Tuscan Chicken

This is very easy and quick.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 garlic cloves, sliced

2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Flatten chicken to 1/2 in thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. In large skillet over medium heat cook the garlic, rosemary, sage and thyme in oil for 1 minute; stirring occasionally. Add chicken and cooke for 5-7 minutes on each side.

Serves 4. Ready in 15 minutes.

Spinach and Carrot Quiche

We love this quiche and it's so easy to make.

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, liquid removed
1/4 cup shredded or minced carrots
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 9-inch pie crust

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the onion until tender. Add the garlic, spinach, and carrots and cook until the spinach liquid has evaporated.

3. Remove skillet from heat. Mix in cheese and eggs. Add seasonings.

4. Pour into pie shell and bake for 30 minutes.

Serves 6. Ready in 30 minutes.

Pie Crust

I like to make my own because I can whip up a quiche or pot pie without having to run to the store to buy a pie crust. They also freeze well. Try not to handle the dough too much with you hands. You want the butter to melt in the oven, not on your hands.

1 cup butter, chilled, cut into tablespoon pieces
3 cups flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons ice water

1. In an electric mixer combine flour and sugar. Add butter and use the paddle attachment to cut the butter and flour together.

2. With mixer on low speed pour in water. Stop when the dough starts to clump, before turning into a ball.

3. Knead dough in the bowl until it forms a ball. Divide dough into 2 parts. Flatten to a disk and chill for 30 minutes before rolling.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

I usually make and cook the meatballs then freeze them for future use. After freezing them I put them in a pot and pour the sauce over them. I then let them warm up under low-medium heat. Serve over rice.

For meatballs:
3 pounds ground beef
1/3 cup onion flakes, or minced onion
1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375. Make meatballs by mixing together all ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into 1 inch balls. Cook on a rack placed over a jellyroll pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

For sauce:
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons mustard powder
pineapple chunks
bell peppers, diced
1 cup water, divided into 1/2 cups
2 tablespoons cornstarch

In a saucepan over medium heat mix vinegar, sugar, mustard, 1/2 cup water, pineapple, bell peppers, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Mix cornstarch and 1/2 cup water; add to the saucepan. Boil for 1 minute or until thickened.

Serves 10

Turkey Pot Pie

I've also made this with chicken, and it was good, but turkey was better. Serves 8.

• 1 recipe pastry for a (10 inch) double crust pie
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 1/2 cups cooked turkey, cubed
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 
  
• 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out bottom pie crust and place in the 10 inch pie pan and set aside.
  2. Place 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion, celery, carrots, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the bouillon and water. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir in the potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm.
  3. In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the turkey and flour. Add the milk, and heat through. Stir the turkey mixture into the vegetable mixture, and cook until thickened. Pour mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Roll out the top crust, and place on top of filling. Flute edges, and make 4 slits in the top crust to let out steam.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Substitute for Taco Seasoning

I don't always have a packed of taco seasoning available but I do have spices. It is a little spicy so kids may like less chili powder. Here's what I use:

2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Jonathan's Favorite Granola Bars

You can add pretty much anything you want to these bars (raisins, dried apricots, etc.).

3 cups quick cooking oats
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9X13 pan.

2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with your hands or spatula. Press flat into the pan.

3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes the cut into desired size. Let cool completely before serving.

Broccoli with Garlic Butter and Cashews

This is my favorite way to eat broccoli. I know it's not the healthiest, but tastes so good!

1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/3 cup butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup chopped salted cashews

1. Steam broccoli for about 7 minutes. Drain, arrange on serving platter.

2. While broccoli is cooking, melt butter in a small pan. Mix brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in cashews and pour sauce over broccoli. Serve immediately.

Serves 6. Ready in 20 minutes.

Harvard Beets

I never had beets before trying this recipe but now I can say that I love Harvard Beets!

2 or 3 beets
3/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Rinse beets and remove green stems. Wrap each beet in foil and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 1 hour, or until a knife can cut through the largest beet. After the beets have cooled slightly, run under cold water and rub off the skins. Cube beets into bite sized pieces.

In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, and water. Bring into a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beets to the liquid and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat. Stir in butter, salt and pepper and remove from heat. Can be served warm or chilled.


Serves 6.

Whole Wheat Honey Bread

I don't want to jinx this, but I never want to buy bread again after making this. We love it so much and it tastes so much better than store bought. I feel better eating it because I know exactly what's inside and there are no preservatives. I use the bread machine to mix and raise the dough so this is very easy to make.

1 1/8 cups warm water
1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
3 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons wheat gluten
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

Put into bread machine in listed order starting with water. Use the dough setting on the machine. When the bread machine is done, shape dough into a loaf shape and let rise in a greased loaf pan for about 30 minutes. Cook bread at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Delicious Apple Pancakes with cider syrup

This recipe is one of our favorite breakfasts. We like the make the syrup all the time to have on hand.

2 cups complete pancake mix
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup grated apple
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Syrup:
1/ 2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup apple cider or juice
2 tablespoons butter, cubed
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Mix the pancake ingredients together and cook on a griddle using 1/4 cup batter per pancake.

2. For syrup: In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg. Stir in cider until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Stir in butter and lemon juice.

Makes 12 pancakes, 1 1/4 cups syrup

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

These are great for breakfast or a healthy snack.

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup craisins
1/4 cup pecans or walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin cups with liners.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pice spice; set aside. Combine brown sugar, while sugar, applesauce, pumpkin, buttermilk, and eggs. Mix until well blended. Pour pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in craisins and nuts.

3. Divide batter into muffin tins. Bake 15-20 minutes. Cool in the muffin pan on a wire rack before removing muffins.

Makes 12 muffins. Ready in 40 minutes.

