Showing posts with label Dinner. Show all posts

Jambalaya

This is Daddy Randy's specially adapted Jambalaya recipe.  It's amazing and perfect.



  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 lbs smoked Italian sausage (pure pork sausage/Polish Kielbasa), diced into 1/4 in pieces
  • 1/2 lbs smoked ham, diced
  • 1/2 lbs shrimp, diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 Tbsp & 3/4 tsp Chef Paul Prudhomme's Magic Seasoning Blends (Poultry Magic)
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 1 cup green pepper, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 cups (3 boxes) cooked rice (2 jambalaya and 1 dirty rice boxes)

 Detailed instructions for making the best jambalaya ever:
  1. Cook rice separate, set aside.
  2. Sauté onions, peppers, and celery in butter.  Add garlic after vegetables are sautéed.
  3. Brown sausage separate, then chop. Let cool.
  4. Brown ham in sausage grease.
  5. Combine both meats with the vegetable mixture. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken stock, and uncooked rice and mixes, seasonings, and bay leaves.
  6. Add uncooked shrimp the last 5 minutes of cooking. Let sit on warm for 5 minutes to let sauces sink in.
  7. Consume the deliciousness! 
*TIP: Dad's secret ingredient is a couple drops of Tabasco sauce.

Mango Chili Chicken

 *Copycat recipe of the Chili's Mango Chili Chicken from their Light Menu.


Mango Salsa:
2 Mangoes
1 Avocado
1/2 Purple Onion
2-4 Jalapenos, to taste (If you like spicy, use 4, but it also depends on the heat content of each particular pepper.)
1/2 bunch of Cilantro
Lime Juice, from 1-2 limes

Rub:
3 chicken breasts, cut in halves
2 TBSP chili powder
Oregano, to taste
Cumin, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Lime zest, 2 limes
Squirt of Lime juice
Olive or coconut oil

  • Dice salsa ingredients and combine in a bowl. Cover and place in fridge until time to serve. 
  • Combine rub ingredients in a separate bowl, then cover the chicken entirely. Place chicken on the grill and cook thoroghly. 
  • Serve hot chicken topped with cool salsa. So easy! So done!

*Mango Salsa also makes a fantastic appetizer served with Tortilla Chips.

*Works as an "Ideal Protein" meal if you exclude the salsa and top the chicken with only cilantro and lime juice. 

Quinoa Beef Stuffed Peppers


This recipe is a great balance between meat-eaters (like my husband), vegetable lovers, and the health gurus (like myself and my sister Jenn); it has a little of everything.  Everything is good in moderation, so that makes this meal perfect. ;) Enjoy!

  • 1/2 pound of ground beef (try ground turkey or chicken to make it even healthier)
  • 4 large bell peppers
  • 1 jar of salsa – Get creative with this. The salsa really makes the dish so change things up by trying a variety of salsas!
  • 3/4 cup of cooked quinoa
  • 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
  • 1/2 diced onion
  • 1/3 bell pepper, diced
  • 1 small zucchini, diced
  • 1 cup or can black beans
  • 2 cups of fresh spinach, chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 TBSP of Black Pepper
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper jack cheese (Cheddar or cheddar mixtures work too)

1. Cook quinoa and brown rice according to their packages and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
3. Brown the meat.  When your meat is mostly cooked, add in the diced onion and garlic.*Don't forget to drain the meat juice!
4. Chop all your veggies, Add veggies, beans, and seasonings to meat mixture.
5. Stir in your choice of salsa then carefully stir in the spinach.
6. To prepare your peppers, rinse them well then slice vertically through the stem. This gives you the biggest opening to load your peppers up with plenty of filling.  Tear out the white membranes with your fingers.  You don’t have to get it all but get as much as you can.
7. Stuff the peppers with as much mixture as you'd like.
8. Top each pepper with cheese. If you want to cut calories a bit you can go easy on the cheese or eliminate it completely.
9. Bake at 375° for about 30-35 minutes. The peppers should be tender and the cheese should be slightly crispy. If you want to avoid the cheese getting too crispy, you can cover these loosely with foil. (I didn't.)
10. Serve immediately. You can serve these over a bed of greens, with a baked potato, or on their own.

My daughter loved it!

