Easy Cobbler

This one is so easy and soooooooo good! I'm all about easy!

1 can of fruit pie filling. I have found the raspberry or blackberry works best.
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cube butter

Preheat oven to 375. Pour filling into 2 quart casserole dish. Dump cake mix on top and spread evenly. Melt the butter and pour over the cake mix. Move the dish around so you cover most of the cake mix with the butter. Bake uncovered for approx 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve warm with ice cream!

Bacon Wrapped Smokies

Bacon Wrapped Smokies - Yummy appetizer!!

1 lb of bacon
1 package of little Smokies
Brown Sugar to taste

Cut the bacon into 3rd's. Take a cookie sheet and line with foil. Preheat oven to 350. Take one smokie and wrap in 1 piece of cut bacon. Secure with toothpick. Once you have finished wrapping all, place on cookie sheet and cover with brown sugar (don't be shy). Bake for 40 minutes.

Laura's BBQ Chicken Sante Fe Salada

I got this recipe from Laura, and we tried it tonight. It was really yummy and refreshing from the heat:

BBQ chicken sliced (we cooked on the grill)
Chopped Romaine lettuce
1 can black beans
1 can corn (we didn't use corn, just because I can't eat cold corn)
olives
tomatoes (we had fresh salsa instead of just plain tomatoes)
shredded cheese
homemade ranch dressing (I used the buttermilk recipe)
BBQ sauce
crushed tortilla chips

Grill chicken with BBQ sauce and slice. Put salad together with whatever toppings you like, then drizzle BBQ sauce and Ranch on top with crushed tortilla chips. You can add whatever else you want. This is alot like a Rumbi salad that I just love! Thanks Laura - I can tell this will be a regular with us during the summer. The other great part about it is that Jeremy has to cook the chicken on the grill, and I just get the toppings together. Easy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY....

...to Laura! Hope it's a great day!

Pasta Salad

This pasta is so versatile and it's always yummy.

Pasta Salad:

1 box pasta, cooked (any kind you like, I use Rotini or Bowtie)
1 package pepperoni (I use Turkey Pepperoni)
1 large jar marinated artichoke hearts (my favorite is Cara Mia)
1 large jar marinated mushrooms
1 can petite diced tomatoes (or you can use fresh)
1 small block cheddar cheese (small diced and I prefer Kraft Sharp)
1 bottle Italian Dressing (I use fat free mostly but I LOVE Girards on occasion)

*you can add SO many different things in this salad so be creative. I have used all kinds of marinated veggies (green beans, aparagus, baby corn, snap peas) and they are all good. I have also used turkey salami in place of the pepperoni and that's good too.

Asian Chicken Salad

One of our favorite Summer Salads is this recipe:

2-4 chicken breasts
Marinate chicken breasts in 1/4c. soy sauce and 1/4c. sugar. Then cook on the grill and cut into pieces.

Take:
1 head lettuce (I like Romaine)
2 T. slivered almonds
wonton skins, sliced and fried (can omit if you want, but they are really good in)
1 bunch green onions, sliced

Combine all ingredients and add dressing just before serving.

Dressing:
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. pepper
1 t. salt
1/4 c. oil
1 t. sesame oil
3 T. rice vinegar

I have also made the dressing out of:
2 T. white vinegar
2 T. sugar
1/4 c. oil
dash of salt and pepper
(this dressing is easier, and I usually have this stuff on hand)

I also like to add Mandarin oranges to the salad.

Summer Salads

Chicken Salad
4 c. cooked, chopped chicken
¼ c. chopped green onion
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. cut grapes
½ c. slivered almonds
2 c. raw macaroni, then cook
Dressing:
Mix together:
2 c. mayo
2 t. chicken bullion granules
½ pt. whipping cream
Mix dressing and pour over salad.
May be served as a salad or on croissants.

Grilled Chicken & Pasta Salad
1/2 Bunch of Fresh Spinach (chopped)
16 Oz. bowtie pasta
3 Tbsp. sesame seeds
¾ c. sunflowers seeds
1 can water chestnuts (chopped)
3 Chicken Breasts Grilled, Cut into bite size pieces, seasoned with Lemon Pepper Seasoning.
Dressing:
¾ c. olive oil
¾ c sugar
1 ½ tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 ½ tsp sesame seeds
3 Tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp. sesame seed oil
2 cloves garlic
Cook & drain bowtie pasta. Grill chicken breast & cut up chicken into small pieces. Mix pasta, spinach, sesame seed, sunflower seeds, water chestnut and chicken together. Mix up the dressing ingredients together and pour over pasta, mix well. Stir before serving.

