Soft Pretzels

We made these last night, and they were so yummy.

      2 pk Active Yeast
  1 1/2 c  Warm Water
  4 1/2 c  Flour
    1/2 t  Salt
    1/4 c  Baking Soda In 1 Cup Water

Dissolve yeast in water.  Add yeast and salt to flour.  Mix well.  Rise 15 minutes. 

Roll in strips 8 inches long.  Place in shallow pan in soda solution for 2 minutes.  Form in shapes and place on greased cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with large grain salt. 

Bake 350° for 20 min.

Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Pasta

I tried this dish because I am trying to add more vegetables to our dinners, and I'm also trying to try more recipes out of cookbooks that I have sitting in my cupboard.  This one is out of Eating Well on a Budget.  I added the sausage, because Jared won't eat anything that doesn't have meat in it. 

Honestly, while I was making it, I was pretty sure it was going to turn into a McDonald's night as it was a little strange going together- seemed a little watery, but it all came together by the end.  My kids and Ryan ended up loving it- even Jared who looked at it and said, "I'll try a bite, but I'll probably just make a frozen burrito."  All six of us ate it and enjoyed it.  It is very filling with the sweet potato in there.

 

Ingredients

• 1 package spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 polska kielbasa sausage- sliced
• 3 cups shredded, peeled sweet potato, (about 1 medium)
• 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced,
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 cup diced plum tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I used dried)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon (I used dried)
• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar, or lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (I used Feta)

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes or according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon oil and garlic in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is sizzling and fragrant, 2 to 5 minutes. Add sausage and cook 5 minutes more.  Add sweet potato, bell pepper, tomatoes and water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bell pepper is tender-crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and keep warm.
3. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the vegetable mixture, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, parsley, tarragon, vinegar (or lemon juice), salt and cheese; toss to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 2 tablespoons at a time, to achieve the desired consistency.

Avocado Salsa

I first had this at a baby shower for one of the football wives. It is TO DIE FOR! Every time I bring it anywhere it is a hit.

3-4 Avocados (chopped)

3-4 Roma tomatoes (chopped)

2-3 chopped green onions

1 (4oz) can diced green chilies

1 (4 oz) can sliced olives w/juice (I substitute chopped olives)

1tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder

3 Tbsp Veg. oil

1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Serve with lime flavored tortilla chips

Bulgarian Curried Soup

It will not stop raining, snowing, and being generally chilly here.  Last week I scrambled to get my flowers in on the one sunny day, and now I am worried about them freezing.  So I am still making soups for dinner and this one is my favorite easy soup.  I make it to use up leftover chicken or pork.  You can also throw in some peppers, onions, chopped potato... whatever you have leftover in your fridge.  I always make an extra pot of plain rice, because Ryan likes it more like a sauce, but the girls all love it as soup.  Rachel even packed it in a thermos for school lunch today.   Also, I usually just use milk instead of cream and use a touch more flour for thickening.  If you like hot curry, you can add some ground red pepper to the flour when you put it in.

      2 cups  minced Cooked Chicken
      1 cup  Cream
    1/4 cup  Butter
    1/4 cup  Flour
      1 TBSP  Curry Powder
      6 cups  Hot Chicken Broth
      2 TBSP  Rice
           Salt And Pepper
           Chopped Toasted Almonds


Combine chicken and 1/2 cup of cream.  Set aside.  Melt butter in a large saucepan.  With a whisk blend in flour and curry.  Cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add 2 cups of chicken broth all at once. Stir vigorously until thickened and smooth.  Allow to simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add remaining broth, chicken mixture, and rice.  Bring back to a simmer and cook until rice is tender.  Add remaining cream.  Taste for salt and adjust.  Service with chopped toasted almonds.

-----

Chevy's Salsa Chicken

This is my favorite chicken recipe to use in tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas whatever.  I make a huge batch and freeze it in quart bags to use whenever I don't have a dinner plan.  (Sometimes i cheat and just use canned tomatoes).


CHEVYS SALSA CHICKEN

5 tomatoes, cored and halved
1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and halved (use gloves)
1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
2 T. olive oil
1 T. minced garlic
2 T. Fuego Spice Mix (see recipe below)
1 3-to-4 lbs. cooked chicken, skinned and meat chopped
1/4 C. chopped cilantro

Preheat broiler. Place tomatoes and jalapeño cut-side down in a baking dish. Cut one of the onion halves in half and add to the baking dish. Roast the vegetables under the broiler 8 to 10 minutes or until they begin to blacken. Remove from the oven and cool. Transfer the vegetables and accompanying liquid to a blender and pulse until thick and chunky.

Dice remaining three-quarters of the onion for a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Add spice mix and sauté for 3 to 4 more minutes. Add chicken pieces and sauté until the chicken is heated through, stirring often. Add tomato mixture to the skillet and deglaze, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen any browned bits. Add cilantro. Bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and use as a filling in enchiladas or add beans and use as a filling for burritos. Top with cheese, shredded lettuce and guacamole, sour cream or salsa.

Fuego Spice Mix

1/4 C. paprika
2 t. cayenne
2 T. salt
2 t. ground white pepper
2 T. black pepper
2 T. granulated garlic
2 T. chili powder
2 T. oregano

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Store in an airtight container, out of direct light, for up to 6 months.

White Texas Sheet Cake

Oh my Lone Star, I thought I was addicted to chocolate sheet cake, but this may be better.

Boil until melted and combined.
1 cup margarine
1 cup water. 


Add:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

Bake in sheet pan at 375 for 20-22 minutes. 

(This cake is thin.  For a large cookie sheet with 1" sides, I would 1 1/2x the recipe.)

While cake is cooling make the frosting.
Melt 1/2 cup margarine
      1/2 cup milk.
Pour into 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup chopped almonds.

Pour over cake and smooth evenly.  Let cool before serving.

Peach Jello Guest post

This recipe was originally posted here by my mom on her blog, foreverblooming.blogspot.com She has posted a few other recipes there. Check them out and leave a comment to let her know you stopped by.
I absolutely love this dessert it is so fresh and light and even yummy frozen.


