Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Have you ever tried the lettuce wraps at P.F. Changs? This recipe reminds me of them. They are so good! I found this recipe here at Fashionably Foodie. You will love it! I have modified the recipe in a few places.


3 frozen chicken breasts
1 large carrot
8 whole mushrooms (optional)
3 green onions
1 red bell pepper
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 can water chestnuts, drained (optional)
2 Tablespoons oil
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil


1/2 C. toasted pine nuts (optional- but really good!)

1 head iceberg or butter lettuce, leaves washed and separated in wholes
rice noodles, fried quickly in hot oil (optional-I didn't use these)

sauce: *(double for dipping sauce, set aside half, see notes below)

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 dash red pepper flakes
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger

bring chicken breasts to a boil in water to cover with a pinch of salt and a clove of garlic. boil for ten minutes. remove from water and chop finely, about the size of a kernel of corn.

meanwhile, finely grate carrot. finely dice onion , water chestnuts, mushrooms and bell pepper to the same size as the chicken pieces, about the size of a kernel of corn.

*mix together sauce ingredients. whisk to combine. if you want a dip for your wraps (yes you will want a dip,) make another batch (or double) sauce, and to the dipping sauce add: 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger.

heat 2 Tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil in a large pan. add onions, mushrooms and red bell pepper. cook 2 minutes to soften. add chicken, water chestnuts, and garlic. saute for 2 minutes. add sauce to pan, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes until liquid is reduced and there is almost no liquid left in pan. stir in grated carrot. serve on bed of rice noodles with a plate of whole lettuce leaves. yummy with veggie peanut noodles or hot rice!

Green Chile Chicken Soup

• I found this recipe at Allrecipes.com. I had an idea of what I wanted and this soup turned out so tasty! I used fire-roasted chile peppers and so it was a little hot. 
• 
  
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups cooked, boneless and skinless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped green chile peppers
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pinch garlic powder
• 
  
• In a large pot melt butter or margarine. Add flour and stir the resulting paste over medium heat. Add the milk and chicken broth and whip to eliminate any lumps. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.
• 
  
• Add the chicken. Add the chopped green chiles, salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Stir well and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes and serve.

Peppermint Oreos!

These are So Yummy!

I saw a recipe for these homemade peppermint oreos online. I wanted to make them but didn't get around to it before Christmas. So- when my sister-in-law Katie made them at our family reunion, I snatched a picture. Here is my version of the homemade oreo cookies. Just roll in crushed candy canes when you are done.

This recipe came from our friend Laurie Van Tassel when we lived in Woodruff, UT.

2 Devil's Food cake mixes
2 eggs
1/2 C. canola oil
1/2 C. water
Blend in mixer. Roll into small balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350˚ for 8-9 minutes.

Cream Filling
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese softened
4 Tbs. butter
1 tsp. Peppermint Extract
Powdered sugar (add until you reach the desired consistency-about 2-3 cups)
Mix on high speed until smooth.

Fill cooled cookies.
Makes 41/2 dozen frosted cookies. They will go fast!!

Cookie Dough Truffles

This recipe is from Taste of Home. It was made at the Taste of Home cooking school in October. I made these for dessert when I cooked dinner for a group of our hunters last month.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1-1/2 pounds dark chocolate candy coating, coarsely chopped (or 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Directions                                                                                              This picture from Taste of Home

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour, alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Shape into 1-in. balls; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Loosely cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until firm.
• In a microwave bowl, melt candy coating; stir until smooth. Dip balls in coating; allow excess to drip off; Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. If desired, remelt remaining candy coating and drizzle over candies. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 5-1/2 dozen.

Mozzarella Zucchini

Perfect recipe to use up the last of your tomatoes and zucchini!

3 cups sliced zucchini or other summer squash
1 cup sliced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 t. dried basil
1/4 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tomato, cut into 12 wedges
4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large skillet, saute the zucchini, onion, garlic and seasonings in olive oil until crisp-tender (about five minutes). Gently stir in the tomato; sprinkle with cheese. Remove from the heat and let stand until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Creamy White Chili

I love this recipe! I have a simpler chicken chili recipe but the seasonings & sour cream make this delicious! Joe really liked it!

