Yesterday was a snowy, stay in the house kind of day and I had chicken. I looked at cookbooks several cookbooks, and finally found inspiration on the Tastefully Simple website. Did you know you can enter in a product you have and an ingredient and it will list all of the recipes using those ingredients? It's pretty helpful- you should check it out.
Anyway, I found a recipe there that was an inspiration for this creation. I loved the fact that I threw everything in the pot and let it go all day. If you don't have the Tastefully Simple ingredients, you can improvise, of course. OR- you can always call me or visit my website to order ;-) www.tastefullysimple.com/cferguson1
3 Chicken Breasts
1 Jar of Corn & Black Bean Salsa
1 Can of Black Beans
1 Can of Corn
1 Can of diced Jalapenos (mine were hot, and well...quite frankly this soup was even spicy to me!! I would suggest medium or mild)
1 Can of diced tomatoes
4 Cups of Water
4 Chicken Bullion Cubes
2 TBS of Fiesta Party Dip (TS)
Salt, Pepper, hot sauce to taste
Some crushed tortilla chips if desired
Combine all ingredients in your crock pot. Cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high, stirring occasionally. Before serving, remove the chicken breasts and shred the meat with forks and place back in pot.
Serve with shredded cheddar and sour cream, if desired.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Crock Pot Potatoes Au Gratin
I'm not really sure why, but I think you need to eat beef on Christmas Eve. When I woke up the morning of the 24th, I found my fridge at a whopping 87 degrees. It was a disgusting mess with the melted butter running down the back and all the containers fogging up from their decomposition. Needless to say, the pot roast I was planning to cook was lost, so I had to completely recreate my Christmas Eve Menu.
I decided on steaks (which were OK- I have to remember that making the extra trip to Fresh Market or Whole Foods is worth it for good steaks- Publix...mediocre at best.) Since the idea of pot roast potatoes I had planned had perished in the fridge fiasco, I had to come up with a plan B.
I sliced my potatoes thinly with the mandolin and threw them in the crock pot on high. I added a little olive oil, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese and yes- Velveeta because nothing that contains melted cheese can be denied this white trash delicacy in my opinion. I spiced it up with Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic, salt and pepper. I set the sucker on high and went to church. About two and a half hours later, I had this amazing Potato Au Gratin waiting for the steaks. I threw a bit of bread crumbs on top to finish it off and there you have it. Super easy and a happy, yummy creation courtesy of someone not getting the fridge closed all the way the night before. I'm not pointing fingers, however....it wasn't me for the record. ;-)
I decided on steaks (which were OK- I have to remember that making the extra trip to Fresh Market or Whole Foods is worth it for good steaks- Publix...mediocre at best.) Since the idea of pot roast potatoes I had planned had perished in the fridge fiasco, I had to come up with a plan B.
I sliced my potatoes thinly with the mandolin and threw them in the crock pot on high. I added a little olive oil, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese and yes- Velveeta because nothing that contains melted cheese can be denied this white trash delicacy in my opinion. I spiced it up with Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic, salt and pepper. I set the sucker on high and went to church. About two and a half hours later, I had this amazing Potato Au Gratin waiting for the steaks. I threw a bit of bread crumbs on top to finish it off and there you have it. Super easy and a happy, yummy creation courtesy of someone not getting the fridge closed all the way the night before. I'm not pointing fingers, however....it wasn't me for the record. ;-)
Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles
I'm not sure about you, but sometimes fixing dinner is the last thing I want to do after a busy day. I love good crock pot recipes because you come home to a wondrous smell and dinner is done. Kind of like that Ronco thingie: set it and forget it (ha!)
So I threw this together the other night, cooked up some egg noodles and served it with a salad and I was done. I have to admit, it was pretty tasty!
Boneless, skinless Chicken breasts
1 can of Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 Chicken bullion cubes
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc. seasons to your taste
Egg noodles
Ok, this is pretty simple: put the chicken in the crock pot, cover with soup, add seasonings and bullion cubes and cook on low all day (at least 6 hrs). Prepare egg noodles when you come home and serve chicken and gravy over noodles. Add a side salad to get your "green" points for the day.
So I threw this together the other night, cooked up some egg noodles and served it with a salad and I was done. I have to admit, it was pretty tasty!