PEACH JELLO DESSERT

1. Make a graham cracker crust in a 9x13 pan. Press into pan and chill 15 minutes.

2. Beat 8 oz. package cream cheese (I used Neufchatel cheese. It is lighter and has fewer calories.) with 1/4 c. sugar. Gradually beat in 1/4 c. milk. Fold in 3 1/2 c. whipped topping and spread over crumb crust. Top with 4-6 peeled, sliced, fresh peaches and return to fridge.

3. Dissolve 1-4 oz. pkg. peach jello in 3/4 c. boiling water. Combine ice cubes and 1/2 c. cold water to make 1 1/4 cups. Add to jello,stirring until slightly thickened. Remove any unmelted ice. Gently spoon jello over peaches. Chill until firm about 3 hours. Cut into squares to serve. Makes about 12 servings.

Pesto Day

It's the most wonderful time of the year.  Harvest, that is.  Sara and I had our annual pesto day yesterday.  We got four batches done and then ate it for lunch.  Here's the recipe.

      2 cups  Firmly Packed Basil Leaves
     10   peeled Garlic cloves
    3/4 cup  Olive Oil
    1/4 cup  Pine Nuts
      1 cup  Grated Parmesan Cheese (the real stuff)
      1 tsp  Salt
      1 tsp  Pepper

Combine all in food processor.  Freezes well in ice cube or mini-muffin trays lined with Saran Wrap.  Add to hot pasta, mayonnaise, cream cheese, or vinaigrette.  Add to 1/4 cup heavy cream for creamy pasta sauce.  (Add
Vitamin C tablet to retain bright green color.)

Sara cleaning the basil leaves.

Cleaned and ready to become delicious.

Grind the leaves with the garlic first.  Then add your olive oil in a slow stream with the motor running.

Next, add cheese, pine nuts, salt, pepper, and Vitamin C tablet and process until smooth. 

We like to line mini muffin trays with plastic wrap, freeze, and then complete wrapping them and store in a ziplock.  Just defrost on the counter in a bowl to use. 

Here is our lunch- Farfalle with pesto with a fresh-picked tomato-feta-basil salad.  It was so mmmmmm.

Spinach and Orzo Salad

I know, pasta salad doesn't really need a recipe, but this one is yummy!  I made it b/c my friend talked me into doing Bountiful baskets, so I had fresh spinach and tomatoes to use.  Can't wait for dinner.

3 cups cooked Orzo pasta
3/4 cup italian dressing
1 head spinach chopped in large pieces ( or use baby spinach)
3 roma tomatoes- diced
1/2 cup halved black olives (eat the rest of the can while you make the salad)
3 Tbsp capers (drained)
Fresh parsley (chopped)
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Stir it all up and chill for later.  Yumm!

Martha Stewart's Salmon with Mustard caper butter sauce

Any flavored butter that's left over can be refrigerated for up to one week or frozen for up to one month. It's delicious with crusty bread or sauteed vegetables.

Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons drained capers, coarsely chopped
• 4 1/2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh dill, plus sprigs for garnish
• 2 teaspoons grainy mustard
• Grated zest of 1/2 lemon, plus 4 thin lemon slices for garnish
• Freshly ground pepper
• 4 salmon fillets (6 to 7 ounces each), skinned
• Coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

1. Stir together butter, capers, dill, mustard, lemon zest, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon, allowing 1 inch of space between fillets (cook in batches if needed). Cook, flipping once, until golden brown and just cooked through, 3 1/2 to 5 minutes per side. Serve topped with mustard-caper butter and garnished with dill and lemon slices.

Texas Jalapeno Jelly

My mom has always made yummy pepper jelly- and now she has streamlined the recipe to be even easier!!


      2    jalapeno peppers,seeded and chopped
      3    medium green peppers,cut into 1 inch pieces, divided
  1 1/2 c  white vinegar,divided
  6 1/2 c  sugar
    1/2    to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
      2    pouches (3 oz. each) liquid fruit pectin
           About 6 drops green food coloring,optional
           Cream cheese and crackers optional


1) In a blender or food processor, place the jalapenos, half of the green peppers and ½ cup vinegar; cover and process until pureed.

2) Transfer to a large Dutch oven or kettle. Repeat with remaining green peppers and another ½ cup vinegar. Add the sugar, cayenne and remaining vinegar to pan. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.

3) Quickly stir in pectin. Return to a rolling boil; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. (You may use regular pectin according to the directions on the pectin package.)

4) Remove from the heat. Ski off foam. Add food coloring if desired. Ladle hot liquid into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace.  Adjust caps. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath.

Serve over cream cheese with crackers if desired.

White Chocolate Bread Pudding from Betty Crocker

6	cups French bread cubes
1	package (6 oz) white chocolate baking bar, coarsely chopped
1	cup fat-free egg product
3/4	cup warm water
1	teaspoon vanilla
1	can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

	Print these coupons...
	About Concordance™

1.	Spray inside of 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place bread cubes in slow cooker. Sprinkle with baking bar.
2.	In small bowl, mix remaining ingredients; pour over bread cubes and baking bar.
	3.Cover; cook on Low heat setting 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm. **We skipped the raspberries and mint pictured above and enjoyed it drizzled with caramel syrup and ice cream.

Carrot Cookies

Since it is December and I haven't been keeping this blog up, I will try to post my favorite cookies during the month for you to try on your neighbor plates. No promises- but I will try.

This is a recipe from my sister-in-law who rivals Martha. She is a great cook. These are one of my husband's favorites.

Carrot Cookies
3/4 cup Shortening
3/4 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 cup Carrots,Cooked And Mashed
2 cups Flour
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Nuts,Chopped


Mix in order given. Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes. Mix enough orange juice to powdered sugar until a stiff frosting results. Frost cookies while they are hot.

Scandinavian Christmas Cookies

Wow. We actually had a complaint for not posting for too long. So, in response to that holiday cheer (hmmm) here is my favorite Christmas cookie recipe.

