ITALIAN/PASTA
Stromboli
From Michelle Taylor—Yum!
3 pkgs yeast
3 cups warm water
let stand for 5 minutes
Add:
9 cups flour
salt
6 Tbsp oil
Let rise for 20 minutes. Divide into fourths. Roll and fill with mozzarella cheese,
olives, pepperoni, ground beef, or any other filling. Cut slits in the top.
Cook at 425 degrees for 8-14 minutes. Let cool. Cover
with spaghetti sauce and eat.
Chicken Florentine
(serves 6)
From our old neighbor, Mary Desmarais
1 cup cooked chicken
1 pkg. Frozen spinach cooked and
drained
1 cup medium white sauce made with
part chicken broth
½ to 1 lb. mushrooms-sautéed in butter
with 1 chopped onion & garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup parmesan cheese plus more for
topping crepes.
After sautéing mushrooms, onion and garlic
stir in remaining ingredients.
Bake 350° for 1 hour (can top with buttered
bread crumbs) or use to fill crepes.
Top crepes with more parmesan cheese.
Creamy Rigatoni with Chicken and
Spinach
2 T. flour
2 ½ cups milk
1 t. mild child powder
½ t. salt
½ t. pepper
1 T. olive oil (or spray with Pam)
2 cloves minced garlic
½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken
breast (cut in 1” chuncks)
10 oz. Frozen, chopped spinach thawed
& drained
2 oz ( ½ cup) shredded cheddar cheese
3 T. grated parmesan cheese
10 oz. Rigatoni pasta
Place flour in large sauce pan over
med. heat. Gradually wisk in
milk. Bring to a boil.
Whisk in chili powder and salt &
pepper. Cook, whisking constantly
until thickened
(5 min). Remove from heat.
Add garlic to oil in non-stick skillet. Cook about 1 min, stirring. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned (abt. 3
min). Add the spinach, stir. Stir in milk mixture, cheddar cheese, and
parmesan cheese. Cook until cheese
melts. Toss chicken mixture with
cooked pasta.
Pea-Prosciutto Ravioli
From the Food Network magazine.
It’s super simple! The
prosciutto does make it a little saltier than I would prefer, but it is still
delicious.
1 lb. prepared ravioli (reserve
1 cup cooking water)
4 oz. prosciutto
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
¼ cup heavy cream
1 cup frozen peas, blanched
parsley, chopped
parmesan, grated
Cook prosciutto in a skillet
with olive oil over medium heat until crisp, 4 minutes. Stir in sliced garlic and tomato paste;
cook 1 minute. Ladle in 1 cup
reserved pasta cooking water and simmer until reduced by half, 4 minutes. Add ¼ cup cream and simmer until
thickened, 3 minutes. Toss with
ravioli and peas. Garnish with
parsley and parmesan cheese.
Serves 4
Lasagna
Super yummy! It
takes time, but it’s not difficult.
One time I made individual servings in ramekins—super cute!
Start with the
following in a pot:
1 lb. sweet Italian
sausage (I used mild)
1 lb. ground beef
½ cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic,
chopped
Brown
everything. Remove grease, if
desired.
Add the following:
1 28-oz. can crushed
tomatoes
2 8-oz. cans tomato
sauce
2 6-oz. cans tomato
paste
½ cup water
Gently stir into the
meat.
Add the following:
2 Tbsp. white sugar
1 tsp. fennel seed
2 tsp. fresh basil
leaves, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh Italian
parsley, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Italian
Seasoning
½ tsp. ground
pepper
Gently stir these
into the sauce. Cover the pot and
let simmer on low for 90 minutes.
Soak the lasagna noodles in hot tap water for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the
cheese filling by mixing the following in a bowl:
23 oz. of ricotta
cheese
½ tsp. fresh grated
nutmeg
Add the following:
1 egg
2 Tbsp. fresh
Italian parsley, chopped
Mix with a spoon.
Have prepared:
1 lb. mozzarella
cheese, grated
1 cup fresh grated
parmesan cheese
Build the layers:
Use a 9x13 baking
pan. Spread 2 cups meat sauce on
the bottom of the pan. Remove your
lasagna noodles out of the water bath.
Shake water off wet noodles.
Lay 6 noodles across the layer of sauce. Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the
noodles. Spread ½ lb. of
mozzarella cheese over the ricotta layer.
Sprinkle ½ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese over mozzarella. Spread 2 cups meat sauce over
cheese. Lay down the next layer of
noodles. Spread remaining ricotta
mixture over noodles. Spread ½ lb.
mozzarella and ½ cup parmesan cheese, saving some for the top of the
lasagna. Put the last layer of
meat sauce on the cheeses.
Sprinkle reserved cheese on top.
Cover with foil. Bake in
preheated oven at 350° for 25 minutes.
Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool approximately
15 minutes. Serves 12.
Artichoke & Red Bell Pepper Risotto
I like this more than the rest of my family. It’s great with chicken added for
protein. Also, try switching out
the vegetables based on your family’s preferences and what is in the fridge.
