Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Spinach-Artichoke Dip

This is so good...just don't bother couning the fat and calories.

Spinach-Artichoke Dip

1/4 cup butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
14 oz can arichoke hearts, drained and chopped
8 oz cream cheese, cut in chunks
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
8 oz bag Four Cheese Mexican shredded cheese

Melt butter in skillet; add onion and garlic and saute until tender. Add spinach and cook 3 minutes. Add artichokes and next 4 ingredients, stirring until cheese melts. Spoon into greased 2-qt baking dish. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Hash Brown Casserole

Hash Brown Casserole

32 oz bag frozen hash browns, thawed (I like the shredded kind)
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz sour cream
2 cups grated Velveeta
2 cups crushed cornflakes

Mix above ingredients (except cornflakes) and pour into greased casserole dish. Top with crushed cornflakes. Bake covered at 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes more or until golden brown and bubbly.

Carrot-Apple Muffins

These muffins are so delicious, and so good for you! This recipe makes 2-3 dozen, so I usually put the extra in gallon freezer bags and freeze until I need them. Pull them out of the freezer the night before you want to serve them for breakfast. They're great in lunchboxes too! Enjoy.

Carrot-Apple Muffins

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unprocessed bran
2 cups grated carrots (about 6 large carrots)
2 cups shredded apples (about 3 apples)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup raw nuts, coarsely chopped (I use walnuts)
1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
3 large eggs
1 cup Safflower oil
3/4 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice concentrate

Sift flour, soda, cinnamon, salt and bran. Stir in carrots, apples, raisins, nuts, coconut, and seeds. In another bowl, beat eggs and honey, oil, vanilla, and apple juice. Stir nuts into the flour mixture until just combined. Spoon into well-greased muffin pans, filling to top. Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Makes 2-3 dozen.

**I use my food processor to grate the carrots and apples. It goes much faster that way. And if apples are on sale, I like to buy enough to shred for another batch. The shredded apples freeze well until you're ready to make more. Shredded carrots freeze well too.

Corn and Avacado Salsa

Corn and Avacado Salsa

2 cups fresh corn kernels (I use frozen, but cook before using)
1/3 cup chopped avacado
1/4 finely chopped red onion
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro (fresh)
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp salt

Mix and serve with tortilla chips

Monday, July 30, 2007

Eye of Round Roast

This is GREAT for company because you can prepare it the night before and forget about it! It's delicious and is great leftover!

4-5 lb eye of round roast
Cavendar's greek seasoning
Lawry's seasoning salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Soy sauce (I use lite)
Worchestershire sauce
minced garlic (small jar)

Rub roast well with Cavendars, seasoning salt, and black pepper. Poke several holes in roast with a knife. Line bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with aluminum foil, and place roast on top. Mix equal parts of soy sauce and worchestershire sauce (about 1/3 cup each) and pour over top of roast, being careful not to let liquid escape the foil lining. Cover top of roast with minced garlic and wrap up really tight in the foil being very careful not to let juices leak. Bake for 30 minutes at 400, then reduce heat to 175 and bake overnight or about 10 hours. Strain garlic from the leftover juice; slice and serve with cooking juices.

I like to serve this with hashbrown casserole, green beans, Sister Schuberts rolls, and a green salad.

Chicken Fettuccine Supreme

I got this recipe years ago from Southern Living and still love it. It is one of John's favorites and is something I make for company from time to time. If I'm serving it for guests, I try to prep the ingredients earlier in the day so I can prepare it quickly for company. Oh yeah, this is very fattening! That's why it is so good.

Chicken Fettuccine Supreme

1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 in pieces
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped green onions
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
10-12 oz uncooked fettuccine
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional)


Cook fettuccine according to package directions, omitting salt.

Meanwhile, melt 1/4 cup butter in large skillet; add chicken pieces and cook until browned. Remove chicken from skillet, reserving pan drippings in skillet; set chicken aside.

