Burger Buns

Callen grilled us some burgers the other night.  (I mixed a little worcheshire and garlic salt in the beef before I made patties.  And when I made patties, I actually made them thicker on the outer edge and thin in the middle, that way when you cook them and they condense a little, it ends up making them very even.  Genius.  Thanks Rachael Ray for that tip.)

I decided to make my own buns, cuz that's what I do.  I used this recipe.

Although the buns ended up smaller than they looked in the picture, they tasted great and complimented the perfectly disced burgers.  A delicious dinner!

Hamburger Buns
1 T active dry yeast
1 c. plus 1 T warm water
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. salt
3-3 1/2 c. flour

1.  In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add oil and sugar, let stand for 5 mins.
Add the egg, salt and enough flour to form a soft dough.
2.  Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 mins.  Do not let rise.  Divide into 12 pieces; shape each into a ball.  Place 3 in. apart on a greased cookie sheet.
3.  Cover and let rest for 10 mins.  Bake at 425 for 8-12 mins or until golden brown.  Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Makes 12.

Mini Tacos

This is genius.  And there is only a picture on pinterest, no link, so I'm not sure who to give credit to.  Why I didn't think of this, I'm not sure.  Very simple.

Take some beef (or turkey, I always use ground turkey in place of beef), cook it, and add taco seasoning like you would for regular tacos.  Then take some tostito scoops chips, the ones that look like little bowls.  Fill them with the meat, then sprinkle on some shredded cheese.  Bake at 350 for like 10 minutes so your cheese will get nice and melty.  I served them with lettuce and tomatoes which I would pile on and then eat.  They were so easy, you don't have that stupid struggle of trying to keep the crap in the taco shell while it is crumbing every time you take a bit.  It's one little bite each time.  And super easy to feed the girls.  I think Syd ate 6 or 7.  I'm totally serious.

Genius, I tell you.

Chicken Marsala

I had a ton of mushrooms to use up (I first typed marshmallows instead of mushrooms.  I think it's because Brooklyn calls the little marshmallows in her Lucky Charms cereal mushrooms.  I'm all screwed up now).  So I decided to make one of Callen's favorites to order at restaurants, Chicken Marsala.  And it was delicious!

I found the recipe here.  Good all Allrecipes.com

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:
1/4 c. all purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1/ t. oregano
4 skinless, bonless chicken breasts, pounded 1/4 in think
4 T butter
4 T olive oil
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1/2 c. Marsala wine
1/4 c. cooking sherry (I didn't have this so I just used 3/4 c. Marsala wine)

1.  In a shallow dish, mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and oregano.  Dredge chicken breasts in the mix.
2.  In a large skillet, melt butter in oil over medium heat.  Place chicken in the pan and lightly brown.  Turn over chicken pieces and add the mushrooms.  Pour in wine/sherry.  Cover skillet; simmer 10 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is no longer pink and the juice run clear.

I served it over pasta.  Delicious!

Eggplant Parmesan Casserole

My dad is a great cook.  He doesn't cook very often, but he is pretty creative when he does.  So the other day when I was down there, I needed some new recipes and he gave me a few of his favorites.  Here is one of them.  He printed this off the internet somewhere, but I'm not sure from where.

Ingredients
1 lb ziti or rigatoni pasta
1 1/2 T olive oil
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 medium eggplant *cut into 1 inch pieces
14 oz. crushed tomatoes
8 oz. diced tomatoes
1 t salt
1 c. plain dried bread crumbs
1 t. dried parsley
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 in pieces

1.  Cook pasta as directed on box.
2.  Prepare eggplant sauce: In deep 12 inch skillet, heat 1/2 T oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook until tender and golden.  Add eggplant; cover skillet and cook 10-12 mins until eggplant softens slightly, stirring frequently.  Stir in crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes with their juice and 1/4 t. salt; simmer, uncovered, 5 mins or until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally.
3.  Preheat oven to 375.  In medium bowl, with fork, mix bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, and remaining oil and salt.
4.  Drain pasta.  Return pasta to sauce pot, stir in eggplant to coat.  Add mozzarella and toss to combine.  Put in ungreased 9x13 dish and spread evenly; top with breadcrumb mixture.  Bake, uncovered, 30 mins or just top browns and sauce bubbles.  Let stand 10 mins before serving.

