BBQ Chicken Salad (like Zupas')

I am sadly not a huge salad lover, but I love Zupas' BBQ Chicken Salad. When I saw this recipe that looked just like it, I had to try it, and I loved it just as much! Yippee!

Here is my iPhone picture in the evening (no natural light!)

Here is a beautiful picture from the source. Wowza!

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 6 tenders

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

6 c chopped Romaine lettuce

1 Roma tomato, diced

¾ c canned corn kernels, drained (Oops! I used the whole can!)

¾ c canned black beans, drained, rinsed (Oops! I used the whole can!)

¼ c diced red onion
black olives, sliced (original recipe didn't have these, but Zupas' salad does)

¼ c shredded Monterey Jack cheese

½ c shredded cheddar cheese

¼ c Ranch dressing (optional)

¼ c BBQ sauce

¼ c tortilla strips (optional)

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Add a little BBQ sauce for flavor. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.

To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with tomato, corn, beans, onion and cheeses. Pour Ranch dressing and BBQ sauce on top of the salad and gently toss to combine. (I left Ranch out for those who like it to spread it on top.) Serve immediately, topped with tortilla strips.

Fresh Corn on the Cob (Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

7-8 ears of corn, husked and silky threads removed


4-6 quarts water

2 Tbsp sugar


2 Tbsp white vinegar

Bring a large pot of water to a boil (~4-6 quarts of water). When boiling, add the sugar and vinegar and bring to a full boil again. Add the husked corn, submerging all the ears in the water the best that you can. Bring the water to a full boil again. This is important! It may take a few minutes for the water to come back to boiling temperature once the corn is added but let it come to a full boil before moving on. Once the water is at a full boil, cover the pot, remove from the heat and let the corn sit in the hot, steaming water for 10 min. (The corn can stay in the water for up to 20 min. without becoming pithy and dry.)

Roast and Gravy (Courtenay South)

Courtenay and Andrew have perfected the art of pot roast and gravy making. They've made this for us several times and we always love it. I finally got around to asking for the recipe and trying it. Success! I altered the portions slightly as noted.

Roast

Olive oil
1½ lb roast, cheapest cut (Originally 2-3 lb.)
1 lb baby carrots (Originally 2 lb)
Potatoes, peeled and left whole ~1 per person
1/2 onion, peeled and cut in half (Originally 1 onion)
Optional: Celery tops and bottoms (the parts you usually throw away) – helps tenderize the roast
½ c beef broth* (beef bouillon and water or just water, and add the bouillon when making the gravy)
Montreal Steak Seasoning (Grill Mates 29oz from Costco)

1. Heat frying pan to medium-high. Drizzle with olive oil. Generously season one side of the roast, coating the entire side. This seasoning will flavor all of the food in the slow cooker, as well as your gravy. Place the seasoned side down into the frying pan to brown it. While it is browning coat the upper side with the same amount of seasoning. When the bottom side is brown, flip and brown the other side.

2. Meanwhile, pour your carrots into the slow cooker, and add your water/beef broth. Place browned, seasoned roast on top of carrots. Place the potatoes around the roast. Divide the onion into 4 sections and place on top of the roast (onions add flavor and help to tenderize the meat). Add celery on top of onions if using. Add broth OR *add HOT water to the frying pan and use a spatula to gather all of the remaining seasoning. Pour that seasoned water into the slow cooker instead of using broth. Use HOT water so you don't warp your pan.

3. Put on the lid and cook on high for 4 hours (or low for 8 hours) or until meat and carrots are tender. Make sure you cook it long enough or the meat will be tough, and the carrots hard. The potatoes cook the fastest so make sure they are not in any liquid (which speeds up cooking). If you are going to cook the roast on low for 8 hours you may want to add the potatoes a few hours into the cooking time. 

Gravy
Makes 2-3 cups. Not the healthiest part...but it will make or break your dinner. This is half of the original recipe.

