Cucumber Soup

I thought we needed something refreshing on a hot summer day.  So I started making a chilled cucumber soup.  Then it stormed and it wasn't hot anymore.  Oh well, it was still good.  This soup is good hot, room temperature or chilled.  

The original recipe is from here and the changes I made were a from all the comments left.  I love all recipes just for that reason!

Surprisingly, everyone ate it - most of us even liked it =).  We're going to eat it again and probably use all the cucumbers in our garden to freeze a bunch of this for the winter!

4 cucumbers
1/4 cup sliced onion
2 tablespoons butter or oil

1 clove garlic
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
7 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 tablesppons farina or wheat flour
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
1 cup sour cream

Peel, seed, and chop cucumbers. The healthiest part of a vegetable is the skin and seeds, so I peeled mine with stripes - only about half the skin and I didn't remove all the the seeds.  The quickest way to remove seed is to cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and then you can easily scoop them out.

Cook the chopped onion and garlic in the margarine until soft. Add the chopped cucumbers and vinegar. Pour in the broth, as much as will fit.  I held out a few cups because my pan wasn't big enough.  Salt & pepper taste, and add dill. Bring to a boil and wisk in the farina or flour.  Let the soup simmer for 20 minutes, or until the cucumbers are soft.

Put the soup into a blender, and puree it.

Pour the puree into a bowl, and whisk in the remaining broth, 1 cup of milk and sour cream. Taste the soup for seasoning. Either eat hot or store in the fridge to eat cold.

Apple Turkey Burgers

 
Anna Elise made  Apple Turkey burgers at Achievement days a while back.  A friend of mine made them recently and I decided it was time we gave them a try.  However,  I couldn't find the recipe that Anna brought home, so I looked at several recipes on-line and came up with a recipe of my own.  Our whole family really like these.

1.75 pounds ground turkey
1 apple finely diced
3 TBL finely diced onion
1 tsp lemon pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste

Make patties and grill or broil until done.  Add cheddar cheese and melt.
Serve on buns with Sweet Chili Sauce.

I discovered that I had about a tsp of Sweet Chili sauce in the bottom of my last bottle. So I quickly looked up several sweet chili recipes online and came up with a homemade sauce that tastes pretty good - almost exactly the same as our bottled sauce!

We made small patties and served them on rolls, my kids like 'sliders'.

Sweet Chili Sauce
1/2 cup vinegar (white, rice or apple will work)
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. white sugar
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp. fish sauce  (this could probably be optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced or 3/4 tsp granulated garlic
1/4  Tbsp. dried crushed chili (or less if you don't want it so spicey)
1+1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbsp. cold water

Place all ingredients, except the cornstarch/water mixture, in a sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil.  Reduce heat to medium and let boil for 10 minutes, or until reduced by half.  Reduce heat to low and add the cornstarch-water mixture. Stir to incorporate and continue stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens.

Enjoy!

Chicken, Squash, & Apple Hash

I found this recipe on a coupon blog (weird, I know) months ago and we eat this probably twice a month, we all (with only one exception) love it.  I've changed several things, I'm going to list the recipe as we make it, but there is lots of room for your changes.   Original recipe from Collin at Hip2Save.com.

1 acorn squash, peeled, cleaned and cubed
1/2 - 1 medium onion chopped
1 - 2 apples diced
1 large chicken breast, cut into small chunks and pan-fried (you may want to add more chicken)
1/4 tsp smoked paprika for a bacon flavor
chopped walnuts
salt & pepper to taste

Set your oven to broil, then throw the cubed butternut squash on a sprayed cookie sheet. I spray my squash with olive oil as well. Let broil for about 8 minutes. Make sure to stir every couple of minutes. I take them out before they look done, I don't like them mushy.
While the squash is cooking,  heat some oil in a skillet over medium heat. Throw in the chopped onions and stir occasionally until they are softened and starting to brown a little and add the paprika.
Now add the apples into the skillet with the onions. Stir for a minute and then add everything else (cooked chicken, broiled squash and chopped nuts). Season with salt and pepper.

