Tender Chicken Breast (stovetop)

Directions
Flatten chicken breast and make sure they are even throughout. Coat with flour (optional) and salt and pepper. Heat sauté pan to medium high heat. Add a couple teaspoons of olive oil. Turn down pan to medium and immediately add chicken breast. Cook 1 minute without moving chicken (not quite a sear/browning). Flip chicken breast. Turn heat down to low and cover pan tightly. Cook for 10 minutes without lifting lid. Remove pan from heat and let sit for 10 more minutes, without ever lifting lid (peeking will ruin it!). Your chicken should be done. You can cut them in half or take their temperature to be sure. This has worked really well for me and is relatively easy, time-wise.

Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

8oz cream cheese

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 can chopped artichokes, drained

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp lemon juice

smidge minced garlic

1 shake dried dill

Blend all ingredients together with an electric mixer.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the top is brown and bubbly.

This recipe is great with sliced baguette bread or Fritos chips.

Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs with vinegar
6 eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Smoked Spanish paprika, for garnish

Deviled eggs with relish

6 large eggs 

2 tablespoons mayonnaise 

1 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish 

1 teaspoon prepared mustard 

1/8 teaspoon salt 

Dash of pepper 

Garnish: paprika 


Boil water in pot. Add 1 tsp baking soda. Add eggs gently (I use a spoon to add them). Put lid on pot and boil on a low boil for 1 minute then turn off stove and sit for 15 minutes. Transfer eggs, gently, into a bowl of cold water and let them sit for several minutes to cool off. Cut eggs in half and transfer egg yolks to a bowl and egg whites to a plate. Smash down egg whites with a fork. Put other ingredients into a quart size ziplock bag and mix up. Add smashed egg yolk. Mix again. Cut a small hole in corner of ziplock bag and squeeze mixture into egg whites. Enjoy! 

You can also boil water, add eggs, and cook without a lid for 11 minutes (florida update).

Little Smokies

Ingredients:
13.5 oz. bbq sauce (about 1.5 cups)
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 c + 2 tsp  ketchup
3/4 TBSP worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup onions, chopped
24 oz package /1.5 lb. of little wieners (a package from costco)

Directions:
Mix ingredients together in a crock pot and cook on low for at least two hours.

Broccoli Cheese Soup (From Pioneer Woman)

Pizza Crust

From my Friend Stephanie Hadfield

the secret to a great crust is a pizza stone pre-heated in a 500 degree overn for at least 30 minutes.

4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 t kosher salt
2 1/4 t instant yeast
2 T olive oil.

Mix in food processor or stand mixer or by hand.

Pulse flour and salt a few times to combine, set aside.

Sprinkle yeast over 1/2 cup warm water, stir gently and let sit about 5 minutes then add 1 cup additional water.

Pulse food processor while pouring water/oil/yea

Honey Buttermilk Bread

1 envelope yeast or 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup warm water
pinch of ginger (helps activate the yeast)
2 cups warm buttermilk
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled so that it is warm to the touch but not hot
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 cups white bread flour

Mix the ginger, sugar, yeast, and water and set aside for five minutes.
Mix the buttermilk, honey, salt, baking soda in with the yeast mixture. Add three cups of flour and mix until smooth. On an electric mixes it is about 5 minutes on low speed. Mix in butter until it is totally incorporated into batter. Now, begin to add the rest of the flour, one cup at a time, keeping the mixture on low speed. When dough pulls from the sides of the bowl remove it from the mixer to a floured surface and knead until elastic and smooth. Place in greased bowl, turn to greas the top, cover and allow to rise for 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down and form into two loaves. Place in greased loaf pans and grease tops. Cover, and allow to rise for 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 400F. Bake for 30 minutes, covering tops with foil if they brown too fast.
Remove loaves from oven and brush with melted butter. Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out and cool completely on a rack. Cover the loaves if you want a soft crust.

Sally's Wheat Bread

Aunt Sally’s Wheat Bread

Prepare yeast:

½ c warm tap water

1 T sugar

2T yeast

Mix and allow to activate for 10 minutes

In bread mixer add:

5 c hot tap water (not hotter than a baby can handle)

7 c freshly ground whole wheat flour (key to taste is freshly ground)

Turn mixer on medium speed and add:

3-31/2 c whole wheat flour -just until the dough pulls away from sides of bowl

Mix for 10 minutes, then turn off mixer and let dough rest for 10 minutes.

Grease 4 medium loaf pans with shortening. Divide dough into fourths.

Generously grease hands with shortening, Take one fourth at a time, slapping

the dough for 30+ seconds to remove air. Then, shape into loaves and place in greased pans.

Let loaves rise until double in size or until dough reaches the edges of the pan.