*Can double this recipe and freeze the extra dish.  (Freeze before baking)

Chicken and Cream Cheese Taquitos

These. Are. Amazing.  Enough said.

Found originally here.

Ingredients

3 cups cooked shredded chicken

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sour cream

1/2 cup salsa

1 + 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 + 1/2 cups chopped baby spinach, stems removed

coarse salt (and fresh black pepper if you like), to taste

9 - 10 (6-inch) flour tortillas

vegetable or canola oil, for frying

topping as you like:

sour cream/quacamole/salsa/taco sauce/ranch dressing

Instructions

1. In a large bowl mix together the chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, cheddar and spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Working with one tortilla at a time add 2 heaping tablespoons of the chicken mixture off center and spread out like a log. Roll up and set seam side down in a 9x13 dish. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled and rolled.
3. Bake at 350 for about 10 mins, flip over if desired. 

*The original recipe has you fry these, so feel free to go that route instead!

5 stars!

Bacon and Chicken Shish-Kebobs

I made these for Father's Day dinner last week.  It was funny because Callen said how much he loved the mushrooms at the same moment I was gagging them down.  I can't handle squishy food.  I think that is also why I have an aversion to seafood.  Food should not be spongy like that.  Anyway, the rest was great and Callen said it was worth making again, so here you go.

Ingredients

• 1/4 C. soy sauce
• 1/4 C. cider vinegar
• 2 Tbs. honey
• 2 Tbs. canola oil
• 10 lg. mushrooms, cut in half
• 2 green onions, minced
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into chunks
• 1/2 lb. sliced thick cut bacon, cut each slice in half
  
• 1 8-oz. can pineapple chunks, drained
• skewers

Directions

In a large bowl, mix the soy sauce, cider vinegar, honey, canola oil, and green onions. 

Place the mushrooms and chicken into the mixture, and stir to coat. Cover, and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. 

Preheat grill for high heat. Wrap the chicken chunks with bacon, and thread onto skewers so that the bacon is secured. Alternate with mushroom halves and pineapple chunks. 

Lightly oil the grill grate. Arrange skewers on the prepared grill. Cook for 15-20 minutes, brushing occasionally with remaining soy sauce mixture, until bacon is crisp and chicken juices run clear.

Butternut Squash Risotto

I could have sworn I already did this recipe, but I can't find it, so here goes.  This is definitely worth keeping.  (Though I made it for my mother-in-law and she gave me some pointers on what I could do better next time.  I didn't think there was anything wrong with it to begin with...)

Butternut Squash Risotto (found here)

1 medium butternut squash peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces-let me just say this is harder than it looks. These bad boys are not easy to peel.  In the end Callen came and did it for me).

2 chicken breasts

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1/2 an onion chopped (gross)

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 cup Arborio Rice (I didn't know what this was, but apparently it is a specific kind of rice especially for risotto.  Found by normal rice at the grocery store).

3 cups Chicken Broth (I made this back in Brooklyn's soy-free days so I used water from the boiled chicken.  Now that we can eat soy, it will probably have a little more flavor next time I make it)

Parmesan Cheese

Salt, Pepper, Garlic Salt

Fresh Basil

To start with, peel and chop your butternut squash into 1 inch cubes.  Then melt 1 Tbsp. of butter in a pan and add your squash.  Sprinkle with salt and let it cook.  Cover it with a lid so it can steam while you work on the chicken.

Cut your chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes.  Cook your chicken on the stove top with 1 Tbsp. of Olive Oil and a sprinkle with garlic salt.  When it’s finished cooking, set aside.

Saute the onion in 1 Tbsp. of butter for about 5 minutes.  (Or just leave it out).  Then add the garlic and Arborio rice and saute for another 3-5 minutes until your garlic and onions are cooked and your rice is starting to turn golden.

Then add 1 cup of broth and stir constantly over medium heat until the liquid is absorbed.  Then add another 1/2 a cup.  Continue to add the broth a 1/2 a cup at a time until it is all absorbed into the rice.  It should seem creamy when it’s finished.

Once the rice is done, add the butternut squash (it should be steamed and maybe even a little golden brown) and your chicken and mix it all together.  Then top with parmesan cheese.  Add salt and pepper as needed.

4.8 stars!  Great!

