Homemade Hot Pockets

Recipe

Pizza crust dough 

Ham

Cheese

Pepperoni

Pizza sauce

Break off a ball of pizza dough about 2 inches in diameter.  Roll out pizza dough, fill with meat and cheese. Fold over, pinch sides to seal.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.  

To freeze, let them cool completely and then freeze.  Reheat at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Our Review

I made the pizza dough from scratch and then made ham and cheese versions as well as pizza sauce, pepperoni, and cheese versions.  While they are good, they were still too dry.  The next time I make these, I will add more sauce to the pizza versions, perhaps 3-5 tablespoons, and I will also look at adding something moist to the ham and cheese versions, although I haven't decided what would be the best thing to add.

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Mexican Lasagna

Recipe

1.5 lbs ground beef

1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

6 oz tomato paste

1 Tbls chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

dash of ground cayenne pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

24 oz tomato sauce

14.5 oz diced tomatoes, drained

15 oz black beans, rinsed and drained

1.5c frozen corn kernels

6 oz chopped olives, canned

9-12 no-boil lasagna noodles

2c shredded mozzarella cheese

1c shredded cheddar cheese

1c sour cream

8oz cream cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease 9x13 pan.

Cook ground beef with the onion, drain the grease.  Add the garlic and tomato paste, stir to combine and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in chili powder, cumin, cayenne, oregano, salt, and pepper and mix well.  Add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, stir to combine, and then add beans, corn, and olives.  Mix well and heat for about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat.  Spread 1/2 cup of the mix into the bottom of the 9x13 pan.  Layer noodles over the sauce, then spread 1/3 of the mix on top of the noodles.  Dollop 1/3 of the sour cream and 1/3 of the cream cheese across the mix and then sprinkle 1/3 of the cheeses on top.  Repeat the layers two more times until all ingredients are used.

Cover lasagna with foil and bake for 35 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 10-15 more minutes until lasagna is hot and bubbly.

Our Review

This was pretty good, everyone liked it, but I couldn't get past the strange taste of noodles with the mexican ingredients.  I'd like to try it again with a few changes.  Next time I will use tortillas instead of the lasagna noodles.  I think it would also be a good idea to mix the sour cream and cream cheese together so they would be easier to spread around.  We didn't use a lot of cayenne pepper and we didn't have the olives, I think it would be fine with the olives too.

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Navy Bean Soup

Recipe

1 lb dried navy beans, soaked overnight and then drained

1/4c bacon, chopped, cooked, and drained

1/2c onion, chopped

1/2c carrots, chopped

1/2c celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1lb ham bone or ham hocks (we used the leftover ham from our holiday dinner)

8c water

1/4tsp dried oregano

1/4tsp paprika

2 bay leaves

1 Tbsp parsley, chopped

In a slow cooker, add all ingredients.  Let cook for 8 hours.

Our Review

This recipe was longer and was not cooked in a slow cooker, I put it all in a slow cooker but can not remember if it was on low or high, I'm guessing low.  It was very good.  Next time I may add more bacon, but otherwise it was already good.

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Fish Tacos

Ingredients

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 small red cabbage, thinly shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)
4 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 jalapeno chile, halved lengthwise, one half minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound tilapia fillets (or other firm white fish), cut into 16 equal strips
8 flour tortillas (6-inch)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

In a large bowl, combine sour cream and lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Transfer half the mixture to another container; set aside for serving. Toss cabbage, scallions, and minced jalapeno with remaining sour-cream mixture. Season again with salt and pepper.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil and remaining jalapeno half over medium-high heat; swirl to coat bottom of pan. Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper. In two batches (starting with larger pieces), cook fish until golden brown on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Discard jalapeno.

Meanwhile, warm tortillas according to package instructions.

To make tacos, fill tortillas with slaw, fish, and fresh cilantro leaves. Drizzle with reserved sour-cream mixture. Serve immediately.

Our Review

We liked them.  I thought the sauce with the cabbage was really good.  One child ate six or seven and one ate three.  He said he didn't like fish, but he ate them all.  We did not add jalapenos into ours though and we made more sauce.  Next time, I'd make more sauce.

