Southwest Egg Rolls

Saw this Recipe on {Sisters Stuff} and I've had the appetizer at Chilis and really liked it, so I gave it a try.  They are REALLY good and REALLY easy!  I like them better than Chilis, because they actually seem healthy, too. :)

Southwest Egg Rolls
1 chicken breast
1/2 red bell pepper, minced
2 tsp dry minced onion
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 small can green chilis
1/2 tbsp parsley
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
dash cayenne pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
tortillas

Cook and dice chicken.  Mix all ingredients except cheese and tortillas in a large bowl.  Saute in frying pan until warm.  Move back into bowl and stir in cheese.  Warm tortillas.  Place 1/2 - 1 cup of mixture in each tortilla.  Fold well so mixture can't escape.  Place in panini or George Forman grill and toast.  Serve with this sauce:

1 avacado
1 cup ranch
1 tsp minced onion
salt and pepper

Mash or blend all ingredients together.

Yum!

Chicken Coconut Curry

Ok, so I'm a huge fan of indian food, and I saw this recipe on {My Kitchen Cafe} and HAD to try it. 

It. Is. Divine!!

  So flavorful, but not too hot and spicy.  The coconut calms the heat down.  My son even likes it!!

Chicken Coconut Curry

2 lbs ckicken breasts, cut in 1/2" cubes

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp curry

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 sweet potato, cut in 1/2" chunks

1 can coconut milk

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

6 tbsp sugar

Jasmine rice, cooked

Season chicken with walt and pepper.  Heat oil, curry, and paprika in a large skillet over med-low head for 2 minutes, or until it's fragrant.  Do not let it burn.  Turn heat to medium and add onions and garlic.  Cook 10 minutes, until onions are clear.  Add chicken and toss to coat.  Cook 7-10 minutes (I actually just put the chicken in with the onions and garlic to save time)  Add potatoes, coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 - 40 minutes - until sauce thickens.  Serve over rice.  Garnish with cilantro.

You'll love it!

Apricot Chicken

This recipe is from a Rachel Ray cookbook. I'm not sure which one.

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (evoo)

2 lbs. chicken tenders, halved on an angle

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 large onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

12 dried pitted apricots, chopped

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup apricot all-fruit spread or apricot preserves

2 Tbsp. chopped chives, for garnish

Heat a large skillet with a lid over medium high heat. Add evoo and chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly brown the chicken on each side. Add onions and cook, 5 minutes. Add vinegar to the pan and let it evaporate. Add apricots and broth. When broth comes to a bubble, add preserves and stir to combine. cover pan, reduce heat and simmer, 10-15 minutes. Serve chicken with a sprinkle of chives as garnish.

I put this on top of rice.

Chocolate Eclairs

I got this recipe in the mail with those bunches of cards that people randomly send. I put green food coloring in the dough and pudding filling for St. Patricks Day.

Prep Time 25 minutes

Baking 45 minutes

Makes 12 eclairs

Filling

1 package (about 3 1/2 ounces) chocolate pudding and pie filling (I used vanilla and put green food coloring in it)

2 cups milk

Pastry

1/2 cup butter

1 cup water

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 medium eggs

Frosting

2 tbsp. butter

2 ounces semisweet chocolate

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

To prepare filling, cook pudding according to package directions. Chill for 1 hour.

To prepare pastry, in a heavey saucepan, heat butter, water and salt over medium high heat until mixture boils and butter melts.

Reduce heat to low. Vigorously stir in flour all at once until mixture forms a ball.

Transfer pastry to a bowl; cool for 5 minutes. Stir in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking sheet. Drop dough into 12 mounds, about 5 inches apart, on prepared baking sheet.

Spread each mound into a 4 x 1/2 inch rectangle, piling dough on top and slightly rounding sides.

bake until golden, 35 minutes. Remove from oven; make a 1 inch long slit on side of each eclair. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cook.

To prepare frosting, heat butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth.

Slice eclairs in half. Spoon about 1 tbsp. of filling onto each bottom half and replace tops. Spread tops with frosting.

**I don't worry about making the dough mounds just so-so as you can see by my photo. And I like to add some flavoring to the frosting...like peppermint or orange. This things can be devoured very quickly.

Chicken Curry Fruit Salad

This is my own recipe. I love this dish.

