BBQ recipes!

Calling for all of your favorite BBQ recipes!!!  Summer is fantastic for grilling...what do you like to make?  Or what do you want to try?

Peach Puree

Whenever my family made cheese grilled sandwiches we always had peach puree.

Take 1 bottle of homemade peaches (I have done it with canned and it is OK---but not quite as good).  Pour into a blender (Juice and peaches).  Blend until smooth.  Add ice and blend until no large chunks of ice.

Yum!  You don't have to add sugar or anything because there is already sugar in the juice/syrup.

Cheese grilled sandwiches and tomato soup

Tuesday we had good old cheese grilled sandwiches and tomato soup.  And I never thought about it...but I could so that for one of my Meatless Mondays!!!

(I know there are different levels of vegetarians...some that don't eat cheese, dairy, eggs, etc...but we are going strictly for no meat for our Meatless Mondays)!!!

BBQ chicken

I was going to make fried chicken tonight.  But the house was a little warm and I didn't feel like warming up the kitchen any more than it already was.  So we went for BBQ chicken.

Here's what I did...

 Thaw chicken if frozen.  Do not thaw in microwave it dries them out...instead place frozen chicken in baggie (or if it was frozen in baggie leave it there) and place in a bowl of hot tap water.  Replace water every so often with more hot tap water.  Obviously don't leave the chicken out all day.  It thaws pretty fast...maybe a half hour or so.

Trim fat off chicken breasts.

Place on grill on low (my grill cooks really hot---so maybe yours is different).  Put chicken breasts on grill.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Flip over.  If one spot on the grill is cooking hotter, switch and put a different chicken breast there now.  Cook for 5 more minutes.  Flip them again.  Pour quite a bit of BBQ sauce (any kind) on top.  Spread with a spoon.  Let cook for 4 minutes.  Flip.  Repeat BBQ sauce on 2nd side.  Cook for 4 more minutes.  Serve with that same side up (If you flip them again the bottom doesn't look as nice because some of the sauce will have dripped off).  Check for doneness by removing one breast onto a plate and cutting open to see if still pink.  (or use meat thermometer.)

I only serve each person 1/2 of a breast because 1 serving of meat is 3 oz which is about the size of the palm of your hand.  My family grumbled a little at first, but now we have been doing it for years, they are OK with it.

I also made mashed potatoes.  I think I posted those directions earlier, but if not I will do a separate post here.  And yes, the lettuce is not quite as green as it should be to look pretty in a picture.  (Oh well).

Navajo Tacos

Tonight I am planning on Navajo Tacos.

To make the scones...Buy Rhoades white bread dough.  Let thaw.  Pull off a small blob.  Roll with rolling pin.  Heat oil on Med-high heat in a large pan.  You need about an inch and a half or two inches of oil in the pan.  Try 1 blob first (not a full scone...just a little blob of dough).  If dough rises to the top of the oil then your oil is hot enough.  If it sinks then oil is not hot enough.  When oil is hot enough, place one of the rolled out dough in the grease.  It doesn't take long.  When brown on bottom, flip over with a fork or tongs to brown on other side.  When done...remove from oil with tongs or fork and place on a plate covered with paper towels for a few minutes until oil drips off.

Top with canned chili, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, salsa, (tomatoes if you like them), etc...

I like Cattledrive chili the best...but it is pricey so usually I just have western family!!!

Today for my meatless monday I am going to buy the vegetarian chili.  It is really not too bad.

Since you'll have extra dough you can make more scones and top with honeybutter or cinnamon-sugar for a good family night treat or dessert!

Note after I made this tonight...I did one of the loaves (out of 3 that come in the pkg.).  It made 3 medium size scones and 2 small scones.  It was not enough for my family of 6 and definitely not enough to have scones with honeybutter for dessert.  Next time I would do 2 loaves for dinner and 1 loaf for treats.

Pasta Bolognese

From Jennica R...