Bang-Bang Shrimp

This is two recipes in one post.  I wasn't planning on posting this recipe, so I don't have a picture.  It turned out so good I decided I needed to share it and we didn't have any leftovers!  I was going to make coconut shrimp for dinner. Then I remembered the Bang-bang shrimp Mike and I ate at The Bonefish Grill over a year ago.  It was so good (and I don't really love shrimp).  So I found a copy cat recipe for the Bang-bang shrimp at www.cdrecipes.com and then decided to mix it up a little bit. 

COPY CAT BANG-BANG SHRIMP

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
1 pound shelled and deveined shrimp
Dry cornstarch
oil for frying
lettuce

Mix mayonnaise with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce. Dredge the shrimp in cornstarch (or just shake the shrimp with the cornstarch in a baggie). Deep fat fry the shrimp until lightly brown (3-4 minutes on the first side, 2 minutes on second side). Drain on paper towel, put in a bowl and coat with the sauce. Serve in a lettuce lined bowl.


COCONUT BANG-BANG SHRIMP PASTA
For a slightly milder taste (not so spicy) and to make it into a one dish meal:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Tahi Sweet Chili Sauce
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup dried shredded coconut

Mix the sauce together.  Prepare the shrimp the same way as the above recipe.  Mix pasta (spaghetti or linguine) sauce and fried shrimp together.  Yummy! 

The cornstarch makes the shrimp super crunchy and the sweet chili sauce is so good!

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

I got the original recipe off of The Girl Who Ate Everything and made a some changes.  When Calvin came into the kitchen and asked what was for dinner and I told him Quinoa he asked me what that was.  I said it's seeds that are kind of like rice.  He laughed and told Anna Elise that was I making up words.  When he realized I was serious he got VERY upset and informed me that seeds were not dinner!  I could sense an uprising as the kids all ran for the kitchen.  So I told them it was a salad that we were going to eat as salsa with tortilla chips.  Adding a few tortilla chips to the dinner seemed to make it ok!  Everyone ate it and most of them even liked it!  I thought it was delicious - but then I'd eat almost anything with avacados in it!  This fed my family of 7 (although my kids are young so it's probably more like a family of 5) as a main dish and we had some left over.  The quinoa is very filling.  I loved it!

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
• 2 (15 ounce) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed 
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 ripe avocado, diced
• 2 small fresh tomatoes, diced
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Rinse the quinoa in a strainer. Sometimes it can have a bitter taste on the outside so rinsing gets rid of this.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook for a couple of minutes or until onion is soft.
3. Add the quinoa and vegetable broth to the pan. Add the cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil and then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Stir in lime juice and frozen corn into the pan and simmer for 5 minutes or until corn is heated through.
5. Finally, mix in the black beans, cilantro, avacado and tomotoes.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

This soup was really yummy and has a bunch of veggies in it so its pretty good for you too. I got this recipe from http://www.dinnertool.com/recipe/slow-cooker-tomato-basil-parmesan-soup-slow-cooker-contest.

2 (14 oz) cans of diced tomatoes
1 finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped carrots
2 cans of chicken broth
1 Tbsp dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh
1 Tbsp dried Oregano
bay leaf
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups warmed milk
salt
pepper


Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken brother, onions, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and veggies are soft. I have a hand held small mixer that I took to the veggies so the soup wasn't so chunky. If you don't have one just throw it in the blender if you don't want a lot of chunks. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed milk, salt and pepper. Add basil and oregano. Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Season to taste.

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Lately I have been really into Franks Red Hot Sauce, so when I saw this recipe I knew I was going to love it. It is super easy and just plain good. I found the original recipe at mykitchenapron.blogspot.com, but adapted it a little.

