Sunday, January 13, 2008

Broccoli Ramen Salad

My sweet friend, Shannan, shared this recipe with me several years ago. It is so delicious.

Broccoli Ramen Salad

4 Tbsp butter
1 cup walnuts
2 cups broccoli florets, cut to bite-size
1 head curly leaf lettuce, torn
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 pkg Ramen noodles, crunched (any flavor)

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 red wine vinegar
1/4-1/2 cup sugar

Mix lettuce, broccoli, and onions in salad bowl. Saute ramen noodles and walnuts in butter. Drain well on paper towels. Mix dressing ingredients. Add dressing and walnuts/ramen just before serving. Toss well.

Pizza Dough

I make this in my bread machine.

Pizza Dough

12 oz water
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups white flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 pkg yeast (or 2.5 tsp)
1 tsp gluten

Combine all ingredients in bread machine pan. Choose Dough setting on bread machine. When cycle is finished, divide dough in half and roll into 2 pizza crusts. I bake it for about 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees before adding toppings.

*Sometimes I add 3 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup white. I try to end up with 4 total cups of flour.

Neiman Marcus Bars

Oh my goodness...these are delicious!

Neiman Marcus Bars

1 box Betty Crocker butter pecan cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1 egg
1 box powdered sugar (1 lb)
1 stick butter, melted
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
chopped pecans, optional

Mix first three ingredients and press into bottom of 9x13 pan. Mix next 4 ingredients and pour over cake mix mixture. Cover with chopped pecans if desired.

Bake at 325 for 55-60 minutes or until done. Cool and cut into squares.

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan

1 lb chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I like to cut each breast into 2-3 smaller pieces
1.5 cups plain breadcrumbs
canola oil
1 package mozzerella slices
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I like Muir Glen tomato basil)
fresh basil, optional
1 lb uncooked spaghetti

Place breadcrumbs in pie plate and coat each chicken breast in crumb mixture. Heat canola oil in heavy skillet and when hot, brown the breaded breasts. Drain well on paper towels. Place chicken breasts in 9x13 baking dish, and cover with mozzerella slices and fresh chopped basil. Pour jar of spaghetti sauce over chicken and cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Cook spaghetti while chicken is baking, and serve chicken over hot, cooked noodles.

*Suggested sides--green salad and french bread.

Ranger Cookies

These are the my all-time favorite cookies. This was my Nana's recipe, and I have many happy memories of baking these alongside her in the kitchen.

Ranger Cookies

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup shortening (I use butter)
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour
2 cups oats
2 cups bran flakes
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

Cream butter and sugar well. Add other ingredients in order listed. Drop cookies by teaspoon onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 until golden brown.

Lasagna

I've tried a lot of different lasagna recipes, but this is my favorite. I usually double this recipe.

Lasagna

1 envelope spaghetti sauce mix (I like McCormick)
8 oz tomato sauce
16 oz can V-8 juice
1 can whole tomatoes (15 oz), puree in blender
1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1 box lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 container ricotta cheese
8 oz shredded mozzerella cheese

Brown ground beef, drain. Add spaghetti sauce mix, tomato sauce, V-8 juice, and whole tomato puree. Mix well. In 9x13 dish, layer meat sauce, noodles (uncooked), ricotta cheese, meat sauce, noodles, and rest of meat sauce. Top with mozzerella cheese. Bake at 350 for 1-1.5 hours. Let set for 15 minutes before cutting.

*Bake on a cookie sheet as juices might overflow.
*Cover at first, then remove foil and let cheese brown for 15-20 minutes.

Chicken Imperial

This recipe was given to me by a friend in our Sunday School group...a long, long time ago. My children re-named it Mr. Bryan's Chicken because our friend, Mr. Bryan loved it! It's easy to make and even my picky eaters love it.

Chicken Imperial

8 chicken breasts
2 cups plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parsley flakes
2 tsp salt
3/4 cup Kraft parmesan cheese, grated (in jar with green lid)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp pepper
1 stick butter, melted

Combine breadcrumbs, seasonings, and parmesan cheese. Dip chicken into melted butter, then the breadcrumb mixture, turning to completely coat. Place chicken in 9 x 13 dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Pour remaining butter and breadcrumbs on top. Bake uncovered at 350 for 1 hour.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Sausage Balls

Hands down, this is our favorite appetizer. And a Christmas morning tradition.

Sausage Balls

1 lb sausage (I like Owens sage-flavor)
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated (Tillamook is our fav!)
2.5 cups Bisquik

Mix all together. I like to put on disposable latex gloves and mix it with my hands. Roll into 1-inch balls. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until done.

*Eat right away, because they're best when they're warm.

Chicken Chow Mein

Chicken Chow Mein

3/4 to 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5-6 ribs celery, sliced
1 med onion, diced
6-8 cups water
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 cans LaChoy bean sprouts
1 bag (or can) LaChoy chow mein noodles
hot, cooked rice

Add water, celery, onion, soy sauce and chicken breasts (whole) to crock pot. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to crock pot. Drain bean sprouts and add to crock pot. Cook on low for 30-60 more minutes (or while you cook your rice). Toast chow mein noodles for a few minutes to get warm and crispy. Serve chow mein over rice and top with noodles. Add soy sauce to taste.

I sometimes like to add another can of bean sprouts to our leftovers to "stretch" it futher.

I like to do this in the crock pot, but if I'm pressed for time, I just let the chicken and veggies simmer on the stove for an hour or two.

The Butler's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Amazing! This recipe is from my bloggy friend, Barb.

THE BUTLER'S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 stick butter, softened but not melted
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tablespoons (yes, tablespoons) vanilla
3 1/4 cups flour (a full cup more than the recipe on the package calls for)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375*

Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, sugars, eggs and vanilla with a wooden spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients.

The batter will be stiff, and it should be. Just to make sure it is flavorful, you should try some of the dough. But not too much!

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet (preferably a shiny sheet which gives better results).

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool slightly before removing to a wire rack.

Yield: about 5 dozen normal sized cookies or 3 1/2 dozen ginormous cookies.

White Chicken Chili

This is our most favorite soup EVER! We have it once every couple of weeks and we never ever get tired of it. It is delicious!!!

White Chicken Chili

1 tablespoon of oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 Tablespoon cumin
3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 cans navy beans, drained
1 cup frozen white corn, or 1 can white corn
1/2 can of cream corn (freeze the other half for next time)
4oz can of chopped green chiles
2 cups of chicken broth
1/2-1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 can petite diced tomatoes
3 or 4 tablespoons salsa verde

Garnishes:
Sour cream
chopped cilantro (A MUST)
shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
tortilla chips.

Saute onion, and garlic in hot oil in a large stock pot until tender. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Simmer over low heat for 30-60 minutes.