Chicken Cashew Lettuce Wraps

I made these last night for dinner -- they were good!  I think next time I might add less cashews, some diced water chestnuts, and some green onions for a little more flavor, but definitely would make again.

1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar


1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

¼ teaspoons Ground Red Pepper

¼ teaspoons Ground Ginger

1 teaspoon Sesame Oil

2-⅓ Tablespoons Soy Sauce, Divided

3 Tablespoons Canola Oil (or Oil Of Choice)

2 pieces Chicken Breast (approx. 3/4 Lb. Total), Diced

1 cup Diced Onion

2 cloves Garlic, Minced

¼ cups Cashews, Chopped

8 leaves Of Greenleaf Or Iceburg Lettuce, Washed And Dried



For stir fry sauce, mix together rice vinegar, brown sugar, ground red pepper, ground ginger, sesame oil, and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, making sure to dissolve brown sugar. Set aside.
Heat canola oil in pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add diced chicken and brown (about 4 to 5 minutes). Remove chicken from oil. Add onions and garlic to pan and remaining soy sauce (1/3 tbsp. or 1 tsp.) to pan; brown. When onions and garlic are brown and tender, add stir fry sauce, browned chicken and cashews. Saute mixture for a few minutes and remove from heat.
Spoon chicken mixture into individual lettuce leaves. Add your favorite hot sauce, more cashews or basil.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I made these a couple of weeks ago and they turned out yummy!  I found the recipe on allrecipes.com, but made several changes.  The recipe below is the "updated" version that turned out great!  A wonderful fall dessert!

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 cup white sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 3/4 cup milk 3/4  of a 15 oz can pumpkin puree (more will make them more like a muffin, less will make them a little dry...depends on how you like them)

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup butter, softened 3 cups confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon **I followed these exact directions, but gradually added a little more powdered sugar until it was the consistency I could pipe.  It is sweet, so you just need a little icing piped on top!  I may add a little more cinnamon next time.

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.  **I baked mine on convect @325**  Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners. Sift together the flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
2.	Beat 1/2 cup of oil, the white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the mixture before adding the next. Stir in the milk and pumpkin puree after the last egg. Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
3.	Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes. (mine did not take this long, so watch them!) Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
4.	While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting by beating the cream cheese and 1/4 butter with an electric mixer in a bowl until smooth. Beat in the confectioners' sugar a little at a time until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; beat until fluffy. Once the cupcakes are cool, frost with the cream cheese icing.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve!

Baked Dijon Salmon

Found this on All recipes website--this is my new favorite way to fix salmon!

Ingredients:

1/4C butter, melted

3 TBS dijon mustard

1 1/2 TBS honey

1/4 C bread crumbs

1/4 C finely chopped pecans

4 tsp chopped fresh parsely

4 (4oz) salmon fillets

s&p to taste

lemon for garnish

(*next time I will add in a little brown sugar to the coating mix just to make it a little sweeter)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. In a small bowl stir together butter, mustard & honey. Set aside. In another bowl mix together bread crumbs, pecans & parsley *(add in a little brown sugar-optional)

3. Brush each salmon fillet lightly with honey mixture, and sprinkle the tops of the fillets with the bread crumb mixture.

4. Bake salmon approximately 15 minutes (more or less depending on thickness) until it flakes easily with a fork. Season with s&p, garnish with lemon wedge.

I served this with fresh green beans & white rice that I had seasoned with butter, garlic salt & lemon juice. Yummy!

Costa Vida Dinner

We love the food at Costa Vida in Colleyville! website here

After having their sweet pork the last time, I can home determined to try to recreate it at home. This recipe was SOO very easy and tasted almost just like it. Very yummy for tacos!

I served it inside tortillas with guacamole, cheese, cilantro lime rice (see recipe after the pork recipe), diced tomatoes, and pinto beans (black beans would be good too).