5-6 cups
reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 jars (7.5 oz.
each) quartered marinated artichoke hearts, drained
3 shallots
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ cups uncooked
Arborio rice
1 ½ cups dry white
wine such as Chardonnay
1 lemon (optional)
1 small red bell
pepper
½ cup frozen peas
2 oz. cream cheese,
softened
2 oz. Parmesan
cheese, grated (about ½ cup, packed)
snipped fresh
chives, optional
Heat broth in
saucepan over medium0high heat until simmering. Reduce heat to medium-low. Meanwhile, place artichokes in 12” skillet; sauté over
medium heat 4-5 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove fro skillet; reserve ½ cup of the artichokes. Set aside remaining. Meanwhile, finely chop shallots. Add oil, shallots and rice to skillet;
cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until shallots are tender and rice is shiny and
translucent. Add wine; cook 1-2
minutes or until wine is completely evaporated, stirring. Add 1 cup of the broth to the skillet;
cover and cook 2-3 minutes or until broth is absorbed, stirring
occasionally. Repeat with
remaining broth in 1-cup increments, cooking 2-3 minutes after each addition or
until broth is absorbed (13-15 minutes total cook time). Remove from heat. Meanwhile, zest lemon to measure 1
Tbsp. zest (this can be reduced or eliminated). Slice bell pepper into 1” pieces. Stir remaining artichokes, zest, bell pepper, peas, cream
cheese and Parmesan cheese into rice.
Top with reserved artichokes and garnish with snipped fresh chives, if
desired. 6 servings.
Guiltless Alfredo Sauce
From Our Best Bites.
2 cups low-fat milk
1/3 cup low-fat
cream cheese
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. butter
3 garlic cloves,
minced
1 cup freshly
grated Parmesan cheese
In a blender, blend
milk, cream cheese, flour and salt until smooth. Set aside.
In a large, non-stick saucepan, melt butter on medium-high heat and add
the garlic. Sauté the garlic for
about 30 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from sticking and
burning. Add the milk mixture to the
pan. Stir constantly for 3-4
minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more or
until the sauce thickens, about 6-7 minutes. Once the sauce has stared to thicken, remove from heat. Whisk the cheese into the sauce and
immediately cover the pan. Allow
the sauce to stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon
standing. Serve immediately. To use leftovers, reheat and add a
little milk until desired consistency is reached.
Creamy One Pot Pasta
This is a Pampered Chef recipe. It can also be done in the microwave. It’s great to add chicken.
4 large garlic
cloves, minced or sliced thin
1 jar (7 oz.)
sun-dried tomatoes in oil, undrained
3 cans (14.5 oz
each) chicken broth (5 ½ cups)
1 lb. uncooked
penne pasta
1 head broccoli (2
cups small florets)
2 medium carrots,
peeled
8 oz. cream cheese
(reduced fat works great)
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. coarsely
ground black pepper
grated fresh
Parmesan cheese
fresh basil,
snipped
2 chicken breasts,
diced and cooked, optional
Mince or slice
garlic. Place garlic and 1 Tbsp.
oil from sun-dried tomatoes into a large pot (8 qt.). Cook garlic over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until garlic is
golden brown, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat; add broth.
Increase heat to high.
Cover and bring to a boil.
Stir in pasta; cover and simmer vigorously 8-10 minutes or until pasta
is almost cooked but still firm, stirring occasionally. Some broth will remain. Meanwhile, cut broccoli into small
florets. Slice carrots. Drain sun-dried tomatoes; pat dry with
a paper towel. Slice into thin
strips. Cut cream cheese into
cubes. Add vegetables, cream
cheese, salt and pepper to pasta.
Stir until cream cheese is melted and fully incorporated. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook
2-4 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Garnish with fresh parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Homemade Semolina Pasta
We made this for the first time with Matteo, an exchange
student from Italy who was staying with us for a couple days. He made carbonara sauce from scratch to
go with it. The measurements were
a little off, but it was delicious.
3 eggs
1/8 tsp. salt
1 ¾ cups semolina
flour
Beat the eggs in a
medium bowl with a fork. Mix in
the salt. Pour the flour in a
large bowl, making a well in the center of the flour. Add the egg mixture slowly, incorporating the flour a little
at a time. Mix well. Knead the dough for 5 minutes (this can
be done in a stand mixture, but I did it by hand and it worked well). Pass the dough through a pasta machine
or roll the dough out as thin as you can on a floured surface with a rolling
pin (I have a pasta machine). Cut
into desired size noodle. Don’t
let it clump. Cook in boiling,
salted water. It only takes a few
minutes for the noodles to be done.
Serves 6.
Cheesy Chicken Tortellini Bake
This is from the Pampered Chef. Simple, but delicious.
½ cup chopped onion
1 tsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove,
pressed
1 jar (16 oz) white
Alfredo pasta sauce (not refrigerated)
2 pkgs (9 oz each)
refrigerated cheese-filled regular or spinach tortellini
1 ½ cups cubed
chicken
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1 cup frozen peas
¼ tsp. ground black
pepper
2 Tbsp. snipped
fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil
¼ cup grated fresh Parmesan
cheese
2 Tbsp. butter,
melted
1 cup fresh bread
crumbs
Preheat oven to 400°.
