Southwestern Chicken Barley Chili

I'm so happy I came across this recipe--it is sooooo good.  Hearty and healthy!  Perfect for the season.  I found it on this blog, which happens to be one of my favorite food blogs.  I changed the recipe just a teeny tiny bit according to how I made it.  Enjoy!

Southwestern Chicken Barley Chili
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1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained (I used petite diced)
1 (16 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup barley (not quick cooking)
4 cups water
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into bite-size pieces
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels

In a large pot, combine diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, barley, water, chili powder, cumin, oregano and cayenne.  Stir well and bring to a boil.  Cover with a lid and let simmer 45 minutes.  Add chicken and simmer 30 minutes more.  Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.  Add corn and blackbeans and simmer until ready to serve (make sure barley is tender and chewy--I simmered for a couple of hours because that's how much time I had).  If desired, garnish with green onions, cheese and sour cream (I use plain greek yogurt).

The chili will thicken considerably upon cooling.  Add chicken broth or water as needed to achieve a desirable consistency. 

German Pancakes

I got this recipe in my home ec class in junior high school. It is the only recipe that I kept, and I'm glad I did because my kids love these for dinner. They are about the easiest dinner or breakfast ever, and I still love seeing the weird shapes it makes when it puffs up in the oven!

German Pancakes

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6 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

4 Tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 450. Place butter in 9x13 pan and put in oven to melt (be careful not to burn the butter!).

In medium bowl, whip eggs until thick and lemon colored. Add milk and stir. Sift in flour and salt and mix well (I use a wisk). Pour batter into pan with melted butter. Bake 15 minutes. Serve with syrup.

Chicken Wonton Salad

This is my favorite salad in the whole world.  It is always my first choice to serve at a bridal or baby shower, and everyone LOVES it.  I got the recipe a long time ago from my sister, and it is definitely one of my favorite recipes ever.  You will not be disappointed!

Chicken Wonton Salad
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1/2 pkg wontons, lightly fried and broken up
1 head red leaf lettuce
1 head iceberg lettuce
4 chicken breasts, grilled and cut into chunks
1 can sliced water chestnuts
3 green onions
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1 can mandarin oranges

Dressing

1/4 cup salad oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. Accent
1/2 tsp. salt

(notes:  I fry the wontons in canola oil and usually end up using a little less than half of the package for the salad.  For the chicken, I usually just add salt and pepper and grill them.  The last time I made it though, I marinated the chicken for a few hours in 1 cup sprite and 1/2 cup soy sauce before I grilled it.  It was so moist and yummy-I will always do it that way now!  For the dressing, I double it and add just before serving.  I don't usually use all of it, but I always need more than the recipe calls for!)

Broccoli Cheese Chicken Soup

This was the first recipe that I "collected" when I first got married.  Actually, I got this recipe before I was married.  My friend's mom made this super delicious soup for my bridal shower, and I am so glad I bugged her for the recipe.  It has been a favorite for years!  It is especially good served in bread bowls, which is how it was served the first time I had it. 

Broccoli Cheese Chicken Soup
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3-4 carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 onion, chopped
Cook together until tender.

4 breasts of chicken, cooked and cubed, save broth (or use a rotisserie chicken)
1 ½ pounds fresh broccoli or 2-10oz. pkgs frozen broccoli cooked for a minute or two

Melt ½ cup butter in large heavy pan. Stir in ¾ cup flour and cook together for a few minutes, constantly stirring. Add 1 pint Half and Half and 3 cups chicken broth. Stir with whisk over medium heat until slightly thickened (you can always add as much liquid as desired--I always end up adding more broth). Stir in 8 oz. jar of Cheese Whiz (or 16 oz. if you want it more cheesier) until melted. Add drained vegetables and chicken. Simmer 10-15 minutes. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Crockpot Stew

Another one of my favorite recipes!  Perfect for a cold winter day.  I love sitting down to a delicious meal without a mess in my kitchen.  Being able to prepare this and clean up the mess in the morning makes me happy!

Crockpot Stew
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2 lbs. stew meat, cubed
3 carrots, cubed
3-4 potatoes, cubed
3 stalks celery, diced
1 small sweet potato, cubed
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1 bay leaf

Put all ingredients into crockpot. Rinse soup cans with small amount of water and pour into pot. Cover and cook on high for 6-8 hours.

