Sunday, December 20, 2009

Turkey Primavera

I don't know how many of you are having turkey for Christmas, but let me tell you, after Thanksgiving, this was the most delicious way to use up some leftovers. And a great way to eat asparagus. I don't usually like it, but I loved it in this dish, so go ahead and try it. My kids even ate it.

1 cup uncooked penne pasta
8 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2/3 cup julienned carrot
3 tablespoons butter
4 large fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chopped yellow summer squash
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1-1/2 cups shredded cooked turkey
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute asparagus and carrot in butter for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, yellow squash and zucchini; saute until crisp-tender.
Stir in the turkey, tomato, dressing mix and cream. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes.
Drain pasta; add to vegetable mixture and toss to combine. Sprinkle with cheese and toss again. Yield: 4 servings.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Recipe For ~ Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Chicken Boneless Skinless Tenderloins
2 Egg Whites, lightly beaten
Parmesan Grated Cheese
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Baking Paper
Baking Tray

Preheat oven to 390°

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Pour the Grated Parmesan Cheese onto a plate. Dip the chicken into the egg whites, then press the chicken firmly in the Grated Parmesan Cheese to coat the chicken on each side. It is important to make sure the cheese sticks to the chicken.

Place the chicken on the baking tray and sprinkle the Shredded Parmesan Cheese over each piece of chicken.

Bake at 390° for 15 – 20 minutes or until the chicken is golden and cooked through.

Quiche

Recipe For ~ Quiche

1 pkg. Turkey Bacon
1 Small Loaf of Cheap Bread
8 Eggs or Egg Beaters that = 8 Eggs
1 tbsp. Milk
1 can Mushrooms
1 can Green Chiles
1 container of Little Bite Size Tomatoes Cut in half
Shredded Fiesta Blend Cheese
Salt & Pepper
Foil
Pie or Quiche Dish

1. Cook Bacon until really crispy.
2. Crush Bacon on bottom of Pie or Quiche Dish.
3. Break Bread apart without crust and put pieces of bread over bacon completely cover bacon like a puzzle with the bread.
4. Mix together eggs, milk, mushrooms, green chilies, tomatoes, salt & pepper and cheese in a bowl.
5. Pour the mixture over the bread and cover with tinfoil and let set overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°

6. Cook the next morning at 350° for about 1 hour.
7. You can put the cheese on top of the quiche with 15 minutes left to cook. I just spread the shredded cheese on top and let it cook for the last 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Kansas City Salsa

Recipe For ~ Kansas City Salsa

1 can Black Beans (drained & rinsed)
1 can Yellow Corn (drained)
3 Avocados
1 Red Bell Pepper
3 Green Onions
¼ cup Lime Juice
1 tbsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Salt
Dash Tobasco

Usually double the recipe.

Chop finely and combine everything thoroughly. Refrigerate 24 hours (+/-).

Serve with Tortilla Chips

This recipe is one of Dave’s Favorites!

Friday, November 27, 2009

Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Pie

This has been my favorite pie to make lately, and you can use the cheesecake layer with any other pie as well. (We made a blueberry cheesecake pie and it was absolutely delicious.) Sorry I don't have a picture.

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pie crust (unbaked, you can buy them but I usually make my own)
1 1/4 c. chopped pecans
1 c. caramel ice cream topping

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, 1 egg and vanilla until smooth. Spread into pastry shell, sprinkle with pecans.

In a small bowl, wisk remaining eggs; gradually wisk in caramel sauce until blended. Pour over pecans.

Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes (I usually do closer to 40 but I think that is just my oven). Or until lightly browned. (loosely cover with foil after 20 min if pie browns too quickly. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before slicing. Refrigerate leftovers.


And here is the pie crust I use:

3 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp salt

Combine in a bowl or mixer. Knife in 1 1/3 c. shortening. In a separate bowl beat 1 egg, 3 Tbsp ice water and 1 Tbsp white vinegar. Add to dry mixtures. Mix until well blended. Roll out on flourered surface to desired size and place in (ungreased) pie pan.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Strawberry Virgin Daiquiri


















In a Blender Blend:
1/2 Can of Frozen Concentrate Lemonade
1-2 Trays of Ice
8-15 Frozen Strawberries
1/2-1 Cup of Water
2-3 Tablespoons of Sugar
Optional:
Squeeze of Lime Juice

You can adjust the amount of each ingredient to your liking. It really doesn't need the sugar and the amount of water just depends on your blender. Do the 'chop ice' setting first and then switch to the 'icy drink/smoothie'. We like to top ours with some whipped cream.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Deceptively Delicious

Eric and I have started to try to be a little healthier and get our kids to eat more veggies. So I went and bought the cookbook Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. So far everything that we have had out of there is absolutely delicious. Because of copyright laws I have decided not to post any of those recipes, but you are more than welcome to borrow the book if you would like. Or you can buy it from Ollie's (near the Galleria Mall on Walden and Union) for $5. It is definitely a good buy. Porter has even eaten spinach because of it. It is wonderful.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Cornbread

Several people have asked me for this recipe, so here it is!


CORNBREAD

1/2 c butter or margarine, room temp

1 c sugar

2 eggs

1 c yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 c milk

Cream butter, sugar, and eggs. In a seperate bowl blend cornmeal, flour, baking powder, nad salt. Combined creamed mixture, dry ingredients, and milk. Blend. Bake in a greased 8x8-inch pan at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Halibut Bake













Topping:

1/4 C. mayonnaise
1/4 C. sour cream
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. lemon juice
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)

Mix together and spread on top of halibut. Broil in oven till done
(will have burnt spots). Optional: sprinkle parsley on top of the fish.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

BBQ Turkey Meatloaf

This is the best Meatloaf I have ever tasted, and its much better for you because it's made with Turkey. Mmmmmmm. Everyone loved this dinner!


Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon BBQ Seasoning, recipe follows
* 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* 1 1/2 cups BBQ Sauce, reserving 1/2 cup for the top, recipe follows
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 cup chopped red onion
* 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 cloves garlic, chopped
* 2 pounds lean ground turkey
* 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix BBQ seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, soy sauce, beaten egg, 1 cup of the BBQ sauce and Worcestershire sauce.

In a saute pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add onion, bell pepper, salt and pepper and garlic. Saute until tender. Remove from heat and add to wet mix.

Pour mixture into bowl with the ground turkey. Add bread crumbs and mix all together with your hands.

Transfer the meat mixture to a cookie sheet or baking pan. Using your hands, shape the meat into an oblong or rectangular shape. *Cook's Note: Alternately, you can pat the meat into a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan and pour 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce on the top of the loaf.

Bake for 35 minutes. Remove and add the reserved 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce to the top and continue to bake for 20 more minutes.

BBQ Seasoning:

* 1 1/2 cups paprika
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 3 3/4 tablespoons onion powder

*You will only need 1/4 of this.

Coconut Chicken Curry


If you like curry, you have to make this. I really enjoyed this meal but it was slightly different. Very very good though. Surprisingly, Maddie liked it too.

Chicken Curry
slightly adapted from Favorite Family Recipes

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks or strips
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika (substitute cayenne pepper if you like the heat)
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 red potatoes, cut into small chunks
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
Jasmine rice (cooked)
Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.

Heat oil, curry powder, and paprika in a large skillet over medium-low heat for two minutes, until fragrant (but don't let it burn). Turn the heat up to medium and stir in onions and garlic and cook ten minutes more or until onions are very clear. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and is cooked through. Add potatoes, then add coconut milk, tomatoes (I lightly crushed the stewed tomatoes with my fingers before adding), tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30-40 minutes or until sauce thickens. The sauce thickens upon standing, but is great served piping hot (and a bit thinner), too. Serve with Jasmine rice (or your favorite rice) and garnish with cilantro, if desired. .

Sweet and Sour Chicken


This recipe is so so easy and took me almost no time at all. Maybe 15 minutes. It is absolutely delicious too! For the first time EVER Creed raved over the dinner because of this meal. It's so good. Make it! And I stole this picture from the site I found it on.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes (I only used 2 for my family, and it was plenty)
6 T. flour seasoned with 1/2 t. salt and 1/2 t. pepper
1/4 c. olive oil
1/8 c. cornstarch
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. vinegar
1 20 oz. can pineapple tidbits (reserve juice)
1/2 c. pineapple juice (use reserved juice)
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 T. soy sauce
1 red bell pepper, sliced (we also used a green pepper)
1/4 c. onion, sliced
Coat chicken in flour and fry in olive oil until browned. Drain and set aside. In same skillet, combine cornstarch, salt, pepper, brown sugar, vinegar, pineapple juice, chicken broth and soy sauce. Cook and stir until boiling. Reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes (mine reduced much faster, so I added about 1/2 c. water to make it more saucy). Add chicken, peppers, onions, and pineapple. Cook until heated through. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

5 in 1

I know this is a little lame but I have wanted to post a couple of things and just haven't so now I have like 5 recipes to post. So I thought I would do it all at once. Here you go.

Punkin Pancakes
2 1/3 c. bisquick
1/3 c. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. oil
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs

Mix with a wisk until blended and cook like normal pancakes


Chicken, Broccoli, and Pasta
this is a recipe I got from someone who would change her recipes all the time so there aren't that many measurements so just do what you think (which is why I hesitate to even post it). I haven't gone wrong with it yet. Just do what your family would eat.
1 lb chicken breast, cooked and chopped
1 bunch of broccoli, steamed
fettucini noodles, cooked
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can water
1/2 c. mayo
garlic powder
salt and pepper
Mrs Dash
Cheddar cheese
bread brumbs
butter

Toss cooked chicken, steamed broccoli and cooked noodles in your baking dish (usually use a 2 qt dish and fill it). In another bowl mix soup, water, mayo and seasonings until somewhat smooth. Pour sauce over noodles and toss to coat. Sprinkle cheese over top. Melt a small amount of butter to stir into bread crumbs and sprinkle over cheese.
Bake at 325 for 30-45 minutes.

Stuffed Meatloaf
2 lbs hamburger
1 box stuffing
6 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
Preheat oven to 350
Season meat like you would for normal meatloaf. (I usually use season salt, pepper, and 1 egg) Cook stuffing according to directions on box. Saute mushrooms, green pepper and onion in frying pan until tender, but firm.
Pat out hamburger on wax paper to form a rectangle (you want the meat fairly thin). Spread stuffing on top then sprinkle mushroom mix on top. Lifting the wax paper, carefully roll the hamburger and place into baking dish. Cover and cook for about 1 hour.


Farmhouse BBQ Muffins
2 tubes Jumbo flakey biscuits (16 biscuits total)
1 lb ground beef
1/2 c. ketchup
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Separate dough and roll out into slightly larger circles. Press each biscuit into greased muffin tin and set aside. (I usually only end up using 12 biscuits because that is as far as my meat goes. Then I just make cheesey biscuits with the remaining 4 for my kids)
In skillet cook hamburger thoroughly and drain. In a small bowl mix ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, and chili powder until smooth. Add the meat and stir to coat. Divide meat mixture among biscuits. Sprinkle cheese over top.
Bake at 375 for 18-20 min or until golden brown.