Chop onion. In a 4 qt.
sauce pan, heat oil over medium-high heat; add onion and pressed garlic. Cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until
onion is tender. Stir in pasta sauce,
tortellini, chicken, milk, water, peas and black pepper. Heat until mixture just comes to a
boil; remove from heat. Stir basil
into pasta mixture. Meanwhile, for
crumb topping, grate Parmesan cheese.
Melt butter. Stir melted
butter and Parmesan cheese into the bread crumbs. Spoon pasta mixture into 9x13 baking dish; sprinkle with
crumb topping. Bake 15-20 minutes
or until edges are bubbly and top is golden brown. Serves 6.
Ranch Ham & Cheese Pasta
I found this is Taste of Home magazine. The
kids really liked it.
1 16-oz. pkg. penne
pasta (or similar)
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. flour
1 cup milk
2 tsp. dried
parsley flakes
1 1/2 tsp. garlic
powder (not garlic salt--too salty)
1 tsp. salt-free
lemon-pepper seasoning (it's very salty if you use regular)
1/2 tsp. dried
minced onion
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1/4 tsp. onion
powder (not salt)
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup (8 oz) sour
cream
2 cups cubed fully
cooked ham (I used grill chicken)
1 1/2 cups shredded
Mexican cheese blend
1/4 cup shredded
Parmesan cheese
Cook pasta according to directions; drain. In a large
pot, melt butter; whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk and
seasonings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until
thickened. Reduce heat; fold in sour cream until blended. Add ham
and pasta; cook and stir until heated through. Remove from heat; stir in
Mexican cheese blend until melted. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
MEXICAN
Beef Taco Ring
A Pampered Chef recipe. Steven’s favorite.
1 ½ lb. lean
ground beef
1 pkg (1-1.25
oz) taco seasoning mix
1 ¾ cup
shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 Tbsp water
2 pkgs. (8
oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg white,
lightly beaten
Optional
toppings: salsa, shredded lettuce,
chopped onion and tomato, sliced olives and sour cream
1. Preheat
oven to 375̊. Cook ground beef in
10” skillet over medium heat 10-12 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking
beef into crumbles; drain. Stir in
taco seasoning mix, 1 ½ cups of the cheese and water.
2. Unroll 2 (8 oz) packages refrigerated
crescent rolls; separate into 16 triangles. Arrange triangles, slightly overlapping, in a circle on a
large round pizza stone. Roll wide
ends of dough toward center to create a 5” opening.
3. Using a cookie scoop, scoop filling
evenly over dough in a continuous circle.
4. Bring points of triangles up over
filling and tuck under dough at center to form a ring.
5. Brush with egg white. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with toppings. 8 servings.
Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
Super easy. Great for any
Mexican food—tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, quesadillas, etc.
5 chicken breasts
1 16-oz jar Pace Salsa
½ pkg. taco seasoning (I prefer
low sodium)
Place chicken in crock pot
(it’s ok if they are still frozen).
Sprinkle taco seasoning over chicken. Pour salsa over chicken. Cook on low 8 hrs or high 4
hrs. Shred. If there is too much liquid, cook with
the lid off for ½ hr. or so.
Chicken Enchiladas
The original recipe is from my neighbor, Crystal Fyke, but
I’ve made variations. Next time I
want to add a small can of olives black beans as well—maybe 1 cup?
1 ½ lbs. boneless
skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. garlic
powder
1 tsp. Pampered
Chef chipotle rub
1 red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 cup frozen corn,
thawed
1 small can chopped
green chilis
2 chipotle chiles,
seeded and chopped
1 28-oz can stewed
tomatoes, chopped and drained
½ tsp. flour
16 corn tortillas
1 ½ cups mild
enchilada sauce
3-4 cups shredded
cheddar and/or jack cheeses
Garnish: chopped
cilantro, sour cream, chopped tomatoes
Cut up chicken into
small pieces. Sprinkle with salt,
pepper, cumin, garlic powder and chipotle rub. Cook until done in a large
frying pan. Remove the chicken and
set aside, but save the drippings in the pan. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well. Add drained, chopped tomatoes; sauté 1 min. Add chicken to tomato/corn
mixture. Dust the mixture with
flour to help set. Microwave tortillas
30 seconds to make them more pliable.
Coat the bottom of 2 9x13 pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to
lightly coat. Spoon ¼ cup chicken
mixture in each tortilla. Add
about 1/8 cup cheese. Fold
tortilla over filling and place in baking dish, seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and
cheese. Bake for 15 minutes at 350° until cheese melts. Garnish as desired. Serves 8.
Quick Lime Cilantro Chicken
I found this on Pinterest. Quick and easy and delicious. I served it with cilantro lime rice, black beans and fresh
tortillas
3-5 boneless,
skinless chicken breasts
3 limes
4-6 cloves garlic,
pressed
olive oil
cumin
cayenne or chili
powder (I used Pampered Chef Chili-Lime Rub)
¼ cup cilantro,
snipped
avocado, as garnish
Prepare garlic,
cilantro and zest 1 lime. Juice
all three limes. Cut the chicken
into bite-sized pieces. You can
cook the chicken breast whole, but it will take longer. Pour a little olive oil into a large
skillet—just enough to almost cover the bottom. Heat over medium-high heat until very hot, almost
smoking. Add the chicken, leaving
space between the pieces. Let it
cook undisturbed. Once the chicken
is browned nicely on the bottom and will easily release from the pan, sprinkle
generously with cumin and cayenne or chili powder. Let it cook another minute or two, until the white line has
moved about halfway through the pieces of chicken. Turn the chicken and let it cook another couple of minutes,
long enough to brown. Reduce the
heat to medium low and sprinkle in the garlic and lime zest. Stir it a little and let it cook
another couple of minutes but be careful not to let the garlic burn. Once the chicken is cooked through, add
the lime juice and stir up all the browned goodness from the pan. Remove the chicken to a bowl or platter
and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve
with avocado slices or chunks.
