Stuffed Peppers

I did this last night for our family with delicious green bell peppers fresh from our garden.

1 Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, cut top off peppers 1 inch from the stem end, and remove seeds. Add several generous pinches of salt to boiling water, then add peppers and boil, using a spoon to keep peppers completely submerged, until brilliant green (or red if red peppers) and their flesh slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Drain, set aside to cool.

2 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Prepare Cafe Rio(cilantro/lime rice) Rice. The recipe is found under "Sides". Season and brown meat. Drain oil. Blend a can of Mexican Stewed Tomatoes - I prefer the Mexican Stewed Tomatoes with Cilatro by Western Family - and add to meat. Honestly, I did the can because it is was fast and easy. You can do whatever kind of sauce you prefer.

3 Mix cooked rice and meat/tomato mixture together.
Place peppers in baking dish. Put a layer of cheese in bottom of pepper, then stuff meat and rice mixture, and top with another layer of cheese. Add 1/4 cup water to the bottom of the baking dish and cook for 40-50 minutes (longer if peppers are large).

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

1/4 cup KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing, divided

1 tomato, finely chopped

1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

HEAT grill to medium heat.

COVER half the grill grate with sheet of heavy-duty foil. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag. Add 2 Tbsp. dressing; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with dressing. Refrigerate 10 min. Remove chicken from bag; discard bag and dressing.

PLACE chicken on uncovered side of grill; cover with lid. Grill 6 min. Meanwhile, combine remaining dressing, tomatoes, cheese and basil.

TURN chicken over; place on foil. Top with tomato mixture. Grill, covered, grill 8 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF)
.

recipe from KRAFT

Honey Lime Enchiladas

4-5 T. honey
5 T. lime juice
1 T. chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream


Mix the honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic together and toss with the shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (or toss together in a Ziploc bag and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours). Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese (and a little enchilada sauce), saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Winger's sticky fingers

Breading the chicken:
1 lb chicken (or as many as needed)
1/2 to 1 c. flour
1/2 to 1 c. cornstarch
3 eggs, beaten
oil to fry
Dip chicken in egg, then flour and then cornstarch making sure the chicken is covered well. Fry chicken in oil in an electric skillet.
(You may also buy frozen chicken that is already breaded and cook according to the package).

Amazing Sauce:
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. ketchup
1 T. honey
2 tsp. Louisiana hot sauce (this stuff rocks)
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
Over medium heat combine all ingredients and once its a low boil take off the stove.

Dip cooked chicken into the sauce covering all sides and place on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes or until sauce thickens and becomes sticky.
Use remaining sauce to serve on the side.

I usually like to double the recipe for extra sauce and serve with ranch and celery sticks

Rosemary Roasted Turkey

Ingredients

3/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste
1 (12 pound) whole turkey
Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, basil, Italian seasoning, black pepper and salt. Set aside.
Wash the turkey inside and out; pat dry. Remove any large fat deposits. Loosen the skin from the breast. This is done by slowly working your fingers between the breast and the skin. Work it loose to the end of the drumstick, being careful not to tear the skin.
Using your hand, spread a generous amount of the rosemary mixture under the breast skin and down the thigh and leg. Rub the remainder of the rosemary mixture over the outside of the breast. Use toothpicks to seal skin over any exposed breast meat.
Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Add about 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the pan. Roast in the preheated oven 3 to 4 hours, or until the internal temperature of the bird reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C).

Kandace's Crock Pot Chicken Stew

4 Chicken Breasts
1 can Chicken Broth
1 can Diced Tomatoes
1 can Black Beans, drained & rinsed
1 C Orange Juice
1/2 Small Onion, diced
1 Jalapeno, diced (optional)
2 TB Cilantro, chopped
1 TB Minced Garlic
2 Limes, juiced
Salt & Pepper

1 - Season & brown all sides of the chicken in a skillet (I used Mansmith's Chipotle & Lime). Cut into bite size pieces & put in crock pot.
2- Pour in the rest of the ingredients, mix & turn on the crock pot. (High for 2 hours or Low for 4 hours)
3 - Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

1-1/2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked

1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 tsp. dried basil leaves

1 jar (14-1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained

2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, cubed

1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

COOK pasta as directed on package, adding spinach to the boiling water the last minute.

