This is a really easy recipe you can make with your kids. Tonight we had manicotti and these breadsticks. Some families would probably have a salad with a meal like this, but not ours. It's from my Simple & Delicious mag, and it's marked as a recipe easy for kids to help with. Right now Nathan loves helping in the kitchen, much more than Sam did (or even still does) at that age. I absolutely love cooking, and my two littlest like to help a lot. I was feeling bad a few months ago that Sam never helped me, and I thought it was time for him to learn some basics anyway, so I let him pick a recipe and help me make it. About halfway through, he was like "do you need my help anymore?" Like he totally didn't get that I was doing it for him to learn. He just isn't interested in that, I guess. If it was Make Food Out Of Legos I bet he would be very interested. But I am going to make a more concerted effort going forward, because I do want him to be a blessing to his wife someday. Steve knows his way around the kitchen, and likes to cook (if I move over and let him ha ha)...he has two "specialties" which are breakfast sandwiches and chicken quesadillas. He dabbles in other things too. Sometimes in my meal planning, when I know I am going to be wiped out after a long stretch of work or something, I will plan for him to cook that night. Hee hee. "Honey, you're cooking tomorrow!" "Okay..." He doesn't mind. But he would rather eat my food, which is one of the things I LOVE about him! Whatever I make, he likes it. But anyway, back to the recipe. Only 3 ingredients, and very easy for kids to help you with.
Italian Dipping Sticks
1 tube (11 oz) refrigerated breadsticks
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup pizza sauce (I didn't use this because we were having an Italian meal that is saucy)
Unroll breadstick dough; cut each piece in half widthwise and separate. Combine parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning in a large ziploc bag. Add dough pieces, a few at a time, and shake to coat.
Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 10-13 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, warm pizza sauce in microwave or in a small saucepan. Serve with breadsticks.
Okay, short easy recipe. But they weren't that good. My helpful children rated the meal. Sam, who rates on a 5 point scale, said the manicotti was a 5 and the breadsticks were a 4. Emma has a 10 point scale, and gave the manicotti an 8 and the breadsticks a 4. Nathan wouldn't even try one, even though he helped make them. He does not have a formal rating scale at this time. I just thought they were meh. A little dry. Not very tasty. Steve thinks it's just because we're used to garlic bread with meals like this, and these didn't even have any garlic in them. Maybe. I feel like I should have rolled them in melted butter and then in the cheese and seasonings...
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Chicken and Sausage Alfredo
This is the first one I have marked in the latest Simple & Delicious. I love that magazine, you should totally get it. This makes a huge quantity, with the intention of eating some when you make it, and freezing the rest for the future. I love doing that because I like having easy meals in the freezer to warm up on zombie nights.
Chicken and Sausage Alfredo
1 pkg (16 oz) penne pasta
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
3/4 lb smoked sausage, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 jars (16 oz each) alfredo sauce (I used Newman's Own)
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (blech...I used cream of chicken)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook the chicken, sausage, onion, and peppers in oil in Dutch oven (or large skillet) over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute longer. Stir in Alfredo sauce, soup, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in cheese. Drain pasta; add to chicken mixture and toss to coat. Serve desired amount immediately. Cool remaining mixture; transfer to freezer containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
To use frozen meal: thaw in refrigerator overnight, then either microwave for 10-12 minutes on high, stirring occasionally, until heated through, or transfer contents to a skillet or large saucepan and heat on medium heat until warmed through.
4 out of the 5 of us thought this was very great. Can you guess who the 5th person was? Yes, Nathan. He didn't like the alfredo sauce, and was trying to say it wrong because he hated it so much. So he called it "al-kayda" sauce. That was funny. Like the Taliban is into cooking now. We ate about half, and froze the rest. Definitely a keeper.