BEEF
Jason’s Bar-B-Q’ed Tri-Tip Roast
From Jason Taylor. A great marinate for any beef or
chicken!
1 c. Wishbone Italian Dressing
1 c. Soy Sauce
Chopped green, red, and/or yellow
peppers
Fresh chopped parsley
Pressed Garlic
Stab tri-tip repeatedly with a
knife. Mix peppers, parsley and
garlic together and rub into the meat.
Place the meat in a zip lock bag.
Add the dressing and soy sauce. Refrigerate 1-4 hrs., turning often. Bar-b-q and enjoy!!
Hamburger Stroganoff
Originally from Betty Crocker’s NEW DINNER FOR TWO COOKBOOK
½ c. minced onion
1
clove garlic, minced
1 T.
butter or margarine
1 lb.
ground beef
2 T. flour
2 t. salt
¼ t. pepper
1
lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced, or 1 8-oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained
1
can cream of chicken (or cream of mushroom)soup
1 c. sour cream
parsley (optional)
Saute onion and garlic in butter over
medium heat (or just cook with the ground beef and eliminate the butter). Stir
in meat and brown. Stir in flour,
salt, pepper, and mushrooms. Cook 5 min.
Stir
in soup. Simmer uncovered 10 min. Stir in sour cream. Heat through. Garnish
with parsley. Serve with noodles or hot rice. Serves 4-6
CHICKEN & TURKEY
Cranberry Chicken
A very easy and very good chicken dish.
6-8 chicken breasts
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
8 oz. bottle Russian dressing
Mix cranberry sauce, soup mix and
dressing in a bowl. Place chicken
in a 9 x 13 pan. Pour mixture over
chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 1
hour or until chicken is done.
Cheesy Chicken Casserole
This is a simple, quick
recipe. The kids liked it—what
more can you ask? The microwave
option works great.
½ cup
mayonnaise
2 cups
shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 cups
chopped, cook chicken
1 ½ cups
(measured dry) rotini, cooked, drained
2 cups
frozen mixed vegetable
¼ cup milk
¼ cup fresh
basil, chopped
Mix all
ingredients except ½ cup cheese.
Spoon into 1 ½ qt. casserole.
Sprinkle with reserved ½ cup cheese. Bake at 350̊ for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. For microwave option, cook in microwave
for 8-10 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Chicken Pillows
This is from Pam Willden. It’s one of her classic recipes from Brett’s childhood. The kids love it.
8 oz cream
cheese
½ Tbsp dried
chives
1 ¼ cup
butter, divided
2 cups cubed
chicken
1/8 tsp
pepper
2 cans
crescent rolls
2/3 cup herb
stuffing (or bread crumbs)
Cream
together cream cheese, chives, ¼ cup butter, pepper and chicken. Unroll crescent rolls and separate into
triangles. Roll larger with a
rolling pin. Spread a large
spoonful of chicken mixture on each triangle. Fold and seal edges.
Melt remaining 1 cup butter.
Smash herb stuffing to crumbs.
Dip each chicken roll in butter, then roll in stuffing. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325° for 20-30 minutes. If frozen, bake for 1 hr.
Topping:
1 can cream
of chicken souop
1 cup sour
cream
Heat
together in a small saucepan. Pour
over chicken pillows.
Rotisserie Chicken with Peaches,
Walnuts & Basil
This is from Sunset magazine. It’s an easy way to dress up a rotisserie chicken or turkey breast. It also calls for feta cheese, but we
didn’t like the texture.
1
Tbsp. walnut oil or olive oil
1 Tbsp.
peach jam
¼ tsp.
cayenne
2
Tbsp. sherry vinegar (I couldn’t find any so I used red
wine vinegar)
½ tsp.
kosher salt
3
ripe yellow peaches, peeled & sliced
1 rotisserie
chicken, quartered and skinned, or 1 rotisserie turkey breast, sliced
½ cup basil
leaves
¼ cup glazed
walnuts or other glazed nuts, chopped (I found them in the produce section)
In a medium
bowl, whisk together oil, jam, cayenne, vinegar, and salt. Add peach slices and gently toss to
coat with dressing. Arrange
chicken on a large platter. Evenly
spoon peaches and dressing over chicken.
Sprinkle with basil and walnuts.
Serves 4 Time: 15 min.
Thai Basil Chicken Lettuce Wraps
From Pampered Chef. Yummy and super easy.
