Italian Bread Salad

4 c. cubed French bread
1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
3-4 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 c. ham, cubed
8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cubes
2-3 green onions, chopped

Dressing:
6 TBS olive oil
3 TBS red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced (I know I didn't use this much)
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Bake bread cubes at 325 for 15 min or until lightly browned (mine took a little longer to get crisp.) Reserve one cup and scatter remaining bread on a serving platter. Top with lettuce, tomato, ham, cheese. Drizzle with dressing and toss. let stand 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with remaining bread cubes and green onions. (I didn't follow exactly. Used a bag of romaine, one large tomato, 2 green onions, however much ham I wanted and 8 oz. cheese. I just put it all in a big bowl and mixed the dressing in about 15 minutes before we ate.)

Super Easy Salisbury Steaks

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 medium onion finely chopped

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

2 8-oz jars beef gravy (I like Boston Market brand)

Preheat oven to 350.

In a bowl, combine beef, onions, bread crumbs, egg, and 1/2 jar of gravy. Mix well. Form into 4-6 oval patties and place in baking dish. Pour the remaining gravy over the meat.

Cover the pan with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes longer.

Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.

Montreal Steak

The suggested/preferred steak to use for this is the petite sirloin. You can also buy the thin slice so the marinate really soaks in, plus the steaks cook fast on the grill. I also let this steak marinate all day in this recipe. So delicious!

1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning
2 pounds boneless beef sirloin or New York strip steaks

Mix oil, soy sauce and Steak Seasoning in small bowl. Place steak in large re-sealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add marinade; turn to coat well. Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor. Remove steak from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade. Grill over medium-high heat 6 to 8 minutes per side or until desired doneness.

Makes 8 servings.

Grilled Chicken Marinade

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons finely minced fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, mix together oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, wine vinegar, and lemon juice. Stir in mustard powder, salt, pepper, and parsley. Use to marinate chicken before cooking as desired. The longer you marinate, the more flavor it will have.

Now I will tell you how I did it, because I never follow a recipe exactly! I was out of worcestershire sauce, so I added 1 cup of soy sauce to kind of make up for it. I didn't have dry mustard, so I added about 2 TBSP of prepared mustard, it probably could have used even more. I only used 1 tsp of pepper and I didn't have fresh parsley, so I just used dried, I didn't measure. I also added some minced garlic. This recipe makes a lot, so next time I will half it. I saved what I didn't use, I will let you know how it keeps in the refrigerator. It was some of the best grilled chicken I have had! Both of my boys loved it too, so you know it was good!

Chicken Salad

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 cups diced, cooked chicken breast meat
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 1/2 cups diced Swiss cheese (I didn't have any, not sure if it's good or not)
1 1/2 cups halved green grapes

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, salt, poultry seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and lemon juice.
In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, celery, green onions, water chestnuts, Swiss cheese, and grapes. Add the mayonnaise mixture, and stir to coat. Chill until serving.
I also added poppy seeds because I like them in chicken salad. I usually make chicken salad with only chicken, mayo, celery, and grapes, but I wanted something different and with a little more taste. This was really good!

Chicken Scallopini

This tastes very close to Macaroni Grill version, which I love! I actually halved the recipe and it was plenty. Rob and I both had good sized helpings for dinner and Luke ate a ton of the pasta and there was still enough left over for me for lunch. I made quite a few changes and it still turned out really well.

4 oz. lemon juice
2 oz. white wine (I substituted chicken broth)
4 oz. heavy cream (I substituted half and half)
1 lb. butter (I couldn't bring myself to use this much butter, I used about 3/4 the amt it called for)
6-8 chicken breasts, pounded thin (I used chicken tenders)
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS butter
1/2 c.-3/4 c. flour for dredging chicken
salt and pepper to taste
6 oz. pancetta (My store didn't have it, so I used regular bacon)
12 oz. mushrooms
12 oz. artichoke hearts
1 TBS capers (I did add these, but my capers didn't taste anything like capers I have had at restaurants, so I wouldn't add them next time)
1 lb. angel hair pasta

For chicken:
Heat 2 TBS olive oil and 2 TBS butter in pan. Dredge chicken in flour and saute until done. Remove chicken from pan and add bacon (I had cooked mine separately), mushrooms, artichoke hearts and capers. Saute until mushrooms are tender. Add chicken back to the pan. (I kept the chicken in tender sized pieces, but next time I might cut it up to make it easier to mix it all together.)

For sauce:
Heat lemon juice and wine (broth) in saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce by 1/3. Add cream, simmer until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Slowly add butter. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over pasta and chicken mixture.

Yummy Yummy

I invented this little meal the other day and I looooove it!! You just make some brown rice, then when its done you put in cheese(fat free to be healthy),chicken(I used the frozen grilled kind), stolen but not really packets of Taco Bell sauce, and fat free sour cream with a ranch packet mixed into that prior. Seriously, it is really good, and It seems kinda healthy? Its good cause I crave Taco Bell A lot, so when you use their sauce on your own stuff, it taste like somethin they would make!! You could add black beans too, I'll do that next time!!!