Here is that recipe my husband loves. I do agree it is super yummy. Not the cheapest recipe i've ever made due to the Gouda cheese, but the gouda cheese is a must in this recipe, I buy the big wedge of gouda at costco and I can usually use it in 4 to 5 different meals. Here is the original recipe

2Tbsp olive oil
1Tbsp butter
1 tsp dried basil
Dash crushed red chili pepper
3 medium onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
dash of salt
3 - 29 oz cans tomato sauce
7 oz Gouda cheese, grated
1 pint heavy cream

In olive oil and butter saute basil, chili pepper, onlion, garlic, and salt until onion is tender. Add tomato sauce and cook until flavors combine (at least 20 minutes, but the longer the better). Add Gouda cheese and stir until melted. Add heavy cream and remove from heat (cream should not be cooked). Serve over pasta.

*This is the original recipe, when I made it I changed it up a bit and our family liked it a lot. I only used 2 onions. and i replaced the heavy cream with half a pint of half and half so it wasn't so rich. I added italian sausage for meat. 
Enjoy!

Lemonade Pork Chops

So Shannon...I have been dreaming about your lemonade chicken since you posted it.  So finally yesterday I made a special trip to the store to buy the frozen lemonade concentrate... I came home...got ready to start it...and discovered I had no chicken!!!!!

So I looked up a lemonade recipe for pork chops (which I did have in the freezer).  Here is the one I used.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/lemonade-pork-chops/detail.aspx

It got 4 out of 5 stars and I would give it the same.  It was good.  Not my favorite meal ever.  But very good.

I didn't have celery salt so I just skipped it.  And I didn't let it marinate overnight (only for 2 hours).  Here are the directions the way I did it...

• 1 (6 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed (I thawed mine in the mocrowave for 30 seconds)  (I bought yellow because that was the only kind they had at Target)
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt (I didn't use)
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 pounds thick cut pork chops or steaks

I doubled the sauce because that was the whole can of lemonade...but I had tons of sauce...so I probably didn't need to double it.  I let it marinate for 2 hours (24 hours would be better).  Sear on high heat to brown outside.  Bake covered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until no longer pink in center (mine took a  little longer).  

I was going to make rice as suggested on the original recipe.  But I forgot.  So I made cornbread muffins, peas, cooked carrots and sliced oranges.  My family and I love cornbread (we like bread better than muffins---but that's not what I made yesterday).  I have made all kinds of recipes for cornbread and just keep coming back to Marie Calendars mix.  It is just add water.  (But the cornbread kind, not the corn muffin mix).  It is moist and delicious.  It is not quite as good as at the restaurant...but almost!


I am still going to make the lemonade chicken though someday Shannon.

Meatless Enchilada Casserole

I got this recipe from a friend and my husband loves it!  It's a quick dish to make and yummy too! 

2 cans of black beans (kidney beans are okay)

2 cans of petite diced tomatoes (I like Western Family Chipotle Chile)

1 to 2 cups frozen corn (or 1 can of corn)

1 cup shredded cheese

(optional) ¼ to ½ lb. shredded or cubed chicken

2 T lime juice

cilantro

1 cup shredded cheese

6 tortillas

9x13 baking dish

Drain canned items.  Mix everything but tortillas and one cup of cheese together in a bowl. Lay two tortillas on bottom of greased casserole dish. Spoon in a third of the mixture over tortillas. Layer two tortillas again and top with mixture. Last, add a final layer of two tortillas, mixture and cover all with cup of cheese. Bake for 20 minutes at 350°.  If desired, serve with sour cream.

serves 6 to 8

What to make for dinner...

Let's see...what can I make for dinner.  I don't want to go to the grocery store...limited choices...Hmmm...What are you having?

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Hamburger Casserole

This is one of our favorite meals (and easiest). It is the go to for meals to other families.

2lbs. ground beef browned and drained
1 medium onion cooked with ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 soup can water
3/4 c. rice
chow mein noodles

Preheat oven to 350. Brown the ground beef with onion. Drain and combine with soups, rice and water in a casserole dish. Cover dish and cook for 1/2 hour with lid on. Then remove lid, mix then cook another 1/2 hour without lid. Cover mixture with chow mein noodles and cook and additional 15 minutes. (I put a little a-1 steak sauce my portion to add a little more flavor.) Enjoy!!