Peanut Sauce
2 Tbsp. dry-roasted peanuts
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
¼ cup poppy seed salad dressing
2 tsp. Pampered Chef Asian Seasoning Mix (or 2 tsp. soy sauce,
1 tsp. finely grated gingerroot and 1 pressed garlic clove)
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. water
Salad
1 small cucumber
½ medium red bell pepper
1 ½ cups shredded cooked chicken (I cooked 2 chicken breast in
sesame oil, then chopped it and added about 1 tsp. soy sauce)
4 large Boston or bibb Lettuce leaves (we used romaine)
Additional chopped peanuts and fresh basil for garnish
(optional)
For sauce, chop peanuts using food chopper. Chop basil. Combine peanuts, basil dressing, seasoning mix, vinegar and
water in a small bowl; set aside.
For salad, peel cucumber; slice into julienne strips using julienne
peeler, avoiding seeds. Slice bell
pepper into thin strips. (I stir
fried the bell pepper for just a minute).
Shred chicken; toss with half of the sauce. Set remaining sauce aside for dipping. To serve, divide cucumber among lettuce
leaves. Spoon chicken mixture over
cucumber. Top with bell pepper. Garnish wraps with additional peanuts
and basil, if desired. Serve with
remaining peanut sauce. 2 servings
Grilled Chicken with Rustic
Mustard Cream
I got this recipe from our
trainer. An easy, healthy chicken
recipe.
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. whole-grain Dijon mustard, divided
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
4 (6-oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
cooking spray
3 Tbsp. light mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. honey (optional)
rosemary sprigs (optional)
Prepare grill (indoor grill like George Foreman grill works
great). Place one chicken breast
at a time into a large Ziploc bag and flatten to ½” thick. This will make chicken cook more evenly
and quicker. Combine 1 tsp.
mustard, oil, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl; brush evenly over chicken. Place chicken on grill rack coated with
cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done. While chicken grills, combine 1 Tbsp.
mustard, mayonnaise and 1 Tbsp. water in a bowl. Serve mustard cream with grilled chicken. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if
desired.
Crispy Coconut
Chicken Fingers
This is from the Our
Best Bites recipe book. It's pretty simple to make, fairly healthy since
it's not fried, and it's super yummy.
1 cup
sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp table salt
3/4 tsp. curry powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
12 chicken tenders
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a foil-lined baking
sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Chop coconut so it's
roughly the same size as the bread crumbs. Combine the coconut, bread
crumbs, and spices in a shallow dish and the eggs in another shallow
dish. Whisk the eggs. Working with one chicken tender at a time,
dredge the chicken in flour, shaking off any excess. Then dip in the egg,
again shaking off any excess. Roll in the bread crumb/coconut mixture,
gently pressing the mixture onto the chicken. Place on the prepared
baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken tenders. To add a
little extra crunch, you can drizzle each one with a tiny bit of olive oil, but
it's optional. Bake for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear, being
careful not to overcook them. If the tenders are smaller, the time might
be close to 15 minutes, so keep a close eye on them--the coconut and bread
crumbs will be lightly golden brown and crispy.
Dipping sauce:
Whisk together 1 cup
apricot-pineapple preserves, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp. dijon mustard and 1/8
tsp. curry. We substituted strawberry jam for the apricot pineapple
preserves.
Turkey Apple Salad Sandwiches
I usually make this with chicken. I’ve substituted apple cider or red wine vinegar, but the
tang from normal vinegar is the best.
½ lb. turkey or
chicken, cooked and cubed
¼ cup plus 1 tsp.
mayonnaise
1 tsp. vinegar
½ cup raisins
1 large apple,
cored and diced
½ cup chopped
walnuts, optional
1 Tbsp. chopped
fresh parsley
salt and pepper to
taste
Combine turkey,
mayonnaise and vinegar. Mix in
raisins, apple, walnuts, parsley, salt and pepper. Pile on wheat bread or in a pita. 4 sandwiches.
Meatloaf Cupcakes
with Mashed Potato Frosting
I found this recipe
on Pinterest. The meatloaf has
incredible flavor and the presentation is so fun! Use low/non-fat ingredients for the “skinny” version.
For the meatloaf:
1.3 lb. 93% lean ground turkey
1 cup grated zucchini, squeezed dry with a paper towel (I
peeled it so the kids didn’t see the green)
2 Tbsp. onion, minced
½ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
¼ cup ketchup
1 egg
1 tsp. kosher salt
For the mashed potatoes:
1 lb. (abt. 2 medium) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled & cubed
(I used russet because that’s what I had)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled & halved
2 Tbsp. sour cream
2 Tbsp. chicken broth
1 Tbsp. milk
½ Tbsp. butter
kosher salt to taste
dash of black pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme (I used 1 Tbsp. dried)
Put the potatoes and garlic in a large pot with salt and
enough water to cover; bring to a boil.
Cover and reduce heat; simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are
tender. Meanwhile, preheat the
oven to 350°.
Line muffin tin with 12 foil liners. In a large bowl, mix the turkey, zucchini, onion, creadcrumbs,
ketchup, egg and salt. Place
meatloaf mixture into muffin tins, filling them to the top, making sure they
are flat at the top. Bake
uncovered for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through. Meanwhile, drain potatoes and garlic and and place in bowl. Add sour cream broth, milk and
butter. Using a masher or blender,
mash until smooth. Season with
thyme, salt and pepper to taste.
