Monday, June 16, 2008

Chicken & Cashews in Lettuce Cups

3 T soy sauce
3 T honey[I doubled the sauce b/c I'm a saucy person :-)]
2 T oil (for frying)1.5 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken - dice it. [I used two of those frozen Costco breasts (that sounds weird :-), then butterflied them and diced.]
1 T of grated ginger [didn't use this, not a fan of ginger]
1 bunch of scallions, trimmed and sliced [used 2 stalks - only green part]
1 8oz can of sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 C roasted, unsalted, cashews [I used the "cashew pieces" from TJs, cheaper and already diced; I also used at least a 1/2 C maybe a whole Cup of Cashews, but then again, I'm a "nutty"][I also added a 1/2 of a zucchini chopped finely - to sneak in the vegetables w/ my kids - great flavor!]
1 small head of Boston/Bibb/Butter Lettuce leaves (separate & wash while chicken is cooking; dry off)

COMBINE the soy and honey in a small bowl
HEAT the oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.
SEASON chicken w/ 1/2 t pepper (I used red pepper for xtra kick, up to you - for kids maybe X pepper) and cook stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 3-5 minutes.
LOWER heat to medium and stir in garlic [and ginger]. [I then pushed the cooked chicken to the side of the pan (to slow overcooking) and added in the zucchini to cook].
Add the scallions, stir and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the water chestnuts and 1/2 the soy mixture [again, add as much sauce as you like] and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes.
Remove from heat and sprinkle w/ the cashews [I added them in w/ the mixture in the pan to heat it all through for about a minute or two before removing.]
SERVE and use remaining sauce for drizzling.

Taco Skillet Pie by R. Herrick

Serve w/ any condiments - sour cream, tortilla chips, avocado...

1lb lean ground beef 1can (19oz) black beans w/ liquid
1 can (14.5oz) petite cut zesty jalapeno tomatoes (I couldn't find these so I added plain organic canned diced tomatoes and added 3/4 of a mini can of green chili peppers - it's *not* too spicy for kids!)
1 pkg. (1.25oz) mild taco seasoning (too salty for me, added 1/8-1/4 of a bag)
1 pouch (6.5 oz) cornbread mix (used the Jiffy box mix, but used *only* the mix, did not follow recipe)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup low fat milk
1T veg oil/olive oil
1/2 C mexican (or blended) shredded cheese

Cook ground up meat, drain & place in bottom of casserole dish.
Spread beans on top
Spread tomatoes on top(Spread green chilis on top - if used)
Sprinkle taco seasoning over it[My mom suggested adding sliced black olives, yum!]
Put cornbread mix in a small bowl, add 2 eggs, milk & oil & mix - your child could do this.
Then pour sticky cornbread mixture over the entire casserole.
Bake @ 375 until bread is golden (about 15-20 min; watch it).
Take out, sprinkle cheese over top.
Place back in oven until cheese is melted.
Let it cool for 5 minutes, Cut & Serve.
Serves 4-6 adults

Chicken Rub Recipe by J. Markarian

We always grill this and serve it in tortillas with black beans, rice, avocado and cheese. And it is super fast to make (no marinating).Mix together...1 TBS brown sugar2 tsp paprika1 1/2 tsp garlic powder1 1/2 tsp ground ginger1 tsp salt1/2 tsp ground cinnamon1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 breasts of chicken ( wash and pat dry)grapeseed oil (you can find this at TJ's) or you can use canola oil.

