French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 2.5-3 lb beef roast (frozen is okay too!)

2 T. olive oil

salt and pepper

2 1-oz. pkg dry onion soup mix

2 c. water

2 cans beef broth *

6-8 large buns (Try this Quick French Bread recipe!)

Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced

* I just used 2 1/2 large beef bouillon cubes and added 2 c. water (in addition to the 2 c. called for)

Recipe:

1. Heat oil in a large pot oven medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper.

2. When very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. You're not cooking the meat, you're just browning it quickly on all sides to add flavor and seal in the juices.

3. Place in crockpot and sprinkle with onion soup mixes. Pour water and beef broth over roast.

4. Cook 8-10 hours on low or cook 4-5 hours on high and another 3-4 hours on low. The longer it cooks, the more tender it will be.

5. When meat is ready, shred with a fork. Place meat in crusty rolls. Top with cheese and broil open-faced in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes, until bread is golden and cheese is melty. *

6. Ladle juices into small cups for dipping and enjoy!

* Rather than put everything under the broiler, I simply buttered the sliced open bread and put them on a griddle until they were golden, like a grilled cheese sandwich, and then placed the meat and cheese between the two pieces of hot bread. It melted the cheese and kept the whole sandwich from getting a little too much heat.

Freezer directions: 

1. Prepare roast through the first 2 steps above. After meat has cooled, place in a plastic freezer-safe container, cover with onion soup mix and bouillon, and freeze.

2. When ready to cook, pop it straight into the crockpot (frozen), add 2 cups of water, and set to high until warm or, even better, simmering. Turn to low; cook for a total of 8-10 hours.

* I used a frozen roast and basically skipped all of the instructions I could! Haha! I just dumped the roast in the pot, and sprinkled and covered according to step 3.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

Loved this! The meat was so extremely tender and juicy and delicious! Can't wait to make these again! I think the original recipe calls for 6-8 loaves, but we demolished the meat in just 4 sandwiches! Easy and delicious. I'm tellin' ya!

Source: Our Best Bites, French Dip Sandwiches

Penne Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

2 c. (8 oz.) dry penne pasta

8 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (about 1/3 c)

1 12-oz can evaporated milk

2 c. (8 oz pkg) shredded Italian-style four-cheese blend *

1 t. dried basil

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. ground black pepper

* I totally spaced getting this when I made my grocery run, so I just used the normal Mexican blend that I had and then added a bit of Parmesan cheese to it. I thought the end result was still delicious.

Recipe:

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions, adding sun-dried tomatoes to boiling water for last two minutes of cooking time; drain.

2. Meanwhile, combine evaporated milk, cheese, basil, garlic powder, and pepper in medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until cheese in melted. Remove from heat.

3. Add pasta and sun-dried tomatoes to cheese sauce; stir until combined.

Rating: 3.75 of 5

I thought it was at least a 4, but LaDon said, "it could have had more cheese and...unhealthy things." Haha. Well, despite those drawbacks, I thought this was a good mac and cheese type dish. I didn't feel heavy but you still got great taste. And it was still yummy as leftovers the next day. 

Source: Very Best Baking, Penne Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Hummus and Cucumber Tomato Salad Stuffed Pita

Ingredients:

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 t. freshly squeezed lemon juice *

1/2 - 1/4 t. salt, depending on taste **

1/8 t. cracked black pepper

2 medium roma tomatoes, diced ***

1 cucumber, peeled and diced ****

1/4 c. red onion, thinly sliced *****

4 whole wheat pita pockets

1 c. hummus

* I was totally not paying attention and put in lime juice rather than lemon.

** I did just under 1/4 t.

*** I used about 12 grape tomatoes

**** I used half of a large cucumber

*****Completely spaced getting some red onion so I just used dried chopped onion

Recipe:

1. In a medium bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add in tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion, toss to coat.

2. Open each pita pocket carefully and spread 1/4 c. hummus in each pocket and stuff in some of the cucumber mixture using a slotted spoon. Serve any remaining cucumber and tomato salad on the side.