¼ c butter (or fat drippings from the roast) 
¼ c flour 
2 c water 
2 cubes beef bouillon 
½ tsp Kitchen Bouquet Browning & Seasoning Sauce (This also works great in stew.) 

1. Remove cooked items from slow cooker, put in glass or stainless steel bowls, cover with foil or lids, and place in a warm oven while making the gravy. Throw away the celery and onions. Keep all of the liquid to use in the gravy. 

2. Make a roux: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Continue whisking until butter/flour mixture begins to bubble. Whisk for 1 more minute to cook out the flour taste. 

3. Add 2 cups of liquid, first using the liquid from the slow cooker and then add enough beef broth to make 2 cups. Increase heat to medium/medium-high. Continue stirring/whisking as you heat the gravy. While you stir, taste the gravy and season as needed (use beef bouillon, seasoning salt, garlic, etc). Add the browning sauce. Continue whisking until the gravy comes to a boil. Once the gravy is boiling it is about the consistency it will be. 2 cups of liquid makes a pretty thick gravy, so add more broth to thin as desired. 

Serve the gravy over the meat, potatoes and carrots. Enjoy!

Thank you, Courtenay and Andrew!!!

Vegetable Curry (Bex Loftus)

My British companion and trainer, Bex Loftus, taught me how to make this curry. Besides being an environmentalist and activist, she was a vegetarian (and we weren't allowed to eat the meat in Russia anyway). The first time she made this, I was dreading having to eat it, but it smelled amazing, and I quickly learned that it tasted amazing too.
This recipe is about double what my family can handle.



Olive oil
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
8 tsp ground cardamom seeds*
6 tsp coriander (whole or ground)*
2½ tsp salt
Pepper to taste
6 whole carrots
1 cauliflower head
2-3 zucchini
1 eggplant
1 can garbanzo beans
Vegetable Soup Stock (opt)



Pour a thick layer of oil into a large pot (~¼” or less). Turn heat on medium. Chop onions and garlic and add to pot. Add bay leaves, tons of cardamom and coriander seasoning (until you can smell it), salt and pepper. Chop vegetables and add to pot, stirring occasionally. Add crisper veggies first (carrots, cauliflower) and then softer ones. *Add more cardamom and coriander until you can smell it. Add soup mix. Add enough water to coat all vegetables (about an inch deep). Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 1 hour. Curry is done when all vegetables are soft. Mash with a potato masher until vegetable pieces are quite small. Continue cooking until the water is cooked off the top. ~15 min. Make sure you can smell the coriander and cardamom. Add more if you can’t. Serve with warm homemade tortillas. Use torn off pieces of tortillas to scoop the curry into your mouth.

TWO TORTILLA OPTIONS:

Tortillas (mission recipe)
4 c flour
½ tsp salt
½ c + 1 Tbsp margarine, partly melted
1 c hot water

Mix together until dough is smooth. Keep bowl of dough covered while rolling tortillas. Roll until thin and cook in hot frying pan until barely bubbles (with only a few brown spots, if any)

Tortilla Mix (heart-hands-home.blogspot)
16 c flour (unbleached/add up to ½ whole wheat)
2 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp salt
1 c shortening

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and stir with whisk to fully mix. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or hands. Store mix in airtight container.

To Make Tortillas:

Place 2 c tortilla mix in a bowl, making a well in the center. Add ½ - ¾ c warm water, a little at a time, mixing until you have a soft dough. Knead dough for a short time till it becomes elastic. Cover with plastic and let it rest 10-15 min. Form 12 small balls ~1.3 oz each. Pull the dough around the bottom of the ball to make top smooth. Set aside, covered with plastic wrap. Dip dough balls in flour and roll out thinly. Cook on dry griddle preheated to 350° until top begins to bubble. Flip and cook for about 15 seconds more. To keep warm: stack between towels. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator.

Thank you, Sister Loftus for this recipe!
   