Heat your bbq grill.Coat the chicken with oil and rub on the spice mixtureThrow it on the bbq until done (Cooking time depends on how thick the breasts are. Sometimes if they are thick I will cut them in half length wise to shorten the cooking time.)When it's done cut it up and serve with tortillas, black beans, rice, avocado etc. etc. You will love the flavor of this chicken!!! Enjoy

Chile Relleno Casserole

Feel free to play around with the stuffing, Mexican chorizo is great for this, but we've also used hot Louisiana pork sausage. Or you can skip the pork all together and just use a jack cheese stuffing. Note that this casserole serves 8; you can easily cut the ingredients in half and use an 8x8 dish for the casserole.
Ingredients
· 8 poblano chiles
· 2 Tbsp olive oil
· 1 cup chopped onion
· 4 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 28-ounce can tomatoes
· Salt
· 1 pound Mexican chorizo (or other spicy sausage)
· 1 cup crumbled cotija cheese
· 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves
· 12 eggs
· 1/3 cup flour
· 1 teaspoon baking powder
· 1 1/2 cup Monterey jack or mild cheddar cheese, shredded

Method
1 Preheat broiler. Lay chiles in a single layer on a broiling pan (not a baking sheet that will warp in the heat of the broiler) or on a rack in a roasting pan. Position the the chilies one to two inches from the broiler element. Cook until chiles are blistering and black, a few minutes on all sides. Turn chiles over and broil until blistering and black all over. Alternatively, you can blacken the chilies directly over a gas burner. Put chilies in a paper bag or thick plastic bag. Let sit 15 minutes.
2 While the chilies are cooling, heat olive oil in a large sautée pan, on medium. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more. Add the tomatoes (break up any whole tomatoes before adding to the pan). Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and lower the heat to low. Gently simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3 Carefully peel and discard the blackened skin off of the chilies. Cut off the stem ends, remove the seeds and discard. Set chiles aside on a layer of paper towels to dry.
4 In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, cook chorizo, stirring occasionally to break up the meat, until cooked through, about 4 minutes.
5 Preheat oven to 375°. Pour tomato sauce into the bottom of an 8x12 inch baking dish (the tomato sauce should be the consistency of a thin spaghetti sauce. If it is too thick, thin it out with a little water).
6 In a large bowl, mix chorizo, cotija, and oregano. Stuff chiles with sausage mixture and lay them on top of the tomato sauce in the pan.
7 In a large bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle chiles with half of the jack or cheddar cheese. Pour egg mixture over chiles and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
8 Bake until top starts to brown and the eggs are set but still soft, about 30 minutes.

Maui Chicken by G. Gentzkow

You can substitute drumsticks for 1 breast:2 drumsticks

6 chicken drumsticks

1.5 cups stuffing mix

3.5 oz macadamias

1 egg

3 tbs milk

3 tbs honey

3 tbs butter, melted

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 tsp dijon mustard


1Preheat oven 375. Lighly coat a 15x10x1" baking pan with cooking spray; set pan aside. Skin chicken; set aside.
2In a shallow dish, stir together the stuffing mix and the nuts. In another shallow dish, combine the egg, milk, and 2 T of honey. Dip chicken into egg mixture, then into crumb mixture to coat.
3Arrange chicken in prepared pan. Drizzle with melted butter.
4Bake in for 45-55 minutes or until an instant-read thermomter registers 180. Do not turn chicken while baking.
5Meanwhile, for sauce, combine mayonnaise, mustard, and remaining 1 T honey.
6Serve chicken with sauce.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes

Just Plain Good Hamburgers by Gma Hilstrom

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, grated

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp Pepper

Place in a bowl and mix w/ hands. Form into patties. Grill. I’ve also made them by pressing a thumb print into the middle of the pattie (after mixing) and then putting a small dallup of butter in the dent. Then close it back up (re-form) and then grill. The butter does wonders to the juiciness…also does wonders to the abs & thighs J

Crockpot Chili by C. Kemp

*2 lbs. ground chuck
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1 green pepper, chopped
* 2 to 3 ribs celery, chopped
* 1 large (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
* 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
* 2 cans kidney or pinto beans, drained
* 1 tsp. pepper
* 3 tsp. chili powder
* hot pepper, to taste, cayenne
* 1 tsp. garlic salt

PREPARATION:In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain well. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker; cover and cook for 7 to 8 hours on LOW, or until done.Serves 6 to 8.

