Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad

Bow-tie pasta
red/green bell-pepper
grated carrot
red onion
zucchini
cucumbers
diced olives
celery
cherry tomatoes
shredded Parmesean
croutons
turkey,  salami or mini pepperoni
Salad seasoning (4 Tbsp)

Combine whatever veggies you want that are in season and mix with Olive Gardens Italian Dressing (so good!)

Source:  Debbie Lee 

Ham Sliders

Ham Sliders

1 T. poppy seed
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 t. garlic salt
1 dozen Hawaiian rolls
Ham (Sara Lee Honey Ham cut #4 thick)
Swiss (Sargento baby Swiss)

Combine dressing and pour over ham sandwiches.
Cover and Refrigerate overnight
Cook at 350' for 20minutes

*(Note Follow the exact same recipe except use 1 cup of butter for 2 dozen rolls)

What to serve with this
Broccoli Cheese Soup

Source: Debbie Lee

Homemade Fruit Snacks

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups pureed fruit (I used 1/2 lb strawberries, 6oz. blueberries, and 6oz. raspberries)
5 packets or 1/4 cup of unflavored gelatin powder
2 Tablespoons honey
3 Tablespoons fruit juice (I used orange juice)

Directions:
Puree fruit in a food processor or blender. Pour it into a medium sized saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in juice and honey. Heat until it starts to bubble and slowly add the gelatin powder whisking continually until combined. Pour into an 8×8 baking dish, or small silicone candy molds if you desire specific shapes like stars, dinosaurs, hearts, Lego men, etc. Place in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
After the mixture sets, cut around the sides of the pan with a knife and slide a spatula underneath and place on a cutting board.  Cut snacks into small pieces to serve. Store fruit snacks in the fridge for up to a week.

These fruit snacks were popular in my house and make a great addition to school lunches. My kids loved them and I hope yours do too. It’s a great way to use up fruit that may be going bad and will be even less expensive with summer berries!

Source:  Lina for Hip2Save

Crepes

Crepes



3 eggs
1 c. milk
3 T. oil (or melted butter)
3/4 c. flour
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt

Combine all ingredients in blender, and blend for 1 minute.  Scrape down sides of blender.  Blend a few seconds till smooth. 

Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Pour a small amount of batter into a medium hot crepe pan, so it sizzles a drop of water.  Cook until golden brown, flip.  Serve warm with butter and powdered sugar.  Or fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar.

Lemon Cream Cheese Bars

Lemon Cream Cheese Bars

 

1 duncan hines pudding recipe yellow cake mix
1-8oz package cream cheese (softened)
1/3 c. sugar
1 t. lemon juice

Mix dry cake mix and 1 egg, 1/3 cup oil until crumbly  (reserve 1 cup of this mixture)
Pat remains of mixture into ungreased 9 X 13 pan.
Bake for 15 minutes at 350'
Beat cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and 1 egg until light and smooth.
Spread over baked layer, sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
Bake 15 minutes longer at 350'
Cool-cut into bars

Source: Debbie Lee

French Breakfast Muffins

French Breakfast Muffins
 
1/3 c. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 c. four*
1-1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. butter, melted

Heat oven to 375'  Grease 15 medium muffin cups.  Mix thoroughly shortening, 1/2 c. sugar and the egg.  Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg alternately with milk.  Fill muffin cups 2/3 cup full.  Bake 20-25 minutes.  Mix 1/2 c. sugar and the cinnamon, immediately after baking, roll puffs in melted butter, then cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Serve hot

Makes 12-15 muffins

*if using self-rising flour, omit baking powder and salt

Source: 

Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash & Quinoa Recipe

Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash & Quinoa Recipe

 

• 1 1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded & chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes
• 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
• 3/4 cup pitted and quartered kalamata olives
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Steam the butternut squash until barely tender, about 10 minutes. Remove half of the squash pieces and set aside.
2. Steam the remaining squash until very tender, an additional 4 to 6 minutes. Mash this squash with the back of a fork. Set aside.
3. In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring the chicken broth to a simmer.
4. Add chicken thighs, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate and allow to cool. Pour broth into a medium-sized bowl.
6. Return the saucepan to the stovetop and lower heat to medium. Add olive oil.
7. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to turn brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Add the salt, minced garlic and oregano. Cook, stirring, for 1 additional minute.
9. To the saucepan, add tomatoes, butternut squash pieces, mashed butternut squash. Stir to combine.
10. Stir in reserved chicken broth and quinoa. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa turns translucent, about 15 minutes.
11. Shred the chicken with your fingers or a fork.
12. Stir the chicken, olives and pepper into the stew and simmer, uncovered, to heat, about 5 minutes.
13. Stir in parsley and serve.

