Cooking for Mr. Picky

2011-11-13T14:42:00.000-08:00

Honey Sauced Chicken with Brown Rice

(Crock Pot or Oven depending on how much time you have!)

1 1/2 lbs chicken breast cut up small

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 cup honey

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tbs vegetable oil

1 clove garlic minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Spray crock pot with Pam. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper, put in crock pot. In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken. Cook on low 4 hours or on high 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Serve over brown rice.

To bake chicken:

Follow steps above but place chicken "seasoned with salt and pepper" in a 9 x 13 pan spayed with Pam. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes - stir after 15 minutes. Serve over brown rice. (Note: both the chicken and rice take 45 minutes.)

Enjoy - even better the next day!

Lentil Soup (Crockpot)

2011-11-07T15:28:00.000-08:00

1 c dry lentils

1 1/2 c carrots, chopped

1 1/2 c celery, chopped

1 1/2 c onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp basil (dry)

1 tsp thyme (dry)

1 Tbs parsley (dry)

2 bay leaves

1 can diced tomatoes

3 1/2 c vegetable broth (2 cans)

1 1/2 c water

fresh ground pepper, to taste

Rinse lentils.

Place all ingredients in a 4-6 qt. slow cooker, with bay leaves on top. Cover and cook on low 12+ hours or high 5+ hours. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Serves 4-6.

Spaghetti Squash

2011-11-07T15:21:00.000-08:00

-Allrecipes.com

1 Spaghetti Squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 Tbs oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. tomatoes, chopped
3/4 c. crumbled feta cheese
3 Tbs black olives
2 Tbs basil, chopped (less if you're using dry)

Cook spaghetti squash in oven in tray/dish, cut side up at 350F for 30 min. Let cool a bit.
Saute onion and garlic in oil then add tomatoes til they get warm.
Grate spaghetti squash out with a fork into a medium bowl, add sauteed ingredients and feta, olives, and basil. Toss and serve warm.
Serves 6.

Vegetable Parmesan Quiche

2011-02-18T14:41:00.001-08:00

-Heart Healthy Cookbook

The beauty of quiche is that is doesn't really matter what veggies you put in. If your Mr. Picky doesn't like mushrooms, try bell pepper or spinach or ham. The green onions really add to this, so try not to substitute for that.... just don't let your Picky know it's in there....

I WILL recommend though, after trying this recipe, if using canned tomatoes, drain as much juice out as possible, and use a DEEP pie dish- mine was too shallow and it went spilling over the edges. Still good, but not very pretty.

Pie crust (scratch or store bought)

1 c. chopped mushrooms

3/4 c. chopped green onion

1/4 c. flour

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 all-purpose seasoning

6 ripe tomatoes, thickly sliced (I used a can of diced tomatoes)

2 oz. grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs

1 c. milk

Preheat oven to 400F. Bake piecrust alone in 9" dish for 5 minutes. Cool completely and lower oven temp to 350F. (NOTE** My mom's note in here says to skip this step entirely- I didn't, and my pie crust shrank a bit... I'll try her advice next time).

Saute mushrooms and green onions in a tiny bit of water until tender- set aside.

Mix flour, pepper, and seasoning in shallow bowl and "dredge" tomatoes in mixture (learned from this recipe that "dredge" means essentially "coat it"...) Arranged coated tomatoes as bottom layer in pie crust.

Add vegetable mixture- make sure to cover all the tomatoes up. Next layer with cheese, then mix eggs and milk and add as top layer.

Bake 40-45 min or until cooked through middle.

Serves 8 slices. Serve hot or cold.

Tomaattiperunakeitto (Tomato Potato Soup)

2011-02-18T14:29:00.000-08:00

-Finnish Cookbook

This is one my mom found when trying to think up a thematic dish for my brother's farewell party to Finland. So darn good, and very simple. I also gained my testimony of immersion blenders from this recipe, as transporting batches of scalding hot soup into my blender wasn't doing it for me anymore. Invest in one if you get the chance- they are heaven sent.

1.5 lb fresh tomatoes, peeled (I left skins on)

6 c. vegetable broth OR water

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (I left peels on)

4 medium onions, peeled and diced

3 tbs. butter

3 tbs. flour

salt pepper

1 c. heavy cream

chopped parsley (I feel it's optional)

In a LARGE pot (a deep stock pot works) combine tomatoes, broth/water, potatoes, and onions. Cook over medium heat til tender. Use immersion blender to blend it all together (or pulverize it in batches in a real blender...) until smooth. Melt butter in separate saucepan and add flour to make a white paste- add to blended veggies and mix again til smooth and dissolved. Cook til thickened, add salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, add cream and parsley. Serves 6.

Tater Tots

2011-02-05T20:32:00.000-08:00

This is a photo of what we had for dinner tonight:

Tater tots. (with the hubby's artistic dollop of ketchup.)

Why?

Because I get lame about dinner sometimes.

Definitely not worth a post, but Mr. Picky reminded me that in truth this IS something his other picky brothers WILL eat.

Cafe Rio Pork, Salad Dressing, and Pico

2011-01-21T14:12:00.000-08:00

If you are from Utah, you probably find yourself from time to time craving some Cafe Rio. For me it is their pork tacos or salads. When I came across this recipe I went into it a little skeptical, but it is so good that you don't notice whether its the real thing or not. You have to try this recipe!!!

Pork

Ingredients

3 - 4 lb pork roast
1 onion, chopped
1 small can green chilies
1/4 can coke or Dr. Pepper (3.0z I used Caffeine Free Dr. Pepper. DO NOT use diet)
1/2 jar salsa (I used plain old pace picante sauce)
1 c. brown sugar
1 jar Red Taco sauce

Directions

Put onion and pork into crock pot for 6 hours. Drain the liquid and the onions, clean the pot a bit, and shred up the pork. Put the pork back into the crock pot along with the other ingredients and cook for an additional 3 hours (I put mine on the 8 hour setting and let it cook 3.5 hours)

Sorry, all pictures are of leftovers; I forgot to take them day of

Cafe Rio Dressing (makes a lot. You could easily half this recipe and have more than enough dressing)

1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix
3 tomatillos (remove papery skin), rough chop
1 cup mayo
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup (or more) cilantro, rough chop
3 cloves garlic
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp green Tabasco sauce
juice from 1 lime

Dump everything in a blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate in air-tight container.

Pico De Gallo

3 tomatoes, diced
1/2 bunch of cilantro, minced
1/2 sweet onion, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
about 1/3-1/2 cup vinegar (use your best judgment)
salt and pepper

Mix it up really well and refrigerate. (I forgot the onion and it was still good. Next time I'll remember it and add a jalapeno).

Jordan doesn't like chunky tomatoes so I put it in the blender and it was excellent that way as well.

