Flatbread

Flatbread

3 T. flour + 1/4 t. baking powder + pinch of salt (or use self rising flour)

3 T. plain greek yogurt

pinch of salt

Take a spatula mix dough together, knead together

Set dough aside for 10-15 minutes

Flour on board

fry pan-distribute oil

add flatbread cook 3-4 minutes

lift up golden brown texture

Topping ideas:

ricotta cheese

peach

pistachio

pesto

agrula

feta

sun-dried tomato

buffalo chicken

pickled red onion

Bake in oven with toppings for 5 minutes at 400 degrees

Store flatbread in fridge

Slow Cooker Balsamic-Ginger Chicken Lettuce Cups

Slow Cooker Balsamic-Ginger Chicken Lettuce Cups

1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. grated ginger
2 cloves garlic
1/2 t. red pepper flakes

Place all the ingredients in a crockpot

Then sear in fry pan
1-1/2 lb chicken thighs in a little EVOO

Shred chicken and stir into liquid  (I just cubed chicken)
Cook on high 3-4 hours
Cook on low 6-7 hrs.

3/4 c white rice
1 orange
2 scallions
1 head of lettuce

Shred
Source:
https://www.womansday.com/food-recipes/food-drinks/recipes/a11835/balsamic-ginger-chicken-lettuce-cups-recipe/

I made this it was really good.  Will make again.

Homemade baby foods

Baby vegetable purees

carrots
sweet potatoes
peas
fresh green beans
cauliflower
zucchini
pumpkins
butternut squash
spinach

banana

Steam food in a pot with a little water. 
Then put that cooked food in a food processor and blend until a puree
Then add some water to create a baby food mixture.
After put the baby puree in a ziploc bag and freeze.

Source:
Mom

Pork Chops with plum sauce

Pork Chops  (6 each)

sear pork chops

1 can (8ozs) chicken broth

blend up plums (could use peaches or apricots)  1 quart of fruit puree

1 chopped onion in food processor

2-3 cloves garlic

2 T. lemon pepper

3 to 4 jalapenos with seeds

2 T red wine vinegar (colavita)

Boil down all these ingredients.  Bring to a boil, then turn down and let simmer for 15 minutes.  Put seared pork chops and sauce in crockpot.

Cook on high for 5 hours.

Souce: Mom

*This was delicious the perfect amout of hot heat in the dish with the vinegar.  It was so good.  I can't replace mom's receipe because it is made with her home bottled plums.  But I could try with another quart of fruit.

White cake with strawberry jello

White cake mix with stawberry jello

Prepare white cake mix and then while cake is baking prepare jello to pour over baked cake.

Mix up 3oz of jello with 1 cup of water, stir until dissolved.  Then put jello in refrigerator to cool (but not set up) while cake is baking. 

When cake is done baking prick cake all over with a fork.  Slowly pour jello mixture all over cake.

Then put in the refrigerator for 3 hours to set up.

Make whipping cream to put on top then top with strawberry halves. 

Source: Mom

*This cake was delicious.  I need to make this.  It had a flavorful texture. 

Pork Roast with carrots, potatoes *need recipe*

*need recipe from mom with spices in it.  I believe it had cinnamon in it?  The roasted carrots, potatoes, and onions tasted delicious.

Savory baked beans (J. Schofield)

Savory baked beans (Joan Schofield)

2 (1 pound 13 oz.) cans of pork and beans
1 pound lean bacon, cut in pieces (raw) (see note)
1 medium onion cut in chunks
2 large green peppers cut in chunks
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup ketchup
1 cup brown sugar

Combine all ingredients and put in 2 medium-sized or 1 extra large casserole dish.* 

Bake, covered at 325 degrees for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.  Uncover last 30 minutes.

Note:  You can use less bacon but a full pound makes these beans unforgettable.  I have never shared this without someone asking for the recipe.

*(Mom cooks her in the a corning-ware pan in the oven.   Mom made these for Eric's birthday and he loved them!  I need to remember to use this recipe instead of Grandma Lee's.) 

