Let us try some Chinese

Monday - Chinese Lemon Chicken

Tuesday - Fajitas

Thursday - Chicken Florentine

Chinese Lemon Chicken CrockPot Recipe

The Ingredients:

--4 boneless, skinless chicken breast pieces or equivalent

--1/2 cup flour

--1 T kosher salt

--6 oz (1/2 can) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

--3 T brown sugar

--1 t balsamic vinegar

--3 T ketchup

--olive oil for browning chicken

updated 9/20/09: I've heard from a few readers that 1 tablespoon of

salt is too much. If you are using iodized or table salt, this will

be the case. Kosher salt doesn't taste as "salty" as regular salt,

and since the granules are larger, you don't get as much in the

tablespoon as you would with regular salt. Adjust accordingly!

The Directions:

1. cut chicken into strips or largish chunks

2. dredge in flour and salt, shake off excess

3. brown chicken in a skillet with a bit of olive oil

(you are not trying to cook the chicken--just give it some color

and get the flour mixture to stick a bit)

4. place into crockpot

5. mix the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl and pour over the

top of chicken pieces

6. cover and cook on high for 4 hours, low for 6-8

Serve over rice, drizzle with remaining sauce.

Fajitas

Buy the meat already made

Assemble with goodies in tortillas

mmmmm

Chicken Florentine Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast

halves

1/8 cup butter

3 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream

of mushroom soup

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1/2 cup half-and-half - or some kind of milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

frozen spinach, drained

4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/3 cup bacon bits

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the chicken

breast halves on a baking sheet; bake 20 to 30 minutes, until no longer pink

and juices run clear. Remove from heat, and set aside.

2. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

3. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stirring

constantly, mix in the garlic, lemon juice, cream of mushroom soup, Italian

seasoning, half-and-half, and Parmesan cheese.

4. Arrange the spinach over the bottom of a 9x9 inch baking dish. Cover

the spinach with the mushrooms. Pour half the mixture from the saucepan over

the mushrooms. Arrange chicken breasts in the dish, and cover with the remaining

sauce mixture. Sprinkle with bacon bits, and top with mozzarella cheese.

5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes in the 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) oven, until

bubbly and lightly browned.

Mimi and Granddad Visit

Yah! Mimi and Granddad are coming next weekend...now what to cook?

Friday - Chicken Cacciatore

Sunday - Jambalaya

Chicken Cacciatore

1 Large Frying Chicken (Cut into 8 or 10 pieces) (can cut the Breast into 4)

1 14oz can of tomatoes (not sauce) it can be small

diced, plain or the one with basil,

garlic and oregano and mushrooms added to the can

(you can leave the mushrooms out if you want ( I usually do because of Dad)

1 small 8 oz can of tomato sauce

1/2 large onion sliced very thin

4 cloves garlic chopped

1 T parsley

salt/pepper and red pepper (optional)

1 tsp rosemary (optional)

½ tsp oregano (if it comes in tomato can then you can taste to see if more is needed)

(you want it to have a taste, but not too heavy like pizza)

1. Take skin off chicken (if you want - less fattening - my grandma never took skin off.

2. In large sauce pot put some veg oil in pan and brown

chicken (about 5 min on each side) Take out chicken.

3. Add Onions and garlic - Brown lightly (3 - 5 min or less)

Add tomato can ( if diced you might want to mash them a l

ittle to make them a little smoother (optional)

4. Add Sauce Add other seasonings - Taste Add Chicken -

Cover Pot and simmer on LOW BOIL about 1 hour. You can

turn Chicken about 1/2 hour into cooking.

Take chicken out if you want to serve and sauce can put to dunk bread

or put over pasta.

Done

If sauce too watery (it's supposed to be a watery

light sauce, then you can take a little corn starch

or flour, mix with some cooled sauce and put it back

into hot sauce and make it come to a boil before serving it.

**NOTE: Crockpot Recipe revision:

1. Sauté Onions and garlic

2. Combine Onions, garlic, tomatoes and seasonings into

the crockpot (mash up the tomatoes if they are too chunky

3. Add Chicken pieces (I don’t usually brown the chicken)

4. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hrs

Colleen's Slow Cooker Jambalaya

"No need to slave over the stove to prepare a delicious jambalaya!

