Won Ton Salad

I love this yummy salad!  It is so different and tasteful.  The dressing isn't super healthy, but has a really good sweet hot flavor.

Salad - 1-2 heads of Romaine lettuce

1 bunch green onions, sliced

3 chicken breasts, marinated, grilled or broiled, then sliced

Won Ton wraps cut and deep fried

Dressing -
1/4 cup Sugar

1/4 cup oil       
1/4 cup white vinegar

1 tsp. Accent (can be left out)

1/2 tsp. salt       
1 tsp. pepper

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

French Crepes

 Crepes are so easy and delicious!  Every Summer when I get to making jam we make crepes.  My favorite part is that Jason makes them!  Our favorite dessert type fillings are Jam, honey, cinnamon and sugar, blue agave and fruit.  For a more savory meal try my chicken and asparagus crepe filling!  It is super good!

Crepes - 2 cups milk                        6 eggs, well beaten

              1 1/2 cups flour, sifted        2 Tbsp. sugar

              1/2 tsp. salt

Beat milk into eggs.  Sift everything else into it. Beat till smooth.  Heat a 8 inch skillet or omelette pan.  Spray with cooking spray and pour just enough batter on to coat the pan.  Turn over to cook other side.  They cook really fast so watch carefully.

Chicken and Asparagus crepe filling -
3 chicken breasts          1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup water                   6 Tbsp. butter (margarine)
1/3 cup flour                 1 tsp. salt
1 cup half n half             1 pkg. frozen cut asparagus (8-10 oz) - cooked
1/4 cup sliced Almonds    can also use  1 1/2 cups fresh, cooked asparagus

Cook chicken in water with bouillon.  Remove and cool.  Add enough water to the remaining broth to make 1 1/2 cups.  Dice up the chicken.  Melt butter, stir in flour and salt.  Add broth and half n half.  Cook while stirring till it thickens and bubbles.   Take off heat.  Stir in chicken and asparagus and Almonds.

For serving a family dinner I fill the crepes and roll them and put them in a casserole dish.  I bake them about 10 minutes at 350 to make nice and hot.  I add extra sliced Almonds on top for Garnish. 

Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup

 We have a flash of cold weather moving through here so soup was on the menu.  I added some things and eliminated other parts.  I will print the original recipe with my notes to the side.  The original comes from Cooking Light Magazine August 2006.

1 Tbsp. Canola oil     (I used Olive Oil)

1 1/2 tsp. bottled minced garlic

3/4 lb. chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces

1 tsp. chipotle chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 cup water (I did 2 cups water)

1/4 tsp. salt

1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth, low sodium  (I used 2 cups regular Organic chicken broth)

1 (14.5 oz.) can stewed tomatoes, un-drained
1 can corn, drained (this is not part of the original recipe - I added this)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (this is not part of the original recipe - I added this)

1 cup crushed tortilla chips (I left these off and served cornbread instead.)

1/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro

1-2 limes cut into wedges

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan.  Add garlic and chicken, saute 2 minutes.  Add Chile powder and cumin, stir well.

2.  Add water, salt, broth, tomatoes, corn and black beans.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.  Top with tortilla chips and cilantro.  Serve with lime wedges.

Yields only 4 servings, so I doubled the recipe.  The garnish really added so much flavor, do not leave it off!
Nutritional information - (this does not account for the changes I made - taking off the tortilla chips and adding the corn and black beans.)  Calories - 228   Fat - 5.4g   Protein 22.9g   Carbs 21.8g   Fiber 3.5g

Weekly Menu for July 10-17

Sunday - I took a day off from cooking.  Jason made crepes - they were delicious.

Teriyaki Chicken

Monday - Teriyaki Chicken

Tuesday - Gone - Day Trippin' all day!  Dinner on the go aka drive thru

Wednesday - After making jam all day Jason took us out to dinner.  It is so nice to be served.

Thursday - Took a freezer meal out after being at day camp all day with Lily.
         Barbecued Pork Ribs

Friday - Chicken Carnita's - another freezer meal, quick cooking before going to see Harry Potter with the older kids.

Saturday - Date night for Jason and I - Tuna Fish Casserole for the kids.  I know that might sound bad, but we all love tuna casserole here!  It is the ultimate comfort food.

