What's For Dinner?

3 Tbls Olive Oil (or canola)

2 onions diced

5 cups diced and seeded tomatoes (or 6 cups) canned, juice and all.  (About 4, 15 oz. cans)

3 cups chicken stock (approx)

1 jar (12 oz.) roasted red peppers (whole- found in the pickle section of Walmart.)

1 1/2 cups whipping cream (I used 1% milk and it worked fine)

1 jar basil pesto (about 8-10 oz.  Classico brand from Walmart works good, any pesto brand will work)

salt and pepper to taste

1 pkg. cooked cheese tortellini (Family size or regular if you freeze half of the tomato base).



Heat oil and add onions. Cook until translucent. Add tomatoes and allow to warm and simmer. Add chicken stock and red peppers. Simmer 20 mins. Add whipping cream (or milk) and pesto and let cool for a little bit. Cook tortellini in separate pan according to package directions. Go back and blend tomato mixture in a blender to desired consistency a little at a time (I blended mine quite a bit to get rid of all the chunks). Add blended soup to tortellini in large pan. Salt and pepper to taste and serve warm.

If you live in Kanab and need fresh rosemary, we have 4 huge bushes in our front yard and you are more than welcome to come take a snip.  This is honestly the first recipe I have tried with rosemary.  I had NO idea how YUMMY it is.  I am excited to experiment more with rosemary.   This recipe is DELICIOUS!  I got it off allrecipes.com and it has a 5 star rating.  YUM!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon white sugar
5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, or about 8 tenderloins.  You can also cut up chicken for kabobs.

Directions:
In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar.  Let stand for 5 minutes (or more).  Place chicken in the bowl and stir to coat with the marinade.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.

Preheat the grill for medium-high heat.  Lightly oil the grill grate.  Grill for 8-12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear. 

Mix:

1 bag each of Romaine Lettuce and Spinach
1 small bag (8 oz) of shredded mozzerella cheese
1 pkg pre-cooked bacon (or cook it yourself) in small pieces
1 bag slivered toasted almonds

To toast Almonds:
Heat 2 Tbs. Canola oil in pan, add almonds-when toated add about 1/2-3/4 sugar till coated.

Dressing:
1/2 cup Sugar
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbs. Lemon Juice
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup canola oil
2 tsp. poppy seeds

Blend all ingredients Except oil & poppyseeds. Add them last and shake well.

DO NOT ADD THE DRESSING UNTIL RIGHT BEFORE YOU ARE READY TO SERVE. It will get soggy.

1 lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
2 Stalks celery, cut into thirds
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup Cooked Rice
8 ounces sour cream
2 (10.5) ounce cans cream of chicken soup
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups crushed Ritz crackers
1/2 cup butter, melted

Cook Chicken with celery stalks, salt and pepper and just enough water to cover chicken in crockpot for about 4-6 hours. You could also boil it all on a pot if you are in a hurry. When chicken is done shred it and reserve a cup of the broth for later. Discard celery.

In a large bowl stir together sourcream, soup, broth, celery salt, onion powder, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Mix in cooked rice and chicken. Spoon mixture into 9x13 casserole dish. In a resealable bag or bowl, shake together crackers and butter. Sprinkle cracker/butter mixture over the top.

Bake in preheated oven uncovered for 30-35 mintues at 350.

You will need:
2 pounds of chicken (I used tenders, they suggested kebabs, breasts would be fine, you decide)

Marinate:
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbls. olive oil
2 Tbls. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. coarse kosher salt
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground pepper

Mix it all together and then place in large plastic bag with chicken. Put in fridge for about 4-6 hours. Preheat gas grill on medium heat. Cook until chicken is cooked through.

Sauce:
1 cup peeled roasted red peppers (canned or fresh) I bought some in a jar.
1/4 toasted almonds (you can toast them in the oven or over the stove, just until they are light brown)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 handful of croutons
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbls. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

Place it all in a food processor and whirl until pureed: sauce will be thick. Serve over chicken or dip your chicken in it. SO GOOD!

