Turkey -n- Biscuits

2 cups cooked turkey
3 cups turkey broth
4 medium potatoes, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 cups frozen peas
2 T. corn starch
1/3 cup water
sea salt
Stir together the corn starch and water in a glass or a jar until arrowroot powder is dissolved.  In a large pot, bring the broth to a boil.  Stir corn starch  and water mixture into the broth.  Continue to stir until broth thickens.  Add turkey, potatoes, carrots and peas.  Salt liberally.  Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and cook vegetables until they are tender.  Pour into a casserole dish.  Top with whole wheat sourdough biscuits rolled very thin.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 –30 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

Teriyaki Chicken and Veggies

Here’s what you need:
Chicken – You can use leftover chicken (from cooking a whole chicken) and just stir it into the veggies, or you can brown up some chicken breasts or tenderloins
Chopped veggies (zucchini, carrots, sweet peppers, corn, peas, green beans or any others you would like) stir fried in olive oil
Chopped pineapple (fresh or canned), optional
Cooked brown rice
Teriyaki Sauce
Here’s what to do:
Get your  rice cooking.  Mix up Teriyaki Sauce and have it ready to go when chicken and veggies are done.
Chop up your veggies and stir them around in a skillet over medium heat with olive oil until they are tender.  If your chicken needs to be cooked, throw that in too.    If you want, you can season your veggies and chicken with garlic.
Toss pineapple into the veggies to cook for just a few minutes.
Serve rice, veggies, pineapple and chicken with Teriyaki Sauce poured over the top!

Teriyaki Turkey Sliders

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast
3 slices bread, crumbled
2 T. dried chopped onions
2 eggs
1 1/2 T. sugar
3 T. soy sauce
1 glove garlic, minced
1 t. ground ginger

Process the above ingredients in a food processor until blended. Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium heat. You will find the meat mixture sticky and gooey so I used two spoons to work a ball of meat onto the griddle then flattened with a greased spatula. Make 16 small balls in all and grill on both sides for about 3-5 minutes or until cooked through. Each patty should be about 2 1/2 inches across. Serve on mini egg dough buns or mini potato rolls. Serve with favorite condiments. Makes 16 sliders.

Summer Garden Pasta Salad

2 small raw squash, chopped in quarters - zucchini, crook neck, or a mix

handful of cherry tomatoes
1 small red onion
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
feta cheese
1-2 cups chopped chicken, cooked
1 bag bow tie or other favorite pasta (I usually use whole wheat)


Dressing:
Mix equal parts of extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. 
1/2 - 1 tsp. dried oregano (or fresh if you have it)


Chop and combine ingredients to your liking. Toss with dressing. 

Low Fat Oriental Chicken Salad

Dressing

2 cups water

2 T. brown sugar

3 t. dry pectin

1 T. rice wine vinegar

1 t. soy sauce

1 t. minced garlic

1 t. kosher salt

¼ t. black pepper

¼ t. paprika

1 package ramen noodles

1 cup water

½ t. chicken bouillon

3 cups torn green leaf lettuce

1 cup shredded Napa cabbage

2 green onions, white and green parts sliced on the diagonal

2 mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 rib celery, thinly sliced

½ cup cooked, shredded chicken

3 baby carrots, cut into matchsticks

1 T. roasted sunflower seeds

Combine dressing ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat to boiling, whisking frequently. Cook at a low boil for about 10 minutes, until slightly reduced. Remove from heat, cool, and refrigerate.

Bring cup of water to boiling in saucepot. Add ramen noodles and boillon. Boil for 3 minutes then turn off heat and allow to cool (noodles will absorb excess liquid).

Combine lettuce, cabbage, onions, mushrooms and celery. Toss with 1/3 to ½ cup of dressing. Place in serving bowl and top with chicken, ramen noodles, carrots and sunflower seeds.

Serves one with approximately 525 calories – but this is a BIG salad and has enough protein to satisfy.