Rating: 3.75 of 5

I would, by myself, actually rate this a little higher, but I don't think that LaDon would. Loved the garlicky hummus with the salad. Felt so light and fresh together. I'm sure lemon juice would be delicious, but I loved the lime in there! I actually liked it so much the way I made it, I don't think I'll add red onion in next time.

Source: Simply Fresh Cooking, Hummus and Cucumber Tomato Salad Stuffed Pita

Navajo Taco Meat

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion

1 can chili beans with sauce

1/2 can of diced tomatoes and green chilies

1 pkt. of taco seasoning

Recipe:

1. Brown the beef and add onions.

2. Drain the fat off. I do this by placing the meat in a strainer and then run it under hot water.

3. Add taco seasoning and stir around until meat is evenly coated.

4. Add chili beans and tomatoes. Let simmer for a few minutes.

5. Serve on Navajo fry bread.

Rating: 4 of 5

This was much closer to how I remember Navajo taco meat tasting. Everything, but the meat sauce, I used came from the previous Navajo Taco recipe posted.

Source: my own. Used what I had on hand in the cupboards.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

Salad:

12 3-inch wonton skins, sliced into 1/4" strips *

1/4 c. canola or corn oil for frying

4 c. chopped romaine lettuce

1 chicken breasts, shredded **

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 c. sliced almonds, toasted lightly

1 T. sesame seeds

2 c. cooked fusilli pasta noodles, cooled

* I cut mine into 1-inch strips and then broke it into pieces as I topped the salad.
**I doubled the chicken.

Dressing: 

1 1/2 T vegetable or grapeseed oil

6 T. seasoned rice vinegar

1 t. sesame oil (add more to taste if you prefer a strong sesame taste) *

1 1/2 t. sugar

2 t. light soy sauce

2 T. sesame seeds

1/2 t. fresh ground pepper

1/8 t. salt

*I probably did about 1 1/2-2 t. 

Recipe:

1. Heat canola or corn oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When oil starts to shimmer, fry wonton skins batches of 5-7 strips for 30 seconds each side or until lightly browned, working quickly so they don't burn. Remove oil and drain on paper towels until cooled.

2. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, chicken breast, green onion, almonds and pasta.

3. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk well until sugar dissolves. Dress lettuce mixture with 2-3 tablespoons of sesame dressing and top with sesame seeds and wonton strips and serve.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

I loved this salad. Even LaDon, who doesn't like Chinese food a lot, really liked it. The dressing is light and not too overbearing. I loved the evrey aspect of this salad. The pasta surprised me, but it went great with the shredded chicken and almond slices. I'll definitely be making this again.

Source: Foodie Crush, Chinese Chicken Salad

Colorful Quinoa, Black Bean and Corn Salad

Ingredients:

1 c. quinoa, thoroughly washed in a fine sieve

1 3/4 c. water

15-oz. can black beans, thoroughly rinsed

1 c. frozen corn *

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped**

1 Jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and minced

1/2 red onion, finely chopped ***

1/4 c. cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

1/3 c. olive oil

1/4 c. balsamic  vinegar****

salt and pepper

*used a can instead

** I used what I had on hand and that meant cutting out the red pepper and jalapeno and replacing it with just a green bell pepper.

*** I didn't have a red onion on hand so I just used my normal onion substitute of dried chopped onion.

**** I don't really like the balsamic taste, so I substituted it with lime juice. Much better.

Recipe:

1. Combine the quinoa and water in a rice cooker and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. Alternatively combine the quinoa and water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer (not removing the lid!), until all of the water has been absorbed. *

2. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool slightly.

3. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, black beans, corn, red bell pepper, jalapeno, onion, and cilantro. Mix well.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and balsamic and pour over the quinoa; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

*I don't have a rice cooker. I followed the instructions on the packaging.