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add just one can)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream.  Serve immediately. 

Nilla and Banana Pudding

I remember my Mom making this pudding. This is actually the only pudding I remember eating as a kid. And I love it! 

Prepare one large box of Vanilla pudding according to instructions on box.

Line a medium sized bowl with Nilla Wafers. 

Pour 1/3 of pudding into bowl. Top with a layer of Nilla Wafers and one layer of sliced bananas. Repeat until you have used all of the pudding. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Don't make this too far in advance or the Nilla Wafers will be soggy!

Cookies & Cream Bars

Ingredients

• 1 pound Oreo Cookies
• 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
• 24 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, At Room Temperature
• ¾ cups Granulated Sugar
• ¾ cups Sour Cream At Room Temperature
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 3 whole Large Eggs, At Room Temperature

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides (I spray mine with cooking spray).

2. Make the crust: place 28 Oreos in a food processor and process until finely ground. Pour into a large bowl, add the melted butter, and stir with a flexible spatula until all crumbs are moistened. Place the cookie-crumb mixture in the lined pan and, using your fingers, press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack (leave the oven on) while you make the filling. Snap the remaining Oreos in half, put them in the food processor, and turn on and off quickly a few times, just until the cookies are roughly chopped.

3. Make the filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and sugar until well blended, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a flexible spatula and beat again until uniform. Beat in sour cream, vanilla and salt. Scrape down the bowl and mix again. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. After beating in the last egg, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat one more time, to make sure the mixture is fully combined. Stir in chopped Oreos with the same spatula.

4. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the baked cookie crust, smooth the top with the spatula, and bake for 40 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center when you gently shake the pan. Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. When cool, cover it with foil and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours. (I chill mine overnight.)

5. To cut, use the foil overhang to lift the cheesecake out of the pan and place on a large cutting board. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the cheesecake into bars, rinsing off the knife with hot water and wiping it dry between each cut. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Yield: 24 bars

Recipe from Tasty Kitchen

FRENCH Bread

This is the best French Bread Recipe I have tried. 


French Bread
2 ¼ c. warm water
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp oil
5 ½ -6 cups flour-stirred before measured

First dissolve sugar and yeast in the warm water. Let this proof—or sit for a few minutes until it bubbles. Then add salt, oil and 3 cups of flour and beat well (At this point I switch to my dough/kneading attachment on my Bosch mixer) Add in 2 1/2 -3 more cups of flour. The dough should clean off the sides of the bowl and not be too sticky. Knead for a few minutes. Leave the dough in the mixer to rest for 10 minutes and then stir it down (turn on your mixer for 10 seconds) and then allow to rest another 10 minutes. Repeat for a total of 5 times. Then turn dough onto a floured surface and knead it 2 or 3 times to coat with flour. Divide into 2 equal parts. Roll each part into a 9x13 rectangle. Roll dough up, starting from long edge of loaf to seal. Arrange seam side down on large baking sheet that’s been sprinkled with corn meal, allowing room for both loaves. Repeat with second part of dough. With a sharp knife, cut 3 gashes at an angle on the top of each. Cover lightly; allow to rise 30 minutes. Brush entire surface with egg wash (one egg beaten slightly with 1 Tbsp of water). If desired, sprinkle with sesame seads. Bake for 30 minutes at 375. Cool on racks
NOTE: For a crustier loaf, a pan of hot water may be set on bottom of oven while bread is baking.
Note: recipe from The Sisters Cafe

Mozzarella Sticks

I LOVE Mozzarella sticks.  I hadn't ever thought of making my own. I found this recipe on thepioneerwoman.com.  

• 16 pieces String Cheese, Removed From Wrappers
• ½ cups All-purpose Flour
• 2 whole Eggs
• 3 Tablespoons Milk
• 2 cups Panko Bread Crumbs (I used crushed corn flakes)
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley Flakes
• Canola Oil, For Frying
• Marinara Sauce, For Dipping

Slice string cheese pieces in half, for a total of 32 pieces.

Place flour in a small bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk.

In another separate bowl, combine panko bread crumbs with parsley flakes.