Asian Sauced Pork Tenderloin Medallions

1 t. minced ginger

1 t. honey

1 T. soy sauce

1 t. rice wine vinegar

½ t. Asian red chili sauce

3/4 lb. pork tenderloin, sliced horizontally into 3 thick pieces

1 t. olive oil

Combine marinade ingredients in a glass dish and add pork loin pieces. Marinate, refrigerated, a minimum of two hours.

Heat a heavy skillet to medium high. Add olive oil. Remove pork tenderloin from marinade and carefully add to hot skillet, being careful not to splatter yourself with the hot oil. Reduce heat to medium. Cook medallions for about 3 – 5 minutes each side (depending on thickness) until cooked through. Add remaining marinade and about 1/3 cup of water to deglaze the hot pan and make a sauce. To serve, place one medallion on each plate and spoon about a tablespoon of sauce over each.

Spicy Stuffed Bell Peppers

1 cup rice

1 cup coarsely chopped peeled and seeded tomatoes

1 green onion, thinly sliced

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

1 t. dried cilantro (or 2 t. fresh cilantro, chopped)

1 t. minced garlic

½ t. garlic salt

Salt and pepper to taste

4 jalapeno cheddar sausages

4 large or 6 small bell peppers

2 ounces Velveeta cheese

4 – 6 T. prepared salsa

2 T. ketchup

1/3 cup water

Cook rice according to package directions.

Meanwhile, set a large of pot of water to boiling. Add the peppers and the tomatoes (about 2 medium). Remove the tomatoes after a minute with a slotted spoon. Immediately run under cold water and then remove the peels. Remove the seeds with your thumb and chop tomatoes into large chunks. After 5 minutes, remove the bell peppers and allow to cool. When cool, slice off the tops and remove the seeds and white membranes inside. If necessary, slice a small bit off the bottom of the peppers so they stand upright. Place the cleaned peppers in a greased baking dish.

When the rice is done, add the chopped tomatoes, green onion, Worcestershire, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. If desired, you can also chop up any extra bits of bell pepper from the sliced off sections and add these, too. Thinly slice the sausages and add them to the rice mixture.

Fill the peppers with rice mixture and top with a slice of Velveeta cheese. Top each with a tablespoon of salsa, allowing it to drip over the sides. Mix the ketchup and water and add to bottom of baking dish.

Bake peppers uncovered in 375 degree oven for about half an hour, until the peppers are softened and the cheese is melted.

Serves 4.

Note: If you like more heat, add a couple tablespoons of chopped hot green chile or jalapenos to the rice mixture.

Healthy Stuffed Bell Peppers

½ cup brown rice

4 medium-sized green bell peppers

1 pound ground chicken breast

1 T. red bell pepper, minced

1 clove garlic, minced (divided)

2 green onions, minced (divided)

1 ½ T. green chile, minced (divided)

1/3 cup canned corn, drained

½ t. each: oregano, garlic salt, paprika, dried parsley, black pepper, dried cilantro and cumin powder

1 can condensed cheese soup (divided)

¼ cup fat free half and half

In a saucepan, bring 1 ½ cups water to boil. Add half cup brown rice. Cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes. Remove from heat.

Remove the cap of the green peppers and clean out seeds and membranes inside. Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each, if necessary, to make them stand up straight (good posture for peppers, ha!). Spray a baking pan with cooking spray and stand peppers within.

In a skillet sprayed with cooking spray, cook ground chicken over medium heat. Add red bell pepper, half of the minced garlic, the white parts of the green onion, and half of the green chile. Sauté for another two minutes, until veggies are soft. Add corn, rice, seasonings and ¼ cup of the cheese soup. The rice should have a small amount of unabsorbed water in the bottom of the pan; if not add a tablespoon of water to mixture to chicken mixture to thin it a bit.

Stuff each pepper with one quarter of the chicken/rice mixture. Cover the baking pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour, until bell peppers are soft.

While the peppers are cooking, mix together remaining cheese soup, reserved vegetables and half and half. Microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until heated through.