3 Tbsp. chopped onion

3 Tbsp. water

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1 1/4 tsp curry powder

3/4 cup light mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

Dash of cayenne pepper

3 cups diced, cooked chicken

1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks, mostly drained

1 red apple, cored and diced

1/3 cup almond slivers

1/2 cup purple grapes, halved

1/2 cup green grapes, halved

a few Tbsp. celery, sliced

Coconut

In a small bowl, mix onion and water, let stand for 10 minutes. Melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Add onions and curry powder, cook, stirring for 3-5 minutes. Set aside. In a large bowl, stir curry mixture, mayonnnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add chicken, pineapple, apples, almonds, celery, ad grapes. Toss gently then sprinkle with coconut.

Crispy coconut chicken

****Please excuse the horrible picture! I realized after we were halfway through that I hadn't taken a picture! It's kind of a mess.

I got this from the Parents magazine. I really love the recipes from there.

Serves 4

Prep time 15 minutes

Cook time 40 minutes

2/3 cup crushed multigrain crackers (about 8)

1/3 cup flaked coconut (I added more because I like coconut)

1 jar (9 oz.) mango chutney

3 tbs. lime juice

1 tsp. curry powder

8 chicken drumsticks, skin removed (I used chicken breasts and it worked out beautifully)

2 cups frozen peas, thawed

1 up cooked brown rice

Heat oven to 375. Place crackers in a large zip-top plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin or cup. add coconut to the bag and shake. In a small bowl, stir together the chutney, lime juice, and curry powder,. Remove 1/4 cup of chutney mixture and set aside. Dip the chicken, one piece at a time, in the remaining chutney mixture, then place chicken inside the bag. Shake to coat.

Bake chicken on a foil-lined shallow baking pan for 40 minutes, or until they're done. Cover chicken loosely with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes to prevent over browning.

In a bowl, toss peas with reserved chutney mixture. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through. combine peas and rice and serve with chicken.

Just Peachy Meatballs

I absolutely LOVE this dish! It's extremely easy to make and only has three ingredients! The only downside is the peach mix needed is hard to come by. If you look online at http://www.savannahcinnamon.com/ and go to the "where to buy" tab it will show you the stores near you where you can get a bottle or two the juice. Or you can order online. I usually just order a few bottles at a time. I also have an amazing recipe for a chex mix using the "southern praline mix" but I haven't made it in awhile so I don't have any pictures of that.

Anyway, here's the recipe:

1 bag frozen italian meatballs

1 jar of chili sauce

Southern Peach Mix

noodles or rice

Combine the meatballs and chili sauce in a crock pot.

Refill the empty jar with the "Southern Peach Mix" and add to the crockpot.

Cook on high temperature until heated through.

I usually serve the meatballs and sauce on noodles but you can eat with rice as well.

Creamy Spinach Tortelliini

I got this recipe from all recipes.com and tweaked it for our family. (we don't like cooked spinach or mushrooms)

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook time 20 minutes

Servings 4

1 (9 oz) package refrigerated cheese tortellini

2 tbsp butter

1 small onion, chopped

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup milk

fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

cherry tomatoes, halved

1-2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion; cook until soft and translucent. Mix in cream cheese, parmesan, milk, mushrooms, and spinach. Gently mix in tortellini and cherry tomatoes with skillet contents; warm through, and serve.

Dad's Chili

1-2 lb. ground beek
1 tap onion (dried or fresh)
2 (15 1/2 oz.) cans of kidney beans
1 quart of tomato juice (not paste or stewed tomato)
1-1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp cayenne red pepper (or to taste)
2 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
half stick of celery, chopped

1 3/4 lb. ground beef. Break it up and put on to simmer.
Put 1 tsp of dried or fresh onion while simmering.
Simmer and cook to slight browning color of meat. Break meat apart with spoon. Drain grease out of pan. Put cans of kidney beans and its juice in with the meat. Pour 1 quart of tomato juice into pan. Dilute the tomato juice with about 1 -1 1/2 cups water. Put 1 tsp. of cayenne red pepper and 2 tsp. of chili powder in. Stir it in well. Chop up a half stick of celery and put in pot. Check every so often and stir. Once it starts boiling, put on lower setting (simmer). Let simmer and cook for about 2 hours.

We like to put some grated cheese and butter on ours and serve it with bread or home made scones.

