Dutch Babies or German Pancakes

These have become an absolute family favorite. If I tell the kids we are having breakfast for dinner, I get cheers instead of moans. I like making these because they are easy, I can make them GF, we can just add some turkey sausage and fruit on the side and we are set for a relatively healthful dinner. My kids like this topped with powdered sugar, but I always like to add some fresh berries (strawberries or raspberries are my favorite) or peaches. There are countless possibilities when it comes to toppings or varieties . . . you can add blueberries to the batter, or layer thinly sliced apples over the butter and then pour over the batter, or cook them in muffin tins, etc. My mother-in-law (and husband) think they should only be cooked in a cast iron skillet, but I don't have the patience to clean it afterwards (neither do I have a large enough skillet) I know there are a lot of recipes out there, but this is the one I have finally come up with that is our favorite and works every time!

3 TBS. butter
1 c. milk
1 c. flour
6 eggs

Melt butter in 9X13 oven safe pan at 450 while preparing batter. Mix milk, flour and eggs well (can use a blender, but I have found it works just as well in a bowl with a whisk).

Pour blended mixture over hot butter. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Enjoy the puffiness, because it will be gone moments after leaving the oven . . . then the deliciousness begins! Sprinkle with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar. Serve with cooked apples, berries, or peaches on top!

Quick-Fix Burrito Skillet

My lovely sister found this recipe, tried it, loved it, and passed it along to me. I made it, loved it and am passing it on to you. It is SO easy to make. Contains ingredients we all have around. And is tasty. We will definitely be making this many times in the future.

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) Taco Seasoning Mix

1 can (19 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed

1 cup Salsa

1 cup water

4 flour tortillas (6 inch), cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces (I used corn tortillas to make it gluten-free & I liked that flavor better myself)

1 cup Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese (I used cheddar and only about 1/2 c. to keep the calories down)

1/3 cup Sour Cream (I omitted)

1 large green onion, chopped (I omitted because didn't have, but think it would be a nice addition)

Brown meat in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Add seasoning mix, beans, salsa and water; stir. Bring to boil. Simmer on medium-low heat 5 min.

Stir in tortillas; top with cheese. Cover; let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and onions.

Ham Croissant Sandwiches

Lunch is not my favorite meal of the day. Either nothing sounds good, I don't have time, or it's just grabbing what's available. It's nice to sometimes have a lunch plan. It's even nicer if that plan includes good friends. This recipe comes from a friend and has been used many times at many such lunch get-togethers. Including this past week when we had a little Visiting Teaching luncheon. My partner and I decided to have all 3 women we visit come over for lunch. It was fun to spice things up and get to know these women in a different way. Plus, now that we have been notified that in 1 week our ward will be changing, it was a good to have one last shindig. You really can't go wrong with these sandwiches. They are easy, rich, and satisfying!

croissants (depends on what size you use, if I use the big ones I always cut them in half)
1 lb. shaved deli ham
Swiss cheese slices

Sauce:
1/2 c. melted butter
1/4 c. dehydrated minced onion
1/4 c. mustard
1 T. poppy seeds or to taste

Melt butter in saucepan, add onion, mustard, poppy seeds.
Spread on croissant, stack ham and cheese. Bake @ 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Makes about 9 large croissant sandwiches.

Park City Beef Stew

I know I just got done saying that beef & pregnancy are not mixing, but I did make this recipe. We recently went to Bear Lake over Conference weekend with my family and the weather was a bit chilly, so it was decided that stew would be a good dinner option. I love, love, love this recipe! It is SO easy and SO delicious. Put everything in the crock-pot in the morning and that night you have the most tender and yummy warm stew waiting! I served it with homemade breadsticks - it was a hit!

1 lb. stew meat
3 potatoes, chopped
5 carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 cream of mushroom
1 cream of celery
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 bay leaf

Pu all ingredients in a slow cooker on LOW for 8 hours.