Rhubarb Crunch (Grandma Young)

Rhubarb Crunch

Crunch Topping:
1 c. sifted flour
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. melted butter
3/4 c. uncooked rolled oats
1 t. cinnamon

Fruit Mixture
4 cups. diced rhubarb
1 c. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1 c. water
1 t. vanilla

Mix together crumb topping until crumbly.  Press 1/2 crumbs in a greased 9" pan.  Cover with rhubarb.  In small pan combine sugar, cornstarch, water and vanilla.  Cook, stirring constantly until thick and clear.  Pour over rhubarb. Top with remaining crumbs.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Source: Grandma Young

Fajita Chicken Dip

Fajita Chicken Dip
Serves 4

1-1/2 cup cottage cheese 1%
1 cup raw cauliflower
1 cup raw celery
1 cup raw peppers green
1 cup raw peppers red
1 Tbsp. raw scallions
16 olives, black
1 tsp fajita mix
4 ozs. cheese, cheddar, shredded
2 cups cooked tomatoes, diced (can try canned tomatoes with green chilies for extra flavor)
3 ozs of avocado
12 ozs chicken breast, boneless, skinless
2 tsp. lemon or lime juice

Preparation:
1-Shred already-prepared chicken
2-In a food processor, blend cottage cheese until smooth
3-Combine chicken, cottage cheese, fajita mix, cooked tomatoes, and lemon or lime juice in a bowl and mix together.
4-Transfer mixture to a baking dish.  Top with cheese and bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly with cheese melted on top.
5-Garnish with scallions, avocados , and olives.
Serve with non-starchy vegetables or other low carb veggies of your choice.

1 lean and green
3 condiments
1 healthy fat

Healthy yogurt apple dip

Healthy yogurt apple dip

3/4 c. plain greek yogurt
1 t. vanilla extract
2 t. honey
1 Tbsp. PB powder
1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder

Slice apples for dipping

Kluski Chicken

Kluski Chicken

2 can  cream of chicken soup
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 package dry Kluski noodles, cooked (mom used 12 oz pkg bowtie pasta)
3-4 cups cooked diced chicken (I think mom made her chicken in the crockpot)
Stove top stuffing mix
3/4 cube butter or margarine, melted (mom used 1/2 cup)
2 cups chicken broth

Mix soup and sour cream in 9 x 13" pan.  Stir in cooked Kluski noodles.  Add chicken and stir.  Sprinkle bread cubes from Stove Top dressing mix over the top.  Sprinkle seasoning packet from dressing mix over the top of the casserole.  Pour melted butter/margarine and 2 cups chicken broth over the top.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

**Mom made this recipe it was really good.  Andi and Eric liked it too.  Mom cooked her chicken thighs in the crockpot on high all day until the meat fell off the bone.  (I need to try this recipe) 

Yum Yum Rice Bowls with knockoff yumm sauce recipe

INGREDIENTS

YUM YUM BOWLS:

•  Warm, cooked brown or white rice, quinoa, or other "base" (see note)
•  Canned black beans, rinsed and drained (warmed lightly, if desired, or for extra yumminess, you could use this black beans recipe)
•  Chopped olives
•  Chopped red, green, yellow or orange peppers
•  Chopped tomatoes
•  Chopped or shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
•  Chopped avocados
•  Chopped, fresh cilantro
•  Sour cream
•  Salsa

YUMM SAUCE:

•  1/2 cup avocado, canola, or vegetable oil
•  1/2 cup slivered almonds
•  1 cup canned Great Northern or Garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
•  1/2 cup water
•  1/2 cup light coconut milk (from a can)
•  1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3 large lemons)
•  2 garlic cloves, minced
•  1/2 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
•  Pinch of coarsely ground black pepper
•  1 teaspoon curry powder
•  1 teaspoon dried oregano
•  2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
•  1/3 cup nutritional yeast (see note)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the Yumm sauce, add the oil, almonds, beans and water to a blender. Process until very smooth, 1-2 minutes (or as long as needed).
2. Add the coconut milk, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, curry powder, oregano, cilantro and nutritional yeast. Process again until creamy and smooth. Add additional water to thin out the sauce, if needed. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve (this tastes best after it's had time to rest - even several days - but you can also use it right away).
3. For the Yum Yum Bowls, layer rice or quinoa in the bottom of a bowl. Add black beans and a healthy dollop of Yum Yum sauce and salsa. Follow it with all the toppings your little heart desires (peppers, olives, cheese, tomatoes, avocados, fresh cilantro, sour cream, and more salsa and yum yum sauce, if desired).
4. Dig in!

