Easy Lettuce Wraps

 

I got this recipe for lettuce wraps from my friend, Camille.  We used it for a Young Women activity on easy meals that our girls could make when they go away to college.  And this one is easy!  We love lettuce wraps at my house, and this is such a delicious, fast recipe, that it is now something that I feel like I can make more often (my other recipe takes a lot longer to prepare).  We also used ground beef as the meat, which I am more likely to have on hand than ground chicken or ground turkey (which is what other recipes use).  But feel free to substitute other ground meats in place of the ground beef.  You can also get creative with the chopped veggies you add.  It calls for water chestnuts, but last time I made it I also diced up carrots and added those, as well, and the original recipe called for a package of cole slaw to be added.

Easy Lettuce Wraps

from: Camille Bell

1 lb. lean ground beef (or turkey or chicken)

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 c. teriyaki sauce

1 can water chestnuts, diced

ground pepper to taste

1 head of lettuce

In a frying pan, over medium high heat, brown your ground beef.  Drain the grease.  Add the garlic powder, teriyaki sauce, diced water chestnuts and pepper.  Reduce heat to medium and let it simmer for a few minutes.  Serve it on your lettuce, rolling the lettuce leaf around the meat like a taco.

Korean Rice Bowl

I made this the other day for something easy and different, and my family loved it!  It really was so quick and easy and used ingredients that I always have on hand.

Korean Rice Bowls
by: therecipecritic.com

1 lb. ground beef

3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. pepper
cooked rice
sliced green onions for garnish

In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and minced garlic until the beef is cooked through (no pink).  Drain any grease.  In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ground ginger, crushed red pepper flakes and pepper.  Pour it over the ground beef and let it simmer for one minute.  Serve it over the rice and garnish it with the green onions.

Our Favorite Quinoa and Ground Beef Sloppy Joes

 

This is our family's favorite sloppy joe recipe.  Full disclosure: I don't have an actual recipe.  I make it to taste every time.  But, I can never remember exactly what I add and I always end up googling "Sloppy Joe Recipe" so I can see a general idea of what to add.  So, this time I paid attention to what I added so that I can put the recipe on here and find it for next time!

Our Favorite Quinoa Sloppy Joe Recipe                                                                         

by: Carolyn

1/2 or 1 pound ground beef
1/2 c. quinoa
ketchup (if I were to guess, I would say close to a cup of ketchup)
about 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard (or regular)
onion powder
garlic powder
salt
pepper
about 3 dashes of liquid smoke (this is to taste-add a little less than this and then add more if needed)
about 1 c. water

Cook your quinoa according to package directions (I cook mine in double the water in my rice cooker).  In a large frying pan, brown your ground beef over medium heat.  Drain the grease and add your cooked quinoa to the pan.  Add the ketchup, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and liquid smoke and stir it well.  Taste it!!  If it doesn't have enough flavor, add more garlic, onion or salt.  Taste it again!! Add more of what you feel like it might need.  Repeat as needed!  Stir it again.  Add the water and stir it well.  Simmer it over medium low heat until you are ready to eat it.  (And maybe taste it one more time to see if needs anything else!).  Serve on a hamburger bun (or hotdog bun, as you see in my picture) with sliced cheddar cheese. 

BBQ Chicken Tacos with Coleslaw

One day, in the midst of being so tired of my regular dinner foods, Nicole shared a new recipe with me, that I happened to have the ingredients for.  I made it for dinner that night, and my family couldn't get enough of it!  It was so delicious!  The coleslaw with the barbecue chicken was so great together.  It was a nice twist on a typical weeknight meal.  I highly recommend these tacos!