COOK and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 3 min. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomatoes; bring to boil. Simmer on low heat 3 min. or until chicken is done. Stir in Neufchatel.

DRAIN pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole or 8-inch square baking dish.

BAKE 20 min.; top with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min. or until mozzarella is melted.

From Kraftfoods.com, located here.

Vegtable Pizza

This is a great way to use a lot of your gardens vegetables.

1 medium zucchini, quartered length wise
1 small yellow summer squash, quartered lengthwise
1 small red sweet pepper, quartered lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
1/4 cup mayo or salad dressing
2 tablespoons purchased basil pesto
1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil
1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano
4 6-7 inch flour tortillas
1 cup shredded mozzarella or smoked provolone cheese

1. Brush zucchini, summer squash, and sweet pepper with oil; sprinkle with pepper and salt. Place on grill directly over medium heat until crisp-tender, turning once halfway through grilling. Allow 8-10 minutes of sweet pepper and 5-6 minutes for zucchini and summer squash. Remove vegetables from grill.

2. Chop grilled vegetables. In medium bowl combine chopped vegetables, tomato, mayo, pesto, basil, and oregano. Place tortillas on grill rack directly over heat. Spread the vegetable mixture over the tortilla. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Cover and grill for 2-3 minutes more or until tortillas are lightly toasted, vegetables are just heated, and cheese begins to melt. Carefully remove from grill. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and grill vegetables and tortillas as above.)

Notes:
When I made this I didn't have the pesto and it still tasted pretty good. Be careful when you place the tortillas on the grill I left them for a little over a minute and they started on fire! So I used the raw tortillas from Costco and place them raw on the grill and let the grill cook them.

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Pork

You can do this with pork chops or ribs. I buy the boneless 'country style' ribs when they go on sale (& stock up!).

Brown meat on all sides in a hot frying pan with a little oil.

Meanwhile, mix in crockpot:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
(I usually do this 1 & 1/2 times for an average package of meat)

Once the meat is browned, put it in the crockpot with sauce & turn it on low for 8ish hours or high for 4ish hours.

I usually serve this with rice. While the rice is cooking I ladle out the sauce from the crockpot & put it in a pot on the stove & thicken it with cornstarch & water (stir it in really good & make sure it boils).

Cheesy Crouton Chicken Bake

from Tonya Leavitt

4-6 skinless chicken breasts or 6-8 skinless thighs
4-6 slices of cheese; Swiss, Provalone, or Jack
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 pkg. onion soup mix
2 cups croutons
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken pieces in 9x13 pan. Cover each piece of chicken with a slice of cheese. In a small bowl mix broth and soup packet, pour over cheese. coarsely crush croutons and sprinkle over chicken. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked throughout.

Two Summer Favorites

Here are two of our favorite recipes during summer. We like to eat them together too! :)

ORANGE GRILLED CHICKEN
1 c. Italian salad dressing (we use Kraft Zesty Italian or prepared Good Seasons Italian)
1 (6 oz.) can orange juice concentrate
1/2 tsp. salt
boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Mix salad dressing, orange juice concentrate and salt together. Pour over chicken and allow to marinate until ready to grill. (I pour it over frozen chicken breasts and let it marinate while they thaw in the refrigerator.)

*Hint: if I can't find the small can of OJ concentrate at the store, I mix up a double batch, pour the second half over desired number of chicken breasts and freeze it for another day.

STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD
2 lb. packages ready to eat spinach
12 wonton skins cut into 4 triangles, fried
1/2 c. fresh bacon bits
1 cup strawberries, sliced
1/2 c. red pepper, finely chopped (optional)
1 bermuda onion, thinly sliced (optional)
1/4 c. grated fresh parmesan cheese
1 cup toasted sliced almonds

Toast sliced almonds in 1 tbsp. butter and 3 tbsp. sugar. Fry wonton skins. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Just before serving, add desired amount of dressing.

