Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

I absolutely love these. Since finding this recipe, I haven't made any other type of enchilada. This combines sweet, creamy and a little flair for absolutely incredible food. And the picture doesn't do it justice, especially as it is taken of my reheated leftovers.Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

From: Sister's Cafe

6 Tbs. honey (be liberal)
5 Tbs. lime juice (be liberal)
1 Tbs. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded
8-10 flour tortillas
1 lb. monterrey jack cheese, shredded
16 oz. green enchilada sauce (I used almost 2 full 10 oz. cans)
1 cup heavy cream

Cook chicken and shred. Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes. Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese for the topping. 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 or until brown and crispy on top.

Russian Refresher (aka Wassail)

This is a great warm drink mix that my mom always made for us growing up. We would come home from school on those bitter cold days and take some hot water add the mix and instantly be warm.Russian Refresher Mix

From: Ruth Solter aka Mom

2/3 cup Tang powder
1/3 cup Country Time Lemonade powder
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves

Combine all dry ingredients and store in an airtight container.

To make: Mix 2-3 Tbs. of the mixture into a mug of hot water.

Mediterranean Style Chicken

Mediterranean Style Chicken

From: Kraft Food and Family, Winter '09

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can Italian style diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup black olives, chopped
1 Tbs. lemon zest
1 cup Kraft 5 cheese blend (I just used the parmesan and romano blend)

Heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. (I added some olive oil to the bottom of my skillet) Add chicken; cover. Cook 5-7 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet.

Add tomatoes, olives and lemon zest to skillet. Cook for 4 minutes or until hot, stirring often. Return chicken to the skillet and cook 1 minute or until hot. Top with cheese. Serve hot over pasta such as rotini or penne.

Broccoli with Lemon Sauce

Broccoli with Lemon Sauce

From: Taste of Home, November 2008

3 lbs. fresh broccoli spears
1 cup chicken broth
1 Tbs. butter
4 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
2 egg yolks, beaten
3 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. lemon peel, grated

Place broccoli in a large saucepan; add 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 5-8 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat broth and butter until butter is melted. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into broth mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.

Remove from heat. Stir a small amount of the hot mixture into the egg yolks; return all to the pan; stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Gently stir in lemon juice and peel. Drain broccoli and serve with the sauce.

Gingered Chicken

This recipe was sized for two so I have doubled most of the proportions below to make a full meal.
Gingered Chicken

From: Taste of Home, November 2008

3 cups orange juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 chicken breast halves, cut into strips or bite sized pieces
2 Tbs. butter
2 cup uncooked instant rice
2 cup frozen broccoli florets, thawed

In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Pour half into a large plastic bag; add the chicken. Seal the bag and turn to coat; refrigerate overnight. Cover and refrigerate the remaining marinade.

Drain and discard marinade. In a small skillet over medium heat, brown chicken in butter for 2-3 minutes on each side. In a greased 9x13 pan, combine rice with reserved marinade; top with chicken. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Top with broccoli, cover and bake 10-15 minutes longer or until chicken juices run clear.

Creamy Tomato Bisque

Tomato Soup at it's finest!Creamy Tomato Bisque

From: Weight Watchers

2 cups water
1 (14.5 oz.) can whole tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 Tbs. onion, chopped
5 chicken bouillon cubes
2 medium tomatoes, pared and diced
1/4 cup margarine
3 Tbs. flour
2 cups 1/2 and 1/2
1 Tbs. sugar

In a large pot, combine water, canned tomatoes, celery, onion and bouillon. Cover and simmer for 2o minutes. In a blender or food processor, puree tomato mixture. In the same pan, cook the fresh tomatoes in 2 Tbs. of butter for about 5 minutes; remove from pan. In the same pan, melt remaining 2 Tbs. butter; stir in flour. Add cream over low heat; cook and stir until thickened. Stir in bouillon mixture, tomatoes and sugar. Heat through. Do not boil

Rustic Autumn Fruit Tart

Rustic Autumn Fruit Tart

From: Taste of Home, November 2008

1/2 cup butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups flour
2 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium pear, peeled and thinly sliced
4 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup apricot jam, warmed

In a small mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add flour, beating just until mixture forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a large bowl, combine apples and pear. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and spices; stir in orange juice until smooth. Stir in brown sugar until blended. Add to apple mixture and stir gently to coat.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 14 in. circle. Transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spoon filling over the pastry to within 2 inches of the edges. Fold up edges of pastry over filling, leaving center uncovered.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly. Spread with apricot jam. Using parchment paper, slide tart onto a wire rack to cool. (I didn't let mine cool. I think I have something against cold desert. Or maybe it is that I don't have the patience to wait for it to cool?)