Boneless, skinless Chicken breasts
1 can of Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 Chicken bullion cubes
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc. seasons to your taste
Egg noodles
Ok, this is pretty simple: put the chicken in the crock pot, cover with soup, add seasonings and bullion cubes and cook on low all day (at least 6 hrs). Prepare egg noodles when you come home and serve chicken and gravy over noodles. Add a side salad to get your "green" points for the day.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Beer Cheese Soup
There's a restaurant in Denver I used to haunt called Woody's Wood Fired Pizza. On their buffet, they had this amazing beer cheese soup which is what inspired this recipe. Perfect for football!
1 Cup Flour
2 bottles of Beer (I generally use light beer, but a good IPA is also tasty)
1 Stick Butter
Diced Potatoes (about 6 cups)
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 Diced Onion
2 Diced Shallots
Celery Seed
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper
Shredded Cheddar Cheese (about 2 Cups)
Velveeta (about 6 oz)
In one saute pan, cook your onions and shallots until translucent in a bit of olive oil. In a big stock pot, melt the stick of butter and add flour to make a roux, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat until golden brown. Add in the onions and shallots. Add in the diced potatoes and bouillon cubes and enough water to cover for cooking. Stir. Turn up the heat to start a boil, then reduce temperature and continue cooking until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
When potatoes are tender, add about 2 cans of beer- any kind. The more flavorful the beer, the more flavorful the soup. Continue cooking on low, and add garlic powder, celery seed, salt, pepper and any other seasoning you might like.
Time to add the cheese. Dice Velveeta into cubes and immerse in hot soup. Sprinkle shredded cheddar in the mix too, stirring all the while. Add a little more beer at the end. Maybe a little more cheese too. Up to you and your specific tastes.
I like to serve the soup topped with shredded cheddar and bacon bits on top.
1 Cup Flour
2 bottles of Beer (I generally use light beer, but a good IPA is also tasty)
1 Stick Butter
Diced Potatoes (about 6 cups)
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 Diced Onion
2 Diced Shallots
Celery Seed
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper
Shredded Cheddar Cheese (about 2 Cups)
Velveeta (about 6 oz)
In one saute pan, cook your onions and shallots until translucent in a bit of olive oil. In a big stock pot, melt the stick of butter and add flour to make a roux, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat until golden brown. Add in the onions and shallots. Add in the diced potatoes and bouillon cubes and enough water to cover for cooking. Stir. Turn up the heat to start a boil, then reduce temperature and continue cooking until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
When potatoes are tender, add about 2 cans of beer- any kind. The more flavorful the beer, the more flavorful the soup. Continue cooking on low, and add garlic powder, celery seed, salt, pepper and any other seasoning you might like.
Time to add the cheese. Dice Velveeta into cubes and immerse in hot soup. Sprinkle shredded cheddar in the mix too, stirring all the while. Add a little more beer at the end. Maybe a little more cheese too. Up to you and your specific tastes.
I like to serve the soup topped with shredded cheddar and bacon bits on top.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Groovy Gravy
Does the art of gravy making escape you? For many years it did me. I've tried many techniques, and this is the winner. Tried, true, tested and simple...here's the secret:
2 tsp of butter
2 Tbs Flour
Juice from meat
Melt butter in large sauce pan
Add flour to the melted butter and stir, over medium heat so the flour can cook (rids it of the raw taste) and combine with the butter fat. When butter/flour mixture is brown in color, add juice 1 ladle at a time. Continue stirring with a wooden spoon, making sure to mush out any and all flour lumps. Continue to add juices until gravy is at the desired consistency.
2 tsp of butter
2 Tbs Flour
Juice from meat
Melt butter in large sauce pan
Add flour to the melted butter and stir, over medium heat so the flour can cook (rids it of the raw taste) and combine with the butter fat. When butter/flour mixture is brown in color, add juice 1 ladle at a time. Continue stirring with a wooden spoon, making sure to mush out any and all flour lumps. Continue to add juices until gravy is at the desired consistency.
Crock Pot Pot Roast (with beer)
So, this is so simple I hesitate to call it a "recipe" but I promise you won't be disappointed!