Lime Cilantro Rice

3 cups water
3 cups instant rice
juice from 1-2 limes
chopped cilantro

Boil water and lime juice. Add rice and cilantro, cover and remove from heat.

Additional Ingredients

Uncooked tortillas (This is a must!!!! You can find them at Costco or your regular grocery store in the refrigerated section.)
Lettuce
Sour Cream
Black Beans
Cheese
Avocado
Tortilla Chips

Cook your tortillas (usually 30 second s per side), put meat, salad dressing, pico, rice, sour cream, black beans, cheese, avocado, and lettuce on. Enjoy with a side of chips and salsa!

Apple Crisp

2010-12-22T10:57:00.000-08:00

-Cochrane family, Barrie, ONT

I love this recipe because it's so darn easy.

4 tart apples, sliced (with or without peels- good either way)

2/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. flower

1/2 c. rolled oats

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/3 c. melted butter (or 1/3 c. olive oil)

Grease square pan. Sliced apples on bottom, mix remaining ingredients, and sprinkle over apples. Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes. Serve with ice cream. Eat the leftovers for breakfast. Yum.

Sweet Potatoes & Apples

2010-12-22T10:39:00.000-08:00

-Aunt Jillyn

No matter where we bring this dish to, someone inevitably asks me for the recipe. This is a fantastic dish to bring to a potluck or holiday party.

1/2 c. butter (or 1/2 c. olive oil)

1 c. sugar (Tried 3/4 c. and it's still great. Might try 1/2 c. next time.)

3 tbs. corn starch

1 c. water

1 c. orange juice (ready to drink)

2 29 oz. cans yams, cut in chunks

4-5 tart apples, peeled and cut in chunks

Melt butter in pan, mix in corn starch and sugar. Add water and juice. Stire over heat until thickened (stir constantly). Place sliced apples and yams in 8x10 pan OR LARGER (I prefer to use a 9x13 pan so they don't spill out everywhere). Pour mixture on top. Bake 1 hour at 350 F.

Vegetable Soup

2010-12-22T10:30:00.001-08:00

- Cooking Light- Slow Cooker

Fantastic slow cooker recipe. The veggies can be varied too. (I'm not a huge fan of cauliflower, but I love onions, and corn. I'd actually love to try sweet potatoes in here next time. Throw in whatever you want as long as the mass amount adds up to what they call for.)

1 garlic clove, minced

2 c. vegetable broth

1 envelope onion soup mix

2 medium potatoes, chopped

3 c. water

14.5 ox can diced tomatoes

1 c. broccoli pieces

1 c. carrots, chopped

1 c. cauliflower, chopped

1 c. green beans (or 1 can)

1 c. frozen peas

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker, cook 4 hrs. on high OR 8 hrs. on low. 4-6 servings. (Add peas during last hour or so.)

Tangy Carolina BBQ Sauce

2010-12-19T08:15:00.000-08:00

We all know how Mr. Picky #2 loves his barbeque sauce, especially CAROLINA barbeque sauce which is vinegar based instead of tomato based. We tried this recipe today and he gave it ****1/2. It isn't spice but does have some kick!

Tangy Carolina BBQ Sauce

1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup spicy brown mustard
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbls butter
1/4 tsp chili powder
dash of Worcestershire sauce
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Saute the onions in the butter until clear. Place the remaining ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Allow sauce to cook at a rolling boil for 3-4 mins. Remove the sauce from the heat and add salt and pepper. Refigerate until ready to use.

African Sweet Potato Stew with Red Beans

2010-12-08T08:47:00.000-08:00

-Cooking Light: Slow Cooker

Wow, this soup rocks. I couldn't stop raving about it last night. The hubby gave it around 4 stars, but perked up and gave it a definite 5 stars when I told him it was vegan approved.

2 tsp olive oil

1 1/2 c chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

4 c sweet potato, cubed & peeled (I used 2 med/large)

1 1/2 c cooked small red beans (I used one can)

1 1/2 c vegetable broth

1 c chopped red bell pepper

1/2 c water

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 can diced tomatoes, drained (14.5 oz)

1 can chopped green chilies, drained (4.5 oz) (I left this OUT for sure)

3 tbs creamy peanut butter

3 tbs chopped peanuts

6 lime wedges

Saute onion and garlic in oil in a pan. Put onion & garlic in 5 quart slow cooker, add remaining ingredients except for peanut butter, peanuts, and limes. Cook on low for 8 hours or until vegetables are tender. Spoon 1 cup of cooking liquid out of slow cooker and whisk peanut butter into it. Put new mixture back into stew, stir, and ladle into bowls. Garnish with peanuts and lime wedges. Serves 4-6.

Crock Pot Pesto Lasagna

2010-11-13T14:21:00.000-08:00

-Cooking Light- Slow Cooker

Looking for a vegetarian lasagna? This one's awesome. Hubby gave it 4 stars. The pesto's great.

I just realized Kris posted a very similar recipe. Oops. Well, now you have two to choose from. :)

4 c. torn spinach, steamed

2 c. cremini mushrooms, sliced (though the type doesn't matter so much)

1/2 c. commerical pesto

3/4 c. mozzarella chhese, shredded

3/4 c. provolone, shredded

15 oz. carton ricotta cheese

1 egg, beaten

1/4 c. parmesan cheese (plus 1/2 c. for later)

26 oz. jar tomato pasta sauce

8 oz. can tomato sauce

8 oz. package precooked lasagna noodles

cooking spray/ shortening

Steam spinach, squeeze dry, chop coarse, and combine with mushrooms and pesto in medium bowl.

Combine cheeses & egg in another bowl (add 1/4 c. parmesan last)

Combine tomato sauces in another bowl.

Grease large 6 quart oval slow cooker. Line: 1 c. tomato sauce, 1 c. lasagna noodles, 1 c. cheese mix, 1 c. spinach mix. Continue til noodles gone, top with sauce and add remaining 1/2 c. parmesan.

Cover and cook on low 5 hours.

Yields 8 servings.

So not vegan, but very vegetarian. And very good.

p.s. let me just testify of the miracle that is precooked lasagna noodles. I'm a convert.

2010-10-02T20:22:00.000-07:00

Crockpot Mexican Minestrone

2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 14 1/2-ounce cans Mexican style stewed tomatoes
2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth
1 15 1/4-ounce can whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups diced red-skinned potatoes
1 1/2 cups frozen or canned green beans
1 cup salsa

cheese, sour cream and taco chips

In a 5 or 6 -quart slow cooker combine drained black beans, undrained tomotoes, broth,corn, garbanzo beans, potatoes, green beans and salsa. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 hours or high-heat setting for 4 1/2 hours to 5 hours. Serve with cheese, sour cream and taco chips.
Makes 12 servings.

