Orange Kissed cookies

From MiraLynn

Ingredients:

1 C white sugar

1/2 butter flavored crisco

1 egg

1/2 C sour cream

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 C all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 C +1 T thawed orange concentrate

1 T grated orange zest

Frosting:

1 tsp grated orange zest

1/4 C thawed orange juice concentrate

1/2 C softened butter

3 C powdered sugar

2-3 drops orange food coloring- optional

preheat oven to 375

In med bowl combine dry ingredients- whisk around to combine

in large mixing bowl combine white sugar and shortening, beat until mixed.

Add egg and beat again, then stir in the sour cream, vanilla and beat another min,

Add flour mixture just until combined. Add juice concentrate and orange zest and mix well

Use cookie scoop and drop onto cookie sheet. It will be very wet yet thicker than a cake batter.

Bake 10 min- just until the bottoms turn golden brown.

Cool then frost

Chicken Marsala

Another favorite of my kids for italian night

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows
2 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in halves and pounded thin
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
3 cups sliced mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shiitake)
3/4 cup Marsala- I use cooking marsala off the walmart shelf
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions:

In a shallow bowl or plate combine the flour and Essence and stir to combine thoroughly. Quickly dredge the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook the chicken breasts until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the pan and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are golden brown around the edges and have given off their liquid. Add the Marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the wine has reduced by half, add the chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Lower the heat to medium and return the chicken breasts to the pan and continue to cook until they are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, add salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately.

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/3 pounds chicken breast tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine- I use the cooking wine on the walmart shelf
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup chicken broth or stock
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 pound penne rigate pasta, cooked to al dente
Chopped or snipped chives, for garnish

Directions:

Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the chicken to the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until lightly golden all over, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and return the skillet to the heat. Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter, the garlic and shallots to the skillet. Saute garlic and shallots 3 minutes. Add flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in wine and reduce liquid 1 minute. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce. Stir in capers and parsley. When the liquid comes to a bubble, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter to the sauce to give it a little shine. Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce and serve. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste. Top with fresh snipped chives.

Mexican Beans and Rice

I love this one for a meat free night- it's filling but very easy on the budget and the belly! It also makes a decent recipe for building your three month food storage on, considering you will make your own tortillas and substitute frozen corn with canned, fresh cilantro with dried.

Ingredients:

1 lb bag pinto beans

1/4 Medium onion- un-chopped

2 whole garlic cloves

1 1/2 tsp canola oil

1 T finely chopped onion

1 C uncooked long grain rice or calrose rice(available in the Asian section)

1/2 tsp Salt

2/3 C frozen corn, thawed

1/4 C fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 C tomato sauce

2 C water

12 Corn or taco size tortillas

sour cream

fresh salsa

Directions:

*Rinse beans well and soak over night. Drain and discard water

Put the drained beans in a soup pot ans add fresh water to cover pot about 2 inches. Add the whole 1/4 onion and whole garlic cloves to the pot. Bring to full boil and then reduce, simmer 3 hours. ( I have also put this in my small crock pot half the day when I know I am not going to be home to watch the stove all day long- easier

*Check to make sure beans are always covered with water through.

*Remove onion and garlic after beans are cooked, season generously with salt

*About 40 minutes until serving time, heat oil in saucepan over med heat ans cook the 1T chopped onion until soft. Add rice and stir for a min. Add the alt, corn, cilantro, tomato sauce and water and bring to a boil, decrease heat and sinner 15-20 min. or until rice is fully cooked

warm up tortillas over stove- We love the corn tortillas brushed with olive oil and fried in the pan until a little crunchy.

*Serve beans and rice in separate bowl and pass the tortillas around with the salsa and sour cream.

Hummus

This is a great fast snack. It calls for only a few basic ingredients and it makes about 4 -5cups.
In your blender place ingrediets in order listed.

2 (15 oz) cans of garbanzo beans, on can drained on with liquid
1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
1TBL olive oil
1/4 C lemon juice
1 garlic clove peeled
1tsp cumin

salt to taste and pair with pita chips for dipping! Even Adyson will munch on this instead of sugar! Its so good and taste exactly like the one you buy!

SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

this recipe comes from the vitamix recipe book but was so basic Im sure it would work in a normal blender as well, just make sure to chop spinach before putting it in.

1/2 C Light mayo or vegginaise

1/2 C sour cream

1 slice lemon peeled and seeded

1 (10 oz) frozen package of spinach thawed and drained

1/8tsp salt

1/8tsp pepper

1/4 C parmesan cheese

1clove of garlic

1/2 C artichoke hearts

place all the ingredients accept the artichokes in the blender in order listed above. blend for about 20 seconds. then place the artichoke hearts in and blend for another 5 seconds.

place in an oven safe dish and cook for 20-25 minutes on 350

Taco Chicken- Crockpot

3-6 chicken breasts
1pkg taco seasoning
1 can chicken broth

Mix seasoning and broth together till combined.
Pour over chicken breasts in crockpot. Cook 4-6 hrs on low.
Shred chicken inside crockpot, will shred super easy.
This is great for tacos, burritos, nachos, or add to salads.
I keep in freezer a big batch to pull out and add to whatever I want.

Freezer Bag Method:
Place trimmed, lightly pounded chicken breast in freezer bag. Add combined broth and seasoning. Seal out air. Label, and freeze laying flat in freezer. When ready to cook, put all contents into crockpot on low for 6 hrs. I do this when chicken is frozen all the time, right out of the freezer, works great!

More Freezer Bag chicken recipes!

Honey Mustard Chicken- Crockpot
Get ready.....Its going to be a shocker, a whole whopping 2 ing to this chicken! But this chicken is delicious!

4-6 chicken breasts
1/2 honey
1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
Dash of salt and pepper

Mix together all ingredients in a bowl till combined and smooth.
Pour over chicken breasts in crock pot.
Cook low 6 hrs.
Turn chicken about half way through cooking to make sure both sides are coating nicely.
Before serving, I take a fork and pull chicken apart, making one piece of chicken into 2 or three.

Serve with fried rice, or mashed potatoes!

Freezer Bag Method!
Follow the above directions except place trimmed, lightly pounded chicken breasts in plastic freezer bag. Pour mixed ing. over chicken, squeeze air out and seal. Label and lay flat in freezer.

To cook: Place contents of bag directly into crockpot. Even frozen! Just make sure the chicken breasts lay flat, then turn over in the middle of cooking to make sure evenly coated.

Delicious Turkey Tacos
I love this recipe because its easy and adds great flavor to the turkey. Great for not only tacos, but burrito filling, lasagna, pasta casseroles, etc. And of course you can use ground beef instead.




Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey (or ground beef)
1 small diced onion
1-2 cups of salsa
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
*corn tortillas- I lightly saute both sides in canola oil to crisp them up, yummy!

Saute onion till soft, add ground turkey. Generously season with salt and pepper and cumin. When cooked through, add salsa, put lid on pan and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve with cheese, tomatos, sour cream, avacado, lettuce etc.

Freezer bag method:
Follow directions above. Let mixture cool. Add to plastic freezer bag, or freezer contatiner.
Reheat to serve, add a little more salsa when reheating.

Mini Meatloaf

I love this recipe and my kids ALL eat it because it is in a little muffin size rather that a huge lump that for some reason freaks every one out. I don't have exact measurements for this recipe- I made it Italian style- little of this little of that :)

Ingredients:

Ground beef (about 1lb)

1 piece of buttered white bread, crumbled

Onion, about 1/4 of it, minced

Milk, 2-3 T

Egg, whole

Tomato paste, about 1/2 - 3/4 of the little can

Grill seasoning, any brand- I use Emeril Lagase

Directions:

Make a well in the middle of the ground beef

Add all the ingredients and then lightly combine. Try to handle the meat as little as possible.

Fill a sprayed muffin tin with a ball of mixture.

Glaze:

Katsup about- 1 C

Brown Sugar about- 1/4 C

Worcestershire Sauce- about 3t.

Orange marmalade- about 1 T

Spread on top of each meatloaf "muffin"

Bake 375 until center reads 165 degrees

I serve with red potatoes and cooked baby carrots

Bread Bowls

These make a fun twist to soup night.