Fried Ice Cream
1 qt. Vanilla Ice Cream
about 2 c. crushed cornflakes
cinnamon sugar
1 egg, wisked until there are no blobs
oil for frying
The day before form ice cream into 4 balls of whatever size you want. (we didn't use the whole container of ice cream of course. We just made 4 solid scoops.) Round them out in your hands, put on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and put back in the freezer overnight.
When ice cream balls are frozen hard again, dip into crushed cornflakes to coat. Make sure you cover entirely, and place back in the freezer for at least 1 hour. Combine remaining cornflakes with some cinnamon sugar. Once hard again, dip into egg to coat then into cornflakes again for a second coating. Work with only one ball at a time, then place back in freezer as soon as possible.
Heat oil to between 375-400 degrees. When oil is ready, take ice cream from the freezer, and place in oil (one at a time) for about 10-15 seconds (if you do it too long the ice cream will melt). Roll onto paper towel to drain then promply into bowl. Top with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, caramel, etc. What ever you want.

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins
*Nothing too fancy about these muffins but kids love them so we make them a lot at my house!*

1 ¾ cups flour
1/3 sugar
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 egg
¾ cup milk
¼ cup oil

cinnamon and sugar mixed
melted butter (I usually melt half a stick)

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in center of dry mixture, set aside. In another bowl combine egg, milk and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just till moistened (batter will be a little lumpy). Spoon batter into greased muffin tins. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden. (I use mini muffin pans and they bake for about 12 minutes).
Put melted butter and cinnamon sugar into separate bowls. When your muffins come out of the oven dip the tops into melted butter and then into cinnamon sugar.
Then enjoy!!

Friday, October 30, 2009

Pumpkin Cookies














2 1/2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon of Baking Powder
1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
1 teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
2 teaspoons of Pumpkin Spice
1/4 teaspoon of Salt
1/2 Cup off Softened Butter
1 1/2 Cup of White Sugar
1-1 1/2 Cup of Canned Pumpkin Puree
1 Egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and wisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin spice and salt in a medium bowl
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Then add the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla and mix well. Add in the dry mix.
Drop Tablespoons of dough on a cookie sheet and slightly flatten and smooth out. Cook for 12 minutes.

Cool completely and add your choice of frosting by drizzling on top of cookie with a fork. I combined:
1 Cup of Powdered Sugar, 1 1/2 Tablespoons of milk, 1/2 Tablespoon of melted butter, and a few drips of vanilla extract to taste as well as 1 drop of red food coloring with 4 yellow to make an orange shade.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

stuffed porkchops

4 boneless pork chops, butterflied
1 box pork stuffing
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 soup can milk

Butterfly pork chops, then slice through. (when done, you should have 8 half pork chops) Place 4 on the bottom of a square pan. Lightly salt and pepper them. Pour prepared stuffing on top to cover pork chops. Place remaining 4 chops on top and lightly salt and pepper. Combine mushroom soup with milk and pour over tops.

Cover and bake at 375 for 30 min. Then uncover and bake an extra 15 min.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Lisa's Linguine

This is my sister's idea of an "easy dinner." I don't think it's very easy, but she made this for me when my brother and I visited her and it's delicious.













Linguine with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing

1/2 C. plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil
3. Tbsp. balsalmic vinegar
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 C. chopped red onion
1/2 C. chopped and drained oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
1/2 C. dried basil (I've used fresh too and I liked it even more)
4 skinless and boneless chicken breast halves ( I do less)
1/2 C. canned low salt chicken broth
1-9oz. package fresh linguine (I do dried), freshly cooked

Whisk 1/2 C. oil, vinegar, garlic, and sugar in a medium bowl to blend. Whisk in onion, tomatoes, and 1/4 C. basil. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Heat remaining oil in heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet . Saute until brown, about 3 min. per side. Cut into pieces. Add broth, 1/2 C. dressing, 1/4 C. basil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low; simmer uncovered until chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add remaining dressing and basil. Simmer till heated through. Serve over linguine.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Lemon Chicken Stir fry


This is pretty quick, easy, and it has lots of vegies. We love it because Valorie will eat it (although she does pick out the broccoli and leave it on her tray). :)

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh broccoli florets
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped (I substitute ground ginger)
3 green onions w/tops, sliced
1 lemon (or a couple tsp lemon juice)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 cups water
2 packages (2.8 oz each) baked chicken flavored ramen noodles (I use regular chicken)

Chop bell pepper, carrot and ginger root with food chopper. Slice green onion in 1 inch pieces. Zest whole lemon. Cut chicken into thin strips (I cube it). Heat skillet over medium heat and spray with vegetable oil. Add chicken, stir-fry 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add ginger root, stir-fry 30 sec. Add water, bring to boil. Add noodles, broken in pieces and season packets from noodles. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Add broccoli and carrot, simmer 3 minutes or until noodles are tender and most of liquid is absorbed. Add bell pepper, green onion, and lemon zest to skillet. Heat through. Drissle with fresh lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Oreo Truffles

Oreo Truffles

1 package Oreo cookies

1(8 oz) block of softened cream cheese

1 tub of Dolci or Bakers melting white chocolate


Blend package of Oreo's in food processor to make into a fine powder (looks like dirt). Add softened cream cheese to oreo's and blend with a fork until it makes a sticky dough. Roll into quarter size balls and place on wax paper (makes about 25). Put the oreo balls into the freezer for atleast 20 minutes before dipping them in the melted white chocolate. The chocolate will harder in about 15 minutes. Keep in fridge (we like to keep ours in the freezer)

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Crème Brûlée













1 pint (2  cups)  whipping cream
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup   granulated sugar
1 Tbsp.  vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degree.
Heat cream over medium heat until bubbles form around edge of pan.
Beat egg yolks and sugar together until thick, about 3 minutes.
Gradually beat cream into egg yolks.  Stir in vanilla.
Pour mixture into 6 six-ounce custard cups. 
Place cups in baking dish that has about 1/2 inch water (don't place too much water, so water won't get into custard dishes) in the bottom.
Bake until set, about 45 minutes.