Eggs with Fried Tortillas & Tomatillo Salsa

This was absolutely amazing. The tomatillo salsa was fantastic. We ate the leftovers with chips the next day. Yum.Eggs with Fried Tortillas and Tomatillo Salsa

From: Eat Make Read

2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 flour tortillas
4 eggs
1/4 cup tomatillo salsa
cilantro

For Tomatillo Salsa:
1 1/2 lbs. tomatillos
1/2 cup white onion, choppe3d
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 Tbs. lime juice
1/4 tsp. sugar
2 jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and chopped
salt to taste

Heat oil in a frying pan. Roll tortillas like cigars and cut into thin slices, about 1/4" thick. Toss in the frying pan and let them get crispy, about 5 minutes. Toss garlic in the pan after the tortillas have been cooking for a few minutes.

In a small bowl, scramble the eggs. Pour over the tortillas and garlic. Add salsa over the eggs. Cook egg mixture for a few minutes and take if off of the heat while the eggs are still shiny. They will continue to cook in the pan, but will retain their moisture. Garnish with cilantro and additional tomatillo salsa.

To make Tomatillo Salsa:

Rinse tomatillos. Cut the tomatillos in 1/2 and place cut side down on a foil lined cookie sheet. Place under the broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.

Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, jalapenos and sugar in a food processor or blender and pulse until all of the ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool in refrigerator.

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

From: Kraft Food and Family, Winter 09


1 1/2 cups multigrain penne pasta, uncooked
1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized 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 a pkg.) cream cheese, cubed
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
2 Tbs. grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta, adding spinach to boiling water for last 1 minute.

Cook and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add sauce and tomatoes; bring to boil. Simmer 3 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in cream cheese.

Drain pasta mixture, return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into a 2 quart baking dish.

Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 minutes.

Almond Butter Cookies

Sweet almond love. If you like almond flavored things you will love this.
Almond Butter Cookies

From: Sarah Guymon

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup almond paste (6 oz.)
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening, almond paste and sugar. Beat in the egg. Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Roll into 1" balls. Place 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Crockpot Chicken

This is a yummy and super busy day meal.
Crockpot Chicken

2-4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup water
1 pkg. dry salad mix (ranch or Italian)
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup milk
1 can cream of chicken soup

Place chicken (from frozen) in the crockpot. (I like to use a crockpot liner when I make this. It always seems to turn out better.) Pour seasoning package and water over chicken. Cook on low for 8+ hours or high 3-4 hours. During the last hour of cooking, combine cream cheese, chicken soup and milk. Shred chicken. Pour soup mixture over the chicken and mix. Cook for one more hour. Serve over rice or spaghetti. (We always serve it over rice)

Barbecue Beef Cups

Barbecue Beef Cups

From: Allrecipes.com

3/4 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 Tbs. dried minced onion
1 (12 oz.) pkg. refrigerated biscuit dough.
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the cups of a muffin pan. Brown ground beef. Drain excess fat. Stir in BBQ sauce and dried onion. Simmer for a few minutes over low heat.

Flatten each biscuit and press into the prepared muffin cups. Make sure enough dough comes to the top of the pan. Spoon a portion of the meat mixture into each cup. Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 3 more minutes.

Baked Apples

I remember my mom making these when I was growing up and I just loved them. So I decided to make them for desert recently. This recipe is truly in my mom's style, meaning I haven't listed any proportions because well, that is my mom. If I ever call her for a recipe she tells me oh I just used the recipe from my Betty Crocker cookbook except I omitted this and doubled that and added this, that and the other. She doesn't understand that she is not using a recipe from that cookbook anymore. And if you ask her for proportions she says oh I don't know, I just throw some in. So true to mom's form...Baked Apples

From: Ruth Solter aka Mom

Apples (I used Macintosh's because I was actually able to find them here!)
butter, melted
brown sugar
cinnamon
raisins
heavy cream
vanilla
sugar