Brazilian Lime Drink

2 Limes
2 T. sweet and condensed milk
3/4 C. sugar
5 1/2- 6 1/2 C. water

* Cut off small knobs on limes. Cut limes in half and place in blender. Add sugar, sweet and condensed milk, and water. Blend well. Use strainer to get rid of large clumps and pour into large pitcher. Chill in fridge or pour over ice and serve. (If drink has sat for a while make sure to stir before serving)

Little Italy Chicken Pitas with Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette

This one doesn't use the oven or the stove-top and it's my husbands favorite meal! I even made it for Father's Day!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil
1 tablespoon chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (I use a rotisserie chicken from Costco)
1 cup chopped tomato (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Asiago cheese (I actually use the Kirkland pecorino romano)
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
6 (6-inch) pitas (I also get these at Costco for $1.99 per 10-they are the kind that fold like a taco)
3 cups mixed baby greens

Preparation:
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in chicken, tomato, cheese, and basil. Line each pita with 1/2 cup greens. Divide chicken mixture evenly among pitas.
Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed pita )
Nutritional Information
CALORIES 342(24% from fat); FAT 9.1g (sat 2.8g,mono 4.2g,poly 1.3g); IRON 2.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 56mg; CALCIUM 162mg; CARBOHYDRATE 37.3g; SODIUM 397mg; PROTEIN 26.4g; FIBER 2.4g

summer salads?

So I don't have any recipes to share because I'm really not that great of a cook, but I was wondering if any of you have any good recipes for main dish salads? Our house is so hard to keep cool in the summer so Spencer has all but banned me from using the stove or oven. So I'm in search of some good recipes that I can make for my family without turning our house into an oven! Thanks!!!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

*Prepare pizza crust (I use the recipe below, but any pizza dough will work)
2 C. cooked chicken (cubed)
1/2 C. your favorite BBQ sauce
1 1/2 C. Colby & Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 C. green bell pepper (diced)
1/4 C. red onion (thinly sliced)

*Spread BBQ sauce on pizza crust, then place cheese and toppings. Bake in oven according to pizza dough recipe.


Pizza Dough:
2 1/4 t. yeast
1 C. warm water
1/2 t. salt
2 t. olive oil
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 C. flour

*Combine yeast and warm water. Let sit for 5 min. Mix in salt and oil. Pour in mixer. Add 1 cup of flour at a time and knead until dough looks smooth. Spray ball of dough with Pam and cover. Let rise 1 hour. Roll out and place on pizza pan. Add pizza toppings and bake @ 450 for 15-20 min.

Lemony Orzo

I told Laura that I would post this one. Some of you have seen it before, but it's a good one! Plus it uses herbs!

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
1 1/3 cups diced zucchini
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup diced tomato
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

Preparation:
Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain well. Combine orzo, zucchini, and onion in a large bowl; toss well. Combine parsley and next 6 ingredients (parsley through pepper); stir well with a whisk. Stir into orzo mixture; add tomato and cheese, tossing gently to coat.
Yield-6 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 199(22% from fat); FAT 4.8g (sat 1.5g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.6g); IRON 2.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 58mg; CARBOHYDRATE 32.7g; SODIUM 307mg; PROTEIN 6.7g; FIBER 1.8g

Grill Marinades

Here are a couple of Marinades that we like, especially for cooking on the grill.

Steak Marinade:
(we don't eat steak much, but we have this whenever we do. We just had it for Father's Day, and it was so good)

3/4 c. oil
1 1/2 t. garlic powder
3 T. honey
1 1/2 t. ginger (powder is fine)
2/3 c. soy sauce
2 T. white vinegar
1/4 c. dehydrated onion

Marinate at least 3 hours and then grill.



Spareribs Marinade

1 inch ginger root
1/2 clove garlic
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. ketchup
1 T. salt
4-5 lean spareribs (I have used pork boneless ribs)

Crush ginger root and garlic. Blend the remaining ingredients into a sauce. Pour over spareribs and marinate for 3 hours. Good on the grill or you can bake in the oven.

Baked Veggies

This recipe is so yummy and pretty healthy too! I make it all the time as a side dish for dinner.

Preheat over at 400-425 degrees

Slice up potatoes and veggies (asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots, zuchini, yellow squash...whatever sounds good to you)

Put sliced potatoes in a plastic bag and add 1/4 cup olive oil. Sprinkle on some season salt or other type of seasoning. Mix so potatoes are fully coated. Coat other veggies in a seperate bag with oil and a little season salt. Slice up mushrooms (if you like them)

Put potatoes on a baking sheet and sprinkle with parmesan cheese to coat the top. Cook for 7 minutes.

Add the rest of the veggies and mushrooms with more parmesan cheese. Let it cook or about 12 minutes and check to see if the potatoes are soft. Once the veggies are almost done, set oven on broil to crisp the top of the veggies for 2 minutes. Enjoy!

Reagan's Special-Ab's Burger

We had this again tonight and it really is a family favorite. It came from Good Things Utah and it is yummy. Don't be afraid of the spinach.

1 pound leanest ground beef
1 cup fresh spinach
2 tablespoons lowfat mexican blend shredded cheese
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup whole oats
1 egg
**soy sauce
**Montreal Steak Seasoning

Fry onions in a little soy sauce. Chop the spinach and mix all the ingredients togther. Shape into burgers and grill or fry.
**these are the key to the burger! And according to my package Montreal has less sodium that the leading season salt!
I don't have any type of "nutritional values" on this recipe but I think it's pretty reasonable.

