Stir-Fried Asparagus

Carrie said I could post this because I actually made it even though she chose the recipe for dinner tonight.

1-1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons chicken broth
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted

In a large skillet or wok, stir -fry asparagus in butter and oil for 2 minutes. Stir in the broth, lemon juice, soy sauce and pepper. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Sprinkle with almonds. Yield: 4 servings.
Original recipe found in Simple & Delicious magazine.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

This is a quick and easy sweet and sour sauce that's perfect for dipping (or whatever you like sweet and sour for). Tiernan enjoys this for "shicken" nuggets but he thinks the name is a little weird. 

Sweet and Sour Sauce

3/4 C white sugar

1/3 C white vinegar 

2/3 C water

1/4 C soy sauce

1 Tbsp ketchup

2 Tbsp cornstarch

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Whisk until smooth then bring to a boil. Stir constantly until mixture has thickened. (It will be a deep brown color.)

Originally from allrecipes.com

Herbed Beans and Carrots

I forgot pictures tonight! Again. Maybe next time...

The recipe calls for medium carrots julienned but I was in a rush so I used small baby carrots. If you use the fat baby carrots I would cut them in half so they'll cook evenly with the beans.

Herbed Beans and Carrots

1/2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed

3 medium carrots, julienned

2 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning

Place the beans and carrots in a microwave-safe dish.  Add water.  Cover and microwave on high for 4-6 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain.  Stir together the butter and seasonings; pour over beans and carrots and stir.  

 

Sesame Chicken

Sesame Chicken

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 C honey

1/2 C soy sauce

1 C water

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste)

A few drops of sesame oil, if desired

1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

1 head broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces

1 red pepper, sliced

1 pkg. frozen baby snap peas, thawed

Rice, cooked

Cut chicken breast into cubes. Heat a large non-stick skillet that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for about 6 minutes or until no longer pink. 

Meanwhile, mix together honey, soy sauce, water, cornstarch, ginger, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil if using. Whisk until the cornstarch is mixed in and the mixture is smooth. Set aside.

Cook broccoli and red pepper just until crisp tender. Set aside.

Pour sauce over chicken and bring to a boil. Lower heat and allow to simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Add broccoli, red pepper, and snap peas; stir gently to coat with sauce. Simmer, covered, for another 5 minutes or until sauce is thick and everything is heated through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and stir gently.

Serve over rice.

This recipe was originally from recipzaar.com and has been altered.  :)

Cookie Dough Ice Cream

So, quite awhile ago I got this recipe for cookie dough truffles. Sounds delish, no? Well, the problem I had was that they wouldn't keep their shape once they were out of the fridge - they got all squishy. Chad suggested they'd be good for ice cream. So after months in the freezer I made vanilla ice cream yesterday and added the cookie dough pieces. The ice cream recipe is so good - vanilla lovers (Jeremy) will really like it and you can actually add whatever you'd like to it after it's been mixing for about 15 minutes.

Cookie Dough Truffle Centers
1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 1/4c. flour
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. miniature chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour, milk and vanilla; mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts, if using. Shape into balls (or just chunks); place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Loosely cover and freeze until firm (1-2 hours). Transfer to a freezer bag to save until you're ready to use them.
Originally from Taste of Home

Vanilla Custard Ice Cream
3/4 c. sugar
2 T. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. milk
2 beaten eggs
2 c. whipping cream
1 1/2 T. vanilla

Combine the sugar, flour, and salt; gradually stir in the milk. Cook and stir over low heat until thickened. Add small amount of the hot mixture to eggs and mix well. Return to hot mixture; cook and stir 1 minute. Chill. Add cream and vanilla. Freeze in 2-quart (or larger) ice cream freezer.
I added the cookie dough pieces after it mixed for about 15 minutes to thicken a little. You won't need all of them for this recipe so you can freeze some for another time.
Makes 1 1/4 quarts.

Tasty Treats From Taylorsville 26th Ward cookbook

Texas Two-Step Slaw

This is a great change of pace from regular coleslaw. I don't think I've ever made it with all of the ingredients listed - it's pretty flexible. Chad and I love it.

Texas Two-Step Slaw
3 c. (or more) coleslaw mix
1/4 c. Mexicorn , drained (or regular canned or frozen)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & chopped (optional)
2 T. chopped red onion (or green onions)
1 T. minced fresh cilantro, optional
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. ranch salad dressing
1 1/2 tsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the remaining three ingredients. Pour over the coleslaw and toss to coat. Yield: 8 smallish servings

March/April 2006 simple & delicious

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

We made these kabobs last night (the rain timed itself perfectly and waited until we were done grilling which I thought was quite thoughtful!) and they were delish! Even the J ate a whole skewer and marked it as approved! 

