Monday, February 6, 2012

Saucy Crock Pot Chicken

I'm doing this one for the first time today. I'm always looking for new recipes for chicken, beef, shellfish, fish, and pork. When we switched back to our iPhones, I looked in the app store for a grocery list app, and came across the food on the table app. The free app only lets you have 3 recipes on the in-app grocery list at a time, but you can browse hundreds of recipes. Once you add a recipe to your meal plan, it will add all the ingredients you need to your grocery list, where you then can go through and mark off things you already have.

Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoon prepared mustard (regular mustard in a bottle)
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Directions:
1. Defrost chicken. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place on a broiler pan. Broil 4-5 inches from the heat source for 6-8 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Transfer to a slow cooker.
2. In a small bowl, combine the bbq sauce, honey, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper sauce. Pour over chicken; stir to coat. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours (or high for 2-3) or until heated through. Serve.
3. You may leave out the hot pepper sauce for a less spicy version.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Baked S'mores

I got this recipe from The Apron Gal, while searching Pinterest for some yummy new recipes. We are obsessed with s'more in our house, and I'm always looking for new ways to make them. I've done traditional, and s'more cheesecake bars, and now I'm doing baked s'mores!


Sugar and butter mixture
add egg, and vanilla
graham cracker mixture
add to butter
divide into 2 equal parts
press to bottom of greased pan
add chocolate
then the fluff
add 2nd half of graham cracker mixture
Finished product
Delicious baked s'mores
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (6 whole crackers)
1 1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large Hershey bars (4.4 oz)
1 container of marshmallow creme (7oz)
1-13x9 baking pan

Directions:
1. Heat over to 350F. Mix together butter and sugars, until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla, mix well.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add this to the butter mixture.
3. Divide graham cracker crust into two equal parts, pressing one half into the bottom of greased pan.
4. Add chocolate bars. Heat up fluff in the microwave for about 25 seconds. Spread quickly on top of the chocolate.
5. Add second half of graham cracker crust into a gallon sized bag spreading it around and filling bag. Cut down both sides of bag, and spread about an inch more so it will cover the inside of the pan.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, and allow to cool around 15 minutes before serving.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Peanut-Beef Potstickers

I got this recipe out of our utilities magazine. They send one out once a month and my husband always checks out the recipes in there, and I've finally decided to make one. I highly recommend getting the round dumpling wrappers and not the square egg roll ones like the recipe calls for. I was highly annoyed they weren't coming out like the picture. Otherwise, these are pretty tasty.

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chicken or beef stock
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
pinch hot pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons smooth peanut butter
8 ounces lean ground beef
1/4 cup salted blanched peanuts, finely chopped
1 green onion, finely diced
1 Tablespoon ginger root, minced
12 3-inch square egg roll wrappers (again, I recommend the round dumpling wrappers)
2 Tablespoons peanut oil
pinch salt

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine garlic, stock, soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper flakes and peanut butter. Microwave for 30 seconds and whisk until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together beef, peanuts, onion, ginger, salt and 3 tablespoons of the peanut butter sauce. Reserve remaining sauce for dipping.
3. Place 2 teaspoons of filling in center of egg rolls wrappers. Fold wrapper in half to enclose filling, pressing edges together to stick. Set on work surface seam side up. Repeat with remaining filling.
4. In large nonstick frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil over medium heat. Add half of potstickers, pinched side up, allowing space between each. Add enough water to cover them about 75%.
5. Cover pan an cook over high heat for about 6 minutes. Uncover and cook another 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining potstickers.
6. Serve warm with remaining peanut butter sauce, and some white rice.

Cilantro Lime Shrimp

I made my first recipe I found from Pinterest last night. It turned out so good. It was so quick and easy, it is on the list for meals again in the future. It is a weight watchers recipe, and according to the website, it only is 4+ points. I don't know if that's good, but if so, definitely make this. It took me maybe 15 minutes to make the whole thing. Shrimp is good because it's packed with protein, and low in calories. The cilantro and lime really give this dish some magnificent flavor. You can serve it over rice, salad or pasta, or eat it by itself.
Because I love it, I also made some garlic bread, and we had some salad for our veggie. I apologize there are no pictures. It was gone before I could get some. I will make it again soon!

4 servings, Calories: 197, Fat: 4g, Protein: 36g
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 pounds of shrimp, deveined and shelled
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat, with the oil in the pan. Add shrimp when oil is hot (be careful for splatters). Season with salt and pepper. Heat on one side about 2 minutes.
2. Flip all shrimp, and add garlic. Saute a few more minutes, being careful not to overcook. (Shrimp is usually done to a darker pink color).
3. Remove from heat, squeeze lime and add cilantro to shrimp. Toss, and serve hot.

BJs Irish Root Beer

After going to BJ's Brewhouse for the first time a few months ago, and having their delicious Irish Root Beer, Clint and I decided to find a recipe/make our own that matched their recipe. It may be a little stronger than what they serve, but it is so so good.

Ingredients:
1 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey (I'm sure other whiskey would work too)
1/2 oz Bailey's Irish Cream
1/2 oz Butterscotch Schnapps
1/2 oz cream
12 oz Root Beer

Directions:
1. Add the ingredients into a chilled glass in the order above. Top with cold root beer. Serve!