Ingredients:

Place in bread machine pan in this order:

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)

1/2 cup warm milk

1 egg

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup white sugar

3 3/4 all-purpose flour

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp. from jar)

Directions:

Place ing. in bread machine. Put on dough cycle. Mine takes about 1 1/2 hours. When cycle is done, shape dough into balls and place on greased pan. You can also roll dough out into a circle shape and spread with butter and cut into wedges and make croissant shaped rolls. I brush soft butter on top of mine before and after I bake them. Cover and let them rise on pan for about 30 minutes before you bake. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10-12 minutes.

I always seem to have overly ripe banana's on hand and am always looking for new recipes to try with them. This is from EMILY's BLOG and it is Divine!



Ingredients:
1/2c butter, softened
3/4c brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
2 large, ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 heaping tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3/4c flour
1 1/4c old-fashioned oats (not quick)

For the topping:
3/4c old-fashioned oats
1/3c brown sugar (packed)
1 Tbsp flour
4Tbsp butter, softened

Directions:
Cream butter and brown sugar for the cake. Mash bananas, and add to creamed mixture. Add eggs, one at a time, beating till fluffy after each addition. Sift together salt, baking soda, and flour into the cake. Stir in oats and mix till just combined. Pour into a sprayed 9" cake pan or springform.Mix up the topping by whisking together the oats, brown sugar, and flour. Cut in the butter until a crumbly mixture forms. Sprinkle over cake.Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean. I baked mine for more like 45 min. Just keep an eye on it. Run knife around the outside of the cake to loosen it from the sides as it cools.

I might be the last person on earth to discover Cake Mix Cookies, but just in case I'm not, here you go...... They are SUPER easy!

1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 cake mix of your choice (we like chocolate the best)
add-ins of your choice (these are made with chocolate/peanut butter swirl chips, YUM!).

Mix well and drop on sprayed cookie sheet by the Tablespoon. Bake at 350 for about 12-15 mintues.

Experiment with different mixes and add-ins. I haven't found on I didn't like yet!

I made this chicken for our Valentines dinner tonight. It is from Allrecipes.com. It has over 1500 reviews and 4 1/2 stars. I had made this about 3 years ago and we loved it. To my surprise my husband requested it for our Valentines dinner. It is SO good! I was so excited to eat it, I forgot to take a picture, so this one is from Allrecipes.com.

Here is what you will need:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast-pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
6 slices of bacon, cut in half
1/2 cup prepared mustard
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon dried onion flakes
1 Tablespoon oil (I used olive)
1 cup (or less) of sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups shredded Colby-Monterrey Jack cheese (I'm sure Cheddar would work fine too)
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:
1. Rub the chicken breasts with seasoning salt
2. Cook bacon until crisp
3. In medium bowl, combine the mustard, honey, corn syrup, mayo and dried onion flakes.
4. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken breasts in the skillet and saute for 3-5 minutes per side, or until browned. Remove from skillet and place breasts in a 9x13 pan. Apply a generous amount of sauce over each breast (you can save some sauce to serve on the side). Next layer the mushrooms and bacon over chicken. Sprinkle top with cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and chicken juices run clear. Garnish with parsley. Enjoy!

½ lb spaghetti, uncooked
¼ cup Zesty Italian Dressing
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced crosswise
2 cups spaghetti sauce
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
2 tbsp parm cheese


Cook spaghetti as directed. Meanwhile, heat dressing in skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add zucchini; cook an additional 2 min., stirring frequently. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min or until chicken is cooked through. Add cream cheese; cook 1 min or until cheese is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring occasionally. Drain spaghetti; place on serving plate. Top with the chicken mixture; sprinkle with parm cheese.

You will need:

3/4 C. Chopped Onion
3/4 C. Water
1/4 C. Olive Oil
3/4 C. Ketchup
1/4 C. Lemon Juice
3 T. Sugar
2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
3 T. Worchestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. Liquid Smoke
Chicken

Blend all ingredients in blender and pour over chicken. I used about 8 small boneless, skinless chicken breast in an 9x13 pan and had plenty of sauce. Cook at 350 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours. I didn't cover mine, but after I talked to my sister she said she covered hers so you decide. SO moist and Yummy! ENJOY!

