Chicken with Artichoke Hearts, Sugar Snap Peas and Herbs

This is one of my favorite meals and is very low in fat and calories.

List of ingredients:
1 cup of Chicken Broth
1 tsp. of Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp. of salt
Pepper to taste
2 tsp flour (More flour will be used to cover chicken)
1 pound of thin sliced chicken breast (I use 3 chicken breasts and increase other ingredients if I add more chicken breasts)
1 Tbl. flour
1 Tbl. Olive Oil
8 oz. trimmed Sugar Snap Peas (cut in half)
1 (14 oz) can of quartered Artichoke Hearts
3 Tbl of fresh minced Tarragon, (chives or dill could be substituted)
2 tsp. Champagne, White Wine, or White Cooking Sherry

1. Sprinkle flour over chicken breasts.  Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Cook the chicken until golden.  Transfer the chicken to a plate, tent foil to keep warm.

2. While the chicken cooks, whisk broth, mustard, salt, and pepper and 2 teaspoons of flour in a small bowl until smooth.  Set aside.

3. Once you remove the chicken add broth mixture to the pan and increase temperature to bring to a low boil as you add the snap peas and artichoke hearts.  Simmer, stirring constantly until the peas are tender-crisp.

4. Return the chicken to the pan heating thoroughly.  Just before removing from heat add the white wine and herbs and serve.

Micah's Chicken Enchiladas

I made my chicken enchiladas for my friends and family a lot lately and they've asked that I give them the recipe so I thought I'd just post it so we can get to it any time. ;)

I usually buy a rotisserie chicken from the store and pick the meat off the bones shredding it. I usually have my son do this part. :)

Then I mix the shredded chicken with:
1 (15 oz.) can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom and Roasted Garlic Soup
1 (15 oz.) can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken and Mushroom Soup
1 (16 oz.) container of Sour Cream
1 (8 oz.) can of El Pato Tomato Sauce (Mexican Hot Style)
1 (8 oz.) can of diced green chilies
1 yellow onion
2 cups of shredded Sharp cheddar cheese
Sometimes I add the shredded mexican style cheese too, depending on my mood.

I soften yellow corn tortillas in hot oil briefly so that they don't get too tough.  Next, starting with the chicken mixture, I layer the chicken mixture and the cooked tortillas, (after I've soaked up excess oil with paper towels).

I bake at 375 degrees in a 13x9 dish until it's hot and bubbly, usually around 30-45 minutes.  I top it with a little of the remaining shredded cheese and sliced green onions and bake until the cheese is melted.

Meaty Spanish Rice

I have a friend who wanted this recipe so I thought I'd just post it here. :)

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 - 1 pound of turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped (I use green chilies instead)
2 cups water
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I like Cholula)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
Black Pepper to taste

In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add the ground turkey, onion and green pepper if using; cook until meat is brown and vegetables are tender. Add all of remaining ingredients, (including chilies if using canned), and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 30 minutes.

Pork Chops Stuffed With Gouda and Bacon

In honor of WHO changing the name of Swine Flue to it's technical scientific name, H1N1 influenza A, (in order to stop damaging the pork industry - full article here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/un_who_swine_flu), I thought I'd post a pork recipe.

One of my best friends, Darla had this recipe published so if you have questions about it, post them here as I have not made this recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pork-Chops-Stuffed-with-Smoked-Gouda-and-Bacon/Detail.aspx

Let us know what you think!

Chiliquilla

This is a really good and quick recipe to make. I found it here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chiliquilla/Detail.aspx.

I modify it to my taste though. I use a whole pound or so of lean ground beef. I also use 4-6 eggs, depending on the amount of meat, the size of the eggs, and my mood. :)

I also like to use the package mix of enchilada sauce instead of canned. I add more than 3/4 of a cup since I use more meat and eggs.

Just modify it to your preference. It's really good!

Family Classic Meatloaf

I am not a big fan of meatloaf but this recipe I found on Yahoo Food sounded different so I gave it a try: http://food.yahoo.com/recipes/kraft/90487/family-classic-meatloaf.

