grandma's syrup

Dominican Rice

2010-04-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

Maybe the best thing about NYC is cheap, delicious Dominican food. A friend I work with taught me the secret to Dominican rice. The tricky thing is you have to buy two spices that are common here, but might be hard to find elsewhere: Adobo and Sazon.

Sorry this is a little imprecise - might take a couple of times to perfect it.

1 med. onion
1 T. tomato paste
1-2 tsp. Adobo
1 packet Sazon
2 C. rice

Sautee an onion in a medium-sized pot. Add tomato paste, Adobo and a packet of Sazon. Add some water and stir. Add rice and stir well. Cover with water, which should be about 1/2 inch above the rice line. Boil until water is nearly all boiled off, rice will still be very wet. Reduce to a simmer and cover with tin foil. (If you cover with a lid it will turn out more like Asian rice - with tin foil it ends up much drier.) Let simmer about 20 minutes and test. If it isn't totally cooked, you can add a little water and let it continue steaming. Taste and add more Adobo if it needs salt.

Serve with black beans, any fish or chicken, plantains. Delicious!

Tuna Cakes

2010-04-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

These taste remarkably like crab cakes. Easy and delicious!

3 cans tuna
1 lg. egg
1/2 C. cilantro
1/3 C. bread crumbs
2 T. lt. mayo
1 T. fresh lemon juice (can substitute mayo & lemon for lemonnaise if you're lucky enough to have some on hand)
1 jalapeno, seeds removed
1 T. olive oil (for frying)

In a large bowl, stir together tuna, egg, cilantro, bread crumbs, mayo, lemon, and jalapeno. Mix gently until ingredients just hold together. Using a packed 1/3 C. measure of tuna mixture per patty, shape into 8 cakes.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Cook cakes until golden brown and crisp on outside, about 2 min. per side. Serve hot with cocktail sauce or salsa. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Broccoli Chowder

2010-04-12T19:00:00.001-07:00

Found this when I was looking for healthy soup options. It's delicious!

2 med. potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups broccoli florets
1 med. onion, diced
2 C. chicken broth
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 C. fat free sour cream
1/2 C. fat free skim milk
1/4 C. parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper

Combine potato, broccoli, onion, broth and thyme in a pot. Bring to a boil, cover partially and cook until veggies are tender, about 15 min. Mash with potato masher.

Add rest of ingredients. Simmer until warm. Do not allow to boil. Serve hot.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2010-04-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

I've tried many a recipe of tortilla soup. This is the winner.

2 chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic
1 avacado
canned minced jalapeno (1 tsp. for medium, more for spicy)
6 C. chicken stock
2 15 oz. cans chopped tomatoes
2 cans black beans

Sautee garlic and onion. Add chicken and cook well. Add 5 C. broth to a large pot. Add tomatoes, beans and simmer. Add canned jalapenos to desired spice level (I use 1/4 of the smallest cans). Serve with fresh avacado, cheddar and tortilla strips or chips. Also good with sour cream.

Zesty Chicken and Potatoes

2010-02-16T14:49:00.000-08:00

1 package Zesty Italian Salad dressing
1/4 C Red Wine Vinegar
3 tablespons White wine Vinegar
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 tablespoons water or lemon juice or lime juice
1 tablespoon Rosemary
1 tablespoon garlic (I just used garlic salt since I didn't have any garlic)
4-5 squirts of Salad Spritzers Raspberry Bliss Dressing ( I LOVE THIS )
Mix all together well.

Marinate chicken for as long as you can in this mixture. I did mine about an hour or two.

2 peeled potatoes
Dice them up (however you like them) I like them bigger.
Place them in a casserole dish.
Add chicken.
Pour mixture on top of chicken and potatoes.

Serve with mixed green salad.

Preheat oven to 350.

Cook for 45 minutes.

I loved this because it was stuff I had on hand and it was different than my norms.

Turkey Tacos- Crock Pot

2010-02-08T16:06:00.000-08:00

I made these today and I actually really like them.

I made home made salsa for them. I didn't have garlic or Zuccini.
Let me know if you like them. (Oh and I put a little sour cream in. Like 1/4 Cup. I know, not the healthiest but I'm trying.)

Oh and I found WHole Grain Corn taco shells from Target.

Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 Large Onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Green Bell Pepper, diced

1 Red Bell Pepper. diced

1 Zucchini, diced

3 lbs lean ground Turkey or chicken, or beef

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1 Large Tomato, finely diced ( I used Rotel tomatoes with green chilis)

1 Cup Salsa, or your favorite brand

1/4 Cup Cilantro

1. Place oil into a large rimmed skillet over medium heat. Saute onions for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in garlic and saute for an additional minute. Next, add the Bell Pepper and Zucchini, stir occasionally. After 5 minutes, transfer mixture to crock pot. Return pan to heat. Add in chicken, salt and pepper. Cook until browned. Stir in Salsa then transfer to crock pot on low heat. Add diced tomato. Let cook on low for 1.5 hours or until ready to serve. Right before serving, stir in fresh chopped cilantro. (Makes 8 servings)

Serve with tortillas, beans, avacado, cheese… whatever you think’s yummy!

Texas Caviar

2009-08-31T13:29:00.001-07:00

Anther yummy one!

I served this with a Flank Steak served with hot tortillas. I put it on my steak in my tortilla. It was great.

Or as a dip for a BBQ with hamburgers and hot dogs.

Enjoy!

1 can white corn, drained
1 can black-eyed peas, drained
1/2 bunch green onion, chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
4 med. tomatoes, chopped
3 avocados, chopped
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian dressing mix-make as directed.

Mix together all ingredients and chill overnight.

Here’s a few hints for making this recipe:

I sometimes substitute the canned white corn (drained) for frozen white corn. I add 1 to 1- 1/2 cups of corn-depending on how much corn you like.

If you want this to be extra healthy then use light olive oil when making your Good Seasons Italian dressing

Happy Scooping!

Deb's Famous Tuscan Chicken Pasta

2009-07-18T22:27:00.000-07:00

Deb's Famous Tuscan Chicken Pasta
TUSCAN CHICKEN PASTA

Servings: 4-6 Servings
Cook Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
3-4 Chicken Breasts
6 ounce package of Fusilli or Rotini Pasta
3-4 Roma Tomatoes (chopped)
½ cup Sun Dried Tomatoes (julienned)
2 cups of small Broccoli Florets
¾-1 cup Extra Light Olive Oil
1½-2 Tablespoons Pasta Blend Seasoning (Trader Joe’s has a great one!)
1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
Parmesan Cheese (to taste)
Lemon Pepper

Fill large pot with water, set on stove, and turn heat to high. Bring water to a boil and pour in the 16 ounce package of pasta noodles. Cook for 8-11 minutes until noodles are cooked through and tender. Drain pasta and set aside.

Season chicken with lemon pepper and throw on grill (medium heat for approximately 6 minutes on each side). After you have taken the chicken off the grill, cut in to 1-1½ ” squares and set aside.

In the meantime, chop your roma tomatoes and broccoli florets (set aside). Then, in a small bowl whisk together olive oil, pasta blend seasoning and garlic salt.

Take out a large bowl and add the pasta, chicken, roma tomatoes, broccoli, and olive oil mixture. Now, toss the ingredients to together and season with parmesan cheese (to taste). Serve immediately.

This pasta goes great with a tossed salad and toasted garlic bread. ENJOY!