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

1/2 C olive oil

1/2 C ranch dressing

3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary

2 tsp salt

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp white vinegar

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 Tbsp white sugar

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

In a medium bowl, stir together everything except chicken.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Place chicken in the bowl and stir to coat with marinade.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  

Lightly oil grill grate and preheat grill for medium-high heat.  Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.

Grill skewers for 8-12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

Pam Professional

This Pam Professional spray is fabulous! It really keeps things from sticking - much better than regular spray.  Mom thinks she got it on clearance so who knows, maybe they don't even make it anymore but I thought I'd share, in case you see it in the store and wonder if it's worth trying...

Black-Eyed Pea Salsa

Ok, here's a family favorite that Beckly claims I haven't given her... I think I have but she just keeps misplacing it. heh heh. Now she'll have no excuse!

Black-Eyed Pea Salsa

1 can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 can shoepeg corn, drained 

2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

Cilantro leaves to taste, chopped

2-4 green onions, finely chopped

2 avocados, diced, reserve pits

Dressing:

1/4 C olive oil

1/4 C red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 - 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1 tsp cumin

3/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Juice of 1 lime

Combine all ingredients (black-eyed peas through avocado) in a large bowl and toss.  Put avocado pits in the bowl.  Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.  Pour over black-eyed pea mixture.  Let sit several hours to allow flavors to blend; stir before serving.  

Serve with tortilla chips, cheese quesadillas, tortilla roll-ups, omelets, hamburgers, baked potatoes, etc.  

Tips:

*Leaving the avocado pits in the bowl will help keep the avocado from turning brown.  

*Shoepeg corn does make a difference and is better than regular corn.

Enjoy!!

Spinach Tomato Tortellini

This is such a yummy recipe! I got it from allrecipes.com (that's also where the picture came from). It's my favorite tortellini recipe to date... and I have tried quite a few tortellini recipes! I like the creamy sauce, but it's still really flavorful since it has the tomatoes with garlic and onion. We didn't have any spinach when we made it and it was really good but I'm sure it's delicious with the spinach too. Mmmm!

Spinach Tomato Tortellini

1 (16 ounce) package cheese tortellini
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the tortellini, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
While you get the tortellini going, combine the tomatoes, spinach, salt, pepper, basil and garlic in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until the mixture begins to bubble.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, milk and cream. Stir this mixture into the saucepan along with the Parmesan cheese. Heat through, then reduce heat to low, and simmer until thick, about 2 minutes.
Drain the tortellini, but do not rinse, then pour them into the saucepan with the sauce. Stir to coat, and serve.

Brie, Crab and Mushroom Soup

This is a deeeelicious soup. If you're pregnant or you don't like brie cheese, you can probably substitute swiss cheese. Yum yum!

8 oz. fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp butter or margarine
¼ C. all-purpose flour
¼ tsp ground white pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1 14-oz can chicken broth
2 C. milk
¼ C. heavy cream
1 4.5 ounce round brie cheese, rind removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 6 ½- ounce cans good quality crab meat, drained, flaked and cartilage removed
2 Tbsp snipped fresh parsley
4 tsp finely shredded Romano cheese

In a large saucepan cook mushrooms and onion in hot butter about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour, pepper, and salt. Add chicken broth all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
Stir in milk, cream, brie and tomatoes. Cook and stir about 7 minutes more or until brie is melted. Stir in crab meat and heat through. Serve in bowls topped with parsley and Romano cheese. Makes 4 main-dish servings or 8 appetizer servings.

Savory Turkey Sandwiches

I made these a couple summers ago and they're super yummy! In fact I'm craving them so I think they'll be on the menu this week...  The amounts are just a good guess, so just put ingredients on your sandwiches to taste.

Savory Turkey Sandwiches

4 small baguette style rolls

Alouette brand garlic cheese spread

1/2 lb deli turkey, sliced thin

1 cucumber, sliced thin

2 small roma tomatoes, sliced thin

Shredded cheddar cheese

Slice rolls in half lengthwise.  Lightly toast under broiler with cut halves up.  Spread Alouette cheese on bottom half of roll; top with turkey, cucumbers, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese.  Replace top of roll.  Bake at 400 degrees for 5-8 minutes or until cheese is melted and sandwich is heated through.  

Brownie Cookies

I pretty much blew it with breakfast this morning, as in didn't so much bother, so I thought I'd make these cookies for J. He's a brownie lover so I *think* they'll satisfy.  I think they're delicious and once they've cooled I'm sure they'll still be great!  haha!

It says to use parchment paper to line the baking sheets.  I had enough for one sheet so I just sprayed the other ones and it worked ok.  The paper really does work best and they come off quite nicely but spraying is your next best choice.

Brownie Cookies

1/2 C butter

4 (1-oz) unsweetened chocolate squares

3 C chocolate chips, divided

1 1/2 C flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 large eggs

1 1/2 C sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 C chopped pecans, toasted (optional)

Combine butter, unsweetened chocolate, and 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips in a large, heavy saucepan.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter and chocolate melt; cool.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.  Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla at medium speed in a large mixing bowl.  Gradually add dry ingredients, beating well.  Add chocolate mixture; beat well.  Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and pecans.  