Turkey Burgers

This recipe comes from Oprah, but has quickly become a family favorite!! So far in this pregnancy, beef is not a popular ingredient so turkey has become a natural replacement. This burgers have a lot of flavor and everyone in my family enjoys them, so this is definitely a keeper!

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
3 Granny Smith apples , peeled and diced
1/8 cup canola oil
4 pounds ground turkey breast
2 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. black pepper
2 tsp. Tabasco® chipotle pepper sauce
1 lemon , juiced and grated zest
1/2 bunch parsley , finely chopped
1/4 cup Major Grey's Chutney , pureed

Sauté the scallions, celery and apples in the canola oil until tender. Let cool.

Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into eight 8-ounce burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Beef & Broccoli

Absolutely one of my favorite "Chinese" dishes is beef and broccoli. I was thrilled to come across this recipe, because it is super easy to make and I love the flavor. I just keep a can of the French Onion soup on hand so I can whip this up whenever the desire strikes. I also always buy the big bag of broccoli flowerettes at Costco and some of them were a little large so I cut them up smaller for this dish. See some of my tips throughout the recipe.

1 can Campbell’s French Onion Soup
1 TBS. soy sauce
¼ tsp. ground ginger
2 TBS. cornstarch
3 TBS. vegetable oil
1 lb. thinly sliced sirloin steak (it is easier to slice the meat if it is slightly frozen)
4 c. broccoli flowerets
1 medium red pepper, cut in strips (optional)

In bowl stir soup, soy sauce, ginger, and cornstarch until smooth, set aside. In skillet over medium heat stir-fry beef in hot oil until it is cooked through (about 7-10 minutes). Add broccoli and pepper. Stir fry 3 minutes. Add soup mixture. Heat to boiling. Cook until mixture boils and thickens. (I decided the broccoli was a little too crisp still, so I covered the pan with a lid and turned the heat to LOW and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, or as long as it took to get the kids inside and ready for dinner). Serve over hot rice.


This is another recipe that was given to me by a good friend. It is a VERY tasty recipe as well, so I thought I would list both options!

Broccoli Beef
1 Flank Steak (1 1/4 lbs. Sliced)
Mix with:
1 TBS. Cornstarch
1 TBS. Soy sauce
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 TBS. Oil
Salt to taste

Have ready:
4 cups Fresh Broccoli (1" flowerettes)

Gravy ingredients, mix together:
1 TBS. Cornstarch
1 TBS. Soy sauce
1-2 TBS. Oyster sauce
1/2 c. water

Salt and saute broccoli with about 3 T. Oil over high heat for about 1 minutes. Add 2-3 T. Water and cover to steam until barely tender - takes less than 5 minutes. Lower heat and stir if necessary to prevent scorching; remove from pan.

Saute meat in 2 separate batches on red hot heat with 2 T. Oil until meat is browned on the outside and pink in the middle. Add mixed gravy ingredients, scraping bottom of pan; let gravy bubble once around. Return first batch of beef and broccoli; toss to blend.

Homemade Cafe Rio

For Dave's birthday dinner, he requested homemade Cafe Rio. I decided to try as many recipes as I could, so here they are. Since many of us in my family aren't eating pork, I thought I would attempt to make the pork recipe using beef. Not only did it work, but I think we all liked it better. We had all fixin's for this meal, including the tortillas from Costco that you cook yourself, guacamole, salsa, cheese, black beans, and homemade corn tortilla strips. It was very fun and pretty simple to put together.

Cafe Rio Pork or Beef
2 pork tenderloin, or 1 large pork roast OR 1 3 lb. chuck beef roast
1 16 oz. bottle of Pace Salsa
1c. of brown sugar

Put in crock pot and cook 8 hours. Shred meat and cook an additional hour.
Serve on Tortillas or in Salad.


Cafe Rio Chicken
1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves garlic—minced (I omitted this)
5 lbs chicken breast

Cook all together in a crock pot for 4 hours, shred meat and cook 1 additional hour.


