Tiny Spicy Chicken

As per Kristin's request, I got Michelle's recipe for Tiny Spicy Chicken. This was always Devin's (and mine!) favorite meal when we go out for Chinese. Michelle found this recipe and it is super yummy. I can't wait to make it again.

DIRECTIONS:

3 lbs. uncooked chunked chicken

In ziploc bag sprinkle chicken with 2-3 T. garlic salt - mix around til all the chicken is coated with salt, let sit 1 hour, if possible.

2 eggs

1/2 box cornstarch (1 1/4 c.)

Put in bag, mix well with chicken.

Skillet fry chicken til sides are brown (I put a little olive oil in the skillet)

Pour sauce over the chicken and simmer at 350, turning once or twice during the 20 to 30 minute process.

Sauce:

1/4 c. cornstarch

1/3 c. brown sugar

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. chicken broth

3/4 c. vinegar

3/4 c. catsup

3 T. soy sauce

1-3 T. Sambal Oelek fresh chili paste (1 T. mild; 3 T. hot!)

Serve over rice.

Lemon Chicken

This is a super easy crock pot recipe that is really tasty. I serve ours with rice. I just cook it at the same time as the chicken in my crock pot that has two sections. It would also be good with some stir fry veggies.

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can (6 ounces) frozen lemonade, thawed

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/4 cup ketchup

DIRECTIONS:

Place chicken in greased 3-4.5 quart slow cooker. Stir lemonade concentrate, brown sugar, vinegar, and ketchup together. Mix well. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours or on low heat 6-8 hours. Makes 4 servings.

Sloppy Joes

This is another one of Michelle's recipes but I really love it. It's quick, easy, and not to mention tasty. Those are the best meals ever!

1 lb ground beef
1/2 Cup ketchup
1/2 Cup water
2 Tbsp vinegar
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dry mustard
1 med onion
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp flour

Barely mix together. Simmer slow about 30 minutes. Serve on buns. Usually makes enough for a generous 8 buns. Click here for another good sloppy joe recipe.

Veggie Calzones

These were actually very tasty! It makes eight large calzones. I used the Pioneer Woman's pizza crust recipe found under "favorites" but you could do bread dough or whatever. Also these are freezable. There are instructions on how to recook at the end. I didn't make any but they would probably be good dipped in marinara sauce!

1/2 lb fresh mushrooms chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 Tbls oil
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (I didn't seed mine and I used roma)
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 cup shredded Monteray Jack (I used cheddar)
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 loaves ( 1 lb each ) frozen bread dough thawed (I did one recipe of PW's pizza crust)
1 egg
1 Tbls water
garlic salt (optional)
Italian Seasoning

1. Saute onions, green pepper, mushrooms and oil until tender. Add tomatoes; cook and stir for 3 min. Stir in tomato paste; set aside. Combine cheeses and set aside.

2. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into eight pieces. Roll each piece into a 7 in circle ( I sprinkled garlic salt onto the dough before I put any filling on it ). Spoon a scant 1/2 c vegetable mixture and 1/4 c cheese mixture over one side of each circle. Brush edges of dough with water; fold dough over filing and press edges with a fork to seal. Place calzones 3 in apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 min.

3. Whisk egg and water; brush over calzones and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake @ 375* for 15 min. If freezing remove desired number of calzones from baking sheet and cool. Bake the remaining calzones 18-22 minutes longer or until golden brown (I made them ahead of time and cooked all eight for the first 15 min then I cooled four and put four in the fridge. I cooked the four from the fridge at 375* for 15 min). Serve immediately. Place the cooled calzones in freezer bags, will keep up to 3 months in freezer.

4. To use frozen calzones: Place 2 in apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake @ 350* for 30-35 min or until golden brown.

Heaty Zucchini Soup

Mom found this recipe in the newspaper and tried it. She told me that it was so good so I tried it. Let me tell you it is sooooo good. You really could add any kind of vegetables that you want.

1 clove garlic minced
3 Tbs olive oil
3 medium potatoes diced into 1/2 " cubes
1 onion chopped
2 stalks celery chopped (I used a can of corn drained instead)
2 Tbs fresh parsley chopped (1 1/2" Tbs about of dried parsley)
1 tsp oregano
6 c. beef stalk (6 c. water + 6 beef bullion cubes)
1 large tomato (I used 2 1/2 and they were yummy)
3 c. thinly sliced zucchini (do not peel)
2 tsp salt
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Lightly brown your garlic in olive oil. Add potatoes and cook for 5 min. Add onion, celery/corn, parsley and oregano cook until onions are tender. Add everything else but Parmesan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until zucchini is cooked and tender about 20 min. I started my soup way to early on accident. I let it simmer for about 30 minutes and then turned the heat off until we were ready to eat. It was perfect. I started about an hour to soon, oops :) Garnish with the Parmesan cheese and enjoy! I thought that it could taste yummy and be even heartier if you added some noodles to it like macaroni. I probably would add these when you are bringing it to a boil and then simmering it. Let me know if you try it that way.

