffin mix in bowl until well combined. Meanwhile, heat butter in large pot over medium heat until foaming. Add onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, chicken and sweet potatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sweet potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes.

Stir in milk and muffin mixture and simmer until soup thickens, about 10 minutes. Add cheese and corn and cook until cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Lemon Chicken!

2009-12-02T09:57:00.001-08:00

So, here is the best lemon chicken crockpot recipe ever! Thought you guys might wanna try it. It's super easy and yummy.

3-4 Chicken breasts
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
2 T butter
Juice of 4-5 lemons
1 T parsley
1/4 salt
garlic salt to taste
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp paprika

I didn't use the thyme and paprika because I didn't have it, so that's optional. It was still great without it. Place chicken, onion, and butter in the crockpot. Squeeze lemon juice over chicken, and sprinkle remaining seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Serve over pasta. The lemon-butter sauce goes great as the sauce. Enjoy!

--Ashley

Crockpot Recipes!

2009-11-02T09:25:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I'm excited for some new recipes!! I got a couple requests for some crockpot recipes I love, so here they are. Enjoy!

Cream of Mushroom Chicken

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
I package Liptons onion soup (dry)
4 chicken breasts, defrosted

Blend soup, cream cheese, and onion soup mix well and put in crockpot on low heat. Add chicken to mixture and cook for 6-8 hours. It is usually done around 5 hours in my experience. Serve over rice or pasta. Serves 4.

Fiesta Chicken

4 chicken breasts
16 oz. can black beans, drained and well rinsed
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 T taco seasoning
1/4 cup salsa

Arrange chicken in crockpot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or low for 5-6 hours. Serve with rice. Serves 4.

Lemon Roasted Chicken

3-4 lbs. chicken
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
2 T butter
Juice of 4-5 lemons
1 T parsley
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp paprika

Place chicken, onion, and butter in the crockpot. Squeeze lemon juice over chicken and sprinkle remaining seasonings. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.

I'm trying to find my recipe for cranberry pork...I will put it up when I do. Tell me what you think of these! Love to all,

Ashley

Carrot and Red Pepper Soup

2009-10-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

A friend of ours made this for us the other night. It was DELICIOUS! My daughter (almost 3) did okay with it, and her son (2) loves it.

Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
Deborah Madison

2 T. butter or olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups diced onion
1 lb. carrots, thinly sliced
2 T. white rice
Sea salt and freshly milled pepper
2 T. parsley, chopped
3 T. dill chopped or 1 1/2 T. dried dill
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
6 cups water or basic vegetable stock

Melt the butter in a soup pot and add the pepper, onion, carrots, rice and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Cook over medium heat, covered until the onion has softened completely, about 10 minutes, stirring several times. Add a grind of pepper, the parsley, dill, orange zest, juice and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, partially covered, until the rice is cooked, about 25 minutes. Cool briefly, then puree all but a cup or two of the soup and return it to the pot. Taste for salt, season with pepper, garnish and serve. This soup may be served hot as well as chilled.

Larsen Barbecue

2009-08-21T11:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have had a few requests for these BBQ recipes, so I am putting them here, enjoy.

Pulled Pork

1 picnic pork roast or a pork shoulder

Rub the meat with a mixture of 3 Tbs. kosher salt, 2 Tbs. pepper, 2 tsp. garlic powder, 2 tsp. onion salt, 1 tsp. cayenne, 1/4 cup paprika, and 1/4 cup brown sugar.

Do the rub on the meat the night before, so it has time to marinade in it, then cook one of the following ways.

You can either cook it in a crock pot on low for 6-8 hours or in the oven covered very tightly with 2-3 layers of foil for 6-8 hours at 275.

When the meat is done, shred it and add BBQ sauce.

Baked Beans
1 lb. bacon, browned and cut into pieces
2 large cans pork and beans {I use Bush's Original}
(This is the semi-homemade and easy was, you can do your own beans if you want)
1 medium onion, diced {I use the dried onions}
1/2 cup catsup
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. molasses
3/4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. celery salt
5 Tbsp. bbq sauce

Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350 for 2 hours. Really yummy if you can cook it in a dutch oven.

BBQ sauces:

Alabama White BBQ sauce

1 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
4 TBS. white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. pepper (it is quite a bit, so it has a good kick, if you don't like too spicy, cut this back)
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
mix all together, cover and chill

(Now we use this on regular pulled pork, but it is really, really yummy when you cook the pork in a crock pot in 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 3 TBS. brown sugar, 2 tsp. kosher salt, 1 tsp. pepper, 1/2 tsp. ground red pepper, 1 tsp. chili powder and 1/2 tsp. garlic powder. Cook on low 6 hours, shred the meat and continue cooking for another hour. Top with white sauce on rolls.)

Sweet and Tangy BBQ sauce
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup ketchup
1 TBS. Worcestershire
1 TBS. A1 steak sauce
1 TBS. yellow mustard
1 TBS vinegar
1 TBS vegetable oil
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
dash of ground cloves

Bring to boil and simmer 5-10 minutes.

Bold and Spicy BBQ sauce
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbs. molasses
2 tsp. yellow mustard
1 TBS. Tabasco sauce
1 Tbs BBQ rub (recipe above)
2 tsp. liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Combine in saucepan, bring to boil over medium-high heat. turn to a simmer for 10-15 minutes.

My favorite is to have both ref sauces and mix together, but I like them separate as well.