Just take your bread dough recipe, or use mine that I use for EVERYTHING, and round out about an 8lb dough ball. If you don't have a scale eyeball it to about four frozen biscuits size. Brush with EVOO and then let rise until doubled. I use the EVOO because it gives a darker color to the bread, which I like for soup bowls. Also if you want to add crisp to this, which I did and liked it,her is what you do:

Wile preheating the oven, place a glass casserole dish filled halfway with ice cubes in the bottom rack of the oven. Place bread in oven and right before all cubes are melted take out the water.

Indian Chicken

This is a slow cooker recipe- and I would say this is not a favorite kid meal. Curry usually doesn't go over well with kids so it's more an adult/big kid meal. But it's super yummy and healthy and so it's definitely going in our SAS 'recipe box'

2lb. Skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1' pieces.

1 Medium onion chopped

3 Cloves garlic, minced

5 tsp. Curry powder

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper and/or cayenne pepper

1 15-oz can chickpeas or black eyed peas, or you can even go black bean if you want, drained

1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 Cup Chicken broth

1 Bay leaf

2 T Lime juice

1-2 cups baby spinach, optional

Hot cooked rice

Add chicken, onion, and garlic to the slow cooker. Add curry powder, ginger, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Add beans, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf. Cover and cook 6-8 hours on low.

Stir in lime juice and spinach, let stand a couple minutes so the spinach wilts,then serve with rice.

Creamy Potato and Asparagus Soup

Fall is around the corner so I have been looking for new soups and I found my new favorite!!! I'm just sad it's no a food storage one but it's amazing.

1 large bunch asparagus (1 1/4 lb.) trimmed

1 1/4 lb. Potatoes, peeled and chopped- 1/2 in or smaller

1- 12oz. can evaporated milk- or make your own remember!

6 slices Turkey bacon, because it's healthier!

1 T. Honey

1 tsp. Pepper

1/2 tsp Salt

1 1/4 C Water

Shredded lemon peel

Italian flat leaf parsley chopped- if you happen to have it

1. Reserve about 1/3 of the asparagus. Combine remaining asparagus, the potatoes, evaporated milk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, and 1 1/4 C Water in medium saucepan.

Bring to boil, uncovered, then simmer for 10 min. covered until potatoes are tender. Cool down slightly and then transfer to food processor. If you have a small one only do a little bit at a time to make sure you get smooth consistency.

2. Cook bacon until crispy, save the grease in pan to then cook remaining asparagus in. Once asparagus in tender but still crispy it's done.

3. Chop up your parsley, grate the lemon, chop up bacon.

4. Stir soup over stove again to warm up- or just microwave real quick.

Top with bacon, lemon, parsley and 3 asparagus strips.

OH MY GOODNESS YUM!

Hawaiian Hay Stacks

Ingredients:

1/4 lb butter

1 1/2 C Flour

1 1/2 qt Milk

2 t. Salt

2 Cans cream mushroom soup

3 Cooked chicken breasts (2 cans chicken for FS)

Topping suggestions:

Pineapple tidbits

Chopped green onion

Cheddar cheese, shredded

Coconut

Slivered Almonds

Chow mein noodles

Cooked Rice

Celery, copped

Olives

Mandarine Oranges

Peas

Lemon pepper

Directions:

Start cooking your rice

Cook Chicken (if using fresh)

Melt butter in large pan

add flour and stir until blond color

add milk and whisk until smooth

add salt

add 2 cans cream mushroom soup, and shredded chicken

Layer plate with chicken mixture then toppings of choice

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 C Onion, chopped (or 1/3 dehydrated onion)

1 T. Olive oil

1 C. Red bell pepper, chopped

4 Cloves garlic, minced

1-14.5 oz Can diced green chilies

3/4 C Carrots, sliced (or 1/2 c dehydrated carrots)

1- 1/2 t. Ground cumin

3 C Chicken broth

4-15 oz Can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 C Red wine vinegar

Directions:

heat oil in large, deep saucepan. Saute onion(if using fresh), bell pepper and garlic until tender. Add remaining ingredients(including dehydrated onion if using) and simmer for 10 minutes.

serve garnished with sour cream and tortilla chips