A friend shared this recipe with me and I couldn't stop eating this salad. The dressing with the crunch from the friend won-tons is a perfect pair.
Ingredients:
1 package won-ton wrappers, deep fried *see note
2 heads of lettuce, chopped
2-3 bunches green onions, chopped
Dressing:
6 TBSP rice vinegar
4 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp salt
2 TBSP Sesame Seeds
Directions:
Mix the lettuce and green onions in a large bowl. Right before serving, crumble the fried won-tons into the salad, they get soggy fast. Serve immediately.
*How to deep fry won-tons. In a wok heat up 4 cups of vegetable or canola oil to 400 degrees. Make sure the oil is nice and hot before starting. Fry each won-ton until golden brown and let dry on a plate lined with paper towels.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Crunchy Taco Cups
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey
1 10 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1/4 tsp chili powder (add 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp for a hotter flavor)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 TBSP flour
24 Wonton wrappers
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheddar cheese
optional: sour cream, avocado, and chopped green onion
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously coat a standard size muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat and add the ground turkey, breaking it up as you brown it. Drain off any extra liquid and then add the drained tomatoes, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper. Heat and stir until all heated through, add the 1 TBSP flour and stir until no more liquid remains and it thickens up. Remove from the heat.
3. Line each prepared muffin tin with a wonton wrapper and press down into each muffin cup. Add 1 TBSP taco mixture to each wonton filled muffin cup, then add 1 TBSP cheese. Fill each 12 muffin cups this way. Then to make a second layer, place another wonton wrapper on top of the cheese and press down into the sides of each cup. Top with another 1 TBSP taco mixture and 1 TBSP cheese for the final layer.
4. Bake for 11-13 minutes until the cups are heated through and the edges are golden.
5. Remove each baked wonton taco cup from the muffin tin and set on a cooling rack so the bottoms can air a bit before being placed on a plate.
6. Top each taco cup with a dollop of sour cream, an avocado slice, and a few chopped green onions.
24 Wonton wrappers
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheddar cheese
optional: sour cream, avocado, and chopped green onion
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously coat a standard size muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat and add the ground turkey, breaking it up as you brown it. Drain off any extra liquid and then add the drained tomatoes, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper. Heat and stir until all heated through, add the 1 TBSP flour and stir until no more liquid remains and it thickens up. Remove from the heat.
3. Line each prepared muffin tin with a wonton wrapper and press down into each muffin cup. Add 1 TBSP taco mixture to each wonton filled muffin cup, then add 1 TBSP cheese. Fill each 12 muffin cups this way. Then to make a second layer, place another wonton wrapper on top of the cheese and press down into the sides of each cup. Top with another 1 TBSP taco mixture and 1 TBSP cheese for the final layer.
4. Bake for 11-13 minutes until the cups are heated through and the edges are golden.
5. Remove each baked wonton taco cup from the muffin tin and set on a cooling rack so the bottoms can air a bit before being placed on a plate.
6. Top each taco cup with a dollop of sour cream, an avocado slice, and a few chopped green onions.
Orange Julius Copy Cat
I have a couple of picky eating kids and I wanted to soup up our usual breakfast juice with something that had a bit more to it. We have some dairy milk sensitive bodies in our family so I tried a few variations with almond milk rather than dairy milk. I'm a die-hard dairy milk favored gal and actually don't enjoy the almond milk that most of my family drinks. I can't stand it on cereal. But, this Orange Julius with the almond milk is so much better than with dairy milk, trust me. Plus, it's naturally sweeter than dairy milk so you don't need to add vanilla or sugar to the recipe like most of the ones floating around the web. We love the delicious flavor and frothy goodness!
Ingredients:
1 12 ounce can orange juice concentrate
2 cups Almond Breeze reduced sugar vanilla almond milk
2 cups water
2 cups ice cubes
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend to your hearts desire! Serve immediately.
Ingredients:
1 12 ounce can orange juice concentrate
2 cups Almond Breeze reduced sugar vanilla almond milk
2 cups water
2 cups ice cubes
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend to your hearts desire! Serve immediately.
Breakfast Casserole
A few months ago we decided to jump onto the breakfast casserole bandwagon. We found a nice recipe online and made two pans, freezing one and baking the other. It tasted awful and we sadly tossed the leftovers and the uncooked frozen casserole in the trash. We found this recipe through a friend and our kids (even the pickiest ones) rave about it. We like turkey so much better so we subbed the ground sausage for turkey sausage. This one is a winner and now our regular Saturday morning family breakfast!
Ingredients
1 24 ounce bag of frozen hash browns
1 cup butter
1 lb. uncooked turkey sausage
9 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups grated cheddar cheese
Directions
1. Warm oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray, set aside.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the 1 cup butter and then add the hash browns. Cook for about 15 minutes, browning and stirring at regular intervals.
3. While the hash browns are cooking, warm another skillet to medium-high heat and brown the turkey sausage, breaking up the sausage as it cooks so that it's a crumbly texture.
4. Once the hash browns are nicely golden brown, put them in the bottom of the prepared 9x13 pan. Top them with the browned crumbled turkey sausage.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, sour cream, salt, garlic powder, and pepper until smooth. Then, stir in the grated cheddar cheese. Pour the wet ingredients over the hash browns and sausage. Stir all the ingredients together in the 9x13 pan.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve warm.
