Sichuan Cashew Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta

Prep Time:5 min
Start to Finish:30 min
Makes:5 Servings
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 tablespoon chili or vegetable oil
1 bag (1 pound) frozen broccoli, carrots and water chestnuts (or other combination)
1/3 cup stir-fry sauce
6 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta or 2 cups hot cooked brown or white rice
1/4 cup cashew halves, if desired
1. Remove fat from chicken. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.
2. While chicken is cooking, cook pasta in separate pan in boiling water as package directs.
3. Add vegetables to skillet; stir-fry about 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in stir- fry sauce; cook and stir about 30 seconds or until heated through.
4. Cut chicken into 1-inch diagonal slices. Serve chicken with vegetables and noodles. Sprinkle with cashews.

I also added fresh veggies to the frozen veggie mix, since my mom ate half of the frozen veggies before I could make this!

Honey Mustard Chicken Nuggets

1 cup Fiber One® original bran cereal (or any other kind of bread crumbs, crackers etc etc)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup honey
1 package (20 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 25 (1 1/4-inch) pieces
1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray cookie sheet with sides with cooking spray.
2. Place cereal in resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag and finely crush with rolling pin or meat mallet. Add salt and pepper; shake to mix. Pour into medium bowl.
3. In small bowl, mix mayonnaise, mustard and honey.
4. In medium bowl, stir 1/4 cup of the mustard mixture and the chicken to coat chicken thoroughly. Toss chicken in cereal mixture to coat. Place on cookie sheet.
5. Bake 10 minutes; turn chicken. Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer or until chicken is no longer pink in center.
6. Serve chicken nuggets with reserved sauce for dipping.

 

Love Your Crock Pot

Crock pots are amazing!  You throw your dinner in and when you get home its done!  I made this meal Thursday night when I had to work til 7 and dinner was ready when my family got home.  I spent my day off before making the bread and in the morning before work I threw the meat in and dinner was ready when my family was hungry that evening.

Slow Cooker Roast Pork with Fruit
1 medium onion, sliced 1 boneless pork loin roast (2 lb) 1 package (8 oz) dried pears or dried plums (1 1/2 cups) 1/2 cup apple juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1. In 4- to 5-quart slow cooker, place onion. Place pork on onion; top with fruit. 2. In small bowl, mix remaining ingredients; pour over fruit. 3 .Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 9 hours or until pork is tender. Serve fruit mixture over pork.

For the bread be prepared to stay at home to keep an eye on it all day.  Walnut-Gorgonzola Baguettes 2 1/2 to 3 cups Gold Medal® Better for Bread™ flour 1 package regular active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons) 1 cup very warm water (120°F to 130°F) 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup chopped walnuts 1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese 1. In large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the yeast. Add warm water. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand about 1 hour or until bubbly. 2. Stir in salt and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. On lightly floured surface, knead dough 5 to 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy (dough will be soft). Grease large bowl with shortening or spray with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Sprinkle walnuts and cheese over dough. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until double. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched. 3. Grease large cookie sheet with shortening or spray with cooking spray. On lightly floured surface, knead dough until nuts and cheese are worked into dough. Sprinkle top of dough with flour. Divide dough in half. Gently shape each half into a narrow loaf, about 12 inches long. Place about 4 inches apart on cookie sheet. Using spray bottle with fine mist, spray loaves with cool water. Let rise uncovered in warm place about 1 hour or until double. 4. Place 8-inch or 9-inch square pan on bottom rack in oven; add hot water to pan until about 1/2 inch from top of pan. Heat oven to 425°F. 5. Carefully cut 1/4-inch-deep slashes diagonally across loaves at 2-inch intervals with sharp serrated knife. Spray tops of loaves with cool water. Place loaves in oven and spray again. 6. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until loaves are deep golden with crisp crust and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack; cool completely, about 1 hour. High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 25 to 30 minutes.

~Bry

Roasted Pork Chops, Broccoli and Veggies

Fresh Tomato and Squash Tart

Servings: 8

• 2 large fully ripened fresh Florida tomatoes, (about 1 pound)
• 1 large zucchini (about 8 ounces)
• 1 large summer (yellow) squash (about 8 ounces)
• 1 large potato (about 6 ounces), peeled
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup shredded reduced fat Swiss cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten (or you may use 1 whole egg and 1/4 cup egg substitute)

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Butter a 9-inch pie plate or shallow casserole. Remove stem ends from tomatoes; cut in half through stem ends; thinly slice crosswise. Cut zucchini, summer squash and potato in half lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, summer squash, potato, onion, 3/4 cup of the Swiss cheese, eggs, salt, Italian seasoning and pepper until well mixed. Arrange half of the tomato slices on bottom of pie plate. Evenly spoon vegetable mixture over tomatoes, pressing slightly to flatten. Arrange remaining tomato slices on top; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake until vegetables are tender and glazed, about 40 minutes.