NOTES

Ingredient Amount: you'll notice I didn't give amounts for the ingredients listed in the Yum Yum bowl section because this recipe is SO customizable and dependent on how many you are serving. Plus, you can add or take away some of the ingredients based on preference/allergies.

Substitutions: you could sub in spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles (i.e. zoodles) for the rice or quinoa. The options really are endless.

Curry Powder: as always, my favorite curry powder in all the world is the Sweet Curry Powder from Penzey's Spices (no affiliation; I just love it very much and it's the only curry powder I use).

Nutritional Yeast: I haven't ever subbed anything in for the nutritional yeast in the Yumm sauce recipe, mostly because it's an ingredient we keep on hand (as we sprinkle it on our air-popped popcorn all the time). I've bought Bragg's, Bob's Red Mill and Hoosier Hill farm brands; all are great. I've also seen it in the bulk bins at my grocery store (Winco).

Yeast Substitute: If you're wondering about a sub for the nutritional yeast, it has a salty, cheesy, nutty flavor with a powdery/flaky consistency, so if you leave it out, try increasing the salt and/or using a handful of roasted/salted cashews.

Sauce: the sauce recipe, as written, makes about 4 cups, which is more than we use in one sit-down meal of Yum Yum Bowls. You can halve the ingredients or store the leftovers in the refrigerator to use for dipping fresh vegetables and spreading on sandwiches (among many other things; it's delicious).

Ranch: having said all of that, my father-in-law always nixes the Yum Yum Sauce completely and uses ranch. So there is always that option.

** I made this recipe, I like the yumm yumm sauce.  I only made a half of a recipe and it made a ton.  I added too much water to my sauce and so I will have to try again to make the sauce.  We put it over Jasmine rice, great northern beans, and black beans.  Then added only the toppings of cavocados, olives, bell pepper, and cilantro.  I will make again.  Andi did not like the sauce.**

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 big cans diced chicken
1 cup ranch dressing
2 cups shredded jack cheese
2 (8oz) cream cheese
1 (6oz.) franks hot sauce

Combine and heat in crockpot
Serve with chips

Source:Shauna Briggs

I halfed this recipe:
1 big can diced chicken
1/2 cup ranch dressing (hidden valley made salad dressing)
1 cup shredded jack cheese
1 (8ozs) cream cheese
1 (3oz) franks hot sauce

I made this in the crockpot we will see if it is good. I did not think this was very good.  Maybe it was because I didn't use any jack cheese. 

Spinach Salad

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

AMAZING SPINACH SALAD WITH SWEET-SPICY NUTS, APPLES, FETA AND BACON

PREP TIME 20 MINUTES

COOK TIME 10 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME 30 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

SALAD:

•  16 ounces baby spinach
•  ½ small red onion, slivered (see note about tempering the onion flavor)
•  6 slices of applewood smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled or chopped into small pieces
•  1 cup Feta cheese crumbles, more or less to taste
•  1 cup dried cranberries or cherries, more or less to taste
•  1-2 Honey Crisp apples, cored and sliced thin

SWEET SPICY NUTS:

•  1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
•  1/3 cup granulated sugar
•  Pinch of cayenne (more to taste if you want)
•  Pinch of salt

RED WINE VINAIGRETTE:

•  1/4 cup red wine vinegar
•  1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
•  1 clove of garlic, pressed or finely minced
•  1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
•  1 teaspoon sugar
•  1/2 teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
•  Fresh cracked pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. For the dressing, shake all the ingredients together in a mason jar until well combined or run them through a quick blender cycle. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The dressing can be made up to a week in advance.
2. For the nuts, lightly toast the nuts in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, checking often so they don't burn. While they toast, place the sugar, cayenne and salt in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the sugar mixture until it liquifies completely, adjusting the heat so it doesn't bubble and burn. Toss in the toasted nuts and stir to coat the nuts with sugar. Let the sugared nuts cool completely.
3. To assemble the salad, toss all the salad ingredients together along with the cooled nuts. Serve immediately with the vinaigrette alongside. All the components can be measured out/prepped ahead of time and stored separately (I like to soak the apples in a bit of lemon juice in water to help prevent browning). Just toss right before serving. Enjoy!