(note: All of the quantities are estimates.  If my potatoes are big, I use less.  I never have EXACTLY 2 pounds of stew meat.  I just grab a few handfuls of baby carrots and cut them up until it looks like I have enough.  You get the idea!)

Pasta with Salmon and Veggies

I had a very difficult time figuring out what to call this dish. Salmon Pasta, Creamy Pasta with Salmon, The Best Pasta Ever...nothing seemed quite right. And frankly, Pasta with Salmon and Veggies doesn't really sound right either, but it will just have to do.

The thing I love about this dish is that you can make it according to your liking. Don't like salmon? Use chicken or shrimp instead. Or don't use any meat at all. Don't like the veggies I used? Then use whatever veggie you like. I can't think of anything that wouldn't be good (well, maybe celery). Spinach, broccoli, fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, carrots, cauliflower, arugala, toasted pine nuts, walnuts...seriously, the list is endless. Here's how I made it and you can adjust it however you want!

Pasta with Salmon and Veggies
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1 lb. pasta (I used bow-tie)
2 Tbsp. (or so) olive oil--who measures this anyway?!
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups chopped vegetables (yellow squash, zucchini, red bell peppers, mushrooms)
1/2+ pint heavy cream (I didn't use the whole pint but I used more than half)
salt to taste (1/2-1 tsp.)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
cedar-plank grilled salmon

Prepare pasta according to package directions, al dente.
 
Pour olive oil into pan over medium-high heat and add garlic.  Stir just a minute or so until fragrant.  Add veggies.  Saute for a few minutes or more until they are as soft as you like them.  Add cream and salt.  Simmer about 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened.  Add parmesan cheese and stir until melted.  Add pasta to the sauce and mix well.   Put in serving dish and add salmon to the top (I didn't stir in the salmon because it would break apart too easily.  You could stir in the chicken or shrimp though).  If you don't want to cedar-plank your salmon, you can bake it in the oven drizzed with olive oil, salt and pepper at 375 until it is done. 

...or use chicken from a rotisserie chicken....

...you could also add some pesto for extra flavor if you happen to have some in your fridge...

Boneless BBQ Ribs

If you have never cooked boneless ribs before, you MUST try these. And if you have, you must try THESE!!!! I don't think I've ever tasted anything so good before. They were super moist and super tender, and you can cut through them with a fork like butter. I found the recipe on this blog here.  I LOVE finding amazing recipes that I don't know how I ever lived without! 

Boneless BBQ Ribs
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6-8 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup oil
1/3 cup liquid smoke
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 cup Pace Picante Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced

Place ribs in a large roasting pan or two 9x13 pans. Mix sauce ingredients and pour half of the sauce over ribs. Cover pans tightly with foil and bake at 275 degrees for 6 hours. Remove ribs from drippings. Heat up other half of the sauce and serve over ribs.

Caputo's Summertime Pasta

I made this dish for lunch today for my mom and my sisters--yummy!  This pasta is perfect for summer with the fresh tomatoes and basil.  The mozzarella slightly melts from the warmth of the pasta when you mix it together.  It is heavenly!!!


Caputo's Summertime Pasta
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5 large tomatoes, stems removed, cut into large dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 leaves fresh basil, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil
6 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into small dice
1 lb. pasta


In a medium non-reactive bowl combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt and pepper.  Add enough olive oil to cover tomato mixture.  Marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 or 3.  Drain the mozzarella and allow to come to room temperature. 


Cook the pasta and drain.  Add the tomato mixture and mix well.  Toss in the mozzarella, mix well and serve. 


(notes:  I substituted plum tomatoes (and I used way too many as you can tell by the picture!), I used about twice as much basil as on the recipe, I used about a cup of olive oil, I used about 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, and I used thin spaghetti--so much for paying attention to the quantities!)

Butter Chicken

I love Indian food, but have always been a little afraid to try it.  I came across this recipe here and thought it looked pretty easy.  The only spice I didn't already have was Garam Masala, and the recipe said if you don't have it, leave it out.  But I went and bought it anyway!  The dish was very good, but next time I will cut down on the cayenne pepper.  Ty thought it was perfect, but I thought it was a bit too spicy.  If you like Indian food, you should try this!