Banana Brownies

2009-07-08T07:40:00.000-07:00

3/4 cup butter (soft)
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 ripe bananas (mashed)
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp saltchocolate chips (I did about 1/4 of a bag or a little more)
Mix everything together, put in a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Let cool and enjoy (don't overbake -- they look a bit "undone" sometimes).

Stolen recipe but worth it!

2008-10-02T17:10:00.000-07:00

I have to give credit to
bunchofcooks.blogspot.com before I begin.
(If you guys haven't already stolen this recipe yet.)
I keep going back to this site to get this recipe to either make for myself or give to my family. It is so stinking yummy I can't stand it. The first time I made it, I did as it says and put it in the bag and shook all the ingredients together and I didn't love how it all clumped together. So the second time I just coated the chicken with the ranch/mayo mix and sprinkled the bread crum mix over it evenly on both sides and I liked it this way much better. I made it with creamy potatoes.
I bag of hash browns
1 cup light sour cream
1 can cream of chicken
one handful of cheese
mix together
cook on 350 for 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Enjoy

Spicy Oven Fried Chicken

If you don't want it spicy, you can substitute the chyenne pepper for paprika. Also, I used chicken breasts, but you can use bone-in chicken for a more authentic style.

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon chyenne pepper

1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup ranch dressing

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a medium bowl or gallon size resealable plastic bag, mix together the bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, pepper, thyme and chyenne pepper (or paprika).
Coat the chicken with mayonnaise/ranch mix. Place chicken pieces in bowl/bag with bread crumb mixture and coat/shake until well coated. Place chicken in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until juices run clear.

PF Changs Mongolian Beef

2008-08-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

We made this to celebrate the olympics and eat while we watched the opening ceremonies. It was incredible!

PF Changs Mongolian Beef

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 cup)
1 lb flank steak
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 large green onions (or more!)

1 Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over med/low heat. Don't get the oil too hot.
2 Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.
3 Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove it from the heat.
4 Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick bite-size slices. Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts.
5 Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef.
6 Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.
7 As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil).
8 Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking.
9 Add the beef to the oil and sauté for just two minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges. You don't need a thorough cooking here since the beef is going to go back on the heat later.
10 Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly.
11 After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour the oil out of the wok or skillet.
12 Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute.
13 Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add all the green onions.
14 Cook for one more minute, then remove the beef and onions with tongs or a slotted spoon to a serving plate. Leave the excess sauce behind in the pan.

Santa Rosa Chicken Salad

2008-04-09T23:45:00.001-07:00

Such a yummy salad and perfect for summertime!

Santa Rosa Chicken Salad

1 box long grain wild rice-cooked (Uncle Ben's-small box)
3 chicken breast halves-cooked and diced
4 green onions-diced
1 red bell pepper-diced
3 oz. Chinese pea pods-(fresh) remove ends and cut into thirds
2 medium avocados-diced
1 cup chopped pecans
Combine all ingredients, except avocados and pecans, and place in fridge overnight.

Dressing
2 cloves garlic-minced
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/3 c rice vinegar (Nakano seasoned rice vinegar)
1 T Dijon mustard
1/4 t sugar
1/3 c vegetable oil
Combine all dressing ingredients in blender. Cover and refrigerate. Mix with salad 2-4 hours before serving. Immediately before serving salad add avocados and pecans.

Cheese Ball

2007-12-18T15:39:00.000-08:00

I went to a party and got the recipe for this...it was so good and super easy!

1 8-oz. package cream cheese
1/2 Tbs. Lemon juice
1/2 Tbs. green onion chopped
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 Tbs. green bell pepper chopped
1/2 Tbs. Pimento
pecans finely chopped

Mix with hand mixer in a bowl. Dress with pecans.

Carmel brownies

2007-11-27T11:31:00.001-08:00

Does anyone have a recipe for carmel brownies? I am suppose to take some to a bridal shower. Let me know
sheltonjc@gmail.com

Popovers

2007-11-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

I went to The Popover Cafe in NYC and fell in love with popovers. I googled a recipe just to try it and surprisingly they turned out just like the restaurant ones.

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix eggs and milk and warm the mixture in the microwave (popovers will rise better if ingredients are warm). Add sifted flour and salt; continue beating until batter is smooth and thick. Bake in hot greased iron muffin cups or greased glass custard cups which are very hot. Do not grease with nonstick spray. Use real butter.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350° and bake 15 minutes longer. Serve right away. Make a small slit in each popover to allow steam to escape. Makes about 6 to 8 large popovers.

They're delicious plain but also really good with butter, honey or jam.

Three Layer Pumpkin Pie Squares

2007-11-05T12:12:00.000-08:00

This is my husband's favorite dessert this time of year. It's so yummy! The last family event I took it to, all my sisters-in-law wanted the recipe. That's always a good sign!

Crust:
1 yellow caked mix (reserve 1 cup for the topping)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg

Grease a 9x13 pan. Combine ingredients for crust and press in bottom of pan.

Filling:
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 eggs
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Beat eggs separately. Stir eggs and pumpkin into sugar mixture and combine will. Gradually add evaporated milk. Combine well. Pour over crust.

Topping:
1 cup cake mix
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. butter

Combine ingredients and cut in butter with a pastry blender or two forks until topping is crumbly. Sprinkle over filling.

Bake in a 350 Degree oven for 45-50 minutes until a knife in the center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Tomato Basil Soup

2007-10-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

I had a baking pumpkin to use and didn't want to make a pie so I found this soup recipe to try. It was delicious!

1 Small Pumpkin
1 can tomato puree
4 cups Chicken Broth
6-7 Carrots, peeled and sliced or diced
1 Medium Onion
2-3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 cup Mushrooms, sliced
2 Tablespoons Basil, chopped
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 pinch Ground Pepper
1/4 cup Cream (optional - I didn't use any but it would make it creamier)
1 Teaspoon sugar

In a large pot, put Chicken Stock, pumpkin and carrot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 1/2 hour.
Sautee onions and mushrooms until browned.
Puree all ingredients in a blender. Place pureed soup into the soup pot.
Add spices, sugar and cream at this time.
Simmer for 10 minutes.

It makes a lot - probably 15 servings.

Zucchini Bread

2007-10-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

If you send your husband to the store to get these ingredients, make sure he knows the difference between zucchini and cucumbers!

3 c all-purpose flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
2 1/2 t cinnamon
Sift all this in a bowl

3 eggs
1/2 c canola oil
1/2 c natural applesauce
1 c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
3 t vanilla extract
Beat in large bowl then add dry ingredients and mix

4 c grated zucchini
1 c chopped walnuts
Stir in

Pour batter into two greased and floured bread pans. Bake at 325 for 50-55 min. Cool on rack for 20 min. Remove from pan and cool completely before cutting.

granola

2007-10-07T19:44:00.001-07:00

6 cups quick oats
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
2 Tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
optional: raisins, coconut, sesame seeds and nuts (I've never used any of those)
In large bowl combine oats, brown sugar, wheat germ and nonfat dry milk (and coconut, sesame seeds and nuts if desired). Stir that all together. Combine honey, vegetable or canola oil, water and vanilla. Add to oat mixture. Stir to coat ingredients well. (The actual recipe says to do this next part diffferent but when we made it this is how we did it and it turns out well, and this is how the Mechams do it) Place that in one cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees. Leave it in there for 12 minutes and then take it out and sift it with a fork. Then put it back in the oven for about 12-15 minutes and it should turn out! This makes about 14 cups.

this is great because i use my food storage for a lot of it. enjoy!