I also like to serve it with coleslaw, so this is the recipe I use
Coleslaw
2 pounds shredded cabbage
4 carrots shredded
1 medium onion chopped (I leave this out sometimes)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup mustard
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. black pepper
dash of cayenne pepper

Mix dressing and pour over vegetables, cover and chill for 2 hours.

Krispy Kreme Doughnut Bread Pudding

2009-04-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

I have never made this but I saw it on a blog and it sounds AMAZING. Thought I would post it here.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Ingredients:
- 2 dozen Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts, torn into little chunks. (You can also use 2 dozen glazed crullers if you want a heavier texture.)
- 3 eggs, beaten.
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk.
- Vanilla flavoring to taste. About 1 tsp.
- 1/2 stick melted butter.
- Cinnamon to taste. Takes more than you think. Just add until you think it tastes right.
- Can of fruit cocktail OR milk

Instructions:
Combine the eggs, condensed milk, vanilla, melted butter, and cinnamon.

Pour over doughnut chunks and stir. You can also use a KitchenAid

At this point it's going to look really dry so you can either add a can of fruit cocktail (it really cuts the sweetness) or,add milk while stirring until you have a lumpy cake batter consistency.

You don't need milk if you add the fruit cocktail--it's the perfect amount of liquid.

Now you can add 1 cup of chopped pecans if you'd like. Or not. Depends on your preference. It's great both ways. The pecans again cut down on the sweetness.

Now you can add 1 tsp of nutmeg if you want to.

Pour this into a 13 x 9 glass pan and cook for 30 minutes. Test with a toothpick to see if it's done. If not, give it a couple more minutes.

Take it out and let it cool. You can eat it this way or you can add a glaze.

Two different types of glazes.
SIMPLE SUGAR GLAZE

Ingredients:
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons milk or water

Instructions:
Mix together and beat until it becomes smooth and pourable. Pour over bread pudding. You can make more if you need to.

BUTTERMILK GLAZE

Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp soda
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup margarine
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions:
Combine first five ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Add the vanilla. Pour over pudding.

TDF Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-03-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

TDF = To Die For - and seriously they are!!!

1 c shortening
3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 T water
1 tsp vanilla

Beat until fluffy.

2 c. flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 c. oatmeal
2 c. chocolate chips

Gently add dry ingredients to egg and shortening mixture. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

Ham and Potato Soup

2009-02-13T19:54:00.000-08:00

This is an excellent recipe for finishing off lefover ham. But I didn't have leftover ham so I just used cubed ham. Still great! Matt really liked this one and said it was "excellent!" Try it out. Less than an hour to prepare, too.

Ingredients:
3 1/2 C potatoes, peeled and diced
1/3 C celery, diced
1/3 C onion, chopped
1 1/2 C ham, chopped
2 C water
2 T chicken bouillon granules
1/2 t salt
1 t pepper
5 T butter
5 T flour
2 C milk

Instructions:
1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham, and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil.
2. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are ten-der (about 10-15 minutes).
3. Add chicken bouillon, salt, and pepper.
4. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat.
5. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute.
6. Slowly stir in milk; heat over medium-low heat until thick, 4-5 minutes.
7. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through.

Mom's Buttercream Frosting

2009-01-07T22:13:00.000-08:00

Here you go, Rachel, this is for you.

A 2 lb bag of powdered sugar
1 cup shortening, (crisco, please)
2 cubes butter softened
5 TBS water
1 TBS. clear vanilla (You can use regular vanilla, it will just make the frosting yellower)

Mix it all up until nice and smooth, then eat it, right out of the bowl, YUMMY.
(You know Frosting Fingers)

Ok, or put it on a cake. I have omitted 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and added 1/2 cup of cocoa powder to make chocolate buttercream, in case you are interested in that as well.

White Chili

2008-10-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

Seriously, this is SO yummy! Matt and I both loved it. Really great flavor. I've never had a white chili before so maybe they're all like this. Either way, I think it's a must try.

2 whole chicken breasts, cooked and cut up
3 c water
3 c chicken broth
2 chopped onions
2 garlic cloves—minced
1 T oil
4 4-oz cans chopped green chilies
Pinch chili pepper
2 t ground cumin
1 ½ t oregano
¼ t cayenne pepper
½ t salt
2 cans Great Northern Beans
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can evaporated milk
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Pepper jack cheese for topping

Add chicken, water, stock and beans—bring to a boil. Saute onions and garlic, add green chilies, cumin, oregano, pepper, salt, chili powder, then add to chicken mixture. Add bacon. Simmer for 1 ½ - 2 hours (until thicker consistency). About ½ hour before serving, add soup and milk and continue simmering. Serve topped with pepper jack cheese.

Yummy, easy sandwhich

2008-09-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

I had lunch yesterday with a friend and this is what she made.

(In order)

Wheat bread
Mozzorella (or whatever cheese you have) melted onto the bread (toasted)

Diced up avocado
Chicken breast from the can (mixed up with miracle whip, like tuna)
Diced tomato
(stack these on top of the toasted bread)
Salt and pepper to taste.

YUMMY, easy and healthy.

Ham and Cheese Slider

2008-09-07T19:08:00.001-07:00

I found this recipe on another blog. Don't know if it's good or not, but thought it might be worth posting.