Toss the chicken, sausage, shrimp, vegetables, and seasonings in the

slow cooker, and forget about it until dinner time. "

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken

breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

1 pound andouille sausage, sliced

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with

juice

1 large onion, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup chopped celery 1 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried parsley

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 pound frozen cooked shrimp without

tails

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice,

onion, green bell pepper, celery, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley,

Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and thyme.

2. Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High.

Stir in the shrimp during the last 30 minutes of cook time.

Note: I used regular smoked sausage, and in the freezer section you can

find a small bag of onion/bell pepper/celery together and already chopped!!

Huge time saver!!!!!

Note: I used ½ tsp Cayenne to make it not too spicy because I am

nursing still. And I used Tony’s Cajun seasoning :)

Serve over Rice!!!!

Week of Crockpot

David is traveling this week so I'm using my trusty Crock all week!

Monday - Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup/Grilled Cheese

Tuesday - Beef Mac n Cheese

Thursday - Chicken Tortilla Soup

Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 pinch hot red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes in juice

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

3 large slices good-quality white sandwich bread, crusts removed, torn into

1-inch pieces

2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth, to make it vegetarian)

2 Tablespoons brandy (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup chopped fresh chives

Directions:

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.

Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently,

until onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Using a potato masher, mash until no pieces

bigger than 2 inches remain.

Stir in sugar and bread; bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook,

stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down,

about 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf and discard.

Transfer half of soup to a blender, add 1tablespoon olive oil and process until

soup is smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes (See notes). Transfer to a large bowl

and repeat with remaining soup and oil. (Or use an immersion blender!)

Rinse out Dutch oven and return soup to pot. Stir in chicken broth and brandy.

Return soup to a boil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle each portion with pepper and chives and drizzle with olive oil.

Serve (of course) with grilled cheese sandwiches.

Beef Mac n Cheese

The Ingredients.

1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained

5 bacon strips, diced

1 large onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes --- any flavor, or plain

1 can water (empty tomato can)

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 (26-ounce) jar prepared pasta sauce

1 (16-ounce) package elbow macaroni (I used brown rice pasta)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. In a large skillet, brown the beef,

bacon and onion all together until the meat is no longer pink.

Drain well and plop into your slow cooker. Add everything else

into the pot except for the pasta and cheese.

Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or

high for about 4. Stir in the raw pasta and cook on high for

approximately 30 minutes, or until pasta is bite-tender. Serve

in a wide-mouthed bowl with a handful of cheese on each serving.

Tortilla Soup Crock pot

The Ingredients:

3 cups of chicken broth

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken (I have leftover chicken in the freezer)

1/2 onion

2 cup frozen veggies

2 green onions

28 oz can of tomatoes and juice

4 cloves of garlic

1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 t cayenne pepper

1 t cumin

salt to taste (especially if using a no-salt broth like I was)

garnish: tortilla chips

The Directions:

dice all veggies into fine chunks

dump everything into the crockpot

it's okay if you have frozen stuff. My broth, vegetables and chicken were all frozen.

totally okay to assemble the night before.

cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 6 or so.

before serving, add whatever garnish you choose.

Happy New Year

Monday - Spinach Quiche

Tuesday - Pot Roast

Wednesday - Pizza (with left over pot roast)

Thursday - White Chili

Easy Spinach Quiche

1 9” unbaked pie crust

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 tsp. salt

dash pepper (optional)

1 3 oz. can French fried onions

1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach

4 eggs

1) Pierce pie crust lightly with fork and bake in 350 degree

oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.

2) Cook spinach according to package directions.

3) crumble onions. Mix onions, garlic,

cheese, salt, and pepper by hand in medium-sized bowl.

4) Add cooked spinach to mixture.

5) In separate bowl, beat eggs until light and lemon colored.

Add these to mixture.

6) Pour mixture into pie crust and bake in 350 degree oven for

45 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Variations:

Broccoli Quiche: Substitute 1 10 oz. box frozen chopped broccoli for spinach

Mushroom Quiche: Substitute 1 3 oz. can of drained mushrooms

for spinach (no need to heat mushrooms before adding) and 1 cup

shredded Swiss cheese for cheddar cheese.

Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast

INGREDIENTS:

2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream

of mushroom soup

1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix

1 cups beef broth

1/4 cup red wine

5 1/2 pounds pot roast

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a slow cooker, mix cream of mushroom soup,

dry onion soup mix and water. Place pot roast in slow

cooker and coat with soup mixture.

2. Cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours, or on

Low setting for 8 to 9 hours.

You can coat roast in salt/pepper/flour and brown on all sides before cooking.

I made this for my Bunko club and everyone wants the recipe.

It really came out GREAT. Thought you might like it for when you entertain.

Mother

Pizza

Premade Crust loaded with left over:

pot roast

spinach

mushrooms

Cheese

Tomato sauce

CHICKEN WHITE CHILI SOUP

4 Chicken Breast (boiled and cut or shredded)

3 Cans White Northern Beans

3 Cans Chicken Broth

2 – 4oz Cans of Green Chili

2 Cans Diced Tomatoes

1-2 teaspoons Oregano

2 Cloves Garlic (minced)

1 Lg Onion

1-2 teaspoons Chili Powder

Salt/Pepper

1 lb Monterey Jack Cheese (cubed)

Put all of the above in Crock Pot except Chicken and Cheese.

After everything has cooked down (about 4 hrs in crock pot)

and blended put in Chicken (about 1 hour before end of cooking).

Just before serving add the cubed cheese to hot mixture.

(I added the liquid from the boiled chicken and only added

2 cans of chicken broth. I also bought 2 cans of diced tomatoes

with green chili in the can so I put in 1 can of the green chili).

It was spicy, but good. If you wanted it less spicy leave go less

on the green chili.)

Last week of 2010

I wasn't able to post this earlier, but here are this weeks recipes.

Monday - Roman-style Chicken

Wednesday - Peach Pork Picante

Friday - Beef tips

Roman-style Chicken

Ingredients

4 skinless chicken breast halves,

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon

1/4 cup olive oil

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

3 ounces prosciutto, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup white wine

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons capers

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions

Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides.

Remove from the pan and set aside.

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto

and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp,

about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes,

wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the

bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring

the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the

chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

If serving immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve.

If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool,

and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat.

Stir in the capers and the parsley and serve.

Peach Pork Picante

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound boneless pork loin, cubed

1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

1 cup salsa

4 tablespoons peach preserves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Season pork with taco seasoning. Heat oil in

a large skillet over medium high heat.

Add seasoned pork and saute until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add salsa and peach preserves and mix well.

Cover skillet and reduce heat.

Let simmer gently for about 10 minutes and serve.

Or

1. Dump all ingredients into a crockpot

2. Stir

3. Cook on low for 6-8hrs

Serve over Egg Noodles

Beef Tips

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 pounds cubed beef stew meat

2 cups water

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (.75 ounce) packet dry brown gravy

mix

1 cup water

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large skillet heat oil over high heat. Saute the onion until almost translucent.

2. Add the stew meat and cook on high heat until

meat is browned on all sides; about 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Pour 2 cups water, soy sauce, and Worcestershire

sauce into the skillet. Stir in garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

4. Meanwhile combine the gravy mix with 1 cup water.

Mix thoroughly and stir into the meat mixture. Bring to a

boil stirring frequently until slightly thickened.

Or

1. In a large skillet heat oil over high heat. Saute the onion until almost translucent.

2. Add the stew meat and cook on high heat until

meat is browned on all sides; about 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Add all ingredients into Crockpot

4. Cook on low for 6-8hrs

Serve over Egg Noodles or rice

Week before Christmas

We leave for Christmas Holiday soon and giving me the week of Christmas off cooking duty. Until then, I'm in the kitchen!

Sunday - CrockPot Chicken and Dumplings Soup Recipe

Monday - Easy Mexican Casserole

Wednesday - Cranberry Pork Chops

CrockPot Chicken and Dumplings Soup Recipe

The Ingredients.

--3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (I used frozen thighs)

--1 yellow onion, chopped

--1 cup mushrooms, chopped (I used baby portabellas)

--16 ounces frozen vegetables

--2 cans cream-of-something soup, or combine in a saucepan:

4 T butter

6 T flour (I used Pamela's baking mix)

1 cup milk (I used soy)

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp poultry seasoning

--1 can refrigerated biscuits, or one batch drop biscuits

The Directions.

I used a 6.5 quart crockpot. Anything 4 quarts and up will work.

Put the chicken and vegetables into the bottom of the crockpot.

Add the cream-of soups, or your homemade substitute.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5.

