Homemade Tortillas

Haven't tried this yet. Just putting it here so I know where to find it when I do! Thought it would be a great recipe using my food storage.

Tortillas

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teas baking powder
• 1/2 teas salt
• 2 Tablespoons of butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup of warm water

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and butter in a medium bowl.

Gradually add water and mix until a smooth dough is formed. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour.

Roll dough into one and one-half inch balls. Set on a plate and cover. Let rest for ten minutes.

Flatten one ball at a time between two small plates and then roll into a six inch circle.

The flatter you roll the dough the more it will resemble soft tacos, thicker dough is more like a gordita.

Place the tortillas on a griddle and cook over a medium heat until the tortillas turn white, then flip and repeat.

Ready to eat.

You can even make these for dessert. Just follow the recipe above and when the tortillas are right off the griddle, butter them and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Delish!

Crispy Panko Mustard Chicken

I have wanting to try cooking with Panko bread crumbs for awhile now and yesterday I finally did it. This recipe was so yummy! The panko gives an incredible texture. Plus, this is so easy! This would go great with potatoes but since we were out we ate ours with corn and veggies.

FYI: "Do you know panko? It's a Japanese style of bread crumbs used to coat fried food. The crumbs are large and very flaky. It's made from yeast-raised bread dough that is baked in a special oven so it does not form a crust. The crumbs start out very pale colored but cook up golden brown. You can find it in the Asian section of just about any supermarket."
I purchased mine for about $2 at Macey's.

Crispy Panko Mustard Chicken
serves 2

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon Creole Mustard (You can use any type of mustard- I used honey mustard-so good!)
1/4 cup panko
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Melt the butter in a small dish in a microwave oven then combine the butter with the panko crumbs in a small mixing bowl.

Coat chicken breasts with mustard then place on a greased, foil-lined baking sheet, top with crumbs ("The trick to this technique is to mix the panko crumbs with just a little bit of melted butter then put it on top of the mustard coated chicken by hand instead of dipping the chicken in the crumbs.") and bake approximately 15 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.

Recipe and photo found and all quotes taken from Cooking with Amy food blog: read it and eat it.

Cranberry Chicken

We love this recipe! It's so good and extremely EASY to prepare. Also, you can change it up by using different types of dressing or cranberries. I will display the original recipe below and then show how I make it.

1 Lg. bottle of French or Catalina dressing
2 cans whole cranberries in sauce
2 pkgs Dry onion soup mix
5-6 chicken breasts or 10-12 breast tenderloins

Mix first 3 ingredients to make sauce. Arrange chicken in 9X13 pan (or you can cut chicken breast into bite size pieces and add to sauce). Pour sauce over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or cook in a crock pot.

* My version- I half the recipe since there are only 3 of us. But this does make great leftovers!

1/2 bottle Honey French or Creamy French dressing.
1 can of jellied cranberry sauce (so good and adds a sweetness to the sauce)
1 pkg Dry onion soup mix
3-4 chicken breasts

I cook this in a crock pot so my oven doesn't need to be on for and hour and a half- I don't need any more heat-up in this top floor condo! I cook it for about 3-4 hours and the chicken is wonderfully tender. WE SERVE OURS OVER RICE~ DIVINE!!!!!!

Recipe from Trina Morrison

Kraft Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken

This is a Kraft recipe that is so easy, but still really yummy! I personally prefer to boil and shred the chicken instead of frying it... or if I'm in a real hurry, I'll just put some chicken nuggets in the oven, cut them into strips, and place on top of the pasta.

1/2 lb. fettuccine, uncooked
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1-1/4 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 tsp. flour
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
3 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (I like to double this)
1/4 tsp. pepper

COOK pasta as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, heat large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 to 7 min. or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet. Mix broth and flour in same skillet. Stir in Neufchatel cheese, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan, garlic powder and pepper; cook 2 min. or until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly with whisk. Stir in chicken.

DRAIN pasta; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.

Skillet Ziti With Chicken & Broccoli

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into 1" pieces
Salt and pepper
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, minced (we omitted this due to personal tastes)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces ziti (2 1/2 cups)
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream (I substituted this with half & half)
1 bunch broccoli (1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, rinsed and sliced 1/4" thick
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (optional)

Pat the chicken dry, then season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until it is lightly browned, but not fully cooked, about four minutes. Transfer chicken to a bowl. Add 1 more tablespoon of the butter, onion, red pepper flakes, oregano, & 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Cook until the onion is softened, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Sprinkle the ziti evenly into the skillet. Pour the broth and cream over the ziti. Cover and bring to a boil, about five minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the broccoli and roasted red peppers. Cover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta begins to soften and the broccoli turns bright green (approximately eight minutes). Stir in the chicken and any accumulated juice. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about three minutes longer. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the Parmesan, and lemon juice (if using). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Skillet Baked Ziti

This is the recipe I made for dinner at the cabin. Even though it calls for a lot, I still prefer to add a little extra garlic... as you can all probably remember. Enjoy!

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt & fresh ground pepper
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3 cups water
12 ounces ziti pasta(3 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated (I like a little more)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaf, minced
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 475.

2. Combine oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet and saute over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. (If your skillet is not ovensafe, transfer the pasta mixture into a shallow 2-quart casserole dish before sprinkling with the cheese and baking).

3. Add crushed tomatoes, water, ziti and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

4. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain vigorous simmer, until ziti is almost tender, 15-18 minutes.

5. Stir in cream, Parmesan, and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over ziti. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until cheese has melted and browned, about 10 minutes. Serve.

Cheater Chicken and Pesto Rolls

I made these last night and they were really yummy... a definite recipe worthy of posting. I was scrambling for something for dinner and had everything except buttermilk biscuits, so I took the long approach and made some homemade buttermilk biscuits and everything combined was dang good!

2 tubes of buttermilk biscuits (10 count each)
3 Tbs of your favorite pesto (I went heavy on this)
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded (I just used a frozen chicken breast and boiled it in a little lemon pepper and lawrys)
3 Tbs roasted red peppers, chopped
2 Tbs Black olives, chopped
Fresh Parmesan Cheese
Marinara sauce
Alfredo Sauce

Lay biscuits on floured countertop to form a 9 x 11-in rectangle (4 biscuits down, 5 across.) Using flour as needed, press biscuits together well.

Blend pesto into the cream cheese and spread mixture over entire surface of dough. Distribute chicken evenly over pesto cream. Sprinkle chopped peppers and olives over chicken. Carefully roll up from the long end and gently compact as you go. With seam side down, slice into 12 equal sections (it's easier to do this with a piece of floss rather than a knife). Place slices on their sides into greased 10-inch round pan or cast iron skillet. Drizzle lightly with alfredo sauce and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake 375 deg. For 20-25min. Serve with warm marinara for dipping.

Barefoot Contessa Turkey Lasagna

Turkey Lasagna

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed (Costco has this)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound lasagna noodles
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced (I just use reg mozzarella)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a large (10 to 12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.
Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one 1/3 of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

My New Favorite Enchiladas

I have been finding a lot of good recipes lately from my BYU cookbook back when Scott and I were first married. This is just one of the few!

1 T. butter
½ medium yellow onion, diced
½ green pepper, diced (optional)
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1-2 tsp garlic
1 can refried beans
1 can diced green chilies
½ c. of your favorite salsa
¼ c. sliced green onions
1 c. frozen corn
A handful of black olives, sliced
Chili powder, cayenne pepper, red pepper (more or less depending on how hot you like)
1 can of green enchilada sauce
½ shredded cheddar cheese
Tortillas

Saute onion, green pepper, chicken, and garlic in butter. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a large baking pan by spooning some canned green enchilada sauce onto the bottom so the tortillas won’t stick. Warm up as many flour tortillas as you’ll need to fill the pan in the microwave (I skip this step). Mix everything but sauce and cheese for filling. Spoon into the center of a tortilla, roll up, and place in the pan. Cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the enchiladas, cover with foil, and bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove foil and bake until the cheese is just browning. Pull out of the oven and sprinkle more sliced green onions on top for garnish. Serve with sour cream.

Bruschetta-Style Pasta

This is a nice light meal- serve it with a french baguette and green salad. It would be yummy with fresh tomatoes from the garden (Becky and Kim). This is another one of Vance's favorites!!!

1 pkg thin spaghetti*
2 Tbls olive oil
2 Tbls minced garlic
3 cups fresh tomatoes, diced
2 Tbls balsamic vinegar (I double/triple this so it thoroughly coats pasta)
To taste: oregano and basil (fresh or dried), shredded Parmesan cheese, cracked pepper, salt


Cook pasta according to pkg directions. Heat a large saute pan over medium high with olive oil. Saute garlic until golden. Add tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and herbs. Heat until warmed (abt 2 minutes- don't overcook or it will give you soggy tomatoes). Combine pasta and tomato mixture and heat until warm (apprx 2-3 minutes). Place one serving on a plate and top with shredded Parmesan cheese.