Brie-Jalapeno Appetizer by A. Lee

1/2 package of puff pastry/filo bread, defrosted
1/2 package of large Presidents Brie Cheese (from Costco) or 2 small packages at local store
1/2 Jar of Jalapeno jelly (TJs doesn't carry it, sorry)

Directions: Cut puff pastry into a square, place on parchment-paper lined casserole dish (something w/ a lip on it), shave/cut white stuff off cheese, slice cheese and place on pastry, cover w/ jalapeno jelly. Take corner of pastry and fold to center (do this for all 4 sides). You can cut excess, re-roll & cut into fun shape (leaf, bow, etc.) if you want. Bake @ 350 until golden. Serve w/ crackers. Tastes & looks gourmet, yet it takes 5 minutes. Thanks, Alix!

Risotto w/ Sugar Snap Peas & Ham

This could be a whole meal, a 1st course before meat or a 2nd course after soup.

30 minutes total

1/2lb sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut in half on diagonal
3.5C chicken broth
2t olive oil
4 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced (I've used yellow onion too, if you only have that on hand)
sometimes I add 1C of sautéed, sliced crimini or dark Italian mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced (Christopher Ranch pre-diced, in the jar, garlic makes life so much easier)
1C risotto (Arborio) rice
4oz cubed ham (1/2 of an 8oz package like Cumberland Gap - found in meat section)
1/2C grated fresh parmesan cheese (this makes all the difference)
1/4t black pepper

Directions: Cook peas in boiling water about 4 minutes or until crisp-tender (still very green). Drain and rinse w/ cold water (to stop cooking process); Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat, add leeks and cook 6 minutes/until softened; Add garlic and cook 1 minute; Stir in rice and cook 1 minute; add broth 1/2 cup at a time (this is critical), stirring frequently (not covered!) until liquid is absorbed then add another 1/2 cup; Rice should be tender, yet firm (it should look sticky). Add peas and ham and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minute or until it's all heated through. Stir in parmesan cheese and pepper.

Ham & Cheese Turnovers

Light dinner or lunch (could even be an appetizer). So easy! and both kids can eat it (a rarity these days b/c of ages).

25 minutes total

1lb of refrigerated pizza dough (TJs has a good one or you can use Pillsbury - so much easier b/c you don't have to roll it out)
8oz of deli ham, thinly sliced
4oz swiss cheese (pepper jack & munster are good too)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped & sautéed in olive oil (you don't have to sauté them, but I think it makes it sweeter)
Served w/ a Side Salad: 2t whole grain mustard,2T evoo, & romaine lettuce (I serve it w/ a homemade lite balsamic dressing)

Directions: Heat oven to 400; Roll out pizza dough & cut into 8 triangles (if you use Pillsbury pizza dough, it'll make about 12-14 triangles); Stack a piece of ham, cheese and onion on each triangle and roll up dough (some of filling will stick out- you can let it or pull wrap it up). They end up looking like Pillsbury croissants. Place triangles on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden; about 15-20 minutes. Done & Delish! Serves 4-6.

BEST Cream Corn Ever!

Gulliver's Cream Corn
2 packages of 20oz frozen kernal corn (white)
8 oz whipping cream
8oz milk
1t salt
6t sugar
pinch white or cayenne pepper (we always do white)
2t melted butter
2t flour

combine all ingredients except last two in a pot and bring to a boil. In a separate saucepan create a "rou" w/ the butter and flour (melt butter, stirring in flour slowly, it'll form a paste like substance - do not burn!). Then fold "rou" into first mixture. Bring to a boil again and then simmer until warm for serving. You can do all this up until the simmer and then let it cool, store in the fridge (overnight) and then warm and serve if you want. It's important that it's served hot though (w/o burning) b/c it tastes awful when it's cool or even warm. So make this the last thing you heat up OR put it in a container that will keep it warm.

