Friday, September 18, 2015

Zucchini


Easy, Healthy, Delicious!

Serving size 2
Ingredient

- 1 Zucchini
-  1/2 T Coconut Oil or any other high heat oil (Olive oil is okay)
- Salt and pepper to taste 


Directions
1. Shred zucchini with a food processor or grader. 








2. Turn on stove to medium high and add oil. Heat oil till warm.







3. Add zucchini, salt and pepper. Cook until zucchini becomes warm and soft. About 3 - 5 minutes.



Serve with your desired dish

Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

15 Minute Roasted Sweet Potato



The most delicious way to enjoy a Sweet Potato


I am not a fan of the traditional sweet potato with the marshmallows and all that. So I thought that i just didn't like sweet potatoes. Turns out I just needed to find a different way to make them.  

Serving size 1

Ingredients

- Sweet Potato
- Butter
- Salt
- Pepper
- Pinch of Chives (Optional)
- Dollop of Sour Cream (Optional)
- Parmesan Cheese

Directions


1. Scrub the skin of the potato clean. Use a vegetable brush and running water to remove any dirt and grime off the skin of the sweet potato.

2. Take sweet potato and pierce it with a fork a few times.


3. Place it in the microwave on medium-high for 6-7 minutes (depending on how big your sweet potato is) turning about every 2 minutes.

4. Once the potato has been cooked in the microwave you cut the potato in half. Then, without cutting all the way through on the ends you cut each half into squares. 




5. Take a few slices of butter and put in between some of the squares. Season with salt and pepper and then sprinkle Parmesan on top.






















6. Broil the sweet potatoes on medium-high for 6-8 minutes (depending on how crispy you like yours). I like mine crispy but you have to watch them.


7. Garnish with chives, pinch of Parmesan cheese and a dollop of sour cream and you have the best-easiest sweet potato ever!


Note:
For a healthier version do steps 1 and 2 and then place in oven on tin foiled cookie sheet on 400 F for 45 - 55 minutes. Then finish with steps 4 - 7. This way the microwave will not kill any nutrients.  

Crispy Cheddar Chicken


A favorite for the whole family

Serving size 6 - 8
Ingredients

- 4 large chicken breasts 
- 2 Sleeves Ritz Crackers, Crushed 
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/4 t pepper 
- 1/2 C milk 
- 3 C Cheddar Cheese. grated 
- 1 t Parsley Flakes (optional) 

I have been using this recipie so long
it was written in my recipe book.
Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400 F

1. Cut chicken into halves 


 2. Use 3 separate bowls for milk, Cheese, and ritz crackers with salt and pepper.
3. Dip each chicken piece first into milk, then cheese, and then cracker mix. Press down into cheese and crackers. 
4. Spray 9x 13 pan and lay chicken flat.                (I have a small family so I cut the recipe down      to 3 chicken breasts and only use an 8 x 8 pan)
5. Sprinkle parsley over the chicken.
6. Cover with tin foil and bake at 400 F for 30 min.
7. Remove tin foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. 

Serve with your favorite sides and 

Enjoy!


For Sweet Potato recipe click here
For Graded Zucchini recipe click here

Fun Side note:
My grandpa puts ketchup on EVERYTHING. I made this recipe for a family get together one evening and he told me. "baby this chicken is so good, I don't even need my ketchup." LOL



Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Lemon Chicken Pasta



This is probably my favorite pasta, in the world. 

Tangy-and-Sweet
Serving size 4
Ingredients

- 8 ounces angel hair pasta, cooked according to package directions (half of a 1-pound box)
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into bite-sized pieces (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1/2  C honey
- 1/4 C lemon juice
- 2 T olive oil for sauce + 1 tablespoon for cooking chicken
- 1 T apple cider vinegar
- 1 T lemon pepper seasoning blend for sauce + more for sprinkling over chicken
- 1/2 t salt, or to taste
- 1/2 t black pepper, or to taste (If your are not a huge pepper fan I would skip this or just add 1/4 t)
- Thyme leaves from 2 or 3 sprigs, to taste (Optional) 



Directions

1. Cook pasta according to directions on box, drain, and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, add the honey, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon pepper seasoning, salt, pepper, optional thyme, and stir to combine; set sauce aside.

3. In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, add chicken, generously sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning, and cook chicken over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, flipping intermittently so all sides cook evenly. Cooking time will vary based on thickness of chicken breasts and sizes of pieces. Chicken should be about 90% cooked through.

4. Turn heat to medium-low, and carefully add the sauce noting that it may bubble up in the first few seconds.

5. Allow sauce to bubble at a low boil for about 5 minutes, or until sauce has thickened and reduced some, and chicken is cooked through. Stir sauce and flip chicken intermittently throughout.