2010-09-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Zucchini Cake - King Arthur Flour

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream, buttermilk or yogurt
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa
2 cups peeled/shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chocolate chips for icing

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, lightly grease 9 x 13 pan

In large mixing bowl, cream together butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Beat in eggs.

Stir in the sour cream (buttermilk or yogurt) with the flour. Then add the cocoa powder, mixing until smooth. Finally, fold in the zucchini and 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top springs back lightly when touched. Slide the cake out of the oven, sprinkle it evenly with the 1 cup chocolate chips and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and use a cake spatula or rubber spatula to spread the chocolate chips into a smooth glaze. Cool on a rack.

2010-09-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

Crockpot Pesto Spinach Lasagne
from "A Year of Slow Cooking"
Serves 8-10

1 (26 ounce) jar prepared pasta sauce
1 (10 ounce) box lasgna noodles
1 (11 ounce) container pesto
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 (12 ounce) bag baby spinach
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese - fresh
1/4 cup dry Parmesan cheese
16 ounces mozzarella cheese - sliced
1/4 cup water

Spray bottom and sides of Crockpot with Pam. Put about 1/4 cup pasta sauce in bottom of Crockpot and spread around. Add of layer of uncooked lasagna noodles (you are going to have to break them to layer them). Smear with ricotta cheese then add pesto. Add a handful or two of baby spinach and top with layer of Parmesean and sliced mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers starting with pasta sauce until you run out of ingredients. The spinach is fluffy so you will need to squish it down. Before putting the lid on the Crockpot, pour the 1/4 cup water into the pasta sauce jar and swirl around. Pour this water on top of everything. Sprinkle with dry Parmesan cheese. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for about 3 hours. You will know it is done when the top layer begins to brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly. It will also pull a bit away from the sides. Uncover and let sit for 15 minutes.

"Mama's Old Fashioned Bread"

2010-06-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

- Paula Deen's The Deen Family Cookbook

Many thanks to Kat for physically coming over and reassuring me that bread is not as scary to make as I first assumed.
I've made this a few times this week already, and I eat way more than my share of it- it's hard to maintain self-control when it tastes to dang good.
ADVISORY:
This bread takes a few days to reach fruition, but it's worth it.

LESSONS LEARNED:
1. The late morning is a good time to start this recipe, as you'll end up baking it in the afternoon 2 days later.
2. Kneading by hand (at least with this recipe) is not bad, but keeping your hands and surfaces sufficiently floured is key to it's success.
3. Make sure you have THREE bread pans on hand, or you'll be running to your neighbor's in a panic looking to borrow one.
4. Don't bake this when you're home alone, otherwise you'll have eaten a whole loaf by yourself before your Hubby can come home to stop you.

(You see this?! Yeah, I made it all by myself!)

STARTER:
One 1/4 oz package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt

In a small mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 2 1/2 cups water. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave the starter out at room temperature for 24 hours.
Transfer 1 cup of the starter to a separate large bowl, cover loosely, and leave it out at room temperature for 12 hours more. Refrigerate the rest of the starter, covered, and feed it every 3-5 days.
(To feed the started combine 1 cup water with 3/4 cup sugar and 3 tbs potato flakes and stir. The starter will keep for years if you feed it regularly and keep it refrigerated.)

BREAD:
1 cup starter
6 cups bread flour, plus more as needed
1/2 cup oil (they say corn oil, I used olive) plus more for brushing
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbs salt

Lightly grease a large bowl. In bowl with starter, add 1 1/2 cups water and stir. Then add remaining ingredients. Knead once or twice in the bowl, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until a stiff dough forms, adding more flour as needed by the 1/4 cupful. (I found if you get it to the consistency where you can pull your hand out of kneading it without globs of dough sticking to you, it's ready.) Place dough in the greased bowl, brush the top with oil, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Leave the dough out at room temperature for 6-8 hours, until it has tripled in size.

Lightly grease three 9x5 loaf pans. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into three equal pieces. Knead each piece once or twice, form into a loaf, and place in the prepared pan. Bursh tops of the loaves with oil and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Leave out at room temperature for 6-8 hours, until the dough has again tripled in size. he dough will be puffed over the tops of the pans.

Prehead oven to 350*. Bake the loaves for 25-30 minutes, until the tops are an even golden brown, with not light spots. Allow the loaves to cool in the pans for 20-30 minutes, then gently turn them out. Once the bread has cooled completely, cut into thick slices to serve.

Spinach Flatbread Pizza

2010-06-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

-Taste of Home Magazine

This one is very easy. The hubster gave it 4 stars- I gave it 5 out of simplicity and yummy goodness. I don't follow the measurements with precision on this one. Be your own boss when it comes to making imitation pizza. :)

- 1 small onion, sliced
- olive oil
- 4 pita flatbreads
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- Alfredo sauce (bottled or see below) OR hummus

Caramelize/saute onions in oil. Put pitas on baking sheet (line with foil to control mess level) and add ingredients like unto pizza. Bake at 425* for 6-8 min (or until cheese burns to your liking.)
Makes 4 small pizzas which can feed two ravenous people or four people with munchies.
Note: My pizzas tend to stick to the pan/foil. I tried sprinkling the underside of the pita with cornmeal this time, and it worked like a non-stick charm. Never understood why Pizza Hut did this, but now I finally get it. :)

** Alfredo sauce (if you want to make your own):
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used half & half)
1/8 cup butter
1/4-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tbs parsley (give or take)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder (or a little more if you like it)

Melt butter in pan, add cream, and then everything else. It tends to be a little soupy, so I thickened mine up at the end with some cornstarch, but you could use flour as well, or just leave it as is. This amount makes enough for 4 pizzas.

Black Bean Hummus

2010-05-31T18:09:00.000-07:00

If you can't tell, Mr. Picky is on a black bean crusade right now. Don't know where he got this recipe but he's experimented with many different versions and likes this one the best.

1 clove garlic (smaller one)
1 can black beans (drain & reserve liquid)
2 tbs lemon juice
1 1/2 tbs tahini
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or 1/2 tsp black pepper)
1/4 tsp paprika
olive oil

Put all in blender and blend. Accentuate with olive oil when serving.

Black Bean Soup

2010-05-31T17:46:00.000-07:00

- Food Network, Dave Liberman

Attention everyone... attention....
We have a 5 STAR recipe here.
My Mr. Picky ate this for dinner, and then breakfast and lunch the next day. A very good sign indeed. The only thing I'd do differently is experiment with how they added the bacon, or try it with no bacon at all. Still a little too fatty for our taste (the fat cooked but didn't dissolve, so rather chewy if you know what I mean...) but that didn't stop us from eating it. Smells awesome too.

