Tomato Dumplings +-

From: CrazyCraftyCousins

Tomato Stew

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 green peppers, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 - 1 cup carrots, choped
• 2 tabelspoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon. salt
• 4 tabelspoons olive oil
• 2 bay leaf
• 2 (15 oz) cans  diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 large zucchihi, chopped
• Optional: shredded chicken

Dumplings

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tabelspoons butter
• 1 C. milk
• 3 Tbs. parsley  (dried or fresh)

Saute *veggies, except for zucchini and tomatoes, in butter until almost tender. Add remaining ingredients and let it simmer. Combine dumpling ingredients. Add the zucchini, give it a good mix and drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough onto tomato mixture. Cover and cook on simmer approximately 20 minutes, or until dumplings are cooked through.

*Veggie amounts are approximate.  Use as much, and whatever veggies you wish.

Serves 4-6 

Dirty Rice ✔+

From: Our Best Bites

• 3/4 pound ground pork sausage (mild or spicy, depending on your preferences)
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 stalks celery, minced
• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 cups long-grain white rice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 10 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt-based Cajun or Creole Seasoning (like Tony Chachere’s; you may want more or less depending on how hot you want your rice to be)
• Kosher salt to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon, but again, this will largely be to taste)
• 4 cups beef broth (high elevations may need up to 1/4 cup more)
• Optional: 1/2 cup chopped green onions

Preheat a large skillet (with sides) over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until it is about halfway browned. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and green pepper and cook until the sausage is cooked and the vegetables are tender and fragrant.

Add the rice and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the Tabasco, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper and stir until combined. Add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the moisture is absorbed (again, higher elevations may take as long as 45 minutes). Season to taste with salt and Tabasco sauce. If desired, toss with green onions before serving. 

10-12 servings

Blackened Chicken and Cilantro Lime Quinoa +-

From: Sarcastic Cooking

• 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• ½ Teaspoon of Paprika
• ¼ Teaspoon of Salt
• ¼ Teaspoon of Pepper
• ¼ Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ Teaspoon of Onion Powder
• ¼ Teaspoon of Cumin
• 1 Teaspoon of Olive Oil
• 2 Cups of Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• 1 Cup of Quinoa
• Juice and Zest from One Lime
• A Dash of Salt and Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons of Cilantro, chopped
• 1 avocado
• 2 Tablespoons Plain Greek Yogurt

Combine all the dry seasonings in a small bowl. Mix them together and then season both sides of each chicken breast.

Add the teaspoon of olive oil to a large pan or skillet. Heat the olive oil for a minute over medium/high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan. Cook for seven minutes on each side with the lid on.

Add the chicken stock and quinoa to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium/low heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes with the lid on, until all the stock has been absorbed.

After the chicken breasts have cooked all the way through, remove them from the pan and let them rest for seven minutes before slicing them.

Add the warm quinoa to a large bowl. Toss in the lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper, and chopped cilantro. Mix to combine.

For the sauce, place the flesh from an avocado along with two tablespoons of Greek yogurt in a food processor and puree until smooth.

Serve the sliced chicken breast on top of the quinoa, and avocado sauce over the entire dish.

Mango Quinoa Salad +-

From: Our Best Bites

• 2 cups cooked quinoa at room temperature, or chilled
• 1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium mango, peeled and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 6 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup)
• 4 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• kosher salt
• freshly cracked black pepper
• Optional: Sliced, peppered Chicken

Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl.  Add mango, red pepper, green onion, black beans, and cilantro.  In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice.  Whisk until smooth and pour on top of salad.  Toss to combine and add salt and pepper to taste.  Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Strawberry Sparkle Cake +

From: Pioneer Woman

Angel Food Cake

• Angle Food Cake
• 15 whole Egg Whites, At Room Temperature
• 1 teaspoon Cream Of Tartar
• 1-1/2 cup Plus 2 Tablespoons Sugar, Sifted Three Times
• 1 cup Cake Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla

Filling

• 1 package (3 Oz.) Strawberry Jello
• 2-1/2 cups Boiling Water
• 1 package (1 Pound) Frozen Sliced Strawberries

Icing

• 1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Combine cake flour and salt and sift together five times. Set aside.