The Green Burrito!

2007-10-02T15:50:00.001-07:00

I had to wait for a good one to post and here it is.

1 Rump roast (any roast for the crock pot will do)
1/2 can Macayo's Red Enchilada's sauce (I actually used the market pantry ones from Target but I like Macayo's much better)
1 can Macayo's Green Enchilada's sauce
About 1 tablespoons of chopped onions (any kind, if desired)
1 small can of green chili's (if desired)
About a 1/2 cup of water
Salt and pepper to taste

Put it all in the crock pot on low BEFORE YOU GO TO BED. I did it at around 9:30pm and I ate it at 1:00pm the next day. It comes out so tender and juicy and flavorful. (10-15 hours should do the trick) (my sister cooks this on MEDIUM for 15 hours, she likes the burnt glaze it creates on the top of the meat...you decide)

To make it healthy, you can drain all the liquid in a bowl, stick it in the fridge and let it cool for a couple hours. When it's cool, all the fat should come and harden at the top. Skim the fat off, reheat the juice, pour juice over meat. You should be able to shred the meat in the pot or you can take it out and use a fork to shred it with.
You can also make this an Enchilada soup and add more enchilada sauce. However you like it it is fantastic. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Caramelitas

2007-09-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

My mom makes these and they are so yummy.

3/4 c. butter (melted)
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. oatmeal
32 light candy caramels, melted with 5 T. cream
1 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped pecans (opt.)

combine sugar, flour, soda, salt and oatmeal in a bowl. Stir in melted butter. Pat 1/2 of the crumb mixture into 9x9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 min or until lightly browned. Remove from oven. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top, then nuts, then pour melted caramel over. Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mizture over the top, bake 10 more minutes until lightly browned. Let set up and cut into small pieces.

2007-09-22T05:05:00.001-07:00

Here is a conversion chart for that last recipe. Sorry we use the metric system over here...bleh!

Conversion Table for Cooking

U.S. to Metric
Capacity: 1/5 teaspoon = 1 ml; 1 teaspoon = 5 ml; 1 tablespoon = 15 ml
1 fluid oz. = 30 ml; 1/5 cup = 50 ml; 1 cup = 240 ml; 2 cups (1 pint) = 470 ml; 4 cups (1 quart) = .95 liter; 4 quarts (1 gal.) = 3.8 liters

Weight: 1 oz. = 28 grams; 1 pound = 454 grams

[Top]

Metric to U.S.
Capacity: 1 militers = 1/5 teaspoon; 5 ml = 1 teaspoon; 15 ml = 1 tablespoon; 30 ml = 1 fluid oz.; 100 ml = 3.4 fluid oz.; 240 ml = 1 cup; 1 liter = 34 fluid oz.; 1 liter = 4.2 cups; 1 liter = 2.1 pints; 1 liter = 1.06 quarts; 1 liter = .26 gallon

Weight: 1 gram = .035 ounce; 100 grams = 3.5 ounces; 500 grams = 1.10 pounds; 1 kilogram = 2.205 pounds; 1 kilogram = 35 oz.

Skinny lasagna

2007-09-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

There is this cooking show here called "Cook Yourself Thin" and they have the most delicious recipes for at least half the calories if not MORE! This one is one of my absolute FAVS! I didnt use the redwine I found that the juice in the tomato can was plenty and I also used turkey mince which is even lower in fat! Check out the website for more recipes!

http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/C/cook-yourself-thin/recipes.html

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 sticks of celery, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

400g lean beef mince (must be the best quality, or you could try and get a butcher to mince it for you)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

315ml red wine

400g tin plum tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato purée

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 zuccinis, thinly sliced lengthways

4 sheets of lasagne

For the cheese sauce

500ml semi-skimmed milk

A good grating of whole nutmeg

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons cornflour

1 teaspoon English mustard

80g mature cheddar cheese

Heat up a big saucepan and add the olive oil. Sweat the onion, celery, carrot and garlic for around five minutes over a medium heat.

Heat a frying pan up until very hot and cook the seasoned beef, without any oil, in batches. Then add the beef to the saucepan.

The point of cooking the beef in batches is to get a good colour on it because this adds more flavour.

When all the beef is in the saucepan, turn up the heat and add the wine.

Cook until the wine has all been absorbed and then add the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, bay leaf and oregano.

Season and simmer for 30 minutes or until rich and tasty.

Preheat a conventional oven to 180ºC, or a fan-assisted one to 160ºC.

Heat a griddle pan. Season the zuccinis and lightly chargrill or sear on each side, then leave on a plate until assembling time.

Now make the cheese sauce.

Heat the milk up gently with a good grating of nutmeg, some salt and pepper. Mix the cornflour with 50ml of the milk and whisk back into the milk, continuing to cook for two to three minutes until thickened.

Add the mustard and half the cheese. Check the seasoning and set aside.

Now for the fun part.

Take a baking dish and start layering up the ingredients. Start with a layer of meat, then meat, then zuccinis, then meat, then pasta and finally cheese sauce.

Top with the rest of the cheese and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until bubbling.

crumbly chicken

2007-09-10T10:14:00.001-07:00

So, I went looking for some recipes and I combined a no fuss recipe with a more complicated recipe and it turned out yummy.1. cut boneless chicken in half (so that you can fold it over into 2 identical halves, make sense?)2. dip chicken in butter3. dip chicken in crushed Ritz crackers (i added Parmesan cheese and garlic from the more complicated recipe)4. roll chicken like crescent roll and hold with tooth pick. (put more crumbs and butter on top if you want)5. Recipe says cook at 400 for first 10 min. and then 350 for 30 min. I just did 350 for 30 minutes because I only had 4 halves in the oven. That was plenty of time.

Coconut Banana Bread

2007-09-06T15:56:00.001-07:00

I found this on another blog and thought it looked yummy! I am going to try it this weekend...

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 large eggs (I used egg substitute)
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (I used 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract) optional
4 mashed ripe banana 3 tablespoons sour cream (I used light)
3/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts (Did not use) optional
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Preheat oven 350. Into a bowl sift together the flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter with the sugar, applesauce, beat in the vanilla, the eggs, the zest, the banana, and the sour cream. Add the flour mixture, beat the batter until it is just combined, and stir in the macadamia nuts and the coconut. Pour the batter into greased muffin tin, Bake 15-18 mins or bread pan, Bake 40-50 mins

No Fuss Meat Loaf

2007-08-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

I found an EASY recipe for yummy meat loaf. It's name is appropriately
No Fuss Meat Loaf
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
1 (6 oz) pkg instant stuffing mix
1.5 - 2 lbs ground beef
3 Tbls ketchup

Beat eggs and water. Add stuffing mix and mix well. Add beef and mix well. Press into ungreased loaf pan. Top with ketchup. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 60-75 minutes or until no pink and meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

Yummy Pork Tenderloin

2007-08-09T20:14:00.000-07:00

This is yummy and super easy!

2 lbs. pork tenderloin (I used Pork Chops)
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup dijon mustard
1/4 t. chili powder
1/4 t. salt

Mix all together and marinade pork for 4 hours. Grill for 15-25 min or to desired doneness.