1 Pkg. (12) King’s Hawaiian Rolls
½ lb. Sliced Ham
¼ lb. Sliced Swiss Cheese

Make into sandwiches and arrange in baking dish.

1 Stick Melted Butter
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 t. Poppy Seeds
¼ t. Garlic Salt

Pour sauce over sandwiches cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350° until cheese melts (about 15-20 minutes.)

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

2008-09-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

1- 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1- 11 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
1 tsp. mince fresh jalapeno pepper (no seeds)
1 avocado, chopped
2 medium tomatos, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I left this out)
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp. salt

Italian dressing (dry packet-made into dressing
Tortilla chips

Combine all ingredients except avocado and chips. Add Italian dressing to ingredients. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Drain excess dressing off and add avocado just before serving. YUM!!

Potato Rolls

2008-05-29T12:28:00.000-07:00

I made this on Sunday while the Larsens and Mom and Dad were here. They were delicious (if I do say so myself. Try 'em out. Easy peasy.

2 eggs
1 T yeast
1/2 c shortening
1 c. mashed potatoes (I used my new food storage potato pearls)
1 c. scalded milk
1/2 c. sugar
flour - enough to make a stiff dough (I used about 2 3/4 c.)

Mix everything in your mixer/Bosch/KitchenAid. Cover with cloth and let rise once. Roll out on a floured board and cut in rounds. Brush with butter and fold over. Put in pans (sprayed with Pam) and let rise. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Yum-O!

All Bran Muffins

2008-05-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

I was making muffins this morning and talking to Rachel. She asked, "Do you have a good Bran Muffin recipe." Well, yes I do. They are really yummy too. So I decided to share it with you. Great little snack or breakfast before a long run.

Makes 2 Dozen

Mix and set aside:
1 cup boiling H2O
1/2 Tbs and 1 tsp. Baking soda

Whip light and fluffy:
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar (or splenda)

Soak:
2 cups All Bran (cereal) and 1 cup Bran Flakes (cereal)
or 3 cups Grandmas Granola (mix and match if you like) in
1/2 quart of Buttermilk (or 2 cups milk with 4 tsp. vinegar)

Slowly add 2 eggs to the shortening/sugar. Mix well

Add:
2 cups Wheat flour
1 cup White flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar (splenda) with 1 Tbs. cinnamon
1 Tbs. Vanilla
1 tsp. Orange extract (really adds flavor)

Add in Soaked cereal
Slowly add the Soda/H2O

Mix well

Bake at 350 for 18 minutes in muffin tins

Chicken Tostada Salad

2008-04-17T20:18:00.001-07:00

I found this the other day while meal planning and made it last night. Very yummy...lots of flavors going on!

5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
6 large flour tortillas
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup salsa
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (7 ounce) can corn, drained
1/2 cup coarsely chopped red onion
1 tomato, chopped
2 cups shredded lettuce
8 ounces hot pepper cheese (Monterrey Jack was yummy), shredded (about 2 cups)

In small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the oil with 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin and the chili powder. Brush on both sides of each flour tortilla. Place directly on grill over medium-hot coals. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until tortillas are golden brown and crisp. If tortillas begin to bubble up, pierce surface to flatten. Remove tortillas from heat and cool completely.

In medium bowl, whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons oil and vinegar. Stir in salsa, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin and salt; reserve 3/4 cup for dressing.

Place chicken on grill over medium-hot coals. Grill for 10 to 12 minutes, turning and basting occasionally with salsa mixture, until chicken is no longer pink. Cut chicken into strips. In medium bowl, toss together beans, corn, onion, tomato and reserved dressing. To assemble, place crisped tortilla on plate. Top with shredded lettuce, 1 cup of bean mixture, 1 sliced chicken breast and shredded cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

**Note: I found the tostadas really hard to cut through and enjoy with the salad. I may not have allowed them to "crisp" enough. Also, you could try cutting them into strips instead.

Meat Cupcakes

2008-04-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

Sounds gross huh? They actually are pretty good. Matt doesn't like meatloaf so he didn't try them, but Hailey and I enjoyed them. And they make great leftovers for a quick lunch for Hailey. The girl that posted it here, said her kids love them. Try it out...you might be surprised.

This recipe is originally from Kraft Foods. Here's the link to their recipe. It's a mix & match, so you can do various flavors. The barbecue one is our favorite.

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 pkg. (6 oz.) stuffing mix
1 cup water
1 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 c. barbecue sauce
3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375*. Mix meat, stuffing mix, water and garlic powder until well blended. Press evenly into 12 medium muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray. Make an indentation in center of each with back of spoon. Spoon barbecue sauce evenly into indentations. Bake 30 minutes or until meatloaves are cooked through. Top evenly with cheese; continue baking 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Fa"Hotties"

2008-04-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

I made these tonight and they were really good, not too different in taste than regular chicken fajitas, but way easier and the meat is shredded and I like that. Next time I will do the same thing but with beef. The best part is, you make it in the crockpot, so that right there is a winner in my book.

4-6 chicken breast boneless, skinless, frozen
3 peppers - sliced
1 med-large onion sliced
1 package Lawry's fajita seasoning
1-2 packages flour tortillas
sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese (or cheese of your choice)
other favorite toppings
crock pot

place frozen chicken and onion in crock pot
pour fajita seasoning packet over chicken (you might need two packets depending on the size and amount of your chicken)
add water as directed on packet
cook on Low for 6 hours
stir before adding the peppers to help the chicken shred
the last 1/2 hour add your sliced peppers
give it one more stir to mix it all together
place chicken on tortilla's
add your favorite toppings
eat and enjoy!