Add mushrooms and next 5 ingredients to pan drippings in skillet, and saute until veggies are tender. Add chicken; reduce heat and cook 15 minutes or until chicken is done and mixture is thoroughly heated.

In small bowl, combine half-and-half, 1/2 cup melted butter, parsley, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper; stir well. Add to cooked and drained fettuccine; toss gently to combine. Add chicken mixture and parmesan to fettuccine; toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with pecans and serve immediately.

**I don't usually garnish with pecans...there's enough fat without adding more. And, I do use fat-free half-and-half to offset the stick and a half of butter! Yikes.

Margarita Pie

A neat twist on lemon icebox pie. Very yummy!

Margarita Pie

Crust:
1 1/4 cup finely crushed pretzels (I use my food processor)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Filling:
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
3 tsp grated lime peel or lime zest
1/4 cup lime juice (fresh squeezed is best!)
1/4 cup orange juice
1 (8oz) container Cool Whip, thawed

For crust: Combine all ingredients in medium bowl; press onto bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate.
Filling: Combine condensed milk, lime peel, and juices in medium bowl; fold in Cool Whip. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour before serving.

**I like my filling a little more tart, so I use more lime juice than orange juice. I don't know the exact measurements...I just start with 1/2 cup and fill it with mostly lime juice, then fill to the top with orange juice. Make sense?

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Sauteed Zucchini

Super easy and super tasty. I like to serve this with pasta dishes or lasagna, when I need another veggie.

Sauteed Zuchini

1 lb. zucchini, sliced
1 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
salt
pepper

Melt butter in saute pan. Add zucchini and basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Saute until tender.

**I really like to use fresh basil too. Just chop it fine and use as much as you'd like. So yummy.

Favorite Squash

This is my favorite way to cook summer squash. It's simple and delicious.

Favorite Squash

1 lb. summer squash
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. butter
Lawry's seasoned salt

Slice squash (into discs). In microwave safe dish (I use a glass pie pan) combine squash, onion, and butter. Sprinkle with seasoning salt to taste. Cover well with Saran wrap, and microwave on high for 5-10 minutes. Uncover (carefully--steam will be hot) and stir before serving.

**Sometimes I use yellow squash AND zucchini. It's more colorful that way!

Potato Salad

Made this last night for a church picnic today. It's a family favorite.

Potato Salad

10-12 medium red potatoes
5 hard boiled eggs, diced
1 heaping cup sweet pickle relish
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup Miracle whip
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tsp mustard

Boil potatoes with skin on until tender. Let cool; peel and cube. Add chopped eggs, onion, pickle relish, salt and pepper. Mix lightly. In a separate bowl, combine Miracle Whip, mayonnaise, and mustard. Mix well. Add to potato mixture and stir well, being careful not to mash potatoes. Refrigerate. This is best if made several hours or overnight before serving.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Southwest Stir-Fry

Easy and delicious! From my friend, Teresa, in Arkansas. I love that it has so many veggies!

Southwest Stir-Fry

1 envelope fajita seasoning mix (Lawry's is my fave)
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch pieces
1/2 small onion, cut into thin wedges
1 yellow, red, or green pepper, cut into strips
1 small zucchini, bias sliced
1 cup salsa
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
tortillas
shredded cheese
non-stick cooking spray

Marinade: In medium mixing bowl, combine fajita mix, water, and oil. Add chicken, stir to coat, and let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes.

Spray large skillet with cooking spray. Add pepper, zucchini, and onion. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from heat.

Drain chicken, discard marinade. Add chicken to skillet (can add more oil if necessary). Saute until no longer pink. Return veggies to skillet. Add salsa, chili powder, corn and black beans. Cook until heated through.

Serve with warm tortillas and shredded cheese.

Baked Barbeque Beans

I've had this recipe for about 15 years...and it's still my favorite one for baked beans.