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Lemon Greek Chicken

Ingredients

2 tsp lemon zest

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 Tbs olive oil

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 Tsp oregano

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

6-8 medium red potatoes (the size of a lemon)

1 green pepper, cut into strips

1 red onion, wedged

8 oz mushrooms, cleaned

4 bone in chicken breasts OR 24 oz boneless chicken breasts

Combine the first seven ingredients and set aside.  Spray a 10x13 dish with cooking spray and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Clean potatoes, cut into fourths, place in pan.  Add bell pepper strips, onion wedges, and mushrooms.

Drizzle half of the seasoning mix over the veggies and toss.  Place chicken on top and drizzle the rest of the seasoning mix.  Brush or rub the mix into the chicken.  Bake until chicken is no longer pink in the center, basting after 15 minutes.  (Bone-in chicken takes 1 hour.)  

Note:  If potatoes aren't done when the chicken is, remove the chicken and cover it with foil.  

Our Review

Another recipe that didn't cook the potatoes all of the way.  I ended up pulling out the chicken with veggies to serve that while the potatoes stayed in the oven.  Overall it was good.  Left overs the next day, not so much.  

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Southern Green Beans

Ingredients

6 slices of bacon

3 Tsp butter

1 red onion

2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped

8 small new potatoes, diced

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 and 1/2 tsp white balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

Cook bacon, and drain on paper towels.

Melt butter in a skillet with a lid over medium-low heat with onion, until onion is translucent.  Stir in the bacon, green beans, potatoes, garlic, and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat until the green beans are tender (about 10 minutes.)  Sprinkle with vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Our Review

I'm not sure why I keep finding recipes that claim potatoes will cook quickly.  I ended up cooking it for over 20 minutes and even then, some potatoes weren't done.  Overall, it was good, it just needs to have much smaller potato pieces or to cook longer so they are finished.

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Roasted Butternut Squash with Rosemary, Pecans, and Gorgonzola

Ingredients

1 butternut squash of about 2.5 pounds (peeled and cubed)

1 tbsp olive oil

Fresh rosemary (2 tsp, finely chopped)

Salt

Pepper

1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup Gorgonzola cheese (or blue cheese)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

Toss the squash, oil, rosemary, salt and pepper together.  Grease the baking sheet and then arrange squash in a single layer and roast for 20 minutes.  Turn squash over and then bake for 15 more minutes.

Turn the squash again and spring pecans over the top.  Roast for 10-15 more minutes until the nuts are fragrant and the squash is soft and caramelized.  Put squash into a bowl and toss with the cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.

Our Review

Overall, it was good.  No complaints.

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Stuffed Zucchini (Zucchini Boats)

Ingredients

4 medium zucchini

1 lb pound ground beef

1 lb Italian sausage

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup dried bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)

1 can condensed tomato soup (10.75 oz)

1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 13 x 9 baking dish.

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise.  Scoop out the seeds, chop and save about 3/4 of the seeds for the stuffing.  (Feed the rest to your chickens).  In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, sausage, onion, bread crumbs, egg, and zucchini seeds.  Place the mixture equally into all of the zucchini boats.  Mixture should be piled up over the top.  Place boats into the baking dish.

In a bowl, stir together the crushed tomatoes, tomato soup, and water.  Spoon the mixture over the zucchini boats, liberally.  Bake for about 45 minutes.

Our Review

There was a lot of liquid in the tray.  We used a cookie sheet, and it overflowed with the juices.  Besides that, it was pretty good.  I did use all of the zucchini seeds and used 5 zucchini's and there was still a lot of stuffing.  In the future I need to either use far less meat (maybe half a pound of each kind) or do 10 zucchini boats.  I also thought the tomato topping was good, but too washed out so next time I won't add the water.

All in all, we'll have it again.

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Martha Stewart Pancakes

Ingredients

3 cups of flour

6 Tbsp sugar

6 tsp baking powder

1 and 1/2 tsp salt

3 cups of milk

6 Tbsp melted butter

3 large eggs

Mix all ingredients and cook.

Our Review

This recipe was actually 1/3 of the measurements above.  We tripled it so that I could make extra pancakes to freeze for breakfasts before school.  The original mix was a bit too thin so I added a little more flour.  They tasted good and everyone was happy.

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Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Basil Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken breasts

Olive Oil

3 cloves of garlic, diced

Salt and pepper

Several leaves of fresh Basil

Half a jar of sun-dried tomatoes (or more)

Pour oil in the pan and heat.  Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and then add it to the pan with the basil and the tomatoes. Cook until chicken is done.  

