Dinner
The title says it all! This is hands down our favorite salad! BIG FLAVOR!
This salad does take some time for the chicken marinade, chopping, dressing AND a peanut sauce! All of that for just one salad! It is well worth the effort!
CHICKEN MARINADE
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons of rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 clove of garlic
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 lime, juiced
salt
pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
SALAD
2 Hearts of romaine, chopped
2 or 3 handfuls of already made coleslaw mix
1 cucumber (peeled and chopped)
1 red bell pepper
5 scallions
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 cup salted peanuts
DRESSING
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
salt
pepper
PEANUT SAUCE
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
4 Table spoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup water
DIRECTIONS
In a ziploc bag , combine all the ingredients for the chicken marinade. Mush it around, then let marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Cook chicken on the grill until done or bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Allow the chicken to cool slightly and cut into bite size pieces.
Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix dressing ingredients together .
Mix peanut sauce ingredients together
To build salad individually, place salad ingredients in a bowl , add some of the dressing and mix. Add chicken and drizzle with peanut sauce.
Notes: I like to make the dressing and peanut sauce in medium size mason jars mixing well.
Add water to the peanut sauce cautiously , you want to be able to drizzle it over the chicken. If you make this after the peanut sauce has been in the refrigerator warm in the microwave slightly to drizzle easier.
Recipe adapted from wwwtasteandtell.com
Hello to my slow cooker! There is nothing better than a dinner cooking all afternoon while I get laundry, dishes and cleaning done or …maybe put my feet up , eat some bon bons and pretend I am working hard on a delicious dinner . I will never tell what I am doing and will never tell what you do in your home!
This post came about a while back while my brother-in-law Bobby and I were having a conversation about his dislike for any food coming out of the slow cooker. He made it clear it was not his favorite. I wanted to change his mind, as I know there are several great slow cooker recipes out there. So here ya go Bobby! My first slow cooker recipe to you…with more to come! Check out the serving suggestions below!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar (light)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
5 cloves fresh garlic minced
2 teaspoons Siracha (or more , depending on your taste)
pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
DIRECTIONS
In a sauce pan add the honey, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce , siracha and season with black pepper. Bring to a boil , then lower the temperature and simmer. I simmered this for almost a half hour on low heat stirring often. It became pretty thick. (I almost thought I brought it too far) so be careful not to burn it! Let cool……
In the slow cooker add the chicken, pour in the cooled sauce, add the garlic and stir until coated. Put the lid on and cook on high for 4 hours flipping chicken a few times.
At the four hour mark take the chicken out and shred using two forks. While the chicken is out of the pot mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl then add to the crockpot. Turn the slow cooker on high, add the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker and continue cooking on high for one hour.
Notes and serving suggestions:
If you want to make the sauce the night before that would be fine , store sauce in fridge and add everything into the crockpot in the morning I think that would work well.
When I made this recipe I had hoped to have a second recipe for a slow cooker rice, I came upon a rice recipe and thought that would be great to have a slow cooker rice and would be able to cook both recipes at the same time and could continue sitting back with those bon bons, oops, I mean chores and hard work..cough, cough …well…this did not happen, the rice recipe SUCKED! Do not cook rice in your slow cooker! you heard it here first ! DONT DO IT! ugh…HORRIBLE!
SO …serve over your favorite white rice, NOT cooked in your slow cooker OR serve as a sandwich or slider with your favorite coleslaw! That is what I did and it was fantastic!
We had some left over the next day so I made some pasta with Alfredo sauce and added the shredded chicken to it and that too was very good!
Cheers Bob!
Enjoy,
I have been making this recipe for years . It is a favorite of our niece, Becky. This recipe is not only easy, but very easy to change to your families tastes. You can change the ground beef to ground chicken or turkey, change the cheese to any blend you like and change the heat level from mild to as hot as you want! The recipe below is a family favorite!
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning medium spice and low sodium
4 ounces of cream cheese
Jumbo pasta shells
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup (give or take ) your favorite salsa with any heat level YOU like , we use medium heat
1 cup taco sauce, medium heat
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup crushed tortilla chips
Sour cream
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a skillet, cook beef until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning, add cream cheese. simmer until cheese is melted. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Cook pasta shells according to package. Drain and toss lightly with butter.
Spread the salsa over a 9 x 13 pan. Fill each shell with the meat mixture and place on top of salsa, continue until meat mixture is gone. Cover shells with taco sauce.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover sprinkle with cheese and crushed chips. Bake 15 minutes uncovered.
Serve with sour cream.
Add a salad and garlic bread and dinner is complete!
NOTES:
If you have left over meat mixture you can use this to top nacho chips.
This can be frozen, follow directions up until you put it in the oven. Prior to freezing add the cheese. Cover with plastic wrap then a layer of tin foil. I always label the tin foil with what the dish is and the heating directions from frozen. To re-heat from frozen, I take the dish out the day before I want to make it, pre heat oven to 350 degrees, bake COVERED for 40 minutes, uncover adding the crushed chips and bake 15-20 minutes until heated through.
ENJOY!
I recently came across a couple of salmon quiche recipes, but most of them used canned salmon, I have to say I am NOT a fan of canned seafood… it’s just not my thing.
So the quest was on for a salmon quiche using fresh fish and this is what I came up with. I can say it was all gone in one sitting. We all really enjoyed the fresh flavors, even my 16 year old went back for seconds! I just love that!
INGREDIENTS
1 deep dish frozen pie crust, thawed or your favorite recipe for pie crust
1 fresh salmon fillet
1/4 cup of pure maple syrup (not the sugary stuff)
Baby spinach leaves
1 cup of cheese, shredded. I used Swiss, but you could use cheddar or Gruyere
4 eggs
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place salmon in baking dish, pour the maple syrup over the salmon and bake for about ten minutes depending on the size of your salmon …do not overcook. Remove from oven.
Turn oven down to 375 degrees.
Let salmon cool.
Place your pie crust on a baking sheet that is covered in foil. When salmon is cooled, shred the salmon and place it on the bottom of the pie shell, top with a small handful of torn spinach. Add the cheese on top of spinach.In a medium bowl combine eggs, milk and cream. Pour over the cheese just until is reaches the bottom of the decorated edge pie crust.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes, testing with a toothpick.
Cool for 10 minutes , slice and ENJOY!
NOTES:
I think next time I might add some roasted asparagus, this would be a great Easter brunch dish or Mother’s Day dish!
Taco pie is a favorite and this is a another recipe that is easily adaptable to your own spice level. We like medium spice… sometimes more! So take this recipe and make it YOURS! This has a warm pie with cold fresh ingredients on top! We really like this combination and hope you do too!
INGREDIENTS
1 deep dish pie crust, baked about half way through
1 lb. ground beef
1 package medium spice, low sodium taco seasoning
1/2 medium onion diced
1/2 cup fruit salsa ( I used pineapple salsa but use what you like)
1/2 cup refried beans with green chilies
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 can of original Ro-tel tomatoes (drained)
TOPPINGS
Shredded lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Sour cream
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Partially bake your pie crust, about three quarters of the way through, following package directions.
Brown ground beef, drain, add seasoning with a slight bit of water. Add onion. sauté for a couple of minutes, then add both cheeses. Mix until combined and melted. Spread refried beans onto the bottom and slightly up the side of pie crust. This is easiest when pie crust is still slightly warm. (add as much or little of the beans as you like, use my measurements as a guide) Add about half of the can of Ro-tel tomatoes. Add ground beef mixture. Add layer of salsa.
Bake 15 minutes.
Take out of oven and cool for ten minutes and add your toppings!
NOTES
Ground turkey can be used.
Enjoy,
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