Pork Satay with Peanut Dipping sauce

I love this meal!  It is really delicious!  It is from the Weight Watchers 2007 annual recipes for success.  The recipe says to cook the pork strips on wooden skewers.  I find it much easier to just lay the pieces on the broiler pan without the skewers, although the kids find the skewers way fun.  The peanut sauce with this recipe is very yummy.  I always have served this with Basmati Curried Rice.

1- 1 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed       1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp. brown sugar                         1 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice                      2 tsp. minced garlic

18 (6-inch) wooden skewers, soaked for 30 minutes.

Cooking spray

Peanut dipping sauce *

Cut pork into strips and pieces.  Place pork in Ziploc bag.

Combine soy sauce and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl.  Whisk till blended.  Pour over tenderloin strips in bag.  ***Freezer meal - Lay flat in bag with marinade and freeze. 

Marinate at least 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.

Preheat broiler.  Spray broiler pan with cooking spray.  Either lay pieces of pork on broiler, or thread them on to the skewers.  Broil 3 minutes on each side.  Serve with Peanut Dipping Sauce.

*Peanut Dipping Sauce

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan; stir with a whisk until well blended.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick.  Cool slightly before serving with pork.

***Freezer Meal - I combine all the ingredients and cook for just a minute or two, then cool completely before freezing flat in a small Ziploc bag attached to the big bag of marinating pork.

2/3 cup chicken broth         1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tsp. minced, fresh ginger   4 tsp. fresh lime juice

2 tsp. soy sauce                  2 tsp. minced garlic

 

Italian Delight

My mom got this recipe from her mother. One time my mom made it for my dad, when they were newly married, and used pitted olives.  I think he my have broken a tooth!  I always slice my olives in this dish, so that for sure has never happened to me.

3 cups uncooked pasta            1 can tomato sauce

1 lb. hamburger                       1 can pitted olives, sliced

1 lg. onion                               8 oz. shredded cheese

1 green pepper                        1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. minced garlic                  1/2 tsp. paprika

1 can tomato soup                    4 shakes cayenne paper

1 lg. creamed corn

Cook pasta in boiling water according package directions.

Brown hamburger with chopped onion, green pepper and garlic.  Drain and rinse.  Add tomato soup, creamed corn, tomato sauce, olives and spices.  Simmer, add noodles, top with cheese.  Bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

***Freezer meal - Prep everything except the pasta.  (If you add the pasta, only cook it aldente before adding it to the rest for the freezer)    Thaw, add pasta if needed, then top with cheese to bake.

Baked Beans

This is a super special family recipe!  My grandma makes these beans, and my mother, and aunts and cousins.  It is SO good!  Any Summer cookout is not complete without them, especially on the Fourth of July!

1 lb. hamburger, browned, crumbled, rinsed and drained

1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 large onion, chopped

2 big cans or 4 small cans of Pork and Beans (60 oz.) Rinse and take out the cubes of fat.

1 large can of chopped tomatoes, un-drained (I sometimes use a can of whole tomatoes and cut them up)

1 cup brown sugar

Mix all ingredient in to a 9x13 pan and bake for 60-90 minutes, stirring a couple times.

350 degrees

Weekly Menu for July 3-9

Sunday - Glenn's ordination!  Big family dinner.
           Sesame Chili Chicken with Gingered Watermelon Salsa          
           Curried Basmati Rice
           Corn on the Cob
           Dessert - Mixed Berry Cobbler with homemade strawberry ice cream

Monday - Independence Day!!!!!  Barbecue Potluck at our friends house.
          My assignment - Baked Beans
          Carmel Corn for watching the fireworks

Tuesday - Super warm day - grilled some marinated chicken breast and made -
         Chinese Chicken Salad

Wednesday - Another warm day with more grilling
           J-Dawg's

Thursday - Cold day - time for soup!
           Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup
           Cornbread
           Green Salad

Friday - Homemade Pizza Night

Saturday - Date Night - Chicken fingers and Mashed Potatoes for the kids

Berry Cobbler

Berry Cobbler served with Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

This is one of our favorite family recipe's.  I got it from a recipe collection called Easy Everyday Cooking.  I have altered it slightly by adding cinnamon.

4 cups of berries (I use all kinds, sometimes several kinds in one dish)

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

1 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup milk

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine berries with 1/2 cup sugar; mix gently.  Set aside.

2. Combine flour, remaining 1 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl; mix well.  Add milk; beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.

3. Place butter in a medium baking dish.  (I use my Demarle deep dish round flexipan.)  Place dish in oven to melt butter, remove from oven.  Spoon batter evenly over melted batter.

