Sweet & Sour Chicken

I found this on Molly's blog, and it sounded yummy! Had such a great flavor. We served it over white rice with a vegetable side dish of green beans with almonds.

INGREDIENTS:
*3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
*Salt and pepper
*1 C. cornstarch
*2 eggs, beaten
*1/4 C. canola oil

Sauce:
*¾ C. sugar
*4 T. ketchup
*½ C. vinegar
*1 T. soy sauce
*1 tsp garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg (I did this, and Nate said I should have reversed it, egg first then cornstarch...which makes sense now). Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over chicken.

2. Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced - about 6-8 minutes.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Saw this on allrecipes.com and had to try it. Was in the mood for some comfort food. This was a perfect meal for Evan too...he loved it!

INGREDIENTS:
*2/3 C. chopped onion
*1 garlic clove, minced (we omitted as Nate doesn't like too much garlic)
*1 T. olive oil
*1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
*1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
*1.5 C. chopped carrots
*3 celery ribs, chopped
*1/2 tsp savory (we omitted and used poultry seasoning instead)
*3 T. butter/margarine
*3 T. all-purpose flour
*3/4 tsp salt
*1/8 tsp pepper
*1.5 C. 2% milk (we used 1%)
*1 1/4 C. shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (we used 1 pkg, or 2 C.)
*8 oz wide egg noodles, cooked and drained (we used almost the whole package)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large nonstick skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink. Add the broth, carrots, celery and savory. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese until melted. Pour over chicken mixture. Add noodles; mix well.

3. Transfer to a 3-qt. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.

Baked Shrimp Scampi

I've had a taste for shrimp...and this recipe looked and sounded yummy! I don't think I've tried a Barefoot Contessa recipe before :) We served it over thin spaghetti along with a salad.

INGREDIENTS:

*2 lbs. shrimp (in the shell)
*3 T olive oil
*2 T dry white wine
*Kosher salt (we used sea salt) and ground black pepper
*12 T unsalted butter, or 1 1/2 sticks (we only used 1 stick, and it turned out fine)
*4 tsp minced garlic
*1/4 cup minced shallots (we skipped this)
*3 T minced parsley leaves
*1 tsp minced rosemary leaves
*1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
*1 tsp grated lemon zest
*2 T lemon juice
*1 extra large egg yolk
*2/3 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
*lemon wedges for serving


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture.

3. In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until combined.

4. Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and towards the center of the dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute. Serve with lemon wedges.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

This was a hit...and so easy to make! Found it off my favorite allrecipes.com. I've made it twice, with the second time forgetting to add butter, and it still tasted great!

INGREDIENTS:
*4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (we used about 1.5lbs)
*2 T. butter
*2 (10.25 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup (used 1 regular, and 1 light/low-fat)
*1 onion (finely chopped)
*2 (10 ounce) pkgs. refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces (we only used one can)
*1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water (we used a can of chicken broth instead) to cover.

2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center. (I added the biscuits once the chicken was cooked through, and then just kept checking on it until the biscuits looked done)

We served this over egg noodles along with a salad. :)

(NOTE: Cook times vary according to the size of your crock pot. Our crock pot is a 6 qt, so it cooked faster than in the directions)

Cheeseburger Soup

This was the Recipe of the Day at allrecipes.com, and it looked and sounded good. Next time, I will add some bacon to it. Great comfort food!

INGREDIENTS:
*1/2 lb. ground beef (we used 1 lb)
*3/4 C. chopped onion
*3/4 C. shredded carrots
*3/4 C. chopped celery
*1 tsp dried basil
*1 tsp dried parsley
*4 T. butter
*3 C. chicken broth
*4 C. cubed potatoes
*1/4 C. all-purpose flour
*2 C. cubed Cheddar cheese (we used 1 lb Velveeta---2%)
*1 1/2 C. milk
*1/4 C. sour cream (we used reduced-fat)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large pot, melt 1 tablespoon butter or margarine over medium heat: cook and stir vegetables and beef , until beef is brown.

2. Stir in basil and parsley. Add broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes.

3. Melt the remainder of butter and stir in flour. Add the milk, stirring until smooth.

4. Gradually add milk mixture to the soup, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Stir in cheese. When cheese is melted, add sour cream and heat through. Do not boil.

Banana bread

Had some overly ripe bananas and hated for for them to go to waste. I've been wanting to make banana bread for awhile, and found this recipe on allrecipes.com. Just had a slice, and it is yummy!

