Sweet and Sour Chicken

I got this recipe off of the Food Network, courtesy of Cathy Lowe. It's pretty easy and yummy.

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced into strips (I cubed mine)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
4 tsp cornstarch mixed with 4 tsp water
1 cup canned pineapple chunks, drained with 1/2 cup reserved juice
3 Tbsp light brown sugar
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup chicken stock

In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Season chicken and add to pan. Brown chicken and remove to plate. Add red and green peppers and cook for 1 minute. Stir in pineapple chunks, juice, sugar, vinegar and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sauce begins to reduce. Stir in cornstarch mixture and bring liquid to a simmer. Stir in chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

Skrit Steak with Blue Cheese Butter

1 1/2 to 2 lbs skirt steak (tenderized flank steak)
evoo (extra virgin olive oil) for drizzling
steak seasoning blend
4 Tbspn butter, softened
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
2 Tbspn chopped chives

Heat a grill pan over high heat. (Matt used a regular non-stick skillet pan) Drizzle meat with evoo and steak or grill seasoning blend. Grill meat 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove meat and let it rest 5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute.

Mix butter with cheese crumbles and chives.

Slice meat very thin on a heavy angle. Place the meat on a plate and top with small scoops of blue cheese butter. Butter gets all oozie-melty. So yummy.

Courtesy of Rachael Ray - 30 minute meals.

We made up a box of wild rice and sauteed some spinach for sides. Made for a quick and yummy dinner.

Bush's Best 3 bean chili

Got this from a Bush beans cookbook, it's yummy. Makes about 4-6 servings. I overflowed my crock-pot when I made the recipe as written, so this edited to be half of the original quantities.

1 lb lean ground beef
1 1/2 t chili powder (or more, lots more if you are me)
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 small bell pepper, chopped and seeded
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1/2 can diced tomatoes
1/2 small can tomato paste
dash salt
1/2 t garlic salt
1/2 t black pepper
1/4 t ground cumin
dash cinnamon

Brown ground beef, pour off fat. Add to crock pot, add all other ingredients. (Note: I usually only add about 75% of the bean liquid, or it is too runny.) Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours or high 2-3 hours. Garnish with sharp cheddar and eat with lots of Fritos!

Burrito Skillet

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 25 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings


1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
¼ cup finely chopped onion (I sprinkle dehydrated onion flakes onto the meat to save time)
1 package taco seasoning
1 (19 oz) can kidney beans (drain and rinse)
1 Taco Bell bottle salsa (I looked and we use the bottle called "Restaurant Sauce")
1 cup water
4 flour tortillas, torn into pieces
1 cup shredded cheese (Mexican blend)
optional: 1/3 cup sour cream, 1/3 cup chopped green onion



1. Brown ground beef and onion in large skillet.
2. Add seasoning mix, kidney beans, salsa, water and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer 5 min.
3. Stir in tortillas, top with cheese. Cover; let stand 5 min or until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and chives.

Gumbo

I took this to Brandy on Wednesday, though I am kind-of embarrased to admit it's not a recipe... not really.  

1 box Zatarain's Gumbo Mix with Rice

1 rotisserie chicken's worth of dark meat (we have the rotisserie chicken the night before we have the gumbo and I just pull the remaining meat off the bones and into little pieces for the gumbo)

1 package of smoked sausage (we used this kind) 

1 or 2 extra packs of Boil-in-a-bag instant rice

Prepare gumbo mix per box directions... add chicken and sausage (or one or the other or seafood), fix the extra rice, enjoy!

I didn't check the mix for MSG but I know the sausage has it.

Cinnamon Lime Fajitas

I know grilling season is quickly disappearing -- but these fajitas are baked! I tried them at first because when we lived, like, 20 feet from the Rio Grande River, we ate a lot of fajitas and Mexicans (and Mexican Americans) squeeze lime on everything. (A salad down there is shredded lettuce with lime squeezed on top.) The Lime part caught my eye, but we weren't sure how the rest of it would taste. It was fantastic!