10 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1 can chicken broth
1 1/2 c canned chopped tomatoes
2 tbs ketchup
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs chili powder
4 cans black beans (drained but not rinsed)
salt & pepper
1 bunch cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime (about 1 tbs)
thin sliced scallions (garnish)
sour cream (garnish)
grated cheddar (garnish)

Cook bacon in large pot (about 4 min) then add onions and cook til transparent (about 4 min?). Add garlic and cook til you can smell it (1 min).
Add broth, tomatoes, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, and chili powder. Stir.
Add beans and bring to a gentle boil for about 10 min.
Season with salt & pepper.
Cut stems off cilantro, wash and shake dry. Chop coarsely and add to mix. Cook til thick (5 min). Stir in lime juice. Serve with garnishes.

Serves 8-10

White Chili

2010-04-01T20:11:00.000-07:00

- Fix-it and Forget-it Cookbook, Esther Martin

3 15 oz. cans Great Northern bean, drained
8 oz. cooked and shredded chicken breasts (I used one 5 oz. can of chicken breast)
1 cup chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow, red, or green bell peppers (I used one red)
2 jalapeno chili peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (opt) (Skipped this entirely so I could enjoy it.)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
3 1/2 cups chicken broth (essentially two cans worth)
sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips

1. Combine all ingredients except sour cream, cheddar cheese, and chips in a slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours or High 4-5 hours. (I did the Low version).
3. Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream cheddar cheese, and chips.

The little white floaty things in it are cottage cheese bits. Hope I didn't gross any of you out, but we were drastically low on sour cream and I had to improvise. Still quite good.

SO good. 4 stars from the Hubby AND my Dad and brother (I would personally give it 4.5). It makes 8 servings but there was only one spoonful to scrape out of the bottom for leftovers... I take it that means they all enjoyed it.

Winter Squash and White Bean Stew

2010-03-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

A Crock Pot Recipe!!
-From the "Fix-it and Forget-it Cookbook"

1 cups chopped onions
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into 3/4" cubes (or smaller!)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
19 oz. can cannellini beans, drained
14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker
2. Cover Cook on High 1 hour. Reduce heat to Low and heat 2-3 hours (I say 3-4 hours. I don't like crunchy onions...)

This smells so dang good when it's done. I learned from this experience that I don't HATE cilantro, as long as it's cooked.
Quite good with cheese, and I'm sure it'd be rockin' with some sour cream.

Hubby and I both gave this 4 stars. Baby was quite fond of the cubes of squash.

Key Lime Trifle

2010-03-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

I will try to be specific, but please note that I just kind of threw a bunch of stuff together that I thought would taste good.

1 pan of brownies*
6 key limes, juiced
1/2 tsp lime zest
1/2 carton of sour cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 large carton of whipping cream
1/2 c sugar plus some for the whipping cream

press the brownies on the bottom of the trifle dish (it works the best if you do this right after they come out of the oven).
Whip the cream, adding sugar to taste.
In a separate bowl, combine 3/4 can of sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, lime zest, 1/3 carton of sour cream, and 1 C of whipping cream.
Layer brownie, lime mixture, and whipped cream. Repeat if needed.

*If making one giant trifle instead of individual trifles, two brownie pans will be needed.

Tyler gave this 5 stars, but that is because it has sugar.

Mango Salmon Salad

2010-03-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

Liz came over to eat and to see our apartment so I whipped this up for us to have. We both liked it a lot. I don't have a hubby rating because someones husband took "Finding Nemo" too seriously and believes that fish are friends, not food.

1 bag of spinach
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 mango diced
1lb salmon (I grilled mine with herbamare, but any fried or baked would work). Cut it up or shred it.
Brianne's ginger mandarin dressing.

Mix it all together and ENJOY!!!

P.S. I have found that the ginger mandarin dressing is a tremendous marinade for fish and poultry.

Liz Teerlinks Salad!

2010-03-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

This is the recipe for the spinach/strawberry salad we had on Ty's day of birth. SO EASY but SO GOOD!

1 bag of spinach leaves
1 carton of strawberries, sliced
1/2 bag of Heath toffee bits (in the baking section) NOT COVERED IN CHOCOLATE
Brianne's poppy seed dressing. I used about 1/2 a bottle, maybe less.

Mix it all together into one glorious salad.
5 stars on Ty's radar.

Sweet and Sour Meetballs

2010-02-23T21:10:00.000-08:00

This recipe isn't that healthy but it sure is good! Everyone in our house loves it (Hubby just informed me he would give it six out of five stars) and there are hardly ever leftovers! I don't know of anyone who made these except my mom and I was lucky enough to have her send it to me days before her passing so its definitely comfort food to me.

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cut rolled oats
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 cup onion finely chopped
3/4 tea salt
Few grains pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup milk

Combine all ingredients; mix well. Form into balls, each about 2 inches in diameter.
Place in casserole dish in a single layer.
Cover with sauce (below)

Sauce:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp prepared mustard
1/4 c barbecue sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Combine all ingredients and blend thoroughly.
Pour over meatballs

350 degrees
30 minutes

Serve over rice

2010-02-23T05:55:00.000-08:00

Boboli Pear Tart

Preheat Oven to 350

2 tbsp butter, softened
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 cup sliced almonds
12" Boboli Original Italian Pizza Crust
3 cups pears, pared, 1/4 inch slices
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Combine butter and flour, mixing well. Spread over pizza crust leaving a 1" border.
Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over crust, spread sliced almonds over crust
Mix pears with sugar and lemon juice; arrange pear mixture over almonds
Bake 18-20 minutes on a baking sheet in lower 1/3 of oven. Cool slightly and serve
Makes 4-6 servings. (For 8" pizza crust, use 1/2 ingredients)

Thanks Sarah for showing me how to post!

Pepper Steak

2010-02-09T21:51:00.000-08:00

This is an Asian flavored dish that the Hubster rated this 3.5 stars out of 5. I gave it a solid 4.

Pepper Steak*

1 lb sirloin or round steak
Nonfat nonstick cooking spray
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup cooking wine (any kind)**
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) beef broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Slice steak into thin strips, across grain. Spray large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Saute green and red pepper and onion slices, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside. Quickly brown steak strips in hot skillet, stirring and turning as they cook. Lower heat and add soy sauce, cooking wine, and garlic to skillet. Simmer 10 minutes, then add beef broth and return vegetables to skillet. Simmer 5 minutes. Mix cornstarch and water together, then add to skillet, stirring to thicken. Serve over rice.

Recipe makes 6 servings

168 Calories
19.6 g Protein
9.3 g Carbohydrate
3.2 g Fat
1.12 g Saturated fat
44 mg Cholesterol

Diabetic exchanges: Lean protein, 2; vegetable, 2

I served this with steamed carrots, and since I'm not sure if the rice is included in the calories so I'll say the entire dinner was about 300 calories.