Rating: 4 of 5

Did I like it? Yes. Would I make it again? Yes. Did LaDon like the quinoa? Surprisingly, yes! I really don't think I would have liked this with the balsamic, so I'm glad I switched it out for the lime juice. Cilantro and lime go better together anyway. Even Ally liked it and that girl never eats new food.

Source: Girl Cooks World, Colorful Quinoa Black Bean and Corn Salad

Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 T. seasoned salt

1 T. garlic powder

1 T. onion powder

1 T. coarse ground black pepper

Milk mixture: ** I halved this part**

2 eggs

4 c. buttermilk

1 c. barbecue sauce

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. steak sauce

3 lbs. chicken, cut into pieces

2 c. oil, for frying

Recipe:

1. In a large shallow dish, mix together flour, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.

2. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, then whisk in buttermilk, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and steak sauce.

3. Dredge chicken in milk mixture, then in seasoned flour, alternating in each at least twice.* Heat oil in a large, deep-sided skillet to 375 degrees F.

4. Cook chicken in hot oil until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes each side.

5. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels. Place in 200 degree preheated oven to keep warm while remaining chicken is cooked.

*Forgot to do that at least twice!

Rating: 4.5 of 5

I love fried chicken, but the one thing that I don't like about fried chicken is that it usually is bone meat. But, with this recipe I just used boneless, skinless chicken breasts and it was great! You can actually taste the Worcestershire and steak sauce just a little tiny bit. We liked this recipe and the kids ate it as well. Not that I'd make this one a ton since it is fried, but it was worth it!

Source: Allrecipes.com, A Southern Fried Chicken

Won-ton Taco Cups

Ingredients:

won-ton wrappers

1 lb. ground beef

taco seasoning

large tomato, chopped

cilantro, chopped

cheese, shredded

sour cream

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

2. Brown ground beef and add taco seasoning. Let simmer for a few minutes.

3. Press 2-3 won-ton wrappers into cupcake tin or mini cupcake tin. Where the separate won-tons met, I lightly brushed with water. Place in oven and cook for 5-8 minutes (the tops with be golden brown and the bottom should be bubbly.

4. Chop tomato and cilantro.

5. Place beef, cheese, tomato, cilantro, and sour cream in won-ton cup. Serve!

Rating: 4 of 5

I was on a cooking strike tonight. But after LaDon repeatedly stated that he wanted to eat some good food I felt bad letting the 27-year old man starve! We were out of tortillas so I mixed this little guys up. Quick and delicious. I think next time I might brush the won-tons with some olive oil before cooking. While eating these we decided you could make the cutest little taco shells with the round won-ton wraps for little kids, or as a taco appetizer of some sort.

Source: it's a Jamie creation

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

Ingredients:

3 lb. bag of frozen chicken breasts

1 bottle Frank's Wings Buffalo Sauce *

1 packet Ranch Dip mix **

2 T. butter
**my own additions**
hamburger buns
lettuce
tomato, sliced
Ranch dressing
mozzarella, sliced
cilantro

*I made my own buffalo sauce using THIS recipe

** I made my own Ranch dressing mix using THIS recipe

Recipe:

1. Put frozen chicken, wing sauce, and ranch dip mix into crock pot.

2. Cook on low heat at least 6-7 hours.

3. Using two forks, shred chicken and return to crock pot.

4. Add butter.

5. Cook on low for an additional hour.

6. Serve in bread as a sandwich or on rice. Enjoy!

Rating: 4 of 5
K, this was good. My buffalo sauce had a pretty good kick to it, so in an attempt to take it down a notch I added 1-2 c. of shredded cheese. Not that the cheese did anything but add calories. We ate it as a buffalo chicken burger. Complete with lettuce (which you don't need), tomato slices, Ranch dressing, slices of mozzarella, and sprigs of cilantro. The cilantro is definitely the best on this chicken.

Source: My Kitchen Apron, Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

Homemade Buffalo Wing Sauce

Ingredients: Yields: 1/2 cup

1/4 c. rice wine vinegar *

2 t. chili powder

1 t. smoked paprika

1/2 t. sweet paprika **

2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. onion powder

1/2 t. cayenne powder***

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. sugar

2 t. canola oil

* I used just rice vinegar

** I had paprika on hand, don't know what kind it was, so I used what I had for both

***Um....I just noticed now that this said "powder" not "pepper." I didn't know there was such a thing as cayenne powder.

