Lentil Tacos

My friend Nathaly posted this recipe on her blog and I absolutely loved it. It's the perfect vegan meal or if you are in the mood for something different. Growing up in Colombia, lentils are one of our staple foods and this is a perfect way to incorporate them in a American meal. The last time that I made this, I substituted the lentils for garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and it turned out great.

1 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2-1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup salsa
Flour tortillas or taco shells
Toppings (see below)

In a large skillet saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Mash lentils slightly. Stir in salsa.

Spoon mixture into shells and top with whatever toppings you like. We did lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, lime, and cilantro.

CREAMY POTATO HAM SOUP

This is one of my favorite soup recipes from my mom! It's a hearty soup that will stick to your bones on these icy cold non-Grenada days! haha welcome to the USA in winter huh? hehe

3 cups cubed ham or 1 cup thinly sliced Smithfield ham

8 cups peeled, chopped potatoes (4 lg potatoes)

8 tablespoons butter

2 cups chopped onion (l onion)

8 cups water

6 ham bouillion cubes ( Knors) or use (8 tsp ham base)

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 cups cream (heavy whipping cream or half and half) or milk

1 cup of the Jiffy corn muffin mix.

In large pot melt butter and sauté onion. Add ham and cook a few more minutes. Add potatoes and the 8 cups water along with the ham base. Cook until potatoes are cooked.

Add the 1 cup Jiffy corn mix into the 2 cups cream to dissolve first. Then add to the potatoe, ham pot and stir. This thickens up the soup just perfectly.

Add cream about ½ hour to 1 hour before you eat and heat up on warm.

Most important ingredients for the soup when serving is:

Sprinkle bacon bits and chopped scallions in the individual bowls when serving eat and enjoy along with corn muffins or regular hot rolls

Enjoy!!.

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

These are AMAZING!!! And they look so festive for Christmas! Enjoy girlies!


Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening
1/2 c. real butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
optional: 1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 c. dark chocolate chips
48 Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together softened butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Meanwhile, combine the baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the centers are set but still soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Top each cookie with an unwrapped Candy Cane Kiss. Allow to cool completely, long enough for the Kiss to harden. If necessary, after the cookies have cooled, they can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to re-solidify the Kiss.

Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Cassrole

Lexi, this is not a family recipe, but I've tried it a few times and we LOVE it!  It's so yummy and if IGA gets chicken broth back in this weekend, this is what I'll be making for our Thanksgiving in Grenada!

It's of course from My Kitchen Cafe.  Click HERE for original recipe.

Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Casserole
Printable Version

Serves 8-10 as a side dish

2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons butter, melted; plus two tablespoons chilled
1 garlic clove, minced
2 pounds broccoli (about 3-4 medium heads of broccoli), florets cut into 1-inch pieces, stems chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups long grain white rice
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Pulse bread, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and melted butter in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add garlic. Set aside.

Microwave broccoli florets (save stems for later), covered, in a large bowl until bright green and tender, 2 to 3 minutes (no need to add water). Be careful not to overcook or they will become soggy and discolored. Melt remaining butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion and broccoli stems until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until rice is translucent, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, half-and-half, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Off the heat, stir in cheddar cheese, cayenne, remaining parmesan and broccoli florets.

Pour the mixture into prepared baking dish and top with bread crumb mixture. Bake until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Serve.

THANKSGIVING recipes

I don't know about you, but for ME this will be my first time cooking THANKSGIVING dinner for our little family. I'd LOVE to get some of your family favorite recipes to help me out. I've been searching online but I'd rather use some tried and true recipes!! Help me out and post a favorite!
I'm already planning on using Julie's delicious stuffing recipe :)
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Carmel Apple Dip

1 cup brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 Tablespoons corn syrup
1 cup butter
1/2 jar marshmallow cream

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil over stove, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in marshmallow cream. Allow to cool. Serve with sliced apples. DELICIOUS fall treat :)

Cheesy Chicken and Artichoke Soup

2 chicken breasts
1 yellow onion, chopped
enough apple juice to cover the chicken in a sauce pan

Brown the onion until tender in the sauce pan. Add uncooked chicken breasts and cover with liquid. Simmer slowly until chicken is cooked through. Discard liquid. Cool chicken and chop into bite size pieces. Add the chicken to:

1 can condensed cream of celery soup
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can artichoke, chopped (not the marinated kind)
1/2 lb. Velveta cheese with jalapenos
1 can evaporated milk or an equal amount of half and half
2 1/2 cups chicken broth

Mix all ingredients together. Stir frequently until heated through. Watch the mixture does not burn on the bottom. Serve with bread. We love this soup in the cold months!

Quick Chicken Stir Fry

2 tsp cooking oil
1 lb chicken, cut bite size
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 med. onion, wedged
1/2 c sliced carrots
1 c. celery
2 c broccoli florets
1 c water
1 pkg Oriental dry noodles (i.e. Raman)
1 c. fresh bean sprouts
1/4 c soy sauce
2 tsp corn starch
Seasoning pkt from noodles
1/2 c chow mein noodles
1 c cashews

Heat oil in wok. Add chicken, garlic, and ginger. Stir fry until browned. Add onions, carrots, celery, broccoli and water. Break up noodles and add. Cover. Cook until veggies are tender-crisp. Stir in bean sprouts. Whisk soy sauce, cornstarch and seasoning packet together in small bowl. Add to center of stir fry. Stir until thick. Sprinkle with chow mein noodles and cashews.

*Feel free to add or omit when it comes to the veggies - whatever you have on hand. Snap peas are a great addition.

Hawaiian Chicken

15 pieces of chicken legs
16 oz (2 cups) soy sauce
Ginger
1 clove garlic
1/2 c brown sugar

Saute garlic and ginger in oil. Add soy sauce and equal amount of water.
Mix ingredients in pot and add chicken.
Cook for 45 minutes.

*I usually half this for my family. You could make this at any quantity, just use equal parts soy sauce and water.

Ginger Snaps

Ginger Snaps
(this is a double recipe)

Mix together in a large bowl:

1 1/3 cup oil
3 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp salt

Roll into balls. Then roll into white sugar. Bake at 350* for 8-10 min.

Enjoy!

The Best Pumpkin Cookies!!

Hands down these are the best pumpkin cookies EVER! They will be your new favorites - I promise! My sister-in-law found this recipe!! Yuummy!

Pumpkin Cookies

* 1 cup butter
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1 cup canned pumpkin
* 1 egg
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 2 cups flour
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp salt

Cream sugars and butter. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients. Drop spoonfuls onto non-greased cookie sheet. Cook at 350* for 10 to 12 minutes.
Frosting:
Boil 3 TBLS butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar until mostly smooth. (Approx. 2 to 3 min.) Cool and add 1/4 cup milk and 2 cups powdered sugar or until desired consistency, and whip with hand mixer until smooth. Spread onto cookies.

Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pork Loin Roast!!

I made this tonight, and can we say YUM!! It was a delish recipe I had to share with you all! Super easy too! Enjoy!

(need to use a slow cooker, aka crock pot)

* 1 boneless pork loin roast, 4 to 6 pounds
* 1 clove garlic, halved
* salt and pepper
* 1 1/3 cups brown sugar, divided
* 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
* 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation:
Wash pork roast, trim excess fat, pat dry, and rub with garlic halves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then prick the roast all over with a fork or skewer.

In a cup or bowl, combine 1 cup of the brown sugar, the mustard, and vinegar. Rub all over the roast.

Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours. Pour off the excess juices.

combine the remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar with cinnamon; Spread the mixture over the top of the roast. Cover and continue cooking on LOW for 1 hour longer.

Serves 6 to 8.

Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash

This is one of my favorites for this time of year (or anytime in Grenada since squash always seemed to be in season). The stuffing is way more than will ever fit even in two large acorn squashes...but serving the squash as a mashed side dish to this is quite tasty. I substituted orzo for the couscous so Penny could pick all ingredients up with equal ease - she loves it!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 large acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 cup garbanzo beans, drained
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked couscous

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Arrange squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, or until tender. Dissolve the sugar in the melted butter. Brush squash with the butter mixture, and keep squash warm while preparing the stuffing.
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Mix in the garbanzo beans and raisins. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.
4. Pour the chicken broth into the skillet, and mix in the couscous. Cover skillet, and turn off heat. Allow couscous to absorb liquid for 5 minutes. Stuff squash halves with the skillet mixture to serve.

Nutritional Information

(you know, because this info is required in NYC)

Amount Per Serving Calories: 502 | Total Fat: 11.7g | Cholesterol: 10mg

peach & blueberry crisp

photo courtesy of Google images

Um, this might just be the most amazing, delicious, most perfect fall treat :) I dare you NOT to try it!

peach & blueberry crisp
fruit part
4 mondo-size peaches (or 7 regular ones)
1/2 pint blueberries
2 tablespoons corn starch
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

topping
1/2 cup room temperature butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup high quality oats
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

preheat oven to 350 degrees. peel and slice peaches and place into 9x9 inch baking dish. mix corn starch, sugar, and cinnamon (i am not a cinnamon girl so i was hesitant to use any.... but trust me, it makes it) in a separate bowl and toss in with peaches. add blueberries to peaches.

in a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly (best done with your own two hands) the butter, flour, brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon together. cover peaches and blueberries with oat topping.

bake for about 35 minutes or until the crisp topping is a golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling. then, eat up! (Don't forget the vanilla ice cream).

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This sweet and sour chicken is amazing.  If you like this kind of meal you have to try it!!  Original recipe found here... My Kitchen Cafe

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced – about 6-8 minutes.

Cowboy Cake

My kids really like this and they eat it up!! Be sure to have lots of milk on hand though because it is very cakey and a big glass of milk goes perfectly.


2 1/2 cups Flour

1/2 tsp Salt

2 cups Brown Sugar

2/3 cups Shortening

2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1 cup Sour Milk or Buttermilk

2 well beaten eggs



Combine flour, salt, sugar and shortening. Mix until crumbly. Reserve 1/2 cup to sprinkle on the top. Mix remaining ingredients and pour into a cake pan, 9x13 baking pan or 2 8x8 pans. Sprinkle reserved topping (can add nuts if you'd like) Bake at 350 for 30-35 min.

The Best Cornbread

This is another recipe from my new favorite blog, My Kitchen Cafe. It was soooo yummy, the perfect cornbread in my opinion!

½ cup cornmeal

1 ½ cup flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup oil

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten

1 ¼ cup milk

Add dry ingredients, make a well and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk into the center. Stir until just mixed (batter will be runny – don’t be alarmed!). Bake in an 8” square pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. This doubles perfectly for a 9X13-inch pan.

ok, we made this pasta last night and it was a creamy piece of heaven! I believe zane's words were "Olive Garden worthy"! It calls for orzo but since it's pricey here, I swapped it for swirly colorful rizoni pasta and it was soooo yummy... you gotta try this!

Creamy Orzo with Chicken, Mushrooms and Red Peppers

*Note: this pasta is best served immediately as it tends to get less creamy as it sits at room temperature - so serve warm right as it finishes cooking! (Incidentally, it heated up just fine the next day in the microwave on low power.)

*Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 average-sized chicken breasts (about 1 to 1 ½ pounds), cut into chunks
2 red bell peppers, cut into ½-inch pieces
8 ounces white button mushrooms, quartered
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 pound orzo pasta *or any kind of pasta, tri-color rizoti is yummy!
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat cream cheese)
1 cup reserved pasta water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) *I used 2 Tbl. bottled lemon juice

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package directions until tender. When the orzo is ready, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water (ladling it into a small bowl is my method) and then drain the orzo and set aside.

While the orzo cooks, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot oil and brown on all sides. When nicely browned (but not all the way cooked through), add the peppers, mushrooms and thyme. Stir and let cook for about 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the mushrooms and peppers have softened and browned and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

In the skillet over medium heat, add the softened cream cheese (if you forgot to let the cream cheese soften at room temperature, no worries! Pop it in the microwave for one minute on 40% power) in bite sized chunks and stir so that the cream cheese melts and coats the chicken and vegetables. Add the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir. Add the orzo, Parmesan, lemon juice and fresh parsley. Stir to combine and heat through. Garnish with additional Parmesan and parsley.

Recipe Source: from My Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)/adapted from Food and Wine Quick From Scratch Pasta Cookbook

Divine Breadsticks (from My Kitchen Cafe)

This is a fantastic recipe for breadsticks. I made these for the first time last week and even in our unpredictable Grenadian oven they turned out great!

The recipe comes from my new favorite blog...

My Kitchen Cafe http://www.melskitchencafe.com/

Divine Breadsticks

*Makes about 20-25 breadsticks, depending on how thick or thin you cut them

1 ½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon instant yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
3 ½ cups flour (I usually use a combination of unbleached all-purpose flour and white whole wheat flour but use whatever you have on hand!)
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted (for the baking sheet)

Mix all ingredients (except melted butter) in a large bowl or electric mixer and knead for three minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread melted butter onto an 11X17-inch baking sheet. Roll out the breadstick dough about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick and cut into strips with a pizza cutter. Twist slightly if desired and place about 1/2-inch apart on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with garlic salt, herbs of choice and parmesan cheese. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes. Bake 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees until golden brown.

Apple Dip Recipe

Hey all, so here is the apple dip recipe from Emma's party. Enjoy!

1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Mix until smooth and creamy and chill in refrigerator. It's also really yummy with toffee bits!

Coffee Cake

This is the recipe we used at the Easter Brunch! Enjoy!!

Cake:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup flower
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine oil, egg, and milk. Sift together dry ingredients. Add to the milk mixture and mix well. Pour in a 9 inch square pan.

Topping: (I usually make a little bit more of this, cause, well I love it!)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 cup chopped nuts
(swirl into the cake)

Bake at 375 for around 25 minutes

Coconut Rice

Just a nice way to make your rice a little sweeter. Penny likes rice, but she LOVES it mixed with coconut milk.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 cup jasmine rice

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk and sugar over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer.
2. Stir in the jasmine rice, reduce heat to low, and cook tightly covered for about 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
3. Remove from the heat and fluff rice with a fork; cover, and keep warm.

Okra & Sweet Potato Curry

I like my Indian food sweet, so this is great to accompany Mango Chicken. I liked this one especially in Grenada because most of the ingredients are pretty low cost there when fresh.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 green chilis deseeded and finely chopped
• curry leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, ground coriander, garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, chili powder
• 1 sweet potato
• handful of okra, topped and tailed
• handful of sliced tomatoes
• handful of frozen peas
• 1 tin coconut milk (you can substitute plain yogurt)

Directions

1. Fry the mustard seeds in the oil until they start to pop and crackle.
2. Add the onion, chilis, curry leaves and spices and fry until the onion is soft.
3. Add the sweet potatoes and brown for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the coconut milk and a little water if necessary and simmer until the sweet potato is cooked. About ten minutes after adding the sweet potato, add the tomato, peas and okra.
5. Continue to simmer and season before serving.

Borrowed from Portobello Kitchen.

Mango Chicken

Julie's blog about mangoes reminded me of a recipe I did recently. Really tasty and ingredients are cheap if mangoes are in season. I like making this with some coconut rice and okra & sweet potato curry.

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp (or more) of vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 to 2 cups)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp fresh minced ginger
• 2 Tbsp yellow curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 mangos, peeled and diced
  
• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup golden raisins (aka sultanas)
  
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (can substitute all or partially with coconut milk or plain yogurt)
• Salt and pepper
• Cilantro for garnish

Directions

1 Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and another tablespoon of oil, cook for a couple more minutes. Add the curry powder and cumin, cook for a few more minutes. The spices will absorb some of the oil, so if anything begins to stick too much to the bottom of the pan, add a little more oil to the pan. Add the ginger and garlic, cook for one minute more.

2 Add the vinegar, water, and a 1/2 of the chopped mango to the pan. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat. Scoop the sauce into a blender. Purée the sauce, pulsing until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan.

3 Add chicken pieces and raisins to the pan. Return to a low simmer. Cover the pan and let cook for 8-10 minutes. Chicken should be just cooked through. Use a knife to cut open the largest piece to check.

4 Add remaining mango pieces to the pan. Stir in the cream (or coconut milk or yogurt). Let cook at a very low temperature for another minute or two, uncovered. Do not let this boil or the cream may curdle. Adjust seasonings. If a little too sweet, add a little more vinegar. If not sweet enough, you can add a dash of sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over rice. Garnish with cilantro. Serves 4.

This is borrowed from Simply Recipes.

Sloppy Buffalo Joes

This is Rachael Ray's spicy version of sloppy Joes. My sister-in-law made this for dinner the other night and it was delicious!

2 tbsp of olive oil
2 pounds of ground chicken or ground turkey
1 carrot, peeled chopped or grated
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 yellow onion chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt & pepper
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ to 1/3 cup of hot sauce
*1 cup of tomato sauce
*1 cup of chicken stock
8 burger rolls
1 cup blue cheese crumbles
2 large dill pickles, chopped

In a mixing bowl combine vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and tomato sauce and set aside. Heat a large skillet with olive oil in medium heat. Add turkey and cook for about 5-6 mins or until turkey is fully cooked. Add carrots, celery, onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook for 7-8 minutes. Pour into the pan the vinegar/sauce mixture and stir to combine. Simmer for a few more minutes. Pile sloppy buffalo filling onto buns and top with cheese and chopped pickles.

*The sloppy filling was a bit watery. So I would add ½ cup chicken stock or replace the tomato sauce for tomato paste to make the filling less watery. Hope you guys like it!

Easy Shrimp Scampi

(Photo courtesy of Google)

Ingredients:
1 lb. shrimp (peeled)
3 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. lemon pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

If your shrimp did not come peeled, then make sure you peel them before you start cooking them. Combine the butter, lemon pepper, and garlic powder in a pan, and turn the burner on to let the butter melt. Then add the shrimp. Saute the shrimp for a few minutes until pink (shrimp do not take long), and make sure all of the shrimp are covered in the butter. Then they are ready to serve..very quick and easy!

I like to have some extra sauce on the side to dip my shrimp in. So in a bowl, I just combine the same ingredients (butter, lemon pepper, and garlic powder) and put it in the microwave for a minute or two. Then you have a quick and easy dipping sauce for the shrimp. Hope you enjoy!

Indian Inspired Chili

It seems wrong to put two chilis so close, but this one should taste pretty different. At a family gathering a while ago, I tried out this Indian-inspired chili on my Ohio relatives. My family thought it was way too hot, so I tamed it down, blended it with more familiar Cincinnati-style chili ingredients and it was a lot more popular. So this is sweet, but spicy. You can always kick it up a bit by adding more emphasis on the spicy elements.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves minced garlic
  
• 2 medium onions, diced small
  
• 2 inches minced ginger root (or 1 tsp ginger powder)
• 4 cardamom pods (Indian food aisle or spice aisle)
• 2 in cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp chili powder (cayenne if you're braver, paprika if not)
  
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1 tsp garam masala (Indian food aisle or spice aisle)
• 1 tsp coriander (Indian food aisle or spice aisle)
• 1 tsp pepper
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 lb ground meat
• 32 oz diced tomato
• 32 oz kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  
• 32 oz tomato puree
• 1/2 c brown sugar

Optional:

• pasta or rice as a base
• shredded cheddar (to top)
• diced sweet onion (to top)

Directions

1. Warm the oil in a large pot. Then sautee the first five non-powder spices. Stir them occasionally until the onions look clear.
2. Stir in all the powdered spices so the onions are nicely coated and cook for another minute or two.
3. Stir in the ground meat and brown it with the spices.
   
4. Once the meat is thoroughly browned, add in the tomatoes, beans and brown sugar. I ditch the bean fluids and keep the tomato fluids.
   
5. Simmer your chili until it is as thick as you like.
6. Especially when you're serving to folks unfamiliar with Indian spices, remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods before serving. They won't kill you, but aren't a fun texture when you bite them unawares.
   

White Chicken Chili

This was sooo yummy and different than your usual chili - we will for sure make this again because it came together so easily!

1 lb chicken breast, cut into ½” cubes
1 med onion, chopped
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 (15 ½ oz) cans Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 ½ oz) can chicken broth
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 C sour cream
1 C whipping cream

Sauté chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is cooked.
Add beans, chicken broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and whipping cream. Serve immediately.

Cheesy Beef Popovers

This is not the healthiest recipe but the the kids LOVE these (they eat 2 each!) and it's very easy and fast.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 can of refrigerated biscuits

BBQ Sauce of choice (I use about 1/2 of a small bottle)

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Preparation

Brown the ground beef. While this is cooking open the can of biscuits and flatten each biscuit (making them larger) and place in Ramekins or muffin tin (At home I use Ramekins because you can fit more meat into the biscuit, if you use a muffin tin there will be meat left over to add on the side). After draining the beef mix with BBQ sauce (I prefer KC Masterpiece for this recipe). Sprinkle a tad of brown sugar if you want a sweeter flavor. Spoon beef and BBQ mixture into the biscuits. Sprinkle cheese on top. Cook until biscuits are done, about 12 minutes. Enjoy!

THAI CHICKEN STIR-FRY WITH SPICY PEANUT SAUCE

This recipe is super easy and delicious! And if you're not into the spiciness, just leave out the cayenne pepper.

INGREDIENTS

2 whole chicken breasts, skinned, boned & cut into bite-size pieces

1/4 c. peanut butter

1/4 c. water or broth

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. orange juice

1 tsp. white vinegar

3 tbsp. nonfat plain yogurt or sour cream

2 tbsp. peanut or vegetable oil

2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 medium carrots, cut into thin strips

1 small cucumber, seeded and cut into thin bite-size strips

3 to 4 c. sliced broccoli or spinach

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, blend peanut butter, yogurt, water, soy sauce, vinegar, juice, cayenne pepper, and sugar; set aside. In a wok or large skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add garlic and carrots; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add chicken, stir-fry until firm and white, about 5 minutes. Add broccoli or spinach, stir-fry until bright green, about 3 minutes. Stir in peanut butter mixture. Cook, stirring constantly until sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes. Serve over rice or noodles. Serves 4.

Corn bread and sausage stuffing

This is my family's stuffing recipe. I know Thanksgiving is far away, but I just made it for C.J.'s birthday last week and thought I'd share. It's never too early to start thinking about turkey day, right?

• One batch of cornbread (I have used Jiffy and it's good, but I prefer a non-sweet mix or recipe)
• An equal amount of bread (I like to use whole wheat or something more "rustic" than plain white bread)
• One pound of pork sausage fully cooked, drained, and crumbled (sage preferred)
• Fresh celery and onion, diced
• Sage (if not in the sausage already), poultry seasoning, salt and pepper to taste (you can play around with the seasonings - I don't have poultry seasoning so I don't add it)
• Chicken stock for liquid

In a large bowl, after the cornbread cools, crumble it into small pieces. Add an equal amount of bread cut up or torn apart to approximately the same size. Then mix in the sausage, vegetables, and seasoning. Then add enough of the chicken stock to the dressing to moisten it. Be careful not to add too much liquid or it will get mushy.

Bake in a covered oven dish at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes. If you want the top browned you can take the lid off for the last few minutes of cooking.

{Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies}

What an awesome Valentine's Day Cookie Exchange party we had here on the island!!
I'm still high from sugar overload but I hope the rest of you will post your amazing recipes on the blog for us to enjoy :)

These should just be called, "death by chocolate cookies"...

Cream together:
1 ½ cups softened butter
1 ½ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
Add and beat until fluffy:
2 large room temperature eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla
Add and beat well:
1 large package of Instant Chocolate pudding mix
Combine just till well mixed:
2 cups oats measured and then ground
2 1/3 cups flour
1 T. baking soda
2 cups white chocolate chips

Shape into perfect little balls and bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. Then, enjoy your warm cookies! I even like them better the next day :)

Grenadian Spice Cake

Ingredients
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup unsalted butter - chilled, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime zest
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the lime zest, nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, stirring after each addition. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 75 to 90 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely.

*I left out the lime zest and I used a shallow oval pan instead of a loaf pan so it only took about 40 minutes to cook. This is more like a sweet bread than a desert cake. We liked it!

Weeknight Lasagna Toss

(image and recipe courtesy krafts food website)

This is one of our favorite recipes. It is super easy and very delicious.

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 green peppers, chopped (I usually just use one pepper)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (26oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1-2/3 cups water
¼ cup Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
12 oven-ready lasagna noodles, broken into small pieces
1cup of Mozzarella Cheese

Brown mean in a large saucepan and drain.
Add peppers, garlic, spaghetti sauce, water and dressing. Bring to boil.
Add noodles; cover and cook in medium-low heat for 10-15 min. Or until noodles are tender, stir occasionally.
Remove from heat. Sprinkle cheese and cover. Let stand for 5 min or until cheese is melted.

Delicious Cajin Chicken Salad!

I have been craving a yummy salad, and since those are hard to come by on the island, I decided to make my own up! So here it is! ( we had it tonight, and even Chase liked it! And he is not much of a salad boy! :)

1 head of Romaine lettuce
1 red or green bell pepper
1-2 tomato
bacon bits
4 chicken breasts (boiled first, and then fried with olive oil and Cajun seasoning!)
salt
pepper
crumbled blue cheese
Italian dressing

Add a warm baguette as a side dish, and Voila!

Easy Pasta Salad!

This is a yummy recipe I always turn to when I can't figure out what to make for dinner! Its one of my favorites!

1 box of swirly pasta
1 cucumber
1-2 tomato
1-3 scallions
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1-2 kielbasa sausage
pine nuts
Havarti cheese
1 dry package of italian dressing
red wine vinegar
balsamic vinegar
vegetable oil
salt
pepper
yellow mustard

Make your pasta as directed and let cool. Chop up your peppers, tomato, cucumber, scallion (this can be optional if your all don't want or like onion!) chop up your Havarti cheese too (this is a bit pricey down here in Grenada, so I've just left it out since we've been here, but it really adds to it, so when your back in the U.S. I'd recommend using it! :)

Roast your pine nuts until golden brown, let cool. Add to veggies!
Add your cooled pasta to the nuts and veggies!

Grill or pan fry your kielbasa sausage until hot through and through.
Add to pasta, veggies!

Mix everything together and then add the dressing!

Dressing:
ok, so I always just eye this, sorry its not perfect measurements!

Mix your dry Italian packet, with about 1/2 cup vegetable oil. Add some water, add salt and pepper, then add a few squirts of yellow mustard (around 5 tablespoons) Then add to taste around 5 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, and around 7 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Add a few dashes of salt and pepper, and mix well! Then pour on your pasta salad and enjoy! ( I usually let my whole dish sit in the fridge with the dressing for about 15-20 min before we eat so the pasta is cold and the dressing has coated everything! :)

Hope it works for ya!!

Grilled wahoo

We used this recipe to cook up the wahoo we had left over from last year's fishing trip. It was so delicious, I would try it on any fish. And I recommend grilling if possible - it really adds flavor.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 fresh garlic cloves
1/3 cup fresh cilantro or parsley
2 tablespoons Cajun seafood seasoning
1 lemon, juice of
6 wahoo fillets, about 1/2 inch thick
lemon wedge (to garnish)

Directions

Spray grill with nonstick spray or brush with veggie oil to prevent sticking. Preheat on high for about 10 minutes. Mix first six ingredients in a blender. Puree into a smooth sauce. When ready to cook, brush both sides of fillets with sauce. Place fillets on grill and cook, turning once or twice. Brush more sauce as needed.Fish is done when it flakes easily (about 5 minutes). Serve with lemon wedges.

Notes: I used a tsp of dried parsley instead of fresh and a little less garlic than called for. I used Old Bay seasoning instead of cajun seasoning. I let the fish sit in the marinade before grilling. Careful to not overcook the fish. It doesn't take long.

Asparagus & Cheese Potato Soup

1 large onion, chopped
4 teaspoons of canola oil
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups 1-inch pieces asparagus spears or broccoli florets
2 cups of lowfat Milk
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1½ cups ½-inch cubes red potatoes
1½ cups ½-inch cubes gold potatoes
¼ teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1⁄3 cup sour cream

In a large saucepan cook onion with oil until tender. Sprinkle flour over onion and stir. Add the asparagus, milk, broth, potatoes, salt and cayenne pepper.
Cook and stir until the soup has thickened; reduce heat. Simmer and cover for about 10-12 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add cheese and sour cream; stir until cheese melts. Then it is ready to serve.