Tomato Bisque (Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

Wow! This goes down as one of the best soups I've ever made! Everyone in my family loved this! I served it with some amazing cheese bread given to me by a friend. Hmmm... need that recipe! I stewed my own fresh garden tomatoes, which felt extra-awesome, and I'm certain added to the taste. I had a huge butternut squash, and froze enough to make 2 more batches of this soup. I can't wait! Thank you, Mel's Kitchen Cafe for this recipe!

Update: 3/6/13. I have to give this a 5-star rating! Every time I make this, I'm amazed at the taste. I used canned stewed tomatoes (plain, and added Italian seasoning) and it is still amazing. Served it in bread bowls this time. Y U M !!!

20-90 minutes.

1 medium butternut squash (for ~1½ c cooked squash)


1 Tbsp butter


¼ c finely diced onion


3 cloves garlic, finely minced


1 can (14.5 oz) Italian-style stewed tomatoes*

1 c chicken stock or broth
 (I used 1 cube chicken bouillon and 1 c water from the squash pan)

1 tsp salt


1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp dried basil


1 c nonfat half-and-half
 (½ c cream, ½ c skim milk)

Prepare the butternut squash by preheating the oven to 350°. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise, so you have 2 long pieces. Scoop out the seeds and pulp from each half. Place both sides cut-side down in a 9x13” pan. Add enough water to come about ¼” up the sides of the squash. Cover with foil and bake for about an hour. Test with a fork to make sure the squash is very tender when pierced with the fork in several places. If the flesh doesn’t easily give, continue cooking in 10 min increments, and testing again, until the squash is tender. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the squash to a large cutting board or plate. Let it cool ~15 min before scooping out the flesh. (If preparing the day before, scoop out the flesh and place in a container. Let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until using it in the soup.) Scoop squash into the blender.

While the squash is cooking, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter and sauté the onion until soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Scoop the onion/garlic mixture into the blender with the squash.

Add the tomatoes (undrained) and chicken broth to the blender. Process until the mixture is smooth. Pour the blended mixture back into the saucepan and add the salt, sugar, basil and cream. Stir to combine well. Heat over medium-low heat until the soup is warm (but don’t let it boil or simmer to avoid the cream curdling). Serve immediately. Excellent with cheese bread, grilled cheese and/or hot sauce.

*or stew your own tomatoes from fresh tomatoes: 5-6 tomatoes, blanch (cook in boiling water 1 min, drain, pour into ice bath), remove skins, core, seeds and excess juice, dice. Put into pot and add ½ Tbsp butter, ½ tsp salt, pepper, ½ tsp sugar, 1½ tsp Italian seasoning. Simmer 30 min.

*or 1 can stewed tomatoes with 1½ tsp Italian seasoning

Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks (A Bountiful Kitchen)

These are divine! I have used these as the main course for my family and we love them! The kids thought it looked like ratatouille.

photo from abountifulkitchen.com

1½ lb small sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced*

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme, divided (or 1 tsp dry)

1 c (4oz) freshly shredded mozzarella or Gruyere cheese, divided*

2/3 c heavy cream (½ pint)

1 garlic clove, pressed

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

Garnish: fresh thyme or rosemary

Preheat oven to 350°. Layer half of sweet potatoes in a lightly greased 12-cup muffin pan. Sprinkle with a light layer of salt. Then sprinkle with ½ tsp dry thyme (or 1½ tsp fresh) and ½ cup cheese. Top with remaining sweet potatoes. (Potatoes should come slightly above the rim of each cup.)

Microwave cream, next 3 ingredients, and remaining ½ tsp thyme on high for 1 min. Pour cream mixture into muffin cups (about 1 Tbsp per cup). Bake at 350° covered with aluminum foil, 30 min. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese. Bake 5-7 min. or until cheese is melted and slightly golden. Let stand 5 min. Run a sharp knife around rim of each cup, and lift potato stacks from cups using a spoon or thin spatula. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish, if desired.