Recipe:

1. Cook all ingredients over medium-high heat until just starting to bubble.

2. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3. Store in an air tight bottle. Keep refrigerated.

Rating: 3.75 of 5
This stuff has some real kick...but maybe that's because I made more than it called for. Either way, it definitely tastes like buffalo sauce. Super easy to throw together too.

Source: Domestic Fits, Homemade Buffalo Wing Sauce

Carne Asada Soft Tacos

Ingredients:

Meat:

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. lime juice

1/2 t. ground cumin

1/4 t. kosher salt

1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. carne asada beef or flank steak *

1/2 c. finely chopped white onion

2 cloves minced garlic

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

4 soft tortilla breads or tortillas

Guacamole:

2 avocados, peeled and seeded

1 T. lime juice

1/4 t. kosher salt

1/4 t. blacker pepper

1 clove garlic, minced (I'm throwing this one in there)

Toppings:

3/4 c. corn

1/2 c. finely diced red bell pepper

cilantro, chopped

cheese, shredded

sour cream

salsa

* We had some Wal-Mart ribeyes that we had purchased a long time ago (a mistake, because they are not good as a steak), but thought I'd give them a try in a taco. Besides, I had to use that meat)

Recipe:

1. Mix the corn and red bell pepper together. Set aside.

Meat:

1. Place oil, lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl, whisking to combine.

2. Place beef, onions, and garlic into a large Ziploc bag and pour lime mixture inside bag. Close bag and with hands, massage beef with marinade to coat evenly.

3. Place in refrigerator and marinade for 1 hour.

4. Heat 2 T. olive oil in grill pan over medium heat. Grill beef until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes.

5. Cut thin slices against the grain or on the bias.

6. Serve in warm tortillas with desired toppings.

Guacamole:

1. Place avocado, lime juice, salt, pepper (and garlic) into a medium bowl. Mash with a fork until well combined.

Rating: 5 of 5

Despite the cheap-o steak meat, these turned out fantastic! The meat tasted just like carne asada in a restaurant. So good. The guacamole, I've got to give a good score to as well. Simple. Tasty. Easy. The meat is super easy to prepare and cook as is everything in this recipe! I will definitely be making this one again!

Source: Picky Palate, Carne Asada Soft Tacos

Barbecue Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:

Salad:

2 hearts of Romaine, chopped *

1 can corn

1 can black beans, rinsed

15 grape tomatoes, halved **

3-4 cooked chicken breasts, cubed or shredded

1/2-1 c. favorite barbecue sauce

mozzarella cheese, shredded

*Went with our favorite lettuce: green leaf

**I used 3 hearty Roma tomatoes

Dressing:

1 envelope Ranch dressing mix

1 c. mayonnaise *

1 c. milk

1/2 bunch cilantro

1 clove garlic **

1 lime juiced OR 2 T. lime juice

* I actually did 1/2 c. mayo and 1/2 c. sour cream. Next time I'll sub out the mayo completely.

** I used about 1 t. minced garlic

Recipe:

Dressing:

1. Place dressing ingredients into blender or food processor and combine well. Let sit for a few hours to increase flavor of dressing. *

* My blender is not very good at blending. I should put a new blender or food processor on my gift list for Mother's Day......yes. Anyways.....I just whisked everything, but the cilantro, together. Then I chopped up the cilantro into ity bity pieces and stirred it into the mix.

Salad:

1. Place lettuce in a serving bowl. Layer with corn, beans, and tomatoes.

2. Mix cooked chicken with barbecue sauce and top over salad.

3. Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese.

4. Drizzle with dressing.

Rating: 5 of 5

Yes, it's that good. The cilantro dressing and BBQ go really, really well together. Plus, it's got all of those good veggies in it! Very similar to Katie's Mexican Salad. I will definitely be making this one again. Oh, but it does make a rather large batch, so half it and plan on making taco with the leftovers the next night.