Yield: 6

Lime Chicken

2007-08-04T21:53:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on another cooking blog and we loved it!!! It was really yummy and really easy!

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons honey
juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 ground ginger
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, add the chicken and cook about three minutes on one side, or until it is nicely browned. Turn chicken over and add garlic to the pan, lower heat to medium low. Combine honey, lime juice, soy sauce, salt, ginger, and cayenne and 2 tablespoons water in a bowl, stir, then scrape into the pan with chicken.
Simmer for five minutes (or until chicken is cooked through).

Remove chicken to plates and allow sauce to cook a little more to thicken slightly, stirring with a spoon to loosen bits of of chicken and brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Spoon sauce over chicken.

Serve with brown rice and a vegetable side

Chocolate Mint Frosty

2007-07-24T15:39:00.001-07:00

Ok, a few years ago I had a Starbucks gift card so when my sisters were in town, I took them to get these Chocolate Mint (no caffeine) smoothie things. Well, my sister found this recipe online and sent it to me. I must say, it tastes pretty much the same. Great to cool off in the hot summer heat. Enjoy!

Chocolate Mint Frosty

2 c. milk
ice cubes
1 c. frozen Cool Whip
1 sm. pkg. instant chocolate pudding
4 small York peppermint patties

Pour milk into large measuring cup. Add enough ice to measure 3 cups. Pour into blender. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and blend until smooth. Very tasty.

Grandma Udall's bread

2007-06-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

Homemade bread is really made for toasting and eating with fresh apricot jam, we all know it's true! So this recipe is actually for toast, not bread! Use your Bosch if you have one. This recipe makes 5 loaves and takes a good 2 1/2 - 3 hours of your life.

Basic Recipe:
1 1/2 quarts of very warm water (about 6 cups)
2/3 c sugar
2/3 c oil
2 T salt
2 T yeast

Better if you add these:
1 c powder milk
1 c potato flakes
2 eggs

After all of this is mixed, you add "several" cups of flour. (My grandma doesn't measure so she doesn't know exactly how much flour you put in. I think I put about 8 in at this point.) I did 1 whole wheat for every 3 white cups of flour. Let dough stand for 20 min for yeast to start working. Add "remaining" flour, a little at a time, until dough isn't sticky. (Again, I dont know how many cups of flour total. Just keep adding and mixing!) Knead 8 min in Bosch or by hand.

If using Bosch, remove dough hooks and let dough rise about 30 minutes. Punch down. Turn out onto greased surface. Grease 5 pans with solid shortening. Shape into pans. Let rise until about double in size. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Let cool before bagging.

Mmm Mmm Minestrone

2007-06-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

Dont be intimidated by all the ingredients! This is about 35 minutes prep and 50 to cook. Your best bet is to have everything cut up and ready to throw in... like you see on the cooking shows! I bolded the ingredients and "blued" everything that needs to be cut up.

In a large stock pot, over med-low heat, heat 3 T olive oil and saute 3 cloves garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add 1-2 chopped onions and saute 4-5 minutes. Add 5 sliced carrots and 2 cups chopped celery, saute for 1-2 minutes.

Add 2 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water, and 4 cups tomato sauce. Bring to boil, stirring frequently. If desired, add 1 cup red wine at this point. Reduce heat to low and add 1 cup canned/ drained kidney beans, 15 oz can green beans, 2 cups baby spinach leaves, 3 zucchini, quartered and sliced, 1 Tbls oregano, 2 Tbls basil, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 30-40 minutes... the longer the better.

Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to boil. Cook 1/2 cup seashell pasta until tender. Drain and set aside.

Once pasta is cooked and soup is heated through place 2 Tbls cooked pasta into individual serving bowls. Ladle soup on top of pasta and sprinkle fresh Parmesan cheese on top to serve.

Grilled Zucchini

2007-06-21T16:10:00.000-07:00

Since I am grilling almost every night, we have these alot! It tastes like Pizza to me! Okay, with out the bread and cheese, but also without the calories!

4 medium sized zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 mediun tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 teaspoons instant minced onions
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon dried, crushed oregano
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat gas grill on high for 10 minutes. Place zucchini slices on a 24 x 18 inch piece of double heavy foil. Top with tomatoes. Mix onions, salt, and oregano, and sprinkle over zucchini and tomatoes. Dot with butter. Seal foil securely.

Turn grill down to medium. Place packet on cooking grids. Close lid and cook for 20 minutes, turning once. Delicious!

Apricot Chicken

2007-06-19T21:53:00.003-07:00

Courtney here is that chicken recipe I was telling you about! It was so yummy!!! I hope everyone likes it!

This recipe is from The Essential Mormon Cookbook. We tried this last night and it was great! It was super easy to prepare and excellent served with steamed rice.

8 Chicken Breasts
1 8 oz. Bottle Russian Dressing
1 Package Dry Onion Soup Mix
1 cup Apricot Jam

Place chicken in a greased 9x13 pan. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Enjoy:)

Roasted Asparagus

2007-06-19T21:53:00.002-07:00

This one is also for you Court...

1 bunch asparagus
1-2 Tbs. olive oil
saltpepper

Optional toppings:1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese and/or1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar and/or1 Tbs. sesame seeds

Wash, dry, and trim asparagus (discarding woody ends). On a sheet pan, drizzle with enough olive oil to coat and season with salt and pepper. Spread into a single layer. Roast at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until just shy of crisp-tender. Then add any optional toppings (such as balsamic vinegar, sesame seeds, and/or feta cheese). Broil for an additional few minutes until asparagus is browned. Watch closely, though, because it can burn quickly.

This is also easy to do on a grill pan or barbecue. However, I'd stick to just olive oil, salt, and pepper, since any cheese or seeds would probably burn or fall through the grates.

Pink Lemonade Pie

2007-06-19T21:53:00.001-07:00

1 quart (4 cups) vanilla ice cream, softened
1/2-12 oz. can pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 4-oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 pre-made graham cracker crust
In a large mixing bowl, combine ice cream, lemonade, and whipped topping. Spread in the graham cracker crust. Freeze until firm (about 4 hours, depending on your freezer).

Optional garnish:Piped whipped creamLemon or lime peelFresh raspberriesFresh strawberries

I made this on Father's Day and it was a hit!!

We needed a re-vamp!

2007-06-11T21:58:00.001-07:00

I just thought we needed a fresh look since we have been a little stagnant lately.......

Also, thought I would share the recipe that gave our blog the name Grandma's Syrup!

Buttermilk Syrup

1 cube butter
¾ c. sugar
½ c. buttermilk
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla

Over medium heat, melt butter and sugar. Once melted, add buttermilk. When it begins to boil, remove from heat and add rest of the ingredients. Stir and enjoy! This is super yummy over pancakes, waffles, french toast, with crepes, with a spoon....you name it, I love it!

HELP!

2007-06-07T05:41:00.001-07:00

Okay so Im getting close to giving birth to this baby! Any good ideas for meals that I can freeze?! I really need to get on top of getting some meals ready for after the birth cause Im pretty sure that I wont want to cook! Any suggestions would be LOVELY! Thanks!

Chicken Salad

2007-05-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

I am not a huge fan of Chicken Salad, but this one is super yummy!