Tips:

-Try to buy potatoes that are no larger than about 2” wide. When sliced these fit nicely into the muffin tins. Stagger the slices as you stack to get a fully formed stack. Is you are unable to find long, slim sweet potatoes or yams, use a wider potato and cut the slice in half.

-Use sweet potatoes or yams that are orange in color, not the whiter type sweet potato.

-Make sure to stack the potatoes about ½” above the rim if you want a nice stack, the potatoes will shrink during baking.

-If you don't have a mini muffin pan, and want to serve these as an appetizer, just stack the potatoes about half way in the baking cup (instead of to the top) and bake until the edges are browned a bit. This will make them closer to bite size and they will hold together better when picked up.

-You can make these early and take them to a gathering. Just pop them into the oven for about 3 min. at 350° to warm them up a bit. Or they are fine served at room temperature.

Sweetheart Sweet Potatoes (Jennifer Lund)

Here are two different ways to add some heart-healthy vegetables to your meal.

Sweet potatoes (you can also use potatoes, beets and taro roots)

Butter

Olive oil

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Thyme

Salt

Peel and thinly slice sweet potatoes. Cut into heart shapes by stacking a few together. Cut out a V at the top, cut off the sides, then round more if needed.

Heat butter and oil in a nonstick pan. Add sweet potatoes. Season with garlic, onion, thyme and salt. Cover with a lid and heat about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure both sides get cooked through and don't burn. Serve hot.

Save the extra pieces from shaping the hearts and cook in a separate pan or save for another meal.

Baked Potato Style

Poke sweet potato with a fork a few times. Wrap in aluminum foil and bake at 450° for ~60 minutes (time depends on how thick your potato is). When potato is soft, carefully unwrap. Slice in half and cut off edges as shown until potato resembles a heart. (Keep skin there or remove as desired.) Add butter and salt to taste.

Fresh Bean Salsa (Debra Garry)

I just discovered that I didn't have this recipe on my blog. I LOVE this salsa!

1 can black beans (drain)

1 can black eye peas (drain)

1 can corn (drain) or 1½ c frozen corn

2 large tomatoes, diced (Roma)

½ large Anaheim pepper, diced (freeze the rest)

½ red bell pepper, diced (freeze the rest)

3 green onions, diced

½ bunch cilantro, chopped (about 1 c; no stems)

1 lime, zested and juiced

½ tsp salt

½ tsp coarse black pepper

1/8 c white vinegar

1 Tbsp water

½ pckg (½ Tbsp + 1 tsp) Italian zesty dressing mix

2 Tbsp olive oil

Combine first ingredients in a large bowl. In a flask or small bowl mix together vinegar and water. Add dressing mix and shake. Stir in olive oil. Pour over salsa. Wait a while for the flavors to set in. Fills about 4 wide-mouth pint jars. Serve with Tostitos Hint of Lime chips!

Cowboy Quesadillas (Our Best Bites)

The girls, Tyler, Jon and I really liked these. Adam and Andrew didn't love them, but they are super picky. The original recipe with prettier pictures is HERE.
½ c white rice
1/3 c black beans (3 Tbsp dry, 1/6 tsp salt, 1 1/3 c water)
1 c diced cooked chicken (3 tenders)*
1/3 c fresh/frozen corn kernels (no need to thaw)
1/3 c diced tomato (1 tomato)
1 large green onion, sliced (2 Tbsp)
1½ c shredded cheese (Mexican blend)
¼ c BBQ sauce
6-8 flour tortillas (6-8” diameter)

*I cooked the chicken in oil and butter seasoned with salt, pepper and BBQ sauce.

Combine rice, beans, chicken, corn, tomato, onion and cheese. Add BBQ sauce and stir to combine. Place about 1/3-½ c of mixture on half of each tortilla and fold over to close.