Source: Recipe Shoebox, BBQ Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Ingredients:

Yields: 2 quarts or 8 servings

2 14-oz can diced tomatoes, with juice*

1 c. finely diced celery

1 c. finely diced carrots**

1 c. finely diced onions

1 t. dried oregano OR 1 T. fresh oregano***

1 T. dried basil OR 1/4 c. fresh basil****

4 c. chicken broth*****

1/2 bay leaf******

1/2 c. flour

1 c. Parmesan cheese

1/2 c. butter

2 c. half and half, warmed OR milk, warmed

1 t. salt

1/4 t. black pepper

* I only had Italian diced tomatoes

** We have an allergy to carrots, so I didn't include carrots

*** Because of the Italian tomatoes I didn't add any oregano

**** With the Italian tomatoes I only added 1/2 T. of dried basil

*****I only put in 3 c. of chicken broth

******I 1 small bay leaf instead of a half.

Recipe:

1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil and bay leaf to a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.

2. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes.

3. Slowly stir in 1 c. hot soup(from the slow cooker). Add another 3 c. and stir until smooth.

4. Add all in skillet back into the slow cooker. Stir and add Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt, and pepper.

5. Add additional basil and oregano if needed. Continue to cook on low for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

***Can also be made on the stove top. See "Source" link for the whole recipe.***

Rating: 3.5 of 5

LaDon actually really liked this one. Surprise! I thought it was good. Best the day-of. Not so good the next day to me, but that could be because I forgot to take out the bay leaf and the soup was being overpowered by bay leaf flavor. Not my favorite. I definitely thought the canned Italian tomatoes were fine. Super good with some buttered bread dipped in.

Source: Today's Mama.com, Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Fail-Proof Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

Yield: 2 12-inch pizzas

1 c. warm water

2 1/4 t. active dry yeast

1 T. honey OR sugar

2 t. salt

2 T. olive oil OR canola oil

3 c. bread flour (give or take 1/2 c.) *

*I only needed 2 1/2 c.

Recipe:

1. In a large mixing bowl, preferably that of a stand mixer, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam.

2. Pour in salt, oil, half of the flour and mix. Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it it doesn't stick to your hands.

3. Once you reach this stage, turn the mixer on high to knead for 6 minutes. Turn a timer on a walk away! The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be clean.

4. Lightly grease the bowl and the dough so it doesn't dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours.*

5. Shape dough into whatever you would like.

6. Bake at 500 degrees F for 9-10 minutes.

*My bread was double at the 1 hour mark.

Rating: 3 of 5

This is a really simple recipe. For sure. It's not my favorite pizza dough recipe, but it's a good thin crust recipe. It's perfect for little mouths, like D and A's. Not so puffy that they can't get it into their mouths.

Source: Lauren's Latest, Fail-Proof Pizza Dough

Pre-Baked Pizza Crusts

These are the 1 of 5.

Her little pizza is the 4 of 5

Ingredients:

1 packet yeast OR 2 1/4 t.

1 1/4 c. warm water

3 c. bread flour

1 1/2 t. sea salt *

2 T. olive oil

* I didn't have any sea salt so I just used Kosher salt

Recipe:

1. Add yeast to warm water. Mix and set aside for 5-10 minutes.

2. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook. Mix flour, salt, and olive oil. Add yeast mixture and on medium speed, mix dough. Continue letting dough hook kneed until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).

3. Line two baking sheets with parchment and dust with flour.

4. Divide dough into 16 even pieces. Tuck edges under to make 16 small balls of dough. Place each ball onto prepared baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and place in lukewarm oven for 45 minutes to rise.