1 cup Flour
3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup Butter
pinch of salt
1 Egg
1 tsp Almond Extract
1/4 cup chopped nuts


Mix flour, sugar, butter, salt, egg, almond flavoring, and nuts. Roll in egg white. (I actually usually just brush the tops with egg white). Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.

My favorite variation is to omit the nuts and put half of a maraschino cherry on top. It's fun to do both red and green. You could also omit the nuts from the mix and roll the cookie in them before baking. Or sprinkles. Really, just use your imagination. These also make a good jam thumbprint cookie.

Bread and Butter pickles (fridge)

After eating several quarts of the previous pickles, I decided to vary our cucumber diet by making the following (just as yummy) recipe.

1 White Onions,Sliced
4 c Cucumber,Sliced
2 T Salt
1 c Ice Cubes
1 1/2 c Sugar
2 c Cider Vinegar
3/4 t Whole Mustard Seed
1/2 t Black Peppercorns
1/2 t Celery Seed
1/4 t Turmeric

Combine onion, cucumbers, salt and ice cubes. Let sit 3 hours. Bring remaining ingredients to boil in saucepan. Add to drained cucumbers. Bring to boil again. Put immediately into pint jars. Store in refrigerator up to 1 month.

Fridge Pickles (from Sara Foster)

Okay, it's been a while. A long while. But these are worth the wait, especially if you're starting to get some fresh cucumbers out of your garden. Last night my husband and I ate almost a whole quart of them with dinner. If you don't like spice, go easy on the red pepper- they get spicier by the day.


1 c White Vinegar
1/4 c Sugar
1 T Sea Salt
1/2 t Black Pepper
6 ea Cloves
2 Bay Leaves
1 t Crushed Red Pepper
1 t Dill Seed
4 Small Cucumbers,Peeled In Stripes,Thinly Sliced
1 small White Onion,Sliced Into Rounds

Combine vinegar, sugar and spices in a quart jar. Shake to dissolve sugar. Layer the cucumbers and the onion in the jar. Use a wooden spoon to pack them down tightly. Refigerate at least 4 hours. These will keep in the fridge for at least 1 month.

Cherry Bars

I am making these for the swim team pizza party coming up this evening. Anyone who wants to join us, it should be a killer party! My BFF-in-HS's mom used to make these all the time and they were my favorite!! She agreed to give me the recipe only if I never shared it with anyone. So far so good.

But when I saw something almost identical in our ward cookbook that just came out (under Cherry Pastry- by Gladine-- typo says 4 tsp of salt: should be 1/4 tsp salt- you might want to fix it) I decided to keep it under wraps no longer. So try them out. They are delicious!

1 c Margarine
1 3/4 c Sugar
4 Eggs
1 t Vanilla
1 1/2 t Baking Powder
3 c Flour
1 can Cherry Pie Filling

Cream margarine and sugar well. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla, baking powder and flour. Spread 2/3 batter on greased 11X13 cookie sheet with sides. Spread 1 can cherry pie filling. Dot with remaining batter. Cook at 350° for 30 minutes. Drizzle powdered sugar frosting
over dessert.

Creamy shrimp with corn and bacon

I tried this out of Real Simple magazine. It was good, especially with Frank's Red Hot on it.

Cooked white rice
4 slices bacon
1 Tb olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine (can substitute 1/4 cup water)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
10 oz frozen corn

(It said to cook the bacon in the skillet and then wipe out the extra oil- I just microwaved mine and then broke it into pieces.) Heat the oil over med-high. Add onion and cook until softened. Add the wine and reduce by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Stir in the shrimp, corn, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Simmer until cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the bacon; serve over the rice.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

My sister Carol's recipe that I'm using for my veggie platter this evening. It's addicting.

15 oz can Cannelloni beans (she uses Garbanzos)
10 oz jar roasted red peppers- drained
1 clove garlic
1 tsp ground coriander (she substitutes cumin)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbs lemon juice
Salt to taste
1 tsp dried thyme
1/3 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients except oil in food processors. When combined, drizzle in oil with motor running until smooth. Service with crostini, crudites, or crackers.

Talarini

Here is the ultimate casserole. It's my Aunt Sherrie's recipe. We had this often when I was a kid. I leave the green olives whole so it's easier for the kids to pick them out. Then I eat all of theirs!

1 lb Ground Beef
1 can sliced Mushrooms
3 cans Tomato Sauce
1 Onion,Chopped
1 can Corn Niblets
1 package Egg Noodles (cooked)
1 jar Green Olives,Sliced Or Whole

Brown meat and onions. Add other ingredients. Mix with cooked noodles. Place in casserole and bake in 350° oven 30 minutes.

Cream of Tomato Soup

Here's what we're having for dinner tonight, possibly with grilled cheese sandwich croutons.

5 T Butter Or Margarine
1 T Oil
1 cup Onion, Chopped
3 cups Canned Tomatoes
1/4 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Basil
Black Pepper
3 T Flour
2 cups Chicken Broth
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
Salt

[Note: from Mary's Bread Basket Cookbook]
Melt butter and oil in a large saucepan. Sauté onions until tender, about 10 minutes. If using fresh tomatoes (1 1/2 pounds), core and chop coarsely. Add the tomatoes, thyme, basil and a few grindings of black pepper to onion mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk the flour and 1/2 cup broth until smooth. Slowly add to the soup, stirring constantly. Pour in remaining broth. Cover and simmer 25 minutes. Put soup through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Add baking soda and stir thoroughly. Blend in the sugar and cream. Stir and heat, but do not allow to boil. Taste for salt and adjust. Serve immediately in warm soup bowls.

Arroz Con Leche (Rice Pudding)

This recipe is from a ward newsletter a few years ago, so it may be familiar to some (from Gloria Nielsen). Ryan made it last night and it is so yummy, it's worth posting.