Oreo Fudge Icecream Cake

This has got to be the easiest ice cream cake recipe out there! Brent found it on the internet from Kraft Foods and made it for me for my birthday. I made it for him on his birthday, but I used mint ice cream sandwiches and it was delish!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm fudge ice cream topping

8 oz cool whip, thawed

1 small pkg chocolate puding

8 oreos, crushed or chopped

12 ice cream sandwiches

Directions:

Wisk fudge and 1 cup of cool whip until well blended. Add pudding and stir until smooth. Add oreos and stir gently. Set aside. Arrange 4 ice cream sandwiches side by side on a platter. Tip with half of the oreo fudge mixture. Repeat both layers. Top with remaining 4 sandwiches. Frost sides and top with cool whip. Freeze about 4 hours, or until firm.

Hope you like it!

BBQ Ranch Chicken and Cheddar Pizza Roll em’ Ups

I got this recipe from my friend, who got the recipe off of a website called picky-palate.com. Which I would definitely suggest checking out b/c there are lots of good recipes on there. Anyway, my husband and I loved these and they were super easy to make.

1 Roll Pillsbury Pizza dough in can (or use other pizza dough of choice)

1/4 Cup prepared ranch dressing
2 Cups prepared shredded BBQ chicken (i just cooked chicken, shredded it and added bbq sauce)
1/4 Cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 1/2 Cups shredded smoked cheddar cheese

Ranch Dressing for dipping

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Open can of dough and press into rectangle. Spread or drizzle ranch dressing evenly over dough then top with evenly with chicken, cilantro and cheddar cheese. Starting at long end roll dough into a log shape. Using a sharp knife, cut 1 inch pieces and place onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a side of ranch dressing for dipping.

I love ranch dressing and my husband loves anything with BBQ sauce, so it was the perfect dinner for us :). Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

When I first made chocolate chip cookies after becoming a wife, I was disappointed in my husband's disappointed reaction. He said his sister sent him cookies when he was on his mission and that they were the best. So, I got her recipe. They really are the best. I've tried others who claim that they are the best, but to no avail. These are soooo good! This is Mary's recipe:

Ingredients:
1 small pkg vanilla pudding
1 cube butter (1/2 cup)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 pkg chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375*. Cream butter, brown sugar, pudding, eggs and vanilla. Gradually add flour and baking soda. Mix in chocolate chips. Place on cookie sheet in little balls. Bake 8-10 minutes. They should still look a little rounded with touches of golden brown. Cool for a minute on the cookie sheet, then move to a rack to cool the rest of the way. Brent thinks they're even better the next day.

*to send them to a missionary anywhere in the world, wrap them in aluminum foil and put that in a ziplock bag with a piece of bread in it. Freeze them and send frozen. I send them in either pringles or crystal light canisters that I've wrapped in paper or placed inside another box. They made it all the way to my brother in northern Russia and they were fine...even though their mail system is a wreck over there.

Best Banana Bread

I LOVE Banana Bread, but it seems like every time I make it it turns out with a really crunchy crust and a really gooey middle. I used to blame it on my gas oven, because they say they don't cook as evenly as electric ovens. I sort of stopped making Banana Bread...gave up for the time being, until recently we had a lot of bananas that needed to be used. So I decided to try it again...and I'm so glad I did. I got this recipe from a cook book my family's ward put together. I decided to try this one because it had sour cream in it, and I've always had good results in baked goods when they have sour cream in them...kind of weird, but true.

This is Judy Teuscher's Banana Bread:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup mashed bananas

1/2 cup sour cream

*optional: chopped walnuts

Directions:

Cream butter, sugar and eggs. Add the remaining ingredients. Bake at 350* in a greased pan for 50-60 minutes. It makes one loaf.

Easy! I let mine go a little past 50 minutes...till the knife came out mostly clean. And seriously, this is the best Banana Bread my husband and I have ever tasted!!! No gooey middle and no burnt crust, but so moist and delicious! I hope you try it, and if you do, I'm sure you'll love it.

KBB's (Kidney Bean Burritos)

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Ok so a few years ago my doctor really pushed me to go on a fiber full diet....Ya... Anyway it forced me to become somewhat inventive. Robbie and I were dating at the time and we invented the Kidney Bean Burritos. We had them the other night and I snapped some pictures. We both love them! It feels like such a healthy meal, and it mostly is. Plus its a cinch!

