Yummy Summer Salad

Asian Chicken Pasta Salad
(I got this recipe from Dane's cousin at a baby shower and I can't get enough!)

16oz. bowtie pasta, cooked al dente

Dressing:

1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil

2/3 c. Teriyaki sauce (I like Mr. Yoshida or Kikkoman)

1/2 c. white wine vinegar

4 T. sugar

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

Salad: (Adjust amounts to your taste or to what you have around)

1/2 bag fresh spinach (I used a whole bag)

1 c. craizins

2 cans mandarin oranges, drained (omitted)

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 bunch cilantro, chopped (omitted)

1/4 c. toasted sesame seeds (omitted)

1 c. honey roasted peanuts (substituted candied, slivered almonds)

2 c. cooked, diced chicken (I boiled mine)

Directions:

Mix the dressing and cooked pasta and chill for 4 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally. (Check to make sure there isn't a pool of dressing in the bottom of the bowl.) A little while before serving add and toss together remaining ingredients. *I add more teriyaki sauce before serving if the noodles aren't flavored enough.

This makes a LARGE bowl of salad so it's great for potlucks or family gatherings. If you are making it for a smaller family/group you will want to half it.

An Easy and Delicious Coffee Cake

Moist Sour Cream Coffee Cake

prep time: 15 min

total time: 1 hr 15 min

makes: 24 servings

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups Granulated sugar

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

1 tsp. Vanilla

2 Eggs

2 cups Flour

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Baking soda

1 cup Sour Cream

1 cup chopped Pecans

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1-1/2 tsp. Ground cinnamon

Make It

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Beat granulated sugar, butter and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add to sugar mixture alternately with sour cream, beating until well blended after each addition.
MIX pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon. Spoon half of the pecan mixture into greased 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan; top with half of the cake batter. Repeat layers. (I love nuts, so I added additional chopped pecans into the batter itself and then layered with the sugar, cinnamon and nut mixture.)
BAKE 55 minutes to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on wire rack. Loosen cake from side of pan with spatula or knife. Invert cake onto wire rack; gently remove pan. Cool completely.

Summer Chicken

Grilled Lemon-Dijon Chicken

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 45 Minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic, red bell pepper, salt, and pepper. Set aside 1/4 cup of the mixture to use for basting. Place chicken in the bowl, and marinate at least 20 minutes (best for about an hour) in the refrigerator.

Preheat grill for high heat.

Lightly oil grill grate. Drain and discard marinade from the bowl, and place chicken on the grill. Cook 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear, basting occasionally with the reserved marinade.

A delicious tangy taste, light and refreshing.

Twist on Potato Casserole

Three-Cheese Baked Gnocchi

Start to Finish: 30 min
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pie mix)
8 oz container creme fraiche (I substituted Greek yogurt for cost and fat)
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 lb thick-sliced prosciutto, cut into thin strips (substituted chopped bacon)
3 roasted red peppers (jarred), drained and diced (I omitted these, but they would probably be good)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 lbs packaged gnocchi pasta (I found mine at Target in the pasta aisle)
1/2 cup pine nuts, coarsely ground (I substituted chopped walnuts)
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 stick butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Lightly coat a 13x9 inch (3-quart) baking pan with cooking spray.

While the water heats, in a large bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, creme fraiche/yogurt, mozzarella cheese, Cheddar cheese, prosciutto/bacon, roasted red peppers, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

When the water is boiling, add the gnocchi and cook according to package directions (usually just until they float). Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water, then drain the gnocchi.

Return the gnocchi to the pan, then add the cheese mixture. Stir well until everything is thoroughly mixed and the cheese is mostly melted. Stir in the reserved cooking water.

Transfer the gnocchi and sauce to the prepared baking pan, spreading it in an even layer. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the ground pine nuts, breadcrumbs and butter. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs mixture evenly over the gnocchi, then bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

We found this yummy and something different. It would make a great side dish to meat and it's very filling with its starchy pasta and has a nice hint of heat.

Quick Dinner or Brunch

Cheesy Broccoli Pie
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients:

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

2/3 cup chopped onion (I used red onion because I had it on hand)

3 eggs

1 1/3 cups milk

3/4 cup biscuit baking mix (Bisquick)

1/2 teaspoon salt (I might add a touch more S&P)

1/4 tsp pepper
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine broccoli, 2 cups cheese and onion. In another bowl, combine eggs, milk, biscuit mix, salt and pepper; mix well. Pour over broccoli mixture; toss gently. Pour into two greased 9-in. pie plates.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; return to the oven for 1-2 minutes or until melted. (I sprinkled the cheese on at the very beginning of baking and found it created a nice golden cheesy crust). Let stand 5-10 minutes before cutting.