Mix 4 Tbsp. granulated sugar and 1 tsp. brown sugar.  Sprinkle each custard with about 2 tsp. sugar blend.
Place on top rack under broiler.  Cook until topping is medium brown.
Chill before serving.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Southwestern Nachos

Just so you know, I halved the recipe because I definitely didn't need that much. Half of it would have lasted us a while if Eric didn't like it so much and ate it all before I even got a second helping.

2 boneless whole pork loin roasts (the recipe says 3 1/2 lbs each, but mine was just about 3 lbs and I still didn't use all of it)
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp liquid smoke, optional (we did use it and the meat was to die for)
2 1/2 c. bbq sauce, divided
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1 pkg tortilla chips
1 1/2 c frozen corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 c. fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (we didn't use)
2 tsp lime juice
1 pkg. (16 oz) process cheese (Velveeta)
2 Tbsp milk

Cut each roast in half; place in two 5 qt. slow cookers. COmbine the apple juice, garlic, salt and liquid smoke if desired; pour over meat. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until tender.

Shred pork with two forks, place in a very large bowl. Stir in 2 cups bbq sauce, brown sugar, and honey. Grease two 13x9 pans. Divide pork mixture between pans. Combine the corn, beans, tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapeno and lime juice; spoon over the pork mixture.

Bake uncovered at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt cheese with milk. Drizzle cheese sauce and remaining bbq sauce over nachos. (30 servings)

Serve with tortilla chips.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Easy Stir Fry

..Sorry for the consecutive posts!













1-2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cubed
1 Medium Carrot, thinly sliced
1/2 Onion, chopped big
1 Green Pepper
Optional: Snow peas, Zucchini, Squash, Mushrooms, Cabbage, Broccoli, Green Beans etc.
2 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Sauce:
2 teaspoons Cornstarch
1/3 Cup Cold Water
2-3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1/2 teaspoon of Paprika
1/4 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Minced Garlic

Put chicken and vegetables in a frying pan/wok with oil and 2 tablespoon of soy sauce. Fry until browned and cooked all the way. In a separate bowl combine sauce. Pour over chicken and vegetables with heat on low until all food is warmly coated with sauce. Serve over rice. We also microwaved a tomato with sprinkled Parmesan cheese as a side.

Jenni's Spaghetti Salad














1 Package of Angel Hair Pasta
Kraft ZESTY Italian Salad Dressing
1/3-1/2 Bottle of Salad Supreme Seasoning
1 Red Onion
1 Cucumber
1 Green Pepper
2-3 Tomatoes

Chop Vegetables. Cook pasta and drain, run under cold water to cool. Combine pasta and vegetables and then add entire bottle of salad dressing and 1/3-1/2 Salad Supreme Seasoning to taste.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Piccata Chicken














6 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Tenderloins/strips of Breasts
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/8 Cup Butter/Margerine
3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 Cups Boiling Water
2 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
1-2 Tablesoons of white sugar

Preheat over to 250 degrees and boil desired pasta.

In a small plate put 1/4 Cups of Flour and dip in chicken.
In another small bowl, beat the egg together with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and dip the floured chicken in. In another shallow bowl mix together the other 1/4 C. flour, garlic powder and paprika. Dip the floured chicken from the egg/lemon mixture into the seasoned flour.

In a skillet, melt butter/margarine with the olive oil and brown the coated chicken pieces
When done, transfer chicken to a cookiesheet and keep warm in the oven.

Dissolve the bouillon in the boiling water in skillet, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and sugar. (Alter previous three ingredients to your likeness and taste, i.e. more sugar if too tart)In a little bowl mix cornstarch and a little cold water. Then drip into sauce for desired thickness.

When ready to serve, drain pasta, pull chicken pieces out of the oven and transfer to sauce. Pour sauce and chicken over pasta. Garnish with parsely, basil, or whatever you desire.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Homemade Mozzarella Cheese Sticks














3 Sticks of String Cheese (Aldi's has an amazing brand)
1 beaten egg
1 cup of Italian Bread Crumbs
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 cup of oil
Optional: Spaghetti Sauce for Marinara
*This recipe is easily doubled for more

Cut string cheeses in 1/2 horizontally. Put them in the freezer for over an hour (this is so they don't melt when you fry them). Roll frozen cheeses in egg. Mix the Italian bread crumbs with the garlic powder in a separate bowl and roll egged cheese in this bowl. Repeat these two steps two or three more times until the stick of cheese is completely breaded. Put oil in a frying pan and heat up until a drop of water will sizzle, then put it on medium. Fry and occasionally rotate the breaded cheese until golden brown (takes about 1-2 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel covered plate and pat off grease. Enjoy :-)

Monday, September 21, 2009

Peanut Butter Pie

* SO I can't claim full credit for this recipe because it was actually Sarah Taylor's recipe and it's on the Dental Wives Sweet Teeth blog. It is absolutely TO DIE for and I might have to venture out there and say that it is my favorite dessert I have ever found! I made it for craft night to try, and I really really loved it! You wont be sorry if you make it, and I'm sorry I don't have a picture!

20 cream filled chocolate sandwich cookies, divided (oreos)
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 pkg. (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cup powder sugar, divided
1 carton(16oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
25 miniature peanut butter cups, chopped
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg. (3.9oz)instant chocolate pudding mix
Crush 16 cookies, toss with butter. Press onto bottom of ungreased pie dish(I used a 9x13 baking dish and added a little more oreos because I was feeding a bigger crowd)). In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter and 1 cup powder sugar until smooth. Fold in half of the whipped topping. Spread over crust. Sprinkle with peanut butter cups. (save a few for the top)
In a separate mixing bowl, beat the milk, pudding mix, and remaining powder sugar on low speed for 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over peanut butter cups. Crush remaining cookies, sprinkle over the top and sprinkle with last few PB cups. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours prior to serving.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Salsa Chicken

This is one of Eric's favorites and it is SUPER easy.