TO ASSEMBLE: One by one, roll mozzarella sticks in flour, then dunk in egg/milk mixture, then place in panko crumbs. Use your hand to sweep crumbs all over the mozzarella stick. Gently remove and place on a tray or cookie sheet. Repeat until all mozzarella sticks are coated.

***Place tray in freezer for 20 to 30 minutes to flash freeze.***

TO COOK: Heat 1 1/2 inches canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add mozzarella sticks 8 at a time. Watch closely and turn over to evenly brown, cooking less than 2 minutes. Do not allow cheese to bubble and leak.

Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

Serve immediately with warm marinara sauce

Three Pepper Oat Pilaf

originally posted 8/6/08.

This recipe came from a magazine. Served as breakfast. It is one of our favorites! And talk about healthy!

1/2 C. chopped red sweet pepper
1/2 C. chopped yellow sweet pepper
1/2 C. chopped fresh mushrooms (or 1 4 oz. can)
1/2 C. sliced green onions
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 eggs
1 3/4 C. old-fashioned oats
3/4 C. chicken broth
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbs. snipped fresh basil

1. In a large nonstick skillet cook sweet peppers, mushrooms, green onions and garlic in hot oil over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium.
2. In a medium bowl lightly beat eggs with a fork. Add oats; toss until well combined. Add oat mixture to vegetable mixture in skillet. Cook about 5 minutes or until oats look dry and separated, stirring occasionally. Add broth, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more or until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently (oats will remain slightly chewy). Stir in basil. Serve immediately.
I never measure exact amounts of peppers or green onions- I just use what I have. Basil is best fresh and is really easy to grow.

Strawberry Frosting

I made cupcakes for Laurie's birthday. We didn't end up eating a single one at her little party. When I finally tried a cupcake I loved the frosting!

1/4 C. butter softened
4 oz. cream cheese
2 C. Powdered Sugar
1/4 C. pureed strawberries (can used freeze dried strawberries)

Beat butter & cream cheese in mixer. Sift powdered sugar into bowl. Whip. Add more powdered sugar if consistency isn't right. Add strawberries. Use spatula to scoop into ziploc bag and cool in refrigerator. Cut corner of bag and frost cooled cupcakes. Top with sprinkles.

Garlic Spinach

I love spinach! My Dad makes this spinach and it is so good! The spinach in my garden is just about ready to be cut.

Drizzle some olive oil in a small skillet. Toss some spinach in and press one clove of garlic into skillet. Stir spinach. Cook on medium heat for a few minutes and serve. Don't over cook.

Soft Wrap Bread

Recipe for the bread. I filled these with chicken, spinach, and mushrooms & onion sauteed in olive oil.

3 to 3 1/4 cups (12 3/4 to 13 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) boiling water
1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) potato flour OR 1/2 cup (5/8 ounces) potato flakes
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon instant yeast*

Place 2 cups of the flour into a bowl or the bucket of a bread machine. Pour the boiling water over the flour, and stir till smooth. Cover the bowl or bucket and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the potato flour (or flakes or buds) and 1 cup of the remaining flour with the salt, oil and yeast. Add this to the cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for several minutes (by hand, mixer or bread machine) to form a soft dough.

Note: You can allow the dough to go through the entire kneading cycle(s) in the bread machine, but it’s not necessary; about a 5-minute knead in the machine, once it gets up to full kneading speed, is fine. The dough should form a ball, but will remain somewhat sticky (the dough is fairly stiff, so don’t be worried – just be careful not to overflour the dough). Add additional flour only if necessary; if kneading by hand, keep your hands and work surface lightly oiled. Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 hour (I let mine rise up to 2 hours).

Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each about the size of a handball, around 3 ounces), cover, and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes. Roll each piece into a 7- to 8-inch circle, and dry-fry them (fry without oil) on a griddle or frying pan over medium heat for about 1 minute per side (I cooked mine about 2-3 minutes per side and they didn’t dry out), until they’re puffed and flecked with brown spots. Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly; cooking too quickly means they may be raw in the center, while too slowly will dry them out. Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack, stacking them to keep them soft. Serve immediately, or cool slightly before storing in a plastic bag.
*Makes about 8-9 breads
*This recipe works best with instant yeast because it dissolves during the kneading process, so you don’t have to knead liquid into the dough. If you really prefer to use active dry yeast, use only 1 cup boiling water for the initial dough, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water, and add this mixture to the dough along with the potato flour mixture. It’ll be somewhat “slippery” at first, but will knead in and eventually become smooth.

Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I needed a dish for a potluck and this worked out great. I really liked the flavor.

Topping:

4 slices whole wheat bread, torn into quarters
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
3 pounds potatoes (about 4-5 medium), peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream or milk
6 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded, about 2 cups
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat and sliced thinly
9 ounces deli ham, chopped

For the topping, process the bread and butter in a food processor until coarsely ground. I do not own a food processor- so I used my handy chopper. Set Aside.

For the filling, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, making sure the oven rack is in the middle. Place the potatoes, 6 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are partially cooked, about 2 minutes (don't overcook because they will continue to cook in the oven!). Carefully drain potatoes, or remove them with a slotted spoon, and transfer them to a bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onions are softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute (this helps cook out the flour taste in the roux). Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and the cream or milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking often, until slightly thickened (if using milk instead of cream, you may have to cook longer for it to thicken up a bit). Off the heat, whisk in the Swiss cheese, Dijon, and cayenne pepper until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside until ready to use.

Toss the potatoes with half of the sauce and spread into the bottom of a lightly greased 9X13-inch baking pan. Layer alternating pieces of the chicken and ham over the potatoes, overlapping as needed. This is not a scientific procedure, just make sure that the chicken is in a single layer (not on top of each other) so that it cooks thoroughly. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the chicken and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the casserole is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes (add about 5-7 additional minutes onto the baking time if baking it after it has chilled in the refrigerator for more than a couple of hours). Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Source: melskitchencafe.com

French Bread Rolls

I really loved the way these rolls turned out!
2 ¼ C warm water
2 T. sugar
1 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp oil
5 ½ -6 Cups flour-stirred before measured
Dissolve sugar and yeast in the warm water. Let this proof—or sit for a few minutes until it bubbles. Then add salt, oil and 3 cups of flour and beat well. Add in 2 1/2 -3 more cups of flour. The dough should clean off the sides of the bowl and not be too stick – but be careful not to add too much flour. Knead for a few minutes.
Leave the dough in the mixer to rest for 10 minutes and then stir it down (turn on your mixer for 10 seconds) and then allow to rest another 10 minutes. Repeat for a total of 5 times. Then turn dough onto a floured surface and divide into two equal parts. Roll each part into a 9×13 rectangle. Roll dough up, starting from long edge of loaf to seal. Arrange seam side down on large baking sheet that’s been sprinkled with corn meal, allowing room for both loaves. Repeat with second part of dough. With a sharp knife, cut 3 gashes at an angle on the top of each. Cover lightly; allow to rise 30 minutes. Brush entire surface with egg wash (one egg beaten slightly with 1 Tbsp of water). If desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.
Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Chicken Salad

Oh, how I LOVE chicken salad!
This is the best recipe I have tried. Recipe from The Pioneer Woman.

1 whole Cut Up Fryer Chicken
2 stalks (to 3 Stalks) Celery, Chopped
3 whole Green Onions, Chopped
2 cups (to 3 Cups) Grapes, Halved
A Small Handful Of Fresh Dill, Minced
½ cups Mayonnaise
½ cups Plain Yogurt Or Sour Cream
1 Tablespoon (to 2 Tablespoons) Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon (to 2 Tablespoons) Lemon Juice
Kosher Salt To Taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper To Taste

Rinse chicken thoroughly and place in a large pot of water. Turn on the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is done (about 45 minutes to an hour). When you are ready, remove the chicken from the pot and place on a plate. With your fingers or a fork, pull all of the meat off the bones, chop into bite-sized chunks and set aside.
Chop all of your fruits and veggies and place them in a bowl with the chicken.
In another bowl mix mayonnaise, yogurt (or sour cream), lemon juice, brown sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Add fresh herbs (dill, oregano, cilantro).
When the dressing tastes just right (you must taste test for appropriate saltiness especially), pour it over the chicken/veggie/fruit mixture and stir gently until everything is thoroughly mixed.
Allow the salad to chill for several hours (or even overnight). Serve on a bed of lettuce or in a sandwich. You’ll love it!