Our Review

I made this recipe up tonight because I wanted to use the sun dried tomatoes and had some fresh basil.  It tasted great and the kids asked for more.  Definitely making it again.

Zucchini, Mushrooms, and Onions Bake

Ingredients

One huge zucchini and one small zucchini

Two good size onions

2 cups of mushrooms

Olive oil

Cheese - Cheddar and Mozzarella 

Basil

Salt and Pepper

Slice all of the vegetables and put them into a baking dish.  Sprinkle olive oil and then sprinkle the seasoning.  Top with cheese.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and then uncover and bake for 10 more minutes.

Our Review

Okay so this was our recipe.  I had the oldest son look up some ideas on Yummly and he found something along these lines, but we changed things a bit as we were making it.   The directions above are what we did to make the meal.  We did add more oil and cheese as it was cooking.  It definitely smelled mushroom-y but it also tasted pretty good.  The onions could have used more time, but they weren't bad at all.  Final review, we will make this again.

Slow Cooker Chili

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef, cooked

2 cans (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained ****

2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (8oz) tomato sauce

2 medium onions, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbs chili powder

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Garnishes (shredded cheese, corn bread, tortilla chips)

Add all of the ingredients, except for the garnishes, to a crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  

***I used almost 3 pounds of ground beef and half way through the cooking time I realized there was way too much beef and not enough beans.  I added a HUGE can of kidney beans and 4 more ounces of tomato sauce because I'd originally opened a 12 ounce can.

Our Review

I'm not sure why I make a face and shy away from making and eating chili.  This is the third time that I have made it, and each time I have eaten it and thought it was pretty darn good.  Apparently I have a mental block.  My only other review is that it definitely needed more beans, even if I hadn't used more beef.

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Easy Crockpot Salsa Chicken

Ingredients

2.5 lbs chicken breasts

1.5 C of salsa

2 limes

2 tbs chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

salt and pepper

Add the chicken, salsa, juice of both limes, and chili powder to the slow cooker.  Place the lime halves in.  (We did not do this.)  Cook on low for 8 hours.  When it is done cooking, pull out and discard the limes, shred the chicken, and add the other seasonings.  Set the cooker to warm and continue cooking 30 more minutes.

I added the seasonings in the first step and did not do the additional 30 minutes on warm.

Our review

This was great as a burrito stuffing with lettuce, salsa, cheese, and guacamole.  I was surprised that the next day it didn't taste as good when it was reheated.  It wasn't bad, but it tasted more bland than the night before.  Perhaps it's because the next day I didn't add guacamole and salsa.

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Philly Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 large sweet onion, sliced

2 green bell peppers, sliced

3 chicken breasts, sliced

2 tbs Dale's Steak Seasoning ***

salt and pepper

sliced Mozzarella cheese

Hoagie rolls

Add the onions, peppers, chicken, steak seasoning, salt, and pepper to a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.  Serve on hoagie rolls with a slice of cheese on top.

*** I could not find this seasoning, and while I was going to look in other stores or create a "copy cat recipe" I ran out of time and ended up adding asian BBQ sauce that I had in the fridge.

Our review

It could be blamed on the seasoning, but I wasn't totally impressed.  It tasted fine, but definitely not like a Philly Chicken sandwich.  In fact, don't those usually have chicken cubed pieces?  Anyway, I would try it again with some tweaks on the seasoning, but I'm not in any rush.

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Cafe Rio's Sweet Pork Barbacoa

Holy cow this was good.

So I was looking online for a recipe like Cafe Rio's Pork Barbacoa because the salad they have is really good, and I found one.  I had to adjust it slightly, really I just had to adjust the measurements and I had to come to terms with using soda since I haven't had soda in over 17 years.  I'd like to try to find a way to do this again without the soda, if that's possible.

Ingredients

2 lbs pork (okay so maybe I used 5ish pounds of Wegmans' bone in pork shoulder blade roast $1.29 a pound)!