Source:  Cookin' Canuck. www.cookincanuck.com

Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet Potato Fries

 

2 (medium) sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean and sliced into 1/8-inch slices 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Place sweet potato slices and oil in a re-sealable bag and shake to coat.

3. In a small dish, combine the seasonings and add to the sweet potatoes. Shake again to evenly coat.
4. Lay potato slices on a foil-lined baking sheet, and bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven and flip.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes until crisp.

And Done…Place potatoes on a wire cooling rack to cool (they crisp up more while cooling).

Source:  The Recipe Diva

Som Tam-Thailand Papaya Salad

Som Tam

• SERVES 4+ (Makes one very large bowl of Som Tam)
• 1/2 green papaya (see buying instructions below)
• 1- 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1/2 English cucumber, sliced into matchstick-like pieces
• 2 tomatoes, cut into thin wedges or strips
• 3 green onions, cut into matchstick-like pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander
• 1/3 cup fresh basil
• 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, ground or chopped
• Optional: 3/4 to 1 cup cooked shrimp or crab meat (if vegetarian: add 1/2 to 1 cup fried tofu)
• DRESSING:
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• juice of 1 lime
• 3 Tbsp. fish sauce (OR 4 Tbsp. soy sauce if vegetarian)
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1-2 Tbsp. liquid honey (to taste)
• 1 tsp. shrimp paste (OR 1 tsp. ground bean sauce if vegetarian)
• 1-2 Thai red chilies (or substitute 1/2 tsp. or more dried crushed chili)

Preparation:

For step-by-step recipe instructions, see: How to Make Green Papaya Salad. Shopping Tip: For this salad, you can try looking for a very green papaya at your grocery store (either 2 Hawaiian papayas or 1 Caribbean type). However, I recommend buying one at an Asian store, simply because it's hard to tell whether a papaya is actually green or in one of the stages of ripening. Asian stores and markets sell green papayas labelled as such. Sometimes they are even sliced open so you can see it is green inside (the seeds will be white).

1. Stir all "dressing" ingredients together. This dressing should be tangy - a combination of sweet, sour, spicy and salty, but more sweet than sour (this will help balance out the sharpness of the papaya).
2. Slice the papaya in half lengthwise and crack it open. Scrape out the seeds and discard. Then turn over each half and peel off the green skin.
3. Use a large-size grater to grate the papaya, or shred it as they do in Thailand: simply make many long cuts into the flesh, then thinly slice off the top layer into a bowl (to see what this looks like, go to: How to Shred Green Papaya.
At this point, Thai cooks preform an optional step, bashing the shredded papaya with a pestle to bring out the juice. Another way is to place the shredded papaya in a food processor and pulse briefly.

4. Combine the green papaya with all the other salad ingredients in a large bowl, reserving the peanuts and half the fresh basil for toppings. Pour over the dressing and toss well.
5. Taste-test the salad. If you'd prefer it saltier, add more fish sauce or soy sauce. If you'd prefer it sweeter, drizzle over a little more honey. Toss again.
6. Portion out into bowls and top with the ground peanuts plus reserved basil. ENJOY!

Source:  http://thaifood.about.com

Wassail

Wassail

4 qts water
5 cups sugar
2 T whole cloves
12 cinnamon sticks broken into pieces
2 tsp. ground ginger
4 qts orange juice
2 c. lemon juice
one gallon apple cider or apple juice

In a very large kettle combine water, sugar, cloves, cinnamon sticks and ground ginger.  Bring to a boil.  Sit overnight or steep for 4-5 hours with a lid.  Strain.  Add but do not boil, the orange juice, lemon juice and apple juice.