BBQ Chicken Tacos
adapted from: eatingwell.com

1/3 c. sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
dash of hot sauce (I'm pretty sure I used sriracha sauce)
2 c. shredded cabbage
2 c. shredded cooked chicken breast
1/3 c. of your favorite bbq sauce
corn tortillas
cilantro

In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, sugar, lemon juice, cider vinegar, kosher salt, pepper and hot sauce.  Add the shredded cabbage and stir it until it is coated with the sauce.  In a sauce pan over medium heat, stir together the shredded chicken and the barbecue sauce until it is hot.  Fill the tortillas with barbecue chicken, top it with the coleslaw and cilantro, and enjoy!

Soy Glazed Chicken with Peanut Noodles

The other day I found this recipe in one of my magazines that I accidentally bought.  It was piggy backed on a magazine I was buying for my mom for mother's day, and I guess, if nothing else, one good thing came out of that accidental purchase: this recipe!

Soy Glazed Chicken with Peanut Noodles

slightly adapted from: Family Circle Magazine

2-3 chicken breasts

salt and pepper

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. honey

12 oz. spaghetti 

1/4 c. rice vinegar

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

3 Tbsp. peanut butter (I used creamy, but next time I will definitely use crunchy for the added texture)

2 tsp. sesame oil

1-2 dashes onion powder

Season your chicken with salt and pepper.  In your instant pot, add 1 c. of water and cook the chicken on high for 8-10 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the 1 Tbsp. of soy sauce and the honey.  When the chicken is cooked, baste the honey soy mixture on the chicken.  While the chicken is cooking, cook the spaghetti noodles according to the package directions.  Drain and rinse them in cold water.  Stir together the rice vinegar, 3 Tbsp. soy sauce, vegetable oil, peanut butter, sesame oil and onion powder, until smooth.  Toss the sauce mixture with the noodles and serve it with the chicken.

A Winning Chipotle Chicken Chili Recipe

Every Fall, the company my husband works for has a Chili Cookoff.  Last year he lost by one vote (His own, because he felt guilty voting for his own chili, and voted for someone else, who won by one vote.  Ha ha!  He didn't make that mistake this year!).  This year, he wanted to do something different and amazing and delicious.  This recipe idea came from my sister, and we cooked it up the night before, and knew it would be a hit!  And he won the contest!

 That is a serious trophy to be displayed in his office for the next year.

Chipotle Chicken Chili
adapted from: Pionner Woman
2 Tbsp. oil
1 whole onion, diced (I used dehydrated)
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 chicken breasts, cut into a large dice
1 can of Rotel tomatoes
3 whole Chipotle Peppers in Adobe Sauce, minced (you buy this in a can)
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt (more to taste)
1 lime, juiced (more to taste)
sour cream, for serving
shredded cheese, for serving
cilantro, for serving

Heat the oil in a large pot, over medium heat.  Add the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes until the onions are tender.  Add the chicken and cook until it is cooked through and lightly browned.  Stir in the tomatoes, chipotles, beans, chili powder, cumin and salt.  Cover it and cook it for 1 hour.  At this point, the Pioneer Woman calls for using masa harina as a thickening agent.  We didn't use anything, and ours ended up with a perfect thickness.  If you want it thicker, feel free to thicken it up right now.  Stir in the lime juice and taste it to see if you need more salt, lime or even chipotles, if you want a little more of a kick.
Serve it with sour cream, cheese and cilantro.

BBQ Pulled Pork, in the Instant Pot

This is a very similar recipe to the BBQ Pork Ribs, but I make it often enough, that I thought I would record it for my future self-1 month from now, when I'm trying to remember what I did for this recipe.  Once again, I love my Instant Pot in moments like I had tonight.  I had people coming over for dinner at 5:00, and I wasn't going to the store, because it is Sunday.  I had to find something I could make with what I already had, and I found a pork roast in the freezer.  I defrosted it for a couple of minutes in the microwave, long enough to be able to cut it in 4 pieces.  Then, I cooked it in my Instant Pot for 35 minutes, and it was perfectly shred-able when it was done.  Start to finish it took an hour!  And, it tasted wonderful!

