Thursday, May 23, 2013

Sloppy Joes

1 lb ground beef
1 can condensed tomato soup
1/2 c. salsa

Brown ground beef. Add condensed soup & salsa. Simmer to desired thickness. It's really that easy

Cashew Chicken


6 cups boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup whole cashews

Marinade:
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp white wine or chicken broth
1 cup soy sauce 
1 cup water
1 1/2 cup brown sugar.

Mix ingredients for marinade.  Divide the marinade in half.  Use 1/2 to marinate chicken for 20 minutes.  Drain & discard marinade.  Heat oil in wok or large skillet to 375 degrees.  Stir-fry chicken in oil until done.  Add remaining marinade to chicken and heat until warm.  Add cashews & serve over hot rice. 

To freeze:  Do not freeze cashews with chicken mixture or they will become mushy.  Store them for later.  Cool chicken slightly & put chicken into freezer bags.  Label and freeze. To heat: warm in oven or place in microwave-safe bowl.  Lightly cover bowl and heat chicken mixture.  Add cashews and serve over hot rice. 

Ham and Cheese Quiche

2 9-inch pastry shells, baked
2 cups chopped ham
2 cups cheddar cheese
2 tsp dry, minced onion
4 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Divide ham, cheese, & onion between shells.  Whisk remaining ingredients and pour over ham & cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Yield 8-10 servings

To freeze: Do not bake & carefully slide each quiche into a Ziplock bag.  (Tin pie plates work best for freezing).  Do not stack them in the freezer until they are completely solid.  Thaw before baking.

Outback Alice Springs Chicken


This recipe is from Favorite Family Recipes.

Ingredients

Honey Mustard Marinade:
  • 1 c. Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
  • 1 c. honey
  • 1/2 c. mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
Chicken:
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  • 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 c. sliced mushrooms (10?12 mushrooms)
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • salt and pepper
  • paprika
  • 8 slices bacon, cooked
  • 1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
  • Use an electric mixer to combine the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Whip the mixture for about 30 seconds. Place chicken in a Ziploc bag and pour in about 1/3 of the marinade. Seal the bag and press out as much air as you can and marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
  • Chill the remaining marinade until later. After the chicken has marinated, remove chicken from bag and discard the marinade that it has been soaking in. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and heat an ovenproof frying pan large enough to hold all four breasts and 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat. (If you don't have an ovenproof frying pan, transfer the chicken to a baking dish).
  • Sear the chicken in the pan for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove pan from heat but keep chicken in the pan. As the chicken is cooking, in a small frying pan saute the mushrooms in the butter. Brush each seared chicken breast with a little of the honey mustard marinade being sure to save a little extra that you can serve on the side later with the dish.
  • Season the chicken with salt, pepper and paprika ( I am usually pretty generous with the paprika, I love the flavor). Stack two pieces of cooked bacon, crosswise on each chicken breast. Spoon the sauteed mushrooms onto the bacon, being sure to coat each breast evenly. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese evenly onto each breast followed by 1/4 cup of cheddar.
  • Bake the pan of prepared chicken breasts for 7-10 minutes or until cheese is thoroughly melted and starting to bubble. Sprinkle each breast with 1/2 teaspoon parsley before serving. Put extra honey mustard marinade into a small bowl to serve on the side.

Italian Cream Sodas

This Recipe is from Butter with a side of Bread

What you'll need:

  • Club Soda
  • Half & Half
  • Torani Syrups
  • Ice
  • Whipped Cream
  • Cherries
To make one Italian Cream Soda, you'll need:
  • 1/2 cup Club Soda
  • 3 TBSP Torani Syrup {try Raspberry Vanilla- 2 TBSP Raspberry to 1 TBSP Vanilla}
  • 1 TBSP Half & Half
  • 3 ice cubes
  • whipped cream and a cherry for the top!
Add ice cubes to glasses. Measure out about 1/2 cup Club Soda  and pour into each glass. {If you have larger glasses, you can double all of the ingredients.}

Sour Cream Lemon Pie

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
3 tbsp plus 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp grated lemon peel
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1 9-inch pastry shell, baked
1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped and sweetened
Lemon twists for garnish

Method:

Combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon peel, juice, egg yolks and milk in heavy saucepan; cook over medium heat until thickened.  Stir in butter and cool mixture to room temperature.  Stir in sour cream and pour filling into pie shell.  Spread with whipped cream and garnish with lemon twists.  Chill & serve.