Beat egg whites until frothy (lots of bubbles but still liquidy and loose.) Add cream of tartar and beat on high until stiff.

With mixer on medium-low, slowly sprinkle in sifted sugar as it mixes in.

Remove bowl from mixer and fold in sifted flour gently until it's all combine. Sprinkle vanilla into the bowl and fold gently.

Spoon batter into tube pan---make sure there's no grease or butter in there! Smooth the top and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a wooden skewer stuck all the way to the bottom comes out clean. (Don't open the oven while it's baking!)

Carefully remove the cake from the oven and immediately invert it on a bottle. Let it cool completely while hanging upside down. Once totally cool, remove it from the pan.

To make the filling, sprinkle the jello powder into a bowl and pour in 2 1/2 cups of boiling water. Stir to dissolve, then add the bag of frozen sliced strawberries. Stir to cool the mixture and set it aside.

Turn the cake upside down so that the end that was stuck to the bottom of the pan is now facing up. With a serrated knife, carefully cut the top 1-inch of cake from the top. Remove it and lay it beside the cake. Next, with a small paring knife, make two concentric cuts in the cake: one cut is 1 inch from the outside rim, the other cut is 1 inch from the inside rim. (Be careful not to cut all the way through to the bottom of the cake! Leave about an inch from the bottom.)

Tear out a trench in between the two cuts and save the torn cake pieces for another use.

By now, the strawberry mixture should be cool and somewhat gelatinous. IMPORTANT: If mixture is not thick, stick it in the freezer for 15 minutes or until it thickens and sets. Carefully spoon the mixture into the trench in the cake, filling it all the way to the top and ever-so-slightly above to allow for a little settling. Place the top of the cake back on top, lining it up just right.

Refrigerate cake for a couple of hours (or you can stick it in the freezer for an hour or so if you're in a hurry!)

To serve, whip together the cream and sugar until stiff. Spread all over the cake. Cut into slices and serve!, festive, fresh, fabulous cake!

Optional: Garnish with fresh strawberries. 

Baked Eggy Custard ✔+

From: Betty Crocker

• 3 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• dash of salt
• 2 1/2 cups very warm milk (120° F to 130° F)
• Ground Nutmeg

Heat oven to 350°F.

In medium bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt with wire whisk or fork. Gradually stir in milk. Pour into six 6-ounce custard cups. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Place cups in 13x9-inch pan on oven rack. Pour very hot water into pan to within 1/2 inch of tops of cups 

Bake about 45 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean. Remove cups from water. 

Eat it warm, or chilled

Pork Chops with Pineapple Fried Rice +-

From: Pioneer Woman

• 1/2 whole Pineapple, Cut Into Spears And Skewered
• 2 cups White Or Brown Rice, Cooked
• 6 whole Pork Chops
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Peanut Oil Or Canola Oil
• 1 whole Large Onion, Sliced
• 6 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (more To Taste, Or If More Liquid Is Needed)
• 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• 1 Tablespoon Sriracha, Or Other Hot Sauce
• Salt To Taste
• 3 cloves Minced Garlic
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 jar (small) Drained Pimentos
• 1-1/2 cup Frozen Peas (or fresh asperagus)
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (additional)

Cook rice according to package instructions. Set aside.

Grill or saute pineapple spears until they have good marks/color on the outside. Slice, then set aside.

(Note: soak wooden skewers in water for a few hours first.)

Heat butter and oil over medium high heat, then add the pork chops to the pan. Saute on both sides until they have nice color.

Throw in the sliced onions and work them into the crevices between the chops. Shake the pan and move the onions around and let them cook for a good couple of minutes.