Butter Chicken
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8 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (I will try 1/2 tsp. next time)
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 whole lime, juiced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1/4 cups butter
1 can (14.5 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1 bunch chopped cilantro, to taste
cooked rice (any kind you like but I recommend basmati rice)


Combine first 11 ingredients in a large ziploc bag, squish around until everything is even and marinate overnight.

Saute the onion in butter until soft.  Add marinated chicken and cook about 10 minutes.  Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and sugar.  Cook for 30 minutes over medium-low heat with the lid on.  Add the whipping cream (I've read you can use yogurt or half and half too) and cilantro just before serving over rice.

Sweet Pork Tacos with Black Beans

The pork taco recipe came from a cookbook that I haved called Bliss.  It is a nice variation from regular tacos!  The beans recipe I found online somewhere--sorry I can't remember where.  It's a simple way to give a can of black beans a little extra flavor!

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Sweet Pork Tacos

4-5 pound pork roast
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp. salt
1 can green chili enchilada sauce (I used the big can)
1 cup brown sugar

Place pork roast in a crock pot and sprinkle with crushed garlic and salt.  Cook on high (I did mine on low) for 6-8 hours, or until the roast easily pulls apart.  Remove roast from crockpot, drain juices, and shred.  Place back into the crock pot.

In a bowl, combine the green chili enchilada sauce and the brown sugar.  Pour over the shredded meat and stir to combine.  Cook on high for one hour or low for 3 hours.

Serve with corn or flour tortillas, shredded lettuce, black beans, shredded cheese, tomatoes, sour cream and guacamole. 

Black Beans

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 cup tomato juice
1/2 tsp. salt (to taste)
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it.  Add beans, tomato juice, and salt.  Continually stir until heated through.  Just before serving stir in the cilantro.  Serve with slotted spoon! 

(note:  I didn't have any tomato juice so I put in tomato sauce with quite a bit of hot water to water it down.)

Cedar-Plank Grilled Salmon

(this picture does not do justice to how good this salmon is!!)

This salmon is to die for, the best salmon I have ever eaten in my life, hands-down!  It is so easy too!  I love those kinds of recipes.  Cooking the salmon on the cedar plank gives it a sweet-smoky flavor and the fish stays so moist it literally melts in your mouth!  I bought my cedar planks at Costco--they have sold them for the last couple of summers, but I haven't seen them yet this season.  Maybe I haven't looked hard enough though.  They usually show up when all of their barbeque things come out. 


The original recipe came from a Sur La Table catalog from a couple of years ago. 


Cedar-Plank Grilled Salmon
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• 1 untreated cedar plank, measuring about 15 by 7 by 3/8 inches
• 1 whole side of salmon (about 3 pounds), skin on and scaled  (I like to use the salmon filets from Costco that don't have skin--not the fozen individual ones but the "fresh" ones in their meat section) 
• olive oil for brushing
• kosher or sea salt
• freshly gound pepper
• leaves from 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• leaves from 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Rinse cedar plank and soak it in water for a minimum of 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.  I use my kitchen sink and put a glass or something on it so it stays under water. 


Preheat gas grill to medium heat. 


Place salmon on a cookie sheet (or plate or whatever).  Rub the salmon with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Scatter the fresh herb leaves over the fish, pressing them lightly to help them adhere.  Set aside.  (if I don't have fresh herbs, I just sprinkle a little bit of dried rosemary on the fish with the salt and pepper.  I've also had it with just salt and pepper and it is just as good!  Use whatever seasoning you like.) 


When ready to grill, place the soaked plank on the grill grate and close the lid.  After a few minutes, the plank will begin to smoke and crackle.  Turn the plank over and "toast" the other side for about 2 minutes.  Uncover the grill and transfer the salmon directly onto the plank, then cover the grill.  Cook salmon until it is almost opaque throughout, or when the internal temperature reads about 130-135 degrees.  It should take about 15-25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the filet. 


Keep a spray bottle with water nearby just in case the plank gets too hot and begins to flame.  Extinguish the flame and continue grilling the salmon, adjusting the heat level of the grill if necessary. 


When done, use tongs or heatproof gloves to remove the plank from the grill.  I like to serve the salmon directly from the cedar plank.  Sqeeze lemon over the salmon if desired (as much as I love lemon, I never use it with salmon.  I like the taste of it without the lemon).  ENJOY!

