Zesty Chicken Tenders

Zesty Chicken Tenders

Good for a nice quick dinner that makes the kids happy and has enough flavor to not be boring! Pair with blue cheese and celery sticks and a salad.

What you need:

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/2 tsp hot sauce

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground red pepper

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1 lb chicken breast tenders 

Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a shallow dish.  Combine flour and next 4 ingredients in a shallow dish. Dip chicken in buttermilk mixture, and dredge chicken in flour mixture.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan. Serve with your favorite blue cheese!

Broken Lasagna Skillet

Broken Lasagna Skillet

I'm always looking for new ways to use up my zucchini in the summer time. This recipe was inspired by one I found in a Food Network magazine. You can find the original recipe here on their website. I added a few things to mine.

What you need:

2 med zucchini, shredded

1 box of lasagna noodles, broken into small pieces

1/2 stick of butter

1 small box of cherry tomatoes, about 2 cups, halved

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup or so of grated Parmesan

chives, cut into small pieces

deveined, tailless shrimp, I used the frozen ones and let them thaw while I was cooking everything else. We like shrimp so I used a lot of them

Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder to taste

While bringing the water to boil for the ravioli. Shred your zucchini and place in a colander to drain for about 10 minutes and then squeeze out excess moisture. Make sure to constantly stir your ravioli so it doesn't stick together. And reserve the water from your ravioli.

Heat the butter in a large skillet and add the cherry tomatoes until the start to look blistered about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and lemon juice crushing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Allow the zucchini to cook until it is tender-crisp about 5-10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and other spices. Add your shrimp and cook another couple of minutes until pink. 

Transfer the zucchini mixture to a large bowl. Add the ravioli, cheese and about half the chives and toss. Add a little of the reserved water to loosen if needed. Top with more cheese and chives.

Chicken Chiles Rellenos Style

Chicken Chiles Rellenos Style

The kids loved this one! Of course since it uses nacho chips. Simple to make and tastes great!

What you need:

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 lime, juiced

2 eggs

1/2 Tbl crushed garlic

1 bag Nacho flavored Doritos,  finely crushed

1 4oz can of green chiles, diced

1 block Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Salsa, optional

I bought the chicken breasts with the rib meat on it. Cut the rib meat off and depending on how large the breasts are slice them in halve. Use a meat tenderizer to even out all the chicken pieces including the rib meat.

In a bowl mix the egg, lime juice and garlic until frothy. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg mixture and then coat in nachos. Place chicken on a pan in the oven at 400 Degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Until chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Place chiles on the chicken, sprinkle with shredded cheese and cook another 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve with salsa if desired.

Side Note:

If you have non chiles eaters leave it off a few pieces and just sprinkle with the cheese.

I buy the chicken with the rib meat because I can feed a bigger family by slicing the thick parts down and using the rib meat. We have less waste that way. The kids with smaller appetites eat 2-3 of the little pieces and the meat tenderizer flattens the meat enough that the big kids think they are getting gigantic pieces.I use the same trick when serving steak or ham or anything. I slice it first. There mind tells them they are getting more but I know they're not overeating. 

Bleu Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Burgers

Bleu Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Burger

Now this is a burger!

Bleu Cheese crumbles paired with spinach wrapped up by 1/4 to 1/2 lb fresh beef and topped with bacon and roasted peppers...

What you need:

4 lbs ground beef

Bleu cheese crumbles

Fresh spinach leaves

Roasted red peppers

1lb bacon

Hamburger seasoning(this is tricky because I don't really have a recipe for this. I add in a few dashes or a pinch or a couple shakes of the following items: soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and I have a couple different pre-mixed hamburger seasonings from the store that I add to it)

Anyway, back to the burger. In a large bowl mix the ground beef and your seasonings. Form a good size burger patty with a hollow in the center.It should look like a well. Place 3-4 spinach leaves in the hollow and a good size spoonful of bleu cheese. Wrap the sides down over the filling and carefully form with your hands to return to a patty shape. 

Grill on each side until desired doneness. Top with bacon and roasted red peppers. Serve on a bed of lettuce or on a bun.