I altered the recipe a bit, however. I use one package of ground beef, (about a pound), and one package of ground turkey. I get very little grease this way and it's still very tender.

I also don't divide the ingredients, I mix them all together. I prefer brown gravy with my meatloaf anyway, (I usually make homemade mashed potatoes too), I don't like real tomatoey, (yes, that's a word because I just said so), tasting meatloaf or sauce.

Vegetable Lo Mein

This looks so good to me!

Ingredients:
8 ounces linguini, spaghetti or vermicelli noodles (cooked until al dente)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 cups fresh mushrooms (sliced)
1 carrot (peeled and sliced into thin strips)
1 red bell pepper (sliced)
1 onion (sliced)
2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
2 teaspoons ginger (minced)
1 green onion (chopped)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper (to taste)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a small bowl mix together chicken broth and cornstarch. Set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the red pepper flakes and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, carrots, onion, red pepper, garlic and ginger. Stir fry until tender. Add in green onion and stir fry for 1 minute.

Step 2: Add in the chicken broth/ cornstarch mixture along with the hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, and curry powder. Stirring until sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3: Mix sauce with cooked noodles tossing to coat and serve.
(Makes 4 servings

Breakfast Enchiladas With Cheese Sauce

I found this in Southern Living's December 2008 issue and it was a big hit!

Breakfast Enchiladas:

1 (1 lb.) package hot ground pork sausage
2 Tbsp butter
4 green onions
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
14 large eggs, beaten
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Cheese Sauce
8 (8-inch) soft taco-size flour tortillas
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers

Toppings: grape tomato halves, sliced green onions, chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, 6-8 minutes or until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink. Remove from skillet; drain well pressing between paper towels. Wipe skillet clean.

2. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add green onions and cilantro, and saute 1 minute. Add eggs, salt, and pepper, and cook, without stirring, 2 minutes or until eggs begin to set on bottom. Gently draw cooked edges away from sides of pan to form large pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4-5 minutes or until eggs are thickened but still moist. (Do not overstir.) Remove from heat, and gently fold in 1 1/2 cups Cheese Sauce and sausage.

3. Spoon about 3/4 egg mixture down center of each flour tortilla, roll up. Place, seam side down, in a lightly greased 13-x9-inch baking dish. Pour remaining Cheese Sauce over tortillas; sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly. Serve with desired toppings.

Cheese Sauce:

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 (8-oz.) block Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), (I use Sharp Cheddar for a more distinct cheese flavor.)
1 (4-oz.) can chopped green chilies, (I used hot green chilies for a stronger flavor.)
3/4 tsp. salt

1. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 7 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, and whisk in remaining ingredients until cheese is melted.

Tortellini-Vegetable Chowder

This is a really good and quick recipe. Great for our vegetarian friends. ;)

2 (14.5-oz.) cans chicken broth

1 (16-oz) package loose-packed frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots

1 (9-oz.) package refrigerated cheese (or meat) filled tortellini

2 cups milk

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon snipped fresh basil or
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1 cup shredded process smoked Gouda cheese

Ground black pepper (optional)


In a large saucepan, combine broth and frozen vegetables. Bring to boiling; add tortellini. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 4 minuted or until vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, whisk together 1 cup of milk and the flour, making sure there are no lumps. Add to saucepan; add remaining milk and dried basil, if using. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in cheese and fresh basil, if using, until cheese melts. If desired, season with pepper.

This is good when I forget to thaw meat for dinner. :)

Baked Beans and Ham

Prep: 15 min.
Soak: 8 hours*
Cook: 1 hour, 5 minutes; Bake: 1 hour

1 (20-oz) package dried 15 bean soup mix
4 (or more) cups of water
2-4 (8-oz) smoked ham hocks
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 cups chopped cooked ham
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup ketchup
1 cup B-B-Q sauce
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 can of chicken (or beef broth) This is an optional ingredient, I feel this recipe would be too dry without it.
1/4 cup bourbon (optional)

Place beans in a Dutch oven; add water 2 inches above beans, and soak 8 hours*. Drain.