INGREDIENTS:
*2 C. all-purpose flour
*1 tsp baking soda
*1/4 tsp salt
*1/2 C. butter
*3/4 C. brown sugar
*2 eggs, beaten
*2 1/3 C. overly ripe bananas, mashed

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Beef Stew with Chocolate

Who can go wrong with a recipe that includes chocolate and red wine? I found this recipe by Sandra Lee on the Foodnetwork.com. This was a yummy beef stew recipe...great flavor! We served it with biscuits. Perfect for a cool Fall day :)

INGREDIENTS:
*2 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into bite-size pieces
*1 tsp salt (we used sea salt), plus more for seasoning
*1 tsp ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
*1 T. all-purpose flour
*2 T. canola oil
*1 cup frozen sliced carrots (we used fresh)
*1 8-oz pkg sliced brown mushrooms (we omitted)
*3 cups diced red potatoes
*1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes
*2 T. finely grated bittersweet chocolate
*1 tsp crushed garlic
*1 pkt meatloaf seasoning (we used McCormick)
*1 (14oz) can low-sodium beef broth
*1 cup red wine, preferably Merlot
*1 leek, white part only, sliced and drained

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl combine beef stew meat, salt, pepper and flour. Toss until beef is well coated.

2. Heat the canola in a large saute pan over high heat. Add seasoned beef and sear on all sides until brown and caramelized. Remove to a plate and set aside.

3. Combine seared beef, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes and tomatoes in a 4-quart slow cooker.

4. In a medium bowl, stir together grated chocolate, garlic, meatloaf packet, beef broth, and red wine. Pour into slow cooker and sprinkle the leeks over the top. Cover and cook on HIGH setting for 4 to 6 hours.

5. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Japanese Zucchini and Onions

This was very tasty and a nice change from our usual green beans and almonds. Great veggie side dish! Found it here at allrecipes.com.

INGREDIENTS:
*2 T vegetable oil (used olive oil)
*1 medium onion, thinly sliced
*2 medium zucchinis, cut into thin strips
*2 T teriyaki sauce
*1 T soy sauce
*1 T toasted sesame seeds
*ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onions, and cook 5 minutes.

2. Add zucchini, and cook, stirring, about 1 minute.

3. Stir in teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, and sesame seeds. Cook until zucchini are tender, about 5 minutes.

4. Stir in ground pepper, and serve immediately.

Maple Salmon

This sounded so yummy and simple to make. Found this from allrecipes.com. Although it was yummy, I thought it might have a little more maple flavor. Will definitely make again though!

INGREDIENTS:
*1/4 cup maple syrup
*2 T soy sauce
*1 clove garlic, minced (I used 1/2 tsp minced garlic)
*1/4 tsp garlic salt
*1/8 tsp ground black pepper
*1 pound salmon (I used 1.5 pounds wild Alaskan sockeye salmon)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.

2. Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

4. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven, and bake salmon uncovered 20 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork.

Manicotti with Spicy Sausage

This is one of my favorite Italian dishes...so yummy with a kick of spiciness. I found it on allrecipes.com .

INGREDIENTS:
*1 pound spicy Italian sausage (we used the Bob Evans zesty one)
*1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
*1 (26 ounce) jar marinara sauce (I used about 1 1/2 jars)
*2 eggs, beaten
*3 cups ricotta cheese
*3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
*1 (4 ounce) can green chilies
*3 T minced fresh parsley
*1 tsp Italian seasoning
*1/2 tsp salt
*1/2 tsp garlic powder
*1/2 tsp black pepper
*1 box manicotti noodles (don't cook them)
*1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I used more than this...just bought one package)


DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In the same skillet, bring tomatoes and marinara sauce to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, chilies, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder and pepper.

2. Divide 2 cups of sauce between two greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dishes. Stuff uncooked manicotti shells with cheese mixture. Place in prepared pans. Sprinkle with sausage; top with remaining sauce.

3. Cover and bake at 375 degrees F for 50 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and manicotti is tender. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Honey Grilled Shrimp

Another fabulous recipe from Lindsay who found it on allrecipes.com . Instead of grilling it, I broiled it in our oven, and it turned out great. One mistake I made was not reading the directions thoroughly before cooking. I didn't realize I had to let the shrimp marinate for one hour in the fridge. Our shrimp marinated for about 30 or so minutes.

INGREDIENTS:
*1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on (we used 1.3 pounds and removed the tails)
*1/2 tsp garlic powder
*1 tsp ground black pepper
*1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
*2 T dry white wine
*2 T Italian-style salad dressing
*1/4 cup honey (we added a little more)
*1/4 cup butter, melted (we used Plugra unsalted)
*2 T Worcestershire sauce
*skewers


DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, mix together garlic powder, black pepper, 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce, wine, and salad dressing; add shrimp, and toss to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

2. Preheat grill for high heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade.

3. In a small bowl, stir together honey, melted butter, and remaining 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce. Set aside for basting.