Baked Ziti

This is per request of Melanie and Beverly:

Ingredients

• 2lb beef, 1 onion chopped: brown and drain
• 2 26 oz jars of fav. spaghetti sauce, mix with above and simmer for 30 min. I add a tbsp of sugar to cut the acidity
• 1 lb dry ziti-- cook by directions, toss with 3 tbsp olive oil so it doesn't stick
• 6 oz sliced provolone cheese
• 4 cups mozerella cheese
• 2 cups sour cream (I use light)
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan

Layers:

• a small amount of meat sauce to prevent sticking
• 1/2 of ziti
• all of provolone cheese
• all of sour cream
• 2 cups mozerella
• rest of ziti
• meat sauce
• top with rest of mozzarella and parmesan cheese
• bake at 350 for 30 minutes. If its been refrigerated, let it come to room temp on counter first (30-45 minutes). ITS DELICIOUS!!!!!!

This freezes well. If freezing, Just adjust the baking time to about an hour and let it thaw for a while.


I put this into two different casserole dishes. We eat one that night and freeze the other for the future.

Mexican Dinner

Okay so this meal has a lot of dishes but none of them are too hard. I made it for mom and dad the other night and it was a hit. They were my guinea pigs :) I will give you all the recipe's and then tell you which order I did them in. Don't be scared!

Re fried Beans
These really are a cinch to make. I don't have the exact measurements so it is a little bit of a tasting game but I will try my best.

Rinse 2 cups of pinto beans and pick out the bad looking ones. Soak them overnight in your crock pot bowl (mine is about a 4 quart crock pot). You will use 8 cups cold water for this. I normally start soaking mine around 8ish. You could do it sooner or later if you want but they need about eight hours to soak.

Between 8 and 10 in the morning boil 12 cups of water (I tend to lean more towards the 8:00). Drain your soaked beans and rinse them again (the more you rinse the less gas they will produce in your tummy :)). Put rinsed beans back into your crock pot and add boiling water till just about to the top of the pot. Turn on high and forget about it until 4:00 (you can adjust the times depending on when you want to eat). At 4:00 turn off the crock pot and drain and rinse the beans again. I put them back into the crock pot bowl to keep them warm. Now mash them up and add water until it is the consistency that you want.

For the spices I add: (these are all approximate guesses sorry)
1-2 tsp. garlic salt (they can be over salted so less is better at first)
2 tsp. cumin
1-2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. chili powder
a small bunch of cilantro chopped
2 tsp. oregano
1 small can green chilies
1 tsp. lime juice
You may need to add more spices than this. I found I added more of the cumin and chili powder and lime juice. Now the beans are done! Simple right?

Enchilada Sauce

2 Tbs. butter
1/4 c flour
4 c boiling water
2 tsp. chicken bouillon
1/4 c tomato sauce
1 garlic clove
1 tsp. onion salt
1 tsp. cumin
3 Tbs. chili powder

Melt butter in skillet (I use a ten inch skillet). Add flour, whisking constantly, and stir until mixture turns brown (this will take a few minutes be patient). Dissolve bouillon in water and bring to a boil. Gradually stir the water mixture into browned butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly until smooth. Cook until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in tomato sauce and spices. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

These are so yummy!

Boil water 2 cups to be safe

In a bowl mix
1 tsp. salt
2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 c shortening (cut this in until crumbly)
Now add your boiling water a little at a time until it is the consistency of a pie crust. Rest covered for 2 hours. Grab a tablespoon silverware and scoop out some dough. Roll into a ball (about the size of a golf ball) and flatten with your hand on a floured surface. Continue to roll it out with a rolling pin until desired thickness. The thinner the better. Cook on a griddle or pan for 30 seconds or so (until it starts to brown) flip and cook again. You are done!

Green Chili Rice

This is the Cafe Rio version I got from Mel a while back.

3 c minute rice
3 c water
3 Tbs chicken bouillon
1 Tbs butter
4 tsp minced garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 can green chilies
1/2 c chopped onion

In a saucepan, saute butter, garlic and onions. In a pan, bring water and chicken bouillon to boil and add rice. Boil until tender (about 5 min) and add the rest of the ingredients. You may need to add a little more water. Cover and simmer if necessary.

Okay that is everything beside chips and salsa.

To assemble. I make the re fried beans first. Then the tortillas. Before I roll them out I cook the enchilada sauce. When the sauce is simmering for 10 minutes I roll and cook the tortillas. Then I assemble it all into a 9x13 greased pan. Spread some sauce onto the bottom of the pan. Then start rolling your tortillas with the re fried beans. Squish as many as you can. The tortillas are delicate so be careful not to puncture a hole but it is okay if you do. I was able to squish 13 tortillas into my pan. Cover with more sauce. You will have extra sauce but be generous. Next I put equal amounts of cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese on top. Whatever floats your boat though. You can make this ahead and keep it in the fridge until ready to put into the oven. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Serve with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, chopped onion, and salsa. Have the rice as a side dish and corn if you want. You could put the rice in with the tortillas but I like it out. Break open the chips and enjoy! Sorry this is so long. I thought it was so yummy though.