2 cans Chicken
2 chopped Apples
3 chopped Celery Stalks
8 oz. can Pineapple Tidbits
2 tsp. Lemon Juice
1/2 c. Chopped Pecans
3/4 c. chopped Green Onions

Dressing: 1 c. Mayonaisse
1/2 c. Sour Cream

Mix together and serve in Croissant Rolls.

Spinach, Chicken, and Pasta Salad

2007-05-11T10:26:00.001-07:00

This is by far my most favorite salad of all time. Ever. Period. It's the best!

16 oz. bowtie pasta, cooked and drained

Dressing:
1 c. vegetable oil
2/3 c. bottled Teriyaki sauce
2/3 c. white wine vinegar
6 Tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper

1 10 oz. bag of spinach
6 oz. bag of craisins
3 11 oz. cans mandarin oranges, drained
2 8 oz. cans sliced water chestnuts, drained
½ c. parsley, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
¼ c. sesame seeds, toasted
6 oz. honey roasted peanuts
2 c. cooked chicken, cut in small pieces

Blend dressing ingredients in a blender. Mix dressing and cooked pasta in medium bowl and marinate for 2 hours. Combine rest of ingredients in large salad bowl, add pasta and dressing and toss.

Just a side note....our ward started a "Recipe Club" and asked me to head it up. I thought a blog like this would be great but we have some not-so-computer-literate ladies in our ward who basically only know how to e-mail. So, they passed a sign up around, I send out an e-mail each month with a topic and everyone sends their recipes to me and then I cut and paste and send out a pretty word document to the ladies. They can then print them off themselves and store them in a three ring binder in sheet protectors (works great for recipe books). Anyway, I LOVED the idea so thought I'd share with you so you might start it in your own ward. This month is salads, hence the spinach recipe I submitted to Grandma's Syrup! Enjoy!

CASHEW CHICKEN

2007-04-21T04:25:00.000-07:00

6 chicken breasts
bunch of diced/sliced green onions
1 1/2-2 cans of cream of mushroom
1 C of sliced mushrooms (I just used the canned stuff)
1 1/2 C sliced celery
2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 C of chopped cashews

Lay chicken breasts in the crock pot and mix all the other ingredients together and put on top of chicken and cook on high for four hours or low for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice. SOOOOOO YUMMY SOOOOO EASY!

Cafe Rio Recipes

2007-04-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

Cafe Rio Recipes
(not for sure that these came from Cafe Rio, but we made them last night and they sure taste awesome!)

Pork
3-5 lb Pork Loin or Pork Roast
1 ½ cans Coke (I used Sprite)
1 c. sugar
7oz can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce –provides alot of heat (or plain adobo sauce for sweeter sauce)
1 tsp dry ground mustard (heaping)
1 tsp cumin (heaping)
1 tsp minced garlic

Place the contents of the can of chilies in a bowl and cover with soda to get as much of the adobo sauce off the chilies. Remove the chilies and throw them away, or if you want the meat to be hotter, leave one or two chilies in. I left two small chilies in and the meat was perfect for us, but we like stuff HOT!. Add all ingredients except pork in a blender. Rinse can of adobo sauce with soda to get all the sauce out. Blend in blender until well mixed. Place pork in crock pot and pour sauce over it. Cook for 4-6 on high or 7-9 hours on low. Carefully turn roast over halfway through. Cook in sauce until it pulls apart and then shred. Take pork out and shred. Then add sauce to your liking. I think I only added about half of the sauce because I didn't want it too runny. Serve over rice, on a salad, or in a tortilla!

Rice
1 c. rice
2 c. water
3 cubes chicken bouillon
½ tsp dried onion
1 tbsp oil
1 fresh lime
1/4 bunch cilantro
Cook rice with all ingredients (except lime and cilantro) in pot or rice cooker. Squeeze fresh lime juice over rice and mix in cilantro before serving.

Creamy Cilantro Dressing (for a salad version)
1 envelope buttermilk ranch dressing
1 c. mayo
1 c. milk
½ bunch cilantro
2 tomatillos
½ serrano peppers with seeds removed (adds heat)

Blend in blender, let sit to thicken. Dressing continues to get hotter when it is stored in the fridge.

Make a salad by starting with a tortilla (we like the kind you cook yourself, found at walmart and costco in the fridge section). Put shredded romaine on the tortilla and top with rice, beans, meat, chopped tomatoes, and dressing. Yum!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2007-04-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

I know most people have a CCC recipe that they love, but if not then you can adopt this one.

3/4 c shortning
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Mix these wet ingredients then add
2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
not quite a full bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chill. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 400 for 6-8 minutes. Remove while still white and doughy looking.

Cafe Rio's creamy tomatillo dressing

2007-04-04T05:09:00.000-07:00

I LOVE THIS DRESSING! Its so good on so many different salads!

1 large jalepeno
1 clove garlic
1 tomatillo
1 handful cilantro leaves
1 lime (juice and rind)
1 cup milk
1 cup mayonnaise
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix

Directions:
Blend all ingredients except mayonnaise in blender until all the green pieces are very tiny.Whisk the mayonnaise and chill.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

2007-04-04T05:06:00.000-07:00

2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced onion
10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.
In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

This is my aunts specialty! It is so yummy and fantastic for summer!

Baked Apples with Vanilla Sauce

2007-04-01T17:53:00.000-07:00

These were a yummy low point dessert (gotta love Weight Watchers!) Of course, they use Splenda, so if your anti, you can use sugar, (it's not that much anyway) and it's almost as low-cal!

4 apples, cored ( use Granny Smith for tart flavor, or Galas for sweet flavor)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup Splenda
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 oz fat-free, sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix, about 2 Tbsp
3/4 cup fat-free skim milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Core apples and peel a half inch horizontal strip around apples to help release juices during baking. Place in a 9x9 baking dish.

Combine cinnamon, ginger and splenda in a small bowl. Place 1 tablespoon of cinnamon mixture in cored-out center of each apple; sprinkle remaining cinnamon mixture over apples. Combine water and lemon juice in a cup. Pour liquid around apples.

Bake until apples are soft when pierced with a knife, about 15-20 minutes; remove fro oven and let cool.

Pour pudding mix into a medium bowl and whisk in milk to make a thin sauce. Place one apple on a plate and drizzle with sauce immediately. (the sauce will thicken if you let it sit, I found out the hard way!) Yields 1 apple adn about 1/4 cup sauce per serving.

Margie's Banana Bread

2007-03-28T03:55:00.000-07:00

3/4 C margarine or butter
1 1/2 C sugar
4-5 VERY ripe bananas
2 eggs
1/2 C buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 C flour

*Mix everything together except the flour and slowly add flour to mixture. Put in greased loaf tins or muffin tins and bake at 375F 45-55 mins for big loaf tins, 30-40 mins for small loafs, 30 mins for muffins

This is the absolute BEST banana bread recipe I have ever used, I always add about 1/2-3/4C of chopped walnuts as well...so yummy!!

Because I am generous...

2007-03-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

This is such a great website, you can pretty much look up anything related to cooking....substitutions, what things are, pronunciations, yaddee yaddah. Thought I would share!

www.foodsubs.com

The Best Pork Tacos

2007-03-14T10:26:00.000-07:00

Pork Loin
Sprite (or other carbonated bev)
505 Green Southwest Sauce (found near salsas)
Pace Green Taco Sauce (also near salsas)
Taco toppings (sour cream, lettuce, cheese, onions....)