Light Meatloaf

I found this in the Food Network Magazine-Comfort Foods done Light-this particular one is from Bobby Flay

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small zucchini, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste with coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
11/2 pounds ground turkey (90 percent lean)
1 cup panko (coarse Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the zucchini, bell peppers, garlic paste and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are almost soft, about 5 minutes.

Set aside to cool.

Whisk the egg and fresh herbs in a large bowl. Add the turkey, panko, grated cheese, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and the cooled vegetables; mix until just combined.
Gently press the mixture into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan (bread pan).

Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes in a small bowl; brush the mixture over the entire loaf. Bake for 1 to 11/4 hours. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

I made this on Saturday and it is WELL worth the effort. If you have one of those pampered chef chopper gadgets, it makes it pretty easy-easier yet would be a food processor. It is really good and it only has like two hundred and some calories per serving...I didn't add the herbs, but it was still great! I hope you like it! The glaze is to die for:)

Chicken Curry

This is a combination of 2 recipes (one from Laura, thanks!), so not the most exact thing ever, but we really like how it turned out!

1 1/2 TBS olive oil
1 onion sliced thin
2 cloves garlic
2 TBS curry powder
1/2 c. plain yogurt, (I think I used a little more)
3/4 c. cream, half and half or coconut milk.(I used half and half one time and coconut milk once, we like it better with half and half.)
1/2 tsp. salt, maybe more to taste
1/4 tsp.pepper, maybe more to taste
a dash or two of cinnamon
a dash or two of paprika
1/2 can diced tomatoes, drained
2 or 3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced. We also added a few shrimp.
basmati rice, this rice is so good and if my Walmart sells it, yours will too!

Saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add curry and other spices and cook for 1 minute. Add yogurt and cream. Cook for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and chicken. Cook until heated through. Serve over basmati rice. It is yummy, but in my opinion, it does not make enough sauce. So, next time I am doubling everything but the chicken, so it will be saucier. And then you won't have a half can of tomatoes and half a thing of yogurt left over. I made naan bread to go with it and if I can find the recipe again, I will post that too.

Ritz Chicken

So this is a family recipe...hence no measurements. But it's a real crowd pleaser so I thought I'd share it with my extended "family:)"

1 Dinner Sized Plate of Boneless, Skinless Chicken Tenders
1 bottle Sweet or Honey French Dressing (T. Marzettis or Litehouse is best)
1 Regular sized Bag Mozerella Cheese
1 "tube" Ritz Crackers

Pour the dressing into a zip-lock baggie; put the chicken in there and roll it around to coat it well with the dressing. Smash up the crackers and cover the bottom of a pan. Next add a layer of cheese. Put the chicken on top of that, then more cheese, and then top with crushed crackers.

Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes (until the chicken is done and the juices are bubbly).

I like it with peas and white rice:)

Let me know if this doesn't make sense and I'll see if I can expand the recipe.

Chili

2 lbs beef
1 (29oz) can tomato sauce
1 (29oz) can kidney beans (I use 1 15oz can dark beans and 1 15oz can light beans)
1 (29oz) can pinto beans (I use 1 15oz can)
1 c. diced onion
1 small can diced green chilies
2 cans diced tomatoes (I have used regular and chili ready)
1/3 c. diced celery (I'm not sure on the measurement, I just put some in)
3 TBS chili powder (I use a little less)
2-3 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
2 c. water (or more if it seems too thick)

Brown and drain beef. Add all ingredients and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring every 15-20 minutes. There you have it, the chili that won a blue ribbon at the ward chili cook-off 3 years ago...though I'm not entirely sure that Rob didn't bribe the judges somehow :)

Black Bean Enchiladas

1 can black beans
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. chili powder
3 tbs. olive oil
salt to take
1/2 onion, chopeed
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
2 16 oz. can of tomato sauce
A whole bunch of shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Four tortillas

Heat oil in a large skillet and saute onions over medium hear until they soften. Add the garlic, salt, herbs, and chili powder. Cook for another few minutes. Add 1 can tomato sauce and most of the chopped cilantro. Simmer together for 15 minutes. Add beans. Continue heating over low to medium heat until beans are heated. Taste mixture and add more seasoning if necessary.