Fried Okra

Fried Okra

I have an odd relationship with okra. The first time I had it I bought it out of the freezer section and while I didn't hate the taste it wasn't a texture I was certain I ever wanted again. It's been years since that happened. But I wanted to make gumbo and okra goes in gumbo so I bought some. Fresh this time. What to do with the leftovers? My son made me taste it raw. Not terrible but not my favorite. I didn't notice it too much in my gumbo. And then I was on the phone with a friend and she suggested deep fried. Everything is better deep fried!

What you need:

Fresh okra sliced in to 1/2 inch slices

buttermilk

breadcrumbs

salt and pepper

any other seasonings you might want

Place the sliced okra in buttermilk to moisten. Roll in breadcrumbs mixed with salt, pepper and seasonings until coated. Place in a deep fryer or a pan with about 2 inches of oil in it heated to 350 degrees. watch them closely because they don't take long at all. About 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve with ranch as a dipping sauce.

My fear of okra is over! I will try it again maybe a different way this time. But now I know deep fried is a big thumbs up!

Tomato Mozzarella Stack

Tomato Mozzarella Stack

Reminiscent of a Caprese salad, this is something similar we used to serve as an appetizer at the restaurant I worked in. Super easy to make and so refreshing. Serve as an appetizer at your dinner party or as an after school snack for the kids.

What you need:

2 roma tomatoes, sliced thin

6-8 oz of fresh mozzarella, sliced thin

roasted red pepper strips

balsamic reduction

fresh or dried basil

On a platter alternate tomato and mozzarella slices. Using a few pieces of the red pepper top every other or every third piece of mozzarella. Drizzle with balsamic reduction and sprinkle with basil.

Notes:

I prefer fresh basil but I don't always have it. Also, feel free to use whatever kind of tomatoes you might prefer. I prefer roma because they are meatier and have less juice and seeds. 

Zesty Ravioli

Zesty Ravioli

Simple, yet tastes like gourmet. You're gonna love this! So easy and all done in the skillet.My kids went back for seconds! And I have a couple picky eaters! The original recipe is from Pampered Chef and you can find it here.

What you're going to need:

1/2 cup whipping cream 

4 cups baby spinach leaves

6 oz grated Provolone cheese

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

3 garlic cloves, pressed

3 cans diced tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

2 packages frozen or fresh ravioli, I used the large ones

Saute the jalapeno in a large skillet for about a minute or so. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Now add the diced tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook until simmering. Add ravioli and cook uncovered about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in your cream and bring it back to a simmer. Place your spinach on top of the ravioli and cover. Cook 1-2 minutes or until the spinach starts to wilt. Remove from heat, add the shredded cheese and allow to melt before serving.

Savory New Orlean's Style Gumbo

This was my first time making gumbo. I probably looked at a 100 recipes trying to figure out which one to make. Finally I closed the computer, grabbed an empty pot and this is the result. It was delicious! So many flavors blending and melding together. So savory. I hope ya'll try it and enjoy it.

You will need:

1 LARGE pot

14 oz smoked sausage, halved and then cut into pieces

1 large onion, cut into large chunks

a couple stalks of celery, chopped

2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces

1 decent sized ham steak, cut into bite sized pieces

a few handfuls of shrimp (cleaned and tailless)

1 large green pepper, chopped

3 cans of diced tomatoes

about 3 cups of chicken broth

2 small yellow squash, cut into bite sized pieces

2 Tbl garlic

2-3 Tbl corn starch

Some kind of Creole rub about 2 Tablespoons ( I have a container of one of Emeril Lagasses' Essence seasonings. You can find the recipe online or purchase it in the store)

Rice(optional)

Using a large skillet I browned the sausage, ham and chicken in oil. Remove the meat to another container and cook the pepper, onion, garlic and celery for a few minutes until tender but still crisp. My skillet is very large so I used it for the whole process however, you may want to switch to a stock pot at this point. Add the meat back in with the vegetables. Add the diced tomatoes, and about 2 cups of the chicken broth, along with the squash and creole seasoning. Cook until it comes to a boil. In a small bowl combine the rest of the chicken broth and the cornstarch until smooth. Slowly add to the gumbo. Cook until it begins to thicken. Add shrimp. At this point if you are using uncooked shrimp cook until it turns pink. I used thawed pre-cooked shrimp so I cooked a few minutes till the shrimp was hot.