1 Sirloin Roast (This cut is the key for ANY pot roast, trust me!)
Garlic Cloves
Onion
Potatoes
Montreal Seasoning (or any other garlic/pepper/salt seasonings you have)
1 Crock Pot
Place roast in crock pot. Stab meat with paring knife and make pockets into which you will place peeled garlic cloves at random. Sprinkle with Montreal seasoning. Place whole, small red skinned potatoes on top.(Don't bother to cut them up, you can do that later) Add chopped onion (about 1/2) just on top of the meat. If so desired, you may also add more root veggies like carrots to the mix. Final touch: one can of beer. You pick the flavor. Place crock pot on low and cook it "low and slow" (the other key to a good pot roast) for 7+ hours. Come home to the smell of yummy goodness- separate components to serve...with something green- I insist!!! (can o green beans is good and quick or roasted Asparagus pairs nicely) and make fab gravy to accompany (recipe to follow).
1 Sirloin Roast (This cut is the key for ANY pot roast, trust me!)
Garlic Cloves
Onion
Potatoes
Montreal Seasoning (or any other garlic/pepper/salt seasonings you have)
1 Crock Pot
Place roast in crock pot. Stab meat with paring knife and make pockets into which you will place peeled garlic cloves at random. Sprinkle with Montreal seasoning. Place whole, small red skinned potatoes on top.(Don't bother to cut them up, you can do that later) Add chopped onion (about 1/2) just on top of the meat. If so desired, you may also add more root veggies like carrots to the mix. Final touch: one can of beer. You pick the flavor. Place crock pot on low and cook it "low and slow" (the other key to a good pot roast) for 7+ hours. Come home to the smell of yummy goodness- separate components to serve...with something green- I insist!!! (can o green beans is good and quick or roasted Asparagus pairs nicely) and make fab gravy to accompany (recipe to follow).
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Hot Curry Lentil Soup
I've had a bag of dried lentils in the closet for months, and just have never gotten around to doing anything with them. Today while at Publix perusing the organic section, I saw Curry Lentil Soup on the shelf. BINGO! Here it is, folks!
Hot Curry Powder (courtesy of Penzey's Spices)
Dried Lentils
Chicken Bullion Cubes
1/4 diced onion
2 Tbs Garlic Garlic (www.tastefullysimple.com/cferguson1)
1 tsp Seasoned Salt (Tastefully Simple)
1/4 milk
1 Tbs Sour Cream
Rinse the dried lentils and place them in a crock pot on low with 4 cups of water and 2 chicken bullion cubes. Add onion, Garlic Garlic(or similar)Seasoned Salt and Hot Curry Powder. Stir. If you don't have a love affair with hot spicy things as I do, you could easily use plain curry instead of the hot stuff. However, this Hot Curry Powder from Penzey's Spices (http://www.penzeys.com) is fan-freakin-tastic!!!
Cook on low for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. You may need to add more water as the lentils cook.
When desired tenderness is reached (and this can only be discovered by taking a little taste here and there, y'know. But don't forget to wash the spoon!!)break out your immersion blender. Add milk, sour cream and any additional seasoning you may need and run the immersion blender through until desired consistency is reached. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and extra hot sauce (if desired). A little green garnish may be nice too, like a fresh sprig of parsley.
Yum! Healthy too! According to Wikipedia.org, "With approximately 26% of their calories from protein, lentils and generally any pulses or legumes have the third-highest level of protein, by weight, of any plant-based food after soybeans and hemp[2] and is an important part of the diet in many parts of the world, especially in the Indian subcontinent which has large vegetarian populations." Enjoy!
Hot Curry Powder (courtesy of Penzey's Spices)
Dried Lentils
Chicken Bullion Cubes
1/4 diced onion
2 Tbs Garlic Garlic (www.tastefullysimple.com/cferguson1)
1 tsp Seasoned Salt (Tastefully Simple)
1/4 milk
1 Tbs Sour Cream
Rinse the dried lentils and place them in a crock pot on low with 4 cups of water and 2 chicken bullion cubes. Add onion, Garlic Garlic(or similar)Seasoned Salt and Hot Curry Powder. Stir. If you don't have a love affair with hot spicy things as I do, you could easily use plain curry instead of the hot stuff. However, this Hot Curry Powder from Penzey's Spices (http://www.penzeys.com) is fan-freakin-tastic!!!
Cook on low for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. You may need to add more water as the lentils cook.
