Broccoli lo mien

1-2 pkgs. chow mien noodles-fresh in produce section, cooked
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp. peanut oil (or canola oil)
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 c. broccoli, chopped
1 1/2 c. onion, sliced thin
1-2 lbs. beef steak, cut into strips
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. chili paste
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

Combine noodles and sesame oil, tossing well to coat. While noodles cook, heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add broccoli and onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add steak, and sauté 5 minutes or until done. Add pasta mixture, soy sauce, and remaining ingredients; cook 1 minute or until lo mein is thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.

White Enchilada Soup

3-4 Chicken Breasts cooked and chopped
2 cans Chicken Broth
1 cube Cream Cheese
1 16 oz jar of Mild Green Chili Verde salsa
1 Can sweet corn
1 can white beans drained and rinsed
1 can black beans drained and rinsed

Soften cream cheese. Add cream cheese to broth and warm slowly while blending. Heat mixture slowly. Add all remaining ingredients. Serve with tortilla strips, corn chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, olives, or avocado.

Gecko Grill Shrimp Mango Quesadillas

***For those of you who are not lucky enough to live near Gecko Grill, this is a close second. This was just enough to feed my family of 5.

Ingredients1 pound raw shrimp, peeled, tails removed and chopped into 1/4″ pieces1 large, ripe mango, peeled and diced1 1/2 cups monterey jack cheese, grated6 10″ flour tortillas2 TBS honey3 TBS butter1 limeS & PSour cream
Directions: In large skillet, melt 1 TBS butter. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add to melted butter and cook until bright pink, 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and drain any juices that were released. In same skillet, melt remaining 2 TBS butter and honey together, cook 2 minutes until thickened. Add shrimp back to pan, squeeze lime over shrimp, toss together and remove from heat.
In a clean preheated skillet, sprinkle one side of the tortilla with 1/4 cup cheese, 1/6 of mango chunks and 1/6 shrimp mixture. Fold over and cook until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut into wedges and serve with additional lime wedges and sour cream.

Salsa Chicken

4 Chicken Breasts
1 cup Salsa
2 cups minute rice
1 cup black beans -drained-
1/2 package taco mix
1 cup cheddar cheese
2 cups water
sour cream -optional-
can of chopped up olives -optional-

Bring chicken (thawed not cooked), salsa, taco mix, & water to a boil. Cover & simmer for 10 minutes. Return to a boil. Stir in rice and beans. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover. Cook on low for 5 minutes. top with sour cream


This is super easy and doesn't require an oven to be turned on. My Kids LOVED this and were eating it by the spoonful. Thanks for letting me join I am super excited to get new recipes!

BBQ Chicken Salad

So this is our new favorite-super easy and affordable!

2-3 chicken breasts
1 can drained corn
1 can drained black beans
favorite bbq sauce
favorite ranch dressing
lettuce (I use romaine)

Have your hubby grill the chicken breasts with your favorite barbecue sauce. While it's cooling off, drain your corn and black beans. Shred/chop your lettuce. Then cut the chicken up into chunks or cubes.

I like to leave everything seperate so I can put it away in seperate containers for leftovers. Add everything together, then I do a half ranch/half bbq sauce for the dressing. Super yummy. It's even better with some fried onion strings! (We have a recipe for the batter if you're interested.)

(You could probably cheat and use those precooked/grilled chicken strips-like at Costco and throw it in the microwave with some bbq sauce on it.)

Hawaiin Haystacks

You can make this meal however complex you'd like. We make our chicken mixture with a can of chicken breast and then mix that with cream of chicken soup. You can be flexible with the soup. I know people use the celery or mushroom soups as well. If it's thicker than you'd like add some milk.

Start with white rice as a base. Then add your chicken mixture along with any delicious toppings you'd like. We say the more the merrier. Sauteed shrooms, celery, cubed carrots, pineapple, peppers, cheese, chow mein noodles and tomatoes are some of the things we like. (I have this handy kitchen tool called the alligator which chops anything into perfect tiny cubes - makes cutting lots of veggies so simple.) Whatever you use get creative and enjoy a super tasty and quite healthy meal!