2 cans of coke - not diet (okay so maybe I used two bottles)

1 and 1/2 cups of brown sugar

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 c water

1 four-ounce can diced green chilies 

1 10 or 14 ounce can enchilada sauce (See below)

Okay so this recipe has two steps.  Step one is to marinate the pork.  Mix 1/2 cup of the brown sugar and 1 can of Coke and then marinate it with the pork.  You can marinate it for a few hours or overnight, I did it overnight.  Also, since I used a bottle of Coke I poured in about 2/3 of the bottle.  I put all of this in the crockpot.

Step two is the next day.  Drain the liquid from the crock pot and then pour 1/2 a can of Coke (I did about 1/3 a bottle), water, and garlic salt into the crock pot and cook for 3-4 hours on high.  I did 4 hours and it was fine.  

Pull the pork out and shred the meat.  Again, I cheated and just cut it into chunks.  Empty the crock pot juices and put the pork back in.  In a bowl or blender (I used a blender) mix the other half of the can of Coke (I used 1/3 the bottle), the can of chilies (I used about half a can because I don't like spicy things), 3/4 of the can of enchilada sauce (I used about 3/4 of the 14 ounce can but the original recipe said to use 3/4 of a 14 ounce can - which is about 10 ounces if you get a 10 ounce can), and the last cup of brown sugar.  Pour this mix over the pork and heat it in the crock pot until it is warm.

We made burritos with it (pictured above) and gave some with chips, cheese, and salsa to the neighbor to make nachos.  Next time I'd like to make the salad and I'll be prepared with guacamole.

Our Review

This was good.  The mix in the blender didn't smell anything like what I'd eaten at Cafe Rio so I wasn't very optimistic about it, but once I took the first bite of the meat, I was sold.  It's sweet, and ours really wasn't spicy, probably because I barely used any of the chilies.  We will definitely make this again.

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Chicken Cacciatore Crock Pot

Chicken

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breasts

26 oz chunky vegetable-style spaghetti sauce

1 green pepper, chopped

1 sweet onion, chopped

Place all ingredients into the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Can be served with spaghetti noodles and garnished with olives and Parmesan cheese.

Our Review

I was not expecting this to taste good.  Partly because the only chunky spaghetti sauce that I found was a can of Hunts brand spaghetti sauce and I'm not a fan of tomato things coming out of cans.  I was surprised, this was really good.  I don't even like bell peppers but I ate everything from this dish.  

*** You can put all of these ingredients in a ziplock bag and freeze them for an easy meal later.

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Work in progress

I am in the process of copying over all of the recipes from my old blog to this one so that all of my things will be in one space.  I am also trying to re-format the entries so they look uniform and organized AND adding the sources as to where I find them (if I know or can figure it out.)

If anyone finds a recipe that doesn't have a source linked and you know the source, feel free to let me know.

Tequila Lime Flank Steak

This was a made up recipe one night when I knew I wanted to have flank steak this morning but also knew I wanted to get rid of some liquor because I never drink.

I poured some lime tequila over the flank steak, sliced up some limes and onions and then added some salt and pepper and cilantro.  I let it marinate overnight and then grilled it on the George Foreman the next day.

It wasn't bad, but it wasn't amazing.  It was eatable and that was enough.

Crock Pot Taco Soup

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef (cooked with the onion)

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 c water

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces

14.5 oz can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can V8 vegetable juice

1 c chopped celery

1 c sliced carrot

2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp dried parsley flakes

2 tsp dried basil

1 bay leaf

Add all ingredients to a crock pot and cook on low for about 4 hours or until vegetables are tender.

Discard bay leaf before serving.

Our Review

I wasn't thinking this would taste as good as it did.  I went back for more.  The V8 had me worried and this was a bit tomato-ey but it wasn't bad.  I made it a second time and added beef broth in place of half of the water.  It also needed to cook longer than 4 hours both times.  I think it ended up being about 6 hours.

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Homemade Croutons and Italian Dressing

Crouton ingredients

1 Tbsp butter
5 Tbsp light oil (EVOO)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tsp oregano
1 Tsp thyme
5 slices day-old white bread

Melt butter in a skillet and then add the oil.  Mix in the remaining ingredients except for the bread.  Cut the crust off the bread and then cut them into 1/2 inch cubes.  Fry slowly until lightly brown.

Italian Dressing ingredients

3 Tbsp oil (EVOO)
2 Tbsp vinegar (white wine)
salt
black pepper
1/2 Tsp minced garlic
1/2 Tsp italian seasoning
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Mix together well.