Peel a strip from around the middle of your apple, don't ask me why. That is what mom always did. Cut the core out of the middle of the apple. Place apples in a baking dish. Stuff apples with enough brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins to make you giddy. Pour enough melted butter over the apples to wet the sugar mixer and lightly glaze the apples. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-45 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine cream, some vanilla and some sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk together until thickened. Serve atop baked apples. These are also fabulous served with some good vanilla ice cream

Chicken and Artichoke Casserole

Chicken and Artichoke Casserole

From: The Domestic Goddess

1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbs. butter
2 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth
5 chicken breasts (I surely didn't use this much, I maybe used 1 lb. of chicken cut into bite sized pieces)
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained
3/4 stick butter
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/8 cup half and half
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary

Saute mushrooms in 2 Tbs. butter. Set aside. Add cut chicken into simmering chicken broth. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from broth and save 1 1/8 cup. Cool. Arrange chicken in a casserole dish. Top with artichoke heats. Set aside. Melt 3/4 stick of butter, stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in 1 1/8 cup chicken broth and half and half. Cook and stir as mixture boils and thickens. Blend in parmesan cheese and rosemary. Pour over artichokes. Sprinkle mushrooms down the center. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Chicken and Dumplings Soup

Have I ever mentioned how much I love soup in the Fall/Winter. It just warms you right up. This recipe came from a cookbook that was put together by an online message board group that I am a member of.Chicken and Dumplings Soup

2 1/2 quarts water
2 1/2 - 3 lbs. chicken, cut into small pieces
2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3-4 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, chopped

Dumplings:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 Tbs. shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk (I always substitute this with 1 Tbs. cider vinegar to 1 cup milk)

Put water in a 5 quart pot. Add raw chicken, thyme, salt, pepper and bouillon. Bring to a simmer. When chicken is done, remove from water and stir in onion, carrots and celery. Simmer until tender.

In a bowl combine dry dumpling ingredients. (I usually make 1 1/2 times the amount because we really like dumplings). Cut in shortening. Stir in milk until ingredients are moistened. Knead 4 or 5 times. Roll dough into "snakes" and pinch off fingertip sized pieces into the boiling broth. Reduce heat to medium0low and cook 10 minutes. Stir in chicken pieces and serve hot.

Chicken Noodle Soup

This is perfect for those cold winter months. It makes a ton, so it is a good thing that it freezes well. It is also one of those meals that is even better the second day, so feel free to indulge on leftovers. I don't remember where I got this recipe from. This is pretty much an all day cooking recipe. It is so worth it. It is perfect for keeping your house warm all day. Tip: I usually make the noodles a day or so ahead so that they have time to dry.Chicken Noodle Soup

1 gallon water
1 (3-4 lb.) whole chicken, cut into large pieces
1 lg. onion, peeled and halved
4 bay leaves
15 whole black peppercorns
1 bunch celery (2/3 chopped into large pieces, 1/3 chopped into about 1/4" pieces)
1 lb. carrots, unpeeled, just cut off the ends and cut into a few large pieces
2 stalks lemon grass, chopped (optional- I would put this is if my grocery store carried it)
1/4 cup chicken soup base (can use bouillon)
1 lb. carrots, chopped normally (sometimes instead I just use the large pieces when they come out of the broth and just chop them smaller. This does NOT work with the celery though as it is too mushy)
8 oz. egg noodles (recipe below)

For Egg Noodles:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup milk, room temperature
1 pinch salt
2 eggs, beaten at room temperature

Place chicken and water in a large pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim foam and fat as needed. Keep pot on heat and add onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, large chunks of celery and carrots, and the lemon grass in the pot. Simmer, covered for 1 hour.

Strain broth and reserve chicken. Add broth back to the pot and stir in chicken soup base, and chopped celery and carrots. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20 minutes or until carrots and celery are tender.

Meanwhile, when chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and shred into bite sized pieces. after carrots are tender, add noodles to the pot & simmer until noodles are cooked through. Stir in chicken and heat through.

To make Egg Noodles: In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt. Add eggs and milk. Knead dough until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Let rest in a covered bowl about 5 minutes. It is very important to let it rest. On Lightly floured surface (If you flour it to much your dough will slide around making it impossible to roll out.), roll out dough to desired thickness. (I always try to get mine as thin as possible because they taste better and take less time to dry and cook). Cut into desired lengths and shapes. Allow to air dry before cooking.