Enjoy!
-----------------------------

Costa Vida Sweet Pork

4 lb. pork roast (I used a pork butt roast)
2 cups brown sugar
1 (12-14 oz.) jar salsa
2 cans Dr. Pepper (I am sure regular coke would work too) (24 oz. or 2 1/2 cups)

Place roast in crock pot, fill half way with water and cook for 6-8 hours
Discard water.
Shred meat and return to the crock pot

Combine sugar, salsa, and coke in a separate bowl.
Add mixture to the meat in the crock pot.
Cook an additional 3 hours. Stir occasionally.

-----------------
Cilantro Lime Rice

2 cups white rice
3 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup lime juice
chopped fresh cilantro (I used some of my jarred freeze dried cilantro that I keep in the fridge)

Bring water, cilantro, and lime juice to a boil. Add rice. Cover and turn on low for about 20 minutes. (Basically just the same as cooking regular white rice)

Fluff with fork before serving.

Homemade Applesauce

I made homemade applesauce tonight for preschool lessons this week and it was yummy (and SO easy!)  Wanted to keep the recipe someplace quick where I could find it again.

4 apples - peeled, cored and chopped


3/4 cup water

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1.In a saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool, then mash with a fork or potato masher.

Sunrise Punch

A Pioneer Woman recipe -- yummy!  Very similar in taste to an orange julius.

• Sunrise Punch recipe:


2 cups orange juice

2 cups pineapple juice

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup powdered sugar

• 2 T meringue powder

• 2 t. vanilla

Fill rest of the blender with ice and blend!

Sopapilla Cheescake

I made this last night for a preschool dinner and apparently from the responses, this recipe is a little different that others for this same dessert.  It goes great as a dessert with Mexican food!

Here is my version:

SOPAPILLA CHEESECAKE


• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract

• 2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls

• 3/4 cup white sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

• 1/4 cup honey

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.

3. Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each piece into 9x13 inch rectangles. Press one piece into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Dot the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.

Red Velvet Birthday Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Made this cake for Trent's birthday & wanted to put the recipe somewhere I could find it again, it's a keeper! :)

Ingredients:

2 1/4 C sifted flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 C shortening

1 1/2 C sugar

2 eggs

1 (1 oz) bottle red food coloring

1 oz water

2 TBS unsweetened cocoa

1 C buttermilk

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 TBS apple cider vinegar

For the Icing:

8oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1 stick real butter, softened

2 C powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3-4 tsp of milk (adjust as needed to get right consistency)

Cake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease & flour two 9-inch cake pans.

2. In a small bowl, sift cake flour with baking soda

3. Mash shortening with sugar in mixing bowl until combined. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Pour red food coloring into a small bowl, and fill the empty food coloring container with water; add the water to the food coloring. Stir in cocoa powder to make a paste, and mix the paste into the shortening mixture.

4. Stir buttermilk, salt, vanilla extract & apple cider vinegar into a bowl & mix into the colored shortening mixture, until well combined. Scrape batter into cake pans.

5. Bake 20-30 minutes until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for one hour before icing.

Icing directions:

1. Beat cream cheese, butter & vanilla until smooth

2. Gradually add powder sugar in--keep smooth--mix well

3. Add in tsp's of milk as needed to reach desired consistency

4. Spread over cake (be sure to ice bottom cake completely before setting top one on)

Eat Clean Crispy Chicken Bites

Crispy Chicken Bites

YIELD: 6 servings (20 to 25 nuggets)

PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes

COOKING TIME: 10-15 minutes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From The Eat-Clean Diet® for Family and Kids.
Ingredients:
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts weighing about 6 oz / 170 g each

• 1/4 cup / 60 ml oat bran

• 1/4 cup / 60 ml wheat germ

• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml coarsely ground flaxseed

• 1/4 cup / 60 ml coarsely ground almonds

• 1/2 tsp / 2 1/2 ml sea salt

• 1/2 tsp / 2 1/2 ml white pepper

• Pinch garlic powder

• 1/2 cup / 120 ml water or low-sodium chicken broth

• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Preparation:
1.Preheat oven to 400°F / 232°C. Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper or coating lightly with best-quality olive oil.

2.Cut chicken breasts into nugget-sized pieces, about 1.5 inches square. Set aside.

3.Next, combine all dry ingredients in a large container with a tightly fitting lid. Shake well. This is your coating mixture.