Our review

The croutons were not exciting but they were eatable.  The salad dressing tasted like a traditional Italian salad dressing.

Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1/2 C olive oil (EVOO)

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp minced shallot

1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp grated lemon peel

1/2 tsp sugar

Mix all ingredients and then season with salt and pepper.  

Our Review

It was very lemony.  Not in a sour way, but just lemony.  Guest thought it tasted very good.

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Quick Potatoes

Ingredients

1/2 lb small red skinned new potatoes

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 tbsp olive oil

coarse salt, to taste

fresh ground pepper, to taste

1 tsp chopped fresh dill leaves

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the potatoes and cook until tender, but not mushy, about 8-10 minutes.  Drain the water and then toss with butter and oil.  Season with salt and pepper and toss with dill.

Our Review

I actually didn't follow this recipe but I used to to help me figure out how to make a quick potato side dish.  I boiled the water, added the potatoes and cooked them for about 10 minutes.  I drained them and then I added salt, pepper, garlic, and a little olive oil into a bowl and tossed the potatoes to coat everything.  The kids asked for second so it must have tasted good.  They were quick and easy and I did enjoy them as well.

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Mediterranean Salmon

Ingredients

1/2 C olive oil (EVOO)

1/4 C balsamic vinegar

4 cloves garlic, pressed

4 salmon fillets (3 ounces each)

1 Tbsp chopped, fresh cilantro

1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 1/2 tsp garlic salt

Mix the olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl.  In a shallow baking dish, rub the garlic on the salmon.  Then pour the olive oil and vinegar mixture over them, turning to coat.  Season with cilantro, basil, and garlic salt.  Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.

Preheat the broiler.  

Place the salmon about 6 inches from the heat source and broil for 15 minutes, turning once, or until browned on both sides and easily flaked with a fork. Brush occassionally with the sauce from the pan.

Our Review

I used dried cilantro and basil and one large salmon fillet instead of 4 smaller pieces.  This was really good and both boys really liked it (which says a lot since the younger one hasn't been liking salmon lately.)

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Italian Salad Dressing

Ingredients

• 1/4 Tsp dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/4 C red wine vinegar
• 3/4 C extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 Tsp salt
• 1/4 Tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 Tsps honey

Mid all ingredients well.

Roast Potatoes

Ingredients

2 pounds red potatoes cut into quarters

2 Tbsp vegetable oil (I used olive oil)

1 Tsp salt

1/2 Tsp freshly ground pepper

1/2 Tsp dried rosemary, crushed

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Place potatoes in a large roasting pan and toss with the other ingredients.  Spread into a single layer and bake for 20 minutes, tossing occassionally.

Our Review

These were good but I had to cook them for almost 40 minutes.  I also didn't measure any of the ingredients.

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Rosemary Roasted Chicken

Ingredients

Olive Oil

Rosemary

Salt

Pepper

Bone-in Chicken pieces

Toss chicken to coat it with the other ingredients.  Bake it at 450 degrees for 40-50 minutes until cooked thoroughly.  

Our Review

I made this recipe to go along with the Roast Potatoes recipe.  I didn't measure the ingredients.  It tasted pretty good.

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak

Ingredients

1/3 C olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1/3 C soy sauce

1/4 C honey

1/2 Tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds flank steak

kosher salt

ground black pepper

Mix the first six ingredients in a small bowl to create the marinade.  Pour the marinade into a dish or a plastic bag with the steak and seal.  Put in the fridge to marinate.

Our Review

This may be the best flank steak that I have ever had.  I marinated it for almost two days and then grilled it on the George Foreman grill because it was raining outside.  It was very good and I will definitely make it again.

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Basic Bread

Ingredients

2 cups warm (almost hot) water
4 tsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
Combine together and let rise for 5 minutes

1/4 cup oil
5 cups bread flour
2 tsp. salt

Mix in a large bowl.  Add to yeast mixture and knead until smooth and elastic. 

Cover and let rise for 20-25 minutes.  

Beat dough down and make into loaves (this recipe makes 2 loaves).  

Here’s the trick to get your bread to come out right.  You need to roll out the bread into a rectangle, then roll up into a loaf, like you would when making cinnamon rolls.  

