Med Salad

Med Salad

• 3 cups dried fusilii or cavatappi pasta, cooked, drained, and cooled
• chopped green leaf lettuce
• 1/2 bag of pre-washed spinach
• 1 halved and sliced cucumber
• 1 orange bell pepper sliced and cut into small pieces
• 1/4-1/2 of a red onion thinly sliced
• 
1 1/2 cups of grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 jar of kalamata olives, drained
• sprinkle of feta cheese, crumbled
• Toss all the salad ingredients & add desired amount of spicy yogurt salad dressing to your portion.

Spicy Yogurt Salad Dressing

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 
2 tablespoon crumbled feta cheese
• 
2-5 teaspoons sriracha hot sauce (depends on how spicy you want the dressing)
• salt and pepper to taste

I combine these ingredients in my blend-tec blender on the sauces/dressings setting and it works perfect.

Taco Chicken Bowls

I'm making this for dinner tonight!

2-3 chicken breasts
12 oz. salsa
4 oz. salsa verde
1 can black beans, drained
8 oz. frozen corn
1 T chili powder
1/2 T cumin
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
juice from one lime
1/4 tsp salt
pepper, to taste
2 cups dry rice
Optional toppings:
8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
sliced olives
diced tomatoes
avocado, diced

STEP 1: Add everything except the rice & toppings to the slow cooker along with 1/4 cup of water. Give everything a good stir and make sure the chicken is covered in the mixture.

STEP 2: Secure the lid on your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hrs.

STEP 3: Near the end of the cooking time, cook the two cups of rice according to the package directions.

STEP 4: After 8 hours of cooking, carefully remove the lid of the slow cooker. Stir with a fork to shred the chicken (it should be super tender and will shred easily). Build the taco bowls by placing rice on the bottom, then the taco chicken mix, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, olives, tomatoes, and avocado.

Penne Pasta Bake

1 lb ground turkey or beef
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp. italian seasoning
salt/pepper to taste
any other desired seasonings
1-16oz bag penne pasta
6 oz sliced provolone cheese
8 oz. shredded mozerella cheese
8 oz. sour cream or cottage cheese

Directions:

1- Cook pasta as directed on package
2-In skillet saute onion & garlic, then add ground turkey or beef and cook until browned.
3-Combine diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, & seasonings in blender and blend until combined. Then add the sauce to the meat and heat until warm.(Approx. 2 jars of store bought spaghetti sauce may be substituted here)
4-Preheat oven to 350º & lightly oil a 9" x 13" baking dish.
5- Layer as follows: 1/2 pasta, sour cream or cottage cheese, sliced provolone cheese, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining pasta, 1/2 of mozzarella cheese, remaining sauce, remaining mozzarella cheese.
5- Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes at 350º or until cheese melts, cover with foil near end to prevent top cheese from burning.

Serve with homemade bread-sticks or garlic bread.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

(Makes 2 Pies)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (boiled/shredded) or 1 shredded rotisserie chicken

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

2 potatoes, cubed
sliced carrots

(Add or subtract any veggies you want in your pie!)

1 sticks butter

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 tsp. celery salt

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk

4 deep dish pie shells (2 packages)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375º. Boil & shred chicken (or shred 2 rotisserie chickens). In another saucepan, boil peas, corn, and potatoes (or whatever veggies you choose) until mostly done. Drain and set aside. In a large saute pan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour, salt, garlic salt, celery salt, and black pepper. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Boil then simmer over med-low heat until thick. Add the chicken and veggies to the gravy. Place bottom pie shells on sheet pans. Pour gravy to fill up shell. Place extra shells on top of bottom shells (upside-down). Make slits in the top of each pie shell to allow steam to escape. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until crust is slightly golden.

Pizza Crust

1 T Yeast
1 tsp Salt
1 1/2 C Warm Water
2 1/2 C White Flour
2 C Whole Wheat Flour
3 T Olive Oil

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil, salt, and knead in the flour. Let rise 30-40 minutes. Add sauce & desired toppings. Bake pizza at 425 for 15-20 minutes. You can also use all white flour if you prefer. (Makes 2 12 inch pizzas or 1 larger one)

Delicious!

Crockpot French Dip Sandwiches

3 1/2 lbs beef chuck roast
16-oz. beef broth
1 10.5-oz. can condensed French onion soup
6-oz red wine
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
4-6 French rolls
sliced provolone cheese

1. Trim excess fat off of beef roast and season meat all over with salt and pepper.

2. Pour beef broth, condensed French onion soup, red wine and garlic powder into slow cooker and place beef roast into liquid.

3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Depending on how the settings on your slow cooker work, the time will vary. Mine took 7 hours and was falling apart tender.

4. Take beef out and cover with aluminum foil, for about 15 minutes.

5. Slice beef and return to slow cooker on low or very low for 30 minutes.

6. Lightly toast the bread and evenly distribute cheese between rolls. Divide beef onto rolls and eat while it is hot. Serve each sandwich with its own dip.