With holiday meals I usually make everything and then store it in the oven until ready to serve (after prayer).

Potato Casserole by G. Gentzkow

Great brunch dish or as a side dish w/ rotisserie chicken.

Bake at 300 for 1.5 - 2 hours
2lb of frozen hash brown potatoes (the shredded kind)
2-3 C grated cheddar cheese (preference)
1 small chopped green onion
16 oz sour cream (med. size)
5 shakes of Lawry's salt
3 shakes of Onion salt
3 shakes of Garlic powder

[May also add ham for a main dish casserole]
Mix all together (kitchen aid mixer is quicker!]
Pour into greased 9x13 pan.
Cover w/ foil.
Remove foil, last 15 minutes.
Bake until brown on top.

Idea: Add 1/2 the sour cream and substitute fresh-made ranch dressing.

Orange Pork Chops by B. Devers

she says....I always make up amounts

Brown sugar (about 1/2 cup)
Fresh squeezed oranges (about a cup of juice) Orange marmalade A little jalepeno juice (optional) Red wine vinegar (about 1 tablespoon more or less)

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
Sear pork chops on high heat over stove. Cook a while.
Pour mixture over pork chops...make sure the marmalade lays on top of the chops. Cook on medium - low heat covered for 1 hour....the longer you do the more tender it is.

Grilled Citrus Chicken by B. Devers

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 pounds chicken pieces

1. Whisk together brown sugar, oil mustard, vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, lime juice and salt in medium bowl to make marinade.
2. Pour marinade into plastic freezer bag. Add chicken, seal and turn to coat pieces. Refrigerate overnight or a minimum of 2 hours.
3. Cook chicken on grill and enjoy!

Guava Glaze by J. Dentt

Oh man, is this delish! She served it over rib eye cutlets. Over filet would be great too.

Combine
5 oz or ½ c of guava marmalade or jelly
3 T dry sherry
3 T sherry vinegar
1 T tomato paste
1 T corn syrup (dark or light)
1 T dark molasses
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T minced yellow onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
½ t ground cumin

Mix well and place over medium-low heat. Bring to a slow simmer, cover partially and cook until very thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

The recipe says to partially cook meat and then spread with the sauce but I put the chicken in some of the sauce first to marinate, leaving some for dipping after cooking. It probably doesn’t matter which way you do it.

Grilled Chile Chicken Quesadillas by B. Devers

2 tablespoons lime juice
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 teaspoon salt
6 skinless boneless chicken breasts
3 poblano peppers, cut in half
2 avocados, peeled and sliced
Cheese
Tortillas
Salsa


Combine lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, oil, jalapeno pepper and salt in small bowl. Coat meat with paste. Cover and refrigerate chicken at least 15 minutes. (I did not do this with crockpot) Grill chicken on covered grill (or George Forman) until no longer pink inside. Grill poblano peppers, skin side down 8 minutes until skins are charred. Place peppers in food storage bag; seal. Let stand 5 minutes; remove skin. Cut chicken and peppers into strips. Arrange chicken, peppers and cheese on half of each tortilla. Fold tortilla over and grill quesadillas on covered grill until cheese is melted. Garnish

Green Chile Corn Muffins by Paula Dean

Vegetable oil cooking spray 1 1/4 cups stone-ground cornmeal 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar 1 (8-ounce) can cream-style corn 1 cup sour cream 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles 1/2 cup canola oil 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray miniature muffin tins with vegetable oil cooking spray.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, salt and baking powder, stirring with a metal spoon. Add the cheese, corn, sour cream, and chiles. Stir until lightly combined. Add the oil and eggs and stir until everything is just combined; do not over mix. The batter will be very stiff.
Place about 1/2 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Penne with Five Cheeses

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Yield: 6 servings

Penne with Five Cheeses -Fast & Yummy; easily serves 6, I made it into 3 portions and froze two for a later date. To make it quicker, I just used Classico Tomato/Basil sauce instead of pureed tomatoes.