Place pork in crock pot. Add about a can of sprite. Cook. (I usually do 6-8 hours but you can do more or less). Take pork out of crock pot and shred with fork. Add 505 and Taco Sauce to taste. Serve on tortillas with toppings.

(This is sooooooo yummy! The carbonation makes the meat so tender and the sauce is so tasty. Great on Carolina's (in downtown Phoenix) tortillas. My sisters LOVED this and so have some other friends I've shared it with!)

South Beach style Oatmeal Pancakes

2007-03-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

I have to preface this by telling you that Joseph's is the best sugar free syrup on the market. Good luck finding it though. I've gotten it at World Market a few times and even ordered it online.

In a blender, combine:
1/2 c old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 c cottage cheese
4 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Add this to your normal "just-add-water" pancake mix.

It just adds flavor and protein to your pancakes. We love them!

Taco Stew

2007-03-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

This is a pretty good weight watchers recipe. For those of you counting points... 1 cup of soup is 2 1/2 points.

1 can turkey chili
1/2 onion chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 can cream of chicken soup
1-2 cans favorite beans
1 cup salsa
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 pkg. taco seasoning

Put in pot and cook until heated through.

Lemon Vinegar and Viniagrette

2007-03-07T16:31:00.000-08:00

I know this is my first post, and a lame excuse for one at that, but I went to my stake's food storage cooking class and it was all about lemons! Who knew there were so many things. Here's a salad dressing that was SO yummy and EASY! I guess you gotta like lemons though.

Lemon Vinegar
Slice 1-2 lemons (depending on the size of your lemons and the bottle you are using) and let dry on a cookie sheet for 2 to 3 hours.
The lemons will get flexible.
Roll the lemons and put in a glass bottle.
Fill the bottle with white wine vinegar or white vinegar.
Cork and let set for at least two week.

You can pretty much use this vinegar like regular vinegar, only it will add a fresh lemony flavor.
And it looks pretty in the bottle!

Lemon Viniagrette
1/2 cup lemon viniagrette
6 T. sugar
1/2 t. dry mustard
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 T. poppy seeds
2 drops yellow food coloring (if desired)

Mix all ingredients in blender for about a minute. Chill and serve. Keeps about 1 week in the refridgerator. Makes 3/4 cup viniagrette.

Toffee topped rich chocolate cake

2007-03-07T07:36:00.000-08:00

1 box chocolate cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 jar (16 to 17 oz) caramel, butterscotch or fudge topping
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 bag (8 oz) toffee chips or bits

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Bake cake as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Poke top of warm cake every 1/2 inch with handle of wooden spoon. Drizzle milk evenly over top of cake; let stand until milk has been absorbed into cake. Drizzle with caramel topping. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled. Spread whipped topping over top of cake. Sprinkle with toffee chips. Store covered in refrigerator.

I tested this one out at home before trying it with guests and let me tell you....it is so beyond delicious. I've only had a couple of pieces and my husband ate the rest! IT IS YUMMY to the max!

Spicy Beef and Broccoli

2007-03-04T07:15:00.000-08:00

This is a weight watchers recipe and is SUPER yummy!

Makes 4 servings

2 tbs. white grape juice (substituted for Dry Sherry)
2 tbs. dark soy sauce
1 tbs. fresh ginger
5-6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 lb. beef tenderloin cut into strips
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tbs. vegetable oil
4 cups broccoli florets
3 scallions thinly sliced

Prepare marinade in a gallon size ziploc baggie. Combine sherry, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and red pepper; add the beef. Seal the bag, squeezing out the air, turn to coat the beef. Refrigerate, turning the bag occasionally, about an hour.

Drain the marinade into a measuring cup; add enough water to make 1/3 cup liquid. Add the cornstarch and stir until dissolved.

Heat in a large nonstick skillet or wok with a lid over high heat. Add the vegetable oil and beef; stir-fry until the beef loses its red color, a couple of minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate. Reduce the heat slightly and add the broccoli; stir-fry 3 min., then cover and steam 1 min. Return the beef to the skillet and add the marinade; increase the heat to high and stir-fry until the sauce thinckens, 2-3 min. Serve sprinkled with scallions.

Coconut Cake

2007-03-01T07:42:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS:
1 white (or yellow works fine) cake mix
1 can Coco Casa or other cream of coconut (I actually use coconut milk since I couldnt find anything else here!)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Whipped cream (I like to mix it with vanilla pudding but that's optional)
3 1/2 ounces coconut, about 1 1/3 cup
PREPARATION:
Make and bake cake according to package directions, in a greased and floured 9x13 pan. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven poke holes all over the cake. Combine Coco Casa or other cream of coconut and 1 can of sweetened condensed milk; pour over the cake. When cool spread whipped topping over top and sprinkle with coconut. Refrigerate; serve chilled. This is really rich and VERY moist.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

2007-02-26T15:29:00.000-08:00

Mix in casserole dish:
2 shredded chicken breasts (or canned chicken)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can milk
1 can diced green chilies
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Top with tortilla chips and stir until they are wet. Then top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 min or so. YUMMY.

Chicken and rice

2007-02-19T14:14:00.000-08:00

*6-7 chicken breasts (or drumsticks and thighs...much more moist)
*1 can of cream of chicken
*1 can of chicken broth
*1 cup of converted rice (uncooked)
*1 packet of dry vegetable soup mix

Butter a 9x13 pan (preferably glass dish) cover the bottom of the dish with rice, lay chicken breasts on top of rice. Mix cream of chicken, chicken broth, and vegetable soup mix all together and pour over rice and chicken. Cover dish with foil and cook at 350 for 1 hour. So yummy and so easy!

Mexican Burgers

2007-02-13T17:16:00.000-08:00

1 lb ground beef, pork or turkey
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp seasoning salt
1/4 tsp crushed red chilis

Combine and shape into 4 patties. Grill. Istead of ketchup and mustard, top these with sharp cheddar or pepper jack cheese, avacado slices and your favorite salsa.

2007-02-11T08:48:00.001-08:00

Scones
2 C. warm water
1 T yeast
1/2 C sugar
2 tsp salt
Put these ingredients in your mixer bowl slightly stir and let the yeast grow and bubble a little bit (about 3 minutes).

Flour (I use half wheat/half white)
Olive oil

How much flour you need will depend on the altitude you live. First start with two cups of flour turn on mixer (or do it by hand in a large bowl) and it will start to thicken. Add a little bit of oil (about 2 T at a time - do not exceed 1/2 C). Alternate oil and flour until the dough doesn't stick to your hands. Cover with a towel and let it sit for a few minutes (10 to 30 min) While the dough is resting, heat olive oil in a pan (cast iron works the best for even heat) between medium and high. Pull off pieces of dough (about golf ball size or a little bigger) and mold and flatten into thick tortilla like rounds and fry them. If they fry and darken too quickly, the oil is too hot and needs to be turned down. After they're done on both sides, let them cool on paper towels and then enjoy with honey and butter and powdered sugar...

Baked Ziti

2007-02-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

Today a guy at work brought in the best baked ziti I've ever tasted. He recently moved here from New York, and learned to cook from his Italian grandma. I talked him into sharing the recipe.