4.Combine water and egg in a medium bowl. Dip each piece in the water/egg-white mixture. Then dip each piece in the coating mixture. Make sure each piece is well coated.

5.Place on the baking sheet. When all of your chicken has been coated and your baking sheet is full, place in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden.

Clean-Eating Honey Mustard Sauce

Ingredients:
• 1.5 tsp / 7 ml honey

• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml Dijon mustard

Preparation: Mix well.

Tosca's Tip

Use the almond coating on larger strips of chicken breast to make chicken tenders for the adults!

Menu for August 15

Halibut Fillets with Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 c pineapple juice

3T teriyaki sauce

1T honey

3/4 t cornstarch

1/4 t garlic powder

1/8 t ground red pepper

2T breadcrumbs

4 - 6 oz halibut fillets(about 1 in thick), skinned - (I used Maui Maui)

1T veg oil - (I used olive oil)

Combine first 6 ingredients in small bowl, stir well with whisk, set aside.

Combine breadcrumbs and fillets in zip lock bag, seal and shake to coat; set aside.

Heat oil in large non stick skillet over medium heat. Add fillets; cook 4 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm.

Add teriyaki mix to skillet. Bring to a boil, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour over halibut.

I served it with Farro (a whole grain that is similar to rice but has 10g protein and high in fiber per serving) and broccoli

Bacon-wrapped Chicken

Bacon Wrapped Chicken
(from the cookbook Goose Berry Patch 5-Ingredient Dishes in Minutes)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, flattened to 1/2" thickness
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 T. chive & onion flavored cream cheese, divided
2 T. chilled butter, divided
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
2 slices bacon

Sprinkle flattened chicken with salt & pepper. Spread 1 T. cream cheese over each chicken creast, top with 1 T. butter and 1/4 tsp. tarragon. Roll up and wrap with one slice bacon. Secure with toothpick. Place chicken seam-side down on ungreased baking sheet (make sure to use a sheet that has a lip all the way around it because the chicken stuffing will ooze out some). Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until juices run clear when pierced with fork. Increase temperature to broil. Broil 8-10 minutes until bacon is crisp.

serves 2.

** I think next time, I would cook at 350 degrees for a longer time...that hot of a temperature got a little smokey in my oven with the bacon inside.

** This ends up looking like a "fancy" type dish for as easy as it was!

Creamy Jalapeño Ranch Dressing/Dip Recipe

I made slider burgers for the 4th tonight and was trying to recreate my favorite ones at Chilis. I remembered they serve them with jalpeno ranch so I googled and found this recipe. It was delicious and VERY easy! We ate it with the burgers tonight and with a bunch of fresh veggies as dip. Would be great on a salad too! Enjoy!


Creamy Jalapeño Ranch Dressing/Dip Recipe

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream (more if you would like a thicker consistency)
1 cup buttermilk
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 jalapeño, seeded (add more along with a few of the seeds if you prefer more heat)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped


Put all the ingredients in a blender and combine until creamy.


Serve on a green salad, as a dip for chips or veggies, on top of a burger, next to some grilled chicken, drizzled over a taco, or however else you desire.

Spritz Butter Cookies (Half Recipe version)

Chantelle made some tasty butter spritz cookies @ our cookie exchange one year, they were great! I decided I wanted to make some, but I don't have one of the cookie press tools that make them turn out so pretty. I pressed the dough with a fork & made a criss cross design like you do on a peanut butter cookie. I also sprinkled them with sugar. They weren't quite as cute as they would've been with a press, but they tasted really good! I also didn't want to make a large quantity so below is the recipe that makes a half batch of this cookie.

Ingredients:

1-1/4 C flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 C butter, softened

1/2 C (+2 TBS) powdered sugar

1 egg yolk

1/4 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift flour & salt, together and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter & sugar. Stir in the egg yolk, almond & vanilla extracts. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients. Fill a cookie press with the dough & press cookies onto a cookie sheet (or just do the criss cross fork press instead). If you like, decorate with sugar or sprinkles.