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno peppers
• 1 lime, juiced
• 12 (6 inch) corn tortillas, warmed (we use the freshly made flour tortillas from our HEB plus! which we cook just a tad more than they're already cooked)
  

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Place potatoes in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle with about 1/2 the oil, and season with salt. Bake 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender.
3. Meanwhile, season chicken with cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Arrange in a separate baking dish, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Cool and shred.
4. Heat remaining oil in a skillet over medium heat, and saute onion and garlic until tender. Mix in shredded chicken, jalapeno, and lime juice. Cook until heated through.
5. Serve the chicken and potatoes in warmed tortillas.

Original Recipe on allrecipes.com with nutrition information and portion options

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Yes, it's my "signature" recipe, and one of the fastest dinners I know how to make. It is kind of expensive, so you could totally substitute homemade pizza crust and mozzarella, but we save up for the occasional treat of the fontina. Mmmm...it's just so nutty and gooey and elegant.

1 Boboli original pizza crust
1 cup cooked shredded chicken
1 small box frozen chopped spinach
2 t lemon juice
1 t minced garlic
1/2 small container light alfredo sauce (buy in the refrigerated pasta section)
1 c shredded fontina cheese (I just buy the smallest block for sale in the deli, usually it is enough)

Heat oven to 450. Thaw spinach in microwave and squeeze dry. Mix spinach, chicken, lemon juice, and garlic in a big bowl. Spread alfredo on pizza crust, spread spinach mixture over it, top with shredded cheese. Bake for 8-10 min or until cheese in center is melted. I like to top this with tons of red pepper flakes and chopped walnuts.

Paul's Mom's Beef Bourgignon

1.5 lb top sirloin or round, cut to 1" cubes (or stew meat, whatever is on sale)
1/4 c flour
12-14 oz beef broth
4 slices cooked bacon crumbled
1/2 t butter (optional)
1/2 t thyme
2 cloves garlic pressed
1 c diced onion (or sliced in long strips if you prefer)
12 oz decent red wine (cooking wine is too salty, I use whatever cheap wine is on sale)
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
parsley to taste
salt and pepper
olive oil
cooked rice or noodles

Oil pan and preheat on med-high. Put meat and flour in ziploc bag and shake to coat. Saute cubed meat until brown. Take out and pour off the oil. Return meat to pan, add rest of ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover, simmer on med-low 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Serve over rice or egg noodles. Thicken sauce with cornstarch to desired consistency.

We like to serve this with egg noodles and salad and hot crusty bread and the rest of the red wine. Makes great leftovers.

Grilled Honey Lime Chicken Sandwiches

This is one our favorite Rachel Ray 30 minute meal recipes. Great on or off a sandwich, and great leftover the next day, too!

1 lime, juiced
2 tbspn honey
1 rounded tspn cumin
handful cilantro, finely chopped, about 1/2 tbspn
2 Tbsp EVOO (extra vergin olive oil)
4 boneless skinless chicken breast (I use the thin ones)

Kaiser Rolls

Combine 1st 5 ingredients in a bowl. Coat chicken in dressing and set aside for 10 minutes. Grill chicken on grill pan, or outdoor grill if you prefer, 6 to 7 minutes on each side. Or you can pan fry over medium high heat 6 minutes a side.

Toppings: lettuce, tomato, red onion, and sliced avocado
We spread ranch dressing on the Kaiser Rolls. She also recommends salsa verde as a condiment.

On the side, we serve Chili Roasted Potatoes

Grilled Greek Chicken Kabobs

I found this recipe in the Summer 2007 issue of Kraft's Food & Family magazine. David grilled it up and it's delicious. We have it whenever he feels like grilling something and we want a light meal.

• 1/2 cup KRAFT Greek Vinaigrette Dressing
• 2 Tbsp. KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise
• 1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 red onion, cut into small wedges (we use sweet onion, Mmmm when it gets a little burnt!)
  