Remove meatloaves from the tin—it’s difficult to remove them once they
have been “frosted.” Place mashed
potatoes in a decorating bag with a large star tip and pipe onto
meatloaves. Makes 12 meatloaves (6
servings).
Maple Dijon Chicken
I found this on Pinterest.
Yummy and simple.
6 boneless chicken thighs (I used 3
chicken breasts)
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup spicy brown mustard
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup honey
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped fine,
plus additional for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterrey
Jack cheese
Preheat oven to 350°. Mix mustards, syrup, honey, vinegar,
and rosemary in a small bowl. Place chicken in 9x13 pan. Salt and pepper chicken. Pour mustard sauce over chicken,
turning to fully coat the chicken (you can reserve some sauce to serve with the
chicken). Bake for 25 minutes or
until thermometer reaches 165°. Sprinkle with cheese, bacon and additional rosemary. Serve
with reserved sauce.
Chicken Pot Pie
An adaptation from Better Home & Garden cookbook.
2 cans refrigerated biscuit or 1
½ recipes bisquick biscuit dough
4-5 carrots, sliced thin
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup butter, divided
2 cups frozen peas
1/3 cup flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp rubbed sage
½ tsp dill
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 cups chicken broth
¾ cup milk
3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
¼ cup snipped fresh parsley
Cook carrot, onion and garlic in a
small amount of the butter until carrots are tender. Add peas and cook until peas are cooked through. Add remainder of the butter until
melted. Stir in flour and dried
spices. Add chicken broth and milk
all at once. Cook and stir until
thickened and bubbly. Stir in
cooked chicken and parsley. Heat
until bubbly. Pour into 9x13 pan
(or 6-8 individual ramekins). Cut
biscuits into quarters and arrange on top of bubbly chicken mixture. (If you are using Bisquick, you can add
additional dill to the dough.)
Bake in 400° oven for 15 minutes or until biscuits
are golden.
Sprite Chicken
We first had this from my aunt, Kelli Austin. It’s a simple, make ahead meal that everyone loves.
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese
1 envelope Italian dressing mix—dry
6-8 chicken breasts (can be frozen)
¼-½ can Sprite
Place all ingredients in a crock
pot. Cook on high 4 hrs (longer if
chicken is frozen) or all day on low.
At some point in the cooking process, cut the chicken into bite-sized
pieces. Good served over
rice. You can vegetables like
peas, green beans, etc.
Herb Crusted Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce
This is from Pinterest.
Everyone fought over who got the last piece of chicken. It’s delicious!!
4-6 chicken breasts, pounded thin
¾ cup milk (I had buttermilk on
hand—worked great!)
1 ½ cups Seasoned bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. McCormick Grill Mates Roasted
Garlic & Herb seasoning
1 Tbsp. dried chives
6 Tbsp. butter
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 ½ cup chicken broth
1 14.5-oz can Italian style diced
tomatoes, drained
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 ½ cups grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
dash of ground pepper
Pound chicken thin until it is even thickness
throughout. Cut into two pieces if
necessary. Place bread crumbs,
Grill Mates seasoning, and chives in a shallow bowl; mix thoroughly. Place milk or buttermilk in a separate
shallow bowl. Dip the chicken in
the milk, then coat with crumb mixture.
Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Melt butter in skillet. Cook chicken in the butter, turning once, until browned and
cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Remove and keep warm. In
the same skillet, add garlic and sauté for approximately 1 minute. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil
over medium heat. Stir
occasionally to loosen browned parts from the pan. Stir in cream and tomatoes; bring to a boil and stir for one
minute. Reduce heat to low; add
Parmesan cheese, basil and a dash of pepper. Stir sauce and cook until heated through and thickened
(about 5 minutes). Serve by
pouring sauce over the chicken.
Can also serve over pasta, with or without the chicken. Serves 6-8
PORK
Skeewiggan
This is a great “everything in one
pot” meal from my aunt Kelli Austin…
A real favorite with our family!!
In a large heavy pot, layer the
following ingredients (in the order listed) seasoning with salt and pepper on
each layer:
2lb. or more smoked sausage (Hillshire
Farm), cut in two inch pieces
6-8 potatoes, quartered
4 onions , cut in eighths
6-8 carrots, cut in 2 inch pieces
1-2 bags frozen green beans (I leave
this out)
1 head cabbage, cut in eighths
Add 3 c. water. Cook 1 hr. over medium to high heat.
Cuban Pork Sandwiches
Brett doesn’t like pickles much, so we
replaced them with mango—YUM! We
also used Boar’s Head Cajun Remoulade spread. The combination of sweet and spicy was really good. The pork would be great served by
itself as well.
Marinade
½ cup fresh orange juice
½ cup fresh lemonade
½ cup finely chopped yellow
onion
¼ cup exta virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 boneless pork loin roast,
about 2 pounds, trimmed of excess fat
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black
pepper
16 pieces french bread
8 Tbsp butter, softened
8 slices Swiss cheese (we
used muenster or provolone)
8 slices deli ham
24 dill pickle slices (we
used mango, pineapple would be good, too!)
1. To make marinade:
In a medium bowl, whisk the marinde ingredients.
2. Place the roast in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour
in the maridade. Press the air out
of the bag and seal tightly. Turn
the bag to distribute the marinade, place in a bowl, and refrigerate for 4-6
hrs, turning occasionally.