4 c Water
1 c Water
1 1/2 c Sugar
1 Cinnamon Stick
2 c Rice
4 c Milk
1 pt Heavy Cream
Raisins
Pinch Of Salt
Sprinkle Of Cinnamon Powder

In large pot combine 4 cups water, 2 cups rice, sugar and stick of cinnamon. Bring to boil and add a pinch of salt. Simmer until rice is almost done then add 1 cup water and 4 cups milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Add a pint of heavy cream. Cook and stir a little longer. Remove from heat and add raisins. Pour into a large serving bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon powder. Chill in refrigerator.

This post is in honor of our brand new neighborhood Rubios who honored Sara and Amy this morning by giving them free lunch for a year!!! Hooray!

Rubios Baja-style Fish Tacos

1½ pounds cod, tilapia or similar white fish fillets.
Cut fillets into 1” by 5” pieces, yielding 12 pieces
12 tortillas, fresh stone ground corn
Beer Batter*
Salsa Fresca*
White Sauce*
Finely shredded cabbage
3 limes, cut into wedges
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and cut into slices

Salsa Fresca
3 cups diced tomatoes
½ cup finely diced white onion
1-2 jalapeños, seeded and minced
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

White Sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup yogurt
¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Beer Batter
1 cup beer
1 cup flour plus ¼ cup
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

Combine ingredients for the Salsa Fresca and refrigerate
until ready to serve
For white sauce, mix ingredients until blended.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the beer batter, mix flour with salt, oregano, dry
mustard, garlic salt, and pepper. Using a whisk, blend
the beer into the flour and spices. Stir the flour mixture
and add beer and mix until blended.
Rinse fish and pat dry.
Heat 3-4 inches of oil in deep pan until it reaches 350°F.
Place ¼ cup flour in shallow bowl. Coat fish with flour.
Dip fish into batter and coat all sides.
Place several pieces of fish in a single layer in hot oil.
(Try not to let them touch). Cook fish until batter is
crispy and golden brown, approximately 4 minutes.
Repeat with remaining fish.
Heat corn tortillas lightly in a skillet or Mexican comal
until they are soft and hot.
To assemble, on each tortilla layer the fish fillet, white
sauce, salsa, avocado and cabbage. Top off with a
squeeze of lime. Fold tortilla over to serve.
Serves 6.

Want to use your Crockpot more?

This isn't really a recipe- but it's a link to a whole year of crockpot recipes! This lady made a new year's resolution to use her crockpot every day in 2008- and here's her blog. I've pulled a few things off and they are good. I'm making parmesan cod in foil packets for dinner tonight, actually.

Beef and Barley Soup in the Crockpot

I am making this for dinner tonight and my house smells soo good! I can't wait to eat it.

3 lb boneless beef chuck roast trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
salt
fresh ground black pepper
vegetable oil
2 medium onions,chopped
2 carrots,peeled and chopped
1/2 c dry red wine
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with the juice
4 c low sodium beef broth (or homemade stock)
4 c low sodium chicken broth (or homemade stock)
1 T minced fresh thyme,or 1 teaspoon dried
2/3 c pearl barley
1/4 c minced fresh parsley (hold until the end)

1. Dry the beef pieces with some paper towels, and then season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in the large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown half of the beef, then add to the slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining beef.

3. Add 2 teaspoons of oil to the large skillet and saute the onions and carrots with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the wine, scraping up the brown bits (fond). Simmer until the wine is reduced by half, about 1 minute. Pour it all into the slow cooker.

4. Add the tomatoes and juice, beef and chicken broth, thyme, and pearl barley and cover. Cook until the beef is tender, about 6 to 7 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high.

5. Add the fresh parsley and serve.

Emma Rice

This is technically a sausage paella. However, we call it Emma rice because my good friend Emma, who is from Spain, made it for us when Jared was born. It was so yummy! Don't leave out the garbanzo beans and put in about 3 times the garlic and you will love it!

4 Potatoes,Peeled, cut in ovals
1 package Little Smokies (or other sausage sliced)
1/2 pound Bacon
6 Garlic Cloves
1 can Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups Rice
4 1/2 c ups Water
1 tsp Beef Bouillon

Fry potatoes in hot oil, 1 layer of potato at a time. Do the same with the sausage and bacon. Take out most of the oil, then cook garlic in it until it starts to get a little golden. Remove. Add the uncooked rice so it can get coated with the oil (about 1 minute.) Put all the ingredients in a 13X9 baking dish, add the beans and spices. Add saffron to the water to get a yellow color. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes from when it starts bubbling (about 30-35 minutes total).

Stir Fry Basics

I found this recipe group while Jared and Rachel were both getting teeth pulled and I was stuck sitting in the dentist's waiting room. It was in a women's magazine and definitely looked worth trying. The dish in the picture is beef with the ginger-soy sauce with asparagus, carrots, and onions. White rice on the side and I skipped the garnish. It was delicious.

I was going to wait to post this until I had tried a dish with each of the sauces, but since it has already been two weeks, it's not going to happen soon. So you're on your own with the other sauces- but they look pretty good to me.




DIRECTIONS
1. Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in skillet.
2. Put 2 Tablespoons cornstarch and 1 pound meat in baggie, shake to
coat.
3. Add meat to skillet and stir fry over med-high heat 3-5 minutes.
Remove to plate.
4. Add 2 teaspoons oil to skillet. Add 4 cups of vegetables. Stir
fry 3-5 minutes until crisp-tender.
5. Add sauce to skillet, bring to simmer. Add meat back in. Simmer 1-
2 minutes until sauce thickens and coats.
6. Serve with choice of side and garnish.