1 lb. ziti pasta

1 large can & 1 small can tomato puree
1 bell pepper
1 small onion
4-6 cloves chopped garlic
1 tomato
3 grilled dinner sausages
1 lb mozzarella
1 lb ricotta
¼ lb parmesan
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Basil
Salt

Pepper

Sauté the garlic in oil till just before it turns brown. Then throw in the onions and the peppers, turn down the heat a little, cover, and let soften a little. Once the veggies are softer, throw in the tomatoes, and add basil, salt, and pepper. Stir frequently and try to keep covered, turn the heat up if needed. After everything is mixed together well (probably about 15-20 mins), and you can see the juices from the veggies, pour in the tomato puree and stir. Cut up your grilled sausage and throw it in. Stir repeatedly to get everything mixed well. Your house should smell amazing at this point by the way. For the most part you are done creating the sauce and just need to monitor it. Make sure things aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pot, that kind of thing. I usually put it on low, cover it, and stir about every 5-10 minutes. You can leave it on there as long as you’d like. Another 20 mins, 2 hours, a day, its really up to you. My grandmother treats her sauce like whisky, the older the better, but really it should taste amazing in about 20 -30 minutes. Remember to taste your sauce as you cook. I like to keep some bread next to the pot for dipping. Its all about tasting as you go!

Once you throw in the sausage you can start with the pasta if you don’t anticipate cooking the sauce for a long time. Once the pasta and the sauce are cooked, throw the pasta in a large mixing bowl, then spoon in the ricotta cheese and mozzarella (shredded or cubed). Save a little mozz for the top. Throw in ¾ of the sauce, and mix until pink and blended. Line a baking tray with a thin layer of sauce and then spoon in your ziti mixture. Throw the remainder of the sauce on top and cover with mozz and the parmesan cheeses. If everything is still hot, you can put right in the oven at 375 for about ½ hour or until the middle is warm and the top is browning.

The beauty about this meal is if you want you can make it, refrigerate it, and cook later. If you do, cover it loosely with foil so the cheese doesn’t stick and cook for 45-60 mins at 375 or until the middle is hot and the top is browning (take the foil off about ½ way through).

I know it’s a little rough, but you should be able to wing the unclear parts. That’s the beauty of my family’s cooking…improvising!

Ensalada Espanola (Spanish Salad)

2007-02-06T11:28:00.000-08:00

*Generic salad mix (loads of iceberg lettuce, plenty of different greens, shredded carrots...a variety)
*Tomatoes
* 1/2 can of corn
*Can of tuna (drained)
*Diced avocado
*Mediterrean olives (optional)
*Olive oil
*Vinegar
*little bit of salt

Basically mix everthing together...the quantity of everything just depends on how many people youre trying to feed...this one is for about 4-5. It was my most favorite thing to eat on my mission and now I have it at least once a week!

Thai Chicken Wraps

2007-02-05T10:35:00.000-08:00

I got part of this recipe from Rachel Ray...I say part, because I made it the easy way...hers was from scratch.

3 chicken breasts- cooked and shredded
1/2 cucumber thinly sliced
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1 cup shredded carrots, available in pouches in the produce dept.
3 scallions sliced

Mix ingredients, warm tortillas (15 sec. each side) in a nonstick skillet. Pile chicken mixture and liberally drizzle with Asian Ginger dressing (I use Good Seasons).

Angel Chicken

2007-02-05T08:01:00.000-08:00

4-5 breasts of chicken
1 8oz. package of cream cheese
1/2 a package of Italian dry dressing
1 can of chicken broth

Mix cream cheese, Italian dressing and chicken broth all together, cover chicken breasts in crock pot. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. Serve over rice.

This is soooooo easy and very very yummy. I started it an hour before church and it was ready to go when we got home!

Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

2007-01-29T10:28:00.000-08:00

This is so delicious and easy. I could eat the entire pie myself.

Oreo or graham cracker pie crust
8 oz. fat free or reg. cream cheese
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup Cool Whip

Mix cream cheese, yogurt, peanut butter, pwd. sugar and vanilla until well blended and then gently fold in the Cool Whip (one half of a regular size tub). If you want to pretty it up, drizzle chocolate over the top. Cover and freeze 2-3 hours and then let sit for 10-15 min before eating.

If you're more ambitious than I, you can make your own crust by mixing graham crackers or Oreo crumbs with 2 tablespoons honey and a little butter. Then spread it out on a pie dish and bake 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.

Mom's Beef Stew

2007-01-25T13:19:00.000-08:00

*1-2 lbs of Beef chunks
*1 Onion
*Can of beef broth
*Can of water
*7-8 carrots (diagonal sliced)
*5-6 potatoes (quartered)
*4-5 celery (diced)
*half a head of cauliflower (broken up)
*2 zuccini (sliced)

Dip beef chunks in a mixture of flour, garlic salt and Lawry's seasoning (be generous in the seasonings). Brown beef and diced onion in bottom of the stew pot with olive oil. Then add beef broth, water, carrots, celery, cauliflower and zuccini. A little more beef broth and water may need to be added (you dont want the water level to pass your vegetables, although close to that) Slow cook for 2 hours and add the potatoes a half an hour before serving. The only vegetables that you can see when finished are the carrots and potatoes, the rest should have become the "stew" it is fairly thick when done and super yummy/healthy!

Mexican Chili Lasagna

2007-01-22T19:25:00.000-08:00

I am a little embarrassed to admit this but I got this recipe off the Rachel Ray show. I have tried it though and both my husband and I liked it, which doesn't always happen.

5 8-inch flour tortillas (I used whole weat)
1 10-ounce box frozen corn, defrosted
1 15-ounce can black beans; drained and rinsed
2 cups chili (I used turkey chili)
2-3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

preheat oven to 350 degrees

in medium bowl mix corn, black beans, and chili

heat a small skillet over medium-high heat, add a tortilla to the skillet and let it toast until it starts to slightly scorch then flip it and do the same on other side. repeat with all tortillas. place 2 toasted tortillas in bottom of 8x8 baking dish. top with 1/3 of chili mixture and 1/3 cheese. repeat 2 more times, using only one tortilla on top layer. transfer to oven for 20 minutes or until you see sides bubbling. garnish with chopped olives and cilantro.

4 servings

Chicken Pesto Pizza

2007-01-21T07:10:00.000-08:00

This is a quick dinner, especially if you cook a few chicken breasts in the George Foreman Grill. You'll have a yummy pizza in 15 minutes!

1-2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
1/2 cup pesto
6 oz artichoke hearts
1 cup mozzorella cheese
on a pre-cooked crust (we like Bobelli)

Bake at 400 for 8-10 min (to melt chesse)

Taco Soup

2007-01-17T07:57:00.000-08:00

I just got this from a girl at my work. It looks easy and is apparently delicious.

1 tsp garlic powder
1 t ground cumin
6 c chicken broth
16 oz. jar mild chunky salsa (or HOT salsa)
15 oz. can corn, drained
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
1 bag tortilla chips (or fritos)
cheddar cheese, shredded
sour cream
(for more oomph, add 2 c of chicken)

In a large pot, combine garlic, cumin, chicken broth, salsa, corn, beans and cilantro.
Cook until heated through. Serve with chips, cheese and sour cream.

Maple Salmon

2007-01-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

I made this dish last night with fresh green beans... it was yummy and super easy!

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound salmon

DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.
Place salmon in a shallow baking dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Place the baking dish in the preheated oven, and bake salmon 20 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork.

Philly Rolls

2007-01-10T14:30:00.000-08:00

I found a great website for any of you who like to make sushi. The following is their recipe for a Philly Roll, which is exactly how I make my Philly rolls.