Cafe Rio Rice
3 c water
4 t chicken bouillon
4 t garlic –minced
½ bunch cilantro
1 can green chiles—or equivalent fresh
¾ t salt
1 T butter
½ onion
3 c rice (see note)

Blend cilantro, green chiles and onion together in food processor. Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients, simmer covered 30 minutes.


Pico de Gallo
4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t lime juice
1 t salt1/2 t pepper
Mix all together.


Tomatillo Dressing
3 Tomatillos, cut in chunks
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 pkg. Ranch Dressing
1c. chopped cilantro
1 c. mayo
1 clove garlic (minced or pressed)

Blend in a blender until smooth.


Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette Dressing
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 c. fresh chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 small jalepeno, seeded & diced

Combine in blender or food processor.

Pesto Pizza

My sister found this recipe on A Bountiful Kitchen and we decided we just had to try it. Glad we did! We decided to have Changeling night. Neither of the husbands had seen it and that is just a classic "scary" movie that everyone has to see. So, we made pizza and some Popcorn Treat and tried not to be scared :-)! This pizza was very simple to assemble and came out perfect. She included a pizza dough recipe, but to make it even easier just buy a pre-made crust or use Dick's Scone Dough.

Pizza dough:

1 cup lukewarm water

1 package yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoons salt

Place water and yeast into a large bowl. Sprinkle with sugar. Let sit, until yeast begins rise. Add 2 cups of the flour and salt. Mix well. Knead dough and add remaining flour just until dough is no longer sticky. Place in greased bowl, cover and let rise for about one hour, or until dough is doubled in size. Punch down, and let rise for another half hour. Makes approximately 1 pound of dough, or enough for two- 9" pizzas.

Topping:

2 chicken breast halves, skinless, boneless

1 1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, sliced

1 container pesto sold in refrigerated section of grocery or deli

fresh Roma tomatoes

Parmesan cheese, grated

Season chicken breasts with salt and fresh ground pepper. Broil in oven for about 7-12 minutes, depending on thickness. Chop or shred chicken.

Roll out dough, place on greased pizza pan or cookie sheet. Spread dough with a few tablespoons of pesto. Lay slices of mozzarella, sliced tomatoes and chicken pieces on to of dough. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. If you like vegetarian pizza, omit the chicken.

Bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes.

Southwest Chicken Pockets

I think we're all familiar with the standard Chicken Pillows and all their deliciousness. This is another version which actually I like better. They are just as easy to make, but have a bit more flavor to them. This last time I served them, we had a little Mexican Fiesta of sorts and served them with the Blackbean Salsa as well as Lime Cilantro Rice. A very nice combination! Everyone likes these, so whip up a batch and enjoy!

2 cups diced cooked chicken
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 (4oz) can diced green chilies
1 TBS. chopped green onions
1/8 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. cumin
2 (8oz) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
3 TBS. butter, melted
1 cup seasoned stuffing, coarsely crushed
1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds (optional)

In a large bowl cream together cream cheese, 1/4 cup softened butter, green chilies, green onions, chili powder and cumin. Add chicken and combine. Separate crescent rolls to form 8 rectangles, pressing seams together. Place 1/2 cup of chicken mixture in the middle of each rectangle and roll up ends to cover filling. Seal edges securely. Dip each folded roll into melted butter and then carefully roll in stuffing mixed with sunflower seeds. Place on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Top with Blackbean Salsa.

Blackbean Salsa

1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 oz. frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 TBS. chopped green onions
1 TBS. chopped red onions
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 TBS. vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped ripe tomatoes, drained

In a large bowl, combine beans, corn, cilantro, green onions, red onions, lime juice, oil and cumin. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill at least 2 hours, or overnight. Just before serving stir in tomatoes.