Grilled Lemon Chicken

3 T fresh lemon juice
3 T extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Cooking spray

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes(longer is better), turning occasionally. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper.
3. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done.

Baked Lemon Pasta

This pasta is delicious!
It can be served plain or with grilled lemon chicken.

1 pound Thin Spaghetti
4 Tablespoons Salted Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Lemon, Juiced And Zested
2 cups Sour Cream
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt, Or More To Taste
Plenty Of Grated Parmesan Cheese
Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
Extra Lemon Juice

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Cook pasta following package instructions until al dente.

2. In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over low heat. When butter is melted, add minced garlic, lemon juice, zest, and salt. Turn off heat.

3. Add sour cream and stir mixture together.

4. Pour mixture over drained pasta, mix well and then pour into an oven safe dish.

5. Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove cover and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and top with Parmesan cheese. Squeeze more lemon juice over the top if desired.

Veggie Tostadas

Corn tortillas
Refried Beans

Toppings:

Cheese, shredded
Lettuce, shredded
Tomatoes, diced
Red onion, chopped
Salsa
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Avocado, chopped
Fresh lime juice

1. Turn on the oven to broil. Spray both sides of the corn tortillas with cooking spray. Place tortillas on a baking sheet. Broil for 5-7 minutes. Turn them over once. Keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn. Remove from oven and let cool.
2. Prepare your toppings. Heat up the refried beans in a microwave safe bowl. Stir.
3. Take a corn tortilla and spread refried beans over the top. Add whatever toppings you like.
4. Enjoy!
*Note-you can add meat if you want extra protein. Also, feel free to add other toppings like olives, jalapenos, diced green chilies, corn, etc.

Thai-Style Coconut Chicken

Prep: 25 minutes Cook: 7 minutes ~ Yields 4 servings

Expect the dish to resemble a very flavorful broth which is typical of many Thai dishes. Like your Thai food quite hot? Just add another chili or two.

Ingredients:

1 T vegetable oil

1 lb chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

1 t grated lime peel

1 t grated gingerroot

1 clove garlic, minced

2 fresh Serrano chilies or 1 jalapeno chili, seeded and finely chopped (I would recommend doing more)

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 can (about 14 oz.) coconut milk

1 t packed brown sugar

1/2 t salt

1 T soy sauce

curry powder (I don't have an amount for you since the recipe doesn't call for it. We added this and it was delicious!! It's nice for some extra flavor)

1 cup sugar snap pea pods

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch cubes (the recipe calls for green peppers - but I prefer red)

1 medium tomato, chopped (3/4 cup - I left this out because Matt hates tomatoes and it was still good)

1 T chopped fresh basil leaves (I also left this out)

Hot cooked jasmine rice

Directions:
1. In nonstick wok or 12 inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add chicken; stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Add lime peel, gingerroot, garlic, chilies, and cilantro; stir-fry 1 minute.

2. Pour coconut milk over chicken. Stir in brown sugar, salt, soy sauce, (curry powder if desired), pea pods and bell pepper. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in tomato.

3. Spoon into shallow serving bowls over rice; top with basil.

Caribbean Black Beans

Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 10 minutes ~ Yields 5 servings

Ingredients:
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 t vegetable oil
1 medium papaya peeled, seeded and diced (about 1 1/2 cups) I substituted with mangos
1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped (1 cup)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion (about 1/2 medium onion - I left this out since Matt isn't a huge fan of red onions)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 t ground red pepper (cayenne)
2 cloves garlic, minced
(We also added some grated ginger - about as much as the minced garlic - this is optional)
5 cups hot cooked rice

Directions:
In 10 inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook all ingredients - EXCEPT the black beans and rice - in oil for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bell pepper is crisp-tender. Stir in beans. Cook about 5 minutes or until hot. Serve with rice.

Parmesan Alfredo Sauce

1/2 C. Butter
1/2 C. Evaporated Milk or Heavy Cream
3/4 C. Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp. Salt
Dash of Pepper

Heat butter and evaporated milk on low heat in a sauce pan until butter is melted. Stir in cheese, salt, and pepper. Continue stirring until thickened. Serve over 8 oz fettuccine or other noodles. Sometimes I add shredded chicken to the sauce also.

BBQ Chicken Salad

2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1/2-1 cup BBQ sauce (to your liking)

1/2 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 head Iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

4 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 Avocados, diced

shredded cheese, Mexican blend or cheddar

crispy tortilla strips

Stir shredded chicken in with the BBQ sauce until well coated. Toss together the lettuce, cilantro, corn, beans, and chopped veggies. Top with shredded chicken, cheese and crispy tortilla strips. Drizzle ranch or cilantro lime dressing over salad and enjoy!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake

2 packages reduced sodium Stuffing mix

1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp pepper

3/4 lb sliced deli ham, cut into 1 inch strips
1 cup swiss cheese shredded

2 cups cheddar cheese shredded

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

Prepare stuffing mixes according to directions on box. In a bowl, combine soup and milk. Put chicken in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with pepper. Layer with ham, swiss cheese and 1 cups of cheddar cheese, soup mixture and stuffing. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. Cover and bake at 350º for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

1.5 lbs pork or chicken, cooked and shredded

Sauce:

1/3 C honey

1/4 C lime juice

1 T chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 to 2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce
shredded monterey jack cheese

flour tortillas

Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.