Broccoli and Cheese Quinoa

I finally broke down and bought some Quinoa.  I had a heck of a time finding it at the grocery store.  Even now I can't remember where I found it.  I kinda stumbled upon it while looking for something else and even though it was pretty expensive, I have decided that this recipe alone makes it TOTALLY worth the price.  Both Callen and I were blown away by this amazing dish and if it were up to me, I'd make it every week.  Seriously, make it right now.

Broccoli and Cheese Quinoa

1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup uncooked broccoli
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Bring the quinoa and broccoli to boil in the chicken broth.  Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 15-20 mins, until the liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat, add the cheese and stir.

Enjoy!  Not only delicious, but TOTALLY easy to make.  So easy, even Jess can make it.  :)  Haha, since you're my only reader, I can say stuff like that.

Meatballs

Normally meatballs are extremely high calorie foods.  But this recipe seems to be pretty decent and it helps make spaghetti a little different.  Callen said he liked them and they were easy to make.  Unfortunately, Brooklyn can't have them because of the egg.

There is no link, just the picture on pinterest and the recipe in the description underneath.  So I'm not sure who to give credit to.  Not me.

Incredible Baked Meatballs. 

1lb hamburger (I used turkey)
2 eggs, beaten with 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan 
1 cup panko or bread crumbs
1 small onion, minced (which I obviously omitted)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh basil 

Mix all ingredients with hands. Form into golfball sized meatballs. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

4 stars.  Not amazing, but good and Callen says worth repeating.

Chicken and Cream Cheese Taquitos

So I got home late today after taking the kiddos to Baby Animal Days.  It's one of those nights when it's late and you already made spaghetti this week, so you don't have any other "quick" meals.  So we tried this one.  And we were extremely pleased with the outcome.  Brooklyn even ate it.  Without a fight.  That's how you know it's good. DEFINITELY a repeat.

Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos (here)

1 1/2 cups cooked shredded cooked chicken

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/6 cup sour cream

1/4 cup salsa

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 cup chopped baby spinach, stems removed

coarse salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

4-5 (6-inch) flour tortillas

vegetable or canola oil, for frying

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients (except tortillas) in a large bowl.
2. Fill tortillas with mixture down the middle, roll up like a burrito.
3. (Original recipe calls for frying these bad boys in a pan in oil.  I chose to bake them to keep them healthier.)  Cook at 350 for 12-15 mins.
4. Serve with your choice of sauce.  (We just ate them straight up).

Easily 5 stars.

Mango Chicken Skewers

We are loving our grill.  In fact, I learned how to use it this week and make some mango chicken skewers.  It was perfect.  I had mango and green peppers in my basket this week.  It was like it was meant to be.  And can I just say, they were A.MAZE.ING.  I normally don't like cooked fruit, so I was worried about the mangoes, but they were perfect.  The whole situation was perfect.  These will definitely be a new favorite around here.  (And this is a soy-free recipe that Brooklyn could also eat!)

I found the recipe here.

Mango Chicken Skewers

Ingredients

• 6 Tbs. olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice (I think I used 2-3 limes)
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 ripe but firm mangoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
• Bell peppers, optional

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together the spices, and lime juice. Immerse the chicken and mangoes in the mixture and marinate for 2-4 hours, covered, in the refrigerator. (I only marinated for about 1 hour cuz I didn't prepare enough ahead.  And I didn't do the mangoes cuz I didnt want them to get soggy).
2. Prepare a hot grill, line the grill with a strip of foil on one end to prevent the bottom of the skewers from burning. (I didn't do this either, I just loaded the sticks almost clear to the end with food).
3. Take the skewers and alternately place pieces of chicken, mango and peppers. (Brooklyn loved doing this part).
4. Arrange the skewers evenly on the grill. Turn them once while cooking and cook until cooked through and nicely charred. 6-10 minutes. Remove from grill and serve immediately.

5 stars.  Easily.