1 53 oz can pork 'n beans (do not drain)
1 cup ketchup
1 cup brown sugar (I use less)
2 Tbsp. worchestershire sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke
2 Tbsp. minced onion (you can use the dehydrated kind)
3-6 slices raw bacon (I prefer to use 1 package of Hormel REAL bacon bits)

Mix the above ingredients. Pour into baking dish (9x13). Bake uncovered for 2 hours at 325, but cover if the beans start to dry out.

Apple Dip

Yummy!

Apple Dip

8 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine and chill. Serve with sliced apples (granny smith, honeycrisp, and fuji are good varieties).

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Pesto Chicken and Pasta

My family loved this dish from Supper Solutions so much that I figured out how to duplicate it. We had it for dinner tonight and it was delicious.

Pesto Chicken and Pasta

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 8 oz jar pesto (I used Classico)
1 small tomato, chopped fine
1/2 to 1 small onion, chopped fine
minced garlic to taste
feta cheese
1 lb. pasta (bow-tie, penne, etc)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, brown chicken in small amount of olive oil. Add tomato, onion, garlic, and pesto. Let simmer while pasta cooks. Serve chicken over cooked pasta, and garnish with feta cheese (or parmesan would be good too!).

Sides: salad and bread

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Simple Apple Bake

Sometimes in the evenings when I want something sweet, but don't want to bake something (cause I'll end up eating all of it) I make this sweet snack. I feel like its sorta healthy too because of the apple and the oats.

Simple Apple Bake

1 apple, fuji is my fave!
1-2 Tbsp butter
1-2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup oats
cinnamon
walnuts (optional)

Cut the apple into wedges, and then into smaller pieces. In oven proof dish, add apples, butter, brown sugar, and oats. Sprinkle with cinnamon and walnuts. Bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes. Stir well, and enjoy. It's good with ice cream on top too!

You can also microwave this, which is much faster, and is how I make it in the summer when I don't want to turn the oven on! I like the way it smells though when it's baking in the oven. Heavenly

Monday, July 16, 2007

Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

We love these sandwiches! This recipe came from a lady in one of the churches John pastored many years ago, and we still think of Miss Mary every time we enjoy them.

Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

1/2 lb. Black Forest sliced ham (from the deli)
1 package mozzerella slices
24 Kings Hawaiian rolls (2 pkgs)
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup mustard
2 Tbsp. minced onion
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the melted butter, mustard, onion and poppy seeds in small bowl. Slice the rolls in half (easier if you do this as a whole and not individually), then spread the mustard mixture over the top and bottom of the rolls. Layer ham and cheese on the bottom layer, then put the top rolls on. Cover and bake at 350 until the cheese is melted (5-10 minutes).

This is good on nights that we need a quick dinner. It's also great as an appetizer.

Ooey-Gooey Sandwiches

A great kids snack...

Ooey-Gooey Sandwiches

whole wheat bread
peanut butter
chocolate chips
butter

Spread peanut butter on two slices of bread. Add 8-10 (or more) chocolate chips per sandwich. Lightly butter the outside of the bread and cook on hot griddle until the chocolate chips melt.

This is a great after school snack...the chocolate satisfies their sugar craving, and the protein/grains satisfy mom!

Cereal Snack Bars

I got this recipe years ago at a MOPS meeting and it's still one of our favorites. It was explained to me at the time that it uses ingredients from 4 food groups (grains, protein, milk and fruit) and therefore is a healthy snack. It's got a lot of sugar in it too, but I guess it's better than some of the store-bought alternatives.

Cereal Snack Bars

6 Tbsp margarine
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup nonfat dry mil
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup raisins
3 1/2 cups Cheerios

Butter a square pan (9x9x2). In large saucepan, melt butter and marshmallows over low heat, stirring constantly. Stir in peanut butter. Remove from heat and stir in milk and cinnamon. Fold in raisins and cereal. With buttered hands, pat in pan.

*I usually double this.
*Also, this is great in lunchboxes as a sweet treat!