Kosher salt 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup crushed tomatoes in thick tomato puree 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano (1 1/2 ounces) 1/2 cup shredded imported Italian fontina (1 1/2 ounces) 1/4 cup crumbled Italian Gorgonzola (1 1/2 ounces) 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese 1/4 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped 1 pound imported penne rigate pasta 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Bring 5 quarts of salted water to a boil in a stockpot. Combine all the ingredients except the penne and butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Drop the penne into the boiling water and parboil for 4 minutes. Drain well in a colander and add to the ingredients in the mixing bowl, tossing to combine. Divide the pasta mixture among 6 shallow ceramic gratin dishes (1 1/2 to 2 cup capacity). Dot with the butter and bake until bubbly and brown on top, 7 to 10 minutes.

Green Chile Corn Muffins by Paula Dean

YUM! Serve w/ any Mex or TexMex Dish or Good Ol Plain Chicken


Vegetable oil cooking spray 1 1/4 cups stone-ground cornmeal 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar 1 (8-ounce) can cream-style corn 1 cup sour cream 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles 1/2 cup canola oil 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray miniature muffin tins with vegetable oil cooking spray.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, salt and baking powder, stirring with a metal spoon. Add the cheese, corn, sour cream, and chiles. Stir until lightly combined. Add the oil and eggs and stir until everything is just combined; do not over mix. The batter will be very stiff.

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup w/ White Popcorn

Serves 6-8; Prep is only 10 minutes, but cook time is 50 minutes - so leave room for an hour.
1T butter
1T olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
1 Leek, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 heads of broccoli, cleaned and chopped
6C chicken stock (trader joes sells this in the soup section, great to have on hand)
1C cream
2 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Freshly popped popcorn (garnish, fun for kids) or w/ Trader Joes "Parmesan Crisps" (i'm addicted!)

1. In a large sauce pot melt butter w/ olive oil. Add chopped onion, leek, carrot and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes
2. Add chopped broccoli and chicken stock. Cook additional 45 minutes over medium heat.
3. Reduce heat. Add cream and shredded cheese.
4. Blend soup in small batches in blender until smooth.
5. Serve hot in bowls and garnish w/ popcorn on top.

Amazing Chocolate Cake by the Hartley Women

1 duncan hines choc. cake mix
1 4 oz. pkg instant choc. pudding
1/2 cup wesson oil
1/2 cup warm water
4 eggs
1 8 oz. carton sour cream
12 oz. choc. chips.. i think i used the milk choc.

mix all ingrediant in a bowl (except choc. chips) with an electric mixer for 3 min.
stir in chips
pour into a greased (pam is fine) bundt pan
bake 350 about 55 min.

Veggie Sloppy Joes by E. Seaton

summer squash sloppy joes

1 lb. ground lean beef or turkey
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 1/2 cups diced zucchini
1 6-oz. can tomoato paste
3 garlic cloves minced
1 TB mild chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp. dried oregano
kosher salt & black pepper to taste
cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
hamburger buns (whole wheat)

  1. in large skillet over medium high heat, saute the ground beef or turkey until browned, about 7 min. add the onion and saute 2 min.
  2. add the carrot and satue 2 min.
  3. add the squash and saute 1 min. more. stir in the tomato paste and 1.5 cups water, stirring until the paste has dissolved.
  4. add the garlic, chili powder, paprika & oregano, and season with the salt & pepper.
  5. reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until the mixture has thickened, 8-10 min.
  6. turn on broiler.
  7. divide the cheese among the bottom halves of the hamburger buns.
  8. transfer both halves of the buns to the broiler, open faced & toast until the cheese has melted and the top buns are toasted.
  9. remove the buns from oven & fill each sandwich with sloppy joe mixture.