Chicken breasts
Your favorite salsa (we use Pace Picante Mild)

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with foil to help with clean up. Place raw thawed chicken on pan and pour as much salsa as you would like over each breast. Bake for about an hour or so. Check around 30-45 min to see if done. Generally has taken us about an hour every time. Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Key Lime Cheesecake

Here's the recipe of the cheesecake from Tasha's Shower:














4 Packages of 8oz Cream Cheese
1 1/4 Cups of White Sugar
1 Tablespoon of Corn Starch
4 Eggs
1 Tablespoon of Lime Zest (I just used the small end of a cheese grater on the peels, took about 2 limes)
1/3 Cup of Key Lime Juice
1/3 Cup of Lemon Juice
A few drops of green food coloring

*This produced enough filling for 2 cheesecakes, so I did a store bought crust on one and a homemade crust on the other.

CRUST 
Combine:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons butter, melted
Press into pan and refrigerate.


Mix cream cheese, sugar, zest, and cornstarch until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add key lime juice and lemon juice with mixer on low as well as drops of green food coloring. Finish mixing by hand. Do not overbeat, or cake will crack during baking (An example would be my picture above :-) ). Pour batter into crusts.

Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 55 to 65 minutes, or until set. To minimize cracking, place a shallow pan half full of hot water on lower rack during baking. (For me all was well until I put it into the fridge)

Turn oven off, and let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes with the door open at least 4 inches. Remove from oven. Refrigerate cake overnight, and up to three days. (I just froze my second cheesecake.) Top with cream and limes.

Peanut Butter Krispies















1 Cup of Canola Oil
1 Cup of White Sugar
1 Cup of Peanut Butter
6 Cups of Rice Krispies

Optional:
(1/4 cup of chocolate chips)

Bring corn oil and sugar to a boil. STOP immediately. Add in peanut butter and stir. Add in rice krispies and stir. Transfer to a pan and press into it. If you want you can sprinkle chocolate chips on top. 

*We usually form these into giant hershey kiss shapes with a real hershey kiss in the middle and wrap them with tin foil as we leave love notes on the tail that comes out the top. This is fun to sneak into lunches.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Pork Tenderloin

This is such a great recipe! I just made it for the first time Sunday. It's easy and delicious. Sorry, there's no picture.

1/2 c soy sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp ginger or 1 T fresh ginger, grated
1 T sesame oil
1-11/2 lb pork tenderloin
1/4 c honey
2 T packed brown sugar
1/4 c sesame seeds

Combine first four ingredients in bag. Add meat and marinate at least 2 hours.
Combine honey and brown sugar.
Remove pork from marinade and pat with paper towel. Roll in honey mixture and then in sesame seeds.
Roast in shallow pan for 20-30 minutes at 375 degrees.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Poppy seed dressing

Ingredients:

1 cup oil
2/3 cup vinegar
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 green onions
dash of salt
3 Tbsp poppy seeds

Combine ingredients in the blender. Makes enough for 2 salads.

I like this best over fruity salads. My favorite is salad greens mixed with mandrine oranges, candied pecans, craisins and feta cheese.

Chicken Salad


Someone asked me for this recipe, so now you all get it. :)
It is from Tasha's shower

Ingredients:

1 can chicken breast (1-2 boiled chicken breasts)
2 green onions
1 celery stalk
halved grapes (I prefer red, but other kinds may work)
slivered almonds (can substitute with cashews)
1/4-1/2 cup miracle whip with a little milk to soften it and a little sugar (about 1 Tbsp)

Cut up green onions, celery, and grapes (also cube chicken if using a boiled breast). Put in a bowl with chicken and almonds. In a small separate bowl, mix miracle whip, milk and sugar. Pour over chicken mixture and stir to coat. Adjust portions to liking. I like fruits, so I will sometimes add mandrine oranges and pineapple to this. Serve in a croissant, roll, or just on bread. Enjoy!

Chicken bacon ranch pizza


This is one of my favorite pizzas we have made. :)

Dough:

4 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp olive oil (can use shortening if you prefer)
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 1/4 Tbsp yeast
1 1/4 Tbsp sugar

Proof yeast in warm water and sugar. Mix flour slat and oil. Add yeast mixture. Mix. Knead for about 4 minutes. Let sit about 15 minutes. Roll out dough. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 450 degrees. Take out and add toppings. (If you have a favorite pizza dough recipe, use it. As a disclaimer, I use half wheat and half white flour, so I can't vouch for how this will turn out with all white flour because I've never made it that way).

Suggested Toppings:

Ranch dressing
Cubed grilled chicken
Cooked crumbled bacon
Grated mozarella cheese
Fresh vegetables (we did tomatoes, peppers and onions)

Pour dressing over dough (Not an exact amount, just depends on how saucy you like it). Cover with remaining toppings and cheese. Oh, and we sprinkled parmesan cheese over the top too. Bake for 10-15 minutes more at 350 degrees until done (will look golden brown).

This is pretty easy and delicious!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

egg casserole

Here's the egg casserole from Rachel Fordham's shower. I'm not huge on egg caseroles so Rachel Nielsen kindly gave me this recipe. It was super easy! I didn't have dry mustard so I just left it out.

12-15 slices of bread (cut up into cubes)
1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese
3 c. milk6 eggs
3/4 t. salt
3/4 t. dry mustard
In a greased casserole dish, alternate layers of cubed bread, milk mixture, and cheese. Bake about 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Pork Chops and Potatoes














I made these two recipes last week for the two of us on Sunday and divided it to last for Jacob's lunch for about 3 days after.