BASICS
Meats/Proteins: tofu cubes, shrimp, chicken in 3/4" cubes, steak in
1/4" strips, pork tenderloin halved and 1/4" sliced
Vegetables: broccoli spears, cauliflower spears, mushrooms, shelled
edamame, 1/2" pepper strips, thin sliced carrots, 1 1/2" spears
asparagus, snow peas, 1/2" onion wedges
Sides: jasmine rice, brown rice, buckwheat noodles, rice noodles
Garnishes: cashews, peanuts, almonds, toasted sesame seeds, crushed red
pepper, thinly sliced scallions, cilantro, mint

SAUCES
THAI-COCONUT
14 ounce can coconut milk
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp green curry
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp salt


SWEET & SOUR
1/2 cup apricot jam
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp minced garlic


PEANUT
1 cup water
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper


GINGER-SOY
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp minced scallion
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp sesame oil

Pumpkin Pancakes with Honey Cinnamon Syrup

2C. flour 2T brown sugar
1T baking powder 1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t ground ginger pinch of ground cloves
1/2 t salt
3 eggs 1 & 3/4C milk
1/2 can canned pumpkin 1.4 veg. oil

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients In a second bowl lightly beat eggs and add remaining ingredients. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until slightly lumpy. Heat a lightly greased nonstick skillet or griddle. Pour 1/4 c batter onto griddle. Cook pancakes 1-2 minutes each side.
*Note Over mixing the batter makes pancakes Tough. Sit only until a few lumps remain. They'll disappear once the pancakes are cooked.
*Optional you can add pecans and chocolate chips to batter or sprinkle over top of pancakes.


Honey-Cinnamon Syrup
3/4 c honey
1/2 teas cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 teas vanilla

In a saucepan heat honey, cinnamon and butter, stirring occasionally until butter is melted and syrup is hot. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Vegetable Tian

Still have leftover zucchini hanging around? A few tomatoes from your garden that you need to use before they go bad? This is the dish to use them in! I made this last fall and it is so yummy. It's really just a veggie casserole with a fancy french name. I'm going to make it for dinner tonight and grill up some chicken. Maybe you'll be able to smell it from your house.

Good olive oil
2 large yellow onions,cut in half and sliced
2 garlic cloves,minced
1 pound medium round potatoes,unpeeled
3/4 pound zucchini
1 1/4 pounds medium tomatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves,plus extra sprigs
2 ounces Gruyere cheese grated



Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Brush a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with olive oil. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.

Slice the potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly, making only 1 layer. It should look like this...Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs and drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake for another 30 minutes until browned. Serve warm.

Here's the finished product. I stole these photos from another gal's cooking blog. Don't you love the internet?

French Onion soup

This is the perfect soup for fall. My son, Jared, who is soon to turn 12 has even developed an appreciation for it, although all the other kids hear the onion title and won't eat it. Oh well, it is completely their loss!

1 stick Butter
9 medium Onions,Sliced
8 cups Water
8 cubes Beef Bouillon
1/4 t Pepper
1/4 T Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 c Vermouth Or Dry White Wine
1/2 t Sugar
1 t Salt
1 T Flour
1/4 t Oregano
1/4 t Parsley


Slice onions. Add butter to pot, melt and simmer onions in butter
until semi-soft. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for at least 30
minutes. Toast French bread with garlic butter under the broiler. Pour soup into bowls.
Put in a dash of Parmesan cheese. Place bread in bowl. Top with 1
slice of swiss cheese, 1 slice of provolone cheese. Broil until cheese
is melted and bubbling.

Cinnamon Rolls, Cinnabon Style

Cinnamon Rolls, Cinnabon Style
1/2 cup warm water
2 pkg. active dry yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 3 1/2 oz. pkg. instant vanilla pudding
2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1+ cup sugar
1/4+ cup good quality cinnamon
In a small bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set aside.
In large bowl, make pudding mix according to package directions. Add butter, eggs, and salt; mix well. Add the yeast mixture; blend. Gradually add flour and knead until smooth and elastic.
Place in very large greased bowl. Cover and let rise until double (about 1 hour). Punch down and let rise again (45 minutes).
On a lightly floured surface, roll out to a 1/4 inch thick rectangle, 21 inches in its smaller dimension. Note: you may wish to divide the dough in halves and roll out two rectangles. You may have to partially roll it out, then cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest before finishing. Spread 1/2 cup melted butter over surface. Mix cinnamon and sugar together, and spread evenly over surface, leaving a 1-inch margin along one of the long edges. Roll up tightly, starting from a long side. Press together along the edge not covered with cinnamon sugar.
Slice at ~1 1/4 inch intervals. Place on greased baking pan, ~2 inches apart. Cover and let rise until double again.
Bake at 350oF for 15-20 minutes. Remove as soon as they turn golden. Frost warm rolls with cream cheese frosting
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
Combine all ingredients, mix until smooth.

Cream Cheese Banana Bread

(Disclaimer: I took this off another persons blog (whom I do not know), who got it out of Southern Living Magazine)

Cream Cheese Banana Bread

3/4 c. butter, softened

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

3 c. flour

1/2 t. each baking soda, baking powder, and salt

1 1/2 c. mashed bananas

1 c. chopped pecans, toasted

1/2 t. vanilla extract

Cinnamon Crisp Topping

1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1 T. flour

1 T. melted butter

1/8 t. ground cinnamon

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just blended after each. Combine flour, powder, soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in bananas, pecans and vanilla. Pour into two greased and floured 8x4 inch loaf pans; sprinkle with combined topping (press into dough slightly). Bake at 350* for one hour, shielding with foil during the last 15 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool 30 minutes before slicing.

I did not have any pecans so I tried chocolate chips and did not put the cinnamon topping on. Next time I will make sure I have pecans and put the topping on. (Chocolate Chips were just o.k.)

Tomato Sauce

We are finally getting some tomatoes out of our garden. Here is a fast and easy sauce recipe that makes about a quart. I make it when I have time or tomatoes and put it in a quart jar in the fridge to use on a busy night. The second recipe is a great freezer recipe for sauce that I've used for several years.

Garden Fresh Tomato Sauce

To keep the garlic from burning, start the olive oil and garlic in a cold pan. Add a pinch of sugar to the cooked sauce if your tomatoes aren't as sweet as you'd like.