Posted by Shelley

Peggy's Chow Mein

3 chicken breasts-cut in bite size pieces
4 T. soy sauce
1 T. minced garlic

6 T. cornstarch (about)
1 bag frozen stir fry vegetable mix (your favorite kind)
2-3 pkgs. chow mien noodles-fresh in produce section

Place chicken pieces in bowl w/ 4 T. soy sauce, 3 T. water, and garlic (I also will put it all in a large Ziploc bag). Let marinate for at least one hour (I marinated it all day once and thought it was too salty, so I wouldn't recommend marinating it longer than 3 hours). After marinating add cornstarch until there is no liquid left in the chicken.
Stir fry chicken in 2 T. oil. Cook noodles according to package directions. Add the thawed veggies to the chicken and stir fry them until they are cooked through. (I usually cook the chicken separate in a saute pan. I then stir fry cook the frozen veggies in a large skillet and when they are cooked I remove them into a separate bowl and set aside and then cook the noodles in the same skillet. When the noodles are done I add the veggies and then the seasoning that comes with the noodles and then mix in the chicken) Here is a picture of the noodles I buy for the Chow Mien recipe. The recipe asks for 2-3 bags and this pkg comes with 3 bags so I just use the whole package. The package gives you directions for 1 bag so you have to triple the water and oil it asks for. At Stater Bro.'s I find these by the cheeses. At Von's they are on the back isle towards the produce.

****Kyra's Recipe

EZ CHICKEN CROCK POT DINNER

This recipe may seem too simple to be true, but it is so flavorful and the chicken is super moist, definitely a favorite around here.

Ingredients:

1lb. chicken breast, cut into small strips

1 cup coleslaw dressing (I used Marie's in refrigerated veggie section)

Garlic powder sprinkled over the top

Preparation:

Cook in slow cooker on low for 4-6 hours.

Serve with or over hot rice, a nice green salad and some hot French or Italian bread. So simple to fix and so delicious to eat.

***Originally posted by Cherie in April 2008

Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion
1 can tomato sauce
½ can or small can tomato juice
1 small can tomato paste
1 fresh tomato or ½ canned tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
½ c. ketchup
1 ½ tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. oregano
½ tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Chop the onion and tomato (I skin the tomato and then chop). Brown hamburger with onion and then add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Simmer for 30 min. or longer. Serve with spaghetti noodles. (we prefer angel hair pasta and serve it with that). This sauce is super nummy. We take what sauce and noodles are leftover and mix them to have as leftovers, it makes great leftovers. So if your feeling like you want something better than good old prego or ragu you have to try this, we love it!

Giada De Laurentiis's Lasagna Rolls

I saw Giada make this recipe on Everyday Italian a few years back and thought it looked good. So, I went to foodtv.com and printed up the recipe and made it. We loved it! I just wanted to give credit where credit is due, I tried to put a link to the recipe, but it no longer is on the food network website. So, here it is.

INGREDIENTS
Béchamel Sauce:
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
4 tsp. all-purpose flour
1 ¼ c. whole milk
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg

Lasagna:
1 (15 oz.) container whole milk ricotta cheese (I use skim all the time, the whole milk ricotta is hard to find)
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 c. plus 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan
3 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1 large egg, beaten
¾ tsp. salt, plus more for salting water
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 Tbsp. olive oil
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
2 cups marina sauce (I use Giada’s homemade marinara sauce, which I’ll include in the recipe below, and I use more than 2 cups because I like more marinara in it)
1 c. shredded mozzarella (about 4 oz.)

INSTRUCTIONS
To make béchamel sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the salt, pepper and nutmeg into the béchamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Butter a 9x13 pan and pour the béchamel sauce all over the bottom.

Whisk (or stir, I just stir with a wooden spoon) the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but sill firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking. Spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Start at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna roll seam side down, without touching the other rolls, atop the béchamel sauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marina sauce (I use more) over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 Tbsp. of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.


Giada De Laurentiis’s Homemade Marina Sauce

½ c. extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 (32 oz.) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves

In a large casserole pot (or any large pot, I don’t have a casserole pot), heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots and salt and pepper. Sauté until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leafs. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (Sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using. Can also be frozen.)

Spinach-and-Cheese Casserole

Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 75 minutes
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
4 eggs
2/3 cup flour
Two 10-oz packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (you can dump the spinach into a dish cloth and twist it to quickly squeeze out all the water)
24-oz container low-fat cottage cheese
3 cups grated reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Salt, to taste (I used garlic salt and pepper. Nutmeg is also a nice addition.)

1. Coat a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs with flour until smooth. (I beat the eggs until they were light and frothy before adding the flour.)
2. Add remaining ingredients and stir well to blend. Spoon into prepared dish and bake, or cover and refrigerate.
3. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 75 minutes.

TIP: To prep and bake the day before, shorten oven time by 10 minutes. Cool, wrap, and refrigerate. Reheat in the microwave, checking at 10-minute intervals, until heated through.

Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo

3-4 Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 Cube Butter
1 envelope Good Seasonings Italian Dressing Mix

Place above ingredients in crock pot for 3-4 hours on low setting.

Shred chicken, replace.

Add
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
8 oz chream cheese
Optional: Add 1 can of mushrooms

Cook until melted, serve over angel hair pasta

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

Husbands and Kids love these!