Chicken and Sausage Alfredo
1 pkg (16 oz) penne pasta
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
3/4 lb smoked sausage, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 jars (16 oz each) alfredo sauce (I used Newman's Own)
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (blech...I used cream of chicken)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook the chicken, sausage, onion, and peppers in oil in Dutch oven (or large skillet) over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute longer. Stir in Alfredo sauce, soup, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in cheese. Drain pasta; add to chicken mixture and toss to coat. Serve desired amount immediately. Cool remaining mixture; transfer to freezer containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
To use frozen meal: thaw in refrigerator overnight, then either microwave for 10-12 minutes on high, stirring occasionally, until heated through, or transfer contents to a skillet or large saucepan and heat on medium heat until warmed through.
4 out of the 5 of us thought this was very great. Can you guess who the 5th person was? Yes, Nathan. He didn't like the alfredo sauce, and was trying to say it wrong because he hated it so much. So he called it "al-kayda" sauce. That was funny. Like the Taliban is into cooking now. We ate about half, and froze the rest. Definitely a keeper.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Sizzling Chicken Lo Mein
This is a quick one with bottled sauces, which normally I wouldn't use and don't mind making from scratch. But we were in a hurry tonight so Steve & the kids could get out to the VBS closing program. And I could go to work (yay). It was quick to make, so that was a plus. But predictably, not loved by all...from the newest Simple & Delicious.
Sizzling Chicken Lo Mein
8 oz linguine, cooked according to package directions
3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 tbsp olive oil
12 oz pkg frozen stir-fry vegetables
5 tbsp stir fry sauce
4 tbsp teriyaki sauce (both of those were in the same area as soy sauce)
While linguine is cooking, heat oil in large skillet. Cook chicken until no longer pink, then remove from pan. Add frozen vegetables and sauces and stir fry until veggies are crisp tender. Add chicken back to the skillet. Once linguine is done, drain and add to skillet; heat through.
The little ones did NOT like the noodles. Also they don't like cooked carrots. They ate the chicken and that was pretty much it. The remaining 3 of us did like this, but it wasn't fabulous. I have made other things like this that I liked more. So, not keeping this one. But if you don't have picky kids you guys might like it.
Sizzling Chicken Lo Mein
8 oz linguine, cooked according to package directions
3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 tbsp olive oil
12 oz pkg frozen stir-fry vegetables
5 tbsp stir fry sauce
4 tbsp teriyaki sauce (both of those were in the same area as soy sauce)
While linguine is cooking, heat oil in large skillet. Cook chicken until no longer pink, then remove from pan. Add frozen vegetables and sauces and stir fry until veggies are crisp tender. Add chicken back to the skillet. Once linguine is done, drain and add to skillet; heat through.
The little ones did NOT like the noodles. Also they don't like cooked carrots. They ate the chicken and that was pretty much it. The remaining 3 of us did like this, but it wasn't fabulous. I have made other things like this that I liked more. So, not keeping this one. But if you don't have picky kids you guys might like it.
Haitian Turkey
This is another recipe from my Taste of Haiti cookbook. We actually ate in a real Haitian restaurant this last trip in. Just Steve and I, with one of our interpreters. The chicken was so good, even though I am not sure what part of the chicken I ate. One part was definitely a drumstick. I don't know about the other one. I have not made a recipe from this book yet that tasted like that. I was hoping this would be the one.
Haitian Turkey (Koden'n)
1 small turkey cut into 12 to 20 pieces (ummmmm, I just bought turkey drumsticks and turkey wings)
1 large lime, cut in half
2 tbsp ground spices (recipe follows)
1 large onion, sliced, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 chives or shallots, sliced
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 tbsp pikliz vinegar (see previous post for recipe)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 thyme sprigs
1/4 green pepper, sliced
1/4 red pepper, sliced
Ground spices:
1 garlic head, peeled
2 green peppers
2 onions
3 scallions
3 cilantro sprigs, leaves only
10 parsley sprigs, leaves only
1/2 cup oil
Grind all ingredients in a blender (in Haiti they would use a mortar and pestle) and place in 1-qt jar. Keep refrigerated.
Rinse turkey pieces in cold water. Wipe turkey with lime halves and rinse with water again. Place turkey in large (very large) bowl. In a small bowl combine 2 tbsp ground spices, 1/2 of the onion slices, garlic, chives, salt, pepper, and pikliz vinegar. Pour over the turkey, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to overnight.