Beef Taco Rice

I got this one from Cooking Light and we tried it the other night. It's pretty easy to assemble when you're in a hurry and tasted great. We had plenty of left-overs for lunch the next day and it almost tasted better re-heated. Sorry I don't have a cool picture like Laura!

Ingredients
4 cups water
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning, divided
4 cups uncooked instant rice
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 pound ground beef
Cooking spray
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans
1 cup package shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheesee

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large saucepan; add half of the taco seasoning. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in rice; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce.
Cook meat in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain; return meat to pan. Stir in remaining taco seasoning.
Spread half of rice mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread beans evenly over rice mixture; top with beef mixture and half of cheese. Spread the remaining rice mixture over cheese; top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Yield
10 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)
Nutritional Information
CALORIES 371(18% from fat); FAT 7.5g (sat 3.6g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.4g); IRON 4.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 42mg; CALCIUM 221mg; CARBOHYDRATE 51.2g; SODIUM 696mg; PROTEIN 23.7g; FIBER 3.8g
Cooking Light, JULY 2001

*we ate it with a little bit of light sour cream on top.

Apple Dumplings

This recipe is SO easy and so yummy. I feel like it's already been published to the entire state of Utah but for those few remaining women who haven't seen it...here you go:

2 Granny Smith Apples (peeled, cored and cut into 1/8's)

2 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

2 sticks of butter

1 (12 oz) can Mountain Dew or Sprite

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

cinnamon

Butter 9/13 pan ( I use one of the sticks of butter before melting it)

Take the two sticks of butter, vanilla and the sugar and melt over medium heat until bubbly.

Wrap each apple slice in a crescent roll and place in pan, then pour butter/sugar mixture over top of crescent rolls. Then pour Mt. Dew over top of all of it and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

(Marcie Ward is the one who gave me this yummy recipe, I think she is full of great recipes so thanks Marcie)

Tandoori Chicken Skewers

4 servings

Ingredients

Tomato-Cucumber Sauce:
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup each diced seedless cucumber, chopped tomato, and radishes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt

Basting Sauce:
1/4 cup each plain yogurt and buttermilk or ranch dressing
1/4 teaspoon each ground cumin, chili powder, and salt

Tandoori Chicken:
4 (6-ounce) thin-sliced chicken breast cutlets (1 1/2 pounds total), each cut into 3 lengthwise strips

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat broiler; line a broiler pan with nonstick foil.
2. Tomato-Cucumber Sauce: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.
3. Basting Sauce: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.
4. Tandoori Chicken: Thread chicken on 6-inch metal skewers. Brush with Basting Sauce and broil 4 inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn, baste again, and broil 2 to 3 minutes longer. Serve with Tomato-Cucumber Sauce and couscous, if desired.

I have also just cooked the chicken on the grill instead of in the broiler and I've made it both with and without the skewers. I prefer grilling the chicken, and it tastes the same whether or not you use the skewers, so it just depends on how fancy you want to be :)

Tuscan Chicken Salad (or pasta)

I found this recipe a couple of years ago, and I love it. Even JP and Jack really enjoy it also.

Ingredients – serves four

1 lb – Chicken Breast
1 lb bag – Spring or baby green mixed lettuce
1 cup – Roasted Tomatoes, in herbed olive oil if available (I just use the Italian style canned diced tomatoes)
1 cup – Olive oil or oil from tomatoes (I just use 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil)
1 cup – Flour
½ cup – Lemon juice
1 – Large lemon
Salt and pepper
1 – Loaf favorite crusted bread.

Preparation

Cut lemon into half length wise and then into 1/8th inch slices. Cut chicken into large bit-sized pieces. In a medium bowl, mix flour with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add cut chicken to flour mixture and coat evenly. In a large non-stick sauté pan, add olive oil and heat to medium high. When pan and oil is hot, add floured chicken, shake off excess flour before putting in pan, and cook until lightly brown. Add lemon juice, sliced lemon and roasted tomatoes, tossing until chicken is done and ingredients are hot.
Divide mixed greens onto four large dinner plates, make lettuce pile high in middle and leave some empty plate exposed around edges. Take chicken, lemon and tomato mixture and divide and decorate plates equally and finish by drizzling pan drippings as dressing. Cut two bread wedges for edge of plate and enjoy.

I have also used over penne or bowtie pasta instead of over the salad.

the idea

So, the other day at our little preschool barbecue, the subject of blogs came up and it occured to me that we should really do a recipe "shared" blog. I will give you all "ownership" of the page so that you can make changes and rearrange things however you want...you can even feel free to change my lame-o title! Anyway, whenever you have a recipe that you think the rest of us might enjoy, take a minute and post it! I think we'll all benefit from this ! Bon Appetite!