Korean Beef (aka Korean Turkey)

I found this recipe that promised to be simple.  Sometimes I need simple in my life.  And sometimes I need different.  This seemed like something different than what I normally make, so I put it on the menu.  And it is a Six Sisters recipe, and they tend to have things that I like.  So it was one of those things that would be on the menu for that night, but I would push it off. Not sure why.  The night I made it, I told Callen I wasn't in the mood for it and was going to make spaghetti, but I decided to just suck it up and do it.  And we were both glad I did.  It reminded me a bit of the Mongolian Beef I make, except it used ground beef (and I used ground turkey).  Plus, it wasn't fried.  So a win-win in terms of health.  And we both agreed that it was something worth making again!
I found the original recipe here.

Korean Beef

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced (I used 2 medium sized ones)

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers (depending on how spicy you like it)
salt and pepper
1 bunch green onions, diced (I omitted)

Rice, cooked (I used brown rice)

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown hamburger with garlic in the sesame oil. Drain most of the fat and add brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper and red peppers. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Serve over steamed rice and top with green onions. 

Easy enough!  And delicious.  4.8 stars.

Spaghetti Sauce

A soy free spaghetti sauce!  And it's so good!  Recipe from here.

Slow cooker spaghetti sauce

1 lb ground beef (I used turkey)

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 bay leaves

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried basil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional-I didn't use)

2 tablespoons butter

Brown ground turkey in skillet over medium high heat until meat is cooked through. Drain excess fat off of beef and discard. Combine cooked ground beef and remaining ingredients (EXCLUDING the butter) together in crockpot and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Just before serving, remove bay leaves and stir in the butter.  Serve over pasta. Yield: 6-8 servings

Delicious!  5 stars.  And we used it tonight, almost 5 nights after I made it, and the flavors have marinated so well together, it's almost better now than it was super fresh!

Italian Chicken Marinade

Callen got a grill.  He said it makes him more of a man.  Well, my dad got a new grill for Christmas, and so we got his old one.  There is nothing wrong with it.  Not sure why dad even needed a new one...  But one man's trash is another man's treasure, right!??

So he stood out in the snow under the overhand that happens to end right where he stands.  So even though it wasn't raining or snowing, he was getting constantly dripped on.  But it was totally worth it.

We used this chicken marinade from Mom on a Mission for the chicken.  It was simple and extremely flavorful.  She talked about using this as a freezer marinade, it is an interesting idea, you should probably check out her site for her details.  I just mixed all the ingredients and put the chicken in it for about 6 hours to marinate.

• 6 Tablespoons canola oil
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 8-10 boneless , skinless chicken breasts ( I butterfly all the way through if they are extra-large)

I only used 2 pieces of chicken, so there was a TON of marinade, I definitely didn't need that much.  But it still tasted excellent!  5.0 stars, this is definitely a repeat.

Dorito Chicken Casserole

I am on a no-sweets eating plan right now except holidays.  (SO EXCITED TOMORROW IS A HOLIDAY!  I have my sweets all planned out...) So lately I have been craving chips.  I probably shouldn't be eating those either, but what do you want from me.  I'm not perfect.

So this little gem of a recipe was perfect the other night.  I found it at Jam Hands.

Mexican Dorito Casserole 
Serves 4-6

• 2 c. shredded cooked chicken
• 1 c. shredded cheese
• 1 can cream of chicken soup (I used homemade soup)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 can Ro-tel tomatoes (I have a bunch of fresh tomatoes from my basket, so I just chopped one up and omitted the jalapenos)
• 1/2 packet taco seasoning (or more- to taste)
• Bag of doritos (and you should probably eat some doritos as you are cooking.  Maybe like 3 servings worth)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350-f degrees.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except doritos.

3. In a greased 2 qt baking dish, put a layer of crushed doritos (about 2 cups), then a layer of the chicken mixture. Repeat once more, ending with a layer of chicken mixture. Top with more shredded cheese, cover, and bake for 30-35 minutes, till bubbling hot.


And ENJOY!
Rating: 4.0 stars (I couldn't give it 5 stars since it's not the healthiest thing I've ever made... I mean, it has crunched up chips in it.)

Chicken Crepes and Buttermilk Syrup and Whole Grain Waffles

I LOVE breakfast.  I would eat breakfast for every meal of every day if I could.  Especially if I have some homemade buttermilk syrup to go with it.  In fact, here is the recipe for that.  This recipe comes from a colleague of mine from when I taught 4th grade, so I can thank Carla Randall for my hip size!

3/4 c. butter
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
2 T karo syrup
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla
(Can you already see how healthy this recipe is??!)