Creamy Chicken with Bacon & Penne

We had this last night for dinner and it was really good. And it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. We ate it with a Ceasar salad and garlic bread. This was a great meal. Hope you guys enjoy it too!
INGREDIENTS:
4 slices bacon (we used turkey bacon)
4 small Boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
2 cups Penne pasta, uncooked (or any other kind of pasta you would like)
4 oz Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup Cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Green onions, chopped

WRAP 1 bacon slice around each chicken breast. Heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cover. Cook 5 to 7 min. on each side or until chicken is done (165ºF). Remove chicken from skillet; cover to keep warm. Discard drippings in skillet.

COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package. Meanwhile, cook cream cheese spread and broth in skillet until cream cheese is melted and sauce is thickened and well blended, stirring constantly with whisk. Stir in tomatoes and onions; cook 2 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

DRAIN pasta; return to pan. Add sauce; mix lightly. Serve topped with chicken.

***I started off by boiling my water. Then I wrapped the bacon around my chicken and got that cooking. Once my chicken was done, I drained my pan and started with the cream cheese and broth mixture. By the time that was done my noodles were all boiled. So I drained my noodles, dumped the cream cheese mixture in and served with the chicken. Super easy.

Grilled Spinach Alfredo Pizza

This was heaven.

This is so simple.

Make your favorite pizza dough recipe.

Roll the pizza dough out to desired size. I recommend you do personal size pizza. Make sure the pizza is well floured so it doesn't stick to the grill.

Spray the grill with PAM grill spray.

Grill one side of the pizza until crispy. Take it off the grill.

Flip it so the grilled side is up and raw side is down. Put your toppings on it.



You can do whatever toppings you like:

We like alfredo sauce.

I add minced garlic. If you use raw, be sure to cook it in a skillet first...unless you like raw garlic. The last time I made this, I cooked up some fresh garlic and it was very good. I also add basil or italian seasoning.

Topping ideas: grilled chicken and tomatoes a mozzerella cheese. Other ideas are mushrooms, red peppers, olives...

We also like traditional flavors with red pizza sauce (canadian bacon, pepperoni, plain cheese, etc.)

You really need to try grilling pizza. It was amazing.

Steak and Peas

This one I tried out of a Betty Crocker cookbook that I had. It has become a staple. Super easy to whip up and so yummy!
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound beef boneless sirloin steak (we just use one steak and it seems to be just fine)
i clove garlic
1-1.5 cups hot cooked rice
1 T vegetable oil
1/4 t salt
dash of pepper
2/3 cup beef broth
1 T cornstarch
2 T water
1 T soy sauce
1/4 t ground ginger
1 package frozen snow pea pods (I use the pea pods in the produce section, not frozen. Snow or sugar snap peas both work fine.)

Cut and discard most of the fat from the beef. Cut into chucnks. Peel and finely chop the garlic.

Heat the skillet over high heat 1-2 minutes. Add the oil to the skillet. Add the beef and garlic to the skillet. Stir-fry with a turner or large spoon about 3 minutes, lifting and stirring constantly until beef is brown. Sprinkle salt and pepper over beef, and stir in the broth. Heat to boiling over high heat.

Mix the cornstarch, water and soysauce and stir into the beef mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils. Continue boiling 1 minute, stirring constantly. The sauce will be thin.

Stir in the gingerroot and pea pods. Cook uncovered about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pea pods are crisp-tender when pierced with fork. Serve over rice.

**For more flavor, cook your rice in some of the extra beef broth.

Mexican Lasagna

I found this recipe on Emily's blog. It is so yummy! It has become one of our favorite dishes.

1 cup fresh cilantro
4 green onions roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
10 oz fresh baby spinach
nonstick cooking spray
8 6-inch corn tortillas
1 can 16 oz pinto beans drained and rinsed
1 cup salsa (I use this salsa but you could anything)
8 oz (2 cups) Pepper Jack cheese grated

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine cilantro, green onions, salt, pepper and as much of the spinach as you can into a food processor. Pulse, add remaining spinach and pulse until all combined.

Spray an eight inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Lay four tortillas on the bottom overlapping them. Layer half of the pinto beans, salsa, spinach mixture, and cheese. Next lay the remaining four tortillas followed by the remaining ingredients ending with the cheese.

Cover with foil. Cook for 25-30 minutes. Remove foil and cook another 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool 5-10 minutes before eating. It is really yummy with crushed tortillas chips on top too.