*pumpkin pie spice substitute: 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

These may sound gross to you, but they are so yummy! I tricked my family into eating them one morning. They said they didn't like cottage cheese so I told them I would make something else. My husband and I went ahead and made the cottage cheese pancakes anyways because we knew they would like them. My family gobbled them up! Afterwards we told them they had cottage cheese in them and no one believed us.

In a blender, whip:
1 cup cottage cheese

Add:
1/2 cup flour
4 eggs
Blend.

With the mixer running add 6 tablespoons melted butter.

They have a running consistency and will be flat after cooking. They are good with syrup, but my favorite way to eat them is with jam.

Blendar Salsa

A friend gave me this recipe and now I don't use anything else to make salsa.

Blend in blender:
20 oz diced tomatoes
1/2 chopped onion
1 jalapeno
(add tomatios make it spicier)

Add:
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
half bunch of cilantro leaves

Blend again to desired consistency.

Yummy Veggie Pizza

2 packages of crescent rolls
1 cup sour cream
8 oz cream cheese
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 oz ranch dressing mix

Vegetables: green onion, celery, yellow bell pepper, red bell pepper, broccoli, carrot, cucumber

Preheat oven to 350. Pat dough onto sprayed jellyroll pan. Let stand for 5 minutes, then pierce with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes, let cool. Mix ingredients and spread on top of the cooled crust. Arrange the vegetables on top and let chill.

Orange Julius Drink

This was a special treat for me as a  child. To this day when I drink it I go back in time to my childhood.

6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 ice cubes

Pour all into a blender and mix until blended.

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Streusel Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
7 tablespoons butter, melted

Muffin Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries (keep in freezer until last possible moment)

1. For the streusel: combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Drizzle with melted butter and toss with a fork until evenly moistened and mixture forms chunks.

2. For the muffins: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375. Either grease and flour muffin tin or use paper liners. Whisk egg in medium bowl until pale and evenly combined, 30 seconds. Add vanilla, sugar, and zest and whisk vigorously until thick, 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in melted butter, add buttermilk and whisk until combined.

3. Reserve 1 tablespoon flour. Whisk remaining flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Fold in egg mixture until nearly combined. Toss blueberries with reserved flour and fold into batter until just combined.

4. Divide batter in muffin tin and top with streusel. Bake until light golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out with a few dry crumbs attached, 23-27 minutes. Cool muffins for 20 minutes in tin, the transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins

*recipe credit: Cook's Country

Best Ever Banana Bread

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe bananas, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup walnuts, or chocolate chips

1. Adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9X5 inch loaf pan; set aside.

2. Wisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.

3. In another bowl, mix the mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla together. Lightly fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined. The batter with look thick and chunky. Fold in walnuts or chocolate chips. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan.

4. Bake until loaf is golden brown, about 55 mins. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Makes 1 loaf.

*recipe credit: Cook's Country

Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Craisins

1 lb fresh brussels sprouts, rinsed and trimmed
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Craisins

1. Thinly slice brussels sprouts using a food processor or knife.

2. Toast pecans in a saute pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until pecans darken in color and begin to give off a toasted aroma.

3. Add the butter to the pan and stir to combine. Once the butter has melted, add the brussels sprouts, salt, pepper, and cook, until the color brightens and the sprouts are tender. About 6 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from heat, add the cranberries. Toss and serve.

Serves 6-8. Ready in 20 minutes.

*recipe credit: Alton Brown

Granola Bars

I found a great granola bar recipe which has been my favorite so far. I changed the recipe quite a bit to be healthier and this is what I've come up with. I've made a batch weekly because we love them so much.

4 cups rolled oats (I've used both rolled oats and quick oats and can't tell a difference)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 c softened butter

1/3 cup applesauce

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup craisins

1/2 cup nuts

Press into a greased 9x13 inch pan. (I spray my hand with cooking spray to press because it's pretty sticky.) Bake at 325 degrees for 18-22 minutes. When I take them out of the oven I press them again with the back of the spatula. Cool in the pan. When they are cool cut into your desired size.

Baked Potato Wedges

I made this once a few weeks ago and have been craving it ever since so I made them again last night. They were just as good as I remember.

potatoes cut into wedges (I usually do 2 or 3 for the 2 of us)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray.

2. Toss all ingredients in a ziploc bag until the potatoes are covered. Place on the baking sheet in a single layer.

3. Bake for 30-35 minutes flipping half way through.

English Muffins

Luckily for us, and you, there is a great recipe to make your own english muffins. They are so good! I could eat the whole batch in one day. Try them!

1 3/4 cups milk, warm

2 TBS sugar

2 tsp instant yeast

3 TBS butter, softened

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

4 to 4 1/4 cup flour, all-purpose or whole wheat

1 tsp baking powder

Combine the warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Cover with a towel and let proof for 5 minutes. In a electric mixer with the dough attachment add remaining ingredients and mix throughly for about 5 minutes. Do not add more flour, the dough will be sticky. When mixed scrape dough from the bowl one a lightly floured counter top. Fold dough over a few times until it forms a smooth ball. Place in a greased bowl and allow to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.

Punch down dough and lay out on a surface sprinkled with corn meal. Roll out to desired thickness. (The muffins rise a little so roll them about 1/4" thinner than what you would like the finished product to be.) Cut out circles with a 3" cutter. Re-roll and cut out the leftover dough. Cover the muffins with a damp cloth and let rest for 20 minutes.

Heat frying pan to low-med heat. Sprinkle pan with cornmeal. Cover pan and cook muffins for 6-7 minutes on each side.

Cool on a cooling rack. Store muffins in fridge or freezer.