I cooked ours on high for 4 hours, and on low for another two.

An hour before serving, shred chicken with two large forks, and drop in the biscuit dough.

Cover and cook on high for another hour.

The bisquits are done when you can insert a knife and it comes out clean.

They will be spongey and will brown a bit on the sides and top.

Serve in bowls, with a biscuit or two per person.

Easy Mexican Casserole

"Ground beef, salsa and chili beans are layered with tortilla

chips and sour cream and topped with melted cheese in this tasty dish."

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound lean ground beef

2 cups salsa

1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, drained

3 cups tortilla chips, crushed

2 cups sour cream

1 (2 ounce) can sliced black olives,drained

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink.

Stir in salsa, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Stir in beans, and heat through.

3. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Spread crushed tortilla chips in dish, and then spoon beef mixture over chips.

Spread sour cream over beef, and sprinkle olives, green onion, and tomato over the sour cream.

Top with Cheddar cheese.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Cranberry Pork Chops

"Sweet orange marmalade enhances the flavor of the tart cranberries

in this wonderful dish. For a more intense flavor, use 1/4 cup dried

cranberries or cherries instead of fresh or frozen cranberries and do not chop."

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped

2 tablespoons orange marmalade

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 pork chops

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons honey

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x9 inch glass baking dish.

2. In a bowl, mix cranberries, marmalade, and cloves.

Make a pocket in each pork chop by cutting into pork toward the bone;

fill pockets with cranberry mixture.

3. Place the pork chops in prepared baking pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon 1 tablespoon honey over each chop. Bake uncovered about 45 minutes or until

pork is no longer pink in the center.

If you like oranges this dish was a hit last night! I didn’t stuff the chops (too much work for me),

but put the mixture on top of the chops and baked them (I mixed the honey in with the cranberry mixture).

I also used the dried cranberries and it turned out GREAT!! Made it with stove top stuffing and corn.

My pork chops were pretty thick (1 inch butterfly chops and 45 min was perfect),

so if you go with the thinner ones, you might want to reduce the cooking time.

Starting New Year Resolutions Early

Well, Now that the kids eat what we eat, I plan on cooking 3-4x a week. So, I'm back at it and no time to start like the present.

Monday - Easy Chicken With Potatoes

Tuesday - Chesapeake Bay Pork Chops

Thursday - Grilled Chicken Curry

Chesapeake Bay Pork Chops

"Boneless pork chops are marinated with seafood seasoning and apple cider vinegar and grilled to perfection! These turned out amazing"

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (such

as Old Bay®)

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 lime, juiced

cracked black pepper to taste

8 boneless pork chops, 1/2 inch thick

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk together the vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, seafood seasoning, minced garlic, basil, lime juice, and black pepper in a bowl, and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the pork chops, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours, flipping periodically.

2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate. Remove the pork chops from the bags. Discard excess marinade.

3. Grill until the pork is no longer pink in the center, 5 to 7 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

---I ended up baking them and they turned out great that way too.

Easy Chicken With Potatoes

Italian seasoned chicken with potatoes, cooked in the slow cooker.

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup Italian salad dressing

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or mix basil, oregano, crushed red pepper, and garlic powder to equal same)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

4 to 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges or thick slices

Preparation:

Place chicken in bottom of Crock Pot. Sprinkle with half of the Italian dressing, spices, and the grated cheese. Put the potatoes on top or around the chicken. Sprinkle with the rest of the dressing, spices, and cheese.

Cook on low for about 6-8 hours, or until the chicken is done and potatoes are tender.

Grilled chicken curry:

Cooking spray

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, about 5 ounces each

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons curry powder

2 teaspoons turmeric powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Olive oil, as needed to loosen

For peanut dipping sauce:

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

3 tablespoons peanut butter

1 lime, juiced

2 tablespoons brown sugar

For the chicken:

Directions

Heat a stove-top grill pan or griddle with cooking spray to medium-high heat.

Season both sides of chicken with salt and black pepper and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine lime juice, curry powder, turmeric, cumin and olive oil, as needed to loosen mixture.

Mix well with a spoon and brush mixture all over both sides of chicken.

Place chicken on hot pan and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

Remove from heat and place on plate.

For the dipping sauce:

While the chicken is cooking, in a small saucepan, combine coconut milk, peanut butter,

lime juice, and sugar. Set pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.