A new dish

I wanted to use up some ingredients I had.. So I decided to make up a dinner!

Ingredients

3 T olive oil

1 T Olive Oil, chipotle

1 Onion Red, diced

10 medium slices, cooked bacon

1 zucchini , quartered and diced

1 squash, quartered and diced

1 1/2 c shredded chicken

12 oz penne pasta

1 T Paprika, Spanish

1 T thyme, crushed (dry)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 stick salted butter

4 oz feta

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 128 g
Amount Per Serving
335 calories

directions-
Boil chicken 45 minutes in salt and pepper with water, shred when cooled. I use 1 1/2 C and reserved the rest for later.

Cook bacon... 10 slices and dice.

Add oils, red onion, bacon, zucchini, squash, paprika, salt and pepper and cook until vegetables soften, about 8-10 minutes. Add thyme and shredded chicken. In a separate pan cook penne. In another pan melt butter. Add chicken mixture to noodles in bowl, top with melted butter. Scoop out portion. Add feta to top! Yummmmmmmmmy!

Taco pizza

I was craving taco pizza from Happy Joe's in Iowa City. Yeah, I don't live there anymore, but it is quite amazing. So I did what any resourceful cook would do- I made it myself...but a bit healthier and faster than waiting for dough to rise.

First I made a no yeast wheat crust.

1 1/2 cups regular whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and knead by hand in bowl for about 2 minutes.

Place onto baking sheet and press out into desired shape (thinner crust works better for this recipe).

Bake for 5-10 minutes (depending on how thick it is).

While this was baking I made the taco meat- 1 lb of really lean ground beef with taco seasoning.

Take it out, add sauce and toppings, then bake for another 8-10 minutes, or until toppings are cooked and edges of crust are lightly browned.

For the sauce I used 3/4 of a jar of pizza sauce, then 3/4 of the cooked meat an then 3/4 of a bag of Mexican cheese.

After baking, I put crunched tortilla chips, shredded lettuce, Jacks med hot salsa, diced Roma tomato, and a splash of cheese for the final touch.

Mmmmmm.

The crust is not crispy, but softer. Still delicious!

Mmmmm lettuce wraps

Tonight I tried to recreate the famous PF Chang Lettuce Wraps!

And oh my! They were delicious!!!!!!

This made enough for 4 servings (ate for dinner and there is enough for leftovers!)

I used Romaine Hearts instead of iceberg for more nutritional value ;)

Ingredients
3 tablespoons oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnut
2⁄3; cup mushroom
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 -5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce
¼ cup sugar
½ cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1⁄8; teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 teaspoons water
1 -2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

Stir Fry Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Directions:

1
Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
2
Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.
3
Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.
4
Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.
5
Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.
6
Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
7
Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.
8
Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
9
Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.
10
As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
11
Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
12
When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
13
With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.
14
Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
15
Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups".
16
Top with "Special Sauce".


Here is the link: http://www.food.com/recipe/p-f-changs-chicken-lettuce-wraps-15865#ixzz1mDrJ32f6

Tiropitas anyone?

This recipe was delicious! Just make sure you don't overdo the butter on each level and work with the phyllo quickly!

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese 5 eggs, beaten 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled 1 cup butter, melted 1 (16 ounce) package frozen phyllo pastry, thawed in refrigerator
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, eggs and feta cheese until well blended. Brush melted butter onto one sheet of phyllo dough at a time, and layer them in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish until you have 7 sheets. Let the sheets rest up against the sides of the dish as well. Spread the cheese mixture over the phyllo layers, then repeat the process with 7 more sheets, tucking in the sides around the edges.
Bake for about 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown and crisp. Cut into squares and serve warm.

Recipe courtesy of www.allrecipes.com

Oriental Chicken Salad.....

Want to try something at home that tastes like you are out for dinner at Applebees? (www.applesbees.com)

Then you must try this simple simple recipe...

EVERY time my hubby eats the first bite, the look on his face says it all:

First, make the dressing:

Oriental Dressing
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
Salad
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 skinless chicken breast half
2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 cup red cabbage
1 cup napa cabbage
1/2 carrot, julienned or shredded
1 green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
1/3 cup chow mein noodles
Directions
1. Preheat oil in deep fryer or deep pan over medium heat.
2. You want the temperature of the oil to be around 350 degrees.
3. Blend together all ingredients for dressing in a small bowl with an electric mixer.
4. Put dressing in refrigerator to chill while you prepare the salad.
5. In a small, shallow bowl beat egg, add milk, and mix well.
6. In another bowl, combine flour with corn flake crumbs, salt and pepper.
7. Cut chicken breast into 4 or 5 long strips.
8. Dip each strip of chicken first into egg mixture then into the flour mixture, coating each piece completely.
9. Fry each chicken finger for 5 minutes or until coating has darkened to brown.
10. Prepare salad by tossing the chopped romaine with the chopped red cabbage, Napa cabbage, and carrots.
11. Sprinkle sliced green onion on top of the lettuce.
12. Sprinkle almonds over the salad, then the chow mein noodles.
13. Cut the chicken into small bite-size chunks.
14. Place the chicken onto the salad forming a pile in the middle.
15. Serve with salad dressing drizzled over it or on the side.




Last, get out the spinach or romaine lettuce add coleslaw mix *instead of all the dfferent kinds of cabbage/lettuce, almond slices, chow mein noodles and the dressing and VOILA, delicious salad!