Fall-Apart Roast with gravy and mashed potatoes

This is the way my Grandma, my Mom and now me do roast.  It falls apart rather than slices.

1 chuck roast (you can use other kinds, but this is the cheapest and I think the best)
Prepared mustard
1 pkg Dry Onion Soup Mix

Smother roast with mustard, then sprinkle whole pkg of onion soup mix over top.  Cook in crock pot on high for 5 or so hours.

To make gravy...
remove roast from crock pot and place on plate or platter.  Pour drippings into a pan.  Put roast back in crock pot to stay warm.  Add as much water to the drippings as you want to stretch it.  (I only do a cup or 2, but you could do much more).  Heat until boiling, then lower temperature to medium.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  It will take quite a bit of each.  It will taste good when you taste it.  If it is blah---then add more S&P.  In a cup mix some water and either cornstarch or flour, use a whisk to get rid of lumps.  Add some of the hot drippings to the cornstarch or water mix to warm it up a bit.  While stirring drippings with a whisk, slowly pour in the cornstarch or flour mixture.  Over the next few minutes it will thicken.

To make mashed potatoes...
Boil potatoes (or use pressure cooker for 3 minutes---my favorite way because it is soooo much faster).  Drain.  Put in large bowl.  Always add butter/margarine and S&P.  Then add other dairy products like milk, sour cream, cream cheese, etc...  Start mashing.  I do mine by hand, but you can use a mixer instead.  I like mine a little chunky, but just keep mashing until the are the desired consistency.  For creamier potatoes use more of the add-ins, for healthier potatoes use less of the add-ins.  You can also add shredded cheese, garlic powder, etc...

Crock Pot Zesty Chicken

This is a favorite at our house. We had it last night for Sunday dinner with salad and strawberries. Leftovers can be frozen.

*about 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3 regular sized breasts)

*16 oz. Kraft Zesty Italian dressing

*1 cup water and 1 chicken bouillon cube

large crock pot (5 or 6 qt. )--
Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours until chicken shreds easily with 2 forks.  Shred and then add:

*1 8 oz. block cream cheese

*2 cans cr. of chicken

Cook 30 min. on high or 1 hour on low.

Serve it over rice.  Soooo Yummy!

Serves: at least 6-8

All of the ingredients can be changed more or less to your liking.

Baked Potato Night

Tonight is baked potatoes at my house!  We have these almost once a week (to cut down on the food budget).

Baking instructions (I'm sure you already know...but you might not know about the oil method)
Wash potatoes, cut off any bad spots
either wrap in foil
or completely rub surface with oil (pour oil in small bowl and roll potatoes in until coated)

Bake at 450 for 1 hour or 350 for 2 hours.

My mom always poked hers with a fork, but I have found that it is unnecessary.  If desperate you can cook in microwave for 5-10 minutes.  But they do tend to shrivel up a bit (not my favorite way).

I usually do the foil method.  But I really love the oil method.   It makes the skin a little tougher and thicker (like twice baked potatoes).  If you don't like the skin to start with, you won't like the oil method.  But to me it seems different and even a little fancier, just because it's unusual.

We usually top with butter, S&P, sour cream, cheese, bacos and either ham and ranch dressing or seasoned hamburger (hamburger with fresh or dried onion, garlic salt and pepper).

Once in a blue moon we top with chili or broccoli.

My 11 YO son likes to microwave his after putting cheese on top so the cheese gets melted.

I like to bake double the amount we are going to use (so usually 10 for my family of 5 eaters) then the leftovers I put in the fridge (still in foil).  Then I can make fried potatoes later.  Just cube or cut into coins or shred with cheese grater.  Fry in a little oil until brown and crispy.  Wah-lah!

What temp do you cook your potatoes if you want them to cook all during church?  How do you prepare your potatoes?  What do you like on your potatoes? Which way do you spell potato or potatoe?

Tonight we are leaving out ham and/or hamburger for our meatless monday!!!

Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

Tonight- my family is having Teriyaki Chicken for dinner. Here's how I'm going to do it.

4-6 frozen chicken breasts
1 cup teriyaki sauce (your choice of brand)

Put in crockpot for 6-7 hours on low.

Serve with rice. Salad and veggie.

Enjoy!

Let's hear from you!

All you new authors (to this blog) out there...let's hear a favorite recipe, or tell us what you're making for dinner, ask a question, etc...

If you want to be an author (to this blog) please send me an email.  You don't have to be a great (or even a good) cook.  We just want to interact, share, ask, discuss, things about cooking and recipes.  We want you!  We need you!  Please join!

Keep pan from boiling over

To keep your pasta, potatoes or chicken from boiling over just add a little oil to the water.

Never-Fail Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the choco chip cookies I always make.  The recipe is from Chris.  Thanks Chris!  They are great and I love that they use shortening, so you don't have to soften any butter.

1 C. butter flavor shortening (I use regular shortening)
1 C. brown sugar
1 C. white sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3 C. flour
1/2 pkg. chocolate chips

Cream shortening, sugars, eggs, vanilla until just mixed.  Add salt, soda and flour.  Do not overmix.  Stir in Choco chips.  Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees just until top of cookie starts to crack.  Good undercooked and gooey.

These are my favorite but here are a few personal notes.  The dough is good, but not my favorite dough to eat raw (but the cooked cookies are my favorite).  But don't get me wrong...it's still good dough to eat, just not my favorite.  They are not as good if you freeze the dough and cook them up later, they are much better made from fresh dough.

Rinsing vegetables and Meat

Here are a few tips I learned at Weight Watchers...

When warming a can of veggies, rinse them in water before heating to lower the sodium content.

After cooking hamburger, rinse in colander under hot water to rinse off the fat.

Parmesan Pan-Seared Pork Chops

I made this for dinner tonight.  It was a new recipe and was really yummy.  Everyone liked it, even the kids!  I am definitely going to add it to my regular recipes.

2 eggs
1 C. dried italian style bread crumbs
3/4 C. parmesan cheese
4 pork chops-boneless, center-cut, 1/2 inch thick
salt and pepper
6 T. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1 lemon (optional)

Whisk eggs in pie plate.  place bread crumbs on separate plate.  Place parmesan on separate plate (3rd plate).  Sprinkle the pork chops with S&P.  Coat chops completely in parmesan.  Dip chops in eggs.  Coat chops with bread crumbs.  Heat 3 T. oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add pork chops (2 per batch) and cook until golden brown about 6 minutes per side.  Serve with lemon wedge.

I made a few modifications...
I forgot to S&P at the beginning so I did it once they were in the pan.  I used an electric frying pan at 300 degrees for 6 minutes on each side (cooking all 4 at once).  I cut one open and it was still pink.  So I put the cover on, reduced the heat to 200 degrees and cooked until no longer pink.  We did really like the lemon squirted on top, but it was good without also.

What's for dinner?

What is everyone else having for dinner tonight?

Fettucine Alfredo

Tonight we are having fettucine alfredo.  It's my Mom's recipe and is really fattening and yummy.

1 pt heavy whipping cream
1/2 stick margarine
1 oz neufchatel cream cheese (which is the 1/3 lower fat kind)
1/2 C. fresh grated parmesan
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried parsley

combine butter, cream, cream cheese on medium until all melted and mixed well.  Add parmesan and spices.  Simmer for 15-20 min on low.  Serve with pasta and chicken (I'm leaving out the chicken tonight for our MEATLESS MONDAY!).

My Mom likes to place in a pan and reheat in the oven before serving...I like it that way too...I just don't have the time.

Gluten Free....

I'm searching for Gluten Free Recipes....I should be completely gluten free, but I struggle with it. I don't have Celiac's disease....but it's similar. I take medicine for it- but I'd like to get off the medicine now and go Gluten Free.

Hey- It might even help me lose weight!

I've bought all the "gluten free" stuff at grocery stores and they just aren't the best tasting.