Heat skillet to medium heat on the stove. When hot, spray lightly with cooking spray or drizzle with olive oil. Place quesadillas in pan and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown and slightly crisp. Serve with BBQ-Ranch dipping sauce (equal parts BBQ and ranch dressing).






You can get healthier and make these with multi-grain tortillas, too.

Orange Mashed Potatoes

These potatoes are divine! I love that the orange color is natural - from the sweet potato. Yum!

6 potatoes

1 large sweet potato

¼ c butter

½ c nonfat half & half

Sour cream

Sea salt

Coarse black pepper

Milk

Wrap potatoes in foil and bake in 400° oven for an hour. When cool enough to handle, take off skins and mash potatoes in a large bowl. Add butter, half and half, sour cream, sea salt and pepper. Store in the fridge until mealtime. Before eating, microwave and stir. Add milk if needed for creaminess.

Make into a jack-o-lantern if desired. Spread potatoes in a circular pan. Decorate like a pumpkin face using corn kernels.

Vegetable Skeleton (Taste of Home)

Courtenay made this vegetable skeleton at my request for Halloween 2010. It turned out so cute! You can really use any vegetables you want and just arrange it in the shape of a skeleton.

Head of cabbage or iceberg lettuce

Zucchini slices

Red and yellow bell pepper slices (full-circle and cross-cut)

Celery sticks

Carrot sticks

Sugar snap peas or snow peas

Broccoli florets, peeled

Cauliflower florets

Radishes

Cherry tomatoes

Cucumber slices

Mushroom slices

Parsley

1 c Ranch Dressing

To make head:

Line half of small bowl with lettuce for the skeleton’s hair. Fill with dressing. Place at one end of large tray or baking sheet for the skeleton’s head. (OR: Cut head of lettuce or cabbage in half. Hollow out a small bowl in the center of one half of the lettuce or cabbage half. Fill with dip. Add cherry tomatoes for eyes and nose. Use a red pepper slice for the mouth. Add broccoli florets around outside for hair.)

To make the body:

Use celery stalks for the bones. Use zucchini slices for the joints. Use sugar snap peas for the ribs. Use full-circle slices of red pepper for the pelvic bones. Take cauliflower florets and use for hands and feet. Use pieces of whole carrots for the fingers and toes.

Lentil Soup "Esau's Pottage" (Nancy Giles)

4 hours.

2 potatoes, chopped

4 carrots, chopped


5 c water


4 beef or chicken bouillon cubes


½ onion, finely chopped (or 1 Tbsp dried onion)


2 cloves garlic (or 1 tsp garlic powder)


2 strips bacon, crumbled (or 1 Tbsp bacon bits)

½ tsp salt


1 c lentils

Homemade rolls or Cheez-It crackers (optional)

Mix all ingredients but lentils in slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours. Add lentils and cook 1 hour more. Serve with homemade rolls or Cheez-It crackers.

Corned Beef and Vegetables

~3 lbs corned beef brisket

2 large Russet potatoes, cut up into large chunks

5 carrots, chopped

1 can beef broth (~1½ c)

1 c ginger ale (or white grape juice)

Place the corned beef in the crock pot. If beef comes with a seasoning packet sprinkle this over the meat. Pour the broth and ginger ale (or juice) over the corned beef, turn slow cooker on low and cook for 9 hours. About half-way through, add the potatoes and carrots so they don't get soggy.

Green Smoothie (Vitamix)

A.K.A. "Leprechaun Smoothie"

St. Patrick's Day was a good excuse to get my family to try green smoothies. This was a big hit even after I told the kids about the spinach! (I did have them try it first.)

¼ of a pineapple (without the core*)

1 large bunch of green grapes

1 banana

2 cups fresh spinach

1 mango (optional – I didn’t have one)

1 scoop natural vanilla ice cream like Breyers (optional)

1/2 c ice

1/2 -1 c cold water

Blend all ingredients in a Vitamix until smooth.

*Including the pineapple core gave it a coarser (pulpy) texture.