To serve, place one pepper on a plate and spoon a quarter of the warm cheese sauce over the top. Goes great with a hot bowl of soup or a crisp, fresh green salad.

Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix

 I found this recipe on a recipe card that belonged to my  mother in law and we all love it.. 

Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix  

Ingredients:

5 Tbl dried minced onion
7 tsp parlsey flakes
4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dill 

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together and store in an air tight container.

For Dressing:  Mix 2 Tbl dry mix with 1 C mayonnaise and 1 C buttermilk.  Allow flavors to blend for a couple hours before serving.

For Dip: Mix 2 Tbl dry mix with 2 C sour cream.  Allow flavors to blend for a couple hours before serving.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp butter or oil
• 2 cups cubed chicken (you can use leftover roast chicken as well, but it will ‘shred’)
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp dried minced garlic or garlic powder)
• 2 cups chicken broth (or more depending on how thick/thin you like your chili)
• 2 Anaheim peppers, chopped and seeds removed
• 1-3 jalapenos, chopped and seeds removed (depending on ripeness they vary from mild to spicy)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 ½ tsp oregano
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 cups cooked cannellini beans (or white northern)
• 12 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded
• optional: red pepper flakes (for added spice if the jalapenos don’t give it enough kick!) sour cream, and salsa

Method of Preparation

1. Pour the oil into a hot pan and cook chicken until done. (drain if it gets really greasy)

2.  Add onions and cook over medium until onions become tender. Add the garlic and and peppers, simmer for an additional minute.

3. Add in the chicken, broth, beans and additional seasonings, simmering for at least 20 minutes. Taste and add red pepper flakes if needed.

4. Stir in about 8 ounces of the shredded cheese, simmer for another 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.

5. Top with the rest of the cheese, sour cream, or salsa and serve.

This recipe is easily doubled and can be made in the crockpot and left to simmer all day as well. (though leave out the cheese until the last 15 minutes of cooking)

Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas

(Freeze the tortillas separately for this easy dinner)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 pint sour cream
pinch garlic powder
1 can diced green chiles
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 dozen flour tortillas
grated Monterey Jack cheese

Mix first 5 ingredients together in a large bowl. Spoon into a 1 gallon freezer bag and lay flat to freeze.To prepare: Thaw sauce and tortillas. Spoon a bit of the chicken mixture into each tortilla. Roll up and place side by side in a 9 X 13 baking pan. Pour remaining mixture over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Honey-garlic chicken

1/2 c. liquid honey
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c water
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tsp. garlic powder
1. tsp. ground ginger
3 lbs chicken (wings,thighs or drumsticks whatever is the best buy) I sub in Pork riblets.. or ribs *whichever i have*
Combine everything but chicken in saucepan and simmer for 5 min.
Place chicken in 9″ X 13″ baking dish. Pour sauce over chicken. Marinate 2 hours. Turn.
Bake 400 degrees F oven for 60 min, turning once.


*TIP* if your honey is cold ie slow running to make it more liquidy just microwave it for a few seconds and heat it up 

Italian Cream Cheese Chicken Casserole

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour or cornstarch
3 cups chicken broth
8 oz cream cheese
1 Tbsp Italian Dressing Mix
1/2 Tbsp dried minced onion
1/2 Tbsp dried minced garlic
1-2 cooked and cubed chicken breasts
1 box of rotini pasta (we use brown rice)
1/2 head of steamed broccoli or about 1/2 bag of frozen broccoli

Cook pasta until al dente or slightly firm. (if you’re freezing this under cook it) Melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour or cornstarch (cornstarch for you gluten free folks) to make a rue. Once mixed together well, add the broth in slowly while whisking. Once at a gentle boil, whisk occasioanly and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened. Add in cream cheese and all the seasonings. Mix well and taste. If you like more seasoning, add it now. Let simmer for a few minutes while you grease a 9×13 pan and dump the pasta, chicken, and broccoli into it. Pour cream cheese mixture over everything and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. 


Take out, stir, and enjoy!