Heat the oil. Brown the turkey for 40 minutes, covered, reserving the marinade juices. Add tomato paste, remaining onion, thyme, and pepper slices to reserved marinade juices and pour over the turkey once it's browned. Lower heat and simmer for 40 more minutes, covered, stirring occasionally so sauce does not thicken too much. If sauce thickens, add 1/4 cup water and stir. Taste and adjust salt and pikliz if necessary (how would I know??). Serve with rice, boiled sweet potato, or friend plantains (we had ours with rice).
Turkey pieces are very big. I had to use my largest Tupperware
bowl to marinate the pieces, and then my largest frying pan was barely
big enough to fit them all in at one time, and I had 3 turkey drumsticks
and 2 wings. 2 drumsticks fed 3 kids and me. 1 wing was too much for
Steve. He said he felt like Fred Flinstone (remember how big the
brontosaurus burgers were?). The sauce was almost exactly like I ate at
the Haitian restaurant, though, except theirs was a bit spicier. So I
will make this again, but I will stick with chicken. Parts of chicken I
can identify, even.
Haitian Turkey (Koden'n)
1 small turkey cut into 12 to 20 pieces (ummmmm, I just bought turkey drumsticks and turkey wings)
1 large lime, cut in half
2 tbsp ground spices (recipe follows)
1 large onion, sliced, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 chives or shallots, sliced
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 tbsp pikliz vinegar (see previous post for recipe)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 thyme sprigs
1/4 green pepper, sliced
1/4 red pepper, sliced
Ground spices:
1 garlic head, peeled
2 green peppers
2 onions
3 scallions
3 cilantro sprigs, leaves only
10 parsley sprigs, leaves only
1/2 cup oil
Grind all ingredients in a blender (in Haiti they would use a mortar and pestle) and place in 1-qt jar. Keep refrigerated.
Rinse turkey pieces in cold water. Wipe turkey with lime halves and rinse with water again. Place turkey in large (very large) bowl. In a small bowl combine 2 tbsp ground spices, 1/2 of the onion slices, garlic, chives, salt, pepper, and pikliz vinegar. Pour over the turkey, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to overnight.
Heat the oil. Brown the turkey for 40 minutes, covered, reserving the marinade juices. Add tomato paste, remaining onion, thyme, and pepper slices to reserved marinade juices and pour over the turkey once it's browned. Lower heat and simmer for 40 more minutes, covered, stirring occasionally so sauce does not thicken too much. If sauce thickens, add 1/4 cup water and stir. Taste and adjust salt and pikliz if necessary (how would I know??). Serve with rice, boiled sweet potato, or friend plantains (we had ours with rice).
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Italian Shredded Beef Sandwiches
This is a recipe that I knew would be too much for our family. But it was the last one I had marked in the June/July Simple & Delicious, so I was going to make it this week anyway and just freeze whatever we didn't eat to have later. But then, when our allergic-to-cats friends found out we were getting kitties, we thought it would be good to get together for dinner ONE LAST TIME before the kitties got here, so they came over and we ate this. I worked Monday night, got home Tuesday morning, threw this in the crockpot, and went to bed. It was that easy to throw together.
Italian Shredded Beef Sandwiches
3 lb beef rump roast or bottom round roast
2 cups water
1 envelope zesty Italian salad dressing mix
1 envelope au jus gravy mix
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 oz can chopped green chilies
Sandwich rolls
Place roast in slow cooker. Combine water and both mixes, then pour over meat. Top with onion slices and chilies. Cover and cook on low for 9-11 hours or until meat is tender. Remove meat and shred. Skim fat from cooking juices (very hard to do because it was all incorporated, but my roast had quite a bit of fat on the top that I was able to trim off...if your roast has a lot of visible fat, put it fat-side up, because I think if you put it fat-side down, it will be hopeless...). Return meat to slow cooker; heat through. Serve on rolls.
We had this with onion rings and french fries. On the whole very well received by everyone over the age of 4. So easy to do, and of course it made the kitchen smell great. Roast is expensive, and the envelopes of stuff weren't cheap either, I think it was $3.50 for both of them. But usually if we are having people over, I can justify any cost for the sake of fellowship. So good thing our friends came over.