Bring beans, 4 cups of water, and ham hocks to a boil in a Dutch oven; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until beans are tender. Drain. Remove beans; set beans aside. Remove ham hocks; let cool; chop meat, discarding skin and bones.

Saute onion and 2 cups ham in hot oil in Dutch oven 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add beans, reserved meat from ham hocks, ketchup, B-B-Q sauce, next 4 ingredients, and, if desired, bourbon to Dutch oven.

Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

I don't have a Dutch oven so I just use a large pot and transfer the ingredients to an oven-safe dish to bake.


SORTING AND SOAKING BEANS

To sort beans, pick out any foreign substances such as small stones and soil particles.

*For quick soaking, add 6-8 cups of water to 1 pound dried beans, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook 2 minutes; remove from heat, and soak 1 hour. Rinse and drain; cook according to recipe directions.

Hummus

I have not tried this recipe, but will soon. At our house, we love to have an assortment of Hummus as a dip. This is a great alternative to always eating cream (sour or whipped) based dips because they are high in calorie and don't sustain you all that much. So I am anxious to try it. And when you buy hummus at the market, it is expensive. Let me know if you try it too. ~Shelly

Ingredients:
1 can [15 to 16 ounces] garbanzo beans, drained and liquid reserved
1/2 cup sesame seed
1 clove garlic, cut in half
3 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp salt
chopped fresh parsleypita bread wedges, crackers or raw vegetables, if desired

Instructions— Place reserved bean liquid, the sesame seed and garlic in blender or food processor. Cover and blend on high speed until smooth.— Add beans, lemon juice and salt. Cover and blend on high speed, stopping blender occasionally to scrape sides if necessary, until uniform consistency.— Spoon into serving dish. Garnish with parsley. Serve with pita bread wedges.

My Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

I have a sick friend who wants me to post how I make my chicken noodle soup because she loves it and wants it today. I'm going to try to remember what I do because it's mostly to taste.

I boil a whole chicken, (just barely covering the chicken with water, chicken broth for a richer taste, or a mixture of both), until the meat just begins to separate from the bone. Then I take it out and skim the top.

As the chicken is boiling I chop potatoes, onions, garlic, celery, and carrots, I like to add a jalapeno or two depending on how hot it is, I either leave it whole or slice it in half so it can be picked out if it gets to hot.

I keep the water at a low boil while the chicken cools and boil the chopped vegetables. This is when I add spices like, bay leaves, basil, salt, sometimes cayenne pepper, poultry seasoning; anything you think will taste good! I also like fresh rosemary, thyme, different herbs are good and taste better fresh.

I buy the frozen egg noodles and follow the package directions and add them about the same time as the chicken, after I've picked the meat of the bone.

This is even better with left over turkey! All I can say is, smell the spices in your cupboard and decide what else to add and how much and keep tasting it until it's 'perfect'.

Anything you want to add, or how YOU make it, please post it here! I LOVE new ideas!! :)

Yummy Pork Roast

My family LOVED this! It is a must try. ~Shelly

Forgive me for not give exact amounts but it isn't necessary. Just take into consideration the size of the Pork roast. :)

Brown roast in a bit of oil after you dip roast in flour and salt mixture.

Mix in a bowl:

One small bottle of Russian Salad Dressing, add an equal amount of honey. Use your discretion for the size of the roast. Then add dry Lipton Onion Soup mix. Use one or two packets of this depending on the size of the pork roast.

Pour over roast. Wrap the roast tightly with foil. Baste roast about every 1/2 hour. Remove the foil cover the last 1/2 hour of cooking and be sure to use a thermometer so it is cooked to perfection.

Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken (Slow-Cooker Recipe)

This is one of my husband's favorite dishes.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg dry Italian Soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8-oz. cream cheese
Cooked rice

I mix the soup and soup mix together, then add the chicken breasts and cook on low for 8 hours.