• 1 lemon, halved

COMBINE dressing and mayo; pour into large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with the dressing mixture. Refrigerate at least 20 min. or up to 2 hours to marinate.

PREHEAT grill to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade. Thread chicken and onions alternately onto 16 wooden skewers. (Soak the skewers for about 30 min in water to keep them from burning/catching fire when they go on the grill.)

GRILL 8 to 10 min. or until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally. Meanwhile, place lemon, cut-sides down, on grill grate next to kabobs. Squeeze lemon juice over kabobs just before serving.

Easy King Ranch Chicken

2 chicken breasts, boiled and chopped/shredded
1 can rotel (we have been using mild so the boys will eat it)
1 can cream of chicken
corn tortillas - I end up using about 6
Monterrey Jack Cheese
white rice

Combine chicken, rotel, cream of chicken, and a handful of cheese. Tear up corn tortillas into pieces and add to chicken mixture. Spread in a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Top with cheese and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve over rice. Or you can serve with a bag of HEB spanish rice (frozen veggie section, 4 minutes in the microwave!) and a side of some type of beans.

Poppyseed Chicken

1-2 cups boiled, chopped/shredded chicken (2 boneless breasts)
8 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken
1 Tbsp poppyseeds

1 stick butter
1 sleeve ritz crackers

Combine first 4 ingredients and spread in a casserole dish. Melt butter and crush entire sleeve of ritz crackers into it. Spread cracker mixture on top of chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

We like to serve it over white rice.
My kids will even eat this one!

Medieval Roasted Chicken

OMG. This is the juiciest chicken we have ever eaten. Enough said.

• 1 roaster chicken (we usually buy a "whole chicken" that's already been cut up)
  
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup paprika
• 1/2 cup granulated garlic
• 2 cups lemon juice
  
• 1/2 cup lemon pepper
• 1/4 cup Italian spice
• 2 teaspoons salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine all ingredients together to prepare the marinade. Dip the whole chicken in the marinade. Cover chicken completely with marinade. Let sit for 4 to 5 minutes. (We usually marinate it for 30 min or so, just to get it good and soaked with all that flavor.) Place chicken on a sheet pan. Cook for 50 minutes uncovered, or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. (We also find that 50 min is not enough for the thickest pieces of chicken. Use a thermometer to make sure the chicken is done when in doubt.)

Original Recipe on foodnetwork.com

Slow Cooker DrPepper Ribs

This is my (Jen's) all-time favorite ribs recipe because it is SO EASY. It's even easier if you use one of those slow-cooker bags because then when it comes time to drain the ribs, you don't have to lift the hot ceramic bowl out of the crock-pot. Just grab the bag, drain, and toss it and replace the ribs back into the clean ceramic bowl.

• 3 1/2 pounds pork loin back ribs or pork spare ribs (we just buy a full rack of ribs)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup Dr Pepper (or water, or other soda)
• 2/3 cup barbecue sauce (we like Sweet Baby Ray's the best for this recipe. Rudy's just isn't sweet enough)

1. Spray inside of 5-6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray (or just use one of those bags I mentioned above).
2. Cut ribs into 2 or 3 rib portions. Place ribs in slow cooker; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour Dr Pepper (or water or other soda) into slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 9 hours or until ribs are tender. Remove ribs. Discard liquid.
4. Paint BBQ sauce over ribs and replace ribs into slow cooker. Pour a little additional sauce over ribs. Cover and cook on low heat for 1 hour.

Chicken Tetrazini

This is one of our all-time favorites. We leave out the mushrooms, but that's up to you. David and I agree that the leftovers are so much better than the day you make it. This is supposed to serve 4 but we find that we can often get 6 servings out of it.

• 1 (8 ounce) package spaghetti, broken into pieces
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sherry
• 1 (4.5 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat, and gradually stir in chicken broth and cream.
4. Return to heat, and bring to a low boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add sherry, then stir in cooked spaghetti, mushrooms, and chicken. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish, and top with Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Original Recipe on allrecipes.com with nutrition information and adjustable serving sizes