3 Tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds tomateos-- cored, peeled, and diced in large chunks
salt
pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Stir oil and garlic together in cold pan. Turn heat to medium and cook until garlic is sizzling and fragrant, about 2 miinutes. Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, reducing heat if sauce begins to stick to bottom of pan, until thickened and chunky, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spaghetti Sauce (freezer)

4 lb Tomatoes,Peeled
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 lg Sweet Onion,Finely Chopped
3 ea Garlic,Minced
1/2 c Cooking Wine
1/4 c Tomato Paste
1 t Sugar
1 t Salt
2 Bay Leaf
1/3 c Italian Parsley
1/4 t Pepper

Heat olive oil, add garlic and onions, wine and cook until reduced by half. Add tomatoes, paste, sugar, salt, bay leaves and boil for 1 hour. Stir in pepper and parsley. Load into freezer bags. I like to stack the bags in a cake pan to keep them level while they freeze, then they're nice and flat to store later.

When serving, stir in additional italian seasoning, enchilada seasoning, or dill and cream when reheating.

-----

Curried Corn Salad

This recipe is from my Aunt Sherrie who lives in IN (hee hee). She made it for a family reunion once and I've made it several times since then. I love to make it at this time of year when fresh corn is plentiful- about a dozen ears yields the same amount. I also substitute the green pepper with diced anaheim or jalapeno pepper, whichever is growing better in my garden- just decrease the amount so it won't be too spicy.

1 pk Frozen Corn
1 c Green Pepper,Diced
1/3 c red Onion,Minced
2 T Pimentos,Diced
1/2 c Mayonnaise
1/2 t Curry Powder
1/2 t Salt
1/2 t Black Pepper


Combine all and refrigerate.

Spinach Sausage Pasta

This is Josie, Sara's sister. She invited me to contribute to this recipe blog a long time ago, and I am just now getting around to it. Hopefully it works. This is the easiest thing to make, and everyone in my family loves it, including my husband (which is saying a lot). It is from the Kraft "food and family" website. I don't even think my kids realize I am feeding them spinach. (And I am not about to ruin it by telling them now!) Here goes.....

Spinach Sausage Pasta

2 cups rotini or penne pasta, uncooked

1/2 lb. hot or mild Italian sausage, casing removed

1 pkg. (6 oz.) baby spinach leaves (7 cups)

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

COOK pasta as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, crumble meat into large deep skillet. Cook on medium-high heat 10 to 12 min. or until cooked through, stirring occasionally; drain. Add spinach and tomatoes; cook 2 min. or until spinach is wilted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.

DRAIN pasta. Add to skillet along with the cheeses; toss lightly.

Grandma's Frozen Lemon Dessert

If you're absolutely opposed to eating raw eggs, this recipe is not for you. But it is such a yummy summertime treat, it's really worth the salmonella risk. This is what the recipe for frozen-lemonade-and-vanilla-ice-cream-mixed-together pie wants to be when it grows up. Rachel took a picture of her piece for me, so it's maybe not food magazine worthy, but it looks yummy.

Frozen Lemon Dessert

1/2 c Lemon Juice
1 c Whipped Cream
3 Eggs, separated
1/8 t Salt
Zest From One Lemon
1/2 c Sugar
1 box crushed Vanilla Wafers

Whip egg whites and cream in separate bowls. Then whip egg yolks until lemon color. Add sugar and beat well. Add juice, zest and salt and mix well. Fold in whipped cream. Fold in egg whites carefully. Coat bottom of pan with vanilla wafer crumbs. Pour egg mixture on top. Cover with more vanilla wafer crumbs. Freeze until firm. Cut in squares and serve.

This is great served with a raspberry sauce and a couple fresh
raspberries.

Pesto Chicken Salad

Wow! We had a request to get a new recipe on here. So here you go, dedicated cooking friends-- this is a no fail party recipe. I have served it at baby showers and tripled it for large family get-togethers. I added the grapes to the original recipe, but I really like fruit in chicken salad, call me crazy. Even my son who swears he hates salads of all kinds likes this one. (If you check out the pasta cooking class blog entry there's a recipe for classic basil pesto if you want to make your own!) Sorry I don't have a picture for this one.

Pesto Chicken Salad

6 c Shredded Cooked Chicken
1 c Pesto Vinaigrette (recipe
-Follows)
1/4 c Pine Nuts,Toasted
2/3 c Parmesan Cheese,Grated
1 c Red Grapes,Halved

[Note: from Sara Foster]
Place chicken in bowl and add vinaigrette, pine nuts, grapes and
Parmesan and toss to mix. Serve on rolls with lettuce leaf or on a bed
of arugula garnished with fresh basil chiffonade and additional cheese
and pine nuts.

Pesto Vinaigrette (this can be made 2-3 days in advance. It's also
delicious on grilled chicken, fish, or vegetables.)

2/3 cup prepared classic basil pesto
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


-----

Pizza and Bruschetta

More successes from our international cooking. Last night was Italian!

Bruschetta with Gorgonzola and Honey

36 slices (1/2-inch thick) baguette bread, about 1 loaf
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces Gorgonzola, sliced
3 tablespoons honey
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the sliced baguette on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. Bake until the bread is pale golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Arrange the cheese on the toasts and bake until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Drizzle the toasts with honey. Place on a serving platter and serve immediately.

Pizza Dough

1 c Warm Water
3/4 t Salt
1 T Sugar
1 t Yeast
1 T Olive Oil
2 1/2 c Flour

Combine water, salt and sugar, then add yeast. Add oil and flour.
Knead til soft. Let sit 30 minutes. Makes 1 large crust.

Filipino Chicken Adobo

Filipino Chicken Adobo Recipe courtesy of Corinne Domingo

4-5 lbs. chicken thighs 1/2 cup white vinegar 1/2 cup soy sauce 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tsp. black peppercorns 3 bay leaves Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Cover and marinate chicken for 1-3 hours. Bring to boil, then lower heat. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer until sauce is reduced and thickened, and chicken is tender, about 20 more minutes. Serve with steamed rice.

Corny Chicken Enchiladas

I requested that my sister-in-law Kandice post this recipee. She made it last year at a family get together, and I've been thinking about eating it every since. So, now we'll share it with everyone!Dear Amy, this is my recipe for chicken enchiladas. I think they are super yummy.