Pour some tomato sauce from the 2nd can into a baking pan, enough to coat tortillas. Put tortillas in baking pan and fill with black bean mixture and some cheese. When all tortillas are assembled, pour on more tomato cause, and garnish with shredded cheese and cilantro. Bake covered at 350 until warm and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Chicken Pockets

I seriously love these things! (I just made them regular, but I think you could make these a little lighter by using reduced or fat free cream cheese and crescent rolls.)
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon chopped pimento peppers (optional)
1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls
1 tablespoon butter, melted
3/4 cup croutons ( I used Italian breadcrumbs instead)
I also added some dry Italian dressing to make it taste more like Anne's Chicken

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine until smooth. Add the chicken, onion, salt, pepper, milk and pimento. Mix well.
Separate crescent dough into four rectangles. Firmly press perforations to seal. Spoon 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture onto the center of each rectangle. Pull 4 corners of dough to center of chicken mixture and twist firmly. Pinch edges to seal.
Place sandwiches on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush tops of sandwiches with 1 tablespoon of melted butter or margarine; sprinkle with crushed croutons. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes 4 pockets.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

This weekend it snowed in Utah inspiring me to make some warm comfort food. This recipe came from my new favorite cookbook by Trisha Yearwood...it's supposed to serve 10, but by Sunday night Nate and I had polished off the whole dish:)

2 Cups Cooked Rice

3 Cups Cooked Chopped Broccoli

1 Cup Sour Cream

1/2 Cup Mayonnaise

1 Tbs Lemon Juice

1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup

10 oz. Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Pepper

4 Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.

Spread rice on bottom of pan. Top with broccoli.

Mix 1/2 of the cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, soup, lemon juice, salt and pepper and shredded chicken.

Pour over the broccoli.

Top with remaining 1/2 of cheese.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Salmon with Lemon and Dill

INGREDIENTS
1 pound salmon fillets
1/4 cup butter, melted
5 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
Place salmon in the baking dish. Mix the butter and lemon juice in a small bowl, and drizzle over the salmon. Season with dill, garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper.
Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until salmon is easily flaked with a fork.
I mixed the garlic powder and dill in with the butter and then drizzled over the fish. Not the healthiest way to eat salmon, but it tastes so good. My boys even liked it.

Apricot Chicken

6 Chicken Breasts
1 8 oz. Bottle Russian Dressing
1 Package Dry Onion Soup Mix
1 cup Apricot Jam

Place chicken in a greased 9x13 pan. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Enjoy:)

Cheesy Mexican Chicken

6 Boneless skinless chicken breast halves (I used tenders, 'cus they cooked faster)
1 can Cream of chicken soup
2 cups Cheddar Cheese
½ cup Milk
1 package Taco seasoning mix
3 cups Corn Chips

Place chicken in 13 X 9" baking dish. Mix soup, 1 cup cheese, milk and seasoning mix. Spoon over chicken. Top with chips; cover. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Remove cover; top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve over rice.

(I know this calls for corn chips, but I've just used tortilla chips...which is really good too)

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, cooked and well drained
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 beaten egg
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 dried lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
Nonstick cooking spray
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium green sweet pepper, chopped
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14-1/2-ounce can tomatoes, cut up
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons snipped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
1. Coat a 2-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2. For filling, in medium bowl stir together the spinach, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, and nutmeg. Spread about 1/3 cup of the filling on each noodle. Roll up, jelly-roll style, beginning at a short end. Place rolls, seam sides down, in prepared dish.

3. Cover with foil. Bake rolls in a 375 degree F. oven about 30 minutes or until heated through.

4. Meanwhile, for the sauce, coat an unheated 2-quart saucepan with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium heat. Add onion, sweet pepper, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook until vegetables are tender. Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, sugar, and ground black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes or until desired consistency. Serve sauce over lasagna rolls. Makes 8 main-dish servings.

We love this sauce recipe! The spinach rolls are really good, but we also use this sauce for spaghetti and other pastas. You have to use cottage cheese for the spinach rolls though, Nicole uses ricotta and they dry out. I think she might cook them with the sauce on them and they don't dry out.

Chicken Fajitas

4-5 Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
3/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
1 Tbs. Chopped Garlic
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
3/4 Cup Chopped Onion
3/4 Cup Chopped Red and Green Peppers

1 Lime (to squeeze over cooked fajitas prior to serving)

Cut up the chicken. Mix all ingredients (except the lime) in a large ziplock bag. Marinate overnight in the fridge. Pour everything into a skillet. Discard ziplock bag. Cook stovetop in a skillet, or cast-iron on the grill until chicken is done.

Squeeze fresh lime juice over cooked fajitas.

Top with:

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Cheddar Cheese

Sour Cream

Guacamole

Salsa

Serve with warm tortillas and enjoy!

Spaghetti Sauce

2 pounds lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup red wine (I use same amt. of apple juice or skip it)
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
1 (4.5 ounce) can canned mushrooms, drained
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground allspice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup water

In a large skillet, brown the meat with the garlic over medium heat. Stir in the wine; simmer, stirring often, for 10 minutes.
Mix in dry onion soup mix, mushrooms, basil, salt and pepper, cinnamon, allspice, parsley, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Cover pan almost completely, allowing space for steam to escape, and simmer 1 hour. Add additional water if needed to prevent sticking.

This is our new favorite spaghetti sauce!