Turkey Marinade

2008-04-14T17:09:00.000-07:00

Aunt Ellen made this recipe years ago when I went to visit and I have been looking for it for a while and suddenly it popped up on one of the recipe blogs I frequent, so I made it yesterday. It is so good and makes for some very tender turkey. Just make sure you marinate it for 24 hours or you will miss out.

I would only do half this recipe though. I used a turkey breast and cut it into slices then grilled it the next day. You could also do chicken breasts. Anyway yummy summer grillin'.
1 quart 7-up or gingeralle (I have used diet and didn't notice)
1 pint oil
1 pint soy sauce
1 Tbsp horseradish
1 tsp garlic powder
Marinate for 24 hours in a Ziploc. Yummy.

Dr. Pepper Pork Roast

2008-03-31T19:40:00.000-07:00

I made this last night and it was SO good. I wouldn't cook it in the oven as long next time around because parts of the roast dried out. Just keep a close eye on it and decide. I also think it would work in a crock pot.

3 or 4 pound Boston butt or boneless Beef pot roast
1/2 Two liter Dr. Pepper (not Diet)
2 to 3 T Liquid smoke
2 T minced garlice
1 large onion coarsely chopped
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

Directions

Use a large pot or dutch oven with lid.

Cover the roast with the Dr. Pepper (may require more depending on the size of your pot)

Add the liquid smoke, garlic and chopped onion.

Cover loosely ( I use aluminum foil)

Bring to a boil on the stove top and simmer until tender. 60 to 90 min.

Place in shallow baking pan and brush the Sauce over the meat.

Bake in a pre heated 350 degree oven. 45 to 90 min. (depends on the toughness of the meat)

Ranch Chicken Wings

2008-03-03T14:12:00.000-08:00

These are SO easy and really good. If you don't want 24 wings, you can cut that down, but keep the sauce measurements the same.

24 chicken wings and/or drumettes (I found a "party pack" that had 12 of each)
2 envelopes Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix
1/3 c. butter/margarine, melted
1/4 c. Tabasco sauce (I used Smoked Chipotle Tabasco - really great flavor without so much heat.)
3 Tbsp. vinegar
paprika

Combine margarine/butter, Tabasco and vinegar. Dredge chicken in ranch mix; then dip in margarine/butter mix. Arrange on a cookie sheet (I would line it with foil and spray with cooking spray) and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Turn over, then sprinkle again. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes more. Serve with bleu cheese dressing, if desired. (Doesn't really need it, though!)

Not Really a Recipe!

2008-02-26T16:03:00.000-08:00

Baby Potatoes

I have just discovered baby potatoes from Costco. They are long and small and absolutely delicious. I boil them with salt and add butter and they are so good. My kids love them. Just thought I'd contribute!

Gnocchi

2008-02-25T09:23:00.000-08:00

Last night my MIL taught me how to make gnocchi. There isn't much of a "recipe" but I'll do my best.

5 medium potatoes - she used Ukon Gold
1 egg
About 1 1/2 cups of flour - you want to eye it and just add flour as needed
Salt and water to boil

Boil (the same way you would for mashed) the potatoes well in advance - they must be cold before you start the process. Grate the potatoes after they have cooled. Dump the flour on the counter and make a well. Put the potatoes in the well. Then break one egg in the middle. Combine just to incorporate - don't over mix. Add flour as need - dough shouldn't be dry, but you also don't want it sticking to your hands. DON'T ADD SALT! If you add salt to the dough, it will fall apart in the water. This was a point she stressed more than once.

Once everything is incorporated, divide the dough into small balls and then roll out into "snakes". (Experiment with the flour here - we found that too much flour made the dough difficult to roll.) You can make your snakes as small as you want - the thinner the snakes, the smaller the gnocchi - I like them small. Cut the snakes into pieces the size you want - I would say about 1/4 - 1/2 long. You can then roll the gnocchi pieces on a fork or a gnocchi board, if you have one, just to make the class gnocchi "imprints".

Boil your water and add a lot of salt. MIL probably put in a good 1/4 cup...seriously. Pop your gnocchi into the boiling water. When they rise to the top, they are done. Remove them from the water, put them into the serving dish and immediately top and coat with butter so they don't stick. MIL served them with ragu last night, but you can also just do butter and cheese, or an alfredo sauce...it's up to you. Enjoy! They are yummy!!!

Tuxedo Brownies

2008-02-24T09:24:00.001-08:00

Ok, I thought I would contribute. My friend posted this on her blog and they look delicious. I'll admit, I haven't made them yet, but I will. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 (21 oz.) package fudge brownie mix (plus ingredients to make cake like brownies)
6oz. white chocolate chips
2 T. milk
1 (8oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 (8oz.) container cool whip
sliced strawberries

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325. Prepare brownie mix according to directions. Follow high altitude directions if applicable. Spray mini muffin pan with non-stick spray; fill each cup 2/3 full. Bake approximately 15 minutes (or until the edges are set). Remove and immediately press tops of brownies (I use Pampered Chef's mini tart shaper, but any other tool that can make indentations will do). The recipe says to allow cups to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then gently remove, but I have better luck removing them almost immediately - you decide what works best for you.