Jenny's Turkey Chili

I have been trying really hard to eat healthier.  Some days I do better than others.  This is one of my new favorite meals and it is super healthy!  It kind of has a lot of spices, but it is so worth it to make!  I like to freeze it in individual serving sizes and have it for lunch (if I remember to take it out of the freezer the night before).  It is one of those meals that is even better the next day after the flavors have all melded together!

Jenny’s Turkey Chili


2 (generous) Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
20 oz. pkg ground turkey breast
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. coriander
½ tsp. red pepper flakes (or more if you like it hotter)
1 cup chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes
3 cans (15 oz) kidney, pinto and/or black beans, undrained


Place large pot over moderate heat and add olive oil. Add onions, garlic and peppers and cook until tender. Add mushrooms and cook a couple minutes longer. Add ground turkey breast and break it apart with a spoon while it cooks. Add spices, chicken broth, tomatoes and beans ( I happen to really like beans so I add 4 cans, draining my last can).  Stir together and simmer for at least 30-60 minutes.  You can use any garnish you like--I like to substitute plain greek yogurt for sour cream.  I can't even tell the difference!

Barbeque Beef Sandwiches

A definite crowd pleaser and so easy for a big group of people.  With this recipe, I got about 15 cups of shredded beef which makes at least 45 sandwiches!  If you don't want to make this much, I would decrease the sauce by one-third and use about 6 lbs. of meat.  It freezes really well which makes for some easy meals down the road!

Barbeque Beef Sandwiches

10 lbs. chuck roast
Salt and pepper
2 onions
4 Tbsp. butter
3+ cups ketchup
1 ½ cups water
6 Tbsp. white vinegar
9 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. liquid smoke
3 Tbsp. mustard
¾ tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. lemon juice

For the sauce: melt butter on the stovetop. Add onions and cook until they soften. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Put in refrigerator overnight to blend the flavors.

For the meat: season roast with salt and pepper. Place in a slow cooker (mine has a 6 qt. capacity) and cook on low 8-10 hours or until the meat is fork tender (mine cooked overnight for about 12 hours).

Drain liquid from crockpot (you may want to reserve about ½-1 cup of liquid just in case you want to add it back in later). Pull meat apart using 2 forks. Put shredded meat back in the crockpot along with the sauce you made the night before. If you think your meat needs more liquid, add some of the reserved liquid back in as well (I added about ½ cup reserved liquid). Put crockpot on low and let it heat through for a couple of hours.  Serve on buns.

Janelle's Famous Chicken Enchiladas

I don't know who Janelle is, but I know that I LOVE her chicken enchilada recipe.  I wanted something different from the enchiladas that I always make, and I found this recipe over at Tasty Kitchen.  It is super yummy--ALL three of my children cleaned their plate!!!  That's pretty exciting for me!  Here's the recipe:


Janelle’s Famous Chicken Enchiladas


1-½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
26 ounces cream of chicken soup
7 ounces chicken broth
4 ounces chopped green chilies
¼ cups salsa verde, plus more for topping
1-½ Tbsp. chili powder (more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
1-½ tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
¾ cups sour cream
2 cups shredded cheese (use any kind you like)
10 whole flour tortillas


Place chicken breasts in a slow cooker. Top with:
cream of chicken soup
chicken broth
green chilies
1/4 cup salsa verde
chili powder
cumin
paprika
garlic powder
cayenne pepper (optional)


Cook on high for 3-4 hours, until chicken is cooked and tender. Remove chicken and shred. I use 2 forks and go to town. Add sour cream and 1/2 cup of cheese to the sauce left in the slow cooker. Spray a 9×13 dish and put a thin layer of the sauce mixture in pan. Spoon chicken and sauce into the tortillas and roll. (Make sure to leave enough sauce for the top.) Place seam side down in the dish. Top with more salsa verde (if you don’t like it spicy, skip this step). Top with remaining sauce and cheese. (If you run out of sauce, just mix some sour cream and cream of chicken with some spices.) Cover with foil.


Place in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, remove foil and continue to cook for 10 minutes or until bubbly.


Garnish with shredded lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes and green onions.