6. Add pasta to skillet with the chicken and toss to combine and coat. Serve immediately. 

Chicken and pasta are best warm and fresh, but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently prior to serving.


Enjoy!


Saturday, September 12, 2015

Monte Cristo Sandwich


The perfect Brunch


Serving size 4
Ingredients  

- 8 slices white bread (I used Texas Toast)
- 4 slices Swiss cheese (Colby Jack tastes great too)
- 4 slices turkey
- 4 slices ham
- 1 quart oil for frying, or as needed
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper (Optional) 
- 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting (Optional)


Directions


1. Heat half of the oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and water.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.
4. Whisk into the egg mixture until smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator.
5. Put sandwiches together by placing one slice of turkey, cheese in the middle, and then ham.
6.Cut sandwiches into halves or quarters, and secure with toothpicks.
7. Dip each sandwich quarter in the batter so that all sides are coated.
8.Deep fry in the hot oil until golden brown on all sides.
9. Remove toothpicks and arrange on a serving tray.
10. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Chicken Salsa Tacos


I have had a lot of people ask and re-ask for this recipe because it's...

The easiest and best crock pot recipe ever!

Serving Size
Approx. 20 - 25 Tacos
Ingredient 

- 6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (Thawed)
- 1 envelope Taco Seasoning
- 1 jar (24 oz) Pace Salsa (or your favorite salsa)

Directions


Place thawed chicken, taco seasoning, and salsa into crock pot. 
Cook on High for 4 - 6 hours or Low for 6 - 8 hours


Shred chicken with 2 Forks 


Put chicken in tortillas along with your favorite toppings.

This meal is much to large for my family. I always cut the recipe in half and just place the unused half of the taco seasoning in a little plastic baggie. It's enough to feed 4 people and have plenty of left overs. Just adjust your cooking time. Cook in crock pot on High for 3 hours or on Low for 5 hours.

If you have time, click here for a great tortilla recipe to go with this.

If this is one of your fast nights these are my favorite store bought tortillas. They are uncooked so you do have to cook them on the stove but it takes maybe 1 minutes and they are so good. They can be purchased at Walmart usually next to the cheese and butter.



Flour Tortillas


                                                                           
Serving size 
Approx. 6 - 8 Tortillas
Ingredient

- 2 C Flour
- 1 1/2 t Baking powder
- 1 t Salt 
- 2 t Vegetable Oil
- 3/4 C Warm Milk (Heat up in microwave until warm. About 1 - 2 minutes)
- Extra Flour for rolling
If dough is to sticky add 1 T flour at a time. (Do not over flour else they will just taste like flour). 

Directions  

1. Mix all ingredients together and kneed.
2. Damp a kitchen towel with warm water and cover bowl letting it rise for 10 - 20 minute. 
3. Make individual balls about 1.5 inch for small tortillas or 2.5 inch for large tortillas. 
4. Use a rolling pin and roll each tortilla flat on a floured surface (it will rise when cooking).
5. Cook on skillet 
6. Serve with your favorite meat and toppings.

Tips:
  • If it is too hard to roll out or dough keeps shrinking put the skillet to warm and place slightly rolled dough on it just until dough is warm (Do not leave on skillet too long or have skillet to high. You do not want tortillas to cook at this point.) After warming on skillet begin again to roll tortillas out. 
  • If you start to see bubbles forming in tortilla as they are cooking on the skillet you did a great job with the dough. If not, its ok, just practice making tortillas more often. 
Tortilla making is one of those things you have to perfect. It takes time. My husband and I started doing "tortilla night" every Sunday with our friends. It became a tradition and that is how we perfected our tortillas. We are great tortilla making partners :)
Practice makes perfect!

Have fun and Enjoy!




Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Health Monster Smoothie


My Signature Smoothie 


Servings Size
Approx. 2 - 3 
Ingredients

- 1/2 C Orange Juice 
- 1/4 C Pinnacle Juice 
- 1/2 T Honey
- 1/2 T Flax seed 
- 1/2 scoop doTERRA's Terra Green Powder (Optional) Can be purchased here
- 1 Banana, sliced 
- 3- 4 Strawberries, sliced 
- 1/4 C Blueberries 
- 1/4 C  Pineapple, sliced 
- A handful of Spinach (about 1 C)
- A couple leaves of Kale (about 1/2 C)
- 1 Carrot, chopped 
- 12 - 18 Cubes of Ice 

 Directions
In a blender, add (in this order) Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice, Honey, Flax seed, Terra Green Powder, Bananas, Strawberries, Blueberries, Pineapple, Spinach, Kale, Carrots, and 6 Ice Cubes. Turn on Blender to Liquefy until blended. 
Add the rest of the Ice Cubes. Put blender on Ice Crush until Ice is mostly blended. Finally, turn blender to smoothie for about 10 seconds. 



Enjoy!