Melt white chocolate with milk on stove; cool slightly. Transfer mixture to bowl; add powdered sugar and cream cheese; mix with electric hand mixer until sooth; fold in cool whip. Fill cups with white chocolate mixture - you can use a cake decorater kit or just spoon in dollups, which is much easier! Slice strawberries and place one slice in each brownie cup.

As a finishing touch, sprinkle powdered sugar or cocoa over the cups. Makes about 55.

I don't know who this EJ is, but found this recipe.

2008-02-23T22:12:00.000-08:00

EJ's Simple Italian Meatball Soup

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2005
Show:	Emeril Live
Episode:	Emeril's Family Favorites

3/4 pound ground beef
1/4 pound ground pork
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for garnishing soup if desired
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon Italian Essence
1 teaspoon salt
2 pinches crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed with your hands, with their juice
3 1/2 cups beef stock or two 14 ounce cans low sodium beef broth
1/2 cup ditalini or other small pasta shape for soups
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leavesIn a medium mixing bowl combine the ground beef, ground pork, eggs, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, 2 teaspoons of the garlic, 3/4 teaspoon of the Italian Essence, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1 pinch of crushed red pepper and mix until thoroughly combined.

Divide the meat mixture into tablespoons and roll into smooth balls in your hands. Set rolled meatballs aside on a plate or other flat surface.

In a 4 1/2 quart soup pot or large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat until hot. Add half of the rolled meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate and set aside. Brown the remaining meatballs in the same manner and set aside.

Add the chopped onion and celery to the pot and cook, stirring, until vegetables are soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining teaspoon of minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes and their juices, beef broth, 3 cups water, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of Italian Essence, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, remaining pinch of crushed red pepper and stir to combine. Return the meatballs to the soup pot and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the soup just simmers and cook for 30 minutes.

Using a spoon, carefully skim any fat that has accumulated on the top of the soup and discard. Add the ditalini to the hot soup, stir well, and cook for 15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through. Stir in the chopped basil and serve the soup in wide bowls, garnished with additional grated Parmesan, if desired.

Julie's Rolls

2008-02-01T16:31:00.000-08:00

This is my sister-in-law Julie's recipe and they are the best rolls I have ever made. They are soft and yummy and they stay that way for a couple of days.
2 cups flour
2 Tbs. yeast
Mix together
In a microwave safe bowl, melt 1 cube butter, add 1 cup milk and heat until quite warm, add 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 cup sugar. Pour into flour mixture and mix well. Add 3 eggs, mix well and then add 2-3 cups more flour.
Let them rise for about 2 hours, divide into 2 parts roll each section into a large circle and cute into 12 pieces like a pizza, roll up crescent style. Let raise about another hour Bake 350 for 11 minutes.
SO YUMMY!!!!

Makes 24 rolls

Mud Dessert

2008-02-01T16:26:00.000-08:00

30 Oreos
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 gallon Mint Choco Chip Ice Cream
Hot Fudge Sauce (recipe to follow)
Whipped Topping

Crush Oreos in Food Processor add melted butter and press into 9x13 inch pan
Top with slightly softened ice cream
Allow to freeze then add fudge topping and final layer of cool whip, freeze until ready to serve. Sprinkle with crushed Oreos

Fudge Sauce:
3 Tbs cocoa
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
Boil on low for 7-10 minutes until thick, allow to cool before layering on dessert

Mom's Chocolate Birthday Cake

2008-02-01T16:18:00.000-08:00

2- 8 inch round Chocolate cakes
Stabilized whipping cream
1 pkg. Knox gelatin dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water, allow to coll to room temp
2 cups whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla or scrape out 1 vanilla bean
1/4 + of sugar
Beat cream until soft peaks, then add sugar and vanilla, continue beating and pour in gelatin, mix until stiff peaks

Ganache
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
Melt together in a heavy saucepan on low

To assemble, cut cake into four layers, fill with cream, then top entire cake with ganache and let ir drip down the sides. Refrigerate. You can decorate the sides wit mini chips

Grandma Morgan's Granola

2008-02-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

8 cups Oats
6 cups rolled wheat
2 cups Wheat Germ
2 cups coconut
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 cup water
1 cup canola oil
3 tsp. vanilla

Mix all together. Spread onto 2 cookie sheets and bake at 225 degrees for 2 hours stirring occasionally.

I always add slivered almonds and craisins.

Oh, my, YUMMY!

2008-01-29T14:35:00.001-08:00

Ok, so remember the post I did on a "Yummyu Twist on Lemon Poppyseed Cake"? Well, it was sounding good, but this time I didn't have any white chocolate pudding. But I did have Banana Cream pudding. Oh, my, YUMMY! To die for. This recipe is fun for me, I like to change things up a bit. Enjoy!

Gougeres: A fun hors d'ouevres

2008-01-09T13:58:00.001-08:00

1/2 recipe Pate a Choux, recipe follows
1/2 cup grated Gruyere
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small mixing bowl, add the grated cheese and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper to the half-recipe of pate a choux. With a rubber spatula, scoop the pate a choux into the pastry bag and pipe out approximately 25 (1-inch) rounds, spaced 1 to 2 inches apart on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush lightly with the beaten egg and place in the oven. Cook until golden and puffed, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool briefly on a baking rack. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Pate a Choux:
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons sugar
6 tablespoons butter, cut in pieces
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, sifted
4 eggs, beaten

In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the water, salt, sugar, and butter to a boil, making sure the butter is completely melted. Off the heat, add the flour all at once and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon. Return to the heat and continue beating until the dough forms a solid, smooth mass and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. Take off the heat and empty the dough into a clean mixing bowl. Little by little add the beaten eggs, beating vigorously in between each addition, until the dough forms a smooth, supple mass. Divide the dough into 2 even quantities, 1 part to be used for the gougeres, the other for profiteroles.