5. After rising, roll dough out into 3-4 inch circles. Dough should not be too thin.

6. Place baking sheet in oven and preheat everything to 475 degrees F.

7. When oven and sheets have preheated, bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

8. Use immediately, store in air tight container for 3 days or freeze.

9. To use dough to make fresh pizza straight from the oven rather than pre-baked crusts, increase oven temperature to 500 degrees, and after rolling out the dough, top raw dough with sauce, cheese and toppings and bake on pizza stone for 10-15 minutes or until browned and bubbling.

Rating: 1 of 5 (adjusted 4 of 5)

First things, first. I loved working with this dough. It was so smooth and fluffy and felt like it was going to make a delicious pizza crust. I love bread flour! However, I think the temperature and cook time were way too high/long. Instead of soft little pizza crusts, they came out as hard burnt crackers (as seen in the picture). I, thankfully, saved a few just in case it didn't turn out and cooked them at 450 for 6 minutes. They turned out perfectly! So, I don't really like the recipe as is, but with the adjustments it turns out well.

Source: Out of the Box Food, Pre-baked Pizza Crusts

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped fine

2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine

1 t. canola oil

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

3 T. chili powder

2 t. ground cumin

3 t. sugar

1 15-oz can tomato sauce

1 c. water

1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and chopped

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)

2 c. shredded cheese

1/2 c. minced fresh cilantro

12 6-inch soft corn tortillas

cooking spray

salt and ground black pepper

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 t. salt, and oil in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes.

3. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds.

4. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.

5. Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool.

6. Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl and set aside. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

7. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onion mixture, and add 1/4 c. of the enchilada sauce, 1 c. cheese, and the cilantro. Toss to combine.

8. Stack the tortillas on a plate and cove with plastic wrap; microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 c. of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

10. Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown slightly.

11. Reduce heat to 400 degrees F. Remove enchiladas and pour sauce evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through.

12. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

13. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, etc.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

These enchiladas were good, but they weren't out of this world, or even on par with restaurant enchiladas at all. But, then again, I have pretty high standards for enchiladas. Have you been to Mama Chu's in Provo (their chimichangas are to.die.for. delicious)? I liked the browning process of the tortillas at the very beginning to give it the crunch factor. I thought the spicy factor for this dish was just right. I was expecting it to be a little bit more kick-y with 2 jalapenos AND 3 T. of chili powder. But, it was fine. At this point, I'm not sure if I would make these again. Not because they weren't good, but just because I think there is a better enchiladas recipe out there.

Source: Pink Parsley, Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

Margherita Pizza

A few weeks ago the kids and I went to the library and I stumbled upon a children's book, Pizza for the Queen. It was a cute little story about a pizza man who had been asked to make pizza for the queen. He wanted to make her pizzas that were true to the taste of the town and in the process invented a new pizza: Pizza Margherita. Named after the the queen, Queen Margherita. It was a really cute story and the best part of it all....it's true! So, at the end of the book, the author included a recipe for Pizza Margherita and I just had to try it.

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 pkg. yeast or 2 1/4 t.

1 t. sugar

3/4 c. warm water

2 c. + more flour

1/2 t. salt

1/8 c. OR 2 T. olive oil

Pizza:

1 t. extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, halved

4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 c. fat free mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 t. balsamic vinegar

1/2 bunch fresh basil, chopped

1/8 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

Recipe:

Dough:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water.

2. Mix the flour, salt, and olive oil together in a mixing bowl.

3. Put the flour mixture on a pastry board. Create a well in the center of the flour mixtures. Pour the yeast mixture into the well and begin forming the dough with your hands. *

4. Knead the dough until it is smooth and can be stretched. Add more warm water if necessary. If the dough seems sticky, add a little more flour.

5. Roll the dough into a ball and cover it with a towel. Let is rise for about 1 1/2 hours.

6. When done rising, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F and stretch the dough into a pizza shell and place on a pizza pan or stone.

Pizza:

1. Brush the pizza shell with about 1/2-1 t. of olive oil and run your crust with the cut sides of the garlic.

2. Arrange tomato slices over crust, leaving a 1/2 inch border and sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly throughout.

