Chile Lime Chicken Tacos

I found this recipe on Pinterest and tweaked it a bit to my liking...

Ingredients:

• 1 can diced green chilies
• green salsa (about 1/2 cup)
• 4 cloves minced garlic (or garlic powder if desired)
• 1 1/2 Tb chili powder
• 3 T lime juice
• 1 diced medium onion
• 2 lbs chicken breasts or tenderloins, boneless/skinless
• brown sugar (to your liking-I used about 1/3 cup)
• 1 can refried beans, warmed
• Desired toppings: lettuce, cheese, salsa, sour cream, olives
• 10 Tostada shells

Directions:

• Put Chicken and onion in crockpot.
• In bowl, combine chillies, garlic, chili powder, lime juice, green salsa.
• Pour over chicken
• Cook on low 5-6 hours
• Remove chicken to Kitchenaid with paddle, turn on to shred for a few seconds.
• I wanted the chicken a little sweeter so I added brown sugar to the sauce here.
• Add 1/2-3/4 c juice from crockpot to chicken.
• Layer on tostada shells: refried beans, chicken, etc.

These are so easy and so yummy!
Also, if you happen to have a favorite recipe for black bean, corn, and avocado salsa-ADD IT! It was SUCH a good topping on these.

Dutch Oven Caramel Apple Pie

This recipe won me a major award at a ward campout!

Ingredients

18 Rhodes AnyTime!™ Cinnamon Rolls, thawed but still cold
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Caramel Icing
2 packets cream cheese frosting (included with rolls)
1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping

Instructions

Cut each roll into 4 pieces and arrange in the bottom of a 14-inch Dutch oven lined with aluminum foil or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. In a bowl combine apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, cracker crumbs and pecans. Sprinkle evenly over cut rolls. Cover with lid and bake at 350°F 25-30 minutes.

For icing combine cream cheese frosting with caramel topping. Drizzle over pie while still warm.
Dutch Oven Temperature Control using Briquets:
350°F in a 14-inch Dutch oven, oven top 18, oven bottom 10

Texas Sheet Cake

Texas Sheet Cake

2 cups flour

2 cups white sugar

2 cubes margarine or butter

1 cup water

4 tbsp cocoa powder

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp soda

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sour milk (1 tsp white vinegar and then the rest regular milk)

Mix flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl. In a sauce pan bring margarine, water and cocoa to a boil. Pour boiling mixture into flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Add eggs, milk soda and vanilla and mix until very smooth. Batter will be runny. Cook in a large baking sheet (I call it a cookie sheet.) Grease and flour the pan, but don’t use flour use cocoa powder. It works great on chocolate cake or brownies. Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes. My oven only needs 28-30 minutes so watch it close. (It really depends on the pan you use.) A toothpick will come out clean when it is ready. Let cool and frost with following frosting recipe…

Fudgey Chocolate Frosting

1 cube butter

4 tbsp cocoa powder

5 tbsp milk

3 cups powdered sugar

Bring first three ingredients to a boil. Put powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Pour boiling mixture into the mixing bowl with the powdered sugar. Mix thoroughly until smooth. Put on cake while still warm so it will spread easily.

That’s it you’re done. Enjoy! (taken from themotherhuddle.com)

Summer Strawberry Salad

Summer Strawberry Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
For the dressing:
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
¾ cup sugar
2 tbsp. minced shallot
¼ tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. light mayonnaise
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
6 tbsp. vegetable oil
1½ tsp. poppy seeds

For the salad:
Romaine lettuce, washed and dried
Strawberries, hulled and sliced
Blueberries
Mandarin orange segments
Fresh pineapple, cubed

Directions:
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the vinegar, sugar, shallot, dry mustard, salt, mayonnaise and orange juice. Process to blend well. With the feed tube open and the processor on, add the vegetable oil in a steady stream and continue processing until incorporated. Add the poppy seeds and pulse briefly just until blended. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the salad, chop the lettuce into bite-size pieces. Plate individual servings of the lettuce in salad plates. Top each serving with strawberries, blueberries, mandarin oranges and pineapple cubes as desired. Drizzle lightly with the poppy seed dressing and serve immediately.

Carrot and Zucchini Bars

These are delicious!!

ingredients

• 1-1/2
  cups all-purpose flour
• 1
  teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2
  teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4
  teaspoon baking soda
• 2
  eggs, slightly beaten
• 1-1/2
  cups shredded carrot
• 1
  medium zucchini, shredded (1 cup)
• 3/4
  cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2
  cup raisins
• 1/2
  cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2
  cup cooking oil
• 1/4
  cup honey
• 1
  teaspoon vanilla
• 1
  recipe Citrus-Cream Cheese Frosting
  
  
  
  
  directions

  1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, ginger, and baking soda. In another large bowl stir together eggs, carrot, zucchini, brown sugar, raisins, walnuts, oil, honey, and vanilla. Add carrot mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Spread batter into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

  2.Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Frost with Citrus-Cream Cheese Frosting. Cut into bars.