3. Bake for approximately 8 minutes

Breakfast Cookies

These are not gluten-free ;) but they are made with whole wheat flour and natural ingredients (plus they don't contain sugar) so I think they count as healthy!
Chantelle gave me this recipe and we make them regularly now--they're great especially when you get tired of the same ol' granola bars for breakfast on the go!

P.S. I halved this recipe today & they still worked great!

Ingredients:
1 C butter melted
3/4 C honey (might use 1 C if you want them sweeter)
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C buttermilk

2C whole wheat flour
2C whole rolled oats
1 C raisins (I used craisins)
1C chocolate chips


Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees
*Mix the first 8 ingredients and then stir in the flour, oats, raisins & chocolate chips (you can adjust the amount of raisins & chocolate chips to your liking--I think the original recipe might have been 1/2C of each?? may have to just play with the amount)
*Mix all ingredients together & drop onto a cookie sheet
*Bake for about 15 minutes

These make a very soft & chewy cookie!

Easy Chicken Fingers (Gluten-Free!)

I'm hearing lots of things these days about the benefits of a gluten-free diet. I found this easy chicken fingers recipe and made them tonight, they were great!

Ingedients:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips

Corn or Canola oil for frying

1 C corn meal

2 tsp salt

1-2 tsp Lawry's season salt*

1-2 tsp garlic powder*

*I added these two extra spices into the mix on my own; they were not in the original recipe, but they worked well.

Instructions:

1. Combine corn meal & spices in a shallow dish

2. Place chicken strips in the dish & cover throughly with cornmeal mixture.

3. Fry in oil in skillet until chicken appears light brown.

4. Move from skillet to paper towel lined plate to drain oil & cool

Mashed Potatoes Disguised

We are trying to incorporate more veggies into our diet. I found this recipe for Creamy Cauliflower Puree and decided to try it. I did not tell Brad or the girls, I just served on their plate. They did not notice it was not the real thing!!!!

Creamy Cauliflower Puree

Steam until soft:

1 med head cauliflower

4 cloves crushed garlic

Drain and add:

1/3 c 1% buttermilk

Salt

Pepper

1 T light butter

Puree with a hand blender

Simply Seasoned Seared Mahi Mahi

I made this the other night and Presley ate almost two fillets. She loved it!

4 Mahi fillets

3 T canola oil

kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1-2 t flour

place oil in large non stick pan over high heat.

Preheat until there are ripples in the oil but before it begins smoking

Liberally season all sides of fish with salt, pepper and then sprinkle a very small amount of flour over tops and bottoms of each fillet, tubbing in the flour and seasoning to evenly distribute. (The addition of flour will help for a crust and prevent fish from sticking to the pan)

Place fish in pan, sear for 3-4 minutes or until golden crust has formed and the fish releases from the pan. Flip and cook another 3 minutes until just cooked through. Remove from pan and let fish rest for 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately.

Hint: Fish will stick to pan until the moment it is ready to be flipped

Whole wheat chicken salad wrap

Got the recipe for this chicken salad off allrecipes.com and put it inside these awesome whole wheat wraps I've been buying at Walmart; they're called "Extreme Wellness Whole Wheat Tortilla Wrap" and they are soo good!

I didn't follow the measurements exactly on the ingredients below--I kind of eyeballed it and adjusted to the amount of chicken I had and according to our taste, but it's an easy recipe to throw together.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 C diced cooked chicken (I used white meat canned chicken)

4 bacon strips, cooked & crumbled

1/2 C thinly sliced celery

1 C halved green grapes (I used red)

3/4 C mayo or salad dressing

1 TBS dried parsley flakes

2 tsp finely minced onion (I used red onion)

1 tsp lemon juice

1 dash of Worcestershire sauce

S&P to taste

I also added in some chopped pecans

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl--mix it up & serve it inside the whole wheat wraps. Slice diagonally in half & serve; goes well with string cheese & grapes.

Chicken, Black Bean & Rice Bowl

Made this tonight-it was easy and yummy; here's what I did:

Made Lisa F's spanish rice (posted on here earlier)...although I will say that I upped the salt & cumin to 1 tsp instead of the half that was on the original to give it more flavor and that is the way to go! Anyway, made this rice & let it simmer while cooking the rest.