Spicy Honey Chicken

When I made this I used chicken breasts and coconut oil and cayenne pepper, because that's what I had in my pantry.  I also prefer to always cook with coconut oil because it is much healthier for you and does not taste like coconut. It turned out amazing! I found this recipe off Pinterest.  I also served it with roasted broccoli and Teriyaki rice. It was really good!
  •  8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 2lbs (you could use breasts as well but thighs stay more moist) 
  • 2 tsp oil (I used coconut oil, but you can use any oil you'd like (olive, vegetable, etc.)
Rub:
  • 2 teaspoons granulated garlic (you can sub 1 teaspoon garlic powder here) 
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder 
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander, crushed or powdered
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
  • 1 teaspoon cumin 
  • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (I used cayenne pepper- it came out spicy enough) 
Glaze:
  • 1/2 cup Honey 
  • 1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar 
Combine the rub spices in bowl and mix well.
Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well. Use your hands and get in there!
Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.
While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it’s not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well.
Drizzle honey glaze over chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.
Reserve 2 Tablespoons of the honey glaze for later after the chicken has cooked to pour on right before serving.
*I’m going to warn you that this can make a hot mess, literally. It’s sugar, and it’s gonna drip. But the smelly smoke is worth it for a minute or two. Just leave your grill on for a few minutes after the chicken is done to burn off any excess glaze. It’s totally worth it once you taste this stuff. If you don’t have a BBQ, try it on an indoor grill pan or use your broiler. Just be sure to open a window in case you burn your glaze!

Cajan Chicken Pasta on the Lighter Side

  • 8 ounces uncooked linguine (or whatever pasta you prefer)
  • 1 pound chicken breast strips
  • 1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 medium bell pepper, thinly sliced (any color)
  • 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 onion, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 1 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup skim milk
  • 3 tbsp light cream cheese
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • fresh cracked pepper
  • 2 scallions, chopped (optional)
  • salt to taste
  • cooking spray
 (Note: The skim milk, cream cheese, and flour and be substituted for whipping cream if you don't have the other ingredients. The milk makes it a little healthier)
  1. Prep all your vegetables. In a small blender make a slurry by combining milk, flour and cream cheese. Set aside. Season chicken generously with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder and salt.
  2. Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions.
  3. Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; spray with cooking spray and add half of the chicken. Sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until done, set aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. Set aside.
  4. Add olive oil to the skillet and reduce to medium; add bell peppers, onions, and garlic to skillet, sauté 3-4 minutes.
    Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté 3-4 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper to taste.
  5. Reduce heat to medium-low; add chicken broth and pour in slurry stirring about 2 minutes.
  6. Return chicken to skillet; adjust salt and Cajun seasoning to taste, cook another minute or two until hot, then add linguine; toss well to coat. Top with chopped scallions and enjoy! http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/02/cajun-chicken-pasta-on-lighter-side.html

Crispy Baked Chicken Wings


We are a wing family.  We love our wings and hot sauces!  So you can imagine how excited I was to find a recipe that made my wings healthier for me and my wing family.  Just by simply baking them, you eliminate the oils and fat that come from frying them. AND they do not loose their crisp or moist!  My husband said they taste just as good as frying, I think they taste better.  My husband was also worried they wouldn't be as crispy but they turn out very crispy in the end.  You also will not miss the oiliness or fryer smell in your house.  PLUS, you can have all your wings done and hot at the same time for large groups instead of having to wait for each batch.  All the good things about baked wings just keep piling up. ;)
  • 2 lbs chicken wing pieces
  • salt, your favorite seasonings
  • water
  • BBQ sauces of your choice
  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Heat up a big pot of boiling water. 
  3. Add salt to the water like you would for cooking pasta (optional!).
  4. Boil the chicken wings for 7-8 minutes, then remove them to a wire rack. Let them drip dry, then dry them well with a paper towel. (I KNOW, it sounds crazy to boil your chicken, but trust me, you won't regret it.  It helps get rid of some of the excess fat, and the chicken wings are crispier.)
  5. Season the chicken wings lightly with any seasoning you'd like (optional!). We like cayenne, cajan, black pepper, garlic powder, etc. Depending on the sauce you use, you may not even need seasoning. 
  6. Keep the wings on the wire rack and put the wire rack on a cookie sheet. Bake the chicken wings for 30 minutes on one side, then flip the wings and bake for another 10 minutes on the other side.
  7. Dump wings into a bowl with a lid and coat them in whatever sauce you desire! (Our favorites are the bottled sauces from Buffalo Wild Wings.)  Shake until entirely coated and enjoy.http://www.fifteenspatulas.com/crispy-baked-chicken-wings-yup-no-deep-fryer-in-sight/

Curried Pumpkin Soup

From Taste of Home Magazine. Does not taste anything like Indian Curry, just FYI.

  • 1/2 lbs fresh mushrooms (1-2 cans)
  • 1/2 C onion, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 2 T all-purpose flour
  • 1/2-1 tsp curry powder
  • 3 C vegetable broth
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
  • 1 can evaporated milk
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • chives to garnish
In large saucepan, saute mushrooms & onions in butter until tender.  Stir in flour & curry powder until blended.
Gradually add the broth.
Bring to boil; cook & stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Add pumpkin, salt, pepper, milk, honey, and nutmeg.
Heat throughly. Garnish and serve.