Ingredients
1 24 ounce bag of frozen hash browns
1 cup butter
1 lb. uncooked turkey sausage
9 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups grated cheddar cheese
Directions
1. Warm oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray, set aside.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the 1 cup butter and then add the hash browns. Cook for about 15 minutes, browning and stirring at regular intervals.
3. While the hash browns are cooking, warm another skillet to medium-high heat and brown the turkey sausage, breaking up the sausage as it cooks so that it's a crumbly texture.
4. Once the hash browns are nicely golden brown, put them in the bottom of the prepared 9x13 pan. Top them with the browned crumbled turkey sausage.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, sour cream, salt, garlic powder, and pepper until smooth. Then, stir in the grated cheddar cheese. Pour the wet ingredients over the hash browns and sausage. Stir all the ingredients together in the 9x13 pan.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve warm.
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Chopped MInestrone Soup
The first day of snow and we had to have soup and this one was the winner. It is delightfully beautiful and deliciously tasty. It's not like any other Minestrone soup because - PESTO! Oh, I love Pesto so much. It adds the perfectness to this yummy soup. There is some work chopping everything into nice little bite-sized pieces, but well worth it.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
1 1/2 cups diced celery
2 1/2 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 large can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 (15 oz) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups ditalini past, uncooked
2 Tbsp store-bought pesto
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
12 oz precooked bacon, chopped, for topping
Directions:
1. In a large pot heat up the olive oil until rippling. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 - 10 minutes, until the vegetables being to soften.
2. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaf, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper and bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
3. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions.
4. Stir in the beans and pesto. Heat through. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed, and add any additional chicken broth if the soup is too thick. We like it on the thick side.
5. Serve with the Parmesan cheese and bacon.
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
1 1/2 cups diced celery
2 1/2 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 large can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 (15 oz) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups ditalini past, uncooked
2 Tbsp store-bought pesto
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
12 oz precooked bacon, chopped, for topping
Directions:
1. In a large pot heat up the olive oil until rippling. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 - 10 minutes, until the vegetables being to soften.
2. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaf, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper and bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
3. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions.
4. Stir in the beans and pesto. Heat through. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed, and add any additional chicken broth if the soup is too thick. We like it on the thick side.
5. Serve with the Parmesan cheese and bacon.
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Catalina Salad
I've had Catalina dressing a few times and thought it was pretty awful, but this homemade version is divine. I had to pour it over my salad 3 times just that I could savor every single bite with dressing. My husband and I raved and raved about this recipe and I promised him I'd save it here on our blog. There's something about almost being 40 with a handful of kids and not having much brain space left to remember where we had found a fantastic recipe. If only we could remember what the name was or some of the ingredients in that amazing chicken recipe we had a few months back. We're kicking ourselves we didn't save it here.
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 head ice berg lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup cubed cheese, cheddar, Monterey Jack, etc.
1 cup corn
1 can olives, sliced
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
crushed tortilla chips
Dressing:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. In a large, nonstick skillet, brown the ground turkey with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper until cooked through.
2. For the dressing, combine all the dressing ingredients together in a blender and process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The dressing can be made up to 3-4 days in advance.
3. We like to make our salads individually, so the original recipe called to add all the salad ingredients into one large bowl. We put each ingredient in small individual bowls at the center of the table and everyone makes their own salad with the toppings they enjoy.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Creamy Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt and pepper to season the chicken
1 lb bowtie pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 cup half and half, room temperature
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, sliced
Directions:
1. In a large frying pan or skillet, heat the vegetable oil on medium high heat until rippling. Toss in the chicken pieces and season them with salt and pepper. Let them fry until golden on each side, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot cook the bowtie pasta according to the package directions. Drain, and set aside.
3. In the same pan that was used for the chicken, turn it to down to medium low heat and melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
4. Transfer the onion and garlic to the large pot used for cooking the bowtie pasta and turn it up to medium or medium low heat. Carefully whisk in the half and half, chicken broth, and fresh basil. Then, stir in the salt and shredded mozzarella. Lower the heat if needed to keep the sauce from boiling, but keep stirring until all the mozzarella has been melted into the sauce.
5. Add the chicken, cooked pasta, and roasted red peppers to the large pot of sauce and heat everything through for about 1 - 2 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt and pepper to season the chicken
1 lb bowtie pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 cup half and half, room temperature
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, sliced
Directions:
1. In a large frying pan or skillet, heat the vegetable oil on medium high heat until rippling. Toss in the chicken pieces and season them with salt and pepper. Let them fry until golden on each side, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot cook the bowtie pasta according to the package directions. Drain, and set aside.
3. In the same pan that was used for the chicken, turn it to down to medium low heat and melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
4. Transfer the onion and garlic to the large pot used for cooking the bowtie pasta and turn it up to medium or medium low heat. Carefully whisk in the half and half, chicken broth, and fresh basil. Then, stir in the salt and shredded mozzarella. Lower the heat if needed to keep the sauce from boiling, but keep stirring until all the mozzarella has been melted into the sauce.
5. Add the chicken, cooked pasta, and roasted red peppers to the large pot of sauce and heat everything through for about 1 - 2 minutes. Serve and enjoy.
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