4. Lightly oil grill grate. Grill shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque. Baste occasionally with the honey-butter sauce while grilling. (We broiled our shrimp in our oven, about 3-5 min each side, basting before and in-between; we started on a low-broil, and changed it to high-broil during the last half).

Taco Bake

This is Lindsay's recipe , and it is soooooo yummy! I could eat this everyday! Nate and I both had seconds...and even Evan loved the noodles in it.

INGREDIENTS:
*1 lb. ground beef (we used ground turkey)
*1 packet taco seasoning
*15 oz can tomato sauce
*8 oz seashell pasta
*8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened in microwave (we used fat-free)
*1/2 cup sour cream (we used close to 1 cup of light sour cream)
*8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese


DIRECTIONS:
(preheat oven to 350 degrees)

1. Brown ground beef, drain, return to pan. Add taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Bring to boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.

2. In the meantime, cook pasta according to package directions, drain.

3. In a small bowl, mix softened cream cheese and sour cream.

4. Spray bottom of 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Put pasta in bottom of pan.

5. Spread cream cheese mixture over pasta. Spoon ground meat mixture over this.

6. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Oreo Refrigerator Cake

This stuff is AMAZING!!! Wow! I made this for Family Night at Nate's firehouse last weekend, and it was a hit! My cousin Lisa gave me the recipe after she had made it for one of our family get-togethers.

INGREDIENTS:
*1 pkg Oreo cookies (I used 2 pkgs of Oreo Double-Stuffed)
*1 cup margarine
*2 (8oz) tubs of Cool Whip
*1 cup powdered sugar
*2 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese
*1 large package of instant chocolate pudding mix
*3 cups milk (for pudding)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Crumble cookies and spread half of them on the bottom of a 9x13 pan (save other half for later). Pour 1 cup of melted margarine over the cookies. Refrigerate 1-2 hours.

2. In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese with fork until smooth. Add 1 cup powdered sugar, beat until smooth. Add 1 tub (or 8oz) Cool Whip, mix well. Pour mixture over cookies. Refrigerate.

3. Make instant chocolate pudding according to instructions on the box. Pour over cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate 1 hour.

4. Top with 1 tub (or 8oz) of Cool Whip. Sprinkle with remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Crock Pot Round Steak

I found this on Stephanie Cooks . I had modified it since I couldn't find a good cut of London broil at the local store. In cooking this recipe, I have realized we need a smaller (3-4qt) crock pot. I made this in our 6qt one, and this cooked a lot faster than I had wanted. This was yummy, but the meat was too chewy. Will definitely make this again in our new crock pot! We both loved the sauce...so simple, yet flavorful. We paired this with Oven Roasted Potatoes...and our favorite green beans with almonds.


INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds flank steak (we used round steak)
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place meat in the bottom of the slow cooker; if necessary, slice meat to make it fit!

2. In a medium bowl, mix together mushroom and tomato soup. Pour mixture over beef. Sprinkle dry onion soup mix over top.

3. Cover, and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours (our too-big crock pot cooked this in 2 hours...oops).

Oven Roasted Potatoes

I've been wanting to make these for awhile after seeing them on Lindsay's food blog . These are now my new favorite potato side dish! So easy to make, simple ingredients!


INGREDIENTS:
* 1/8 cup olive oil
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
* 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed (I left peels on)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine oil, garlic, basil, marjoram, dill weed, thyme, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir in potatoes until evenly coated. Place potatoes in a single layer on a roasting pan or baking sheet.
3. Roast for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, turning occasionally to brown on all sides.

Mandarin Chicken

I was in the mood for something with chicken...but on the lighter side. I found this recipe on recipezaar.com...and had to try it! It received great reviews, looked easy to make, and was low-fat. We served it over brown rice with a side dish of green beans with almonds. Yummy! We'll definitely have this again!



INGREDIENTS:
*1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
*2/3 cup sugar (or less, according to taste)
*1/4 cup soy sauce
*1 tablespoon lemon juice
*1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
*1/2 tsp minced garlic
*1/2 tsp ginger
*1/4 cup water
*4 teaspoons cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:
1. Spray chicken breasts with Pam.

2. Cook chicken breasts in a pan until done (chicken should be brown in spots).

3. Chop chicken into bite-size pieces, set aside.

4. Combine sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, oil, garlic, and ginger in a small saucepan. Heat over medium until sugar is dissolved, stirring often. Bring to a boil.

5. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Add to saucepan, stirring often. Reduce heat, and simmer 4-6 minutes or until sauce thickens.

6. Pour chicken into large frying pan over medium heat. Heat until chicken sizzles, then reduce heat and pour sauce over chicken. Heat through.

7. Serve over white rice (we used brown rice).