Warmth of room/air will either hasten or slow growth….cover with towel or paper/greased

Preheat oven to 350

Bake  for 25 minutes…ovens vary…so check one before you take them all out.

Remember dough will seem done and still need time…loaf should sound hollow with thumped.

Remove loaves from pans and cool on rack

Dole Whip (disneyland recipe)

16 oz frozen pineapple chunks
4 cups vanilla ice cream
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lime juice
6 oz pineapple juice + 6 more oz

Blend pineapple chunks, ice cream, lemon juice, lime juice and 6 oz pineapple juice together. Let set in freezer for a couple hours (not necessary, but makes texture better). Serve, pouring remaining 6 oz of juice over each serving.

Buttermilk Syrup (from Angie)

3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

In medium saucepan, combine butter, sugar and buttermilk and bring to a poil. Once it's at a complete boil, let it boil for 1 minute. Take off heat and whisk in baking soda and vanilla. It will foam up during the boiling, and especially when other ingredients are added.

(Double or triple and freeze in something like the plastic freezer jam jars.)

BBQ pork sandwhiches

Pork Shoulder Rump (bone in if possible)
Salt and Pepper

Put in crock pot. After a few hours add about 1/2 a bottle of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce.

Cook for 8ish hours total. Shred.
Serve on toasted buns.

PB protein bites (from Angie Wright)

Mix together in a large bowl:
2 1/2 cups all natural Adam's Chunky PB
1 cup honey
1/2 cup water

Then add:
2 TB ground flax
2 TB popped/toasted amaranth grain (sub with a mixture of equal parts of wheat bran, oat bran, wheat germ, ground flax, and metamucil. Purchase in bulk at Winco.)
1 cup chocolate PB2 Powder (buy on amazon)

Then add: (below is 4 cups total. Sub whatever really, use more oats, less rice krispies, etc)
3 cups Brown rice krispies
1/2 cup raw oats (uncooked)
1/2 cups chia seeds

Shape into balls (or into a casserole dish and cut into granola bars) and then freeze!

chocolate chip ice cream

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces mini choc chips or chopped chocolate

1. use an ice cream maker
2. in a large bowl, combine the cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla
3. follow the manufacturer's instructions for freezing.
4. serve immediately or freeze in an airtight container.

Rosemary Sweet Potato Stackers

1. 
   
2. 
   
3. Ingredients
4. 2 tablespoons organic butter, melted
5. 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
6. 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
7. 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped, plus extra for garnish
8. Sea salt and pepper
9. 5-6 large sweet potatoes or yams, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl whisk together butter, coconut oil, parmesan, chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper.
3. Add sweet potatoes and toss to coat evenly.
4. Layer potatoes slices into muffin pan and fill to the top. They will shrink down once they are cooking.
5. Bake for about 45-50 minutes and edges and tops are golden brown and center in tender.
6. Let cool for about 5 minutes and carefully remove with a spoon. Place on serving tray and top with extra parmesan cheese and fresh chopped fresh rosemary. Serve immediately.

Fresh Strawberry Sorbet

2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 quart (32 oz) strawberries, hulled
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Stir water and sugar in saucepan over high heat until sugar dissolves. Boil 5 minutes.
Puree strawberries in food processor/blender until smooth. Add strawberry puree and orange and lemon juices to sugar syrup. Stir. refridgerate until cold.
Process mixture in ice cream maker. Freeze after in air tight container. You can just put in a shallow container and skip the ice cream maker.

*I used less sugar and a little more lime
*my ice cream maker only fits a half batch of this.

Fried Rice peruvian style (Chifa al paso)

Fried Rice peruvian style (Chifa al paso)
Ingredients:
2 cups of cooked white rice
3 eggs scrambled
1 small chicken breast
1/4 onion chopped
1 tsp garlic pressed
1 TBS small piece of ginger root shredded
5 heads of green onions (use whites and greens)
1 tsp sesame oil
Soy sauce to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Butternut Squash Soup 2

Ingredients:

4 lbs whole butternut squash (about 2 medium)
2 Tbs butter
1 medium Granny Smith apple, (peeled, cored, and diced)
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt, plus more if needed
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3-1/2 cup cream
1 Tbs brown sugar (opt)
pinch of nutmeg or pinch of sage (opt)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Poke holes in squash with fork or knife. Microwave for 3 minutes each. Allow to cool. Cut in half, remove seeds, and place face down in baking pan. (I cover mine with tin foil). Put in oven and pour water into pan around squash halves. Bake 1 1/2 hours. (Alternately, you can brush halves with olive oil or butter, lightly salt and pepper them and cook them facing up for the same amount of time.)
Allow squash to cool slightly and scoop flesh out into bowl.
Melt butter in pan. Saute onion and apples until softened, about 7 minutes. Add squash, broth, water and seasonings. Mix and heat on medium low until it simmers. Continue to stir and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from head and stir in cream.
With an immersion blender or regular blender, puree the soup until smooth.