Greek Gyros

These were fabulous. Such a burst of flavor. The only thing I would do differently next time is use my other Tzatziki recipe just because it is a little thicker...but the sauce was still great.Greek Gyros

From: Delectible Delights: A Second Helping of SAA Favorites

Chicken Marinade:
3-4 chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 fresh squeezed lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh oregano
fresh marjoram, to taste
dash salt and pepper

Other:
1 large red onion, diced or thinly sliced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
2 Tbs. lemon juice
Pita Shells
Feta Cheese

Tzatziki Sauce:
1 cup plain yogurt
fresh dill, minced, to taste (I used quite a bit)
2 cloves garlic, minced
fresh squeezed lemon
1/2 English cucumber, grated (keep the skin on)

Marinate chicken for 45 minutes. (I almost never get a head start on dinner and didn't do this and it turned out great.

Saute onions, 2-4 cloves garlic, cumin, oregano, basil and lemon juice until the onion is almost clear. Add the chicken. Cook until chicken is no longer pink.

Combine Tzatziki ingredients in a mixing bowl. Line your pita shell with lettuce and sauce. Stuff with chicken and feta cheese.

Chicken Barley Chili

Obviously, we're all quite busy with our lives. I'm sure as soon as Christmas is over we'll have a slew of recipes to share. But for today, I just have this one.

This recipe was great because, I've had this box of Quick Barley at the back of my pantry forever! And it used all things that I happened to have on hand right before payday... how often does that happen?!



Chicken Barley Chili
from Quaker
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 15oz can black beans, drained, rinsed
1 15.25oz can corn, undrained
1 16oz jar salsa (or tomato sauce)
1 14.5oz can chicken broth
3 cups chicken breast cooked, cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup Quaker Quick Barley
3 c water
1 T chili powder
1 tsp cumin
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional - but not at my house!)

In 6qt saucepan, combine tomatoes, salsa, broth, barley, water, chili powder and cumin. Over high heat bring to boil; cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans, corn and chicken; increase heat to high until chili comes to a boil. Cover an reduce heat to low. Simmer for another 5 minutes, or until barley is tender. If upon standing the chili becomes too thick, add more chicken broth or water until chili is desired consistency. If desired, top with shredded cheese and sour cream (who are we kidding, it's desired!). Makes 11 (1 CUP) servings.

Nutritional Information per 1 CUP Serving:
Calories 270, Fat 4g, Calories from Fat 30, % Calories from Fat 12%, Cholesterol 60mg, Sodium 700mg, Carbohydrate 27g, Dietary Fiber 5g, Protein 32g

Cranberry Scones

This was seriously the most delicious thing ever. I wouldn't recommend making it unless you have plenty of people to share with, because it'll go straight to your hips. I'm fairly certain, this is what we'll be having for breakfast on Christmas morning.



(The above picture does not contain the orange glaze. I hadn't put it on yet.)
I do have to give a shout out to my friend Sarah, the source of this delicious recipe. Thank you for bringing this obsession into my life.

Cranberry Scones
2 c flour
1/3 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c butter, at room temperature

Mix till crumbly.

1/2 c milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Mix in small bowl. Add to dry ingredients. Mix just until everything is moistened. DO NOT OVERMIX.

Spoon onto a greased or parchment paper lined cookie sheet in a circular mound. Lightly press 1 pint or less of fruit into the surface of the scone. (I used cranberries, but you could use blueberries, etc.)

Streusel
1/4 c flour
1/4 c brown sugar
1 T butter
1 tsp orange zest
1-2 T chopped pecans

Pour onto the top and lightly press all around onto the mounded scone. Cut into 8 pieces before baking. Bake at 400 degrees for 22 minutes.

Orange Glaze
1 T butter
1.5 cups powdered sugar
1-2 Tsp orange juice
2-3 Tbsp milk

Combine ingredients to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over scone when it comes out of the oven. Try not to die of gluttony.

Stuffed Green Peppers

This crockpot dish is fantastic. We love it for those busy days. I throw everything together and leave it for the day.

Stuffed Peppers

4-6 green peppers, tops removed, seeded
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen corn, partially thawed
1 lbs. ground beef, browned and drained
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. or more ketchup

Wash peppers and drain well. Combine all remaining ingredients except for the ketchup. Stir well. Stuff peppers. Pour 3 Tbs. of water into stoneware to prevent the peppers from burning to the bottom. Pour ketchup over the peppers. Cover and cook on low 7-9 hours or high for 3-5 hours.