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded (This is a lot of chicken, so you can use less if you want. I often use the meat from a rotisserie chicken which is easy and gives you plenty of chicken. I have also used canned chicken (about 2 cans), which works just fine too. I say use what you have.)
• 1 can creamed corn
• 2 cans Hatch brand Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (I prefer the Hatch brand, for obvious reasons and it's really good, but other brands would work well I'm sure.)
• 3-4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can Salsa Verde (this is what gives the recipe some spice so I only use a half of the can, and my kids still think it's a bit on the hot side. Use more or less depending on your taste.)
• 1 small can diced green chiles (This is optional and I always omit it)
• 1 pkg. small (5 inch) white corn tortillas
  

Preparation:

• Mix enchilada sauce, salsa verde, corn, chicken and chiles in a large bowl
• Fry tortillas in vegetable oil (until they bubble)
• Drop a spoonful of sauce onto each fried tortilla, add cheese, and roll
• Fill a casserole dish with the rolled tortillas, smother top with extra sauce, sprinkle on some cheese and top with small mounds of sour cream. (I bake the dish with sour cream. You can always add the sour cream later if you don't like your sour cream warm.)
  

Bake:

• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes

This recipe fills a large casserole dish with about 15 rolled tortillas. I always have gobs extra, so if you want to make 2 casserole dishes with about 15 rolled tortillas in each dish just be a little conservative when filling the tortillas and topping the finished dish. And you might need a little extra cheese. I usually just save the extra sauce in a ziploc bag and stow in the freezer for another casserole later, or share with neighbors.

Roasted Chicken

I found this great idea for roasting chickens. Take a baking sheet, coat it in foil, and make a foil barrier in the middle. Then you can roast two chickens with completely different flavorings. It worked out really well. The kids preferred the asian style.

We also love to use the leftover meat in a wrap with some salad greens and veggies and drizzle it Satay sauce. My sister gave me this recipe, and it makes everything yummy! Try it with sliced red pepper, cucumber, and even thinly sliced apple.



Title: Roasted Chicken- Southwestern Style
Roasting Chicken
1 md Lime,Quartered
1/2 sm Onion,Halved
3 t Ground Cumin
3 Fresh Cilantro
2 T Lime Juice
1 t Chili Powder
1 t Dried Oregano
Vegetable Oil Spray

Preheat oven 350° F. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Put chicken on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Put lime, onions, 1 teaspoon cumin and cilantro in chicken cavity, then pour lime juice over chicken. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, remaining cumin and oregano. Rub into skin of chicken. Tie chicken legs together with kitchen twine. Lightly spray chicken with vegetable oil spray. Bake, uncovered, for about 3 hours. If chicken starts to get too brown, put
a piece of aluminum foil loosely over top. Chicken is done when a thermometer inserted between thigh and breast registers 180°F. Let chicken stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Roasted Chicken- Asian Style
Roasting Chicken
Salt And Pepper
1 T Chinese Five-Spice Powder
3 ea Garlic,Peeled And Smashed
1 Navel Orange,Quartered

Preheat oven to 375° F. Season chicken with salt and pepper inside the chicken's cavity and on the skin. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil. (To roast 2 birds, create a divider between the chickens with a thick piece of aluminum foil). Rub the chicken all over with the five- spice powder and stuff with 3 garlic cloves and 2 orange quarters. Squeeze the other 2 orange quarters over the chicken and place 1 underneath a leg and 1 underneath a wing. Roast for 1 1/2 hours until skin is crispy and juices run clear and drumsticks pull away from the chicken easily. Let rest at least 10 minutes before carving.

Satay Sauce
3 T Peanut Butter
3 T Dark Soy Sauce
1/4 c Apple Juice
2 t Asian Red pepper sauce (Sarachi)
1 Lime- juiced

Heat peanut butter in microwave. Swirl with soy sauce, juices and hot
sauce. Serve over chicken in tortillas or with rice.

chicken scampi

The "real" recipe is below, but most of the time I don't have real butter, wine or heavy cream on hand (because I don't like to cook with those kind a calories) So here is my version of the recipe with out sacrificing the flavor.

Heat a little oil in a skillet, when hot add chicken (the little tenderloins are easiest, but if I don't have them, I'll just cut up full breast into strips) Season with pepper, lemon pepper, garlic, basil and the juice of a 1/2 a lemon (or a T from a bottle of lemon juice) Once the chicken is almost all the way cooked, add a bag of tricolored bell peppers. (and red onion if you have it)

Next put your angel hair pasta in boiling water.

For the SAUCE: I use what I have on hand; last night it was a cup or so of sour cream (any kind of cream, yogurt, thickened milk works) 4- 6 T of light margarine, The juice of a 1/2 a lemon (or a T or so from a bottle of lemon juice) 4 cloves of garlic minced, just under a T of black pepper and then salt to taste. Combine Chicken, angel hair pasta and sauce, then serve immediately.

(I did not have a purple/red onion, but it adds a ton of flavor and would suggest adding it to your shopping list)

So now, here is the real Olive Garden Chicken Scampi Recipe,

Scampi Sauce

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons chopped onion

1/4 cup minced garlic (8 to 12 cloves)

1 1/2 cups Chablis wine

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

1 cup heavy cream

5 to 6 quarts water

16 ounces angel hair pasta

4 tablespoons light olive oil

12 chicken tenderloins

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 green bell pepper, cut into bite-size strips