BBQ Pulled Pork in the Instant Pot
by: Carolyn (after looking at many different food websites)

1  2-3 pound pork roast, frozen or thawed
1 c. beef broth
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
1 Tbsp. oil
Your favorite BBQ sauce

Set your Instant Pot to Saute, add the oil, and let it get hot.  Sprinkle the kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, onion powder and garlic powder generously on to your roast and rub it in.  Cut the roast into fourths and when the Instant Pot is hot, brown each side of the roast pieces (I just did all four pieces at the same time, in the bottom of the IP).  Pour the beef broth over the top of the roast.  Lock your lid into place, and set your Instant Pot on high pressure, for 35 minutes if the roast is frozen, 20-25 minutes if it is thawed.  When it is done, do a quick release, drain most of the liquid, and shred your pork.  Pour your favorite BBQ sauce over the top and stir.

Moist, Flavorful Pot Roast in the Instant Pot

In 16 years of marriage, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I have made pot roast.  It is just not my favorite.  I grew up in a home where we ate roast and potatoes almost every Sunday, but my own children really only know roast from when we are at Grandma's house on a Sunday.  However, that all may change with the Instant Pot that Dustin gave me for Christmas.  I seriously love this kitchen tool!  I have made beef pot roast three times in the last couple of months, which is like a super record for me.  And each time, the roast has come out so moist, so tender, so flavorful.  It is delicious!  My children may end up with memories of pot roast, after all!

Moist, Flavorful Pot Roast (in the Instant Pot)
adapted from: pressurecookerecipes.com

Pot Roast, cut 2 inches thick
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
1 Tbsp. oil
1 onion, sliced (or, I used dehydrated onions, re-hydrated)
2 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 c. chicken broth
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
fresh rosemary-rub in between fingers before adding
ground sage

Heat up your Instant Pot, using the Saute button.  Add the oil and heat until very hot.  Season the pot roast with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper on both sides.  Place the meat in the Instant Pot, and brown it for 5 minutes on each side.  Remove it from the Pot and set it aside.  Add the onions and cook them until they are soft.  Add the garlic and cook it for 30 seconds.  Pour the balsamic vinegar into the Instant Pot, and deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.  Stir in the chicken broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rosemary and sage.  You may add a little more salt and pepper, to taste.  Place the meat back into the Pot, close the lid, and set the Instant Pot to high pressure, for 45 minutes.  When it is done, do a natural pressure release for 25 minutes (although, I didn't have time to do that today, and it still turned out perfect).  I have made this with potatoes and carrots in the pressure cooker, and I have made it without any added vegetables.  If you add veggies, they end up so flavorful, and it becomes a one pot meal!

Creamy Potato Soup in the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

My hubby gave me an Instant Pot pressure cooker for Christmas.  I stared at the box for 2 weeks before I even opened it because I didn't know what to do with it.  All I really needed to do was look online because when I did, I found tons of recipes to make using my pressure cooker.  And then I started finding friends who swear that it is the only way they cook now.  This recipe came from one of those friends.  The soup was incredibly flavorful, which is one of the things that people say about cooking with a pressure cooker.  I would be curious to try it in a slow cooker, or on the stove to see if it had as good of a flavor.  My entire family ate it and liked it!  Winner!

Creamy Potato Soup
adapted from: instantpot.com

1 onion, diced
2 slices bacon
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp. oil
1 c. chicken broth
2 1/2 pounds of potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes (I guessed on the amount)
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
a dash of red pepper flakes
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
2 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. heavy cream (or use evaporated milk)
salt and pepper to taste

I am going to give the instructions just as my friend gave them to me.  If you make this using a slow cooker or on the stove, I'm sure you can figure it out.
1.  Press Saute on Instant Pot.  Add onion, bacon, garlic and oil.  Stir while sauteing for 3-4 minutes.  Do not walk away or this will burn.
2.  Add 1 c. of chicken broth, potatoes, carrots, celery, parsley, red pepper flakes, and Italian Seasoning.  Stir.  Place the lid on the pot, press Steam button and set minutes to 10.  (It takes about 10 minutes to come to pressure and then cooks for 10 minutes)
3.  When it beeps, do a quick pressure release.  Remove the bacon and discard (I didn't discard it. We just cut it into bite-sized pieces, then put it back in at the end).  Add 2 cups of chicken broth and the heavy cream.  Insert a handheld blender and run it on short bursts until it has a creamy consistency that you like, but make sure to leave chunks of potatoes.  Don't puree it all.  Add salt and pepper to taste, stirring gently to incorporate.