  3.Makes 36 bars

  4.Citrus-Cream Cheese Frosting: In a medium mixing bowl beat one 8-ounce package softened cream cheese and 1 cup powdered sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. If desired, stir in 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel or orange peel.

  nutrition facts

  • Calories125
  • Total Fat (g)7
  • Saturated Fat (g)2,
  • Monounsaturated Fat (g)2,
  • Polyunsaturated Fat (g)3,
  • Cholesterol (mg)19,
  • Sodium (mg)44,
  • Carbohydrate (g)16,
  • Total Sugar (g)11,
  • Fiber (g)1,
  • Protein (g)2,
  • Vitamin C (DV%)1,
  • Calcium (DV%)18,
  • Iron (DV%)1,
  • Other Carbohydrates (d.e.)1,
  • Fat (d.e.)1,
  • Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Garden Chicken Stir Fry

I made this recipe last night and it was soooo good! 

Its from Our Best Bites and is only 350 cal!

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped gingerroot
1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
1 cup ready-to-eat baby-cut carrots, cut lengthwise in half
1 cup fat-free chicken broth
1 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
3 teaspoons sugar
2-3 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (3 oz)
1 cup chopped bell pepper (any color)
1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
Hot cooked brown rice, if desired

Procedure: 

Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, garlic and gingerroot; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until chicken is brown.
 

Stir in onion, carrots, 3/4 cup of the broth, the soy sauce and sugar. Cover and cook over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
 

Stir in broccoli, mushrooms and bell pepper. Cover and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink in center and vegetables are crisp-tender.
 

In small bowl, mix cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup broth; stir into chicken mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened.
 

Serve over rice.

A Healthy Sloppy Joe

This recipe is from The Eat Clean Diet by Tosca Reno. I love a lot of her recipes from her book and Scott says these are the best sloppy joes he's ever had.

In a small bowl combine:

1/2 c low sodium chili sauce (I have a hard time finding it so I use tomato sauce)

2 T. tomato paste

1 T. Worcertershire sauce

1 t. cumin, sea salt, black pepper, and chili powder

1 T. white wine vinegar

1 T. dried, crumbled oregano

Saute:

1 T. olive oil

1/4 c. sweet onion, celery

1 clove garlic, chopped fine

Add:

1 lb. lean ground turkey or lean ground beef

Once browned add:

3/4 c. brown rice

Handful of chopped scallions

Then combine with sauce.

Put on multi-grain buns

67

:CoNtEsT:

{2 ways to win}

To date I have tried 67 recipes from this blog.
Can anyone top me??
If so, you get a prize.

Also.....
Post the amount that you have tried and you will be entered in a drawing for another prize. It is easier to count if you look on the right side in the archives. Click each month then click the triangle. It will drop down the list. It does not matter if you have made it or just tried it from somewhere else. Your own do not count.
Due date: July 20th

any good cauliflower recipes?

I need to use up 2 heads of cauliflower that I got in my bountiful basket on saturday... anyone know of a good recipe?? 

While I was searching online, I found this one:

http://thisweekfordinner.com/2011/06/21/a-healthy-twist-on-classic-potato-salad/

I haven't tried it, but looks delish.

Crock Pot Oatmeal

I know this isn't the right time of year, but my kids are crazy about oatmeal! They are also wanting to eat the minute they wake up, and are usually unwilling to wait the 5 or so minutes it takes for me to cook oatmeal for them. I stumbled upon this recipe, and it's perfect! I loved waking up this morning to a yummy smelling kitchen. Enjoy!

2 cups steel cut oats

4 cups water

4 cups milk (I used almond milk to give it a nutty flavor)

2 tsp cinnamon

You can also add in whatever... last night I put in sliced peaches and it was wonderful! 

I also like apples, craisins or raisins, walnuts, frozen berries, etc.

We sweetened ours with pure maple syrup (trying to switch from the usual brown sugar) and I really enjoyed that as well!

***BUDGET TIP***
Steel cut oats can be pretty pricey. I found a 25 lb bag of Bob's Red Mill steel cut oats at WinCo market for $20. That is a huge savings, and it is good for your food storage as well!

Fruit Salad

Since my cute sister keeps posting the unhealthy stuff, how about something sweet that it slightly better for you? Not only is this good for you, but it's a super easy recipe too. Don't believe me? This is literally all you need:

1 can fruit cocktail, undrained
1 can pineapple chunks, drained (save juice)
1 small sugar free Jello vanilla pudding
1 8 oz. tub light Cool Whip (or similar)

Put the fruit cocktail and pineapple in a bowl. Give the pineapple juice to the dog. Sprinkle the pudding on top and mix a little. Fold in the Cool Whip. Cover and chill for about 1 hour.
NOTE: Some people like banana flavored things. I'm not one of them. However, you can use banana pudding if that is something you like. I also add 1/2 cup flaked coconut if I happen to have some on hand.

Orange Rolls

My goal here is to post so many delicious recipes that you all can't resist, resulting in making you super fat, there for making me look not so bad. Here is a weapon of choice.....(and I mean that all in the nicest way)

1 package of Rhodes frozen roll dough
Butter, softened
Sugar
Orange zest
Powdered sugar
Fresh orange juice

1. Let the frozen dough thaw out on the counter for about two hours.
2. Once the dough is workable, but still cool, roll the dough balls into ropes and then tie a knot.
3. Dip the knots in softened butter.
4. Combine the sugar and orange zest with your fingers. Dip the buttered knots into the orange/sugar mixture.

:Ingredients:
5. Place rolls in a greased pan and let rise for at least 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, until they are golden.

7. Let the rolls cool. Make a glaze by combining powdered sugar, orange zest, and fresh orange juice. Whisk until smooth. I didn’t measure but you want the consistency to be a glaze.
8. With a spoon ice the rolls with the orange glaze.