(Except for the Gluten Free Betty Crocker Chocolate Brownies..they are divine!...

but that won't help me lose weight..)

So if you happen to have a recipe out there (that's good!)

that doesnt have grain of any kind, except rice,

Please, Please share. I'd love to try it.

thanks.

YoYo night...

It's Saturday night, about 7:19 and my kids are hungry. Imagine that. I mean, we've only dejunked the house, cleaned the garage, mowed the lawn and then spent 4 hours at Uncle Cam's Ranch. I can't believe they are hungry! (ha ha ha)

Because we've had an eventful day- tonight I called YOYO!!

It stands for You On Your Own.

(my parents did it to us as kids... we did it to our kids tonight!)

Here's the assortment of food that was had by all of us!

• 
  
  Frozen Pizza


• 
  
  tacos


• 
  
  pork n beans


• 
  
  ramen noodles


• 
  
  nachos


• 
  
  quesadillas!

I say anytime your in a hurry and have had a long day..... Call it a YoYo night!!

Tacos

OK ladies it's taco night at my house.

What about you, what are you making for diner tonight?

I don't really have any special tips or tricks about tacos, do you?

I usually just use 1/2 a packet of the original Old El Paso Taco Seasoning.  (I like that brand and I like only half a packet per 1 pound of hamb.)  If have it I'll chop up 1/2 to a full onion and cook it with the hamb.

I do really love the raw tortillas you cook yourself.  But I don't usually have them.  (But I do today---Yea!!!).

When serving tacos for company I usually buy Taco meat from Taco Time.  I think they have the best taco meat.  I wonder if it's because it's simmering all day long.  But who plans that far ahead?  Not me.

A lot of times I will make double the taco meat and freeze half in a ziploc, then I have a quick meal another day.

What are you having for dinner tonight, or what are your taco tips and tricks???

Rice Cooker and freezing rice

For those of you who don't have a rice cooker I would highly recommend it.  I got mine as a wedding gift.  My Mom never had one, so I thought...that's silly, who needs a separate appliance to cook rice?  Just use a pan.

I was unable to find the store where it was purchased to return it, so I ended up keeping it and trying it.  Now I love it.  I never do rice any other way!

Mine is about the size of a 5 qt crock pot.  It has an insert that slides in (like a crock pot does).  You measure the rice and water, stir, and press the cook button.  It takes about 20-25 minutes to cook.  It senses when it is done and switches from cook to warm.  Mine suggests letting it sit on warm for 5 minutes before serving.

It cooks the rice perfectly every time.  You can also do brown rice or other varieties.  Although I usually do my brown rice in a pressure cooker because it is so much faster.  (brown rice seems to take a lot longer to cook than white).

My rice cooker is an Aroma brand.  But I'm sure other brands are just as great.  Mine also came with 2 trays I can fit on top to steam things.  So I could cook the rice and have veggies steaming on top.  But I have never used them.

When the rice is done cooking you pull the insert out and clean it in soap and water.  Easy Peasy!

The one complaint I have is that the very bottom layer of rice does seem to scorch a bit, so I just scoop right above it and leave a layer of rice in the bottom each time.

I always make extra rice and either refrigerate or freeze the extra.

To freeze it I just put the extra in a ziploc, then throw it in the freezer.  Sometimes I do individual portion sizes, and sometimes I do family size portions.  When I am ready to use it I pull it out push the frozen blob out of the baggie into a bowl.  Start microwaving, stirring every few minutes.  Within a few minutes I have hot cooked rice.  I find it especially helpful for brown rice.

Salsa Chicken

 Today for dinner I'm making Salsa Chicken.  We have been making this recipe for a few years now.  We love it.    I originally got it from one of the recipe cards at Macey's, and I think they got it from Pace.

1 1/2 C. Pace Picante Sauce

3 T. light brown sugar

1 T. Dijon Mustard

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

3-4 C. hot cooked rice

Mix salsa, sugar, and mustard.  Place chicken in baking dish.  Pour sauce over top.  Bake at 400 for 20 min or until chicken is done.  Serve over rice.  I usually double the sauce for all of my recipes.