Slow Cooker Tangy Pork Chops

There is nothing like a picture of a big slab of meat to make you want to use this recipe, right?  Here was the other option:

Is it any better surrounded by delicious food, if it is half eaten?  Oh well.  Just trust me, this was a great recipe for pork chops.  I had pork chops in my freezer, but I am a little tired of the cream of mushroom soup version that I usually use.  So I found a new recipe on allrecipes, and I was so happy with the way this turned out!  The flavor was a little different, which was refreshing.  It was still very easy to prepare, and my house smelled delicious when we got home from church.  We ate ours with baked potatoes and green veggies and it worked really well together.  I doubled the sauce, which was totally unnecessary, but if you decide to do that, you could serve this over rice and there would be a lot of the sauce for your rice.

Slow Cooker Tangy Pork Chops
adapted from: allrecipes.com

1/4 c. olive oil (I'm out, so I used Canola)
1 c. chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp. chicken boullion
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1 Tbsp. dried, chopped onion
salt and pepper
4 pork chops

In your slow cooker, combine the oil, chicken broth, minced garlic, paprika, garlic powder, chicken boullion, oregano, basil and onion and stir it all together.  With a sharp knife, cut slits into the top of each pork chop and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.  Place the pork chops in the slow cooker and spoon some of the sauce over the top.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4 hours.  Occasionally baste your pork chops with the sauce while they are cooking.

Slow Cooker Zesty BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

It has been so long since I have cooked anything new!  Life has been a little too crazy for anything but quick and easy around here.  Earlier this week, I needed a slow cooker menu item and wasn't in the mood for my usual recipes.  I found this one on Allrecipes.com, and it turned out great!

Slow Cooker Zesty BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
from: allrecipes.com

6 frozen chicken breasts (I halved this whole recipe and it was perfect for my family)
12 oz. barbecue sauce (a tip here: use a good quality sauce. I used Sweet Baby Rays)
1/2 c. italian dressing
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

In a bowl, stir together the barbecue sauce, italian dressing, brown sugar and worcestershire sauce.  Place your frozen chicken breasts in your slow cooker and pour the sauce over the top.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours.  When the chicken is cooked, shred it and stir it well before serving.

Spicy Sausage Pasta

When I was in Ohio visiting Nicole after she had her babies, a friend brought them dinner and this is what she brought.  It tasted soooo delicious.  I finally got around to making it for my family, and I must admit, things always taste better when someone else makes it for you.  That being said, it was still a delicious meal, creamy and flavorful and definitely worth making again.  Especially if you have a sausage lover in your household.  

Spicy Sausage Pasta

from: kevinandamanda.com

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb. smoked sausage

1 1/2 c. diced onions

2 cloves minced garlic

2 c. chicken broth

1 (10 oz.) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, mild

1/2 c. heavy cream

8 oz. penne pasta

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/3 c. sliced green onions

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the sausage and onions and cook until browned and cooked through.  Reduce heat to medium.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir it all together.  Bring it to a boil, cover skillet and reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer it until the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.  Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese and the green onion on the top.  If you want, you can broil it in your oven until the cheese is bubbly and melted.

Sausage and Pepper Pasta

I haven't posted anything on here for a long time, not because I didn't want to, but purely because I haven't cooked in, oh, nine months-ish.  I made dinner tonight with a bunch of things I needed to use up and decided to post it as a quick and simple meal idea if you want to spice up the old go-to pasta dish.  I'm leaving the amount open-ended depending on how many you're cooking for.