3. Remove the roast from the bag and discard the marinade. Pat dry with paper towels and allow to
stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before grilling. Season with salt and pepper. Sear over Direct Medium heat until well
marked, about 10 minues, turning once.
Continue grilling over Indirect Medium heat until the internal
temperature reaches 155̊, 35-45 minutes.
Transfer to a carving board and loosely cover with foil. Let rest for about 10 minutes. Slice crosswise as thinly as possible.
4. Just before serving, spread the bread with butter, and
grill, butter side down, over Direct Medium heat until toasted, about 30
seconds. Layer each roll with
cheese, ham, pickle, and sliced pork loin.
5. Flatten and grill on panini grill or on grill over Direct
Medium heat for 30 seconds. Turn
the sandwiches and press down firmly with a spatula (you can even place a
cast-iron skillet on top of the sandwiches) and grill for 30 seconds more. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 8 sandwiches.
Roasted Pork Tenderloin
This is easy and very tender. You just need to think ahead to marinate the meat. This is from Our Best Bites cookbook.
1-1 ½ lb. pork
tenderloin
4-5 cloves garlic,
minced
1 tsp. crushed
rosemary
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 ½ tsp. balsamic
vinegar
2 tsp. olive oil
Combine garlic,
rosemary, salt and pepper. Massage
the seasonings all over the pork loin.
Whisk together the balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Place the seasoned pork tenderloin in a
zip-lock bag and add the oil and vinegar combination. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 4-10 hours. Preheat oven 400°. Remove the pork from the bag and place
the tenderloin on a foil-lined baking dish. Place in the preheated oven and bake until internal
temperature of the roast reaches 160°, about 20-25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes and then slice
in ½” pieces. Spoon pan juices
over roast before serving.
Pork Tenderloin & Bacon
The combination of flavors is delicious. It’s very simple and pretty healthy,
despite the bacon. It comes from
Weber’s Real Grilling Cookbook.
1 tsp. fennel seed
½ tsp. kosher salt
(can be omitted—the bacon gives it plenty of salt)
½ tsp. freshly
ground black pepper
2 pork tenderloins,
about 1 pound each
12 slices thinly
sliced bacon, about ¾ pound
In a small skillet
over low heat, toast the fennel seed until the aroma is apparent, 3-5 minutes,
shaking the skillet occasionally.
Crush the fennel seed in a spice grinder or on a cutting board by
grinding the seeds under a heavy pan.
In a small bowl, combine the fennel with the salt (optional) and
pepper. Trim any excess fat and
silver skin from the tenderloins.
Cut the tenderloins into pieces about 1½ inches long. Season them with the fennel
mixture. Gently press down on each
piece for form a disc the same thickness as the width of the bacon. Wrap a piece of bacon around each piece
of pork and secure with a toothpick.
The bacon should overlap at the ends by no more than 1 inch. Allow to stand at room temperature for
10-15 minutes before grilling.
Grill the pork over direct medium heat until the pork is barely pink in
the center and the bacon is fully cooked, 12-15 minutes, turning once (if
flare-ups occur, move the pork temporarily to indirect medium heat). Makes 4-6 servings. Note: the fattiness of bacon has a tendency
to flare-up, so use just enough to wrap around each piece of tenderloin once,
overlapping the ends by one inch or less.
To make the bacon crisp, after searing the tenderloin on the cut sides,
roll the bacon directly on the grate.
Crock Pot Ham
Super easy and super yummy. Great for leftovers, too.
6 lbs. boneless ham
6 whole cloves
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 can (8 oz.)
crushed pineapple
1 can Sprite or
ginger ale
Put ham in crock
pot with flat side up. Stick the cloves
in top of ham. Pack the brown
sugar on top of cloves and ham.
Pour the pineapple over top of ham and pour the Sprite around the sides
of ham. Cook in crock pot on high
1 hour per pound of ham.
Roast Pork
From the Food Network magazine. It takes several steps and some time, but it is delicious.
2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp.
packed dark brown sugar, divided
3 tsp. mustard
powder, divided
3 tsp. mild chile
powder, divided
Kosher salt and
fresh ground pepper
1 3-lb. boneless
pork loin (w/ fat layer intact)
1 tsp.
Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. white
vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Prepare the
pork: Mix 2 Tbsp. brown sugar, 2
tsp. each mustard powder and chile powder, 1 Tbsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper in a
bowl. Put the pork on a plate, pat
dry and rub all over with the spice mixture. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 4 hours or overnight. Whisk the remaining 2 teaspoons brown
sugar, 1 tsp. each mustard powder and chile powder, the Worcestershire sauce,
vinegar, ¼ tsp. salt and pepper to taste in a bowl; set aside for brushing. Preheat oven to 375°.
Rinse the pork and pat dry.
If desired, tie kitchen twine around the pork in a few places to help it
keep its shape (we didn’t the first time and ended up with two halves). Heat the olive oil in a large skillet
over medium-high heat. Add the
pork, fat-side down, and sear until golden, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, turning, until golden
all over, about 5 more minutes.
Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, fat-side up, and roast 30
minutes. Brush with three-quarters
of the vinegar mixture; continue roasting until a thermometer inserted into the
center registers 145°, 15-20 more minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and brush
with the remaining vinegar mixture.
Let rest 15 minutes before slicing. Serves 6-8.
Swedish Meatballs
An Ikea copycat from Our Best Bites. I served them with boiled red potatoes tossed with butter,
salt, pepper and parsley and our Thanksgiving cranberry relish. It reminded me of a Czeck meal with the
meat, gravy, and tangy sauce.
½ cup panko bread
crumbs
1 cup buttermilk
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1 egg, lightly
beaten
¾ cup minced onion,
pressed between power towels to remove excess moisture
¼ cup capers,
chopped
2 Tbsp. Creole
mustard (I used spicy brown mustard)
1 ½ tsp. kosher
salt
½ tsp. black pepper
3 cloves garlic,
minced
2 Tbsp. finely
minced fresh parsley
3 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup flour
3 cups low-sodium
beef broth
3-4 Tbsp. cream
(not necessary, but good if you already have some in the fridge)
salt and pepper to
taste
Line a rimmed
baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Set aside. Combine bread
crumbs and buttermilk in a large bowl and allow to stand 10 minutes. Add beef, pork, egg, onion, capers,
mustard, salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley and combine with your hands. Using a cookie scoop, scoop meat
mixture into tablespoon-sized portions and shape into balls. Place on baking sheet. Broil 10-12 minutes on low or until
meatballs are brown on top. While
meatballs are browning, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low
heat. Add about 1 cup beef broth
and whisk together until completely smooth. Add remaining beef broth and increase heat to medium so the
gravy begins to simmer and thicken.
Add browned meatballs and simmer about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and if desired, stir
in cream. Season with additional
salt and pepper, if needed. Serve
with chopped fresh parsley.
SEAFOOD
Cuban-style Grilled Salmon with Hearts of Palm Salad
From Food Network Magazine. We used salmon and swai and everyone like the swai
better. I loved the hearts of palm
salad—it would be good to add mozzarella?
¼ cup olive oil,
divided
juice of 2 lemons
or limes (I used limes)
2 large garlic
cloves, minced
2 large shallots,
minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. cayenne
pepper
kosher salt
½ bunch cilantro,
roughly chopped, divided
4 6-oz center-cut
salmon fillets, skin removed (or swai fillets)
1 14-oz. can hearts
of palm, cut into 1” pieces
1 pint cherry
tomatoes, halved
vegetable oil, for
brushing
Preheat a grill to
medium high. In a gallon zip-loc
bag, mix 2 Tbsp. olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, garlic, shallots, cumin, cayenne,
1 tsp. salt and half of the cilantro.
Add the fish and turn to coat.
Let marinate 15 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, toss the hearts of palm and tomatoes in a bowl
with the remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil, the juice of the remaining lemon, and the
rest of the cilantro. Season to
taste with salt. Brush the grill
with vegetable oil. Grill the fish
until marked on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Turn and continue grilling until marked on the other side
and cooked through, 2-3 minutes more.
Serve with hearts of palm salad.
Serves 4.
Moqueca de Camaroes (Brazilian Shrimp Stew)
When Steven was called to Brazil, we found this recipe on the internet. It is very simple and absolutely
delicious. It would be easy to
substitute other meats for the shrimp, but I’m not sure the flavor would be as
good???
1 ½ lb. raw shrimp,
peeled & deveined
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup onion
1 garlic clove,
minced
¼ cup roasted red
pepper, diced (we used jarred)
¼ cup fresh cilantro,
chopped
14 oz. can diced
tomatoes and green chilies, drained (reserve juice)
1 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp. sriracha
sauce, optional
2 Tbsp. fresh lime
juice
salt and pepper to
taste
Heat olive oil in a
medium sauce pan. Saute onions for
several minutes until translucent, then add the garlica dn peppers and cook for
several minutes more. Add the
tomatoes, shrimp and cilantro to the pan and simmer gently until the shrimp
turns opaque. Pour in the coconut milk
and sriaracha sauce. Add reserved juice from the tomatoes to reach desired
consistency. Cook just until heated through—do not boil. Add lime juice and season with salt and
pepper to taste. Serve hot,
garnished with fresh cilantro.
Serves 6.
LAMB
Five-Spice Lamb
This is from the Weber’s Real Grilling Cookbook. The original recipe calls for chicken,
but we used it for lamb.
¼ cup orange juice
concentrate, defrosted
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup fresh lime
juice
¼ cup finely
chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp. dark sesame
oil (I used toasted sesame oil—it’s what I had)
1 Tbsp. minced
garlic
1 tsp. Chinese
five-spice powder
½ tsp. freshly
ground black pepper
lamb roast, apx. 5
lb.
For marinade, whisk
all ingredients except lamb in a gallon zip loc bag. Place lamb in the bag and press the air out of the bag and
seal it tightly. Turn the bag several
times to coat the chicken evenly with the marinade. Place the bag in a bowl and refrigerate 4-6 hrs, turning
occasionally. Preheat oven to 350°.
Remove the lamb from the bag and discard the marinade. Place in a roasting pan or baking dish
and roast for approximately 25 minutes for each pound or until a meat
thermometer reads 140° for medium rare. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