When desired tenderness is reached (and this can only be discovered by taking a little taste here and there, y'know. But don't forget to wash the spoon!!)break out your immersion blender. Add milk, sour cream and any additional seasoning you may need and run the immersion blender through until desired consistency is reached. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and extra hot sauce (if desired). A little green garnish may be nice too, like a fresh sprig of parsley.
Yum! Healthy too! According to Wikipedia.org, "With approximately 26% of their calories from protein, lentils and generally any pulses or legumes have the third-highest level of protein, by weight, of any plant-based food after soybeans and hemp[2] and is an important part of the diet in many parts of the world, especially in the Indian subcontinent which has large vegetarian populations." Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Thai Black Bean Soup
This was completely stolen by my friend Jennifer. Steal with pride and give credit where credit is due, right?
3 Cans of Black Beans
Fresh Cilantro
2 cans of light coconut milk
Garlic
Chicken broth
Hot Sauce
Cumin
Rice
Low fat sour cream
Empty cans o beans into large pot. Finely dice about 1/4 cup of cilantro. Add two cans of coconut milk. Add about 2 cups of chicken broth (or water and chicken bullion in a pinch). Add about 1 tsp of cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic (garlic powder or Tastefully simple Garlic Garlic) Add hot sauce appropriate to your level of spice tolerance.
Cook rice separately.
Combine ingredients and simmer. At the end use an immersion blender to puree the beans to a semi-smooth consistency.
To serve, place a tablespoon of rice in the bottom of the bowl. Add soup. Garnish with a dollop of low fat sour cream, a cilantro sprig and extra hot sauce if desired.
3 Cans of Black Beans
Fresh Cilantro
2 cans of light coconut milk
Garlic
Chicken broth
Hot Sauce
Cumin
Rice
Low fat sour cream
Empty cans o beans into large pot. Finely dice about 1/4 cup of cilantro. Add two cans of coconut milk. Add about 2 cups of chicken broth (or water and chicken bullion in a pinch). Add about 1 tsp of cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic (garlic powder or Tastefully simple Garlic Garlic) Add hot sauce appropriate to your level of spice tolerance.
Cook rice separately.
Combine ingredients and simmer. At the end use an immersion blender to puree the beans to a semi-smooth consistency.
To serve, place a tablespoon of rice in the bottom of the bowl. Add soup. Garnish with a dollop of low fat sour cream, a cilantro sprig and extra hot sauce if desired.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Sun Dried Tomato and Chicken Pasta
This was a product of "Oh heck- what am I going to make for dinner tonight?" Been there, haven't you? It turned out really tasty, so I decided to share. Feel free to improvise with whatever you may have in your pantry.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
Sun dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil) about 1/2 cup
1 can of ripe olives
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese
Spaghetti noodles
Olive oil
Seasonings- I used the new Garlic Pepper from Tastefully Simple in this and it was very good!
Placed diced chicken into a pan coated with a bit of olive oil. Saute until cooked through. Add sun dried tomatoes (undrained). Drain ripe olives and mushrooms. Add to pan with chicken and sun dried tomatoes. Add can of (undrained) regular tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Add seasonings (garlic, salt, pepper...etc-) to taste. Simmer on stove top for about 10 minutes and serve over pasta.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
Sun dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil) about 1/2 cup
1 can of ripe olives
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese
Spaghetti noodles
Olive oil
Seasonings- I used the new Garlic Pepper from Tastefully Simple in this and it was very good!
Placed diced chicken into a pan coated with a bit of olive oil. Saute until cooked through. Add sun dried tomatoes (undrained). Drain ripe olives and mushrooms. Add to pan with chicken and sun dried tomatoes. Add can of (undrained) regular tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Add seasonings (garlic, salt, pepper...etc-) to taste. Simmer on stove top for about 10 minutes and serve over pasta.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Pineapple Chipotle Tilapia
Oh my goodness...this was fantastic if I do say so myself. It's a spin on "Tilapia in Ten" posted previously with a Caribbean twist using Tastefully Simple Pineapple Chipotle Salsa. Super easy, very low cal...what more can you ask for?