Sausage and Pepper Pasta

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

sweet peppers, thinly sliced

fully cooked sausage*, chopped into 1/2 inch slices

sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

your favorite jar of pasta sauce

linguine noodles

fresh basil, chopped

Directions:

Cook linguine according to package directions.  Set aside.  

Heat olive oil on medium-high heat.  Saute onion and peppers until tender.  Add sausage and sun-dried tomatoes, saute until heated through.  Dump in pasta sauce and stir until hot.  Add linguine noodles and toss until everything's combined.  Sprinkle fresh basil over the top and serve.

*Use any sausage that you like: Italian sausage, chicken, pork, or turkey sausage, sausage with cheese in it, sausage with herbs in it... you get the idea.  I used chicken sausage with cheese, red peppers, and garlic! If sausage is uncooked, slice thin and saute in a separate pan with a little olive oil until cooked through, then add to the pasta.

Stromboli!

I have been meaning to post this recipe for a long time (almost 2 months to be exact) and today I decided I would finally do it!  I needed to share this because it has changed our life.  We have Stromboli all the time now.  We make it for friends who come over for dinner, we make it for people who are sick and need a meal, and we make it for ourselves because we like it that much.

The first time I made this recipe I did it for Valentines day and thought I would get creative by shaping it into a heart.  I will admit, I was pretty pleased with the result.  It looked so beautiful!  Even with the cheese spilling out and the dough busting out at the bottom, it was still so goldeny delicious.  I got the recipe from this blog and I used her pizza dough recipe too.  The only change I really made from her recipe is that I didn't ...This is Eliza!

My post was highjacked.  As I was saying, the only real change I made was that I left the sauce off and we dipped our Stromboli! (you always have to say it with an exclamation point) in the sauce while we ate it.

The pizza dough recipe is this:

1 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey {or sugar}
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
3 cups bread flour {give or take 1/2 cup...depending on the heat & humidity}

for the cheesy garlic bread sticks-
1/2 recipe Fail-Proof Pizza Dough from above
2 tablespoons softened salted butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese {use the real stuff!}
1/4 pound grated mozzarella cheese
{salt & pepper, if desired}

DIRECTIONS:

For the pizza dough--In a large mixing bowl, preferably that of a stand mixer, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking. Pour in salt, oil and half the flour and mix. Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it it doesn't stick to your hands. Once you reach this stage, knead for 6 minutes. Turn a timer on and walk away! Resist the temptation to stop earlier than 6 minutes! That seems to be the magical number. The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be clean! {*This is the point when you could freeze your dough!! Divide into portions, place into freezer bags, seal removing all air and freeze. To use, remove from freezer and let sit out to get to room temperature and double in size; 6-8 hours. Then use as you'd like.} Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn't dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours. That's it! Use as desired.

For the Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks- Preheat oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone inside. {If you don't have a pizza stone, use an upside down cookie sheet...a tip I got from Natalie!}
Mix butter and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.
Spread pizza dough out into a 12-inch circle on parchment paper. {This makes it easier to transfer to the pizza stone.}
Spread the butter and garlic mixture over dough and top with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Top with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper, if desired. {That step is totally optional!}

I copied the recipe straight from Lauren's Latest.  I love her site too, in case you are in the mood to browse a food blog.

Once the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 500, split the dough in two and then roll out a rectangle shape.  spread the cheese on one-third of the dough and then spread your toppings on top of that.  My favorite toppings are red onion, diced bell pepper, and spinach.  

Once the toppings are on, grab an egg and beat it (just beat it! No one wants to be defeated!) in a bowl.  Fold the shorter edges in about an inch and baste the folded edges and the third of the dough left without toppings.  

Roll the dough, beginning at the end with the toppings and roll until shaped like this:

Only you can keep it shaped as a straight log if you don't love your family as much as I do...