Italian Shredded Beef Sandwiches
3 lb beef rump roast or bottom round roast
2 cups water
1 envelope zesty Italian salad dressing mix
1 envelope au jus gravy mix
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 oz can chopped green chilies
Sandwich rolls
Place roast in slow cooker. Combine water and both mixes, then pour over meat. Top with onion slices and chilies. Cover and cook on low for 9-11 hours or until meat is tender. Remove meat and shred. Skim fat from cooking juices (very hard to do because it was all incorporated, but my roast had quite a bit of fat on the top that I was able to trim off...if your roast has a lot of visible fat, put it fat-side up, because I think if you put it fat-side down, it will be hopeless...). Return meat to slow cooker; heat through. Serve on rolls.
We had this with onion rings and french fries. On the whole very well received by everyone over the age of 4. So easy to do, and of course it made the kitchen smell great. Roast is expensive, and the envelopes of stuff weren't cheap either, I think it was $3.50 for both of them. But usually if we are having people over, I can justify any cost for the sake of fellowship. So good thing our friends came over.
Friday, July 6, 2012
S'mores on a Stick
Right now it's summer, so you can just go outside and make a campfire and have smores whenever you want them. But in a minute (seemingly) it will be fall/winter/spring and you won't have that chance. So this will be a good recipe in like February when you despair of ever seeing the sun again. But since it came in this issue of Kraft Food & Family, I made it today, for home fellowship.
S'mores on a Stick
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate, melted (only use 2 if using regular-sized mallows)
12 jumbo marshmallows or 16 regular-sized marshmallows
3 graham crackers, crushed into fine crumbs
Dip top halves of marshmallows into melted chocolate; coat with graham cracker crumbs. Insert lollipop stick into coated side of each marshmallow; place on waxed paper-lined tray. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
I got 20 done, and I had more marshmallows and sticks left so I could have made more but I would have had to melt more chocolate and I ran out of steam. But that is enough for the size of our gathering (I hope...). Nathan helped me make these and he had a lot of fun with it. It was very easy and only a little bit messy. In the picture accompanying this recipe, the undipped parts of the marshmallows are toasted, and they give the helpful tip "get the ultimate campfire experience: toast tops over stove top or grill before serving." Toasting these on the stove top seems like a Fire Invitation. Maybe I only feel that way because I have an electric stove, but I just don't picture that working out very well. Our tops remained untoasted...
S'mores on a Stick
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate, melted (only use 2 if using regular-sized mallows)
12 jumbo marshmallows or 16 regular-sized marshmallows
3 graham crackers, crushed into fine crumbs
Dip top halves of marshmallows into melted chocolate; coat with graham cracker crumbs. Insert lollipop stick into coated side of each marshmallow; place on waxed paper-lined tray. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
I got 20 done, and I had more marshmallows and sticks left so I could have made more but I would have had to melt more chocolate and I ran out of steam. But that is enough for the size of our gathering (I hope...). Nathan helped me make these and he had a lot of fun with it. It was very easy and only a little bit messy. In the picture accompanying this recipe, the undipped parts of the marshmallows are toasted, and they give the helpful tip "get the ultimate campfire experience: toast tops over stove top or grill before serving." Toasting these on the stove top seems like a Fire Invitation. Maybe I only feel that way because I have an electric stove, but I just don't picture that working out very well. Our tops remained untoasted...
Pecan-Crusted Chicken Waffle Sandwiches
I think pecans are my favorite nuts, even if I hate saying that word out loud, because I don't like either common pronunciation. They are so scrumptious. This recipe is from Simple & Delicious. Normally I would skip a recipe like this because nobody here likes nuts but me. But in this case you grind the pecans up so fine, I thought I could slip them through. And it worked!