Tilapia Fillets
Tastefully Simple Pineapple Chipotle Salsa
Olive Oil
Place a bit of the olive oil in a pan with a lid. Bring heat up, insert fish fillets. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on one side, turn. Add about 3/4 of a cup of Pineapple Chipotle Salsa. Place lid on and poach until fish is flaky and cooked through (about 5 more minutes.) Serve with Basmati rice and black beans.
I think a meatier fish like Mahi Mahi or Doro would also be yummy- and you could always do black beans and yellow rice with it as well- Vigo has an excellent pre-packaged product that is ready in 30 minutes- you just add it to boiling water with a bit of olive oil.
Interested in learning more about Tastefully Simple products? Visit my website: www.tastefullysimple.com/cferguson1 Currently I am doing a "mystery host" party so you may even win some free product!
Tilapia Fillets
Tastefully Simple Pineapple Chipotle Salsa
Olive Oil
Place a bit of the olive oil in a pan with a lid. Bring heat up, insert fish fillets. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on one side, turn. Add about 3/4 of a cup of Pineapple Chipotle Salsa. Place lid on and poach until fish is flaky and cooked through (about 5 more minutes.) Serve with Basmati rice and black beans.
I think a meatier fish like Mahi Mahi or Doro would also be yummy- and you could always do black beans and yellow rice with it as well- Vigo has an excellent pre-packaged product that is ready in 30 minutes- you just add it to boiling water with a bit of olive oil.
Interested in learning more about Tastefully Simple products? Visit my website: www.tastefullysimple.com/cferguson1 Currently I am doing a "mystery host" party so you may even win some free product!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Roasted Red Pepper Chicken
This was the "chicken experiment" of the night- and it turned out really nice. I'm not a big fan of peppers, actually I hate the green ones. I can tolerate the red and yellow ones and kind of like roasted red peppers. Peppers are so good for you with vitamin A, C fiber and even a bit of protein. They are very low in calories, no fat. When I was putting this dish together I envisioned it to be thicker, but the happy accident of a thinner sauce was a bonus.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts- "de-gicked"
1/2 block (4oz) of light cream cheese
about 3 fire roasted red peppers (I used the jar kind "Del Destino" from Costco)
1/2 C parmesean cheese
Salt
Pepper
Granulated Garlic
In your Cuisinart, place the red peppers and zip them up. Add the cream cheese and parmesean cheese and blend until smooth. Add spices, and give it another whirl or two to blend.
Take your chicken breasts and pound out a bit. Spoon about 1 Tbs of red pepper mixture into the chicken, roll. Place filled chicken breasts in a 9 x 11 Pyrex dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with remaining sauce and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches >170 degrees.
Serve over spaghetti noodles with the chicken breast in the middle, covered with sauce and a bit of parsley to make it look pretty. Don't forget your green veggie- we had steamed broccoli tonight and the sauce was excellent on the broccoli as well.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts- "de-gicked"
1/2 block (4oz) of light cream cheese
about 3 fire roasted red peppers (I used the jar kind "Del Destino" from Costco)
1/2 C parmesean cheese
Salt
Pepper
Granulated Garlic
In your Cuisinart, place the red peppers and zip them up. Add the cream cheese and parmesean cheese and blend until smooth. Add spices, and give it another whirl or two to blend.
Take your chicken breasts and pound out a bit. Spoon about 1 Tbs of red pepper mixture into the chicken, roll. Place filled chicken breasts in a 9 x 11 Pyrex dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with remaining sauce and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches >170 degrees.
Serve over spaghetti noodles with the chicken breast in the middle, covered with sauce and a bit of parsley to make it look pretty. Don't forget your green veggie- we had steamed broccoli tonight and the sauce was excellent on the broccoli as well.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
St. Patrick's Day Dinner
Gotta do the Corned Beef and Cabbage on the 17th...you just gotta! This was super fun, easy and thanks to my friend Shelly a great display of teamwork in the kitchen. Here's the rundown of what you need:
1 Pre-packaged brisket of Corned Beef
Carrots
Potatoes (I prefer the baby red ones)
Green Cabbage
Horseradish
Vinegar
Seasonings (Shelly suggests caraway, fennel seed...we made do with the spice blends I had from Penzey's)
When I searched for recipes on how to cook corned beef, they all suggested boiling it. That made me raise my eyebrows, but trust me..it's the traditional way and it turned out very nice.