3. Bake at 500 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

4. Sprinkle hot pizza with chopped basil, salt and pepper and, if desired, drizzle the balsamic vinegar on top.

*I actually did all of the dough mixing in my mixer and it turned out really well.

Rating: 4 of 5

Admittedly, this is not the BEST Margherita pizza I've ever had, but it is delicious. I actually liked it better the second day rather than fresh out of the oven. I'm assuming it has to do with the fact that the basil flavor melded over during the night. I loved the crust. Nice and thin, but still so soft. One thing I love about pizzas is that the tomatoes get hot and soft which completely changes their taste to me. Love it. Really, you can taste every element in this pizza. I am a Margherita pizza lover though.

Sources:

Crust: Pizza for the Queen by Nancy Castaldo

Topping: Eat Yourself Skinny!, Margherita Pizza

Orange Strawberry Salad with Orange Dressing

Ingredients:

Salad:

1 pkg. spring mix greens *

1 pint strawberries, sliced

1 large orange, peeled, cut into small pieces **

3 green onions, sliced

1 c. sliced almonds ***

4 T. butter

4 T. sugar

* I just used a head of green leaf lettuce. It's our favorite

** OR 3-4 clementines, cut in half

*** I thought 1 c. of almonds was WAY too much. So, I recommend 1/2 c. almonds and 2 T. butter and sugar.

Dressing:

1/2 t. grated orange peel, or orange zest

1/3. c. fresh orange juice (1-2 oranges) *

2 T. red wine vinegar

2 T. sugar

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 T. dry Italian dressing mix

* OR 3-6 clementines, depending on how juicy they are

Recipe:

1. Put all salad ingredients together in a large bowl.

2. To make the candied almonds, mix almonds, butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until the butter and sugar turn to a toffee color, stir constantly. Spread on waxed paper to cool.

3. Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar or Ziploc bag and shake well.

4. Serve dressing on top of salad. Enjoy!

Rating: 4.5 of 5

Seriously, so good! I loved the dressing. I never would have thought of mixing orange juice with Italian dressing mix. But, it is delicious!!! Sweet and tangy all at the same time. Add it with the salad and BOOM! explosion of flavor! The salad itself is a salad. I mean, we've all had oranges or strawberries on lettuce. But, the oranges and strawberries combined are pretty delicious. I really liked this one. Definitely a keeper. I do think you could add chicken to this one and make a main dish out of it. It'd be pretty good....

Source: See Jane Cook, Orange Dressing with Orange Strawberry Salad

Homemade Sandwich Bread

(pre-cooked loaves. Imagine a shade or two darker.)

Ingredients:

2 c. lukewarm water

2 T. sugar

1 T. dry active yeast

2 T. butter, softened

5 1/2 c. all-purpose flour + more for kneading the dough *

1 T. kosher salt

* I made this again and used bread flour instead. It made the bread at least 5x better! Fluffier, tastier, holds together even better. Bread flour is the way to go. Also, the 5 1/2 c. makes the perfect texture. I didn't need to add any more flour when kneading. It was perfect!

Recipe: (Yields 2 standard or 1 lb. loaves)

1. Put the water and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously to dissolve the sugar.

2. When sugar is dissolved toss in the yeast. Whisk again to dissolve. Walk away for the bowl for 5-10 minutes to give the yeast time to work. After 5-10 minutes, there should be a thick, creamy layer on the surface of the water.

3. Add the flour and salt into the bowl with the yeast.

4. Cut the soft butter up into a few pieces and add to the bowl. Mix well to combine the ingredients. (If using a stand mixer, use your dough hook.)

5. Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes. The dough is ready when it's formed a smooth ball that feels elastic-y when you touch it, very little of the dough sticks to the dough hook when you pull it out of the bowl, and there will be very little dough actually sticking to the sides of the bowl.

6. Round the dough up into a ball. Put it in a large, lightly greased bowl. Coat a piece of plastic wrap with a little oil. Loosely cover the bowl with it, oil side down.

7. Let it sit in a warm place for about an hour, or until it's doubled in size. If you check it after 15 minutes, you should notice that it's started to grow.