*You do not have to add the cream, BJ's Irish Root Beer doesn't have cream in it. It just makes it a little creamier and tastier.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Fudgy Oatmeal Bars

These are a favorite treat, but rarely made because they are so rich. My mom used to make these when we had Girl Scout get togethers at our house. They are so delicious, and I guess for one bar, aren't too bad for you. When I have nutrition facts available for a recipe, I will add them under the recipe and pictures. As I'm sure you've noticed, I don't always have pictures to go along with my recipes. I'm trying to remedy that. It's just taking a little longer that I hoped. Bear with me!

Ingredients:
Topping
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups quick cooking oatmeal
Filling
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:
1. Set aside 2 Tablespoon of the butter. In a large mixing bowl beat the remaining butter (6 Tablespoons) with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar and baking soda. Beat until combined, scrape sides if needed. Beat in eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can. Stir in any remaining flour. Stir in the oatmeal.
2. For filling, in a medium saucepan combine the 2 Tablespoons butter, chocolate chips, and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, stir in the 2 Tablespoons of vanilla.
3. Press two thirds of the topping mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 15x10 inch baking pan. (A 9x11 works fine too). Spread filling evenly over the oats. Dot remaining topping mixture onto filling.
4. Bake in a 350F oven about 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Filling will still look moist. Cool, cut into bars.

*Nutrition Facts per bar:
Cal: 146
Total Fat: 6g
Sodium: 68mg
Carbs: 21g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 2g
3% vitamin A, 3% calcium, 4% iron

Guacamole

This recipe is my dad's guacamole. A lot of people don't like chunky. I like both, and have served both at parties. This one is less chopping, more dumping things into a bowl and mixing. If you have kids, this is a good recipe for them to help with because you have to squash the avocados!

Ingredients:
3-4 large avocados, or 5-6 small avocados
favorite salsa (we use Pace)
Lawry's season salt
1/2 lime

Directions:
1. Cut avocados in half, taking out the seed, and scoop into a bowl. With the bottom of a cup mash the avocados until they're semi smooth.
2. Add salsa to your taste, usually about 1/3-1/2 a cup. Sprinkle with season salt and the juice from the lime. Mix together and serve with your favorite chips.

*To remove avocado seeds, you can gently work it out with a knife. Or, you can stick it with the knife, and turn it while removing.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Chicken Fingers

This is my recipe for chicken fingers/tenders/bites, however you want to make them, you can. I've made chicken tenders several ways, but last week I did something different, and they turned out really great. I'm not big on corn starch, and only had a little bit so I decided to use it.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup corn meal
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders (12-14 strips)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup mustard
oil for frying

Directions:
1. Mix together eggs, milk and mustard in one container. Mix dry ingredients into another. Clean off chicken strips.
2. Let chicken sit in egg mixture, until they're coated, or even for 30 minutes or so. Sometimes I make that part and stick it in the fridge until I'm ready.
3. Heat oil in a pan to 375F. On my stove, that's around 4.5 on the dial.
4. Once chicken is coated with egg, places pieces one at a time in flour mixture until coated. Place on a plate until ready to fry.
5. Put chicken one at a time in the oil. You will cook about 6 minutes per side. The outside will be a nice golden brown.
6. Place each finished piece on a plate covered with paper towel to soak up excess oil. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Kristen's Margaritas

My dad taught me how to make margaritas when I was old enough to reach the bar...okay, maybe not that early, but around 14 or 15. I had my first sip around that age, and on my 18th birthday, I got to go to Mexico with my family and a friend and had my first Mexican margarita. Basically lime juice, tequila and salt. As good as it was...it was so strong and being 18, and not having had that much to drink, my friend and I were having to concentrate on the tiles walking out of the restaurant. It was a fun experience and trip, and I will always remember that good time.
Since then, I have made several margaritas for my parents, aunt and uncle, friends, my husband and myself. When we plan for margaritas at a party, I am automatically the designated margarita maker. Here is my recipe, hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 oz Jose Cuervo Original Margarita Mix *(If you're on a budget, whatever mix is fine)
1 oz Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila *(Again, budget tequila is fine. You can also use the silver tequila)
1 oz Cointreau
limes

Directions:
1. In a shaker, shake the ingredients with ice.
2. Cut limes in halves, then quarter. Rub lime across the rim of a margarita glass, then dip in salt (or sugar, whichever you prefer). Add ice to the glass.
3. Pour margarita into glass and enjoy!

*You can also use this same recipe for frozen margaritas. I recommend using around 1/2 a shot more of tequila and cointreau as well as a full shot of mix to counter the ice.

Avocado and Mango Salsa

This is my dad's recipe. I make this a lot when we have people over. The taste is just so...yum. I don't know any other word to describe it. It's sweet, salty, hot, savory, everything in one dip.

Ingredients:
3-4 large avocados, or 5-6 small
1-2 mango (depending on how much you want)
1 lime
1-2 serrano peppers (also depending on how much heat you want)
Lawry's Season salt

Directions:
1. Dice avocados, and mango mixing in a medium size bowl.
2. Slice the serrano pepper if you like a kick in each bite, or dice it into smaller pieces so it's not a huge attack. Mix in with the avocados.
3. Cut lime in half, squirt 1/2 into the mixture.
4. Season with the season salt, around 1/2 a teaspoon. You may want more, depending on your taste.
5. Serve with your favorite chips. Like the Chunky Guacamole, we like to serve this with the black bean chips or the fiery chipotle chips.