Take your corned beef brisket and a big dutch oven and cover it with water. Add any spice packs that may have come with the corned beef to the water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and let it go on low for the rest of the day. I cooked mine "low and slow" for about 5 hours. Remove the brisket from the water and wrap in aluminum foil to rest.
Take the residual flavorful corned beef water and get the funky gicky stuff out of it. Place in another pan that you can use your steamer basket in. Cut the cabbage into wedges and remove the core. Add preferred spices- seasoned salt, pepper, caraway seed, fennel seed, etc to the cabbage. I boiled the peeled carrots and not peeled potatoes in a separate pot with corned beef water.
The key is cutting the corned beef on a bias. You have to be patient and cut it thin. I give kudos to Shelly for an excellent slicing job. It was so tender! Serve with horseradish, spicy mustard and vinegar for the cabbage if you so desire.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Spinach and Herb Pork Tenderloin
Second Verse....Same as the First....
Ok, so I did a similar thing with a Pork Tenderloin that I did in the style of the chicken I posted last...and it was SO tasty!!! Here it is:
1 Pork Tenderloin
Tastefully Simple Spinach and Herb Dip
Parmesan Cheese
Olive Oil
Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
Get a gallon size Ziploc, put the pork tenderloin in it add about 4 TBS of olive oil, 2 TBS of the Spinach and Herb dip, a tsp of Seasoned salt and 1/4 C of Parmesan cheese. Squish to coat. Place in a Pyrex dish (sprayed with non-stick spray) and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until internal temperature reaches 150-165 degrees F.
YUM! Easy! Healthy (if you use the trim cut)... oh, and if you need any Tastefully Simple stuff, let me know!
Ok, so I did a similar thing with a Pork Tenderloin that I did in the style of the chicken I posted last...and it was SO tasty!!! Here it is:
1 Pork Tenderloin
Tastefully Simple Spinach and Herb Dip
Parmesan Cheese
Olive Oil
Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
Get a gallon size Ziploc, put the pork tenderloin in it add about 4 TBS of olive oil, 2 TBS of the Spinach and Herb dip, a tsp of Seasoned salt and 1/4 C of Parmesan cheese. Squish to coat. Place in a Pyrex dish (sprayed with non-stick spray) and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until internal temperature reaches 150-165 degrees F.
YUM! Easy! Healthy (if you use the trim cut)... oh, and if you need any Tastefully Simple stuff, let me know!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Spinach and Herb Chicken
I had a Tastefully Simple party last week and came up with a home run recipe (according to all who tasted it) for chicken. It started with a recipe from their website, but I, of course made my own modifications and it turned out wonderful and it was super easy. If you don't have these Tastefully Simple items, you can substitute for something similar you may have or you can always call me (or check out the website: www.tastefullysimple.com/web/cferguson1 ) to order ;-)
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 TBS of Tastefully Simple Spinach and Herb Dip Mix
2 TBS of Tastefully Simple Onion Onion Dip Mix
Seasoned Salt
1/2 C Olive Oil (about)
1/2 C Parmesan Cheese (about)
Place ingredients in a gallon size zip top bag. Shake to combine. Add chicken and massage in the mixture to coat. Place in a 9x13 Pyrex dish and bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches >175.
SUPER Easy....SUPER Tasty!!
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 TBS of Tastefully Simple Spinach and Herb Dip Mix
2 TBS of Tastefully Simple Onion Onion Dip Mix
Seasoned Salt
1/2 C Olive Oil (about)
1/2 C Parmesan Cheese (about)
Place ingredients in a gallon size zip top bag. Shake to combine. Add chicken and massage in the mixture to coat. Place in a 9x13 Pyrex dish and bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches >175.
SUPER Easy....SUPER Tasty!!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
New Year's Day Dinner
Are you superstitious? I am. My Dad says it's the "Gypsy Blood" I inherited from the Czechoslovakian side of the family. I also married a baseball player, so we don't open umbrellas inside, avoid breaking mirrors at all costs, and have the Christmas Decorations down before New Year's Day here at the Ferguson household.