1 cup = approx. 157 calories.
Serves about 6; Prep time about 20 minutes.

Broccoli Potato Cheese Soup

This is a really good soup and it even has a little kick if you like. We Dopps always like a little extra kick. ;)

  • 1 can chicken broth 
  • 1 lb. broccoli, diced
  • 2 potatoes, cubed
CHEESE MIX, cubed:
  • 1 cube butter 
  • 1 tsp. chicken bullion 
  • 1 cup milk 
  • 1 lb. Velveeta cheese 
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional) 

Directions: Add broccoli and potatoes to broth (or water) and simmer 7 minutes. In separate pan over low heat (or microwave in a large glass bowl) melt butter, bullion, milk, and cheese together. Mix sauce with chicken and veggies-do not drain broth. (You can leave out the potatoes and chicken if you prefer just broccoli).

Compliments from: http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/2012/02/broccoli-cheese-soup.html

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

3 TBSP Olive Oil
6 garlic cloves (fresh or jarred)
Pinch of red pepper flakes (portion based on spice taste)
28 oz of Plum Tomatoes, blanched
Handful of torn basil (dried or fresh)
Season with salt and pepper to taste

Combine garlic and red pepper flakes in oil and cook over medium-low until garlic is golden (about 6 minutes).  Crush tomatoes into skillet. We used fresh tomatoes from our garden and blended them with a hand blander. If you use canned tomatoes, add an additional 1 cup of water.  Add basil, salt, and pepper. Cook uncovered until thick. Makes about 2 full jars of sauce. Store in fridge if you choose not to seal the containers.

Delicious with spaghetti and meatballs. :)

Better-Than-Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

I have been on the hunt for an amazing homemade Alfredo sauce and I think I found one. It's simple and delicious! Try it with our homemade veggie crepes recipe (soon to come!). Thanks goes to an old friend, Suzy Shumway. :)
  • 3 tablespoons sweet butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese  
Melt butter in medium saucepan with olive oil over medium/low heat.
Add the garlic, cream, white pepper and bring mixture to a simmer. Stir often!
Add the Parmesan cheese and simmer sauce for 8-10 minutes or until sauce has thickened and is smooth.
When sauce has thickened add the Mozzarella cheese and stir until smooth. STIR!

Grandma Jo's Noodle Casserole

  • Uncooked pkg of egg noodles (8 oz)
  • cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups cottage cheese
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 lb Velvetta, sliced
  • ground beef (1-1 1/2 lbs)
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cans tomato soup
  • garlic, minced
Cook noodles according to package.  Saute onions and cook the ground beef and garlic, and mix it with the tomato soup. Set aside. Spread half of the noodles in a buttered 9x13 pan. Cover with a layer of cheddar cheese (however much you desire), cottage cheese, green pepper, Velvetta, and sour cream.  Then add the rest of the noodles on top. Last, layer with meat mixture.  Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Skinny Sloppy Joes

We tried this and thought they had a great taste! (From skinnytaste.com)


  •  1.25 lbs 93% lean ground beef sirloin
  • 1 tbsp steak seasoning or seasoned salt
  • 1 carrot, minced (optional)
  • 1 medium onion, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup bell pepper, minced
  • 4 oz mushrooms, minced (optional)
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
Chop all the vegetables really fine, using a chopper or food processor.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the meat to the pan and break it up as it cooks. Season with steak seasoning and cook the meat until it browns, then add onion, garlic, carrots, mushrooms and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and add red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, cook 5 more minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan, stir to combine. Cover and reduce heat to simmer and cook an additional 5 minutes. Makes enough meat for 8-10 buns (depending on how many veggies you put in it).

Zucchini Soup



1 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups sliced zucchini
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup half and half cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, then crumbled

In large saucepan cook onions in melted butter until tender. Add sliced zucchini and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender (about 15 min) and add salt and pepper to taste. Cool slightly. Pour mixture into blender and puree it. Stir in half and half and return to saucepan to reheat but do not boil. Garnish with grated cheese, sour cream and bacon bits. Serves 4 people.

Orange Barbecue Pork Spare Ribs

5-6 lbs. boneless pork spare ribs
1 (2 liter) bottle Coke
3 Sweet yellow onions; thickly sliced
2 cups Orange Barbecue Sauce* (below)
Place ribs in a large bowl and pour coke over them until they are covered. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, place in refrigerator and allow to marinade 12-24 hours. Pour liquid off ribs. Place ribs and onion in layers in crockpot and cook on low until tender (usually 8-10 hours).
Pour off fat and add Orange Barbecue Sauce. Return to crockpot for 30 more min.

Orange Barbecue Sauce:
2 cups ketchup
2 Tbs. tomato paste
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 medium onion (minced)
2 cloves garlic
1 cup orange marmalade
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
Add all ingredients and simmer 20 min.