Heres what you need.

Flour tortillas (or wheat for extra fiber)
1 can Kidney Beans
1 can corn
cheddar cheese
lettuce
optional: sour cream

Throw a small amount of cheese, corn and kidney beans on the flour tortilla, heat up for 30 seconds, remove and add lettuce and sour cream if desired (if I use sour cream I only use a tiny bit but you really don't need it) Then eat it. Honestly I know it sounds weird but don't knock it til you try it. I love it!

Salsa Chicken & Cafe Rio Rice

This recipe comes from many different places. Someone gave me the recipe for Cafe Rio rice, chicken, and their cilantro ranch dressing, but I can't remember who it was! My step mom makes chicken like this all the time and I love it. But, I got this salsa recipe from Betty Crocker's Quick and Easy cookbook and I changed it a little. So...you tell me where I should say I got this recipe! :)

Chicken:

4 chicken breasts

1/2-1 cup flour

2 tsp taco seasoning mix

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Mix flour and taco seasoning mix together. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Dredge chicken in flour mixture and place in frying pan. Cook 3-5 minutes, turning once until brown on every side. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook about 8 minutes, turning once, until chicken is no longer pink inside.

Salsa:

1 can Mexicorn (whole kernel corn with red and green peppers), drained

1 medium avacado, chopped

2 tbsp chopped cilantro (I always use more)

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp honey

2 tomatoes chopped

the remaining taco seasoning mix packet

While chicken is cooking, mix it all together. This is also an amazing chip dip. You can add a can or two of drained black beans if you'd like. And I don't usually measure any of this. I just eyeball it.

Rice:

1 cup rice

2 cups water

1/3 tbsp butter

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp chicken boullion

1/3 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tbsp chopped onion

Put rice, water and butter in a pan and bring to boil. Add rest of ingredients. Turn to low and cook 20 mintues, or until done.

Serve the salsa over the chicken. It's yummy!

Teriyaki Chicken Alfredo

I know teriyaki and alfredo NEVER go in the same title together, but that is just what this is called and having tasted it, I can't think of another name for it. It's one of my all time favorite dishes!! It may sound a little strange, but it is SOooo yummy!

Ingredients:
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
2 chicken breast halves cut in 3/4" strips
1/2 c chopped green onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c milk (you can use cream to make the sauce thicker, but it may make you thicker too. ;)
1 pkg alfredo sauce mix
3/4 cup Very Very Teriyaki sauce (Yes, you need this brand. It is amazing!)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cup broccoli
1 sliced green pepper
1 sliced orange pepper
1/2 sliced red pepper
1/4 c chopped parsley
2 T chopped basil
1/2 c parmesean cheese
1 lb fettucini, cooked

Directions:
Melt butter and oil in a skillet and add chicken, onions, and garlic - stir fry until the chicken browns - it takes a little while. Add milk, alfredo mix, any veggies you may be adding, and teriyaki sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium for 3-5 minutes, or until thickened (I always let it thicken longer). Add parmesean, parsley and basil and remove from heat once cheese is melted. Toss with fettucini and serve.

I got this from my step mom. It's seriously my favorite dish, I think. And I also really love it because it's really an all-in-one dinner: veggies-check, protien-check, grain-check, milk-check. Today I served some fruit with it because that's really all it's lacking. I hope you like it as much as I do!

Andes Mint Cookies

I think it's about time a recipe that involves chocolate is posted on this blog! I actually found this recipe randomly online. I found it on this blog: www.beckyhiggins.com. She actually had other fun ideas on her site as well. The cookies looked so delicious, I knew I had to try them!



How to make them:
3/4 c. butter (or margarine)
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 T. water

Melt in a saucepan over medium heat until melted and then add:

2 c. chocolate chips, stirring until completely melted.

Cool for 10 minutes. Pour into a mixing bowl and beat in 2 eggs.

Add:
2 1/2 c. four
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix together and chill for about 45 minutes. Roll into balls (like 1 - 1 1/2 inches big), and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

When cookies come out of the oven, place an Andes mint on top of each cookie and allow to melt for a few minutes. Swirl the melted chocolate like icing. Allow to cool. I actually put mine in the fridge to help them cool faster. They turned out super yummy!