Drop by 2 tablespoonfuls 1 inch apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Cool slightly on baking sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely.  

Yield: 2 1/2 Dozen

From: Southern Living

Strawberry Smoothie

I was pleasantly surprised when I made this and my kids all really liked it. It may have helped that Chad called it an ice cream smoothie (he's good at coming up with appealing names for things so that the kids will try them). However, I'm pretty sure that Avery only liked it this one time - she loses her enthusiasm for food really fast. Anyway, it has cottage cheese in it (which is why I thought they wouldn't eat it). That boosts the protein and calcium content quite a bit. Blend it up really well and it won't be all chunky.

Strawberry Smoothie
1 c. milk
2/3 c. frozen strawberries
1/3 c. cottage cheese
1 1/2 tsp. sugar (or more depending on taste and if the strawberries are in syrup or not)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 or more ice cubes

Blend all the ingredients other than ice cubes until well blended. Add ice cubes until of desired consistency.
Serves one generously.

I got this from my sister-in-law, Sharayne.

Pretzel-Crusted Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
¼ cup mixture of mustard and honey
8 thin slices deli ham
4 slices Swiss or Monterey Jack cheese
1 Tbsp butter, melted
½ cup crushed pretzels

Cut a horizontal slit in one side of each chicken breast half to within ½ inch of the opposite side. Spread honey mustard mixture inside each pocket; stuff with two ham slices and a slice of cheese. Place in a greased 9 x 13” baking dish. Brush with butter; sprinkle with pretzels. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 40 min

I got this recipe from a Simple and Delicious magazine... I think it was last fall. It's super delicious!:)

Pasta With Maple Mustard Chicken

There are a few recipes that I never got into our cookbook that I wish I did, so now I can post them here and not worry about it anymore. Woohoo as Kelton would say!

Pasta with Maple Mustard Chicken

2 T. oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T. fresh rosemary or ½ tsp. dried
1 T. chopped fresh chives
1 T. cider vinegar
2 ½ T. maple syrup
2 T. spicy brown mustard
3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 c. chicken broth
¾ c. roasted red peppers (or green)
¼ c. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
¼ lb. snow peas, stemmed and lightly steamed
½ lb. Penne, cooked

Heat 1 T. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic in oil for 30 seconds. Add the herbs and vinegar and cook 30 seconds more. Pour into a small bowl to cool, then whisk in maple syrup and mustard.
Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces, then place in a glass baking dish and pour in the marinade. Stir the meat to coat it. Cover the bowl and chill the chicken for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Heat the remaining 1 T. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, remove the chicken, saving the marinade, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and sauté until it is cooked through. Remove chicken from pan. Add ½ c. of the chicken broth to the skillet and simmer it until it reduces by half. Add the remaining chicken broth and the reserved marinade and bring the mixture to a boil. Continue cooking at a simmer until the liquid has thickened, 5 or more minutes.
Turn the heat to low and add the chicken, vegetables and penne; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Yield: 4 servings.

I really can't remember where I got this, but I want to say it's from the Family Fun magazine years ago...

Bacon, Tomato, Avocado Wraps

I'll start this out with the recipe I brought to our Mother's Day Brunch since I've been accused of not sharing recipes. Seriously, what are you talking about!? I only don't share my Black Eyed Pea Salsa recipe with Becky. Anyway, here's the recipe for Bacon, Tomato, Avocado Wraps that were easy and yummy. Enjoy! (Ooo, I don't have a picture but I'll be better about that in the future...)

Bacon, Tomato, Avocado Wraps

1 tsp curry powder (scant)
1/2 tsp mayonnaise
3 tsp fresh lemon juice, divided
1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced lengthwise
2 lavash wraps, tomato or spinach, cut in half crosswise to make four 12-inch squares*
8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, drained on a paper towel
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and thinly sliced lengthwise
2 C thinly sliced romaine lettuce

Heat the curry powder in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl and mix with the mayonnaise and 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice. In a separate small bowl, toss the avocado with the remaining teaspoon of lemon juice.

Place one lavash squares on a work surface. Spread each lavash square with 2 tablespoons of the mayo mixture. Place 2 slices of bacon on each square near one short end. Divide tomatoes, avocado, and lettuce among the lavash squares. Roll each square tightly from one end, jelly-roll style. Wrap each roll up tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (Can be kept, unsliced and wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator overnight.)

To serve, slice each roll and transfer the pinwheels to a serving platter. Serve cold or at room temperature.


*I couldn’t find lavash bread so I used 4 pieces of Flat Out brand Italian herb whole wheat flat bread. These don’t need to be cut into smaller pieces.


Slightly adjusted from original recipe in: The Big Book of Appetizers by Meredith Deeds and Carla Snyder