Ingredients:
3 lb bag chicken
1 bottle Franks Red Hot Wing's Buffalo Sauce
4 tbs. Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Mix
6 oz cream cheese
Good Sandwich Bread(I used ciabatta bread)

Just throw the chicken, franks red hot sauce(I did all of it), and ranch mix into a crock-pot and let it cook for 4-5 hours. When the chicken is tender shred it, and add the cream cheese. Then serve on delicious toasted bread. We didn't put any cheese on, but I'm sure it would make the sandwich that much better. Enjoy!

Babyback Ribs

I love babyback ribs and have made them in the past but was hunting for a new recipe.  I found this one at ourbestbites.com.  I loved it and my family loved it.  They told me they were the best ribs they had ever had.  I did make a few changes as I have made them a few times.  I will just post how I have ended up making them.

1 rack babyback ribs (about 2-2.5 pounds; 1 rack feeds two adults)

2 c. pineapple juice

1 cup water

1 ½ c. brown sugar
1 ½ tsp. mustard powder
1/3 c. ketchup
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
1 ½ Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
½ tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

Cut your rack into about 4 portions.  I used three racks and still was able to fit them all into the liquid in my large crockpot.  Anyway, cut into portion size and put into your crockpot.  Pour this mixture over them and cook on low for about 6-7 hours.  If you have three racks in there it is going to take longer.  I turned it up on high for a couple of hours so I didn't have to do it any longer.  When the time is up take out of mixture and put onto a broiler pan.  Smear with your favorite bar b que sauce, both sides.  Broil until bubbly and caramelized, both sides.  My favorite bar b que sauce is Bulls Eye.  I mixed 1/2 cup of sauce with 1/4 cup of honey.  When I did three racks, I used 1 cup of bar b que sauce with 1/2 cup of honey.  You could also grill them on the bar b que.  They are fall off the bone tender and delicious.  Enjoy!

Tropical Chicken Salad Wrap

It was summer here today with a high in the upper 80's.  We needed something light and cool for dinner and I found this from the website www.delish.com   I had to make a few changes, they are noted below.  This was very good and 'refreshing'.

• 2 cup(s) cooked skinless chicken, shredded
• 1 can(s) (1-ounce) mandarin oranges , drained (I used 3 fresh cuties, cut into pieces)
• 1/2 cup(s) shredded coconut, toasted
• 1/2 cup(s) roasted cashews (any nut would work, I used chopped almonds)
• 1 bunch(es) scallions, chopped
• Juice of 1 lime  (about 2 Tbls of lime juice)
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) pepper
• 1/3 cup(s) mayonnaise
• lettuce leaves 
• tortillas                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Mix everything except the lettuce and tortillas together.  Lay the leaves on the tortillas and spread the salad on top, roll it up and enjoy!  

Chicken Parmigiana

I love italian food and this is no exception. This Chicken Parmigiana was amazing and the leftovers were even better. This recipe is from thepioneerwoman.com.

4 whole(up to 6) boneless chicken breasts pounded flat
1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbs butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cups wine (white or red)
3 cans (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 tbs sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsely
1 cup parmesean cheese (freshly grated is best)
1 lb thin linguine

Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on a large plate. Dredge flattened chicken breasts flour mixture. Set aside.

At this time, you can start a pot of water for your past. Cook linguine until al dente.

Heat olive oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter is melted and oil/butter mixture is hot, fry chicken breasts until nice and golden brown on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Without cleaining skillet, add onions and garlice and gently stir for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape the bottom of the pan, getting all the flavorful bits off the bottom. Allow wine to cook down until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Pour crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add sugar and more salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cook for 30 minutes. Toward the end of the cooking time, add chopped parsley and give sauce a final stir.

Carefully lay chicken breast on top of the sauce and completely cover them in grated parmesean. Place lid on skillet and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer until cheese is melted and chicken is thoroughly heated. Add mor cheese to taste.

Place cooked noodles on a palte and cover with sauce. Place chicken breast on top and sprinkle with more parsley and serve immediatley.

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

I found this soup on Pinterest and it is from www.utahdealdiva.com. I made a few changes which I put in the directions below but I thought that it was yummy and you can get your kids to eat cauliflower! Enjoy.