*Recipe from Real Food for people with Diabetes by Doris Cross with Alice Williams

**This can be bought at the local liquor store. The unused portion does need to be refrigerated as it will turn to vinegar and go moldy within a few days.

Banana Bread

2010-02-04T17:36:00.000-08:00

- Susan Adair

One of the more reliable banana bread recipes I've found when you've got 3 overly ripe bananas you don't want to toss. I'd love to experiment with other recipes you've found tried and true, though...

Mix:
3 large ripe bananas
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 beaten eggs

Sift:
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all then add 1/2 cup melted shortening (and nuts... if your Picky likes nuts in his bread). Bake at 325F for 1 hour. Makes 1 loaf (or 6 small loaves).

The recipe doesn't specify a greased/ungreased pan. I go ungreased and it seems to turn out okay.

This is what it looks like when Mr. Picky (who DOESN'T LIKE end pieces) gets to it before I do. He also likes to see how much of the top bits he can scalp off before I come over and slap his little hand, as you can plainly see...

Hubby Score: ****

Spinach Fettuccine in Cheese Sauce

2010-02-02T22:58:00.000-08:00

I made this dish about a week ago and Mr. Picky II and I both only rate it 2 out of 5 stars. It wasn't terrible, but not something I'm going to add to the normal rotation. I'll probably pull it out again when we are dying for something different to eat.

Spinach Fettuccine in Cheese Sauce

1 1/4 c part-skim ricotta cheese
1 c fat-free milk
1 1/2 c shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 c grated nonfat Parmesan cheese
2 T margarine
4 garlic cloves, crushed
Two 10-ounce boxes frozen chipped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups hot cooked spinach fettuccine

1. In a food processor or blender, combine the ricotta, milk, mozzarella and Parmesan; puree.

2. In a large nonstick skillet over low heat, melt the margarine. Saute the garlic until deep brown, 4-5 minutes; keep the heat low so it doesn't burn.

3. Add the cheese mixture and spinach to the garlic; cook stirring, until heated through. Ad the fettuccine; toss gently to coat.

Per serving: 335 Calories, 13 g Total fat, 6 g Saturated Fat, 57 mg Cholesterol, 462 mg Sodium, 30 g Total Carbohydrate, 2 g Dietary Fiber, 26 g Protein, 627 mg Calcium.

Recipe from the Weight Watchers Cookbook and worth 7 points per serving.

I served this with salad, french bread, and milk bringing the calorie total right around 600.

Cajun Potatoes

2010-01-22T15:01:00.001-08:00

These are a great side dish to anything really... well, except for pasta.

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds medium red potatoes
1/4 C olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 t salt
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 1/2 t garlic salt
1/2 t pepper
2 T minced fresh parsley

1. Cut each potato lengthwise into eight wedges. In a large bowl, combine the oil, garlic, salt, paprika, cayenne, garlic salt, and pepper; add potatoes and toss to coat. Place in greased roasting pan.
2. Bake, uncovered, at 450 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until tender and golden brown, turning every 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Tyler gave this 4 stars. It may be a little spicy so adjust the spices at your leisure. Also, allrecipes.com has the original version of this. I just took out the shallots and added the garlic salt.

Chicken-Fried Chicken with Cream Gravy

2010-01-19T20:40:00.000-08:00

This is the last recipe from "Real Food for People with Diabetes" by Doris Cross with Alice Williams, well the last one for now.

Hubby really liked this one, it was his favorite with five out of five stars. I didn't like it so much and would probably give it three out of five stars.

Chicken-Fried Chicken with Cream Gravy

Chicken
Nonfat nonstick cooking spray
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3 ounces each)
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
2 cups crushed cornflakes
Salt and black pepper, optional

Gravy
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup fat-free chicken broth
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
1 cup skim milk
2 teaspoons dry butter flavor sprinkles
Salt and black pepper, optional

Spray large skillet with cooking spray. Lightly pound each chicken breast until thin and tenderized, then dip in egg whites and roll in cornflakes. Place chicken in skillet and brown slowly, turning only once, over low heat because they burn easily over higher heat. Remove from skillet when thoroughly cooked and sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired. Add flour to skillet and brown over medium heat, stirring occasionally. This also burns easily, so be vigilant. When flour is browned, remove from heat.

In medium bowl, combine chicken broth, evaporated skim milk and regular skim milk, and butter flavor sprinkles. Using a whisk, add to flour in skillet while still removed from heat. Return skillet to medium heat and continue to stir until gravy thickens. Add salt and pepper, if desired. Serve hot gravy over chicken breasts.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving has:

435 calories
38.4 g protein
61.9g carbohydrate
3.3g fat
.99 g saturated fat
75 mg cholesterol

diabetic exchanges: Lean protein, 4; starch, 2; skim milk, 1/2

I served this with corn, milk, and rolls for a total of about 600 calories.

Ultra Lowfat Lasagna

2010-01-12T22:02:00.001-08:00

This recipe was delicious! Hubby gave it 4 out of 5 stars but I would give it 5 myself!

Ultra Lowfat Lasagna*

Ingredients:
Nonfat nonstick cooking spray
1/2 pound ground turkey breast
1 jar (26 ounces) lowfat pasta sauce (2 grams of fat or less per 1/2 cup serving)
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
3 tablespoons dry onion flakes
2 cloves fresh garlic, pressed
2 teaspoons parsley
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 of fell pepper, chopped fine
1 carton (16 ounces) 1-percent cottage cheese (I couldn't find 1% so I used skim)
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg product
6 oven-ready lasagna noodles
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/3 cup fat-free Parmesan cheese
salt and black pepper

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Spray skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Brown ground turkey breast, then add pasta sauce, mushrooms, onion flakes, garlic, parsley, oregano, and bell pepper. Simmer and stir occasionally over low heat for about 10 minutes.

In medium bowl, combine cottage cheese and egg product, and stir.

Spray 11x7 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place on layer of oven-ready noodles on the bottom. Add half of meat mixture, then add another layer of noodles. Pour cottage cheese mixture in next. Add a layer of grated fat-free mozzarella cheese and then sour cream. Add another layer of noodles and top with the remaining meat mixture. Top entire casserole with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.

Makes 8 servings (My serving didn't scoop up nicely, my Dad did it and has no feeling in his hand, but each serving is PLENTY of food!)

Nutritional information per serving
266 Calories
26.4 g Protein
32.3 g Carbohydrate
3.1 g Fat
1.12 g Saturated fat
24 mg Cholesterol

Diabetic exchanges: Starch, 1.5; lean protein, 2; vegetable, 2

I served this with salad, french bread, and a glass of skim milk. This brought the whole meal's calories to just about 600!