Makes 4 servings.


*KITCHEN TIP: I love using whole grain pasta but Shane hates it so I mix half whole grain pasta with half of the regular white stuff. Tastes the same and Shane doesn't even notice!

Homemade Sloppy Joes

These are probably my favorite sloppy joes in the entire world! My sister won an award for them and it's so funny because the recipe is so simple. I bet you already have all the ingredients for these in your home right now. Yum!

(Hint: I like a little smokier taste so I go a little heavy on the Worcestershire sauce)

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium chopped onion
¾ c. ketchup
T Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 Tbsp. prepared mustard
2 Tbsp. butter

Brown meat and onions together. Drain fat. Combine remaining ingredients together in bowl. Add to the hamburger mixture. Simmer beef mixture. Serve on toasted hamburger buns. Serves 4 to 6.

Chicken Rice Dish

I started making this a couple of years ago. I triple the amount of lemon juice and double (or triple) the carrots.

Prep/Total Time: 25 minutes

2 c water

2 c cut fresh asparagus (1 inch diagonal cut pieces)

1 pkg (6 Oz) long grain and wild rice mix (I use Uncle Ben's)

1/4 c butter, divided (I use just only abt 3 Tbls)

3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch strips

1 t minced garlic

1/4 t salt

1 medium carrot, shredded

2 Tbls lemon juice (like I said, I use a lot more!)

1/2 t grated lemon peel

In a large saucepan, combine the water, asparagus, rice mix with contents of seasoning packet and 2 Tbls butter. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the chicken, garlic and salt in remaining butter until juices run clear. Add the carrot, lemon juice and lemon peel; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Stir into rice mixture.

Yield: 4 servings

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

(... sure the boxed stuff is cheaper, but it's always fun to try something a little different!)

1 1/2 c. uncooked macaroni
2 T. butter, melted
1 pound cheddar cheese
1/4 c. breadcrumbs
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. grated parmesean cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. milk
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste

Cook macaroni in a medium saucepan just until tender. Do not overcook! Combine the breacrumbs, parmesan cheese, and 2 T. butter in a bowl. Mix well. Shred the cheddar cheese and reserve 1/2 c. for topping. Drain the macaroni and return to the saucepan. Add 1/4 c. butter and the remaining cheddar cheese and mix well. Add the eggs. Mix well again. Stir in the milk, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Grease an 8X8 inch baking dish (or 2 quart casserole dish). Pour in the macaroni mixture. Sprinkle with the reserved cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir. Top with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake for an additional 15 miuntes. Serve.

Big Daddy's

Scott and I LOVE these!

Large burrito style flour tortillas
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Rice-a-Roni rice pilaf, cooker per pkg. instructions
Olives
Black beans
Salsa
Chicken, cooked and diced
Mushrooms (optional)

Layer beans, rice, olives, mushrooms, chicken, and cheese in tortilla. Roll tortilla so that all ends are sealed. Heat olive oil in large skillet until hot. Place filled tortillas into pan. Cook both sides until tortilla is crispy and brown. Serve with sour cream and salsa (inside or on top). Yummy!

Chicken Curry (India)

I received this recipe from a good friend and love it!! Both Shane and I hate curry dishes but this one is excellent! It's a quick make- only about 20 minutes. We have had it twice and Vance has asked for seconds both times!!! The coconut milk is what makes this recipe so good~

Chicken Curry (India)

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breasts
1 onion
1tsp curry powder (Shane requested I cut this to 1/2 tsp and it was great!)
1 + 3/5 cups of coconut milk
1 or 2 apples
Salt & pepper

Optional : Potatoes cut in really thin slices.

Directions:

Heat the minced onion with some olive oil in a skillet over gentle heat until it has softened. Add the diced meat. When it has browned on all sides, add the curry, salt and pepper. Pour the coconut milk, stir and add the apples, cook for 10 minutes.
Serve with rice.

Optional: If you want to put the potatoes add them at the end with the apples or just the potatoes and no apples, but then cook for 20 minutes instead of 10 minutes.

Note: You can add coconut (flakes, powder) and cashew nuts.

Posted by Caren

(Recipe from Elodie Picard)