Source:  Tricia Davis

Hot Artichoke Dip

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 c. sour cream
1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
8.5 oz can artichoke hearts, chopped (marinated or plain)
7 oz. can green chilies, chopped

Combine sour cream, Parmesan cheese, artichoke heats and chilies in a small casserole dish or pie plate.  Bake at 375' for 10-15 minutes or until warm.  Serve with tortilla chips or wheat crackers.

Note This a lighter version of the traditional mayonnaise recipe.

Source:  Stevie Mangum

Hot Sausage Dip

Hot Sausage Dip


16 oz pkg Jimmy Dean regular sausage
7 oz. can mild diced green chiles
1 jar mild salsa verde ( La Victoria)
8 oz cream cheese
16 oz sour cream

In a saucepan cook sausage and drain.  Add salsa, chilies, sour cream and cream cheese and simmer for 20 minutes.  Serve with tortilla chips.  If you like it spicy, just use hotter chilies and salsa.

Source:  Tricia Davis

Ham & Turkey(or Chicken) Cordon Bleu Casserole

Ham & Turkey(or Chicken) Cordon Blue Casserole

4 c. cubed cooked turkey
3 c. cubed fully cooked ham
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. butter
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. light cream
1 tsp. dill weed
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350'  In a large bowl combine turkey, ham and cheese; set aside.  In a saucepan saute' onion in butter until tender.  Add flour; stir to form a paste.  Gradually add cream, stirring constantly.  Bring to a boil; boil 1 minute or until thick.  Add dill, mustard and nutmeg; mix well.  Remove from the heat and pour over meat mixture.  Spoon into a greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish.

Topping
1 c. dry bread crumbs
2 T butter or margarine, melted
1/4 tsp dill weed
3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. chopped walnuts

Toss the bread crumbs, butter and dill; stir in cheese and walnuts.  Sprinkle over the casserole.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Note:
When you bake a turkey or ham, save the leftovers to make this dish.  You can also buy unsliced turkey or ham from the deli and cube it for the casserole.

Source:  Peggy Paul

Chicken Broccoli Divine

Chicken Broccoli Divine

16 oz pkg broccoli (or use fresh broccoli)
4-6 cooked whole chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 c. mayonnaise
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 t. curry powder
1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese
2 c. cooked rice
1 c. bread crumbs
1 T. melted butter

Spread broccoli in a 9 X 13 pan.  Lay chicken breast on top of broccoli.  Mix together soup and mayonnaise.  To mayonnaise mixture, add lemon juice, curry powder, cheese, and rice.  Pour over chicken.  Top with buttered bread crumbs.  Cover with foil.  Bake 325' for 45 minutes or (350' for 30 minutes)

Source: Louisa Greaves

Honey Orange Glazed Carrots

Honey Orange Glazed Carrots

2 lbs carrots, peeled (about 5 cups)
1/2 c. water
2 T butter
2 T honey
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1/2-1 tsp. grated orange zest
1/2 c. orange juice
salt and pepper

Cut the carrots diagonally in 1-inch thick slices.  Place water, butter, honey, salt and ginger in a large saute pan and bring to a boil.  Add the carrots, cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes, until all the water has evaporated.  Add the orange zest and orange juice to the pan, tossing with the carrots.  Simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes, until the carrots are al dente (tender but still resistant when you bite) and the sauce glazes the carrots.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

What to serve with this....

Source: Ann Bowen

Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Sauce

Pork Tenderloin
1-1/2 lbs pork tenderloin
olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350'  Place roast in baking pan and bake for 1 hour.  Baste with apricot sauce a few times for the last 1/2 hour.  Use enough sauce to prevent it from burning.

Apricot Sauce
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. white cooking wine (optional)
1/4 c. tarragon vinegar
3/4 c. apricot preserves
2 T. soy sauce
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. regular mustard
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Mix sauce ingredients in a blender until not quite smooth.
Makes 4 servings
Source: Susan Coon

Steak Ranch Baked Quesadillas

 
 

1 c. cooked steak or chicken

1 c. shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese or Mozzarella
1/2 c. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
1/4 c. diced green chiles, rinsed and drained
4 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350'  Combine steak or chicken, cheese, ranch dressing and chiles in a medium bowl.  Place about 1/2 cup of steak or chicken mixture on each tortilla; fold in half to seal.  Place quesadillas on a baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Garnish with salsa and guacamole, if desired.

Source: Hazel Quigley