Ingredients:

boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced

taco seasoning packet

onion, diced

bell pepper, diced (I used red & yellow because I had it on hand, but any would work)

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

chopped cilantro

In a large skillet I sautéed in olive oil the onion, bell pepper & diced up chicken. I sprinkled half of the packet of taco seasoning over this, stirring frequently & let it cook until the chicken was no longer pink and onions/bell pepper were soft. Then I added in the black beans & cilantro and mixed it all together, serving it over the spanish rice. Yumm-o!

Jalapeno Steak Salad

I got the idea for this dish from a place I recently discovered in SoLake called "My Fit Foods." I had their chicken wrap for lunch the other day (it was great) and I picked up one of their menus to look over. Everything on their menu sounds good and gave me lots of new cooking ideas! Anyway, they had a steak salad entree listed and I decided to try and recreate it. We had it tonight and thought it was superb--so I wanted to post how I made it.

Ingredients:

Prime tenderloin (or any kind of steak that will easily cut into strips)

salad mixture-whatever kind you prefer

4-5 jalapenos

red onion

avocado

roasted corn

roma tomato

Newman's Own Light Lime salad dressing

cilantro

Directions:

• Marinate & grill a steak, then cut it into strips, cover & set aside. You can throw the corn on the grill with the steak, inside the husk & cook it at the same time.
• De-seed the jalapenos and cut them into very thin strips (I always wear gloves when doing this & am very cautious with disposing of seeds). Dice up half of a red onion & saute it along with the jalapeno strips in a little bit of olive oil on medium-high heat until they are softened.
• Put salad mixture in the bowl (I used romaine, spinach & a little iceberg)
• Toss all ingredients (the steak, sliced tomatoes, avocados & sauted jalapeno/onions...you can slice the corn off the cob & toss it in too--we were lazy & just ate the corn on the cob) in with the salad and top with the dressing*.

*the menu said they used a cilantro lime dressing--I could not find this exact dressing in the store, but I did find Paul Newman's Light Lime Dressing, so I poured that in a bowl & added diced cilantro to it--it was soo yummy.

This salad had such a great combination of flavors and was really healthy; I'll definitely make it again!

Baked Oven Fries

Baked Oven Fries

Ingredients:

3 russet potatoes (about 24 oz. total), peeled and cut lengthwise into even sized wedges
5 tbsp. vegetable, canola or peanut oil, divided (olive oil would work too)
¾ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475˚ F. Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl. Cover with hot water; soak for 10-30 minutes. Put 4 tablespoons of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Tilt the sheet side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil (a pastry brush can also help with this). Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper. Set aside.

Drain the potatoes. Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels or on clean kitchen towels. Pat dry with additional towels. Wipe out the now empty bowl so it is dry. Return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Arrange the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheet (I cooked in one of Pampered Chef stone baking sheets and it worked great) in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. Using a metal spatula and tongs, flip each potato wedge keeping them in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5 -15 minutes. Rotate the pan as needed to ensure even browning.

When the fries are finished baking, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain some of the grease. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Crispy Baked Chicken Fingers

Easy recipe that I found online...everyone ate it! So a successful evening. I served it with the potatoes I posted as well since they can cook at the same time at the same temperature.

Crispy Baked Chicken Fingers

Ingredients:
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp. canola oil
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
3 large egg whites
1 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme or ¼ tsp. dried
Cooking spray
1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¾-inch wide strips (I used tenders)


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475˚ F. In a large skillet, toss the panko with the oil. Toast over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the toasted crumbs to a shallow dish or pie plate.

In a second shallow dish, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. In a bowl, whisk together the egg whites, water, mustard and thyme.

Spray a wire rack lightly with cooking spray and place over a rimmed baking sheet. Working in batches, dredge a few pieces of the chicken in the flour, then the egg whites, and finally the breadcrumbs to coat, shaking off the excess between each step. Lay the coated pieces on the prepared wire rack and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Spray the tops of the chicken pieces lightly with the cooking spray. Bake until the chicken is cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Serve warm.