Meatballs Stroganoff

Ingredients:
I'm giving you fair warning, this is NOT a 'measure everything out' recipe.  Instead, its one of those things you throw together after work on a busy day because it works and its delicious and your kids love it, and its super fast.
  • Frozen Italian style meatballs (1/2 oz each) 
    • generally, enough to cover the bottom of the pan.  Depends on who is home.
  • Extra virgin olive oil 
    • 1+ Tbsp - just enough to brown up the meatballs.  
  • 2 cups beef broth 
    • use more for more meatballs... just go with this recipe.  Don't over think it.
  • Seasoning
    • kosher salt and black pepper to taste
    • dried herbs (probably at least 1 - 1 1/2 tsp each) - parsley, oregano, basil
    • it will look like a lot of seasoning, but in the end, it will be great!
  • 2/3 - 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream (or cream cheese)
  • Wide egg noodles
    • enough for whoever is there.

Method:
Start off with your favorite brand of frozen Italian style meatballs.  Brown them in a little olive oil in a skillet (a black iron skillet if you have one).  This is where you get all the good flavors - from the fond (the brown bits that stick on the bottom) that gets stuck in the skillet.  [I don't think this would work as well in a non-stick skillet b/c it releases too much of that goodness.]

After they are browned up nicely, deglaze the pan with about 2 cups of beef broth.  Bring to a boil.  Season generously with salt and pepper, dried herbs (parsley, oregano, basil).  When it starts reducing, add about 2/3 cup sour cream and about a cup of heavy whipping cream.  These will make the sauce creamy and silky and also act as a thickener.  *If you don't have any heavy cream, you can use plain milk.... Add a heaping teaspoon of cornstarch to the cold milk to make a slurry, then add it.

Meanwhile, boil water in a separate pot and add the wide egg noodles.  Boil until they are still just a bit al dente, drain briefly and add to the simmering sauce.  They will finish cooking in the sauce and also soak up a lot of that goodness.

The result is a nice, creamy sauce - slightly tangy from the sour cream, a little herbaceous from the nice green herbs, a little beefy from the stock.  Yum! 

Breakfast Pockets

Recipe from the Budget Gourmet Mom

Ingredients
    Dough
  • 1 1/2 tblsp yeast
  • 1/2 c warm water (110 degrees)
  • 3/4 c evaporated milk (110 degrees)
  • 1/2 c vegetable oil
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 1/2 c flour

    Filling
  • 1 lb bulk sausage
  • 1/2 c onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 c frozen hashbrown potatoes, thawed
  • 7 large eggs
  • 3 tblsp milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 2 c cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
    Dough:
  1. In a bowl, dissolve yeast in the water.
  2. Add milk, oil, sugar, egg, salt, and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth.
  3. Add enough flour until it makes a soft dough but do not knead. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. 
  4. Filling:
  5. Cook the sausage and onion over medium heat until browned. Drain. Add the hashbrowns, eggs, milk, and spices. Cook and stir until set. Sprinkle with cheese and keep warm.
  6. Assembling the pockets:
  7. Preheat oven to 350°.
  8. Punch down the dough and cut into 16 equal pieces.
  9. Roll each piece into 7 in circle on a floured surface. Top with 1/3 c filling, fold, and pinch shut. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
  10. To freeze:
  11. Allow to cool on the baking sheet. Once cooled, place in the freezer until frozen. Store in a ziploc bag in the freezer for 3-6 months. To reheat, place on a paper towel and microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes.