Spicy Skillet Chicken

This is super yummy and is really easy and cheap to make. It's one of our favorites now.

1-2 tsps red chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lbs)
1 TBS vegetable oil
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup(ish) whole kernal corn with red and green peppers, undrained (I used some plain canned corn that we had left over from a previous meal)
1/3 cup salsa (I think I used a little more so that is was as moist as we wanted it)
2 cups hot cooked rice

What to do:
1. In a small bowl, mix chili powder, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle evenly over both sides of chicken.
2. In 10 inch skillet, heat over oil over medium heat. Cook chicken in oil 8-10 minutes, turning once, until juice is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170 degrees).
3. Stir in beans, corn, and salsa. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are hot. Serve with rice.

Dad's Barbecued Spareribs

Dad's Barbecued Spareribs

This is from a cookbook called "Mormon Cooking."

Apparently, this is what Mormon's cook.

One thing I do have to say for this is that

this may be the best thing I've ever cooked!

What you need:

3 lb farm style spareribs

2 TBS vinegar

1 TBS butter

5 TBS lemon juice

4 TBS Worcestershire sauce

1 cup water

salt and pepper

2 onions

2 TBS brown sugar

1 small bottle of catsup

1 TBS prepared mustard

2 TBS paprika

What you do:

Boil all ingredients for 20 min or pressure cook for 5 min. Pour over spareribs. Bake 1 hour at 375 degrees. Serves 8.

enjoy!

Ham-Stuffed Jumbo Shells

Ham-Stuffed Jumbo Shells

This is a regular dish here at our house.

I got it from Kathy Ripley, a sister from my home ward.

It's so good and is also great as leftovers.

What you need:

24 jumbo pasta shells

3 TBS flour

2 c. milk

1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, halved and sliced

1/2 c. chopped green onions

1/2 c. chopped green pepper

1 TBS canola oil

3 c. cubed fully-cooked lean ham

1 c. shredded swiss cheese, divided.

3 TBS grated Parmesan cheese

2 TBS minced fresh parsley

1/4 tsp paprika

What you do:

-Cook pasta shells according to package directions.

-Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine flour and milk until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 min or until thickened. Remove from the heat; set aside.

-In a large nonstick skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion, and green pepper in oil until tender. Reduce heat; add the ham, 1/2 cup swiss cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Remove from the heat. Stir in 1/2 cup of the reserved sauce.

-Drain pasta; stuff each shell with about 3 TBS of filling. Place in a 13X19X2 in baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Top with remaining sauce.

-Cover and back at 350 degrees for 30 min. or until heated through.

-Sprinkle parsley, paprika, and remaining swiss cheese.

Yield: 8 servings

enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies (or just the dough...)

This is one of our favorite cookie dough recipes. We found it online and it is great!

Ingredients:

1/2 c. granulated (white) sugar

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. butter/margarine, room temperature

1/2 c. peanut butter

1 egg

1 1/2 c. flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Method:

1. Cream the butter for 2 minutes. Add the sugars, cream for 2 more minutes.

2. Mix in the peanut butter and egg.

3. Mix together the dry ingredients-flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir into the sugar/butter mixture.

4. The recipe we use calls for wrapping the dough in plastic and refrigerating it for at least 3 hours...but we haven't ever done that and it's turned out good.

5. Now, here is where you have to make your choice...we have actually only baked this dough once...and it made a really good cookie, but (don't read on Kathleen...just skip to the next step) we usually eat it raw when we watch a movie (instead of popcorn)...so you have to decide how you want to consume it. If you're not going to bake it, you're done!

6. If you are going to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls. Place them about 3 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Here, the recipe says to flatten in crisscross pattern with a fork, but we get a glass, dip the bottom end in sugar, and flatten them that way (like a sugar cookie).

7. Bake until light brown, 8-10 minutes. Cool on backing sheets for a minute; transfer to rack to cool completely.

The recipe says that if you want chewier cookies, bake it at 300 degrees for 15 minutes, but to get softer cookies, we bake at the normal temperature and just pull them out earlier. Either way works.

Tonight, we were watching Myth Busters and decided to try out a new way of eating the dough...

Now that was fantastic! We just used chocolate candy coating that we had leftover from making the oreo candies. MMMmmmm....this was a fun treat! Thanks so much for the fun gift!

Dijon-Peach Pork Chops

Dijon-Peach Pork Chops

This is another one I got from Kathleen's magazines.

It might look a little different, but it's SO GOOD!!!

What you need:

4 pork loin chops (it called for bone in, but I used boneless)

1 can (15-1/4 oz) Sliced peaches, undrained

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp ground cloves

What you do:

-In a large skillet coated w/ pam (or butter), brown pork chops over medium-high heat for 4-5 min on each side.

-Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to boil.

-Reduce heat; cover & simmer for 10 min.

yields 4 servings.

enjoy!

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

This one came from the Stanley Cook book on pg 52 by Mary Law. It was so good that it's definite going to be cooked copious times in our kitchen. I'm usually not a huge alfredo fan, but this is amazing!

What you need:

1/2 pkg linguine or spaghetti (I used a whole packet of linguine)

1c. fresh or frozen broccoli

2 T butter

1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cubed

1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup

1.2 c. milk

1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp pepper

What you do:

-Cook linguine according to package directions. Add broccoli for last 4 minutes of cooking time. Drain.

-Heat butter in a skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned, stirring often. Add soup, milk, cheese, pepper, and linguine mixture and heat through. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

enjoy!

BBQ Pork Sandwiches

BBQ Pork Sandwiches

This was so yummy! I got it from one of Kathleen's cooking magazines. It wanted you to put in chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, but I hate hot things, so I didn't. I also added more BBQ sauce than what is in this recipe because I love BBQ sauce more than anything (besides Nate)!

What you need:

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

1TB honey

1 Pork tenderloin (1lb)

2 1/2 cup coleslaw mix

2TBS sour cream

2TBS coleslaw dressing

1TBS Dijon mustard

4 hamburger buns

What you do:

-In a small bow, combine the BBQ sauce, honey, & peppers. Set aside 1/4 cup until serving.

-Grill Pork, covered, over indirect medium-hot heat for 20-25 min, basting occasionally with BBQ sauce. Let stand for 5 min before slicing.

-Meanwhile, combine the coleslaw mix, sour cream, dressing, and mustard. Brush cut sides of buns with reserved BBQ sauce. Cut pork into 1/4 in slices; place on bun bottoms. Top with coleslaw and bun tops.

enjoy!

Meat Balls

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 TBS worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
1 small onion, chopped (1/4 cup)
1 large egg

What to Do:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In large bowl, mix all ingredients (it's easiest to mix with your hands). Shape mixutre into twenty 1 1/2 inch meatballs. Place in ungreased 13x9 in pan or on rack in broiler pan.

3. Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes or until no longer pink in center and thermometer stuck in center reads 160 degrees F.

Bread Sticks

2 1/2 - 3 cups all purpose flour

2 TBS chopped fresh or 1 TBS dried rosemary leaves, crumbled (I didn't have rosemary, so I used a combination of parsley, oregano, and basil equaling about 1 TBS)

1TBS sugar

21/4 tsp (1pkg) regular or quick active dry yeast

1 TBS olive or vegetable oil

1 cup very warm water (120-130 degrees F)

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

cornmeal (optional)

What to Do:

1. In large bowl, mix 1 cup of flour, the rosemary (or whatever spices you use), sugar, salt, and yeast. Add oil and the warm water. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed 3 minutes, scraping sides of the bowl frequently. Stir in enough remaining flour until dough is soft and leaves sides of bowl.

2. Place dough on floured surface. Knead 5-8 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes. Grease cookie sheets with shortening or spray with cooking spray; sprinkle with cornmeal if desired. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces, roll and shape each piece into 12 inch rope, sprinkling with Parmesan cheese or coarse salt if desired. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place about 20 minutes or until doubled in size. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Bake 10 -12 minutes or until golden brown.

Dinner Rolls/Hamburger Buns

Depending on the size you make these, you can use them as dinner rolls or do like I did and make them big enough to use as buns for hamburgers, sloppy joes, etc...

3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 tsp salt

2 1/4 tsp (1 pkg) regular or active dry yeast

1/2 cup very warm water (120-130 degrees F)

1/2 cup very warm milk (120-130 degrees F)

1 large egg

butter or margarine, melted, if desired

What to Do:

1. In large bowl, stir 2 cups of the flour, the sugar, 1/4 cup butter, salt, and yeast until well mixed. Add warm water, warm milk, and egg. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 1 minute scraping bowl frequently. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

2. Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead about 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy. Grease large bowl with shortening (or put a little oil in the bottom). Place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover bowl loosely with plastice wrap and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour until dough has doubled in size. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.

3. Grease bottom and sides of 13x 9 inch pan with shortening or cooking spray for hot rolls, or cookie sheet for buns.

4. Gently push fist into dough to deflate. For hot rolls, divide dough into 15 equal parts. For buns, make balls of dough about half the size you want the finished bun to be. Shape each piece into a ball; place in pan. Brush with melted butter if desired. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place about 30 minutes or until dough has doubled in size.

To make the tops of my buns look cool, I cut criss-crossing slits in the balls of dough right after I put them on the pan and before they started to rise. (This picture is after the dough has risen, right before they went into the oven)

5. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or cool.

Sweet N' Sour Pork

Sweet N' Sour Pork

Nate loves this. It's really fast and easy and tastes so good!

What you need:
1lb Pork cut in l inch cubes
2 bell peppers
1 carrot
1/2 an onion
Any other veggies you want
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 sugar
1/3 cut cider vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
2 TBS corn starch
Rice

What to do:
cook pork over medium heat in a skillet seasoned with salt and pepper

In a separate saucepan, combine broth, sugar, cider vinegar, and soy sauce while heating it up to a simmer. In a separate small bowl, stir the corn starch with some cold water and add last. Stir and let simmer until corn starch turns clear and the sauce thickens up.

Serve hot over rice.

ENJOY!!

South West Skillet

This is super easy, super cheap to make, and it makes a bunch!

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 lb ground beef

16 oz can diced tomatoes

2 cups hot water

2 cups macaroni or other pasta

1 can corn, drained

1/4 cup olives, sliced

1 package taco seasoning

12 cup grated cheese

1 can kidney beans

What to do:

1. In a large skillet, brown hamburger and onions. Drain grease.

2. Add tomatoes, pasta, water, and taco seasoning; bring to a boil.

3. Stir in corn and kidney beans and stir until heated through and noodles are soft.

4. Right before serving, add cheese and olives and stir.

Cameron's Chicken Salad

I didn't actually get a picture of the complete finished product, but this is pretty close to what it looked like...just stir in the mayo and you've got it.


OK, This recipe calls for a bunch of cooked chicken. I cooked a whole chicken for soup and had a bunch left. I think that this batch may have used around 2-1/2 cups of cooked chicken, but it made a ton of salad.


Cooked Chicken
Mayonnaise (because Mowers don't like Miracle Whip)
Green vegetables Onion
Garlic
Pineapple (optional)
Nuts (optional)


Chop your chicken up really fine, put in a bowl. Or you could put it in a pot, or a tupperware. Just put it somewhere. Leave it on the counter, I don't care. Then chop up some green vegetables. I say green because I think carrots or squash would taste weird in it, but this is your salad, so feel free to add a beet if thats what floats your boat. What you're really going for here is texture. A good chicken salad has some good fresh crunch to it. Celery is perfect for chicken salad, as is green pepper, green onion, etc. A green vegetable that contains alot of water is normally really crunchy, but you should avoid leafy vegetables as they will wilt when you stir the salad. I added some snap peas to my salad, but I did'nt care for the flavor that it added, it was kind of a sweet taste that just did'nt jive with the rest of the salad. Don't forget your onion. Fresh onions add a great flavor, good nutrition, and great texture to a chicken salad. You probably only need half an onion, but if you like onion, add more. If you don't like onion, add pineapple instead. I personally don't care for pineapple in chicken salad, but lots of folks do, and if you're one of them, go for. I don't think I'd put an onion with pineapple, It would probably be weird. If you add onion, add a little garlic as well. The taste that you really want is one that allows the flavor of the chicken to be foremost. The vegetable are mostly there for texture, but the taste of celery and onion will really help the chicken to come out. What I'm trying to say is that you really don't need much by way of spices. The beauty of chicken salad is that it is a fresh tasting food, light but satisfying. You could add nuts to the salad, I think the best nuts would be those that are very crispy, such as almonds, brazil nuts, corn nuts, walnuts, (ok, just kidding about some of those). This is mostly it...if I think of more, I'll add it later.

-Cameron