Note: This makes enough for 4-6 adults. I took the "leftovers" added 1-2 cans of tomato sauce and then froze for instant homemade spaghetti sauce.

Fun Kid's Sandwiches

Here’s a new idea for a fun sandwich of anytime of the day…stolen from Parents
Heat up waffle iron
Spread a T of whipped cream cheese on a slice of bread, top w/ a banana and strawberry slices
Spread thin layer of raspberry jam on another piece of bread.
Sandwich together
Spray waffle iron w/ cooking spray
Place in iron and cook 1 minute.
Looks so pretty!

Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey

Super easy…got it off a show on the food network. My dad said it was the best turkey he’d ever had!

All you’ll need is
Chicken broth
kosher salt
celery salt (this was difficult to find but at local grocery stores)
paprika
2 cubes of butter (melted)
a pan (make sure it’s big enough I waited to figure this out until the morning of…not good)
a basting brush
a thermometer (the last 3 you can get at Ross or Marshalls, much cheaper)
I got a 21 lb turkey for 16 people and we had some leftovers. This turkey barely fit in my mom’s *huge* pan. So depending on how many people you have, you can downsize from this.

Instructions:
Heat oven to 350
Clean turkey – rinse w/ water inside and out. Take out giblets and anything else that is packaged inside the turkey.
Place turkey in pan.
Add ¼ C chicken broth to the bottom of the pan
Smother in melted butter – brush it all over the outside of the chicken
Sprinkle the entire top of turkey w/ salt mixture (3 T salt, 3 T celery salt, ½ T of paprika) – you can “eye” these proportions and make more if needed.
Lightly cover w/ foil (one piece over the top and secured on 2 edges is fine).
Bake @ 350 for 12-15min per pound (For a 21lb turkey, I put it in the oven at 5:30am and it was ready by 11:00/30 and cut by 12noon). They take forever to cook, but it’s super easy b/c you can do the rest of your baking while it’s cooking since you’re already up). Watch it around the last hour to make sure it’s not getting too done and add more butter to it (may want to drizzle to not remove salt that’s already on it).
Remove foil for the last 15 minutes (this gives it the golden color)

KEY! For a moist turkey = let it stand for AT LEAST ½ hour before cutting. If you cut it too early it’ll dry out. It’s okay for turkey to be warm/room temperature but it’s not okay for the sides to be cold. This ½ hour gives you the perfect amount of time to bake your side dishes and warm the rolls.

Peppermint Bark

So the easy way is to melt a pound of white chocolate over a double boiler (or just rest a metal bowl with 2 packages of white chocolate chips in it over boiling water). Keep CONSTANTLY stirring the chips until it's completely melted! IF THE BOWL GETS TOO HOT, THE CHOCOLATE WILL DRY OUT! Medium high heat will suffice.Break up a package of peppermints like the kind they give away at restaurants into tiny chips. Melt the chocolate completely, then sprinkle in 1 tsp. of peppermint extract and all the peppermint chips, even the tiny peppermint dust left over. Mix it all up, keep cooking and stirring for another minute, then spread into a rimmed cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. If you're using a metal spatula, give it a spray of Pam or dust it with butter first.If you don't have a rimmed cookie sheet, have no fear! You can use a glass pie pan, muffin tins, or anything with walls that you can use to control the melted chocolate. Make sure whatever it is has parchment paper on it.Stick it in the fridge for an hour, then take it out, break it up and stick it in jars. If you're me, you'll also spray paint the lids in a kicky shade of green and wrap them with a matching ribbon. But it's optional.

Corn Chowder by E. Seaton

Crockpot Recipe; Make in the morning, ready for dinner. You can freeze this too and reheat. Make sure that hashbrowns are not the stringy kind, but small squares. Salt/Pepper is to taste, not measured.