Microwave Mandarin Chicken

Found this recipe on all recipes--I was surprised that they recommended cooking it in a microwave, but thought I'd give it a try. It turned out great! This was good and everyone ate it--definitely a keeper!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves

2 TBS brown sugar

2 TBS cornstarch

1/2 C teriyaki sauce

1/4 C apple juice

1 TBS vegetable oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges

Hot cooked rice (I used jasmine)

2 green onions, sliced (optional)

Directions:

1. Pound the chicken to 1/4" thickness & place in a greased 2 qt microwave safe dish.

2. In a bowl, combine brown sugar & cornstarch, stir in the teriyaki sauce, apple juice, oil & garlic

3. Drain the oranges, reserving the juice--set oranges aside. Add the juice to the teriyaki mixture. Pour over the chicken.

4. Cover and microwave on high for 8 minutes.

5. Baste the chicken with the sauce--cover and cook for 3-5 min longer or until the sauce is thickened.

6. Serve over rice, garnish with the oranges & onions.

(side notes for future: add a little s&p/garlic salt to chicken breasts before pouring teriyaki mixture over them)

**serve with steamed veggie, fresh broccoli or asparagus

Homemade Spanish rice

Also from Lisa...

Ingredients:

1 C rice (not minute)

1/4 C oil

8oz can tomato sauce (& 3 cans of water)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

1. mix the 3 seasonings together in a small bowl, set aside.
2. in a skillet, saute the rice in the oil until it is lightly browned

3. when the rice has browned, add your water & tomato sauce to the skillet

4. toss your seasonings in, stir & bring to a boil--reduce to a simmer, cover your skillet & cook for approximately 20 minutes

This goes great with those enchiladas! Soo much better than a boxed version!

Chicken, Black Bean & Bacon Enchiladas

These are sooo yummy! I have to thank Lisa F. for this recipe and the Spanish rice that goes great with it (I'll include on a separate post)!

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut in small cubes

3 slices bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled (this is actually step #2 below)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 C picante sauce, divided

1 (16oz) can of black beans, drained & rinsed

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 C sliced green onions

8-12 flour tortillas

1 1/2 C shredded monterey jack cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 & lightly grease a 9x13 pan

2. *cook crisp the 3 slices of bacon, remove bacon to paper towel to cool, then crumble it

3. stir fry chicken & garlic in the fat left over from cooking the bacon (until chicken is no longer pink / may also drain off some of the bacon fat if there is too much)

4. stir in 1/2 cup picante sauce, 1/4 C water, beans, red pepper, cumin & salt. Simmer over low heat for approx 10 min, stir in green onions & crumbled bacon.

5. Spoon 1/4 C mixture down center of each tortilla, top with the cheese, roll up & place seam side down in the baking dish. Spoon remaining picante sauce evenly over enchiladas.

6. Bake at 350 for 15 min--then top with the remaining cheese & bake for 5 more minutes.

7. Serve & top as desired (i.e. shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, black olives, sour cream)

*(side note for myself: the bacon boosts the flavor, but if wanting the bacon flavor to stand out more, may try increasing the amount of crumbled bacon from 3 slices to 5??)

The Birthday Cupcakes & Frosting

This is the best cupcake recipe I have ever found...it is easy because it is just a doctored up cake mix. You can freeze them and alter them using different flavors cake mixes too.

We call them The Birthday Cupcakes at my house because everyone in my family always request them to be made for their birthdays. Enjoy!

The Birthday Cupcakes
24 paper liners for cupcake pan
1 package plain butter recipe golden cake mix
1 package cream cheese, at room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
4 large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla

Place the cake mix, cream cheese, sugar, water, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend on low speed with a mixer for 30 seconds or until the ingredients are well blended. Stop machine and scrap sides.

Increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes more scraping down sides, if needed (VERY IMPORTANT STEP to make sure to do it at least this amount of time!). The batter should be smooth and thickened. Spoon/scoop 1/4 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it 2/3 of the way full.

Bake cupcakes until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed to your finger (I go by the box directions on baking time). Place on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes.

Birthday Cupcakes Buttercream Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
6-8 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter until smooth and creamy (2-3 minutes). With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla. Mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, add remaining 2 cups of sugar until you reach desired consistency.