Dressing
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
3/4 c. salad oil
1/2-1 tsp. dry mustard
1/3 c. sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 c. jam (raspberry or strawberry)

My variations:
*Instead frying my own wontons, I buy the pre-packaged wonton strips (at our local grocery store they are in the produce department with the salad toppers)
*I don't like to cook bacon, so I use a jar of Hormel real bacon pieces (found by the salad dressings at our local grocery store).
*If you don't want to toast your own almonds, the butter toffee sliced almonds found with the salad toppers are really good in this salad.
*My family doesn't like straight spinach, so I use less spinach and toss in a little red leaf and green leaf lettuce.

Chicken Cheesesteak Sandwiches

1 pound chicken cutlets (I use boneless skinless chicken tenders)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt and pepper
2 mixed bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
6 ounces sliced provolone cheese
4 soft hoagie rolls, split lengthwise
1/4 cup light mayonnaise


Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. On a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, toss chicken with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Broil, without turning, until chicken is opaque throughout, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board (reserve baking sheet); let cool, and thinly slice. Set chicken aside.
On baking sheet, toss together peppers, onion, garlic, and remaining tablespoon oil. Broil, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender and slightly charred, 8 to 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add chicken to broiled vegetables; toss, and spread in a single layer.
Top chicken and vegetables with cheese; broil until cheese is bubbling, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Scoop out most of the doughy center from both halves of rolls; discard. Spread rolls with mayonnaise; fill with chicken and vegetables.

I serve with seasoned fries.

*Recipe from Everyday Foods Oct.2008

Cafe Rio Salad

CAFE RIO SALAD

There are 3 parts to the salad: the rice, the pork, and the dressing.

[ LIME-CILANTRO RICE ]

2 Tbsp. oil

4 c. long grain rice (6 c. water)

1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

juice of 2 limes

2 tsp. crushed garlic

Heat oil in a large skillet.

Add rice, cilantro, and garlic. Saute 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add water and lime juice and bring to boil. Then reduce heat and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed by the rice (about 20 minutes). You can also use a rice cooker if you have one.

[ CAFE RIO PORK ]

pork roast

1 (16 oz.) bottle of salsa

1 can coke

2 c. brown sugar

Place pork in crock-pot and fill it half way up with water. Cook roast on high for 5 hours. Drain off water. Cut pork in thirds. Mix together ingredients (salsa, coke, brown sugar) and put on top of pork. Cook an additional 3 hours on high. Shred pork with forks. Leave it on low until ready to serve.

[ CREAMY TOMATILLA SALAD DRESSING ]

1 packet hidden valley ranch buttermilk dressing

1 c. buttermilk

1 c. mayo or sour cream

2-3 tomatillas (peel off outer leaf/shell)

1 tsp. crushed garlic

¾ bunch fresh cilantro

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

juice from 1 lime (about 2 tsp.)

salt & pepper

Blend all ingredients in the blender. Refrigerate.

[ SERVING ]

Of course you can assemble everything burrito-style. I prefer salad-style. For one serving, I first put a tortilla on a plate (or a large serving bowl, like the pasta bowl shown in the photo). Then put rice, pork, some chopped lettuce, and the dressing. Finally, garnish your salad with shredded cheese, tomatoes, sliced avocados, or whatever you want.

Note: I strongly prefer and recommend the uncooked tortillas over regular ol' packaged tortillas. Check the refrigerated section of your local grocery store. Our Costco carries them too. Just throw the tortilla in a pan over the stove top, give it a few flips, and it's cooked.

Beef Noodle Bowl

This recipe has quickly become a family favorite. It is easy and the kids even love it. Enjoy!

Beef Noodle Bowl
8 oz. linguine, uncooked (I've made it with the 12 oz. package too, because our kids love the noodles)
3 cups broccoli florets
3 medium carrots, peeled, sliced (about 2 cups)
2 tsp. oil
1 lb. beef sirloin steak, cut into strips
1/4 c. Kraft Zesty Italian dressing (we also like to use prepared Good Seasons Italian)
1/4 c. teriyaki sauce (we like to use Yoshida's)
1 tsp. ground ginger (you can use less if desired)

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli and carrots to the cooking water for the last 2 minutes of the pasta cooking time. Drain pasta mixture. Meanwhile, heat oil in large non-stick skillet. Add meat; cook until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing, teriyaki sauce and ginger; cook until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. (Last time I made this I also added a little cornstarch to thicken the sauce.) Toss pasta and meat mixtures in large serving bowl. Serve with extra teriyaki sauce.