1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-size strips

1 yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-size strips

1 chopped red onion

2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

Optional Garnish

freshly grated parmesan cheese

Recipe1. Make scampi sauce by melting butter in a preheated pan over medium/low heat. Add 2 tablespoons chopped onions and sauté for 2 to 4 minutes or until the onions begin to brown. If the butter begins to burn, turn down the heat. When the onions are beginning to brown, add the minced garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds. Don't let the garlic burn. After about 30 seconds add the wine, salt, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and black pepper, and bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer for approximately 15 to 18 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by half. Add parsley and heavy cream and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. Do not let mixture reach a boil.2. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the angel hair pasta and cook for about 4 minutes or until pasta is al dente, or mostly tender with just a slight toughness. Drain the pasta in a colander or sieve when done, then hit it with some cold water to prevent sticking and to keep it from cooking further.3. If preparing all four servings, preheat 2 large skillets over medium heat (if making just 2 servings, you'll need only one skillet and half of the total ingredients -- save the rest for another meal). Lightly salt and pepper the chicken tenderloins, then coat each one in the flour that has been measured into a large bowl. Arrange all of the coated tenderloins on a plate before sautéing 6 tenderloins in each pan. Cook the tenderloins for 3 to 5 minutes on one side or until golden brown. 4. When the chicken is brown on one side, flip each of the pieces, and move them to the side of the pans, then add an even amount of the sliced peppers and chopped onions to the center of each skillet. Continue cooking the chicken and veggies for 4 to 6 minutes or until the chicken is browned and the veggies are beginning to brown on the edges.5. Divide the scampi sauce in half and pour it over the chicken and veggies in each pan. Add 2 portions of pasta to each pan, then toss the ingredients a bit and continue to cook for a couple minutes or until the pasta is heated through. Prepare each dish by serving equal amounts of pasta onto each of four plates. Use a spoon or tongs to add the peppers and onions on top of each pile of pasta. Arrange three chicken tenderloins onto the center of the pasta.6. Sprinkle each plate with about 1/2 teaspoon of fresh parsley and serve it up with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired.

Rhubarb Pie

This pie has been three years in the making-- seriously. We planted a rhubarb start two summers ago and we finally got a large crop this spring. Last year we had a couple little scrawny stalks, but this year it is beautiful and producing enough to make treats out of.

Rhubarb is my hands-down favorite kind of pie, but I'm a purist. I don't like any strawberries or peaches diluting the flavor. Serve this warm with a little vanilla ice cream, and you'll be in heaven. This picture is my piece, so it's not quite perfect looking because I already took a bite!

Rhubarb Pie
1 1/3 c Sugar
2 T Flour,Heaping
1 T Cornstarch
1 Egg
3 c Rhubarb, washed and cut in 1 Inch Pieces
3 drops Red Food Coloring

Mix all ingredients. Place into prepared pit crust and top with remaining crust. Bake at 400° for 45 minutes.

No Fail Pie Crust
2 1/2 c Flour
1 c Shortening
1 t Salt
2 1/2 T Sugar
1/4 c Water
1 T Vinegar
1 Egg

Mix flour, salt and sugar. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles
small peas. In a separate bowl combine water, vinegar and egg. Pour
into flour mixture and mix lightly. Bake at 425° if cooking empty pie
shell.

The secret to pie crust is to touch and mix it as little as possible.

Shrimp Primavera (Olive Garden style)

I LOVE open and dump recipes (semi homemade). After working at O.G. for a few years I learned to love their dishes. This is one of their 'lighter' dishes. I love the freshness of this dish AND my husband and kids loved it.

I used 1 bag of frozen shrimp (I threw away the package that is why it is not in the picture.)

1 box of penne pasta ( I used whole grain, but any kind of penne works)

1 bag of frozen pepper strips (I get these and other recipe starters; diced onions, grn peppers at Walmart or Smiths in their fzn vegetable section)

1/4 red onion sliced

1 bottle of Mezzetta Napa Valley Arribiata sauce (so yummy! down the pasta sauce isle)

As many fresh mushrooms quartered as you like.

Put a little oil in your pan. Saute the shrimp (the package has a more detailed instructions) add the pepper strips and onion. After a few minutes add the mushrooms, sauce and finally the penne. Serve with your favorite salad and bread. Jay even took the leftovers to work a few days later AND ate it. (that NEVER happens) It must be good!

Crepes

By request of Ashtyn, (whom I hope will use this recipe book when she gets older) I am adding one of her favorite; crepes.

2 beaten eggs
1 ½ cups milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1 T cooking oil

Combine eggs, milk, flour, oil and ¼ teaspoon salt; beat till well mixed. Heat a lightly greased 6 inch skillet; remove from heat. Spoon in 2 T batter; lift and tilt skillet to spread batter. Return to heat; brown on 1 side only. (or, cook on a crepe maker according to manufacturer’s directions) Invert over paper towels; remove crepe. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet occasionally. Makes 18 crepes.
Dessert Crepes: prepare as above, except omit salt; add 2 T sugar.

Pasta with Roasted Tomato and White Beans

Yeah, I know this one sounds pretty blah, but it was delicious! We used the grape tomatoes (and didn't bother to seed them) and served it with grilled pork tenderloin.

3 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled (I used 8 b/c I love it)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1(15 ounce) can cannellini beans
1/2 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Slice each tomato into 8 wedges and discard the seeds. Put the tomato wedges and garlic into a 9 by 13-inch roasting pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and a few turns of pepper. Roast in the oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

Drain the beans into a large colander in the sink. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta into the colander containing the beans, so the hot pasta water will warm the beans. Return drained pasta and beans to the pasta pot.

When the tomatoes are done, pick out the garlic cloves, squeeze the garlic out of the skin into a small bowl and mash with a fork. Pour the roasted tomatoes into the pasta pot, add the garlic, the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the basil and additional salt and pepper, to taste. Toss to combine. Serve topped with the Parmesan.

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

This is one of my very favorite things to make AND eat. A friend of mine made it for a bridal shower and since then I make it every chance I get. It never lasts longer than a day at our house.

Ingredients

2 large granny smith apples (3-4 small ones) 2 pears

4 kiwi 1 box (1lb) strawberries

the zest and juice of 1 lemon (or Lime) 2 T white sugar

1 T brown sugar 3 T of apple jelly (or other preserve apricot, orange etc).

I like to use my mini food processor to chop everything up, but you can dice all the fruit by hand. Mix in the sugar and jelly and enjoy with cinnamon sugar chips.

Cinnamon Sugar Chips

cut flour tortillas into triangle or strips spray with water, butter, or pam then sprinkle cinnamon sugar on them and bake at 350 for 8-10 min. I usually use a bag of 30 tortillas for this amount of salsa. If there are not enough chips left, Jay and I will just eat it with a spoon. I have also used cinnamon sugar or plain pita chips. ENJOY!