Shrimp and Mushroom Casserole

Per Paula Deen recipe...
"This recipe can be served as a main dish with a green salad and French bread or as a side dish with steak."

8 T (1 stick) of butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups half & half
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (13 1/4 oz) can of sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and coarsely chopped
garlic powder to taste
buttered bread crumbs for topping (I used a sleeve of Ritz crackers tossed with a little butter)

Preheat oven to 350. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in flour, then slowly blend in half & half, stirring constantly. Sauce with be thick. Do not brown. Add mushroom soup, sliced mushrooms, and Parmesan. Fold in shrimp. Add garlic powder to taste. Pour mixture into buttered casserole dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Preschool Spinach Salad

I got this recipe from a girl at our preschool. Really easy and a little different that the normal spinach salad with strawberries (the apples in it are yummy!)

I made it using spinach, granny smith apples (sliced thin), feta cheese, and walnuts. Toss with the dressing recipe below!

2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T white wine vinegar
1/3 c sugar
1 T oil
1 t poppy seeds (optional)

Steaks with Peppercorn Sauce

I made this last night for Kevin's birthday dinner...it was yummy! And the easiest way to make a steak -- I don't think we will ever grill them again! I do think on the sauce I would use 1 T of mustard instead of the 2 T it calls for, but it was good fixed as is.

Thanks Pioneer Woman!

Ingredients
■2 whole Beef Fillets Or Other Good Steaks
■2 Tablespoons Butter
■Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper
■2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
■¼ cups Brandy
■2 Tablespoons (additional) Brandy
■½ cups Heavy Cream
■1 Tablespoon Good Peppercorns, Crushed
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Melt butter in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, brown steaks on both sides, about 45 seconds per side. Place skillet into the hot oven for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven and remove steaks to a separate plate.

Return pan to stovetop over low heat. Add Dijon and brandy, then whisk together. Add heavy cream and crushed peppercorns, whisking to combine. Allow to bubble for about 45 seconds, then remove from heat.

Spoon sauce over steaks and serve.

Incredibly Yummy & Easy Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup Picante Sauce
2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
1 can (about 15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 soup can water
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 corn tortillas (6-inch), cut into strips
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

Stir the picante sauce, soup, chicken, corn, beans, water and cumin in a 4-quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or until the chicken is cooked through.
Stir the tortillas, cheese and cilantro into the cooker. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Serve with additional cheese, if desired.
Time-Saving: Or you may cook this recipe on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 4 hours 15 minutes

Easy Skillet Pork Chops

This is the recipe I talked to some of you about last night at dinner. I got it from an older lady at my church from growing up (she catered and was a great cook!)It is very EASY and really good served over rice.

4 pork chops (about 1 lb)
2 T. oil
1 can cream of celery
1/3 cup water

Brown chops in oil. Pour off drippings. Stir in soup and water. Cover and simmer 45 minutes until tender. Stir every now & then.

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Tortilla Soup

Another soup recipe!

I made this today and it is GOOD...glad I made extra to freeze for later too. As for alterations: I think next time I will put a can of hominy or corn in it and I used 1 can of black beans and 1 can of pinto beans and I liked it like that (instead of 2 black beans the recipe calls for).

Enjoy!

Ingredients

■ 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
■ 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
■ 1-½ teaspoon Cumin
■ 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
■ ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
■ ½ teaspoons Salt
■ 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
■ 1 cup Diced Onion
■ ¼ cups Diced Green Bell Pepper
■ ¼ cups Red Bell Pepper
■ 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
■ 1 can Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
■ 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
■ 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
■ 4 cups Hot Water
■ 2 cans Black Beans, Drained
■ 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
■ 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches

■ Garnishes:
■ Sour Cream
■ Diced Avocado
■ Diced Red Onion
■ Salsa Or Pico De Gallo
■ Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
■ Cilantro

Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed—add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.

Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)

Potato and Ham Soup

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and tried it today....delicious!  My kids (who don't love potatoes) loved it too.  It reminded me alot of the creamy new potato soup at Cafe Express, but had more flavor.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes (I used new potatoes and left peel on)
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk (I used 2%)

Directions

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.  (I topped each bowl with grated cheese)

**It would be easy to add carrots or green beans for a little more nutrition.

**I will probably try it next time without the ham (although it was great this way!) and top it with crumbled bacon, green onions and cheese just to change it up.