Skinny Chimichangas

I found this recipe on goodeatsblog.com. I was skeptical, but had all the ingredients and didn't have the brain power to figure out something for dinner so I jumped right in. First of all, these are so simple to make - took no time at all. Secondly, they were very tasty! And finally, they are good for you. The recipe comes from the Weight Watchers cookbook (see nutrition info at the end of the post). I would definitely recommend them. I didn't warm my tortillas, just used them at room temperature and had no problem rolling them, but the filling did spill out of some of them while baking so I guess I need to wrap tighter.

½ pound ground skinless turkey breast
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped mild green chiles
⅓ cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spray a nonstick baking sheet with nonstick spray; set aside.

Spray a medium nonstick skillet with nonstick spray; set over medium-high heat. Add the turkey, onion, garlic, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Cook, breaking up the turkey with a wooden spoon until browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and the chiles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the flavors are blended and the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar.

Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in foil and place in the oven to warm for 10 minutes. Spoon about ½ cup of the filling into the center of each tortilla.

Fold in the sides, then roll to enclose the filling. Place the chimichangas, seam-side down, on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the tops of the tortillas with nonstick spray. Bake until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes. Do not turn. You can top these chimichangas with your favorite salsa and 2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream.

Nutrition Information Per Serving (1 chimichanga)
241 Calories
2g Fat
1g Sat. Fat
46mg Cholesterol
613mg Sodium
34g Carbohydrates
3g Fiber
22g Protein
184mg Calcium (makes 4 servings)

Spaghetti Casserole

This is a family favorite. As much as I like just plain old spaghetti, this is much better and it is all mixed and ready to go. I think the flavor is great.
This time when I made it, I used whole wheat pasta and half ground turkey. I also decided to use two pie plates rather than a 9X13 dish; that way I was able to freeze one pan and we will have a dinner on a night that I don't feel like cooking. The prep is just slightly time consuming, but you can do it anytime during the day and then just pop it in the oven when you're ready!

1 lb. hamburger
1 small onion, diced
3 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 ½ cans water
2 TBS sugar
2 TBS vinegar
2-1.5 oz. spaghetti sauce mix
12 oz. spaghetti
1 egg, beaten
½ c. Parmesan cheese
½ c. butter
½ lb. mozzarella cheese

Cook and drain spaghetti. Mix with egg, Parmesan cheese, and butter. Line 9X13 pan with this mixture (creating a crust).

Cook hamburger with onion and drain off fat. Mix with tomato sauce, water, sugar, vinegar, and sauce mix. Pour this mixture in the center of the spaghetti crust. Top with mozzarella cheese, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes.

BBQ Shepard's Pie

Sometimes you're just in the mood for Shepard's Pie. I was browsing through some of my favorite cooking blogs and came across this recipe, the reason it caught my eye was its use of zucchini. It is definitely the time of year when I search high and low for any way to use the plethora of zucchini. I also really liked the addition of BBQ sauce, it's not too strong but makes you wonder what is giving such a great flavor. This was a huge hit with everyone, and I liked that it was easy to put together.

1 and 1/2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 lb. lean ground beef (or turkey)
1 medium zucchini, chopped (optional)
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup smoky barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 and 1/2 cups corn, fresh or frozen, thawed
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
chopped cilantro or scallions, for garnish

Place potatoes in a large pot of coled water over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. Cook potatoes for about 13 minutes, or until tender. Drain potatoes and mash with milk, butter, salt, and pepper. Set aside briefly. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease an 8 by 8 inch casserole. In a large saucepan, cook meat with zucchini, onions and garlic, breaking up with back of spoon, until meat is just cooked. Drain if necessary. Stir in barbecue sauce, mustard and brown sugar. Transfer to prepared casserole dish. Scatter corn evenly on top. Spread potatoes carefully over corn and sprinkle with cheese. (You can refrigerate this for up to 24 hours and bake it later, if desired.) Bake at 400 degrees, just until filling is bubbly and cheddar is nicely melted, about 25 minutes.