Pork Chops:
6 boneless pork chops (I had three and cut them in 1/2)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 cloves garlic crushed
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon ground ginger (optional) 
1 teaspoon of cornstarch (optional if you like it saucy)

Put pork chops in a crock pot. Stir everything else except cornstarch and pour over the meat. Heat on low 4-5 hours and add cornstarch premixed with some water if you want a thicker sauce when done.

Bay Potato Casserole 
8 medium potatoes cook until almost done with bay leaf ( which means drop potatoes and one bay leaf in enough water to cover potatoes and cook, I just have bay leaf pieces in the spice rack so I sprinkled the top of the pot with them) 
When they are cooked, peel skins and cube very small  

Combine  :  
1  can cream mushroom soup                     
1 cup onion chopped                     
3/4 cup sour cream or butter milk                     
3/4 cup mayonnaise   

Pour over potatoes and mix well. Sprinkle 1 cup grated cheddar cheese over the casserole. Bake at 350 degree for 20-30 minutes.

And we sided the meals with corn muffins and steamed broccoli with Velveeta melted on top.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Chicken and Rice Casserole

This is really easy and fast to put together but does take planning as it takes a long time to cook. This is actually one of Eric's favorites.

1 1/2 c. rice
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cans milk
1 can water
2 chicken breasts
salad shrimp (optional)

chop up and add however much of these veggies you want (you may omit whatever you don't like)

onions
celery
carrots (grated)
mushrooms
green pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Butter the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Sprinkle rice evenly over bottom and then sprinkle all the veggies and shrimp over top. Cut up chicken into the sized you want and place it raw on top of the casserole. Mix soup, milk, and water together then pour over the casserole. sprinkle Mrs. Dash, paprika and a little celery salt over the top.

Cover with foil and cook for 2 1/4 hours.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Boston Cream Cakepuff

My cousin's recipe: She calls it a mix between an eclair and Boston cream donut.





Ingredients:

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup margarine

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1/2 package (1.5 ounces) instant sugar-free vanilla pudding mix

1/2-3/4 cups fat-free milk

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

Ganache (melted chocolate with a little milk added to make smooth)

Directions:

In a saucepan, bring water and margarine to a boil, stirring constantly until margarine is melted. Reduce heat to low; add the flour. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture leaves sides of pan and forms a smooth ball. Remove from the heat.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until the batter becomes smooth. Spread into a greased 8 inch cake pan. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until puffed and golden. Immediately remove from pan and cut in half horizontally. Cool completely.

For filling, beat the pudding mix, milk and cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth. Just before serving, place bottom eclair layer on a serving platter; cover with filling. Replace top layer and drizzle with chocolate. 

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Mushroom and Sweet Onion Cheesesteak

I found this recipe on cooking light and tried it this week. I absolutely loved it but forgot to melt the cheese on top. It tastes better when you do.

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
12 ounces top round steak, cut into thin strips
1 1/2 cups thinly vertically sliced Vidalia or other sweet onion
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1/4 cup Madeira wine (I used chicken broth)
1/2 cup green bell pepper strips
1/2 cup red bell pepper strips
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
4 (2-ounce) ciabatta rolls

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add steak to pan; cook 2 minutes or until browned, turning occasionally. Remove steak from pan. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms; sauté 6 minutes. Stir in wine; cook until liquid evaporates (about 1 minute). Add bell peppers; sauté 4 minutes. Return steak to pan. Stir in Worcestershire, salt, and black pepper; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Sprinkle mixture with cheese; stir until cheese melts. Divide mixture evenly among rolls.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Honey Lime Enchiladas

This has become one of our favorite recipes since I got it from my aunt. Especially if you like sweet and spicy together...(its not really spicy).

4 T. honey
2 T. lime juice
1 T. oil (I used olive oil)
2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Mexican blend shredded cheese (I use whatever cheese I have, but it is really good with this)
Flour tortillas, soft taco size
1 can green enchilada sauce

Cook and shred 4 chicken breasts. Mix above sauce with shredded chicken. Roll chicken mixture and grated cheese into flour tortillas. Top with green enchilada sauce and a little grated cheese. Bake at 350º for 30-40 minutes.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients:
1/2 C. soy sauce
1/4 - 1/3 C pineapple juice
2 Tbs. brown sugar
sprinkle of garlic salt
1 can pineapple chunks

Mix soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, and garlic salt in a baking pan and marinate chicken for about 1 hr. Cook at 350 degree for about 1hr. Add pineapple chunks last 1/2 hr.

I like to serve it over rice because the sauce compliments it pretty well.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

BBQ Chicken Salad

This was big hit at my house this week! Ingredients:
1/2 head iceberg lettuce
chopped romaine lettuce
chopped1 cup frozen white corn- rinse under cold water, or fresh corn if in season:)
1 can black beans- drain & rinse
2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
2 medium diced tomatoes
1-2 avocados chunked
drizzle 1/2 lime over to prevent from browning

Ranch Dressing:
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayo
1 package Hidden Valley ranch mix
1/4 cup cilantro

BBQ Chicken:1 hour before, marinade 2 pounds chicken tenders in 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp salt & pepper. Place chicken on broiler pan and broil 4-6 minutes per side. Let cool then dice in cubes,then toss with 1/2 cup bbq sauce of your choice! (I LOVE Sweet Baby Rays)

On large platter, layer lettuces, corn, black beans, cheese & tomatoes. Top with warm bbq chicken and avocados!Serve with ranch dressing, garlic bread or HOME MADE ROLLS!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Calzones

I wish I had a picture of this, but I don't. I got this recipe from my mom's cookbook and it is delicious! You can freeze any leftover calzones and then heat them up for a future meal.

