Chicken Shawarma with Feta

Adapted from Food Network

I love this recipe.  I've made it several times during the 10 months that we have been posting on this blog, but this is the first time I managed to take a picture of it...I guess the other times I just couldn't wait long enough to devour it!  

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 oz) container of fat free plain yogurt
• 1/3 cup feta cheese
• 1 Tbs basil
• ½ tsp lemon pepper
• 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp crushed dried rosemary
• 1 lb chicken breast halves, cut into 1” pieces
• 1 large red onion, cut into wedges
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into pieces
• 2-4 pitas

 Directions:

• In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt, feta, basil, lemon pepper, lemon juice, oregano, salt and rosemary.  Keep half the marinade to use as sauce for later.  Add chicken and veggies to the remaining marinade in bowl and turn to coat.  Cover and marinate for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator. 
• Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat. 
• Thread the chicken, onion, and bell peppers alternately onto skewers.  Discard yogurt mixture used as marinade.  Grill skewers on the prepared grill until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.  Serve with the pitas and top with extra marinade set aside as sauce.

Oriental Chicken Salad

Adapted from A Taste of Richmond

Recipe from Jessica Church

This recipe is delicious! It has just the right amount of crunch. The dressing is so tasty-it calls for mayonnaise AND vinegar which my husband is not a fan of-but he really liked it too :) You can substitute 2 cups of Romaine for cabbage-1 cup purple and 1 cup regular.

Dressing:

3 Tbsp. honey

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/8 tsp. Sesame oil

1 1/2 Tbsp. Rice Wine vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Blend all ingredients together with an electric mixer. Chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the salad.

Salad:

4 Tyson crispy chicken strips

5 cups Romaine lettuce

3/4 cup carrots, shredded

2 green onions, chopped

2 Tbsp. slivered almonds

1/2 cup chow mein noodles (La Choy has 0 grams Trans Fat)

Bake chicken according to package and cut into bite size pieces. Mix lettuce, carrots, and onions. Sprinkle top with almonds, noodles, and chicken.

Zucchini, Corn & Penne with Basil Pesto

Adapted from Gourmet

This was another great dish to use up some of my farmer's market veggies...yellow squash and corn!  The Parmigian really makes the dish, so make sure to splurge for the good stuff and not just the grated Parmesan cheese. 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. whole wheat penne pasta
• 6 slices bacon, diced
• 3 ears corn, kernels sliced off
• 1 1/2 lbs. zucchini and/or yellow squash
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated for serving
• 3 Tbs basil pesto

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Set bacon aside on a paper towel to drain. Reserve about 1 Tbsp. of bacon grease in the skillet and return to medium heat. Add the corn and zucchini and saute until tender-crisp, about 8-10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

2 . Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook, according to package directions, until al dente. Drain, reserving some of the pasta cooking water. Toss the cooked pasta with the zucchini mixture and pesto. Add a little of the cooking water to thin, if necessary. Stir in the bacon. Serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan.


Snicker's Salad

A Koyle Family Recipe

This salad is a family favorite. There are a lot of variations too. Some include adding yogurt to the cool whip, adding a different candy bar such as Butterfinger or Heath, etc. I also sometimes add a little bit of granulated sugar if the apples are not very sweet. A bit of lemon juice can be added to keep the bananas and apples from browning.

Ingredients:

2-3 apples

2-3 bananas

1-2 Snicker's bars

Small container of Cool Whip

Chop apples and Snicker's. Slice bananas. Combine ingredients in a bowl with Cool Whip. Serve immediately.

Peach & Rice Salad

Adapted from Allrecipes

I was looking for a way to use the plethora of peaches that cam with my farmer's market co-op basket of locally grown fruit and veggies.  This turned out delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1 Tbs honey
• 4 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp salt 2 cups cold cooked rice
• 2 peaches, peeled and diced
• ½ cup sliced celery
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the yogurt, honey, lemon juice and salt.  Stir in the rice, peaches and celery.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Just before serving, stir in the walnuts.

Note:  I added green onions to this recipe.  I would not do it again; the onion taste was a bit overwhelming for this sweet dish.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

Adapted from my SIL, Amie's, recipe

I was itching to make some cinnamon rolls and found this recipe in a family cook book. I am so impressed with the way they turned out! I have never had an actual Cinnabon cinnamon roll, but I've only heard good things about them. I'm thinking this recipe has to be pretty authentic cuz they were sooo yummy!

Ingredients:

Rolls:

1/4 ounce package active dry yeast

2 eggs

1 cup warm milk (105-110 F)

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

4 cups all purpose flour

Filling:

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, softened

Icing:

8 tablespoons butter, softened

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cream cheese

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

For the rolls, dissolve the yeast in warm milk in a large bowl. Add the sugar, butter, salt, eggs and flour, and mix well. Knead the dough into a large ball using your hands dusted lightly with flour. Put in bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough flat until it is approximately 21 inches long and 16 inches wide. It should be about 1/4 inch think. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

For the filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread the softened butter evenly over the surface of the dough, and then sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar evenly over the surface. Working carefully from the top (a 21 inch side), roll the dough in the bottom edge. Cut the rolled dough into 1 3/4 inch slices and place 6 at a time evenly spaced in a lightly greased baking pan. Bake until light brown on top.