1.5 cups milk

1 cup cream of mushroom soup

1 package frozen white corn

1 cup cream style white corn (1/2 can)

1 cup frozen hashbrown potatoes - cubed kind

1 cup diced ham

1 small onion chopped

2 Tbs butter

1 pinch pepper

2 tbs salt

Throw everything into the crockpot (except salt/pepper), stir, put the lid on and wait 4-5 hours until done.

Servings: 8
Preparation time: 2 minutes
Cooking time: 5 hours
Ready in: 5 hours

Easy Pulled Pork

Here’s what you do---Go to the spice section of the grocery store where they sell those seasoning packets. Buy the one that says “slow cooker pulled pork” -- buy the stuff on the directions (back of packet: 3lbs of shoulder pork, apple cider vinegar and brown sugar) and then just follow the directions. Tip: it says “high” for 4 hours but I cooked it on high for 8 hours b/c at 4 hours it wasn’t falling apart, at 8 hours it was perfect.

Becky served it on rice and drizzled the sauce over the top. Yum! Yesterday I served it on wheat hamburger buns w/ fresh white corn and rice on the side (add sweet coleslaw on the bun to get a Phil’s BBQ taste) Yum, again! The best part is that it serves 8-10 people. Leftovers make another great meal-- you can make “carnitas” burritos/soft tacos the next day w/ the corn, rice, pork, cheese and sour cream…so yummy! Again, no effort. I love it! I bet if you wanted to make carnitas from the beginning you could add a taco seasoning instead of the other packet and mix w/ the brown sugar and vinegar and this would make them spicier too.

Teriyaki Grilled Salmon w/ Asian Salsa by J. Massie

Teriyaki Grilled Salmon with Asian Salsa (i have made this w/ and w/out the salsa if i don't have much time) (buying the pre-chopped garlic and ginger is a huge time saver!)

Teriyaki Marinade
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. mirin
2 Tbsp. br. sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger

2 1/2 lbs. salmon fillets (it says to use skinned, but i didn't )

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the soy sauce, water, mirin, br.
sugar, sugar, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissloved and the mixtrue comes to a gentle boil, about 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

Place the salmon fillets in a 1- gallon lock-top plastic bag or in a shallow dish. Pour the marnade over the salmon, coating all sides well. Squeeze all the air out of the bag and seal it, or cover the dish. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 4 hours.

Asian Salsa
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. minced ginger
1 Tbsp. dry mustard (i used reg. mustard)
1 Tbsp. mirin
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
2 cucumbers, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
3 green onions, white and light green part only, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

To make the directions brief, mix all the above ingredients together - duh!
I used a grill pan on the stove to grill the salmon in some oil until it was blackened. Serve w/ salsa!!


Thai Basil Chicken

1 1/2 cups rice (i used brown)
1 can (15 oz.) coconut milk (2 Tbsp. reserved)
1 cup fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp. Thai fish sauce (i couldn't find this and it was great w/ out it)
2 Tbsp. Chinese chile sauce w/ garlic
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts (boneless, skinless), cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Prepare rice (i used broth instead of water) and stir in 2 Tbsp. of the
coconut milk when it has finished.

In a food processor, combine the basil, fish sauce, and chile sauce. Blend
until it looks like pesto. Add the remaing coconut milk and process until
blended. Set aside.

Heat the sesame oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add the garlic and cook
1 minute. Add the onion and brown, about 4 minutes. Add the chicken and cook
until nearly done, about 3 minutes. Add the peppers and cook about 2
minutes. Add the basil-coconut sauce, reduce the heat to low, and bring to a
gentle simmer. Add salt and pepper. Serve w/ rice!

GREAT Fish Tacos by S. Laputz

1-2 lbs halibut 1lb for just 2 people 2 lbs for 4
1- 11/2 cups cabbage
1 lime
1/4 c sour cream
1 serrano
handful cilantro
radishes
1/2 c sliced red onions
tortillas
salsa- if you don't have my recipe or if you even want it, just ask?