Lightly slice top of bread to get diagonal cut look when baked. (refer to pic)  Let loaves rise (I put my loaves on separate cookie sheets) for 20-25 minutes.  

Bake on 350* for 20-25 minutes, until top of loaves are golden brown.  Let bread cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Our Review

We love this bread and have made it many times.  Even if you mess up, you don't really mess it up.  

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Honey Garlic Pork Chops

Ingredients

1/4 AND 1/8 C honey

3 Tbsp soy sauce

6 cloves garlic, minced

6 pork loin chops, boneless (4 oz each)

In a shallow bowl mix the first three ingredients.  Coat the chops in the mixture.  Reserve left over honey mixture for basting.  Place chops on a greased grill over medium-high heat, cover and cook, basting two times.

Our Review

This tasted good but I did marinate it for about 8 hours first.  We also cooked it on the George Foreman because of bad weather.

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Sweet Adeline's Homemade Salad Dressing

Ingredients

3/4 C cider vinegar

1 C vegetable oil (we use olive oil)

2 Tsp garlic granules

1 Tsp salt

1 Tbsp black pepper

1/2 C sugar

Mix well.

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Honey Grilled Pineapple

Ingredients

1 fresh pineapple - peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch rings

1/4 Tsp honey

3 Tsp melted butter

1 dash hot pepper sauce

salt to taste

Place pineapple in a large resealable plastic bag.  Add all of the ingredients, seal bag, and shake to coat evenly.  Marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.

Cook over a high heat grill that has been lightly oiled.  Grill 2-3 minutes per side until heated through and grill marks appear.

Our Review

I'm not a fan of cooked/warm pineapple, but the boys ate it.  We had triangle slices of pineapple, so that is what we used instead of rings.  We also didn't put hot pepper sauce or salt on it.

California Cobb Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 C red-wine vinegar

2 Tsp Worchestershire sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 Tsp coarse salt

1/2 C extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 Tsp ground black pepper

Our review

This recipe sounded familiar to another dressing that I made.  I didn't have Cobb salad ingredients so we made it with a regular salad and it did taste good.

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Easy Chicken and Biscuits

 

Ingredients

1 can condensed cream of broccoli soup

1 can condensed cream of potato soup

2/3 C milk

1/2 Tsp poultry seasoning

1/8 Tsp black pepper

2 C frozen mixed veggies

2 C cubed chicken or turkey, cooked

1 package refrigerated biscuits

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Stir all of the ingredients except for the biscuits in an 11 x 7 inch baking dish.  Bake for 20 minutes until it is hot and bubbling.  Stir the dish and then top with the biscuits.  Bake for 15 more minutes until the biscuits are golden brown.

Our Review

This is probably very unhealthy and processed, but I hate to admit it was pretty darn good.  Next time I want to make all of the processed ingredients myself.

Romaine Salad with Pecan and Blue Cheese Dressing

Ingredients

5 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 Tsp salt

1/4 Tsp ground black pepper

1/4 pound blue cheese crumbles

1/2 C chopped pecans

1 head romaine lettuce, torn into pieces

Combine oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl.  Add half of the blue cheese and mash it into the dressing.  Add 1/4 cup of pecans and mix.  Add the romaine, toss to coat.  Top with the remaining blue cheese and pecans.

Our Review

This was very blue cheese-y, a little too much.  Otherwise it was good.

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Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Ingredients

2 Tbsp honey mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 Tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 C balsamic vinegar

3/4 C olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients well.

Apple Cranberry Raisin Salad Dressing

Ingredients

2/3 cup olive oil1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh pepper

Mix all ingredients well.  To be served over the Apple Cranberry Raisin Salad, linked below.

Our Review

I thought this had no flavor, but other people liked it.

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Zesty Homemade Italian Salad Dressing

Ingredients

3/4 C extra virgin olive oil

1/3 C red wine vinegar

1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tsp salt

1/2 Tsp black pepper

2 1/2 Tsp worcestershire sauce

4 garlic cloves, minced

Mix well.

Source

Best Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp dijon mustard

1 Tsp light brown sugar

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 Tsp salt

1/4 Tsp black pepper

1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil

Mix well.

Our Review

This was pretty darn good.