* From "Real Food for People with Diabetes" by Doris Cross with Alice Williams

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

2010-01-12T14:48:00.000-08:00

I found a promising website for vinaigrette recipes:
http://www.vinaigretterecipe.com/recipes/recipes.htm

We tried the Honey Mustard one this week. It is as follows:

2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced (or less than 1/4 tsp garlic powder)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup vegetable oil (we used olive oil)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tbs. honey

Whisk together the mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Gradually whisk in the rest until it is thick and smooth.
NOTE: This makes TONS of salad dressing. I'd caution you to HALF this recipe upon first trial, unless you're eager to use an entire cup of oil. Yum-o.

Mr. Picky #1 LOVED this. He said it was even better the 2nd day after it'd had time to marinade itself in the fridge. We poured some of it over fried vegetables the next night, which was quite awesome as well. Highly recommended.

p.s. I stole this picture from online. It doesn't really look like this. I just like representational images. :)

Hubby Score: ***** (wow!! Five stars!!)

Paprika Chicken

2010-01-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

I tried this recipe on Sunday and it was a pretty big hit.

Paprika Chicken*

1/3 C flour
1 T paprika
1/2 t salt
1/8 t pepper
Nonfat nonstick cooking spray
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3 oz each)
1 large onion, chopped
2 1/2 C fat-free chicken broth
1 chicken bouillon cube, dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 T flour

Mix 1/3 cup flour, paprika, salt, and pepper. Spray large skillet well with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Coat chicken breasts in flour mixture and brown on both sides in heated skillet. Cover chicken breasts with chopped onion. Pour 1 cup chicken broth and the bouillon over chicken and onions. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low. Simmer until chicken is done, 20 to 30 minutes.

Place cooked chicken on hot platter. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and sour cream to drippings in skillet. Stir well over medium heat. Use a whisk or fork to stir in 2 tablespoons flour. Continue stirring until thickened. Pour over chicken. Serve over rice.

I also served rolls and peas with the meal and it rounded it out quite nicely. I didn't check to see exactly how many calories the entire meal had, but it was around 500.

Here is the nutrition information for the chicken alone.

272 Calories
7.2 g Fat
31.4 g Protein
3.19 g Saturated fat
19.1 g Carbohydrate
85 mg Cholesterol

Diabetic exchanges: Lean meat, 4; starch, 3/4

Hubby score: ****

*Recipe from "Real Food for People with Diabetes" by Doris Cross with Alice Williams

Chicken Enchiladas

2009-12-27T14:48:00.000-08:00

I FINALLY GOT 5 STARS! I made this up on the spot, since our groceries were low and I had a few random things lying around and it turned out to be great.

Ingredients
3-5 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can of cream of mushroom soup (cream of chicken or cream of celery would probably work too)
1 1/2 C sour cream
1/2 t Chili powder
1 T butter
1 small onion
1 4oz. can small, chopped green chilies, drained
1 pkg. mild taco seasoning
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 C water
Juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 t onion powder
1 1/2 t garlic powder
5 (12" round) flour tortillas
3 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (10oz) enchilada sauce

1. Place the chicken in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken pieces are no longer pink. 10 minutes if thawed, 20 if still frozen. Shred the chicken.
2. Combine the cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, and chili powder in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stir occasionally, then turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.
2. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the shredded chicken, chopped green chilies, taco seasoning, half of the bunch of chopped green onion, and water. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Then stir in the lime juice, onion powder, and garlic powder; simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Preheat an oven to 350. Stir 1 cup of the soup mixture into the skillet with the chicken mixture. Spread the remaining soup mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
4. Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese over the chicken filling before folding the tortillas, reserving half of the shredded cheese for topping the enchiladas. Fold tortillas over the filling and place seam-side down in the prepared pan.
5. Pour enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Cover with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of Cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the reserved chopped green onions. Bake for 25 minutes.

Tyler gave these a grand total of ****and* stars.

Teriyaki and Pineapple Chicken

2009-12-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

- allrecipes.com

Fantastic teriyaki dish. Could be done without chicken as well.

- 2 tbs. cooking oil
- 1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into cubes (2 breasts should be plenty)
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced thin
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin (didn't have any- still good)
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
- 1 1/4 cups sliced mushrooms (didn't use these- still good)
- 1 onion, chopped (used a red onion, for aesthetic purposes)
- 1 cup teriyaki sauce
- 1 (8 oz) can pineapple chunks, undrained
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper (didn't have any- still good)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup flour (I substituted cornstarch instead)

Cook chicken chunks in oil in a wok (or large pot- whatever you use to make stir fry) until chicken is cooked through.
Add to wok all other ingredients (EXCEPT for flour) at medium heat. When it starts to simmer, add flour (or cornstarch) and continue to stir and simmer until it thickens up to your desired consistency.
Serve over rice. Eat it all up and wish you had made more. It's so dang good.

I actually halfed this recipe, and it still fed us four portions... next time I'll make more. :)

(Too busy eating this to take a photo of my own creation- this one is from the recipe I pulled at allrecipes.com. It looks better in real life... man, it's good.)

HUBBY SCORE: * * * * 1/2
(wow. Only pie gets a full 5 stars around here... I gave it 5 stars myself...)

Apricot Chicken

2009-11-26T14:23:00.000-08:00

Sorry... I don't have a picture of this one yet, but I was wondering if I can go back a attach pictures to my other posts?? Someone let me know if that is a possibility.

Ingredients
1 jar apricot jam
1/2 bottle Russian salad dressing
1 package onion soup mix
6 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts

mix all the ingredients together and 1/2 of the mixture together in either a crock pot bowl or the bottom of a casserole dish. put the chicken in and then pour the rest of the sauce on top of the chicken.

If cooking in a crock pot, cook it on low for 4 hours. If cooking in a casserole dish, cook at 350 for an hour.

Tyler rates this ****, and he doesn't like apricot chicken very much so hopefully you enjoy this as much as we do!

Shepards Pie

2009-11-15T13:15:00.000-08:00

Again, from my Mama's recipe book. We had this on Wednesday and Hubby DEVOURED it!

Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped (not needed if you use Beefy Onion soup mix)
3 tablespoons four or cornstarch
1 enveloped beefy mushroom or beefy onion soup mix
2-3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt or beef bouillon granules to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cans green beans
5-6 cups mashed potatoes
2 cups grated cheese

Method
►Brown beef and chopped onion together until onion is transparent and beef is well browned (browning helps create the flavor and color of the dish).
►Add salt or beef bouillon granules to taste.
►Remove from heat and stir in flour or cornstarch and dry soup mix.
►Add 2 cups water.
►Return to heat, bring to a boil; boil 2-3 minutes.
►Add additional water, as needed to create desired consistency of gravy

►Place gravy mix in bottom of 9x13 casserole or baking pan.
►Drain green beans and scatter over top of gravy.
►Spoon mashed potatoes over top and gently spread to form a crust.
►Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake at 350⁰ for 30-45 minutes or until hot, bubbly and cheese is melted.