Southwest Brown Rice & Bean Burgers

Another recipe I found on Prudence Pennywise - love that site. I thought it sounded pretty healthy and tasty. It was tasty, but I had to do some convincing with my husband. When he hears burgers, he thinks BURGERS, not the meatless variety. He also wasn't thrilled that I chose not to serve them on buns, but with some homemade guacamole he was overall impressed. These are very satisfying and have a lot of flavor, you can vary the spices depending on how hot you want them.

2 cups brown rice, cooked
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
1 teaspoon chili powder (I added a little less)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used a few dashes of garlic powder)
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (I didn't have any so I ommitted even though I LOVE cilantro)
1-3 tablespoons minced jalapeno or green chilies, (canned is fine) (I used 1 1/2 TBS. canned chilies)
1/4 cup salsa
1 egg white
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup flour (I used whole wheat) (I ended up using a lot more to get the burgers to stay together)
2 tablespoons olive oil
cheese, if desired
Mix rice, beans, chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic, onion, cilantro, chilies, salsa, and egg white in large bowl. Mixture will be very moist. Add flour, using only enough so that you can shape the mixture into patties. Dust the outside of the patties lightly with flour. Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and warm. Add patties and cook until nicely browned, about 3-4 minutes per side. Sprinkle with cheese, reduce heat to low and cover with lid to melt cheese. Serve with guacamole, if desired.

Turkey or Chicken Meatballs

I saw this recipe on one of my favorite cooking blogs, Ashlee's Cooking. I thought it sounded pretty darn healthy and I knew that my little nearly one year old would be able to enjoy them as well (I'm entering that phase of life, where I have to start thinking about what he can eat with us which means not a lot of spice or strange ingredients). I doubled the recipe, and paired it with the Baked Penne and everyone's plates were clean, including the little guy!

½ lb. ground chicken breast (I used ground turkey)

5 sun dried tomatoes in olive oil

¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated (or more)

¼ cup breadcrumbs (I used the Italian breadcrumbs)

1 egg

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine all meatball ingredients in a mixing bowl. Shape into 10 meatballs, place on a nonstick cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes until cooked through.

Four Cheese Baked Penne

I saw Ellie Krieger make this recipe on the Food Network and thought it sounded tasty. I have been a fan of Ellie's for a few years, but don't practice her philosophies has much as I should. I definitely try to incorporate healthy eating as much as possible, but not to the extreme that she does.
This recipe was easy to make and quite delicious. She served as he main course, but I felt like we needed more than that so I made Turkey Meatballs to go along side. All in all, I was impressed with this meal.

1 pound whole-wheat penne (I unfortunately didn't have any whole wheat)
1 1/2 cups small-curd low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
3 tablespoons chopped parsley (I used dried parsley, about 1 TBS.)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I omitted this, but did sprinkle in a bit of garlic powder)
1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium crushed tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can low-sodium tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cooking spray
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (3/4 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella and parsley in a bowl and stir with a fork to incorporate and set aside. Cook pasta until tender but still firm, a minute or 2 less than the package directs. Drain.

Heat the oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, rosemary, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Return pasta to pot with sauce and turn off heat. Add cottage cheese mixture.

Spray a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray then transfer pasta mixture to pan. Top with remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and the parmesan. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted, 30 minutes.

Peach BBQ Chicken

I found this recipe on another one of my favorite cooking sites Prudence Pennywise. She made it for a 4th of July BBQ, but since our weather has warmed back up and I didn't want to use the oven I thought it sounded like a great idea. Plus, it is the time of year when peaches are in season, so even though I used no fresh peaches it was still nostalgic. This recipe made way more sauce than I needed, so I froze the remainder and will use at a later time. It took no time at all and tasty. I paired it with her recipe for Cucumber Slaw - also delicious!