While the rolls bake, combine the icing ingredients. Beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy. When the rolls come out of the oven, allow to cool for a few minutes, then coat generously with icing. Yields 12 cinnamon rolls.

Ginger Thyme Salmon

Adapted from Cooking Light

This vinaigrette is light and yummy.  It really sets off the flavor of the salmon.  It pairs well with a sweet side (like peaches).

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs rice vinegar
• 1 Tbs ginger
• 1 tsp thyme
• 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 2 (6 oz) salmon steaks 

Directions:

• Heat grill to medium-high. 
• In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, ginger, thyme, oil, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper.  Set aside.
• Season the salmon with ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper.  Grill the salmon until the salmon flakes easily with a fork, 5-6 minutes per side. 
• Drizzle the salmon with the vinaigrette and serve. 

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Source Unknown

I love these; they have such great flavor!  And they are SO healthy for you (especially if you make them with chicken, which I didn't this time.).  

Ingredients:

• 8 lettuce leaves
• 1 lb ground turkey, ground beef OR cubed chicken breast
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs soy sauce
• ¼ cup hoisin or teriyaki sauce
• 2 tsp ginger
• 1 Tbs rice wine vinegar
• Asian chili pepper sauce, to taste (approximately 1 Tbs)
• 1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
• 1/3 cup grated carrots
• 2 Tbs peanuts
• ½ bell pepper, cut into strips 

Directions:

• Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not to tear them.  Set aside.
• In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, brown the meat, stirring often.  (Add a little oil if using chicken.)  Add the onions and garlic.  Add soy sauce, hoisin/teriyaki, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onion/meat mixture.  Stir in the chopped water chestnuts.
• Pile meat mix into the center of lettuce leaves.  Garnish with carrots, bell peppers, and peanuts.  Wrap the lettuce around filling like a burrito.  

Creamy Chicken Italiano

Adapted from A Taste of Richmond

Recipe from Cami Chapman

Here is another great crock pot recipe!

Ingredients:

3-4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 envelope dry Italian dressing mix

1/4 cup water

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

8 oz. can mushrooms, drained

salt and pepper to taste

Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine salad dressing mix and water. Pour over chicken. Cover. Cook on low 3 hours. Combine cheese and soup until blended. Stir in mushrooms. Pour over chicken. Cover. Cook on low 1 hour or until chicken juices run clear. Serve with noodles or rice.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Adapted from ahintofhoney.blogspot.com

My friend had an Iron Chef party for her birthday.  Half the guests were given the secret ingredient lemon to create a dish and the other half were given yogurt.  I was in the yogurt group.  You are judged on deliciousness, creativity and presentation.  I decided to make chicken tikka masala and won for the best yogurt dish!  Hip hip hurray!  I was probably overly excited, but you know how much I love to cook!  So this was a serious competition for me.  :)  Anyway, here is the winning recipe.  Serve with garlic cilantro naan bread.

Ingredients:

Marinade:

• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbs minced fresh ginger
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 3 boneless chicken breasts

Sauce:

• 2 Tbs butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, diced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup choppped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine marinade ingredients. Stir in chicken, cut into bite-size pieces, and refrigerate for at least several hours.

2. Preheat a grill for high heat. Lightly oil grill grate. Grill chicken until juices run clear, apprx 5 minutes on each side. (Can be done on skewers.)

3. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic and jalapeno approximately 1 min. Season with cumin, paprika, garam masala and salt. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and cream. Simmer on low heat at least 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken and simmer 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

Note: This is the recipe, but the spices release better the longer it simmers, so allow to simmer longer for better flavor. 

Caribbean Tacos

Adapted from A Taste of Richmond

Recipe from Sara Dunn

This recipe was super easy and very tasty. I ended up doubling the sauce.

Ingredients:

Boneless skinless chicken breasts, frozen

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

4 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Put frozen chicken breasts in a crock pot drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook on high for a couple of hours, then shred the chicken. Mix honey, lime and spices. Toss in the chicken.

Toppings:

Shredded romaine lettuce

Cilantro

Salsa Fresca

Mango

Tortillas

Sour Cream

Cheese

Crockpot Lasagna

Recipe Adapted from Food.com

Since having my second baby I've become obsessed with crockpot meals. Here is a yummy one!

Ingredients:

1 pound Italian sausage

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 large can spaghetti sauce

12 oz. cottage cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

12 oz. lasagna noodles, uncooked

16 oz. mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Brown ground beef, onion and garlic in frying pan. Add spaghetti sauce. Cook long enough to get it warm. Spoon a layer of meat sauce onto the bottom of the slow cooker. Add a double layer of uncooked lasagna noodles-break to fit-and top with cheeses. Repeat with sauce, noodles, and cheese until all are used up. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.