2 8" lengths of 1/4" square cream cheese

3 ounces smoked salmon

2 8" lengths of 1/4" square cucumber

2 toasted Nori (sushi grade seaweed) sheets

1 cup Sushi rice

Cook rice according to directions. Dip hands in water to keep it from sticking to you.

Place one full sheet of sushi nori on your bamboo mat, shiny side down. Cover the nori sheet with your prepared sushi rice, leaving an inch and a half of nori bare lengthwise away from you. Place your toppings lengthwise at center of your rice. Fold your bamboo mat over, and with even pressure, tighten your roll by pressing and pulling on your mat. Finish your rolling by rolling your tightened roll over the last flap of nori. Repeat the tightening process if necessary. Slice your Philadelphia Roll into eight pieces. Serve with ginger, wasabi & soy sauce.

FYI

2007-01-08T07:12:00.000-08:00

Just so you all know, after we add a recipe, there is a box "labels for this post"; we want to add a subject or more so that if we are looking for a chicken dish, all we have to do is type in "Chicken" in the upper left hand corner of the blog and click on "search this blog". It makes it really easy for everyone!

Thanks! We have some great recipes! YUM.

Chicken Mango Lettuce Wraps with Ginger Soy Sauce

2007-01-07T18:57:00.000-08:00

My sister made these during Christmas break and they were incredible. I can imagine that it would be even better when mangoes are in season.

Instead of posting the whole recipe, I'll give you the link on epicurious.com

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/232487

Enjoy!

Cowboy Caviar

2007-01-06T14:42:00.000-08:00

This is a Kellis family recipe that gets rave revues. It's a dip for tortilla chips.

Chop the following:
1/2 bunch of cilantro
several green onions
1 1/2 red/ orange bell pepper

Mix with:
2 cans shoepegg corn
1 can pinto beans with jalapenos
1 can chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
8 oz zesty Italian dressing

Mmmmmmmmm.....

Spinach Artichoke Dip

2007-01-06T14:34:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law claims this is the best version she's EVER had! And it's muy easy.

Combine the following in a 9x13 casserole dish
14 oz artichoke hearts (drained and chopped)
10-12 oz thawed chopped spinach
2 cups light mayo
2 cups grated parmesean cheese
2 cloves crushed garlic (or 1 teaspoon granualted garlic)
Sprinkle with a pinch of paprika

Bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes. Serve with any bread, chips or crackers. We love it with tortilla chips.

Très Léchés

2007-01-05T12:02:00.000-08:00

This is the easy, cheater version. But it's delicious so no one will ever know.

1 box Duncan Hines golden butter recipe cake mix
2 cans (12 ounces each) evaporated milk
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
16-ounce carton light cream or half and half

Make cake batter as directed on box. (MUST be a butter recipe mix.) Pour into greased and floured 9x13-inch cake pan. (I prefer cupcakes as they soak the milk up easier, but either way works). Bake 35 minutes at 350 degrees and let cool completely.

In a bowl, mix the milks and cream. Pierce cake (or cupcakes) with a fork and pour the milk mixture evenly over it and let it absorb.

Refrigerate a minimum of one hour. Serve cold, topped with fresh fruit.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2007-01-05T09:42:00.000-08:00

I just made this a few nights ago. I found the recipe and tweaked it quite a bit and it turned out awesome....tastes just like you'd find in a cafe!

1/4 c. butter
1 onion, chopped
16 oz. package frozen broccoli
2 cans chicken broth
1 - 1 1/2 lbs process cheese, cubed (Velveeta) (more or less based on preference)
1 c. milk
1 Tbsp. garlic powder or 1 clove fresh garlic (I used fresh)
1/2 c. cornstarch
2/3 c. water
1 c. cheddar cheese

Melt butter in stock pot. Cook onion in butter. Stir in broccoli and then add the chicken broth. Simmer until broccoli is tender (10-15 minutes). Reduce heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Mix in milk and garlic. (You can add the garlic when you add the onion if you like more garlic flavor) Dissolve cornstarch in water in a separate bowl. Stir into soup. Cook, stirring frequently until the soup is thick. Add the cup of cheese and let it melt. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

2007-01-04T16:18:00.000-08:00

This is the yummiest squash soup ever! But it makes a lot, so I would have friends over next time I do it....

Butternut Squash Soup

6 cups (about 2 large squash) seeded 2inch wide chuncks
Melted butter for brushing
1 Tablespoon kosher salt, plus 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon ground pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon
3 cups chicken stock
4 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon minced ginger
4 oz heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat 400 F

Brush flesh of squash with a little butter and season with 1 Tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bake in oven flesh side up. Roast for about 30-35 minutes or until soft.

Scoop the flesh from skin into a pot and add the stock, honey, and ginger. Bring to simmer and puree using a stick blender. Stir in heavy cream and return to a low simmer. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg.

Indonesian Ginger Chicken

2007-01-04T16:09:00.000-08:00

I actually copied this recipe from another blog because it looked so good. It was really yummy! Instead of the quarted chicken I used chicken breasts and baked it for 40 min.

1 cup Honey
3\4 cup soy sauce
1\4 cup minced garlic (about 10 cloves)
1\2 cup peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 chicken quartered with backs removed

Cook the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger in a small saucepan over low heat until the honey is melted. Arrange the chicken in a shallow baking pan, skin side down, and pour on the sauce. Cover pan and marinate overnight in refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 1/2 hour. Uncover the pan , turn the chicken skin side up and raise temperature to 375. Continue baking for 30 minutes or until juices are clear.
The sauce becomes a rich dark brown.

Salsa Chicken

2007-01-03T17:55:00.000-08:00

A standby favorite of mine. For nights when I need something super easy. I'll think and post more elaborate ones later. I just couldn't be the only "contributor" who hasn't contributed.

1 can black beans
1 cup salsa
1 can corn
chicken breasts
Put all of this in the crock pot and cook! Shred the chicken right in the crockpot. Then put in tortillas with cheese, sour cream, etc.

Bran Muffins like Mimi's Cafe

2007-01-03T15:38:00.000-08:00

I can't wait to try these!

1 cup flour
1 cup bran
4 tsp dry milk powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
2 Tbsp molasses
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 cup water

Glaze:

3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp dark brown sugar, packed
3 Tbsp shortening
2 Tbsp corn syrup
2 tsp water

Distribute about 1 Tbsp glaze onto bottom and sides of 12 muffin tins with pastry brush. Combine flour, bran, milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir well and set aside.

Mix together brown sugar, dark corn syrup, molasses, oil and egg in separate bowl until well blended. Puree raisins and orange zest with water in blender or food processor. Add to liquid ingredients. Stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients until just moistened. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Immediately invert onto foil or wax paper to cool. Makes 12 muffins

Feta Topped Chicken

2007-01-03T14:47:00.000-08:00

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/4 tsp. Seasoned Pepper
1 Large Roma Tomato
1/4 c. Crumbled Feta Cheese

Set oven to Broil. Brush both sides of Chicken with Vinegar.
Sprinkle Italian Seasoning and Seasoned Pepper on both sides of Chicken.

Place on Broiler Pan. Broil tops 4" from heat for about 10 min. turning once until juice is clear when center of the thickest part of the chicken is cut.

Top with Tomato and Cheese. Broil 2-3 min. longer until Cheese is lightly browned.