Place the log on top of a pizza stone or upside down pizza pan.  I wasn't sure why it said an upside down pan but then I tried it without and the Stromboli! didn't brown quite as evenly.  Next, baste the log with the egg and sprinkle pizza flavored herbs on top (I use a spice I own called Pizza Spice but I'm sure a little basil, oregano and garlic would do just fine) and some parmesan cheese. Slit the top of the Stromboli! every inch and a half or so.

Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and beautiful.

Cut it up into slices and dip in whatever favorite pizza sauce you might own.  Or  if you're like me and never have pizza sauce on hand, whatever spaghetti sauce you have lying around.

And viola!  You are done and ready to eat your Stromboli!

Smothered Pork Chops

This was a great recipe for smothered pork chops.  The pork chops had a great flavor, and the sauteed mushrooms and onions in the gravy added a delicious tangy-ness.  I served it with garlic mashed potatoes, which was a great fit.  The night I made it I had to run to my bookclub before I could eat.  When I got home, I heard words that I always want to hear, but usually don't: "Mom, dinner was SO good tonight!"  What?!  Could you please repeat that, just because it is so soothing to my ears?  I will definitely be making this again.

Smothered Pork Chops
adapted from: yourhomebasedmom.com

1 packet brown gravy mix
6 boneless pork chops
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 1/2 c. mushrooms, sliced (I used a can of mushrooms, water drained)
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. minced garlic
salt and pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
2 Tbsp. steak sauce

Lay your pork chops out on a baking sheet and generously season both sides with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.  In a heavy frying pan, heat your olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the pork, turn it down to medium and cook until it is cooked through.  Remove it from the heat.  In another pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat.  Saute' your onions and mushrooms until they are tender.  In a small sauce pan, cook the brown gravy according to the package directions.  Add the minced garlic and steak sauce and stir it well.  Stir the mushrooms and onions into the gravy.  Serve the pork chops with the gravy mixture over the top.  

Quick Yeast Rolls

I came across this recipe on allrecipes.com and have been using it for months.  It is the easiest roll recipe I have found (no kneading, no rolling, only mixing and plopping), and it is delicious, too!  It is fast (start to finish, about 2 hours) and the rolls come out light and fluffy.  It makes it simple for me to have fresh rolls for my family with dinner!

Quick Yeast Rolls

slightly adapted from: allrecipes.com

2 Tbsp. shortening

3 Tbsp. white sugar

1 c. hot water

1 package active dry yeast

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. salt

2 1/2 c. flour (just a little less than that, actually)

In a large bowl, combine the shortening, sugar and hot water and stir to dissolve (the shortening won't dissolve very much).  When the water has cooled to luke warm, add the yeast and stir it to dissolve.  Stir in the egg and salt, then add the flour and stir to combine.  Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rise until it is doubled in size.  Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.  When the dough has doubled in size, divide it into the prepared muffin tin cups.  Cover it and allow it to rise again until it has doubled in size.  Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Bake the rolls for 10 minutes or until lightly golden (mine have never taken more than ten minutes).

Lemon Pepper Parmesan Tilapia

Last night I made this tilapia for dinner.  I found ingredients that I had on hand, and whipped it up in about 6.5 minutes, baked it for 15 minutes, and had dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.  Not bad!  And it tasted great!  My husband was very impressed when he walked in the house from raking leaves to see this gourmet meal on the table in such a short time.