Rice and Black Bean Pilaf

1 cup brown or white rice, uncooked 
2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 
1 TBSP olive oil 
1 small onion, diced (1 cup) 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
2 tsp fresh chopped oregano or 1 tsp dried 
1 stalk celery, finely diced 
1 tsp ground cumin 
1/4-1/2 tsp dried chili flakes 
1 (15.5 ounce) can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed 
2 tsp finely chopped parsley or cilantro leaves
  • Place rice and chicken broth in a saucepot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook rice, covered, until tender and all the liquid is absorbed, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover, and fluff with a fork.
  • Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, celery, cumin and chili flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.
  • Stir in black beans and cook until just warmed through, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Combine onion-black bean mixture and hot rice in a serving bowl and toss to combine. Garnish with parsley or cilantro. 
  • Other varieties: add zucchini, carrots, mushrooms.

Grandma Cheryl's Clam Chowder

Both Shay and I like clam chowder. And like everything else, there is nothing better than a good home-made version. We got this from Grandma Cheryl after we tried it at her house and loved it.

3/4 pound clams or 2-3 cans minced clams (not-drained)
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup diced celery
2 cups diced potatoes
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
1 quart half & half
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar




Add clams and vegetables to large pot. Add water only enough to cover. Simmer over medium heat until tender (about 20 minutes or so)

In a separate large frying pan, melt butter and add flour. Mix together then add half & half. Once it starts to boil add to vegetable/clam pot. Season with salt and pepper and serve after sufficiently thickens.

Chicken Tikka Masala

This is a "Taste of India" recipe. I'm not sure how authentic it is but it was really good. Very mild, not spicy as well.
  • 1/4 c plain yogurt
  • 5 TBSP Patak's Tikka Masala Curry Paste
  • 8 oz (1-2 pieces) chicken
  • 1 small-med onion
  • 1 TBSP vegetable oil
  • 1/2 c water
  • 1/2 c fresh or canned tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/4 c whipping cream or plain yogurt (optional, for a creamier sauce)
  •  White Rice
1. Combine yogurt and Tikka Masala paste, add chicken. Marinate for at least 1 hr or overnight for fuller flavor.
2. Saute onions until golden, add chicken and saute until seared. Add tomatoes and water, simmer for 25 minutes until chicken in thoroughly cooked.
3. Stir in cream or yogurt just before serving (optional). Serve hot over rice.

Dijon-Dill Chicken and Noodles

I found this recipe yesterday and was pleasantly surprised! I really enjoyed it and it reminded me of a dish I used to have at Thanksgiving Point.

Egg noodles (1 1/2 oz)
4 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin bite-size strips
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1 can Chicken Broth
Handful of frozen carrots (or use one can Progresso® Light vegetable and noodle soup)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed
2 cups fresh broccoli florets OR asparagus
1 oz fat-free cream cheese (Optional: to make it creamier)

  • In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook chicken and onion over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until onion is tender and chicken just begins to brown.
  • Stir in soup, mustard and dill weed. Heat to boiling.
  • Stir in noodles; return to boiling. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add broccoli or asparagus; cook uncovered 4 minutes longer, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in cream cheese until well blended.

    Sweet and Spicy Noodles w/ Chicken

    Another amazing Asian dish!

    First prepare:
    2-3 chicken breasts cut into chunks and cooked (Cook it with some peanut sauce tossed or any other spices you like to give the chicken some added flavor)
    1 lb noodles, fully cooked and drained (any kind you prefer)

    In a small sauce pan brown 4 tsp minced garlic in some olive oil then add:
    1/4 c. vegetable oil
    1/3 c. white vinegar
    1/4 c. sugar
    1/8 c. sesame seeds
    3 Tbsp. soy sauce
    1/2 Tbsp. red pepper flakes (or other spicing such as hot sauce or chilies)

    For added flavor:
    2 c. steamed broccoli (optional)
    cashews to taste (optional)

    Toss the chicken, noodles, and sauce together in a large fry pan or wok on medium heat. Let it all simmer together for about five minutes so the noodles absorb some of the sauce. Toss in steamed broccoli and cashews (optional). Serve hot.

    Chicken Salad Sandwiches

    Here is a really good chicken salad recipe that I've had over the years. Kory mentioned it today that we should post it.

    4 c. diced cooked chicken (5 large breasts)
    3 green onions, chopped
    2 c. diced celery
    2/3 c. almond slices
    4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
    grapes or apples, diced (optional)

    Sauce:
    2 c. mayonnaise
    1 scant tsp. salt
    2 Tblsp. lemon juice

    1 cup grated cheddar cheese

    Add sauce to dry ingredients and stir well. Spread in a 9x13 pan and top with cheese.
    Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve on croissants as a sandwich or alone on a bed of lettuce.
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