NOTE: I personally prefer fresh mashed potatoes, but instant mashed works fine. If making fresh, use approximately 6-8 medium to small potatoes or about 6 cups diced potatoes.

Hubby Score * * * * *

Rice Pudding

2009-11-15T13:09:00.000-08:00

Although Mr. Picky Two won't eat rice pudding (he can't even tell me why he doesn't like it, its not the taste nor consistency) I'm posting this recipe anyway. Its also via my mother although its called Grandma Rose’s Rice Pudding.

Ingredients
2 quarts whole milk
¼ tsp. lemon zest
¾ cup converted long grain rice
½ cup sugar
1 tsp butter
Pinch of salt
3 large eggs (medium eggs would work OK)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon

Method
►In a large saucepan, bring the milk, lemon zest, rice, sugar, butter and salt to a simmer.
►Cook for 30 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally, making sure the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
►Taste the rice after 30 minutes. It should be tender.
►In a large bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla extract until frothy.
►Slowly stur 2/3 of the hot rice into the egg mixture.
►Return the rice and eggs to the saucepan with remaining rice and on low heat
►Stir the rice constantly for 5-8 minutes until creamy.
►Pour into a 2 quart shallow dish, sprinkle with cinnamon and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 8-10 (It makes a lot!)

My Sibling's Score * * * *
Hubby Score ?

Funeral Potatoes

2009-11-15T13:06:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from my Mom and not healthy but sure yummy!

Funeral Potatoes

Ingredients
24 oz grated frozen potatoes
1 cube butter softened (My Mom uses ½ cube)
16 oz. sour cream (My mom sometimes use non-fat, but she dosen't like the consistency as well)
1-3 cups grated cheese
2 cans mushroom soup

Method
►Mix softened butter, sour cream, mushroom soup and cheese together.
►Mix potatoes into mixture.
►Press into a large casserole dish.
Bake at 350⁰ for 45 minutes or until bubbly throughout.

My sibling score * * * * *

Hubby score * * * *

Russian Chicken with Feta Cheese

2009-11-08T14:03:00.000-08:00

-Allrecipes.com

I'm a sucker for a good sauce recipe. I took some adjusting liberties with the directions on this one. It's supposed to serve 8 but if you consume sauce like I do (or save the remaining to top upon other things), it may be much less.

- cooked chicken breasts (diced, sliced, or in halves- any way seems to be fine. 1-2 pieces works great, but the original recipe called for 8 breasts- yikes.)

- 2 tbs. butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbs. flour
- 1/4 cup vodka (white grape juice or water can substitute)
- 1 tbs. tomato paste
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Place cooked chicken pieces into a 9x13 baking dish- set aside.
Melt butter in a wide frying pan, stir in garlic and onion and cook until onion begins to soften. Stir in flour (cook about 5 min.) then add vodka/grape juice and simmer & stir on med-high heat constantly until heated through. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer 20 min (they say 20- I say until it's heated through.)
Pour sauce on top of chicken and put in oven preheated to 350F. Cook for 20 min. or until browned on top.

This is great with mashed potatoes, but pasta or rice would be great as well.

HUBBY SCORE: * * * *

Tomato Gravy

2009-11-08T13:44:00.000-08:00

-Southern Living, Feb 2005

This sauce came with a dependable meatloaf recipe, but I love this sauce so dang much, I put it on lots of things now. Super easy too.

- 2 tbs. butter
- 2. tbs. flour
-1 can diced tomatoes w/ green chiles (I NEVER do the green chiles)
-1/2 cup ketchup
-1/2 cup water

Melt butter in a saucepan, then stir in flour. When pasty add tomatoes, ketchup and water. Stir til all combined and heated through (it will get thicker).

HUBBY SCORE: * * * 1/2

Bran Muffins

2009-11-08T13:39:00.000-08:00

- From my Mom

These may be an acquired taste for some, but when served warm and slathered in butter and honey, they're awesome. I could probably eat 6 of these in one sitting.
These are quite healthy too- a molasses sweetener instead of sugar- rock on. The worst part for me is shredding the carrots- I need to get a food processor someday.

1 egg
2 carrots, shredded
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour 1 cup bran (crunched Bran Flakes work well)
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup tomato juice (or one small can)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Combine ingredients and pour into muffin tin. Bake for 18 minutes at 400 F.
Yields 12 muffins.

At home I used to dump the ingredients in willy nilly, but I recently experimented with mixing the dries separately and adding to the rest of the ingredients already combined. The batter turned out more even- I think I'll proceed that way again in the future.

HUBBY SCORE: * * * 1/2

Manicotti

2009-11-03T11:31:00.000-08:00

This is one that Mr. Picky Two likes but my brothers LOVE.

Ingredients

15 oz ricotta cheese
8 oz mozzarella cheese
1/2 c parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 jar of spaghetti sauce*
manicotti noodles

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the manicotti noodles according to directions. While those are boiling, mix together ricotta, mozzarella, permasean, parsely, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Pour 1/2 cup of sauce on bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish. Scoop cheese mixture into manicotti noodles and place in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce on top. Cover and cook 40 minutes. Remove cover and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Hubby Score * * * *

* I'm looking for a good spaghetti sauce recipe, if you have one please post!

Mashed Potato Quesadilla

2009-11-02T13:08:00.000-08:00

- AllRecipes.com (plus improvisation)

Probably not very good for you, but very good.

- 2-4 medium potatoes, mashed
- 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1/2 onion, sauteed
- frozen corn, cooked
- flour tortillas
- shredded Cheddar cheese
- soft butter
- sour cream
- salsa

Stir up the mashed potatoes, bacon, corn, onions, and a fistful or two of cheese. Butter one side of tortillas lightly, and sandwich the potato spread between sides not buttered. Grill in pan like a grilled cheese sandwich. Dice up with pizza cutter, dollop with sour cream and salsa, and serve.

This quantity makes at least 4 decent sized quesadillas, but 1 is enough to feed two people- don't let your eyes get bigger than your stomach. With the potatoes in there they're quite filling.

HUBBY SCORE: * * * *

Chicken Costa Brava

2009-10-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

-Allrecipes.com

I adjusted this based on how it worked for us last night. I'm sure you COULD put 10 chicken breasts in there, but as there's only two of us, we added one BIG one diced up. This also would taste awesome without the chicken for the vegetarian at heart. :)
This is also a good way to use up leftovers, as it's got all sorts of random stuff you might find in your fridge.