Alicia's Variation
Instead of Gruyere I used Swiss cheese
or
Chop up 1/3 of a cup of pepperoni and 1/3 cup of Parmesan with about 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, and add that to the pate choux

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

2008-01-08T17:58:00.000-08:00

I just made this for dinner tonight and wow, it was so good I had to blog it. Give it a try and if you think about leaving out the lemon wedge, don't, it makes the dish. (I actually used a lime wedge since I didn't have a lemon, but the citrus flavor added the last touch, so don't omit it!) It was so easy and took about 20 minutes prep and cook time. It is from Giada de Laurentis. Sorry I don't have a picture.

2 large eggs
1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges, for serving

Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Top 10 Power Foods

2008-01-06T13:07:00.000-08:00

I found this on the Food Network and thought it would be a good thing to share, since it is the new year and holiday treats are over. Check out the link.

Biscotti

2007-12-04T09:39:00.001-08:00

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powderPreheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar in another large bowl until pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the orange and lemon zests to the dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the eggs and sugar and beat just until blended (the dough will be soft and sticky). Let stand for 5 minutes.

Using a rubber spatula, transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, forming two mounds spaced evenly apart. Moisten your hands with water and shape the dough into two 11 by 4-inch logs. Bake until lightly brown, about 35 minutes. Cool the logs for 5 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. Arrange the biscotti cut side down on the same baking sheet. Bake until the biscotti are pale and golden, about 25 minutes. Cool the biscotti on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds, about 1 1/2 minutes total. Dip 1 cut side of each biscotti into the melted chocolate. Gently shake off the excess chocolate. Place the biscotti, chocolate side up, on the baking sheet. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm, about 35 minutes. Dip a pastry brush in the cocoa, then lightly brush the cocoa over the chocolate on each biscotti.

The biscotti can be made ahead. Store them in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap them in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.

Alicia's Note: I added chopped dried cranberries and did not add the lemon zest, so yummy!!!

Yummy Twist on Lemon Poppyseed

2007-11-26T08:43:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I needed to make a dessert last night at the last minute. We had been invited to some friends for dinner. I wanted to make a Lemon Poppyseed cake, but I did not have lemon pudding. So I tried white chocolate pudding and I added almond and orange extract to the glaze for flavor. It was yumm-o. I am so excited that I was able to experiment and have it turn out so great. Try it, its yummy.

1 pkg yellow cake mix (golden butter recipe from Duncan Hines)
1 pkg instant white chocolate pudding
1 cup water
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
4 Tbsp. poppyseed

Glaze:
milk
powder sugar
almond extract
orange extract

Thanksgiving Recipes

2007-11-17T19:23:00.001-08:00

Mom's Stuffing
Saute in a cube of butter:
1 onion
4-5 celery stalks
one container of sliced mushrooms (optional)
In another frying pan, cook up one package of sausage

In a large bowl mix 1 large bag pre-made stuffing breadcrumbs (no flavor added)
Add celery and onions and sausage. Stir together with 1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans or pecan halves (I like them in bigger pieces)
Pour one can of chicken stock and more melted butter if it looks dry Season with salt and pepper and sage. Stir all together, taste it to make sure the seasoning is correct.
Bake it at 350 for 30-45 minutes.
(Call me if you have questions)

Apple Pie
You need 2 pie crusts (I use Martha Stewart's Pate Brisee recipe)
In a bowl mix about 8-10 peeled and sliced apples ( I like to use Granny Smith)
add 1/4 cup flour 1/2 -3/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg and 1/2 cube melted butter, mix it well so everything is combined. Dump it into the pie shell and cover it with second pie crust. Make sure you vent it. Brush the top crust with 1 beaten egg and 2 Tbs, milk. Bake for about 45 minutes at 375 or until crust is golden brown. Check on it throughout the baking time, you may need to cover the edges with foil.

There are also some good recipes on foodtv.com that may explain things better. I don't really follow a recipe for apple pie so I am kind of guessing on this.

Cranberry Sauce
1 bag fresh cranberries
1 whole orange peel and all
1 whole apple (take out the seeds)
1 cup sugar
Blend in a food processor until it is the right consistency

Gaucamole

2007-11-17T17:27:00.000-08:00

3-4 ripe avocados
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste
pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream

Mash the avocados with a fork pour juice over them and add the rest of the ingredients. I do a lot of add a little, taste it and add what I think it is missing, so play around with it. The best way to tell is to taste.

Recipe Help!

2007-11-16T06:51:00.000-08:00

I know, its a stretch for me to ask for help here, since I never contribute. But that's why I ask for help, I really don't have much to contribute when it comes to cooking. I am looking for really great recipes for stuffing and apple pie. That is my job for Thanksgiving. We are going over to our friends house. I will miss you all. Is everyone going to mom's?