Another Tortellini idea...

Sausage & Tortellini Soup

with Spinach

I ordered some mild italian sausage from our food company and needed a way to prepare it; I found this soup recipe & with the cold weather, thought I'd give it a try. Plus I'm on a new tortellini kick since I discovered the Buitoni whole wheat cheese tortellini (this stuff would be awesome with any kind of pasta sauce!) but it was especially good in this soup recipe.

The key to this recipe is in sauteing the onion and garlic in the rendered sausage fat to enhance the flavor of the broth--it rocks!

Ingredients:

1 TBS olive oil

1 lb italian sausage (sweet, mild, hot, whatever kind you prefer)

1 onion, chopped fine

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 C low sodium chicken broth

1 bay leaf (I omitted this)

1 9-ounce pkg cheese tortellini

3 C baby spinach (just eyeball it & add to your liking)

S&P to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in dutch oven over medium high heat--cook sausages, rolling occasionally, until browned all over (about 8 min). Transfer to paper towel-lined plate and pour off all but 1 TBS fat from the pot.

2. Cook onion in sausage fat until softened. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add broth and bay leaf, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to boil.

3. Cut browned sausages into 1/2 inch rounds and add to pot. Stir in tortellini and simmer over medium heat until tender, 6-8min (I cooked my tortellini separately, according to pkg directions & then added it). Stir in spinach until just wilted. Season with s&p. Serve.

Banana-Cinnamon Cake

I sometimes take my ripe bananas and make banana bread or muffins. This time I decided to try something new--this was really good and would be great for a brunch (also got this idea from bettycrocker.com)

Ingredients:

1 pkg yellow cake mix

1/2 C water

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 medium)

1/2 C butter, softened

2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 eggs

1/2 C chopped walnuts

Cinnamon Glaze:

1/2 C cream cheese frosting (I used store bought, but you could make your own)

2-3 tsp milk

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350--grease bundt pan

2. Beat cake mix, water, bananas, butter, cinnamon & eggs with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes. Stir in walnuts. Pour in pan.

3. Bake 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn pan upside down onto plate, remove pan & let cake cool completely (about 2 hours). Stir glaze ingredients (except for cinnamon) in small bowl until its thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle cover the cake and sprinkle cinnamon on top.

Caesar Tortellini Salad & a quick dessert idea

Got this salad idea from bettycrocker.com and the dessert idea was included; both were keepers!

Ingredients:

1 pkg (9 oz) refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini (found these in the deli section @ Walmart and got the whole wheat kind)

1 bag complete Caesar salad mix

1 medium tomato, chopped

1/4 C bacon bits

1/4 C fresh ground pepper

1. Cook & drain tortellini according to pkg directions; rinse with cold water, drain.

2. Toss tortellini, salad mix ingredients, tomato, bacon bits & pepper. Serve immediately.

Quick & Easy dessert idea:

Heat canned cherry pie filling (or apple, etc.) and top with granola & whipped cream!

Rolled Steak Florentine

I am making this tonight and it has been one of my favorites since I was a kid. It is pretty easy and has really nice presentation (and looks like it was hard to make) when served over rice. My boys love it too...and a great way for them to eat spinach!


1 1/2 lb flank steak (sometimes I use sirloin tip steak if I can't find flank)
garlic salt
pepper
12 oz cream cheese, softened
10 pkg chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
Worcestershire sauce (to taste)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can beef broth
2 T flour
kitchen string

Pound steak and sprinkle lightly with salt. Combine cream cheese, spinach, pepper, Worcestershire and onion. Spread over steak and roll up. Tie kitchen string around steak to make it stay together while cooking. Pour broth over steak. Bake 1 hour at 350, uncovered. Transfer meat to a platter and keep warm. Combine flour and 1 cup water and stir into broth. Cook until thickened. Serve meat sliced into 1/2" slices over rice (white or wild) and top with gravy.