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast (diced in chunks or strips)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, quartered (or in strips)
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes (I used a leftover tomato half)
2 cups black olives (or one can- I cut them in half too)
1/2 cup salsa
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
salt to taste

Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Sprinkle with salt.
In a large frying pan, brown chicken in oil. Combine cumin and cinnamon, and sprinkle over chicken. Add garlic and onion; cook until onion is soft. Add reserved pineapple juice, tomatoes, olives, and salsa. Cover, and simmer 25 minutes. (Yeah right- I didn't simmer for 25 min! 5-10 min. was just fine...)
Mix cornstarch with water; stir into pan juices. Add bell pepper, and simmer until sauce boils and thickens. Stir in pineapple chunks, and heat through.
Serve over rice.

I LOVED the diverse mix of flavors, and Picky #1 who's not such a fan of mixing his food, actually loved it too. (YAY!) It tasted kinda like a Hawaiian haystack offshoot, but with more veggies. We'll be making this again soon.

HUBBY SCORE: * * * *

Strawberry & Feta Cheese Salad

2009-10-27T14:19:00.000-07:00

- From... ?

Spinach leaves
Strawberries, diced (about 2-3 per plate)
Feta cheese
Crumbled walnuts (1 fistful per plate)
Craisins (1 fistful per plate)
Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette dressing

Assemble salad. Portions listed work great as a dinner salad, and seem to work best prepared on individual plates as in a humongous bowl all the good stuff seems to sink to the bottom.

This can also be called, "Best Frickin' Awesome Salad in the Whole Wide World". We eat this on a regular basis and can't ever imagine getting tired of it. Love it to pieces. Also tastes great with a mix of diced pears.

HUBBY SCORE: * * * * *

Black Bean Burritos

2009-10-27T13:59:00.001-07:00

First off, someone is going to have to teach me the ways of the blogging world... I've never been officially initiated and I don't really know how it works.

Second, can I please just say how amazing the captions are below the faces of the brothers. I laughed for five minutes when I read Ty's cause... oh wait! True story. Ever since that day I have always tried to put everything away before Tyler gets home so he can't figure out what ingredients I cook with.

ANYWAY! Onto the food. I tried this recipe yesterday and I thought it was really good. I let Tyler rate it and he gave me 4 stars, but we are newlyweds so take that for what it's worth. Also, be warned that I tend to make up a lot of my own recipes so I'll try to let you know if they are tried and true or some of my own ideas... understandably I think that could sway the decision to try it or not. This one happens to be one that I just kind of made up on my own.

INGREDIENTS

* 4 (10" round) tortillas
* 1 sweet onion, chopped
* 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
*1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
* 2 T minced jalapeno peppers
* 2 T garlic salt ( I added a lot more, but I am notorious for adding ample spice)
* 1 1/2 t chili powder (once again, I added more so I guessed how much would be normal)
* 1 t salt
* 3 T chopped, fresh cilantro
* 1-2 c Spanish rice with tomatoes
** 4 T sour cream OR 4 T cream cheese
Directions

1. Wrap tortillas in foil and bake for 350F for 15 minutes.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place onion, bell pepper and jalapeno in skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Pour beans into skillet and cook for another 3 minutes, while adding garlic salt and chili powder.

3. Stir cilantro and rice into mixture

4. Spread cream cheese or sour cream onto tortilla. Be careful not to get too close to the edges, or it will be hard to fold.

5. Spoon mixture evenly down the center of the tortilla and fold.

Beef Stroganoff

2009-10-27T12:55:00.000-07:00

Mama Kris had a bad experience with beef stroganoff so the boys have never really had it. Mr. Picky Two was up for trying it and now it is one of his favorites. Its easy and delicious.

Ingredients:

Round Steak* (or if you want a super fast easy meal, buy the already cut stew meat - its a little more expensive per pound but cuts out the most tedious part of the preparation)

1 can french onion soup

1 can cream of mushroom

Milk

Wide Egg Noodles

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut steak into strips about 1/4" thick and brown. Once browned, combine french onion soup, cream of mushroom soup, the browned meat*, and one can of milk in a sauce pan. Bring to a low boil (if you want the sauce thicker, add flour or corn starch until the desired consistency). Spray Pam on a casserole dish and pour sauce into dish. Place in oven for 30 minutes. While sauce cooks in the oven, boil a package of wide egg noodles according to the directions on the package. Once sauce and noodles are cooked, spoon sauce over noodles and enjoy!

Serve with: Green beans, and rolls (our pickies love their rolls - at least mine does.)

Hubby Score: * * * * *

*for you vegetarian types, you can leave the meat aside and let your husband add it to his sauce later, or leave it out completely, it will still be yummy.

2009-10-26T07:39:00.000-07:00

The picture of "Mama" Kris definitely has to go - we need to find something better or I will post a photo of Julia Child! Thanks Sare for getting this started. Kris

Tamale Pie

2009-10-26T06:50:00.000-07:00

-From my Mom (out of a Healthy Heart Cookbook)

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 can beef broth (chicken broth okay too)

Combine cornmeal and 1/2 cup broth in large saucepan. Boil remaining broth and stir into cormeal mixture. Stir over medium heat until thickened. Press into a greased baking dish (line the sides and the bottom). Set aside.

Spaghetti sauce (up to a whole jar)
1/2 lb hamburger meat
1/4 cup onion
2 cups corn (or 1 frozen bag)
black olives (up to a whole can)
1 tbsp. chili power
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (one can)
1/3 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
1/2 red bell pepper (optional)
grated cheese (cheddar works well)

Combine listed ingredients except for cheese and simmer 5 minutes stirring gently. Spoon mixture into lined baking dish, top with cheese.

Bake 30 min. at 350F. Serves 8.

Oddly enough, no tamales are in this recipe at all. Still quite good, though.

HUBBY SCORE: * * * *

Bratton's Clam Chowder

2009-10-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

- "Monsieur Bratton", from my Mom

3/4 lb. minced clams (2 tins)
1 cup onions, chopped fine
1 cup celery, chopped fine
1 quart half & half *
1/2 tsp. sugar
3/4 cup butter (I do 1/2 cup)
1 cup potatoes, diced fine (2-4 potatoes)
3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste

Drain clams from juice and pour over vegetables in pot, add enough water to cover vegetables. Simmer until tender (about 20 min.) Melt butter in large saucepan then add flour. Add cream and cook until smooth and thick (stir often with a wire whisk). Add vegetables and clams (add vegetable water to stretch soup out.) Season with salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer for a few minutes to heat clams through.
Serves 6 large bowls.

* I've tried with different cream combinations in a pinch (sour cream & milk, etc) All turn out okay. Even straight milk seems to work fine. Just depends on how thick you want it.

HUBBY SCORE: * * * *