The tradition of serving a special meal for New Year's day is said to help promote prosperity and money in the coming year. The greens, peas and copper penny salad all represent money, and serving pork is said to be good luck and will help move you forward since the Pig roots forward. If you eat Chicken or Lobster, which scratch or move backward it could bring bad fortune. We had traditional New Year's dinner with herb crusted pork tenderloin, hop n john, greens, copper penny salad, and cornbread. Shelly brought the pork, so I'll have to get the recipe from her to share later. Everything else is very easy and once you get it going you just leave it cook all day.
The black-eyed peas and collard greens are pretty similar to get started. Brown a bit of salt pork in the bottom of a big pot along with some onion and garlic. Once browned, add the greens to the pot with about 2 cups of water, salt and pepper. Do the same with the peas. I used frozen this time. Then just cook the greens and peas all day, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed. I cooked mine for about 4 1/2 hours.
The copper penny salad is something my Gramma used to make- so it's a memory dish for me. Peel 2 pounds of carrots and slice. Boil the "pennies" until tender. In a blender place 1 can of tomato soup, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of Olive oil, 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1/4 of an onion, 1 Tbs of Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp dry mustard, salt, pepper and granulated garlic. The true recipe also calls for diced green peppers, but I HATE green peppers so I leave them out. Blend dressing and pour over cooked carrots. Stir to coat and leave in the refrigerator overnight to marinate.
Here's wishing everyone a healthy, prosperous New Year!
The tradition of serving a special meal for New Year's day is said to help promote prosperity and money in the coming year. The greens, peas and copper penny salad all represent money, and serving pork is said to be good luck and will help move you forward since the Pig roots forward. If you eat Chicken or Lobster, which scratch or move backward it could bring bad fortune. We had traditional New Year's dinner with herb crusted pork tenderloin, hop n john, greens, copper penny salad, and cornbread. Shelly brought the pork, so I'll have to get the recipe from her to share later. Everything else is very easy and once you get it going you just leave it cook all day.
The black-eyed peas and collard greens are pretty similar to get started. Brown a bit of salt pork in the bottom of a big pot along with some onion and garlic. Once browned, add the greens to the pot with about 2 cups of water, salt and pepper. Do the same with the peas. I used frozen this time. Then just cook the greens and peas all day, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed. I cooked mine for about 4 1/2 hours.
The copper penny salad is something my Gramma used to make- so it's a memory dish for me. Peel 2 pounds of carrots and slice. Boil the "pennies" until tender. In a blender place 1 can of tomato soup, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of Olive oil, 1/2 cup of vinegar, 1/4 of an onion, 1 Tbs of Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp dry mustard, salt, pepper and granulated garlic. The true recipe also calls for diced green peppers, but I HATE green peppers so I leave them out. Blend dressing and pour over cooked carrots. Stir to coat and leave in the refrigerator overnight to marinate.
Here's wishing everyone a healthy, prosperous New Year!
Hangover Casserole
I don't know about you, but eggs and grease sounded pretty good New Year's morning. Luckily, I had made this casserole the night before and I could manage turning on the oven even with a pounding headache. It feeds a crowd and is quite tasty, even if you managed to burn off most of your taste buds the night before with large quantities of Maker's Mark.
6 slices of bread
2 Cups of milk
2 packages of Jimmy Dean light sausage
1 tsp. of dry mustard
1 1/2 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 oz of Velveeta
5 eggs
1/2 stick of butter
salt
pepper
granulated garlic
Cook sausage thoroughly. Melt the butter and pour into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Place the bread slices in the bottom of the pan to make the crust. Spoon crumbled browned sausage over the bread. Sprinkle with grated cheese and strategically place chunks of Velveeta. Beat the eggs, add milk, salt, pepper, garlic and dry mustard. Pour in egg mixture, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cut into squares and serve hot- preferably with a Bloody Mary or Mimosa.
6 slices of bread
2 Cups of milk
2 packages of Jimmy Dean light sausage
1 tsp. of dry mustard
1 1/2 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese
3 oz of Velveeta
5 eggs
1/2 stick of butter
salt
pepper
granulated garlic
Cook sausage thoroughly. Melt the butter and pour into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Place the bread slices in the bottom of the pan to make the crust. Spoon crumbled browned sausage over the bread. Sprinkle with grated cheese and strategically place chunks of Velveeta. Beat the eggs, add milk, salt, pepper, garlic and dry mustard. Pour in egg mixture, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cut into squares and serve hot- preferably with a Bloody Mary or Mimosa.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