CALZONES
4 oz. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1/2 c. tomato sauce
1/4 c. yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1 lb. frozen bread dough, thawed
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 T. grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg
2 T. milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease baking sheet. Cook sausage about 10 minutes until browned, drain well.
Combine tomato sauce, onion, garlic, basil and oregano in skillet with sausage. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a 5-inch circle. Spoon the filling evenly onto half of each circle. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Moisten edges of dough with water. Fold dough over filling and press edges to seal. Combine egg and milk and brush over calzones.
Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
You may add any additional ingredients you like (spinach, pepperoni, olives, etc.)

Red Velvet Cake

PREP:  1hr 15 min.      BAKE:  25 min.     COOL:   10 min.     OVEN:  15 mi.    

Ingredients:

3          eggs
3/4       cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)
3          cups all-purpose flour
2          tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/4    cups sugar
1 1/2    tsp. vanilla
1          1-oz. bottle red food coloring (2 Tbsp.)
1 1/2    cups buttermilk
1 1/2    tsp. baking soda
1 1/2    tsp. vinegar ( I use white vinegar, but you can use any kind)
1          recipe Buttercream Frosting, below

Preparation

1.   Let eggs and butter stand 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350 F.
      Grease and flour three 8 x 1 1/2-inch round baking pans; set aside.

2.   In medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, and 3/4 tsp. salt; set aside.
      In large mixing bowl beat butter on medium-high 30 seconds.  Add sugar and vanilla; beat until combined.
      One at a time add eggs; beat on medium after each.  Beat in food coloring on low.

3.   Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to egg mixture; beat on low-medium after each just until combined.Stir together baking soda and vinegar.

      Add to batter; beat just until combined.

4.   Spread in prepared pans.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until pick inserted near centers comes out clean.
      Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.  Remove from pans; cool.

5.   Prepare Buttercream Frosting.  Place layer flat side up on plate.  
      Spread top with 3/4 cup frosting.  Stack layer, flat side up; spread top with 3/4 cup frosting. Stack final layer, flat side down; spread remaining frosting on top and side.  Makes 16 servings.

Buttercream Frosting

In medium saucepan whisk together 1 1/2 cups whole milk (you can use any kind of mild, such as 2 %), 1/3 cup flour, and dash salt.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more.  Transfer to small bowl; cover surface with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until cooled (do not stir).  In large bowl beat 1 1/2 cups softened butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and 2 tsp. vanilla on medium 5 minutes until light and fluffy and sugar is almost dissolved.  Add cooled milk mixture, 1/4 cup at a time; beat on low after each until smooth.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Italian Chicken

I'm all about EASY recipes and I'm sure many of you have this one in some form or other, but just in case you don't.....

Ingredients:
1 pkg. dry Italian dressing
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 chicken breasts

Procedure:
Mix soup, cream cheese and seasonings together until creamy and mixed well. Place chicken in crock pot and pour sauce over it. Cook on low all day in crock pot. Shred the chicken before serving. To make it more saucy, just add more chicken soup, broth or milk. Serve over rice, noodles, or baked potato! Delish!

Delicious!!

My mom has been in town we have had some really yummy dinners -- here are 2 recipes that are both fantastic!! Both Recipes are from Cooking Light.


Crumb-Topped French Toast

1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup cornflake crumbs
8 (1-ounce) diagonally-cut slices French bread (about 1 inch thick)(I had half a loaf leftover from dinner and it was perfect!)
1/4 cup margarine, melted


Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well with a wire whisk. Place cornflake crumbs in a shallow dish.

Dip bread slices into milk mixture, and dredge in cornflake crumbs. Place bread slices on a baking sheet, and drizzle with margarine. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.



Pan-Seared Scallops on Linguine with Tomato-Cream Sauce


1 cup dry white wine (I used 1/2 cup white grape juice and 1/2 cup chicken broth)
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 cup chopped seeded plum tomato (I didn't seed my tomato I just threw it all in)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups hot cooked linguine (I used about 3/4 of a 1 lb box)
Cooking spray
3/4 pound large sea scallops (I used small bay scallops - they were on sale)
1/8 teaspoon salt
Chopped cilantro


Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium skillet; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Drain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, reserving liquid; discard solids.

Return wine (broth/juice) mixture to skillet. Add cream; cook over medium heat 1 minute. Add butter, stirring until butter melts. Stir in tomato, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Add linguine; toss well. Cover and keep warm.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Arrange scallops in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Add scallops to pasta mixture; toss gently to combine. Garnish with cilantro, if desired

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

yogurt yumminess

2 raspberry yoplait yogurt(small container)
raspberries
cool whip

I don't have exact measurements (I make it a little different every time) but this is so good. Smash raspberries with a fork. Add yogurt and then a couple big spoonfuls of cool whip. Mix together.

Pot Roast in a crock pot

I did this for the first time on Sunday and it was soooo easy!

1 Rump Roast (or whatever cut you prefer)
1 can beef broth
1 packet of Onion soup
-put roast in crock pot
pour in broth
rub Onion soup mix on top of roast

Crock pot on high 4 hrs or low 6-8 hrs.

Gravy : When done turn drippings into gravy by adding cornstarch (I did 3 spoonfuls mixed with cold water and added to drippings) then boil.

* I also add sliced potatoes and baby carrots to the crockpot and had a whole meal!

Monday, August 10, 2009

Zucchini and yellow squash stir fry

So, my sister came in town and I went out of town, and consequently I haven't posted in awhile. Sorry! This is a really easy stir fry and probably most people have a similar recipe, but I love it so I am sharing it anyway. Because my husband kinda made this up as he went along, the measurements aren't exact so feel free to experiment with them.