Serve over hot cooked rice or eat alone.

This is definitely something I will be making again. Not only was it good it gave me the opportunity to cook the way I like to cook. I love just pulling things out of the cupboards and refrigerator and throwing it in a pot and voila we have a delicious meal! 

Crock pot Version

Same basic start. Brown your meats. Throw everything in the crock pot reserving 1/2 cup of broth, cornstarch and shrimp for last. Cook on low 4-6 hours. Ten minutes before serving add in the cornstarch mixture and the shrimp.

Green Goddess Salad and Dressing

Green Goddess Salad and Dressing

Hot day? How about this refreshing salad for lunch or even a light dinner! The shrimp can easily be substituted with grilled chicken or steak. I found this recipe on eatingwell.com here.It's copied exactly below for your convenience.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 avocado, peeled and pitted
3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as tarragon, sorrel and/or chives
2 teaspoons tarragon vinegar, or white-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon anchovy paste, or minced anchovy fillet
8 cups bite-size pieces green leaf lettuce
12 ounces peeled and deveined cooked shrimp, (21-25 per pound; see Ingredient note)
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed
1 cup rinsed and chopped canned artichoke hearts
1/2 cup chopped celery

PREPARATION
Puree avocado, buttermilk, herbs, vinegar and anchovy in a blender until smooth.
Divide lettuce among 4 plates. Top with shrimp, cucumber, tomatoes, chickpeas, artichoke hearts and celery. Drizzle the dressing over the salads.

Joe's Omelet

Joe's Omelet

I don't really have a name for this one. A garbage omelet? It's a little bit of everything. Most mornings I get up with Joe and make him breakfast before he goes to work. It's usually an omelet or a breakfast sandwich or a combination of the two. And it's usually anything goes. I will take left overs and throw in there. I once made a chili omelet for him! I don't usually take pics cause it's a little busy. But this morning  I paused and tried to get a pic. It's not great and it's not staged but it's also not too bad considering the lighting was terrible and I didn't use a flash and all my pictures are done using Instagram!

So inside this omelet is:

2 eggs

2 small okras sliced thin

3 pieces of bacon crumbled

2 small sweet peppers sliced thin

a few pieces of tomato 

and feta cheese

This particular omelet ended up folded in half and sandwiched on an everything bagel so he could take it to go.

Grilled Apple Stuffed Pork Loin

Grilled Apple Stuffed Pork Loin

This was delicious. A bit sweet so I'll give you the original recipe and tell you how to tweak it a little to maybe tone down the sweet. Also, this does not need to be grilled. Baked in the oven is fine and the crock pot could be good too. Maybe add a few extra apples to the bottom of the crock pot so you can get a good base for apple gravy.

Ingredient List

2-3 lb pork loin, butterfly it so it lays flat

2 large apples sliced thin

Grill Mates Brown Sugar Bourbon Seasoning

Brown sugar

Once you butterfly the loin, coat it with the seasoning and lay the apples out on it. Roll it up tight and tie it with twine. At this point I wrapped it in foil and put it on the grill to be able to let it cook in it's own juices a bit, about 15-20 minutes on the grill. I then removed the foil and coated the outside in brown sugar, I ran out of the Grill Mates Seasoning, oops! Put it back on the grill to brown up and finish cooking.Slice into pinwheels and serve with a fresh salad!

Side note:

I think the brown sugar on the outside may have been a bit much. I would maybe leave it out all together and use the seasoning on the inside and the out side or maybe just sprinkle the brown sugar inside with the apples and put the seasoning on the outside. Give it a try and let me know how it works out!!!!

Beef Burgundy

Beef Burgundy

Great flavor. Very rich taste. Unfortunately, this one is time consuming. I haven't tried it in the crock-pot yet but it would probably be good for that.