Parmesan Chicken Sticks

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cook Book

This is a delicious recipe! It's fun to put them on a skew stick for the kids too!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 extra large eggs

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Butter

Olive oil

Directions:

Lay the chicken breasts on a cutting board and slice each diagonally into four or five large strips.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese on a third plate. Dredge the chicken breasts on both sides in the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and roll in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saute pan and cook the chicken strips on medium low for about 3 minutes on each side, until just cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts.

Caribbean Chicken Salad

 

Adapted from Allrecipes

This is a perfect summer salad.  The Dijon vinaigrette has a great flavor and the pineapple adds something special to the salad. 

Ingredients:

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 2 tsp minced jalapeno pepper
• 2 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 ½ Tbs white sugar
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 Tbs vegetable oil
• 1 ½ Tbs cider vinegar
• 1 ½ tsp lime juice
• ¾ lb mixed salad greens
• 8 oz. fresh pineapple chunks
• 2 cups tortilla chips
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 avocado, diced

Directions:

• Combine the tomatoes, onion, jalapeno pepper and fresh cilantro for the fresh salsa.
• Combine the sugar, mustard, honey, oil, vinegar and lime juice for the dressing.
• Layer the salad greens, chicken, pineapple, tortilla chips, bell pepper, avocado and salsa.  Serve with dressing.

Chinese Lemon Chicken

Source Unknown

I have had this recipe for quite some time and had kind of forgotten about it.  But, as I was perusing my recipe file, I rediscovered it.  It has a great lemon flavor.  The other great thing about this recipe is that you can add whatever vegetables you have on hand.  This time around, I added broccoli and mushrooms.  Yum!

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 4 Tbs cornstarch, divided
• ¼ cup oil
• 3 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs ginger
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• Veggies

Directions:

• In a Ziploc bag combine chicken and 2 Tbs cornstarch so that chicken strips are covered.  In a large skillet, heat oil.  Cook chicken breasts and veggies until chicken breasts are no longer pink and juices run clear.
• In medium saucepan, place 2 Tbs cornstarch, brown sugar and ginger.  Stir in ½ cup water and chicken broth.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until it thickens and comes to a boil.  Boil for one minute.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.  Pour sauce over chicken mixture and serve with rice.

Cajun Pasta Fresca with Blackened Chicken

Adapted from Allrecipes

I loved this and my babe did too.  It was his first time that he really dug in to the spaghetti.  I plan on making this again really soon just because of how much he loved it.

The blackened chicken was a great accompaniment to the pasta fresca.  I think I would add less cayenne pepper next time to cut down on the spice just a little.

Ingredients:

For the Cajun Pasta fresca:

• 1 lb spaghetti pasta
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 large can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbs salt
• 1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbs Cajun seasoning
• ½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes until al dente; drain.
• While the pasta water is boiling, in a large skillet over medium heat, briefly sauté garlic in oil.  Stir in tomatoes and their juice and sprinkle with salt.  When the tomatoes are bubbly, mash slightly with a fork.  Stir in parsley, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes more.
• Toss hot pasta with tomato sauce, Cajun seasoning, Mozzarella and Parmesan.

Ingredients:

For the Blackened Chicken:

• ½ tsp paprika
• 1/8 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp dried thyme
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp onion powder
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease a baking sheet.  Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat for 5 minutes until it is HOT.
• Mix together all of the spices.  Oil the chicken breast with cooking spray on both sides, then coat the chicken breast evenly with the spice mixture. 
• Place the chicken in the hot pan and cook for 1 minute on each side.  Place the breasts on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the juices run clear and the middle is no longer pink.

Teriyaki Chicken Pizza

Adapted from Allrecipes

Another creative pizza recipe.  I like to mix it up when it comes to pizza.  This one was a fun change of pace!

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe pizza dough (see recipe index)
• 1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded
• 6 oz. teriyaki sauce
• 2 cups Mozzarella cheese
• 10 oz. pineapple tidbits
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• Red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions:

• Prepare pizza dough according to recipe directions.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Roll out the pizza dough and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
• Layer pizza crust with teriyaki sauce, cheese, chicken, pineapple, green onions and red pepper flakes.  Bake for 8-10 more minutes.  Slice and serve!

Chocolate Mousse Trifle

Recipe from Chelsey Sanford

This trifle was so ridiculously easy to make and so delicious. You've gotta try it!

Ingredients:

* 1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix
* 1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
* 1/2 cup water
* 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
* 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
* 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
* 1 (1.5 ounce) bar chocolate candy

Directions

1. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and cool completely. Cut into 1 inch squares.
2. In a large bowl, combine pudding mix, water and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until smooth, then fold in 8 ounces whipped topping until no streaks remain.
3. In a trifle bowl or glass serving dish, place half of the brownies, half of the pudding mixture and half of the 12 ounce container of whipped topping. Repeat layers. Shave chocolate onto top layer for garnish or top with crushed candy bar. Refrigerate 8 hours before serving.