INGREDIENTS
· 1/2 cup olive oil
· 1/2 cup ranch dressing
· 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
· 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
· 2 teaspoons salt
· 1 teaspoon lemon juice
· 1 teaspoon white vinegar
· 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
· 1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste (optional)
· 5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

**All of the marinade ingredients sound a little frightening together, but they taste GREAT! My kids couldn't get enough of the chicken, they ate more than I did. Really great with grilled veggies.

Chicken Enchiladas

A little messy to make, but they taste good! I always leave the onion out because my hubby is not a fan :<(

Large can green chile enchilada sauce
8 oz sour cream
14 oz chicken broth
1 small chopped onion
4-5 chicken breasts
mexi-blend cheese

Cook chicken with lemon juice, salt and pepper, shred and set aside. Saute onion, cook with enchilada sauce, sour cream and chicken broth until sour cream is melted. Take 1/2 the sauce and mix with 1 cup shredded cheese and chicken. Dip flour tortillas in remaining sauce, then fill with above mix. Roll and put into 9X13 pan. Pour remaining sauce over top, sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Makes 6-8 enchiladas depending on how you fill them!

Mexican lasagna

Super easy for when all you feel like doing is opening a few cans :>)

1 can black beans, drained
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 1/2 cups salsa
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
10 6 inch corn tortillas
3 cups cottage cheese
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Mix corn, beans, salsa and chili powder in a medium bowl. Layer in 13X9 baking dish: tortillas, veggie mixture, cottage cheese. Repeat to make 2 layers. Top with cheddar cheese, bake at 375 for 30 minutes (I usually make it in a 9X9 pan with 3 layers instead of 2)

Olive Garden Alfredo

8 ounces Cream cheese −− cut in bits
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese −− grated
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup Milk or heavy cream
8 ounces Fettuccine or favorite pasta; cook −− drain

In large saucepan combine cream cheese, Parmesan, butter and
milk, stirring constantly until smooth. Toss pasta lightly with
sauce, coating well.

Tastes great with saute'ed mushrooms.

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. dark brown sugar
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. salad oil
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16 oz.) can pineapple chunks
Fresh Green Pepper, sliced into 1 inch pieces
Grape tomatoes (optional)

Cut chicken into 1 inch chunks. Prepare marinade: Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, oil, ginger and garlic. Stir in chicken. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or more, stirring often.

30 minutes before serving: Thread meat, pineapple chunks, and green peppers alternately on 12 inch skewer. Broil or grill for 15 minutes or longer, depending on taste and doneness. Basting occasionally, turning once.

****(If you want to simplify, I use the Teriyaki breasts from Costco... It tastes great and they are precooked.)

Chicken Nuggets

This is from Jessica Seinfield's cookbook "Deceptively Delicious". A good way to sneak some veggies in!

Ingredients:
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup flaxseed meal
- 1 Tbsp grated parmesan
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 cup pureed broccoli OR spinach OR sweet potato OR beets
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast or tenders, rinsed, dried, and cut into small chunks
- 1/2 tsp salt
- nonstick cooking spray
- 1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:
1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl, mix well
2. In a shallow bowl, mix the vegetable puree and egg with a fork and set the bowl next to the breadcrumb mixture
3. Sprinkle the chicken chunks with the salt. Dip into egg mixture and then toss them into the bread crumbs until completely coated
4. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil. Place the chicken nuggets in the skillet in a single layer, being careful not to overcrowd the pan, and cook until crisp and golden on one side, 3-4 minutes. Then turn and cook until the chicken is cooked through, golden brown, and crisp all over (4-5 minutes longer). Serve warm.

Baked Ziti

Your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 box ziti pasta, cooked
1 lb. Ground sausage, or beef
1 Can diced tomatoes
8 oz. ricotta cheese
8 oz. sliced mozzarella cheese
Season to taste with basil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, Rosemary

Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Brown meat, and then add onion to sauté. Mix pasta, meat, onions, tomatoes, spices and ricotta cheese in a medium bowl. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In 8 x 12 baking dish, prepare bottom with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce. Dump contents of bowl over sauce. Lay mozzarella cheese on top, drizzle with 2 T. spaghetti sauce to keep cheese from burning. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes, remove foil and bake 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Poppy Seed Chicken

3 or 4 pre-cooked chicken breasts, sliced into small chunks, you can you the canned kind, but fresh is better
-Lay on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan

2 cans Cream of chicken soup
-layer on top of chicken

1 package crushed ritz crackers
-sprinkle on top of soup layer

Poppy Seeds
-Sprinkle desired amount evenly on top of crackers

3/4 cube of butter
-melt and pour on top

Bake 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes. This recipe halves easily.