Lemon Pepper Parmesan Tilapia
by: Carolyn

3 Tilapia fillets
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
fresh ground salt and pepper (just a grind or two)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a shallow baking dish with cooking spray.  With your fingers (or a spoon if you are opposed to finger mixing), on a plate, mix together the Parmesan, lemon pepper, parsley and salt and pepper.  Dip both sides of each tilapia fillet in the Parmesan mixture until it is well coated.  Place the fish in the pan and bake it for 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Chicken Caprese Sandwiches With Basil Pesto Mayo

This sandwich was so delicious!  Seriously yummy and seriously easy.  I threw it together in very little time, and we couldn't get over the amazing flavors in it!  I got it off of www.yourhomebasedmom.com, (which, by the way, is one of my favorite food blogs), and I barely changed it (which, by the way, is not typical for me).  The chicken was supposed to be grilled, but to save time and a walk outside, I just cooked it in my frying pan in a little oil.  It would have been yummy grilled, but it was yummy either way!

Chicken Caprese Sandwiches With Basil Pesto Mayo

from: www.yourhomebasedmom.com

2 chicken breasts, cut in half, and also cut in half in the way that makes them thinner

salt and pepper

1 tomato, sliced

fresh basil

4 hard rolls

4 slices of cheddar cheese

balsamic vinegar

Pesto Mayo

1/4 c. mayonaise

3 Tbsp. pesto

In a small bowl, stir together the mayo and pesto and put it in the fridge for later.

The pesto mayo looks kind of gross as a close up, in the bowl like that.  But don't be fooled.  It is sooo good.  Maren was eating it plain.  Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook them on the grill (or in a frying pan) until they are no longer pink in the center.  Build your sandwich, using the chicken, tomato, fresh basil, cheese and pesto mayo.  Drizzle balsamic vinegar on the top, or you could drizzle it on the under side of your top bun.  And, enjoy!

Olive Garden's Ravioli Di Portobello (Actually, Just the Amazing Sauce Recipe)

                                           
My hubby and I recently ate at Olive Garden, and I was determined to eat something besides their Stuffed Chicken Marsala (I get it every time I eat there. Literally.).  I chose the Ravioli Di Portobello.  And I have found my new favorite Olive Garden dinner.  Smoked Gouda cheese.  Sun-dried tomatoes.  And... well, not much else.  Not only is this recipe delicious, it is super easy!  I made it for our family reunion, and it got rave reviews.  To make my life ridiculously easy, I just went ahead and bought a big thing of 5 cheese tortellini from Costco and served the sauce over that.  And, for about the same cost as one dish at the Olive Garden, I fed 13 people!

Sauce for Olive Garden's Ravioli Di Portobello
from: food.com

2 c. milk
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
8 ounces smoked Gouda cheese
3 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the flour and stir it until it makes a thick paste.  Add the milk, stirring constantly.  Cook it until the sauce thickens.  Cut up the smoked Gouda cheese and add it to the saucepan.  Throw in your sun-dried tomatoes and stir it all until the cheese melts.  Serve it over ravioli (or tortellini, or whatever you want).
*Note: this amount serves 2-4, not 13!
                                           

Crispy Pan-Fried Tilapia

The other day I was looking for a new way to cook fish, and for some reason fish and chips sounded really good.  I found this recipe in my good ol' Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book and we were not disappointed.  The crust was crispy, the inside was tender.  I made some lemon mayonnaise to dip it in, but it wasn't even worth putting the recipe on here.  For some variety, the book suggests putting a little curry powder or chili powder and paprika in the breadcrumbs.  My family thought it was delicious this simple way.  And I served it with some homemade fries.  Close enough to fish and chips to satisfy me!

Pan-Fried Fish
from: Better Homes and Gardens

1 pound fish fillets (I used tilapia)
1 beaten egg
2/3 c. cornmeal or fine dry bread crumbs (I used Italian bread crumbs)
1/2 tsp. salt
dash pepper
cooking oil for frying

Rinse and pat dry the fish fillets.  Cut them in half.  In a shallow dish, combine the egg and 2 tablespoons water.  In another dish, mix the bread crumbs, salt and pepper.  Dip the fish into the egg mixture, then coat the fish with the bread crumb mixture.  In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch cooking oil.  Add the fish to the pan and cook it on one side until it is golden.  Turn it carefully and fry the second side until it is golden and the fish flakes easily with a fork.