2 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 medium onion, chopped

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk**

1 1/2 cups water**

1 can (13 3/4 to 14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth

1 head (2 1/2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, shredded

**Can substitute 1 can {12 oz} evaporated milk and 2 cups water for the 2 cups milk and 1 1/2 cups water.In a large saucepan, melt margarine or butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whisk in flour and salt. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and water.
Add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes.
In blender (with center part of blender cover removed to allow steam to escape), blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth. {Don't let this step deter you from making the soup! Blending it is really easy and so worth the extra 3 minutes. The most annoying part are the added dishes!} For this step I used my hand blender and it was quick and easy.
Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard and 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth. Serve soup with remaining cheese as a garnish. I just put all the cheese in the soup and didn't garnish it. I also added some chopped ham and it turned out really yummy!

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup

I Love soup! While I don’t fully enjoy the yucky weather outside I am thankful for the opportunity it brings to make warm, yummy dinners and gooey cobblers.

This soup from The Girl Who Ate Everything is quick, easy and delicious! I have made it using leftover pork roast instead of ham and it was fantastic!

Creamy Ham and Potato Soup

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup carrot, diced
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup diced cooked ham (buy a ham steak in the deli section)
3 1/4 chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, carrot, ham and chicken broth in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper and corn.

In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk so that lumps don't form and until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, slowly stir to combine. 

Top with cheddar cheese, chives, and bacon if desired. Serve immediately.

Cheesy Chicken in Poblano Sauce

I saw this on the Rachael Ray Show and thought that it sounded good and also easy. It was yummy! I would fix it again. I served it on rice but I think it would work on pasta or with nothing. Enjoy!

2 to 3 medium poblano peppers, seeded and stemmed, chopped
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
A small handful cilantro leaves, plus a few leaves for garnish
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream or Mexican crema
1 tablespoon EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 1/2 cups shredded Manchego cheese (I used Monterey Jack)
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
Thinly sliced red onions, for garnish, (I didn't do this)

Yields: 4
Preparation

In a blender or food processor, combine peppers with stock, onions, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper, purée. In a saucepot over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Whisk in flour; add milk and cream, and raise heat a bit. Add poblano purée and simmer to thicken and cook sauce, 20-25 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F.

Heat a tablespoon of EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 remaining tablespoon butter and melt. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and brown 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer to casserole dish, spread poblano sauce over the top and cover with cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes, depending on size of chicken pieces – it should be brown and bubbly on top.

Sweet Potato Soup

It's finally soup weather!  Yeah!  I have a versatile Sweet  Potato Soup that is so good in a couple of ways!  Tonight we added some spice, peanut butter and coconut milk so it had a Thai taste.  It's also good with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cream for an almost pumpking pie taste.  Here is the recipe with several options.

2-3 sweet potatoes (raw, peeled and cubed)
1 Tbl butter
1/2 onion coursely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic cousely chopped
3 cups chicken stock or broth
1/4 - 1/2 cup peanut butter depending on the flavor you want
1 cup milk, cream, buttermilk, or coconut milk
Thai spices: 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 2 Tbl grated fresh ginger root, 2 Tbl lime juice
Pumpkin spices: 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg,  1/4 tsp ground ginger

Melt butter over medium heat and saute onion and garlic until softened.  Add sweet potatoes, chicken stock, and spices.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft.  Add milk.  Puree the soup using an immersion blender or in a regular blender. 

Serve with lime sour cream or Lingon Berry sauce from Ikea as a garnish.  Peanuts are also good sprinkled on top.  Emjoy!

Corn Cakes with tomato and avocado salsa

I got this recipe from http://www.ezrapoundcake.com and it was super yummy. The only thing I would change is to add some sugar to the corn cake recipe. I just used frozen corn instead of fresh and it still tasted delicious.

2 cups of corn

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal (If you can only find cornmeal mix, skip the baking powder.)

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons well-shaken buttermilk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Canola oil, for frying

Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a brown paper bag.