Ingredient List

2 Tbl oil

18-20 small white onions, peeled or frozen

3-5 lbs beef chuck, cut into 1/2" cubes

2 Tbl flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1-2 cups Burgundy wine

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3/4 cup beef stock

1 8oz can of tomato sauce

2 Tbl chopped parsley

1 bay leaf

1 tsp thyme

3/4 lb fresh mushrooms

2 Tbl butter

Lightly brown the onions in the oil and remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Pat meat dry between paper towels and brown it on all sides in the same pot without crowding. Sprinkle browned meat with flour, salt and pepper. Add wine, garlic, stock, tomato sauce and herbs. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a simmer and then cook it tightly covered for two or more hours or until meat is fork tender. Stir occasionally to be sure the meat doesn't stick. Add the onions in after 1 hour. 

Meanwhile, wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth and trim the stems. Quarter the mushrooms and heat butter and in the skillet and lightly saute the mushrooms and set aside.

When the beef mixture is done, skim off any fat, add the mushrooms and serve over egg noodles.

Slow-cooker variation:

Brown the meat and onions. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker reserving the mushrooms for later. Cook on low 4-6 hours.

Smoked Trout and Cucumber Salad Appetizer

Smoked Trout Salad

We were given several pieces of freshly smoked trout. While the flavor was good it was strong. So what do you do with smoked trout? Well I didn't want to waste it so I created this.Lots of flavors meld together with the smoky flavor of the trout and the crisp freshness of the cucumber.

Ingredient list

2 medium cucumbers, peeled, halved with the seeds removed and sliced thin

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup vanilla yogurt

1/4 cup sour cream

1 Tbl lemon juice

2 Tbs fresh or dried chopped dill

salt

Olive oil

Smoked trout, about 1 lb

4 scallions sliced thin

pepper for seasoning

In a medium bowl break up the trout into large flakes. Lightly toss with just enough olive oil to coat and make it look shiny. Add in the scallions and pepper to taste. Toss again to mix evenly and set aside.

In another bowl mix the mayo, sour cream, and yogurt together. Blend in the lemon juice and dill. Add salt to taste. Stir in the cucumbers. 

To serve: Place the cucumber mix on a large platter or individual plates. Top with the trout. Serve with crackers or your favorite bread.

Bacon and Dill Potato Salad

Bacon and Dill Potato Salad

My original potato salad always tends to dry out. So, the other day when I made this one I decided to try something new and it worked! No more dry potato salad for us!

Ingredient List

5 medium to large potatoes

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup sour cream

1 Tbls Bavarian Sweet Mustard

3 hard-boiled eggs

2 Tbls dill

6 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled

Cut the potatoes into bite sized cubes and place in boiling water with the eggs to cook. Boil until tender but not too soft. While the potatoes are cooling, in a large bowl combine the mayo, sour cream, mustard and dill. Cut the eggs up into small pieces and stir in the mayo mix. Add the potatoes and bacon and stir gently.

Chickpea Salad

Chickpea Salad

Super easy and it really compliments a grilled steak.

1 can of chickpeas

2-4 roma tomatoes

feta cheese

olive oil

Coat a medium skillet with the olive oil and pour in drained chickpeas. Cook on medium heat until just starting to get crispy. Add in tomatoes till warmed. Serve with your favorite lettuce and top with feta cheese. 

The steak in the picture was sprinkled with salt and pepper on both sides and grilled at about 4 minutes on each side.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pie

Pumpkin Whoopie Pie

These are yummy and came from a recipe a friend posted on face book. I've included the link as well as the full recipe below. The only thing I did different was use fresh pumpkin puree that I had frozen in the freezer. These were yummy. The kids loved them and they went fast. The flavor was light and not too sweet. I will definitely make these again!

**B101 Member Amber Shares** Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling

3 cups All Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves


1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 - 15 oz. can of pumpkin
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat together brown sugar, sugar, oil and pumpkin. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition, followed by the vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
Using a pastry bag with a round tip, or a big zip top plastic bag with one corner snipped, squeeze out concentric circles of batter, starting from the middle and working outward until the circles are about 2 inches in diameter. Bake for 11 minutes and cool on a rack.

Cream Cheese Filling
1 - 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 - 16 oz. package of powdered sugar
about a capful of vanilla extract
a pinch of cinnamon (to taste)

Beat together cream cheese and butter. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Frost flat side of half the pies and top with another piece.

Budget101 site
 

Crab Rolls

Crab Rolls

Light and refreshing. No cooking required! Perfect for a hot summer night.

