Friday, January 29, 2010

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup



This is very good version of Chicken Noodle that I got from my friend, yum-o and of course its the best with my homemade rolls!


Ingredients:

6 Chicken bouillon cubes
4 Cups chicken stock
1-2 Bay Leaves
2 Cups chopped carrots
2 Cups chopped celery
3/4 Cup chopped onion
2 Cans cream of chicken soup
1 Cup milk
2 Cups cooked chicken cubed
2 1/2 oz Cooked noodles - thick Amish kind

*For Food storage use 2 cans chicken and dehydrated veggies.


Directions:

* you can add all ingredients and leave it in crock pot all day!

OR:

Boil Noodles and set aside.

Put veggies with stock and boil until soft. Add bouillon. Whisk in soup until creamy.
Add milk and bay leaf. Add chicken and noodles. Simmer at least 30 minutes. Add more broth if
wanted for consistency.
Salt and Pepper to taste

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

BLT Salad


Looks like more work than it really is. Just assemble all the ingredients according to directions, then when ready to start putting together- it will go very fast. It's Heaven!


Ingredients:

8 Slices of Bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 ripe avocado, pitted and skinned
1/2 C Buttermilk (or just add 1T vinegar to you milk and let sit 10 min!)
1/4 C Chopped red onion
2 tsp Lime Juice
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 C Cornmeal
1/3 C All-Purpose Flour
1 Egg, lightly beaten
2 Med-size firm, unripened tomatoes (about 3/4 pound), cored and cut 1/2 inch slices
2 T Canola oil
3 Romaine lettuce hearts, chopped

Directions:

1. Cook Bacon in a large skillet and over med heat until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towel-lined plate. Wipe out skillet.
2. While cooking bacon, prepare dressing; place avocado, buttermilk, onion, lime juice, 1/4 tsp each of salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper in a blender and puree until smooth; set aside
3. Stir together cornmeal, remaining 1.2 tsp salt and 1/4tsp each black pepper and cayenne pepper in a shallow dish; place flour and egg in their own separate shallow dish as well
4. Dip tomato slices in flour, then egg, then cornmeal mixture to coat
5. Heat Canola oil and 1T of the reserved bacon drippings in a skillet over high heat. Fry tomatoes in a single layer for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
6. Place Romaine lettuce in a large bowl and toss with bacon and 2/3 C of the avocado dressing; place about 2 cups salad on each plate and top with 2 or 3 fries tomato slices, Dollop with a little of the remaining dressing and serve.



Tuesday, January 26, 2010

P.F. Changs Chicken Lettuce Wraps


Pickett Family Favorite! I had to find a recipe that was exactly like it. This one is amazingly close if not just as dang good! Looks like a lot of work, but really not much at all. Just do your prep and then it will take 10 minutes to cook and serve!

Ingredients:

3 T. E.V.O.O
13-15 Chicken Tenderloins (Or you can use 2 large Boneless Chicken breast)
1 C Water Chestnuts
2/3 C Mushrooms
1 T. Chopped Onions
1 tsp. Garlic, minced
Ice burg Lettuce Leaves (Take apart and let soak in cold water while you prep this meal. It will get them real crisp)

Special Sauce

1/4 C Sugar
1/2 C Water
2 T Soy Sauce
2 T Ketsup
2 T Rice Wine Vinegar
1 T Lemon Juice
1/8 tsp Sesame oil
1 T Water
1 T Hot Mustard (I leave this out for my kids sake)
2 tsp Water
1-2 tsp garlic and red chile paste (also leave out for the kidos)

Stir Fry Sauce

2 T Soy Sauce
2 T Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar

Directions:

1. Make special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
2. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, Ketchup, Lemon Juice and sesame oil
3. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you are ready to serve
4. Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well
5. Eventually add your mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture when your ready to serve.
6. Chop water chestnut, mushrooms, and onions into small pea sizes. Set aside.
7. Mince garlic, set aide. Have the stir fry sauce mixed and set aside.
8. Now place the Chicken, Water Chestnuts, Mushrooms, Garlic and Stir Fry Sauce in the Wok. Add the T of Oil, let flavors combine
9. Place this mixture in the lettuce and top with special sauce. YUMMO


Left over sauce- We never have any left over chicken but the special sauce makes more than we eat. So I make brown rice and place in romain lettuce, drizzle the special sauce over it and roll it up. It fills me up and makes great lunch for the next day!

Fruit Pizza


A classic must have dessert!