4. Spoon berries over batter, do NOT stir.  Bake for 30-35 minutes. (If you are using a shallow, more widespread pan, then bake for 20-25 minutes.)  Or until golden brown.  Serve cobbler warm or at room temperature.  Delicious with ice cream.

*I have frozen this before as a freezer dessert.  I thawed it and baked it for about 10 minutes to warm it up.  It worked great!

Curried Basmati Rice

I love to use this rice as a side dish. It is super easy, adds extra veggies and extra flavor.  The recipe comes from the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook.  My two favorite things to serve this with are Pork Satay and chicken with watermelon salsa.  The peanut sauce and watermelon salsa are really good mixed in with the rice.  I double this recipe always - we like leftovers, and we have a big family.

Tip - Not all curry powders are created equal.  Experiment with various heat levels, from mild to superhot, to find your favorite.  I use the basic bland curry powder sold in my local supermarket.  I would prefer something stronger, but not sure how my kids would take it.

2 tsp. Olive Oil

2 onions, finely chopped

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped (I have used all colors of  bell peppers)

1 cup Basmati rice

1 1/2 tsp. curry powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups water

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil.  Add the onions and saute until softened.  Add the mushrooms and bell peppers.  Saute for about 2-3 minutes longer.

2. Stir in the rice, curry powder, salt and water; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered 15-20 minutes.

*Serving size - about 1 cup.   Calories 163   Fat 0g   Carb 37g   Fiber 3g   Protein 3g

Sesame-Chili Chicken with Gingered Watermelon Salsa

This is one of our favorite Summer recipes!  I make it all the time, all Summer long!  For convenience sake I have figured out how to prep it as a freezer meal as well.  The original recipe is found in Cooking Light Magazine June 2006. 

This is also very good with fish instead of chicken.  One year my brother in-law caught some rock fish and brought it to dinner.  We added it to the marinade and it was delicious, as well as the chicken.

***I usually double this recipe, and serve it with Curried Basmati Rice.

Chicken -

2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce (I just use regular soy sauce)

1-2 Tbsp. chili sauce with garlic

1 Tbsp. dark sesame oil

4 (6 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Salsa -

2 cups diced, seeded watermelon

1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper (I've used other colors as well)

2 Tbsp. thinly sliced green onions

1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro

2 tsp. mirin - sweet rice wine (since I never have or have used sweet rice wine, I just use rice vinegar as a substitute and that works great)

1 tsp. lime juice, fresh (I usually use bottled)

1 tsp. peeled, grated fresh ginger

1/8 tsp. salt

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1. Mix marinade ingredients and pour over chicken in bowl or Ziploc bag.  Let marinate for at least 1 hour, turning chicken occasionally.

2. Prepare Grill. 

3. Prepare Salsa by mixing all the salsa ingredients, cover and chill till service.

4. Grill chicken for about 6 minutes on each side or until done. 

Garnish with more cilantro and lime wedges if desired.

*Yield 4 servings, Serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 1/2 cup salsa.  Calories 247  Fat 4.6g  Protein 40.2g  Carb 8.7g   Fiber 0.7g

***Freezer Meal directions - Prep chicken and marinade in Ziploc bag and freeze flat.  Prep all of salsa without the watermelon.  Toss the salsa into boiling water for 2 minutes to blanch, grab out with mesh strainer and let cool.  Freeze in a small Ziploc bag laying flat.  When ready to prep thaw chicken - it will marinate as it thaws.  Thaw salsa and add watermelon, toss till mixed well. 

Creamy Pasta with Shrimp and Bacon

My family loves this dinner.  I love it because it is easy and complete in one dish.  The recipe comes from Cooking Light Magazine August 2006.  It calls for Fettuccine, but this last time I made it with whole wheat spaghetti because that's what I had on hand.

1 lb. uncooked fettuccine         

 2 bacon slices, uncooked  **I like 4 slices of bacon better ;)

1 lb. large shrimp                      

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed   **I only put about half that many peas.

1 cup shredded carrots   **I only put about half that many carrots.

2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk  **I use skim

2 Tbsp flour                             

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper                 

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided

1. Cook and drain pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

2. Cook bacon till lightly crisped.  Remove bacon from pan.  Keep 1 Tbsp of drippings in pan. Crumble       bacon, set aside.