I don't usually use a lot of pre-fab products like Bisquick, but I was looking for a quick and easy dinner and this was quite good. The kids ate it well and you could really substitute anything you had on hand if you wanted to change up the flavor. It would be good with bacon, ham, or even ground beef added.

Not Your Usual Crockpot Dish

Monterey Spaghetti

Ingredients:

4 ounces spaghetti, broken into 2 inch pieces
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 can (3 oz) french fried onions

Directions:

Grease crock-pot. Cook spaghetti in boiling water for 5-7 minutes. Drain. In a small bowl, beat egg. Transfer to the crock-pot. Add sour cream, Parmesan cheese, and garlic powder. Mix spaghetti, 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, spinach and half of the onions in the crock-pot.

Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. In the last 30 minutes of cooking turn to high if cooking on low and add to top of casserole the remainder of the Monterey Jack cheese and the onions. (I found these time measurements to be way too long, I did high, so if you're not around to watch it, I would suggest more like 4-5 hours on low or 2-3 on high). Serve when cheese is melted. Serves 6-8 (as a side dish)

I served this as our main dish for our family of 2 adults, 3 kids, and ate it with salad, biscuits, fruit, etc. It was filling and delicious with hardly any leftovers.

Mexican Dinner Night

Taco, Rice, Beans, & Dressing

From Jenny Harris

Sweet Pork Tacos

1 Pork Roast
1 Cup Salsa
1 Cup Brown Sugar

Put all in a crock pot and let it cook all day. (I added water for moisture.)


Pico de Gallo

6 Roma tomatoes, diced
6 green onions, diced
Juice from 1 lime
2 Jalapenos, seeded and sliced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine all ingredients, cover and refrigerate to let flavors blend.

Lemon Cilantro Rice

2 cups water
1 Tbsp Butter
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tsp of chicken bouillon
Pinch of garlic powder
Ad desired amount of cilantro
1 cup of rice

Bring to a boil, and then add rice. Stir and turn down to med-high, bring to a boil again. Let steam.

Black Beans

Just put a can of drained, rinsed beans in a pot. Add some salsa, garlic powder, cilantro, lime juice. Let warm up together to blend the flavors.


Cilantro Ranch Dressing

1 package Ranch dressing
3 TBS Salsa Verde
1/8 tsp Tabasco
½ bunch cilantro with stems (best to cut cilantro with scissors instead of chop)
2 med garlic cloves
¾ cup mayonnaise
¾ cup sour cream
Juice and rind from 1 lime

Mix together in blender – thin to desired thickness with milk.

Brownies

Brownie Mix

From Jenny Harris

7 cups all-purpose flour

4 tsp. baking powder

4 tsp. salt

9 cups of sugar

1 (8 oz.) can Hershey's unsweetened cocoa

2 cups vegetable shortening

In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until in even course crumbs. Label and store in an airtight container. Use within 3 months. Makes 17 cups - enough for about 7 batches of brownies. For fudgey brownies add 1 large box chocolate pudding mix. For chocolate chunk brownies add 1 12 oz. bag chocolate chips or chunks. For nutty brownies add 2 2 cups of walnuts or pecans. Or add all 3! Using brand name cocoa makes all the difference between delicious or bitter brownies - so splurge on the good stuff!

Brownies

2 beaten eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 2 cups Brownie Mix

In medium bowl combine all ingredients. Beat until smooth. Pour into a greased & floured 8" square pan. Bake 30 - 35 min. until edges separate from pan. Cool and cut into 2 A bars. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or frost with chocolate frosting.

ATTN Chocoholics

Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix 

1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/4 cup milk

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used mini chips and they worked great)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and milk. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. (Make sure not to overbake because it will sit in the pan for awhile and may dry it out.) Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate

If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar. (I skipped the powdered sugar, and chose to cover the cake with a delicious chocolate ganache. So Yummy!)

Best Apple Pie

Apple Pie by Grandma Ople
(All Recipes, revised)

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour

Ready In: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie 1/2 cup unsalted butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced (I only used 6 apples) Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar,cinnamon, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer. Place the bottom crust in your pan. (Brush the bottom crust with an egg white wash to keep it from soaking up the pie filling.) Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Pour 2/3 of the syrup mixture over the apples. Cover with a lattice work of crust. Gently pour the remaining sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off. Bake at 350 for about an hour, until apples are soft. This had perfect texture & flavor, and the syrupy lattice on top added a wonderful crunch. So Yummy! Enjoy warm with vanilla ice cream! When making the syrup, a few people suggested adding a tsp or so of cornstarch just to thicken it a little more. I did this the first time, but I'm not completely sure it was necessary. However, if you plan on eating it straight out of the oven this would probably be a good idea.