Chicken Taco Rice

2007-11-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

1 lb. chicken- I like to use chicken tenders, they are the easiest to work with
2 Tb. oil
1 can chicken broth
1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 pkg. taco seasoning- mild
1- 12 oz. can drained corn
1 med. red pepper- sliced in strips
1 1/2 cup minute rice
1 cup shredded cheese
1 bag tortilla chips
some sour cream
Some guacamole

Sautee chicken in oil in a big skillet (big enough to hold all of these ingredients). When chicken is done, in skillet, just break into bite-ish size pieces with forks. Add broth, tomato sauce, and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, simmer for 5 minutes. Add drained corn and sliced pepper. Bring to a full boil. Stir in uncooked rice. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover again and let stand for just a little while. Serve with chips, sour cream and guacamole. This is even better hours after you make it so you can make it one night have it the next day or make it in the morning and have it that night. Obviously heat it up if you don't eat it right away. Yummy!!!

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

2007-10-31T06:53:00.000-07:00

-1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
-4 eggs
-1 cup vegetable oil
-2/3 cup water
-3 cups white sugar
-3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-2 teaspoons baking soda
-1 1/2 teaspoons salt
-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
-1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
-1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
-1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 loaf pans
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the 3 prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in preheated oven.

I found this recipe on another blog and decided to make it today for some friends. Wow! It's good. Definitely a crowd-pleaser.

Pumpkin Cookies

2007-10-29T16:28:00.001-07:00

Rachel asked me for a good pumpkin cookie recipe and so I gave her one that I had, but since then I found this one on a recipe blog.
They are pretty good. Here is the recipe.

Herbed Chicken Fettuccine

2007-10-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

1 to 2 t. seasoning salt
1 lb boneless, skinless breast, cut into 1 inch strips
4 T. butter
2/3 cup water
2 T. teriyaki sauce (I have used BBQ sauce when I don't have this)
2 T. onion soup mix
1 envelope herb and garlic mix
8 oz. uncooked fettuccine ( I use only noodles I have)
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1 T. Worcestershire sauce

Saute chicken with seasoning salt and 2 T. butter. Add the water, teriyaki sauce, onion soup mix and 2 T. herb and garlic mix. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook fettuccine, drain. Add to chicken mixture. Add cheese, Worcestershire sacue, remaining butter, and remaining herb and garlic mix; toss to coat.

"The Perfect Cookie"

2007-10-18T10:48:00.001-07:00

I made these yesterday, so I could try them out and they are soooooooo, soooo good. They are chewy and moist and I was very tickled to find this recipe for choco chip cookies.

CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COCONUT COOKIES,
AKA "THE PERFECT COOKIE"
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 C brown sugar, packed
- 6 T sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 1 C flour
- 2 1/4 C oats
- 1 1/2 C coconut
- 12 oz semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (2 cups)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat butter and sugars at high speed until fluffy. Add eggs and beat till blended. Beat in vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Add flour and mix at low speed until blended. Stir in oats, coconut and chocolate.

Arrange 1/4 cup mounds about 3 inches apart on large buttered baking sheets. Pat down to 1/2 inch. Bake in upper oven, rotating occasionally, 15-18 mins. Cool one minute, transfer to cooling rack. For smaller cookies, adjust baking time...but they are great when they're BIG.
Sorry I will add a picture later, it is not working right now.

Peanut Butter Fudge

2007-10-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

I made this yesterday and it is soooo good. I added mini marshmallows, but it is a fun easy snack and I usually have these things on hand. Perfect for a craving. If you have chocolate chips you could pour them on top let them melt and spread it on top then you would have a peanut butter cup type thing.

1 cup butter, plus more for greasing pan
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar
Microwave butter and peanut butter for 2 minutes on high. Stir and microwave on high for 2 more minutes. Add vanilla and powdered sugar to peanut butter mixture and stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Pour into a buttered 8 by 8-inch pan lined with waxed paper. Place a second piece of waxed paper on the surface of the fudge and refrigerate until cool. Cut into 1-inch pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Chicken Fiesta Soup

2007-10-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

1 can chicken stock

1 small can diced green chiles
1 can of corn
1 can of black beans
1 can of dark red kidney beans (or any bean that you really like)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can rotel tomatoes
1 12oz can of white chicken breast or 1 large chicken breast
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp cumin

Dump everything into a pot (including all the liquids from the cans). Cook on medium heat until it comes to slow boil (about 30-40 minutes) and voila you are ready to eat. Serve with sour cream, chips and cheese.

Taco Bowls

2007-10-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

I just found this on a recipe blog Jacque guided me to, and I haven't tried these, but I thought they were a fun variation and kids might love them.

20 6 inch flour tortillas
1 lb ground beef
taco seasoning
16 oz shredded cheese

Preheat the oven to 350. Trim about 1/2 inch from edge of tortillas, push into muffin tins.

Brown ground beef, add seasoning and about 2/3 cup of water, simmer until water is absorbed. Put about 2 Tablespoons of meat into each muffin tin. Cover with cheese. Bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and tortillas are brown.

Serve with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, avocados, etc.

Rachel's Meals

2007-10-08T21:27:00.000-07:00

1. Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
2. Chicken Enchiladas
3. Chicken Enchilada Soup
4. Breakfast Sandwiches - "The Upstate"
5. Matt's Pasta
6. Chile Verde
7. Ranch-Parmesan Chicken

Mom's recipes

2007-10-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

Just invite myself over to Alicia's house for dinner!