2-3 Tbsp butter
1 small/medium zucchini (peeled and sliced)
1 small/medum yellow squash (peeled and sliced)*
1 medium onion (sliced)
2 small or 1 large tomatoe (diced)
1 clove garlic, minced (or a couple tsp garlic powder)
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a saute pan, saute zucchini and squash over med-high heat in butter until they begin to soften (appx 4-5 min). Add onion and salt and pepper to taste. Saute appx. 2-3 minutes more. When they look close to done (will beging to look see-through-ish), add the minced garlic (if you use garlic powder, you can add it at any time) and tomatoe-try not to moosh the tomatoes. Cook till done (maybe one more minute), turn off heat, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and mozarrella. You don't have to add the mozarella, I like it because I am a cheese aholic, but Chris just likes it with parmesan. Also, the butter is approximate. If it all gets absorbed and seems dry, add more. Enjoy :)

*the yellow squash can be yellow zucchini, crookneck, or any other smallish yellow squash that is your favorite. It won't work with big squashes (like banana or speghetti, etc). Also, if the squash (including the zucchini) is larger, you may want to cut it down the middle and take out the seeds for texture. Use the size you will need to feed your family. You don't have to peel them, follow your preference.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Zucchini Chicken and Rice casserole

So I have been looking everywhere to find recipes to help use up the many, many zucchini that we have. I was definitley pleasantly suprised with this one.

4 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
2 cups onions-chopped
1 garlic clove-minced
3 cups zucchini-diced
2 cups mushrooms-sliced
3 cups chicken-cooked & diced
1 cup uncooked brown or white rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
1 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/4 tsp. chili powder

Heat 3 tbsp. of the oil in a large saute pan, and saute 1 cup of the onions with the garlic for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and mushrooms, and saute for 3 minutes more. Combine the vegetables with the chicken, rice, broth, and spices, and the cheese. Mix and season to taste with salt & pepper. Place this mixture in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp. oil, and saute the remaining cup of onions for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chili powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the topping over the rice and chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve hot. Casserole is quick to prepare and can be made up in advance and held until ready to cook in oven.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Cobb Pasta Toss


Oh my, this pasta is so delicious!!! I saw it on Rachael Ray and made it for dinner one night...it is now one of our favorite dishes.

• 3 pints grape or cherry tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
• 1 avocado, pitted and diced
• 4 to 5 scallions, thinly sliced on a bias
• 1 cup blue cheese or feta cheese crumbles
• 1/4 cup (about a handful) fresh basil, chopped
• 1 cup cooked chicken (optional)

Preheat an oven to 400ºF. Scatter the tomatoes onto a baking sheet and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons EVOO, some salt and pepper, and grated garlic. Toss lightly to coat and roast them in the hot oven until they burst open and are tender, 12-15 minutes. Cook the bacon until crispy, then drain on paper towels.

Cook pasta according to package directions. When the pasta is ready, reserve a large mug of the starchy cooking water and then drain the pasta and return it to the pot it was cooked in. In a large serving bowl, mash cooked tomatoes together with scallions; add the pasta water and pasta. Crumble the cooked bacon over the mixture, and toss with the diced avocado, blue cheese (or feta), basil, chicken (if desired) and salt to taste. Toss everything together and serve.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Ginger Peanut Chicken Wraps

Peanut Ginger sauce:
1 1/2 T sugar
1 T minced fresh ginger (I used bottled)
3 T lime juice
1 T low sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 garlic clove crushed (I normally use garlic powder-about 1-2 tsp)
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 T water

Put everything in a blender or food processor except peanut butter and water and process until smooth. Add peanut butter and water and process until smooth. (My friend that gave me this recipe sometimes uses supermarket peanut dressing instead of making it herself-I haven't tried that but you can if you'd like)

1 cucumber peeled and chopped into chunks
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
Cooked cubed or shredded chicken (however much you think your family eats, 1 large breast for us makes about 7 wraps)
Bagged shredded cabbage-coleslaw mix (can use cabbage head, but only takes about 1/3 of the head)
Wheat tortillas (white work too)

Warm tortillas and assemble taco style. Pour sauce over before closing wrap. We also like to use ranch dressing with the peanut dressing. I love these, hopefully you all will too. Enjoy :)

Monday, July 13, 2009

Breaded Porkchops

1 c. bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
2 large egg whites
4 boneless thin-cut pork loin chops, trimmed
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

Mix bread crumbs, parmesan, basil, salt and pepper together in a shallow bowl. In another small bowl put flour, and in yet another place the egg whites and mustard wisked together. One at a time dredge pork chops in flour, then in egg whites, then in bread crumbs. Heat oil in a pan and then place breaded pork chops in for about 3 minutes on each side, or until done.

Serve with either mashed potatoes or, if you want to get a little fancy, polenta.

7 Layer Casserole

I guess I'll be the one to start. I LOVE this recipe because it is so easy and tastes delicious. All of the ingredients can be stored in the pantry…just open some cans and you’re ready to go!

1 ¼ cup water
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 can (15 ounce) corn
1 can (15 ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (4 ounce) diced green chilies
1 Tablespoon dried minced onion or 1 teaspoon onion powder
1 can (10 ounce) chicken or turkey, drained (optional)

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan and heat until boiling while assembling the rest of the casserole. Spread rice on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Top with corn, then black beans, then green chilies. Sprinkle with dried onion and then the chicken or turkey. Pour the tomato mixture over the top. Bake the casserole, uncovered, at 425 degrees for 1 hour. Serve in flour tortillas with sour cream and salsa if desired.

Note: Any leftovers can be rolled in flour tortillas and frozen – when ready to serve, bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown and heated through. Great for when you don’t feel like cooking dinner!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Best Idea Ever

So Eric came up with this great idea to share our recipes with eachother. It was probably so I would quit hounding him for ideas. So he thought we should share our menus every week with all the recipes that we have to go with them, and I said "ya, and who has time for that." So I thought maybe we could share our best dinner recipe of the week. It is understandable if you have a couple weeks or whatever between posts. Just when you have time and find an absolutely delicious recipe, share.

Also if you are looking for a certain recipe, don't hesitate to ask for one.

Thanks to you all and happy cooking!