Easy way is to use store bought sugar cookie dough, roll it out and bake. I have to use my own sugar cookie recipe, just can't do store bought. So it takes a little longer but you know what they day about those who wait? I don't remember, what do they say?heehee

Ingredients:

Sugar Cookie Dough
8oz package of Cream cheese
1/3 C Sugar
1tsp Vanilla

Fresh fruit in season

Directions:

Roll out cookie dough onto pie shape stone. (obviously you can do this on a cookie sheet as well)
Bake at 350 and take out a little before done, just like you would regular cookies.
Let cookie cool.
Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until nice and smmoooth!
Slice up your fruit
Once Cookie is cooled off spread mixture and then top with your yummy fruit
I like to chill mine before serving.

Cut into pizza slices and watch them disappear.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Low- Fat Banana Bread Is The Bomb!


I L-O-V-E this recipe. Just tried it out and I can't stop eating it. It is low in fat so, I can eat double right?

Ingredients:

4-5 Large Ripe Bananas
2T. Applesauce
2T Butter, softened
1 Egg
1 1/2tsp. Vanilla
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1/4 C White Sugar
1 C All Purpose Flour
1/2 C Whole Wheat or White Wheat Flour- I used my hard white wheat that I ground up.
(if you don't have either, just substitute with other flour)
1tsp Baking Soda
1/2tsp Baking Powder
1tsp Salt


Directions

Combine all the wet ingredients except the bananas. Don't over mix.
Add dry ingredients just until combined.
Mash up bananas in separate bowl, then add to your mixture. Mix one minute.
I baked it in an 8x8 glass pan.

Bake 350 /50-60 min


Saturday, January 23, 2010

Tortilla Chip Casserole


I got this recipe off Utahdealdiva.com
We loved it! Everything was on hand in our panrty, it was delicious.... its a keeper for us! This recipe comes to about 4 dollars for the whole casserole!

Jessica's Chicken Tortilla Chip Casserole


Ingredients:

1 can diced tomatoes
about 1 cup diced cooked chicken- I used 1 can costco chicken
1 small can green chilies
1 can beans- pinto, kidney, black- whatever you have
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup milk
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp taco seasoning
salt to taste

Directions:

Pour tomatoes in casserole dish, add can green chilies and seasonings. Crush tortilla chips and layer over tomato mixture. Mix together chicken, soup, beans, milk and sour cream. Spread over chip layer. Bake in oven at 350 for 20 minutes. Top with cheese, cilantro, avacado etc. Bake for 5-10 more minutes Enjoy!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Fried Rice


This is what mom would always make in the skillet with left over rice! Yum!
You can be flexable "to taste" and with the measurments. Great to make with leftover rice or meat.

2-3 cups rice- I use left over brown rice
2 eggs
frozen peas
1-2 chopped green onion
left over bacon, ham, or chicken diced finely
grated carrot
1 tsp ginger, fresh or powder
1 tsp garlic, fresh minced or powder
3 Tbsp soysauce
butter

Melt 2 Tbs butter in skillet. Add rice stir and add seasonings, Add carrot, peas, and meat. Push rice to the sides leaving a large circle space in the middle of pan. Add some butter to the space and add two beaten eggs. Stir till cooked, mix eggs in with rice.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Bagels




This is a basic bagel recipe that's pretty darn good. I have made bagels with my bread recipe I'll let you decide which you like better.

Ingredients:

2 tsp. Active dry yeast
1 1/2 T. Sugar
1 1/4 C. Water
3 3/4 C Bread flour, plus more for kneading purposes
1 1/2 tsp. Salt

Directions:

*Sprinkle yeast and sugar into 1/2 cup of the water in a bowl. (water is to be 100 degrees) and let stand for 5 minutes. Mix flour and salt in your mixer. Turn it on and slowly add the yeast mixture. Pour in the rest of the warm water and mix until it forms a dough ball. You may need to add flour to get it from being sticky.
*Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth. (don't hate the kneading!)
When the dough is firm and stiff put in to an oiled bowl and let rise until double.
*Turn dough out onto board again and punch down, then let it rest 10 minutes. This rest will help it keep shape when forming so dont cheat.
*Cut your dough into equal pieced. If you have a scale I like to weigh out 2 1/2 oz. pieces.
Shape each piece in to a ball and then form the ring by taking your floured finger and stick into the middle of the dough. Work your finger in a circle to stretch the hole, remembering that the dough will rise and make that hole smaller so i get it a pretty good size at first.
*Place the bagels on a lightly oiled baking sheet, cover and let rest 10 minutes or so. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 T sugar, then reduce to a simmer. Using a perforated spoon (large spoon with holes in it) carefully lower the bagels into the water. You can do two at a time if you be sure not to let them touch.
*Boil bagels about one minute on each side then remove and place on the baking sheet.
*Bake 20 min. at 425
*Makes about 8 bagels.