Pecan-Crusted Chicken Waffle Sandwiches
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 egg
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup maple syrup, divided
1 cup finely chopped pecans
2/3 cup dry bread crumbs
3/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp plus 1/8 tsp pepper, divided
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
8 frozen waffles, toasted (I did buy these, but you can also make them homemade, which is what I will probably do next time)
Flatten chicken to 1/2" thickness. Whisk egg and 1/2 cup syrup in a shallow bowl. Combine the pecans, bread crumbs, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then coat with pecan mixture.
Cook chicken in oil in batches in a large skillet over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Combine the mustard, vinegar, and remaining syrup, salt, and pepper (I didn't make the mustard sauce to go with this...to start I didn't have any brown mustard, and also I just wanted syrup).
Drizzle 1 tbsp sauce mixture over each of 4 waffles; top with chicken and drizzle with remaining sauce mixture. Top with remaining waffles.
Oh my, this was good. Really really good. The pecan breading was awesome. Emma & Nathan didn't want theirs as a sandwich, they had their waffles on the side with butter and syrup. The other 3 of us had it as a sandwich. It was so fabulous. I can't wait to make it again.
One thing I did that this doesn't say to do was drain the chicken on paper towels after it was cooked. I used a bit more oil than it called for, because I made 6 chicken breast halves instead of 4, so maybe if you stuck with 4 and 1/4 cup oil you would be fine, but I did blot mine off. We had this with fruit--apples, pineapple chunks, and strawberries--which was a nice light side to go with it.
Pecan-Crusted Chicken Waffle Sandwiches
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 egg
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup maple syrup, divided
1 cup finely chopped pecans
2/3 cup dry bread crumbs
3/4 tsp plus 1/8 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp plus 1/8 tsp pepper, divided
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
8 frozen waffles, toasted (I did buy these, but you can also make them homemade, which is what I will probably do next time)
Flatten chicken to 1/2" thickness. Whisk egg and 1/2 cup syrup in a shallow bowl. Combine the pecans, bread crumbs, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then coat with pecan mixture.
Cook chicken in oil in batches in a large skillet over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Combine the mustard, vinegar, and remaining syrup, salt, and pepper (I didn't make the mustard sauce to go with this...to start I didn't have any brown mustard, and also I just wanted syrup).
Drizzle 1 tbsp sauce mixture over each of 4 waffles; top with chicken and drizzle with remaining sauce mixture. Top with remaining waffles.
Oh my, this was good. Really really good. The pecan breading was awesome. Emma & Nathan didn't want theirs as a sandwich, they had their waffles on the side with butter and syrup. The other 3 of us had it as a sandwich. It was so fabulous. I can't wait to make it again.
One thing I did that this doesn't say to do was drain the chicken on paper towels after it was cooked. I used a bit more oil than it called for, because I made 6 chicken breast halves instead of 4, so maybe if you stuck with 4 and 1/4 cup oil you would be fine, but I did blot mine off. We had this with fruit--apples, pineapple chunks, and strawberries--which was a nice light side to go with it.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Salami Pasta Salad
You might have seen me writing about my Keeper Book, a big recipe binder where I keep all the good recipes since I started this venture in like 2007. I'm on my 2nd one, because I outgrew my first one. I like having this book because that way when I need to make something for a meal for a family or when people are coming over or a dessert or something for a potluck--really any occasion--I know that everything in that book is yummy because we tried it already. I still keep the majority of my cookbooks on a shelf in the kitchen, and still refer to them once in a while, especially if I get free veggies or something else I don't know what to do with from a gardener or whatever. I'm sure a lot of them I will pass down to my kids when they move out **sniff**. But I like having the Keeper Book for quick reference. At the end of a blog post, if I write "it's a keeper," that means it goes into the KB. In the front of the book I have like 4 or 5 recipes that I haven't tried yet, but I want to. Usually they came from a cooking magazine, and I waited and waited for an occasion to make them, and then it was the only thing left in the magazine I hadn't made yet, and I wanted to throw the magazine away because I'm like that, so I cut out the recipe and stuck it in the front of my keeper book, just waiting for the right time. Well today, one of their numbers got called! This recipe was very happy, and the others sighed in despair. But don't worry, other recipes! I will make you eventually, and this just proves it! This has been in the front of the book so long that I don't remember which magazine it came out of. Probably a Taste of Home-type publication because it has the name and location of the recipe submitter at the top. I made this for our home fellowship 4th of July barbecue, because Lisa was making mayo-based potato salad, and this seemed like a good dish to balance out its evil powers.