When the onions are starting to soften, add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, and hot sauce. Shake the pan, stir it around, and let it cook and bubble up for a good couple of minutes until the pork chops are completely cooked and the sauce is thicker. Remove the pork chops to a bowl, then let the sauce bubble up and cook for another 30 to 45 seconds. Pour it over the pork chops. Set aside.

Add a small amount of oil to the same pan (without cleaning it) and return it to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir it around, then crack in the eggs and immediately stir them to scramble them a bit. Add peas, pimentos, and a couple of tablespoons (additional) soy sauce. Add cooked rice and stir it around to cook for a couple of minutes.

To serve, pile rice on a plate, then top with a pork chops and onions from the sauce. Drizzle a little bit of sauce over the top.

Baked Lemon Chicken ✔+

From: My Recipe Box

• Frozen chicken breasts
• Lemon Pepper
• Lemon Juice

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Place the frozen chicken breasts in a baking dish.

Pour the lemon juice over them until they have a nice frozen coat.

Sprinkle with lemon pepper to taste.

Cover with tin foil.

Pop it in the oven for about 50 minutes (depends on the size of your chicken breasts).

Remove from the oven and serve.

Spinach and Sausage Cream Sauce +-

From: My Recipe Box

• 2T Olive Oil
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Shallot, minced
• 2 Chicken Sausages, sliced (you can use whatever kind of sausage you want)
• 1/4c flour
• 2 1/2 c cold milk
• 1/2 - 1c shredded Parmesan cheese
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 c (or more) cream
• chopped mushrooms
• fresh spinach leaves

Heat the olive oil in the pan.  Add the garlic and shallots. Mix the garlic and shallots until the garlic is fragrant and the shallots are translucent.  

Add the sausage and brown.

Sprinkle the flour over the sausage mixture and mix until the flour just begins to turn golden.

Add cold milk.

Heat the mixture until it begins to thicken.  Add the cheese and salt to taste.

Add the cream.  Heat the mixture through.

Add the mushrooms and cook until tender.

Removed the sauce from the heat and add the fresh spinach leaves.  Stir until the spinach has wilted into the sauce.

Serve over your favorite type of pasta.

Breakfast Enchiladas +-

From: AllRecipes

• 2c cubed, fully cooked ham
• 1/2c chopped green onions
• 10 (8 inch) flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 Tbs all-purpose flour
• 2c half-and-half cream
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 tsp salt

• Combine ham and onions; place about 1/3 cup down the center of each tortilla. Top with 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.
• 
  
• In a bowl, combine flour, cream, eggs and salt if desired until smooth. Pour over tortillas. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
• 
  
• Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 3 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Creamed Eggs ✔+

From: My Recipe Box

• 4 Tbs butter
• 4 Tbs flour
• 2c COLD milk
• 8-10 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• salt to taste
• white pepper to taste
• pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pan melt butter.

Add the flour and stir until the flour just begins to turn golden.

Add the COLD milk and whisk until the clumps are gone.

Heat to a simmer.

Add eggs and heat through.

Add salt and peppers to taste.

Serve over toast.

Beef Stroganoff ✔+

From: Mom Cunningham

• 1lb ground beef or stew meat
• 1T olive oil
• 1 med. onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 10 ½ oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1c dairy sour cream
• 1 3 oz can mushrooms, undrained -or- fresh mushrooms
• 2T ketchup
• 2T Worcestershire sauce
• pasta

Heat oil in skillet.

Add garlic and onions and cook until garlic becomes fragrent.

Add meat and brown.

Add fresh mushrooms.  Stir occasionally until mushrooms are soft.

Add cream of mushroom soup, sour cream (don't use light... it will curdle), ketchup, and Worcestershire Sauce.

Heat through.

DON’T BOIL.

Serve over pasta.