2 packages crab meat

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup chives sliced thin

1/4 cup shallots sliced thin

1/4 cup celery diced small

Frank's Hot Sauce sauce

lemon juice

salt and pepper

Red leaf lettuce and hot dog rolls

Mix mayo and about 10 dashes of Franks and 3 teaspoons of lemon juice in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the other ingredients leaving about a Tbls of chives aside for topping. Gently stir in the crab so it doesn't break down to small. 

Line a toasted or grilled roll with the red leaf lettuce. Add the crab mixture and sprinkle with chives. 

Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice Baked Potatoes

I had 4 potatoes left over from the Rustic Stuffed Potatoes. So I decided to spruce them up and use them as a side.

4 baked potatoes

1/2 cup cheddar cheese shredded

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg

2 Tbl butter

garlic powder

pepper

salt

Cut the potatoes in half cross ways. With a spoon carefully scoop out the insides into a bowl. Add the cheese, sour cream, egg and butter and mix well. Add garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Scoop the new filling back into the potato skins and stand up in a muffin tray. Bake at 350-400 until brown on the top. 

My kids love these! They are always a big hit! Enjoy!

Rustic Stuffed Potatoes

I had a hard time deciding what photo to use so you got a couple!

These are  really good, heart healthy all in one meal.

4 Large Potatoes

1/2 cup BBQ Sauce

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2-3 tsp cider vinegar

12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts(cubed)

shredded cheddar

sour cream

green onions (chopped)

Pierce potatoes wrap in foil and place in the oven for 45 minutes a 400 degrees. (I did them on the grill this time because it was hot out the other night)

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet and cook chicken for a few minutes until no longer pink on the outside.

In a mixing bowl combine the bbq sauce, vinegar and cayenne. Increase the chicken heat to high and add the bbq sauce mix. Cook until sauce thickens and chicken is done. 

Split potatoes and top with chicken, cheddar, onions and sour cream!

Bacon and Feta Stuffed Chicken

Bacon and Feta Stuffed Chicken

This is very delicious. It has great flavor because of the feta. And fairly easy to make. You don't have to turn on the oven!

4 thick chicken breasts

4 oz of feta (crumbled)

1 package of bacon (cooked and crumbled)

14 oz can of diced tomatoes

Using a knife cut a pocket into the chicken breasts. Stuff with bacon and feta. Hold together with toothpicks. Place in a large pan and brown each side of the chicken. Add the can of diced tomatoes and continue cooking until the chicken is done. Approximately 30 minutes. Top with more feta you have a gourmet worthy meal!

Pumpkin Chili

Pumpkin Chili

This is good for warming your bones. On a cold winter night, a chilly autumn eve or anytime really. The ultimate comfort food. It had a sweeter taste to it and is mild. My kids love this over traditional "hot" chili. It can be done in a pot on the stove or in the crock pot.

3 lbs ground beef (cooked)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup canned pumpkin ( I process pumpkins in the fall and freeze it so I can use fresher pumpkin)

1 tsp salt

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 cans condensed tomato soup

2 16oz cans of chili sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp chili powder

2 cans kidney beans

In a large pot cook your beef and onion until the meat is no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Simmer 1 hour. Water can be added to reduce the thickness if needed.

If using a crock pot cook your meat and onions before adding to the crock and set on warm for 6-8 hours or high for 2-4 hours. 

I make a box of elbows and make chili mac either the same day or for left overs. Corn bread is good with it too. Because it's a sweeter chili I like a less sweet bread like Italian or peasant bread.

3 For 1, Venison, Beans, Salad

Grilled Venison Tenderloin
Tenderloin seasoned with your favorite meat seasonings. I used Emerils Steak Rub this time around. We like ours rare so about 4-5 minutes on each side. I love venison tenderloin because it's always tender and there is no fat on it. When we process it we cut all the fat and sinew off then freeze it.


Green Beans
Fresh green beans( I was given about a half a shopping bag full from a friend)
3 Tbls crushed Garlic
1 stick Butter

Take the stems off the beans. Melt butter in a large pan with the garlic. Add the beans and cook till heated through and tender but still crisp.


Remember the Versatile Mac Salad? This is the basic recipe but I used cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and egg in it. Also, I added ranch dressing for a different flavor.