Salami Pasta Salad
2 cups uncooked small pasta (I got gemelli because Nathan wanted squiggly ones)
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
3/4 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped pepperoni
1/2 cup cubed hard salami
1/2 cup whole ripe olives, quartered (omitted by me)
2 oz provolone cheese, cubed (I used cheddar cheese cubes because that's what my sister uses and I like her pasta salad)
1/3 cup chopped onion
Dressing:
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil because the thought of using vegetable oil seemed gross to me)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Place in large bowl; add the green pepper, tomatoes, pepperoni, salami, olives, cheese, and onion.
In a jar with a tight fitting lid (or a Tupperware sippy cup thing), combine the dressing ingredients; shake well. Pour over pasta mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
This came out so good! At the last minute I almost put bottled Italian salad dressing on the stuff instead of the dressing in the recipe, because I was nervous about it not coming out yummy. But my sister encouraged me with her wise never-fail saying "it will be fine." She says that about almost everything, and she's usually right. Crying because your husband just left for the mission field? It will be fine. Almost throwing up because of the pain med after your hip replacement? It will be fine. You think that dressing might not taste good? It will be fine. She reminded me that you should always make a recipe the way it says the first time, and then modify it later if you don't like something. So I'm glad I took her advice, because it came out great. Definitely a keeper! And all the recipes in the front have just been given another spark of hope...and also, everything has been fine =o)
Salami Pasta Salad
2 cups uncooked small pasta (I got gemelli because Nathan wanted squiggly ones)
3/4 cup chopped green pepper
3/4 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped pepperoni
1/2 cup cubed hard salami
1/2 cup whole ripe olives, quartered (omitted by me)
2 oz provolone cheese, cubed (I used cheddar cheese cubes because that's what my sister uses and I like her pasta salad)
1/3 cup chopped onion
Dressing:
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil because the thought of using vegetable oil seemed gross to me)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Place in large bowl; add the green pepper, tomatoes, pepperoni, salami, olives, cheese, and onion.
In a jar with a tight fitting lid (or a Tupperware sippy cup thing), combine the dressing ingredients; shake well. Pour over pasta mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
This came out so good! At the last minute I almost put bottled Italian salad dressing on the stuff instead of the dressing in the recipe, because I was nervous about it not coming out yummy. But my sister encouraged me with her wise never-fail saying "it will be fine." She says that about almost everything, and she's usually right. Crying because your husband just left for the mission field? It will be fine. Almost throwing up because of the pain med after your hip replacement? It will be fine. You think that dressing might not taste good? It will be fine. She reminded me that you should always make a recipe the way it says the first time, and then modify it later if you don't like something. So I'm glad I took her advice, because it came out great. Definitely a keeper! And all the recipes in the front have just been given another spark of hope...and also, everything has been fine =o)
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Classic BBQ Pork Chops
I have made one other recipe like this, where you soak the meat in brine before you cook it. I remember it coming out yummy, so when I saw this one I wanted to try it. It's from Kraft Food & Family.
Classic BBQ Pork Chops
2 cups water
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp sugar, divided
2 tbsp kosher salt
4 bone-in pork chops
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
Mix water, 2 tbsp sugar, and salt until sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour over chops in ziploc bag. Seal bag and turn evenly to coat chops with brine. Refrigerate 1 hour. Meanwhile, mix remaining sugar and seasonings.
Heat grill to medium-high heat. Remove chops from brine; discard bag and brine. Coat chops evenly with seasoning mixture.
Grill 5-6 minutes on each side or until done (145 degrees), brushing with barbecue sauce for the last few minutes. Remove from grill. Let stand 3 minutes. Or use your super cool George Foreman grill, if you have one.