Roasted Broccolini with Red Pepper

Servings: 6

• 1 1/4 pounds broccoli florets, (about 8 cups)
• 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes 

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss broccoli and 3 tablespoons oil in large bowl to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Roast 15 minutes. Stir remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil, garlic, and red pepper in small bowl. Drizzle garlic mixture over broccoli; toss to coat. Roast until broccoli is beginning to brown, about 8 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

  

Pork Chops Stuffed with Smoked Gouda and Bacon

Ingredients

• 2 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 (2 1/4 inch thick) center-cut, bone-in pork chops
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cheese, bacon, parsley, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
3. Lay the chop flat on cutting board, and with a sharp knife held parallel to the board, cut a pocket into the pork, going all the way to the bone, but leaving the sides intact. Stuff cheese mixture into pocket, and close with a wooden toothpick. Brush meat with oil, and season with salt and more black pepper.
4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes on each side, or until pork is done. Careful not to overcook!

 ~Bry

Eggplant

I am not a fan of eggplant however my mom really likes it so I like to use it in recipes from time to time.  I had some left over eggplant and made both of these recipes that use it.  The first one is a side dish of eggplant and tomatoes.

Roasted Eggplant and TomatoesServe with a green salad and crusty rolls.

Servings: 6

• 1 - 1 3/4 pound eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 large plum tomatoes, cored, quartered lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place eggplant and tomatoes on rimmed baking sheet; toss with oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons oregano, salt, and pepper. Roast until eggplant is tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Transfer eggplant and tomatoes to platter. Sprinkle with feta and 2 teaspoons oregano and serve.

 

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place eggplant and tomatoes on rimmed baking sheet; toss with oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons oregano, salt, and pepper. Roast until eggplant is tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Transfer eggplant and tomatoes to platter. Sprinkle with feta and 2 teaspoons oregano and serve.

Charred Ratatouille & Grilled Chicken

Servings: 6

• 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise

• 1 medium Japanese eggplant, halved lengthwise

• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

• 1 red onion, peeled, cut into wedges

• 2 medium tomatoes, halved crosswise

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

• 1/3 cup basil (chiffonade)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar *

Prepare grill (medium-high heat). Place vegetables in large bowl and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Grill vegetables until tender and slightly charred, about 4 minutes for peppers and 7 minutes for remaining vegetables. Transfer to cutting board. Place chicken breasts in same large bowl. Turn to coat with any remaining oil in bowl. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Grill chicken, covered, until cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. Let stand 5 minutes.

Coarsely chop vegetables and transfer to another large bowl. Add basil and vinegar and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Slice chicken into 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve with ratatouille.

COOKS NOTE: For you traditionalists, go ahead and use the balsamic vinegar.

 

~Bry

Lasagna Roll-ups

Spinach and Cheese Roll-ups
Speed up this recipe by using purchased marinara sauce. Servings: 4

• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 - 14.5 ounce can diced canned tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• Dash of salt
• Dash of black pepper
• 8 dried lasagna noodles
• 1 - 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 3/4 cup fat-free or reduced fat ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (2 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
• 1 slightly beaten egg white
In a medium saucepan cook onion and garlic in hot oil until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Carefully stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes or until sauce is desired consistency, stirring occasionally.
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well.
For filling, drain thawed spinach well, pressing out excess liquid. In a medium bowl stir together ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and bail. Add spinach and egg white, stirring to combine.
To assemble, evenly spread about 1/4 cup filling on each noodle Roll up from one end. Place two rolls, seam side down into each of four individual casseroles. Top each serving with sauce.
Bake casseroles, covered, in a 350 degree oven about 25 minutes or until heated through.

I love this dish, I use cottage cheese instead of ricotta, and I skip the first half of the recipe and use canned tomato sauce instead of making it.

Bry

My Favorite Bean Dip

There are a lot of bean dips and a lot of different ways to make them.  My favorite I stole many ideas and recipes from many friends and mixed them together to make my favorite.

I love the Tostadas Bean and Cheese premade dip.  I mix it with a can of re fried beans otherwise the flavor is highly over whelming (and if you don't like spicy it calms the spicy flavor down).  I spread the bean mixture in the bottom of a glass casserole dish.  Then I mix a package of cream cheese with taco seasoning and spread that over the beans, (make sure the cream cheese is soft so it spreads nicely).  Then I put a layer of salsa, enough to cover the dish and add flavor but if you add to much it is to runny and overpowering.  I then add shredded cheese.  If you like tomatoes, olives, guacamole, etc etc feel free to add them.  I then bake the dish for about 30 minutes, or until melted and hot, at around 350.

~Bry