Cut the corn from the cobs into a large bowl, and scrape the stripped cobs with the back of the knife (or a spoon) to release the juices into the bowl.

Place 2 cups of the corn kernels into a food processor, and pulse several times, until the corn is slightly pureed but still chunky. Scrape into the bowl with the remaining corn kernels.

Add flour, cornmeal, onion, basil, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper to the corn. Stir to mix.

Add the eggs, buttermilk and butter, and stir just to combine. (Do not overmix.)

Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add just enough canola oil to barely cover the bottom, and heat until sizzling hot.

One heaping tablespoon at a time, scoop the batter into the skillet. Cooking in batches of 4 to 5 to avoid overcrowding, fry the cakes 1 to 2 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Drain on the lined baking sheet, and place in the oven to keep warm while cooking the remaining corn cakes. Serve warm topped with a heap of Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa.

Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa

Makes about 2 cups

1 large tomato, cored and chopped

1 scallion, trimmed and minced

1/2 jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 garlic clove, minced

Juice of 1/2 lime

1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

Place all of the ingredients (except the avocado) in a bowl, and stir to mix. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve, for up to 2 days.

Just before serving, add the avocado, and mix gently.

Spaghetti Sauce

This is for anyone of you out there that doesn't know what to do with all those tomatoes growing out in your garden. This is homemade spaghetti sauce. I can't take credit for the recipe, I got it from my nephew's wife Brittany and it is delicious. I made it last year and made two batches of it this year. I have changed a couple of things. We plan to eat it on pasta but also as soup with grilled cheese sandwiches and really if you just had some garlic bread it would be great to dip it in. It is yummy and has lots of veggies in it so it is good for you and also your kids.

1 1/2 gallons of blended tomatoes
3 large onion, finely chopped
2 small zucchini, chopped or grated
1 cup chopped mushrooms
3 grated carrots
3 cans of tomato paste
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, if I don't have it I just add some dried.
1 TB. dried oregano
5 cloves garlic
4 beef bouillon cube, or equivalent( like "Better than Bouillon")
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 - 1 red pepper finely diced (or any color you want)
1/3 cup olive oil

Blend/ chop all the ingredients and add to a large stockpot, with a thick bottom. I actually used my two crock pots and they were full but then I didn't have to stir it.

Simmer about 3 hours on medium heat stirring regularly. You want a very gentle simmer. When it starts to thicken, you will know it is ready. In my crock pot I just let it cook on high all day and only had to stir it occasionally.

When it is done allow it to cool off. I then used my hand blender and blended it one more time to make it really smooth with no chunks. I don't like chunks and this hides everything from your kids. Then scoop it into your zip lock bags. I lay all the bags on my jelly roll pan and put them in the freezer. When they are frozen you can stack them flat and they don't take up much space.

Enjoy and change anything you like. I love this recipe Brittany!

Breakfast Casserole

Excuse the bad picture, I was having some issues with my camera.

4 cups frozen hashbrowns

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

3 cups cheese

1 lb bacon, cooked and choppped

1 onion, chopped

12 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 pan. Beat eggs for a bit. Through everything in the pan and mix it together. Reserve some cheese to put on top. Cook for 40 minutes or until the egg is firm.

Chili's Southwest Eggrolls

So Marshall and I went to Chili's and couple of days ago with a gift card we got as a wedding present. I have been to Chili's maybe twice in my life, but Marshall has been several. As soon as we sat down he said that we were going to order their Southwest Eggrollls, so we did. And they were amazing. When we got home we decided to look up a copy cat recipe and we found one, and they were just as good as Chili's, this recipe is adapted from www.copykat.com.

1/2 chicken breast

1 tablesppon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons minced red pepper

2 tablespoons minced green onions

1/3 cup corn

1/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained

3 cups spinach

2 tablespoons diced canned jalapeno peppers

1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt 1 dash cayenne pepper

3/4 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese

5 7-inch flour tortillas

Dipping sauce

1/4 cup smashed fresh avocados(about half of an avocado)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablesppon buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon dried parsley

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1 dash dried dill weed

1 dash garlic powder

1 dash pepper

1. Preheat barbecue grill to high heat. ( I cooked my chicken on a george forman)

2. Rub the chicken breast with some vegetable oil then grill it on the barbecue for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done.