Mix the butter, karo syrup, buttermilk, and sugar together in a medium size sauce pan and boil for 5 mins while stirring.  Remove from heat.  Add the soda and vanilla, being careful because it will froth up a bit before settling down.

(On a side note, if you are trying to use up the rest of your buttermilk before it goes back in two days so you decide to quadruple this recipe, be warned that it will probably boil over your largest pot and make a HUGE sticky mess all over your stovetop, under the burners, down the front of your oven, and onto the floor.  I would suggest not making more than a double batch at one time.)

Rating: 5.0 stars.  Easily.  If I could give it more than that, I would.  It's that good.

Ok, so now you need something to go with the syrup.  How about whole grain waffles?  Also courtesy of Carla.

2 eggs
1/4 c. canola oil
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. flax seed meal
1/4 c. flour
1 T sugar
1 3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. applesauce
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. wheat germ
4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, applesauce, and vanilla.  Beat in all dry ingredients just until smooth.   Preheat waffle iron.  Cook until crisp and golden brown.  (These take a little longer to cook so they don't stick to the pan).

Rating: 5.0 stars

Or maybe make some crepes.
This recipe I found on pinterest.  Obviously.

1 c flour
1 T sugar
1/4 t salt
1 1/3 c milk
1 T vanilla
3 eggs
3 T melted butter

1. In a large bowl combine the flour sugar and salt.

2. In a large measuring cup combine the milk, vanilla, eggs and melted butter. Mix with a fork to break up the eggs.

3. While whisking rapidly, slowly pour the milk and egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Whisk until very well combined. I keep the whisk in the bowl and continue to mix the batter occasionally as I make the crepes.

4. Heat an 8" non-stick skillet to medium heat. I used a paper towel with butter to coat the pan. Pour ¼ cup of batter into pan and tilt pan so that batter covers pan in a thin layer. Cook until the edges start to lightly brown, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip over and cook for a few more seconds until done. I sprinkle about a teaspoon of sugar over the crepe and roll them up in the pan and keep them covered with aluminum foil to keep them warm until they are ready to serve.

(I didn't do the sugar, since this last time I used them to make chicken crepes and I didn't want them to be sweet).

Rating: 5.0 stars

So maybe you want some crepes, but you don't them super sweet.  Or you want to sneak breakfast into dinner.  Try chicken crepes! (by the Mormon Maven Moms here).

Super easy.

3-4 breasts chicken

2 cans cream of mushroom soup (I made my own so it wouldn't have soy in it)

Crepes

1 c. Sour cream

Cheddar cheese

Cook the chicken and dice it into small pieces.  Mix it with one can of soup.  Put some down the center of a crepe, then roll it up.

Place it in a 9x13 dish and repeat until the dish is full.

Mix the other can of soup with the sour cream.  Pour over the top of the crepes, then sprinkle as much cheese as you want on the top.  

Cook at 375 for 20 mins.  Enjoy!

4.0 stars.  Since I made my own soup, it tends to be a little bland in flavor.  But still a recipe I would use again.

Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Tin Foil Dinners

I was a little nervous about this one, since it seems like something you would eat while camping.  But it turned out fine!  I don't really have a cool story about it, so just enjoy the recipe found at Best Life 4 Moms is Now.

Ingredients:
1 package Stuffing mix; chicken flavor 
1 1/4 cups Water
4 Boneless skinless chicken breast halves
4 cups Broccoli Florets
1 cups Shredded cheddar cheese
4 slices Cooked bacon; crumbled 
4 tbsp Ranch dressing divided
- Oven to 400

Directions:
Spray 4 large sheets of heavy-duty foil with oil.
Combine stuffing mix and water.
Spoon 1/4 of the stuffing mixture onto the center of each foil sheet.
Top stuffing with a 6oz. chicken breast half.
Top chicken with 1 c. broccoli.
Sprinkle with 1/4 of the cheese and 1 slice of bacon, crumbled.
Drizzle with 1 T. ranch dressing
Bring up foil sides and fold to seal, leaving room for heat circulation inside
Place packets on a cookie sheet and bake 35-40 mins (depends on the size of your chicken breasts)
Remove packets and let stand 5 mins
Cut sits in foil for steam before opening.

It's been a while since I made these, but from what I can remember, 4.5 stars?