1 cup peach preserves
1 cup ketchup
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken

Preheat grill for medium hot cooking. Combine all ingredients (except chicken) in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. To avoid cross contamination, set aside half the sauce for serving with the cooked chicken. Pour some of remaining sauce on chicken and continue to baste with sauce while grilling. Grill chicken for four to six minutes per side, depending on thickness, basting frequently with sauce. Serve with extra peach barbecue sauce. Enjoy

Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce

I found this recipe on one of my favorite cooking/recipe blogs, Good Eats 'N Sweet Treats. It looked simple and sounded really delicious. She found the recipe in Cooking Light, which made me feel even better about it. It was quick to make and everyone liked it.

I've included the variations that she made, because I also used them. The one difference is, I doubled the sauce recipe; she had mentioned that there wasn't quite enough sauce so I thought doubling would help. There was quite a bit of sauce, and it wasn't very thick, so maybe just one and a halving it would be best.

8 ounces uncooked long fusilli (twisted spaghetti) (I used bowtie because that's what I had)
1 3/4 cups (1 1/2-inch) slices asparagus (about 1/2 pound) (I used 1/2 pound fresh broccoli, cut into florets)
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed (I omitted these)
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove, minced (I used a dash of garlic powder)
1 cup organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic) (I used chicken broth)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of ground red pepper
Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)
Lemon slices (optional)
2 chicken breasts (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add asparagus during last minute of cooking time. Place peas in a colander. Drain pasta mixture over peas; set aside.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until browned on both sides. Remove chicken from pan, slice, and cover to keep warm. Add garlic to pan; sauté 1 minute. Combine broth and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir until well blended. Add broth mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in sliced chicken, cream, juice, salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and red pepper. Add pasta mixture to broth mixture; toss gently to coat. Garnish with coarsely ground black pepper and lemon slices, if desired. Serve immediately.

Parmesan Oven-Fried Chicken

A few days ago, Conner asked me why I never make him chicken nuggets (actually "chicknugs" is what we call them around here). I decided to take it one step further and put these "nuggets" on sticks and make chicken suckers! He loved them (we served them with green licorice {beans}) and I loved this recipe! So simple and it has tons of flavor. Because I cut the chicken smaller, I only ended baking them for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

1/2 c. Italian salad dressing
12 chicken breast halves (skinned and deboned)

Combine:
1 c. fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
4 T. chopped fresh parsley (or dried)
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Dip chicken in salad dressing and dridge in bread crumb mixture. Place chicken pieces in 9X13 baking dish coated with vegetable cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until tender.

Mexican Chicken Casserole

I was looking for an easy-fix dinner. It had been a lazy summer day and I just didn't have it in me to spend a bunch of time in the kitchen. I was scrolling through my blog and found this recipe. Sounded easy enough and turns out it was. I just boiled some chicken breasts, so while I was waiting for those, I prepared the sauce, tortillas, and pans (I decided to make two square pans so I could freeze one for later). The sauce looked lumpy once it was mixed, but it worked out. I'm not a huge fan of a lot of spice, and this is slightly on the spicy side. But it wasn't too hot for Conner (which honestly surprised me). I think you could eliminate this by using mild salsa and even omitting the green chilies.



1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. milk
1 c. salsa
1 medium onion, chopped
1 4 oz. can green chilies
1 dozen corn tortillas cut into 1” strips
4 chicken breasts, cooked, shredded (about 4-6 cups)
1 lb. jack or mozzarella cheese, grated

Grease a 9X13 pan. Mix soups, milk, salsa, onion and green chilies together to make a sauce. Layer ½ of sauce, ½ of tortillas, ½ of chicken and ½ of grated cheese. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used. Cover with sprayed heavy foil. Bake @ 350 for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake uncovered for 15 minutes more until top is brown.

Real Meatballs and Spaghetti

For the meatballs:
1/2 lb. ground veal
1/2 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground beef
1 c. fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
1/4 c. seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 T. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

For the sauce:
1 T. good olive oil
1 c. chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 c. good red wine, such as Chianti
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 T. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

For serving:
1 1/2 lbs. spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
Freshly grated Parmesan

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt and pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2 inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a place covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and sauté over medium until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook in high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper. Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.