3.  Add shrimp and garlic to pan; saute over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.  Add peas and carrots, cook 2 minutes or just until shrimp is done.  Transfer shrimp  mixture to a large bowl, keep warm.

4.  Combine milk, flour, salt and pepper, stirring with whisk.  Add milk mixture to pan, cook over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly with a whisk. 

5.  Remove pan from heat; add cheese, stirring until blended.

6.  Add milk mixture to shrimp mixture, stir until combined.  Add pasta and 1/2 of parsley, tossing gently to coat.  Transfer pasta to platter or pasta bowl(s).  Sprinkle with parsley and crumbled bacon.

***8 servings.  Serving size 1 1/4 cups.  Calories 382    

Fat 7.7     Protein 25g.     Carbs 52.9g     Fiber 3.6g

Weekly Menu for June 25 - July 3

Sunday - Dinner at my parents home.
          My assignment - Strawberry Dessert & Watermelon

Monday - I felt very sick, so I took the kids to the park, then picked up fast food on the way home.  After that I took myself to Urgent Care and got some antibiotics.  Some nights are just like that.

Tuesday - Chicken & Pepper Stir-fry on Rice Noodles

Wednesday - Glenn's 12th birthday aka "Annual Shrimp & Pasta day"
Buttermilk Pancakes for breakfast
Shrimp and Pasta with Bacon for dinner
Ice Cream Cake for dessert

Thursday - Worked in the shop all day with my Sunrise Sisters.  Rushed home to take a pre-made freezer meal out for dinner.  The missionaries came over.
          Italian Delight         
          Garlic Bread
          Green Salad

Friday - Buckaroo Days Rodeo in Molalla with Sunrise Sisters, brought Lily along to help work our booth.
          Jason and the boys grilled Hot Dogs.

Saturday - Hamburgers on the grill with some Watermelon.  Summer is here!!!!

Buttermilk Pancakes

This is my Mother in Law's recipe and it is the most requested in her home.  Almost every morning that I have woken up in her house she is making these for the grandkids.  I am not a huge pancake fan, but I gotta say, these beat all!  I always double this and put any leftovers in the fridge for the next morning. They are great with some chocolate chips or blueberries added in as well.

Mix and fry on a hot griddle -                                

2 cups buttermilk     2 eggs     1/4 cup melted butter    

 2 cups flour     1 tsp salt    

              1 1/4 tsp baking soda    

              3/4 tsp baking powder                                        

This is how happy these pancakes can make you.  Especially with the jam on top! 

Chicken & Pepper Stir-fry on Rice Noodles

This is a super easy dinner I came up with one night with what I just had on hand.  Now it is a favorite for busy nights.  Anything goes in this delicious one dish meal! 

Heat a large frying pan or wok.  Stir fry a pound of sliced chicken breast.  Season with salt & pepper.  When Chicken is close to done add in several thinly sliced bell peppers and onions.  I also really like zucchini and mushrooms. 

Cook a package of rice noodles in boiling water for 3-4 minutes.  Drain.

I use a bottled sauce.  I stir some in with the cooked noodles.  I stir fry the meat and veggies with more of the sauce.  You can make you own sauce with soy sauce and cornstarch.  Our favorite sauce is this Thai kitchen sweet red chili sauce.

I serve the stir-fry on top of the rice noodles in my large pasta service bowl.

Strawberry Dessert

This is a very yummy treat!  I got the recipe from my friend Sharon M.  I make it at least once a year when we pick our strawberries.  It has a crunchy shortbread crust, a creamy cheese layer and then the sweet strawberries on top.  My boys literally lick their plates when I serve this up.

Crust -

Mix together - 1 cup butter

                       2 cups flour

                       1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix and cut together as best as you can, then press into a 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, till lightly brown.  Cool.

Cheese layer -

Mix together - 1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

                       3/4 cup powdered sugar

                       1 1/2 cups cool whip

Spread over cooled crust.  Top with cherry pie filling or Strawberry pie filling.

Strawberry layer -

In a sauce pan heat - 1 cup water

                                 2 Tbsp. cornstarch

                                1/2 cup sugar

Stir till it thickens and clears slightly.  Make sure all sugar and cornstarch are dissolved, and liquid is cooled.  Add in 4 cups sliced or pureed strawberries with juices.  Heat and stir till thick.  Take off heat and let cool, and chill before pouring over the cheese layer.

Chill before serving and store in airtight container in refrigerator.