4-5 russett potatoes
1/2 onion
2 cans (10.5oz) cream of chicken
1-2 cups cheddar cheese (or Mexican blend cheese)
1/2 pkg of cooked Ham

Cut potatoes into thin slices (thicker slices take longer to cook) and place into a large bowl. Slice Ham into small chunks approx. 1 inch and add to the bowl. Next, add chopped onion to the bowl. Add cream of chicken and mix well.

Transfer the potato mixture to a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered at 350F for 40-45 minutes.

**For quicker potato slicing, I use a mandoline. YUMMY!

Tortilla Pinwheel
1 C. (8 oz) Sour cream
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 can (4 oz) chopped ripe olives, drained
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, drained
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 C. chopped green onions
Garlic Powder to taste
Seasoned Salt to taste
5 Large flour tortillas (about 10 inch)
Salsa, for dip

Directions:
In a small mixing bowl, combine the first eight ing. until blended. Spread over the tortillas, roll up tightly. Wrap each with plastic wrap, twisting ends; refrigerate for several hours.
Unwrap, cut into 1/2 to 3/4 inch slices. Discard (or eat) ends. Yields about 4 dozen.

2 8oz. cream cheese, softened
1 T. Chopped onion
8 oz crushed pineapple (drain well, be sure it's CRUSHED)
1/4 C. chopped green pepper
1 tsp. Season All
Walnuts

Mix all ing. together. Shape into ball. Roll in walnuts. Chill. Serve with crackers.
This recipe makes one huge ball or two smaller ones.

2 lbs Ground Beef or 2 lbs. Frozen Meatballs (Costco)
10 ounces grape jelly
1/4 C. chili sauce
2 Tbls. Mustard

If you are making your own meatballs, Preheat oven to 350. Line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil. Shape ground beef into golf-size balls. Place on prepared roasting pan for 20-25 minutes until done.

Or you can do it the EASY WAY and buy pre-made meatballs in the frozen section.

Heat the jelly, chili sauce and mustard together. Put in Crock Pot. Add meatballs and cover, and simmer on low until ready to serve. (if you are using frozen, give them a few hours. Serve hot with toothpicks.

The following three recipes were left as a comment on one of my posts. They all looked SO fabulous, I just HAD to post them. Hawaiian Haystacks have long been a favorite of ours. The kids love them because they get to pick their own toppings! Thanks L. I can't wait to try that Cranberry drink!

2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 c. chicken broth
2 c. chicken, cooked and chopped or shredded
rice
toppings:
chow mein noodles
peas
cheese
tomatoes
black beans, drained
green onion
pineapple (crushed or tidbits)
almonds or cashews
coconut
black olives
( I use 6 cans of soup with 1 whole can of broth, plus more of 2nd can to make consistency I want for 2 adults and 2 kids with leftovers.) ( I also add some basil , and grated carrot to gravy) Serve gravy over rice and add toppings as desired.

1 Qt. Cranberry Juice
½ C. Red hots
3 C. Sugar
9 whole cloves

Heat these ingredients, until the red hots dissolve. Stirring frequently. In lg. Pot on stove.Then add these ingredients, and turn down to simmer.

4 Qts. Water
Juice of 3 lemons, and 3 oranges.

Serve hot or cold. Store in fridge.

6 C. cooked chicken, chopped
8 oz. Bow tie pasta (Farfalle), cooked (al dente) and drained. (I used 12 oz.) Rinse with cold water.
½ bunch of green onions, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste ( Used when cooking chicken)
Lg. Can pineapple tidbits (well drained)
1 C. Lg. Seedless red grapes, halved
1 C. Celery, thinly sliced ( I don’t usually use)
4-5 diced apples, with skins on. (I used Gala, a friend used Fuji)
1 pkg.(2-4 oz.) slivered almonds

Dressing:2 C. Mayo (NOT Fat- free)
½ C. sugar
¼ C. vinegar
Mix ingredients for dressing and set aside in fridge.

Mix first 3 ingredients (chicken, pasta, and onions) in big bowl and put in fridge.Prepare other ingredients as directed. Do not mix all together till right before serving, as juice from fruit will gather on the bottom. I mix a few hours ahead of time, so the dressing can mix with the other flavors. It does fine.