Parmesan Red Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3-4 cup Red potatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• ½ cup Parmesan
• 2 tablespoon Fresh chives
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add in garlic and potatoes and saute until potatoes begin to soften, Sprinkle in cheese and oregano and continue to cook until potatoes begin to brown on both sides. Remove from heat and serve warm.

Our Review

This was pretty bad.  The directions are not complete, the potatoes need to be cooked much longer than the recipe says – BEFORE adding the seasoning.  They were still raw and hard and we tried to put them back in the pan with more oil but the seasoning would just burn… maybe we’ll try again someday – with a lot more time spent letting the potatoes cook.

Rosemary Pork Chops

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves

2 Tsp coarsely chopped rosemary

3 Tbsp olive oil

4 bone-in pork chops (1/2 inch thick)

Preheat broiler.  Mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt, then stir together with rosemary, oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Rub mixture all over chops.  Broil chops about 4 inches from heat, turning once, until cooked through (about 8 minutes.)  Let stand 5 minutes.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Rosemary-Pork-Chops-240946#ixzz2HEvGpOYw

Our Review

We weren't impressed.

Source

Salt and Pepper Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken (breasts or legs)

red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

salt and pepper

Sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken.

Option 1 using boneless chicken breasts: Pour red wine vinegar into a frying pan over medium heat.  Add the chicken and cool until done.

Option 2 using chicken legs: Place the chicken legs in a baking dish and pour apple cider vinegar all over them.  Bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees.  

Our Review

I made these up at the spur of the moment.  The second option in the oven tasted better than the chicken from the pan. I'm not sure if it was the different vinegar, different cooking style, or the different chicken pieces.

New Year's Eve Chicken

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken wings

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 C Italian salad dressing

1/2 C apricot jam

1/4 C apple juice

1 ounce dry onion soup mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a medium baking dish.  Arrange the chicken wings in a single layer in the dish and season with salt and pepper.  In a bowl whisk the salad dressing, jam, juice and onion soup mix.  Pour over the chicken.  Cover and bake for 1 hour, remove lid during the final 20 minutes of cooking.

Our Review

The store was sold out of wings so we used drumsticks.  It was an interesting flavor, not necessarily bad, just different.

Source

Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce

Ingredients

1 bunch of fresh asparagus, trimmed

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet.  Coat with cooking spray, season with salt and pepper.  Bake asparagus for 12 minutes, or until tender.  Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Remove from heat and stir in soy sauce and vinegar.  Pour over the baked asparagus to serve.

Our Review

It was pretty good.

Braised Balsamic Chicken

Ingredients

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  ground black pepper to taste
  1 teaspoon garlic salt
  2 tablespoons olive oil
  1 onion, thinly sliced
  1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
  1 teaspoon dried basil
  1 teaspoon dried oregano
  1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  Season chicken breasts with ground black pepper and garlic salt. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet, and brown the onion and seasoned chicken breasts.  Pour tomatoes and balsamic vinegar over chicken, and season with basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes.

Balsamic Glazed Carrots

Ingredients

• 3 cups baby carrots
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  
  Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute carrots in oil for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Stir in balsamic vinegar and brown sugar, mix to coat and serve.

Pat's Mushroom Saute

Ingredients

2 tbsps butter
12 tbsp olive oil
12 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 clove minced garlic
18 tsp dried oregano
1 lb button mushrooms (sliced)

Melt butter with oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in balsamic vinegar, garlic, oregano, and mushrooms. Saute for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender.

Grilled Asparagus & Feta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 bunch thick asparagus, about 24 spears, ends trimmed
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest, from one lemon
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• Preheat grill to high.  Place asparagus spears in baking dish and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Put asparagus on the grill, making sure spears are perpendicular to grates so they don’t fall through. Set asparagus dish next to grill (do not clean). Cover and cook asparagus for 3-4 minutes, until nicely browned and tender-crisp. Remove asparagus from grill and place back in baking dish. Let cool, then transfer spears to cutting board and cut into 1½” pieces. Place cut asparagus back in dish, then add remaining tablespoon olive oil, feta, lemon zest and lemon juice. Toss gently and season with more salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Serve room temperature or cold.

Sauteed Apples

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 large tart apples – peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• In a large skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; add apples. Cook, stirring constantly, until apples are almost tender, about 6 to 7 minutes.  Dissolve cornstarch in water; add to skillet. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and serve warm.