1. Chicken and Rice Casserole.
2. Taco Salad
3. Pork Chops
4. Roast
5. Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup
6. Stroganoff
7. Roast Chicken
8. Taco Soup
9. Chip Beef on Toast

Alicia's 7 day Menu

2007-10-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

OK, here is my contribution, if you need recipes for any of the following add that in the comment and I will get it to you.

1. Meatballs over rice
2. Chimichangas
3. Southwestern Turkey Panini Sandwiches
4. Potato Soup
5. Chicken Pot Pie
6. Chili and Cornbread
7. Taco Salad

Chile Verde

2007-10-02T19:44:00.000-07:00

4 T cooking oil
1/3 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c chopped cilantro
3-4 jalapeno peppers
4-6 lbs boneless pork, cut into 1" cubes
1 can chopped green chiles
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
3 minced garlic cloves
1 cup mild salsa
14.5 oz chicken broth

In a frying pan, brown the cut up pork in olive oil. Pour into crock pot. Sprinkle with flour to coat meat. Add all the remaining ingredients. Simmer on high for 6-8 hours. Serves 8.

I learned this at an Enrichment cooking class tonight. My friend actually halved the amount of pork and kept the rest of the ingredients the same. It was to DIE for and fed seven women with lots of leftovers. Really, you should try it!

Salsa

2007-10-02T19:40:00.000-07:00

2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 green pepper
1-2 jalapenos
6 green onions
Fresh cilantro and stems
2 tsp garlic
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin

Blend in blender until evenly chopped.

Recipe Blog Assignment

2007-10-01T21:39:00.001-07:00

OK everyone, I have an assignment for you. Would everyone post a 7 day menu on here, not as a comment, but as a new post. This way we can all get meal ideas. If everyone (Mom-Jacque) will do this we will have 49 meal ideas (assuming no one duplicates), wouldn't that be great. That is 7 weeks worth of meals. These can be the last seven meals you just had, or your upcoming menu or just simply list seven meals you make. Now avoid including Papa Johns pizza night, or frozen burrito night, keep it homemade or as Sandra Lee says, keep it simple, keep it sweet and keep it semi-homemade, (I really hate her show by the way!)

German Chocolate Cheesecake

2007-09-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

Jacque had this on her mission and requested it for her birthday. I found this recipe online and I have to say, it was delightful. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

***Cheesecake***
24 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into chunks
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

***Chocolate Cake*** (ended up using a German chocolate cake mix)
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour

***Chocolate Glaze***
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons whipping cream

***German Chocolate Topping*** (I used the canned icing)
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

For Cheesecake: In bowl of electric mixer or in food processor fitted with metal blade, blend cream cheese, sugar, eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside.

For Chocolate Cake: In large microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter. Microwave on HIGH (100%) power for 2 to 3 minutes, or until just melted. Cool slightly. With fork, beat in sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Add flour and mix until blended. Spoon into well-greased 9 1/2-inch springform pan, spreading evenly. Carefully, spread cheese mixture evenly over top of chocolate batter.

Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking 55 to 60 minutes. Turn oven off, open oven door and let cake cool completely to room temperature in oven. Refrigerate until well chilled.

Remove sides from springform. Invert cake onto serving plate, so cheesecake is on bottom and chocolate cake is on top. Spread sides with Chocolate Glaze. Spread top evenly with German Chocolate Topping. Refrigerate until serving time. Garnish with whipped cream if desired.

For Chocolate Glaze: In small microwave-safe bowl combine chocolate chips with whipping cream. Microwave on HIGH power for 45 to 60 seconds. Beat until smooth. Spread on sides of cheesecake.

For German Chocolate Topping: In small microwave-safe bowl, beat egg yolks. Stir in sugar, butter and whipping cream. Microwave on HIGH power 4 minutes, stirring every minute. Remove from microwave and stir in vanilla extract. Stir in coconut and pecans until well blended. Refrigerate until mixture is of spreading consistency. Spread on top of the cheesecake.

Lemon Chiffon Pie

2007-09-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

We learned how to make this at an Enrichment activity last week. So good and I'm not really a lemon fan. Worth the try.

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup + 1 T cornstarch
1 T grated lemon peel
1 cup lemon juice
3 C boiling water
8 eggs, separated
1/4 cup margarine or butter
egg whites, whipped
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

In heavy saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; add lemon juice and lemon peel. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks. Add to lemon mixture. Gradually add boiling water, stirring constantly. Over medium heat, cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat. Add margarine and stir until melted.
Whip egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar while mixing. Whipe until stiff peaks form. Carefully mix one large scoop of whites into lemon mixture. Then reverse and fold remaining lemon mixtures into whites. Just fold. Do not overbeat or egg whites will break down. Gently spoon mixture into two cooked 9# pie crusts. Refrigerate until set, 6-8 hours. Makes 2 pies.

Easy corn chowder

2007-09-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

I am not the biggest fan of corn chowder, but Mark is so I thought I would try this out. It is so easy and pretty good...Mark loved it but he loves everything I make. Enjoy! Hailey liked it too and that is good enough for me.

We like to add a little cheese on top once we are ready to eat.

INGREDIENTS
4 slices bacon, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 (14.75 ounce) can cream-style corn
1 1/2 cups cubed potatoes
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
3 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the bacon and onions together until onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the corn, potatoes, soup, milk, and salt and pepper. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer about 25 to 35 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.