We had this with mashed potatoes and corn. Everyone liked the meat. Emma usually complains that anything but chicken is too hard to chew, and when she saw these pork chops, she started whining and said "you know I don't like to chew meat!" But she ended up eating all that I gave her. Soaking it in the brine makes it so tender. The rub on the meat was a tiny bit spicy but no one seemed to notice because even Nathan loved this. He didn't want me to cut his though. Well, I could cut it off the bone but not into pieces. He had this big slab of meat he was gnawing on like a caveman. It was cute, but also apparently difficult because after a couple of minutes he asked to have it cut. So this was yummy and easy, and it's a keeper.
Classic BBQ Pork Chops
2 cups water
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp sugar, divided
2 tbsp kosher salt
4 bone-in pork chops
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
Mix water, 2 tbsp sugar, and salt until sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour over chops in ziploc bag. Seal bag and turn evenly to coat chops with brine. Refrigerate 1 hour. Meanwhile, mix remaining sugar and seasonings.
Heat grill to medium-high heat. Remove chops from brine; discard bag and brine. Coat chops evenly with seasoning mixture.
Grill 5-6 minutes on each side or until done (145 degrees), brushing with barbecue sauce for the last few minutes. Remove from grill. Let stand 3 minutes. Or use your super cool George Foreman grill, if you have one.
We had this with mashed potatoes and corn. Everyone liked the meat. Emma usually complains that anything but chicken is too hard to chew, and when she saw these pork chops, she started whining and said "you know I don't like to chew meat!" But she ended up eating all that I gave her. Soaking it in the brine makes it so tender. The rub on the meat was a tiny bit spicy but no one seemed to notice because even Nathan loved this. He didn't want me to cut his though. Well, I could cut it off the bone but not into pieces. He had this big slab of meat he was gnawing on like a caveman. It was cute, but also apparently difficult because after a couple of minutes he asked to have it cut. So this was yummy and easy, and it's a keeper.
Chocolate Chunk and Marshmallow Sundae
I made this a few days ago but have been too busy to post the recipe. This is kind of like homemade ice cream, but it came out a bit richer than that. And, no churning, no raw eggs, no coarse salt...I realize all of those things have their place in the nostalgic art of homemade-ice-cream-making, but for me, this sounded easy and yummy. I also think it will be so easy, in the future, to change the pudding types and the mix-ins and make almost anything you want. Here's the recipe, from Kraft Food & Family.
Chocolate Chunk and Marshmallow Sundae
2 pkgs (3.9 oz each) instant chocolate pudding
2 cups milk
8 oz cool whip, thawed
1 cup mini marshmallows
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used 3/4 cup chocolate chips instead. Easier than chopping those hard squares)
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
Beat pudding mixes and milk in large bowl with whisk for 2 minutes. Stir in cool whip, marshmallows, and chocolate. Spoon into 2-quart freezer safe container and cover. Freeze 4 hours or until firm. Scoop into dessert dishes and top with berries.
Well of course most people here didn't want strawberries on theirs, but I bought them anyway because some our family was here and they like strawberries. We only let this freeze for 2.5 hours, so it didn't scoop exactly like ice cream. Next time I will let it freeze the recommended time. It tasted really good. Really rich, too, so you don't need huge servings. 3 adults and 5 kids and there was none left. Easy and yummy which is the perfect combination.
Chocolate Chunk and Marshmallow Sundae
2 pkgs (3.9 oz each) instant chocolate pudding
2 cups milk
8 oz cool whip, thawed
1 cup mini marshmallows
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used 3/4 cup chocolate chips instead. Easier than chopping those hard squares)
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
Beat pudding mixes and milk in large bowl with whisk for 2 minutes. Stir in cool whip, marshmallows, and chocolate. Spoon into 2-quart freezer safe container and cover. Freeze 4 hours or until firm. Scoop into dessert dishes and top with berries.
Well of course most people here didn't want strawberries on theirs, but I bought them anyway because some our family was here and they like strawberries. We only let this freeze for 2.5 hours, so it didn't scoop exactly like ice cream. Next time I will let it freeze the recommended time. It tasted really good. Really rich, too, so you don't need huge servings. 3 adults and 5 kids and there was none left. Easy and yummy which is the perfect combination.
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