Simple Baked Fish

Goes great with rice and veggies. I sauté some onions and bell peppers, add vegetables, and then mix in some cooked rice and parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

1-1 1/2 lbs tilapia fillet
2-4 Tbs butter, melted
2 tsp lemon juice
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/3 cup Panko break crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 425. Lightly grease 13x9" baking dish.
Rinse fish filets and pat dry. Set them in single layer in the prepared baking dish.
In a small bowl, combine butter, lemon juice, garlic, sugar, pepper, thyme and parsley. Stir well. Pour evenly over fish.
Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes. Turn on broiler last 2-3 minutes if you want fish crispy.

From food.com

Taco Soup

(I know this is simple, but I didn't want to forget what I like)

1 lb ground beef, cooked with salt, pepper, and taco seasoning
1 cup corn
2 cans kidney beans
2 cans stewed tomatoes
about a cup or so of water to make it the consistency you like
more taco seasoning and salt and pepper to season how you like

Put everything in a pot and simmer for 30-60 minutes.

Toppings:
sour cream
cheese
cilantro limes

Squash Casserole

A great way to use up some of that extra squash when it is in season. For a different texture, try shredding the vegetables or adding some different veggies. I doubled the squash when I made it but didn't quiet double the rest of the ingredients, just to make it healthier.

Ingredients
(There are two additions of almonds in this recipe, just FYI)

1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs butter
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
4 cups peeled and cubed yellow squash or zucchini (or a mixture)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped, raw almonds
1 cup cheese (Cheddar, Colby, etc. whatever you have on hand)
1/2 heavy whipping cream (or 1/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup greek yogurt)
2 eggs
1 can of rotel or green chills (optional-for more flavor)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped roasted, salted almonds (I roasted my own in some butter)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat olive oil and butter in skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir onion and garlic until softened, about 3 minutes. Add squash, salt and pepper (and rotel or chills, if desired). Mix to combine. Cover skillet and cook about 5 minutes, until squash is soft. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. (Or casserole dish, if you don't want to wash an extra bowl like me)
Mix raw almonds and 1/2 cup cheese together. Stir into squash mixture. Whisk cream and eggs in separate bowl. Stir into squash mixture. Pour squash mixture into a 9x13-in casserole dish; top with remaining cheese and roasted almonds.
Bake 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.

Recipe from Allrecipes

Dr Pepper Pulled Pork

Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker
adapted slightly from Mama Foodie


2 1/2-3 lb pork butt (also known as a pork shoulder)
24 oz. (2 cans) Dr. Pepper (or any caramel colored soda pop, each will provide a slightly different flavor)
1 medium onion, cut in quarters and then again in half
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dry ground mustard
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on personal taste.)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
bbq sauce of choice
rolls or buns of choice

Place the chopped onions in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Place the pork butt on top of the onions and add the garlic, ground mustard, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, apple cider vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Pour the Dr. Pepper on top and cook on high for 4-5 hours (or on low for 8 hours).

Very carefully, because the pork will be hot, remove the meat from the slow cooker and place on a large cutting board.  Using two forks, shred the pork by pulling away from each other.  The meat should be very tender by this point.  Place the shredded pork back into the slow cooker and continue to cook for an additional hour. 

Drain the remaining juices and toss the meat and onion mixture in the bbq sauce of choice.  I don't have an exact amount listed- just add a bit at a time until you get to your desired sauciness! 

Top onto lightly toasted buns and enjoy!  Goes great with a good slaw and some oven fries.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Rotisserie chicken shredded

4 cans chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can rotel tomatoes (I would probably do mild and let people add hot sauce if they would like it hotter)
1 cup salsa  (Any kind is fine)
1 tb cumin
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic minced

1 cup of frozen corn 

Put all of this stuff in the crock pot on low for 4 ish hours.

Serve with sour cream, cheese (I usually do Monterey jack or Colby jack), chopped avocados, salsa, chips, lime, and extra cilantro.

Chicken Parmesan

Easy, delicious moist chicken every time!

Ingredients:

8 chicken breasts (pat dry)
plain yogurt
2 cups crushed Ritz crackers
3 TBS grated parmesan
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp seasoned salt
melted butter

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients in bowl or ziploc bag. Coat chicken with yogurt, then roll in crumbs. Put in buttered/greased pan and drizzle butter over chicken. Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Salsa Verde Pork

INGREDIENTS:

Pork tenderloin

2-3 jars of salsa verde like this picture:

DIRECTIONS:

Put into crock pot on low for 8 hours. Shred.

Make into this goodness (or into a taco salad, etc):

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS

2 cups white sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

--------------------------

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two nine inch round pans.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

(Recipe from allrecipes.com)