I add the cream cheese within the last hour because if you add it too soon it separates.

I serve on brown rice because brown rice has a better flavor with this dish than white.

Creamy Red Potatoes (Slow-Cooker Recipe)

This is a yummy side dish!

2 lbs. small red potatoes, quartered, (I like them smaller so the flavor gets in them better.)
8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
10 3/4-oz. can of cream of potato soup
1 envelope dry Ranch salad dressing mix

1. Place potatoes in slow cooker.

2. Beat together cream cheese, soup, and salad dressing mix. Stir into potatoes.

3. Cover. Cook on low 8 hours, or until potatoes are tender. (I am at 5,500 feet and I have to cook these a minimum of 10 hours, another reason for cutting the potatoes smaller.)

Chocolate Kahlua Cake

I am not a big fan of chocolate, but this cake is the ultimate!

1 pkg. chocolate cake mix
1 pkg. chocolate instant pudding
6-oz. pkg. milk chocolate chips
4 eggs
3/4 cup of oil
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I omit this and it tastes great.)
2 cups sour cream
1/3 cup Kahlua

Combine cake mix, pudding, sour cream, eggs, oil, and Kahlua. Mix until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest center of the cake comes out clean.

I should add that there was no recipe for how to frost this so I just buy Cream Cheese Frosting because I'm lazy and I LOVE cream cheese frosting. :)

Slow-Cooker Roast and Gravy

I have 2 slow-cookers, a small one and a large one. I usually double the first 3 ingredients and use the big one, it turns out better that way, although I prefer it shredded with more gravy, but that's up to you.

1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup
1 (10 1/2-oz) can condensed beef broth
1 (1-oz) envelope dry onion-mushroom soup mix
1 (3 1/2-to 4-lb) eye of round roast, trimmed
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1. Stir together first 3 ingredients in a 5 1/2 quart slow cooker.

2. Sprinkle roast evenly with flour, salt, and pepper. Brown roast on all sides in hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Transfer roast to slow-cooker.

3. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours.

4. Remove roast from slow cooker, slice to serve. Skim fat from gravy in slow cooker, if desired. Whisk gravy; serve over roast.

Pineapple Wassail (Non-alcoholic)

Makes 2 Quarts

4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
1 (12 oz) can apricot nectar
2 cups apple cider
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon whole cloves
3 (6-inch) cinnamon sticks, broken

Garnishes: orange wedges, whole cinnamon sticks

Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Pour through a wire-mesh strainer, discarding spices. Serve hot. Garnish, if desired.

Spiced Mocha Melt (Non-alcoholic)

I've never made this, but it sounds good so I thought I'd post it.

Makes 4 cups

1 (4 oz.) sweet dark chocolate bar, chopped
3/4 to 1 cup milk
1 teaspoon instant espresso granules
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
4 cups coffee ice cream

Cook first 6 ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until chocolate melts. Cool.

Process ice cream and chocolate mixture in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately in chilled glasses.

Shrimp, Lemon, and Spinach Whole-Grain Pasta Salad

This is one of my favorite meals to make!

12 oz. whole-grain rotini, rotelle, or fusilli pasta
1 lb. (30 to 35 per lb.) peeled deveined shrimp, talis removed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
About 3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. red chile flakes
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
2 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves
1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzos), drained and rinsed
1 3/4 cups low-fat plain Greek-style yogurt (or whole-milk plain yogurt)
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

(I add Italian Seasoning to taste, usually the kind you grind. It adds a really nice flavor.)

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender to bite, 9-12 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, toss shrimp with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, onion, garlic, 3/4 tsp. salt, chile flakes and cumin; marinate at room temperature 10 minutes. Preheat a medium frying pan over medium heat, then add shrimp and marinade. Cook, stirring often, until shrimp are pink and firm, 3-4 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, toss together pasta, shrimp mixture, spinach, chickpeas, yogurt, mint, lemon juice, remaining oil, and lemon zest. Season to taste with salt. Serve warm or room temperature.