So take your fish and season with a mexican rub. I use a mix of cumin and garlic salt and rub into the fish on both sides, not to thick. You don't want to over power the halibut

It helps to spray your bbq with pam and that way you can keep your nice fish filet in one piece. You know presentation and all since we eat with our eyes first.

slaw:
2 c shredded cabbage mix with the sour cream, red onions, serrano, sliced radishes for color, and cilantro add lime juice and salt. This makes fish tacos

Baja Sauce:
good addition on top:
1/2 c mayo
1/2 c sour cream
1 serrano finely chopped
1/4 c cilantro
1 lime
good amount of salt
1tbsp pico pico ( or you could use 1 tsp or so of cumin and garlic salt but the pico pico is so easy and reay)
Then serve in corn tortillas and they are so goood!!!!

Thai-Mex Chili Soup

I tried a new recipe tonight and it was great (if you like things a little spicy), but it was easy to make and delicioso – avoiding many food culprits (no sugar, dairy or meat) Try it and see if you like it. It tastes more Mex than Thai, but I named it this b/c of the Coconut Milk. Did you know that “cilantro” is actually Chinese parsley? not from Central/So. America, but it’s included in a lot of Mex food, go figure. I didn’t have 2 cans of black beans so I added 1 can of kidney beans—still tasted great! It would be great to serve as a first dish with tamales or Trader Joes cornbread pizza (that’s what we had tonight) as your main entrée.

Soup is a great first dish. If you add cooked white (or jasmine) rice it could be an entree.

2 tsp olive oil
1 small onions
1.5 tsp toasted ground cumin seeds
.25 cup cilantro leaves, extra for garnish
3 cups water
2 15 oz black beans
1 can coconut milk
2 tsp sea salt
2 juice, from fresh limes

Directions
1 Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onion (chopped), cumin (use powder if you don't have crushed seeds), chili and cilantro (use plain parsley if you don't like cilantro). Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
2 Add 1/2 cup water. Lower heat and cook until onions are soft; about 12 minutes.
3 Add beans including liquid, remaining water (2.5 C) and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
4 Remove pot from heat. With a slotted spoon, remove about 1 C beans. Puree in a blender on high speech and return to pot (if your blender isn't handy, do the same but smash with a fork).
5 Add salt and lime juice. Stir. Ladle into heated bowls. Garnish with cilantro (or plain parsley).

Servings: 6
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ready in: 25 minutes

Tomato Basil Soup by Nordstrom

1 cup canned peeled plum tomatoes
3 3/4 ounces carrots, chopped
3 3/4 ounces onions, chopped
1 teaspoon dry basil
1 1/4 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 ounces chicken base
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Makes 10 servings
1 hour 30 minutes
30 mins prep Add the basil, salt, pepper, and tomatoes and bring to a simmer.

In a large stock pot, sautee the olive oil, carrots, and onions at medium heat for 15 minutes.
Add the basil, salt, pepper, and tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
In a large bowl, whisk the chicken base into the water until dissolved.
Add the water mixture to the stock pot, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 45 minutes.
Puree the soup using a hand blender while adding the heavy cream until it reaches a thin consistency.

White Bean Chili by E. Seaton

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 cans chicken broth

1 4 oz can diced green ortega chiles

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1 small onion

1 tb olive oil

pinch oregano

2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1 tb sugar

2 tsp hot sauce

2 cans small white beans (s & w)

2 tb pale dry sherry

1-2 cups grated jack cheese

poach chicken with chunks of 1/2 onion, garlic in chicken broth. simmer 15-20 min. remove chicken, strain broth & put broth back in pot. cut chicken in small pieces & return to broth.

saute onion & garlic in olive oil until soft. add onions after broth is strained
add everything but cheese

simmer 15 min.

add jack cheese, stir, serve!

garnish with sour cream, jack cheese, salsa & diced avocado.

enjoy!!!