8. After about an hour, your dough should be doubled in size. Punch the dough down. Knead it a couple of times and form it into a neat ball. It should be smooth and tacky, but not sticky.

9. Sprinkle a little flour on a board. Set the dough ball on the flour. Divide the dough in half. Each half becomes one loaf.

10. Knead each half, separately, a few times. Lightly grease two one-pound loaf pans. Set each formed loaf in the pans. *

11. Set the pans in a warm place, uncovered. Let the loaves rise like this for about an hour, or until they've doubled in size.

12. About 15 minutes before your house is up, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

13. When they're done, the tops should be a nice light brown. Let them cool for 5 minutes in the pans. Then, with potholders, tip the loaves out of the pans and let them finished cooling on a rack.

14. Let the loaves cool to room temperature before slicing.

*When I form my loaves I like to flatten it out into an oval-ish shape and then roll it up. It makes a nice smooth top and transfers to the pan neatly. (Trick from Emily - who is the master of homemade bread.)

Rating: 4 of 5

To be honest, I like this recipe than my bread machine recipe for white bread. Oh no! That poor machine is going to get dumped by a laborious recipe! Crispy on the outside, incredibly moist and chewy on the inside. My kind of bread. One thing that I really like about this recipe versus my bread machine recipe is that it maintains it's shape when sliced and smeared. My other recipe practically crumbles if anything touches it. I can almost taste the salt, which I liked. I'll definitely be making this one again....in the morning probably. We REALLY like cinnamon-sugar toast in this house.

Source: The Hungry Mouse, Homemade Sandwich Bread

Chicken Ranch Tacos

Ingredients:*

3 c. cooked chicken, cut up

1 pkt. taco seasoning (chicken or beef)

1/2 c. Ranch dressing

taco shells **

To Garnish:

lettuce, finely shredded

cheese

Ranch dressing

tomatoes, chopped

avocado, chopped

cilantro, chopped

sour cream

salsa

* I went the crockpot way for this recipe. Here's what I did as mentioned by those who commented on this gal's blog. I used a pkg. of taco seasoning, a pkt. of dry ranch dressing mix, and about 3/4 c. chicken broth, 4 chicken breasts(defrosted).

** I went with corn tortillas and soft fried them (aka: fried them in oil but didn't let them get crispy and kept them pliable.)

Recipe:*

1. Heat a skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken and warm it for a few minutes.

2. Sprinkle on the dry taco seasoning. Do NOT add any water.

3. Heat for 5-7 minutes until all heated through and powder is stuck to the chicken.

4. Add Ranch dressing, heat an additional 2-3 minutes to warm through.

5. Serve in taco shells with all the fixings you love - plus an extra squirt of Ranch.

*Crockpot version: put the chicken breasts in the pot. Sprinkle taco seasoning and ranch mix on top. Pour chicken breasts on top of that. The water is just barely enough to cover the chicken breasts so I rolled mine in the mixture a few times. I turned mine on high(I was in a bit of a time crunch), for 2 hours. At 2 hours I took the chicken out and shredded it. I then put the chicken back in for another hour. When it came time to serve the chicken I drained it of all the juices that collected at the bottom and served it in a new bowl. That amount of chicken fed LaDon, two missionaries, and myself about 16 tacos.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

In all honesty, I couldn't separate the chicken taste from the whole taco. So.....the chicken, plus the shells and everything I put on it was so delicious. I didn't put any ranch on my taco, though. Too much Ranch reminds me of my morning sickness with Ally and then all those sick-y feelings come rushing back. Anyways....I think the boys each averaged about 5 tacos, so it made a pretty good amount. The only thing I would have added is a lime wedge for a few squirts of lime juice. Yum! There is something absolutely delicious about cilantro and lime together. Oh, I'm sure that the way this recipe is supposed to be prepared is great, but it sure is nice being able to do everything in the crockpot. Especially when company is coming over.

Source: Do You Smell That!!?, Chicken Ranch Tacos