3. Lightly salt and pepper each side of the chicken while it cooks.

4. Set chicken aside until it cools down enough to handle.

5. Preheat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat.

6. Add the red pepper and onion to the pan and sauté for a couple minutes until tender.

7. Dice the cooked chicken into small cubes and add it to the pan.

8. Add the corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper to the pan.

9. Cook for another 4 minutes.

10. Stir well so that the spinach separates and is incorporated into the mixture.

11. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese.

12. Stir until the cheese is melted.

13. Wrap the tortillas in a moist cloth and microwave on high temperature for 1 1/2 minutes or until hot.

14. Spoon approximately one-fifth of the mixture into the center of a tortilla.

15. Fold in the ends and then roll the tortilla over the mixture.

16. Roll the tortilla very tight, then pierce with a toothpick to hold together.

17. Repeat with the remaining ingredients until you have five eggrolls.

18. Arrange the eggrolls on a plate, cover the plate with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours.

19. Overnight is best.(I think overnight or all day is necessary)

20. While the eggrolls freeze prepare the avocado-ranch dipping sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl.

21. Preheat 4-6 cups of oil to 375 degrees.

22. Deep fry the eggrolls in the hot oil for 12-15 minutes and remove to paper towels or a rack to drain for about 2 minutes. (I think they only need like 10 or 11 minutes)

23. Slice each eggroll diagonally lengthwise and arrange on a plate around a small bowl of the dipping sauce.

Creamy Penne Bake

I love broccoli and pasta with a cream sauce, so when I found this recipe at Mels Kitchen Cafe I knew I needed to give it a try. I have used both smoked and regular mozzarella and while the smoked adds an incredible flavor regular mozzarella works perfectly in a pinch. I did reduce the amount of sundried tomatoes. I think a small amount adds flavor while too many overpowered the dish.  The creaminess of the pasta with a crunch from the topping makes this incredible!

Creamy Penne Bake

Topping:
3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 ½ pounds), stalks cut off, florets trimmed into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces penne pasta (I have used both veggie and wheat and you cannot tell)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
6 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3), trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
3 ounces smoked mozzarella, shredded
4 oz. sundried tomatoes, diced (if you are not a fan leave them out, I have tried both ways and the dish can hold its own without.)

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and butter and set aside. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and make sure the oven rack is placed in the middle of the oven. In a large pot, bring the water for the pasta to a boil. Stir in one tablespoon salt and the broccoli. The broccoli cooks quickly so stay close! Cook the broccoli for 1 minute, until it is bright green. Quickly remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon to a plate. Return the water to a boil and add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than how you would eat it normally (it will cook a bit more in the oven while baking). Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Leave it in the colander and set it aside.

While pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat until shimmering in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the flour, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and smoked mozzarella.

Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce; stir to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Sloppy Maple - BBQ Turkey Joes

I have to admit that I am a Sloppy Joe fan but not out of the can kind. I like mine made from scratch. I am always on the look out for a new one to try. This one is my latest.

1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey

1 onion chopped

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

Salt and pepper

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 clove garlic, pressed

1 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

3 Tbs. soy sauce

2 Tbs. cider vinegar

2 Tbs. brown sugar

1 Tbs. Dijon mustard

8 soft hamburger buns, my favorite are the potato ones

You can garnish it with cheese, any kind, chopped pickles. We like ours plain.

In a large skillet brown the ground turkey with the poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook until browned, then stir in the pepper, onion and garlic and cook until tender. In a bowl combine the tomato sauce, maple syrup, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and mustard. Pour the sauce over the meat and simmer for a few minutes. Serve it on the rolls with the toppings. Enjoy!