Quick Chick and Noodle Soup

There's nothing quite like chicken noodle soup when you're feeling under the weather. My picky eater actually requested this for dinner tonight--I had no idea she liked it that much! And she isn't even sick! I was more than happy to oblige, and I even had all the ingredients on hand. Even the parsnip! Go figure. Have you ever used a parsnip?  It is a vegetable kind of in between a carrot and a potato.  They are delicious in this soup!

This is my favorite chicken noodle soup recipe. It is so easy and yummy. It is so fast to make because you add the chicken to the soup raw and let it cook in the broth with the veggies.  It saves a lot of time rather than cooking the chicken first.  Of course, half the time I end up using a rotisserie chicken anyway!  The recipe comes from Rachel Ray.

Quick Chick and Noodle Soup
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2 Tbsp. (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, choped
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
6 cups good quality chicken stock
1 pound chicken breast tenders, diced
1/2 pound wide egg noodles (I use Grandma's Egg Noodles--see below)
a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
a handful of fresh dill, chopped
(note: I don't use the fresh parsley or dill. Instead I add about 1/4 tsp. dried rosemary OR 1/4 tsp. dried dill)

Place a large pot over moderate heat and add extra-virgin olive oil. Work close to the stove and add vegetables to the pot as you chop, in the order they are listed.

Add bay leaves and season vegetables with salt and pepper (I wait until the end to do this, otherwise my soup ends up too salty). Add stock to the pot and raise heat to bring liquid to a boil. Add diced chicken tenderloins, return soup to a boil, and reduce heat back to moderate. Cook chicken 2 minutes and add noodles. Cook soup an additional 6 minutes or until noodles are tender and remove soup from the heat.

Stir in parsley and dill, remove bay leaves and serve. This is a thick soup. Add up to 2 cups of water if you like chicken soup with lots of broth.

So, my sister-in-law introduced me to Grandma's Egg Noodles, found in the freezer section of your grocery store.  These were next to the hash browns in my store.  I used to make my own noodles from scratch, but these are just as good, and it saves me tons of time.  I add the noodles (thawed) to the soup when it's boiling, and let them cook for 10 minutes or so. I usually have to add a couple of extra cups of broth as well to make sure there is enough liquid to cook the noodles.

Chicken Coconut Curry Soup

I love Thai food...the coconut, the curry, YUM! Here is a soup recipe that I made tonight. My husband and I really liked it, 2 out of 3 of my kids tried it and didn't complain too much. There are several things I will change about the recipe the next time I make it, and there WILL be a next time!

Chicken Coconut Curry Soup


1 Tbsp. Canola Oil
1 medium onion
1 cup Shitake mushrooms (I used baby bellas, couldn't find shitake at my grocery store)
2 cups cooked chicken cut into bite-sized pieces (I used a rotisserie chicken)
1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
4 cups water (I will try using some chicken broth next time--maybe half broth half water)
1 tsp. red curry paste (I will try 2 tsp. next time)
1/4 cup sugar (I will try 3 Tbsp. next time--was a bit sweet)
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
soy sauce to taste (I used maybe 1/4 tsp)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil


In a large pan, heat oil and saute onion. Add mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. Add all other ingredients except for tomatoes and basil. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Add tomatoes and basil and adjust seasonings to taste.


Next time I make this, I would also like to add white rice or pad thai noodles to make it even more substantial. And serve it with a wedge of lime. YUMMY!

Favorite Spaghetti Sauce

There is nothing super exciting about my spaghetti sauce, but it is the one thing I can cook that my KIDS are super excited about.  I have fiddled around with the proportions of the spices, and I think I have found the perfect recipe for my family.  Of course, you can adjust the spices to your liking.  I like to double the batch and divide it into dinner-sized portions and store it in my freezer.  It makes for a really easy dinner that my family LOVES!  

Favorite Spagetti Sauce
(makes about 6 1/2 cups)

1 lb. ground beef
2 15oz. cans tomato sauce
1 15oz. cans chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp. onion powder
½ Tbsp. oregano
½ Tbsp. garlic salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ cup + 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. vinegar

Brown ground beef and drain grease. (I rinse mine out in a colander under hot water). Add rest of ingredients and simmer 30-60 minutes on stove. Adjust seasonings according to taste. Serve with cooked spaghetti noodles. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.