NOTES

Kim, who gave me this recipe, alerted me to the most magnificent tip. I love onions but hate the after effects of eating them raw in a salad. To temper the onions a bit, soak the onion slices covered in cold water with a bit of baking soda (I use about 1/2 teaspoon soda). Let them sit for 15-20 minutes then rinse and drain well.

Also, in my pictures, disregard the overly yellow color of my vinaigrette. I went a little crazy with the mustard when I made it this time. Yours probably won't be quite this yellow.

Finally, this recipe makes an excellent main dish if served alongside grilled chicken and keep in mind that all the quantities can easily be adapted according to taste. Yum!

HTTPS://WWW.MELSKITCHENCAFE.COM/SPINACH-SALAD-WITH-SWEET-SPICY-NUTS-APPLES-FETA-AND-BACON/

I made this recipe for sunday dinner it was delicious.  The dressing is really good, and the roasted walnuts are delicious could add a little more cayenne to the nuts.  cooled the nuts straight on a cookie sheet then scrapped them off with a silver spatula.  

Thai Salad w/ honey garlic dressing

YIELD: 6-8 SERVINGS

CHOPPED THAI SALAD WITH HONEY GARLIC DRESSING

PREP TIME 25 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME 25 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

DRESSING:

•  1/4 cup canola, vegetable, avocado or other neutral-flavored oil
•  2 cloves garlic, peeled
•  1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
•  2 tablespoons water
•  2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
•  1 heaping tablespoon honey
•  1 teaspoon sesame oil
•  1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (or ginger paste)
•  1/2 to 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

SALAD:

•  4 cups chopped kale or baby kale (about 4 ounces)
•  4 cups chopped romaine lettuce (about 4-5 ounces)
•  3 large carrots, peeled and small diced
•  1 red bell pepper, seeded and small diced
•  1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and small diced
•  1/2 cup chopped cilantro
•  1 to 2 green onions, white and green parts chopped
•  3/4 cup roasted cashews
•  1 to 2 cups frozen, shelled edamame (fully cooked), thawed and patted dry (see note)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine all the dressing ingredients together in a blender and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed.
2. In a serving or salad bowl, add the chopped kale, romaine, carrots, bell peppers, cilantro and green onions.
3. In a food processor (or blender...or by hand with an old-fashioned knife and cutting board), add the edamame and pulse until minced but still a little chunky in texture. Scrape the edamame into the salad bowl.
4. Add the cashews to the food processor (or blender...or again, with a knife and cutting board) and pulse until coarsely chopped to desired texture. Add the cashews to the salad bowl.
5. Give the salad ingredients a light toss.
6. Pour about half of the dressing over the salad, and toss to combine. Add additional dressing to taste, and serve immediately. To preserve crisp leftovers, add the dressing only to individual servings instead of the whole batch so leftover salad doesn't get soggy.

**I made this recipe but substituted spinach for the romaine and kale.  It was not a good idea it went soggy really quick especially because I poured all the dressing on it.  I ended up picking out the spinach and eating the rest of the salad a couple of days later since the spinach was so soggy.  I didn't really like the dressing in this salad and it took a long time to chop up all of the ingredients.  Could try again with a different dressing-maybe try a spicy dressing.  Or try the dressing again with Braggs liquid amino acids and not soy sauce. **

NOTES

Edamame is often available in the frozen vegetable section. Trader Joe's sells already shelled, fully cooked, frozen edamame, but I've also seen it in a couple local grocery stores' freezer section. If you can only find edamame still shelled, defrost and pop the edamame out of the shells. Most frozen edamame I've seen is already steamed/fully cooked. If it's not, steam it for 4-5 minutes, cool, and then use in the recipe.

If you can't find edamame at all, try subbing chickpeas (well-drained) or fresh or thawed (and patted dry) green peas. If using either of these, make sure not to process too much or you'll end up with paste instead of the delightful minced texture you're after.

HTTPS://WWW.MELSKITCHENCAFE.COM/CHOPPED-THAI-SALAD-HONEY-GARLIC-DRESSING/