Slow-Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken ✔+

From: The Kitchn

Serves 2 to 4 with leftovers

• 4 to 5 pound chicken

For the seasoning rub:

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped and minced

For the cooking liquid:

• 2 lemons, quartered
• 1 head garlic, cloves separated, but left in their skins
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes or 1 teaspoon bouillon paste, divided (optional for richer flavor)
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 sprigs rosemary

For the gravy:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Remove the bag of gizzards and discard (or reserve for stock). Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

Mix all the seasoning ingredients together in a bowl. Gently work your fingers under the skin covering the breast meat and slide them back and forth to separate the skin from the meat without tearing it. Scoop up a dollop of the seasoning and work it under the skin covering both breasts. Rub any remaining seasoning over the drumsticks and thighs. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker, breast-side up.

Squeeze and reserve the juice from one of the lemons. Stuff the rinds into the cavity of the chicken along with one whole bouillon cube and a few garlic cloves. Crumble the other bouillon cube over the chicken and rub it into the skin. Arrange the remaining lemon quarters, the rest of garlic cloves, and the thyme around the chicken. Combine the reserved lemon juice, the soy sauce, and the broth, and pour it over the chicken.

Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 4 to 6 hours. Thirty minutes or so before the time is done, add the rosemary sprigs.

Remove chicken from the slow-cooker and allow it to rest on a baking sheet, tented with foil, for about 20 minutes. The wings and drumsticks may fall away as you lift the chicken; this is normal.
While the chicken is resting, strain the cooking liquid into a sauce pan and bring to a rapid simmer. Scoop out a half cup of the liquid and whisk it with the flour in a separate bowl. Slowly pour the flour slurry back into the cooking liquid while whisking. Continue simmering and whisking until the gravy thickens. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.

When ready to serve, remove the skin from the chicken and discard. Use your fingers to pull the meat away off the bones; it should come away easily with gentle pressure or use a knife as needed.

Sweet and Sour Turkey (or Chicken) Meatballs + -

From: My Recipe Box

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large carrots, chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 slice white bread
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 3/4 pound ground turkey (or chicken)
• 1/2 zucchini, shredded
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups instant rice*

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add onion, green pepper, and carrot (zucchini if you want).  Cover for 5 minutes, until onion is softened.  

Stir in broth, tomato sauce, brown sugar, white vinegar, pineapple with juice, and ketchup.  

Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.

While your veggies are simmering, soak the bread in the milk until it is absorbed.  Mix the ground turkey, shredded zucchini, egg, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.  Shape into about 12 meatballs (about 2 Tbs each).

Drop the meatballs into the simmering sauce.  Cook 15 minutes, or until cooked through.  Turn over half way through cooking.

Remove skillet from heat.

*Optional - stir in rice. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.  Fluff rice with fork before serving.

Porcupine Meatballs + -

From: Mom Cunningham

• 1 ½ lbs ground beef
• ¾ c uncooked quick rice
• ¾ c milk
• 1 diced onion
• salt and pepper
• 10 oz can tomato soup
• 1 can water
• ½ t basil
• ½ t salt
• ½ t pepper
• ½ c Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine ground beef, rice,milk, onion, salt, and pepper.

Shape the meat into small balls.

Place in 9x13 inch baking dish.

Mix tomato soup, water, basil, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.

Pour over meat.

Cover and bake at 350° for 1½ hours.

Slow Cooked Chicken Enchilada Chili ✔+

From: Picky Palate

• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
• One 15 ounce can corn, drained
• One 15 ounce can black beans, drained
• One 10 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 8 ounces (1 Cup) red enchilada sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 Cup chicken broth (optional)
• Cooked Steamed Rice

Place all ingredients into crock pot on high heat. Cook on high for 4-5 hours, until chicken shreds easily with a fork. Shred both breasts into bite size pieces and spoon over cooked rice or tortilla. You can also add about 1 cup chicken broth to the chili to make it a bit saucier. Totally optional.

Makes 8 servings