*For added crunch, sprinkle with 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts just before serving.

Hello! Just want to share a few easy dinner ideas. I have started buying the pork roasts that come in a 3 pack at costco. I usually throw one in the crock pot and smother it in taco seasoning and salsa. I cook it on low or high (depending on time frame) and shred it. I use it for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or salads. Pretty yummy! Today I decided to try something different. I put the roast in the crock pot and put about 1/4 a container of honey teriyaki marinade on it and added about 1/2 cup of water. I threw in some carrots. At the end of the day I shredded it and served it with rice. Very yummy! I will probably add more vegetables next time. Has anyone ever put broccoli in the crock pot? Hope you enjoy this easy and tasty recipe idea :)

Cream Cheese Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 stick butter
1 package Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 bar cream cheese
1 pound gemelli pasta
Preparation
In your slow cooker place the chicken, put stick of butter on top and pour package of Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing onto it all.Cook on low for 5 hours. Take out chicken and either use your kitchen shears or a knife to slice.Place sliced chicken back into slow cooker. Add can of cream of chicken soup and bar of cream cheese. Mix well and cook for another hour on low. Serve on gemelli pasta that you have prepared.

This recipe comes from Kraftfoods.com, user recipe exchange. Very yummy!

"Diego" Soup

2 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can chicken broth
1 cup salsa (1 can of mexi-stewed tomatoes works well if no salsa on hand)
1 can (15oz) corn, drained
1 can (15oz) black beans, drained
3/4 package taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Place chicken in greased slow cooker.
Pour taco seasoning, salsa, corn, and black beans over chicken.
Add broth.
Cover and cook on low 6-8 hrs or high 3-4 hrs.
Remove chicken, shred it then stir back in.
Stir in sour cream and cheese.

We serve it with the Cafe Rio rice recipe below and home made tortilla strips.

We got this recipe from the "101 More Things To Do With a Slow Cooker" cook book and altered it to our liking. We call it "Diego" soup so the boys (who love Diego) will eat it.

A twist on Mex-Tex Salad

What a fun idea. Here is a yummy and quite easy summer recipe.


Cafe Rio Chicken
1 small bottle or Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves garlic
5 lbs chicken breasts *This makes a lot - I usually half it.

Salad
Romain lettuce
Roma tomatoes
Cotija Cheese
tortilla strips (I've only found these at Albertsons hanging above their bagged lettuce.)

Dressing
1 buttermilk ranch salad dressing (make as per recipe)
2 tomatillos * depending on how spicy you want it, I add only 1 tomatillo and 1/4 bunch cilantro
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 clove of garlic
1 lime juiced
jalapeno

Use a food processor to blend all together

*serves 20

Taste very similar to costa vida salads.

Creme Vichyssoise

3 c leeks or yellow onion
6 c diced potatoes
6 c chicken broth
6 T butter
2 c milk
2 c sour cream
2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t paprika
4 t snipped chives or watercress to granish (optional)

Cook onions, broth, potatoes, and seasonings.
Cool and process in blender.(We use our hand mixer which works great with less mess.)
Add milk, sour cream and butter to processed mixture.
Heat, do not boil.
We like to garnish with cheese and bacon bites from Costco. Yum!

Note: we got this recipe from our friend Kathy Lyon and it is our favorite soup. Thanks for sharing Kathy!!

Mashed Potatoe Casserole

5 pounds potatoes (8 large)
8 oz of cream cheese, softened
1c. sour cream
2 tsp. garlic salt (optional)
1.2 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. butter
Peel potatoes and cook til tender then mash. In a small bowl
beat the cream cheese and sour cream til blended.
Add cream cheese mixture as well as the spices. Blend well
Turn into a 3-4 quart buttered casserole dish.
Cover with foil and bake @ 400 degrees for 50 to 60 mins.
Let it sit for a few minutes before serving.
Or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days then cook it when needed.
May leave out the garlic if you don't want garlic potatoes.