Lightly spray 2 pans with non-stick baking spray, depending on how thick you stuff your enchiladas. Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.

Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top. Bake uncovered at 350º for 30 minutes. Then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer the top of oven. Let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy.

Crockpot Counrty Style Pork Ribs

3 lbs. Country Style Pork Ribs, boneless
1 1/2 C. Ketchup
2 T. Dijon Mustard
1/4 C. Packed Brown Sugar
1/4 C. Red Wine Vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. Liquid Smoke Flavoring
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder


Directions
1. Trim excess fat from ribs.
2. In a large skillet, brown ribs on all sides in oil.
3. Put ribs in the crockpot and cover with sliced onion.
4. In a bowl combine all sauce ingredients; pour over ribs and onions.
5. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. Stirring occasionally.
6. Shred meat with 2 forks when done.

Chicken Taco Salad

Simple recipe, but one of my favorite foods:)

2 Chicken Breasts
Taco Bowls
Romaine Lettuce, chopped
Tomatoes, diced
Olives, sliced
Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream
Avacado
Tortilla Strips

Optional:
Green Onions
Black beans
Rice

Defrost chicken, cut into strips or small pieces and fry (I have shredded it and then fried it also). Add taco seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Cut up the vegetables and put in taco bowl on top of lettuce as desired. Top with sour cream, guacamole, salsa or Ranch dressing, and tortilla strips.

I get my taco bowls at Macey's premade and they work great. I have also used the tortillas that you cook yourself, for a softer shell.

Two chicken breasts is enough for about 4 salads.

For a quick taco salad you can just do the meat and vegetables but it is also good with white rice and black beans. I usually put the rice and beans on the bottom when I make it with rice and beans.

Mexican Lasagna

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 T chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. red pepper
1 tsp. salt or to taste
1 tsp. black pepper or to taste
1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes
10 to 12 corn tortillas
2 cups small cottage cheese, drained
1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese with peppers
1 egg
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded lettuce
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup sliced black olives
Avocado
Cilantro

Brown ground beef; drain thoroughly. Add cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, red pepper, salt, pepper, and tomatoes; heat through. Pour half the beef mixture in bottom of a 13x9 inch baking dish. Then mix the cottage cheese, Monterey Jack cheese and egg together, put half of the mixture over the meat; then layer with tortillas and cover as completely as possible. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 350º for 30 minutes. After taking out of oven, spread top of casserole with sour cream. Then make rows of cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and green onions across the casserole in a diagonal pattern. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Mango Chicken and Rice

4-5 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 C. Frozen corn
1 Can black beans, drained & rinsed
3 C. Mango salsa (Costco)
Cumin to taste
Lemon pepper to taste

Put chicken breasts in crock pot. Add spices. Cover and cook chicken until tender. Shred chicken on a plate and return to crock pot. Save juices in separate bowl.

Add corn, beans and salsa. More salsa can be added to taste. If mixture seems dry, add some of reserved juices.

Serve over coconut jasmine rice( Jasmine Rice, made with all or part of the liquid being coconut milk)

*You can also use regular salsa for a Mexican taste and serve over regular rice or even with tortilla chips...ENJOY!

Crockpot Pulled Pork

Spice Rub:
1 T ground black pepper
1-2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 T chili powder
2 T ground cumin
2 T dark brown sugar
1 T dried oregano
4 T paprika
2 T table salt
1 T granulated sugar
1 T ground black pepper

Remaining Ingredients:
1 (6-8 pound) bone-in pork shoulder
½ tsp. liquid smoke (optional)
2 C. barbecue sauce

Mix all spice rub ingredients in small bowl. Massage spice rub into meat (I recommend doing this on a jelly roll pan or large cookie sheet with sides). Wrap tightly in double layer of plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 3 hours. For stronger flavor, the roast can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Unwrap roast and place it in slow cooker liner. Add liquid smoke, if using, and 1/4 cup water. Turn slow cooker to low and cook for 8-10 hours, until meat is fork-tender.

Transfer roast to cutting board(again, I use a large cookie sheet with sides. This helps to contain the mess); discard liquid in liner. Pull by tearing meat into thin shreds with two forks or your fingers. Discard fat.

Place shredded meat back in slow cooker liner; toss with 1 cup barbecue sauce, and heat on low for 30-60 minutes, until hot. Serve with additional barbecue sauce.