This past weekend the Frozen S'mores were put to the test. They passed! On the first tasting Brady said "mom this is the best thing ever!" As my heart overflowed with joy, I still felt they could be better. They needed more chocolate to them. On Sunday afternoon, I melted a bag of milk chocolate chips (I always have chocolate chips in my pantry, you never know when you need them) and added a little vegetable oil to thin it out a bit. Then, I dipped each frozen s'more into the milk chocolate, laid them on wax paper and back to the freezer. Yesterday afternoon we went to a pool party. The newly created "Chocolate Dipped Frozen S'mores" were a hit! The chocolate smeared fingers, faces and bright smiles proved it. This is one recipe I will be making over and over again, dipped in chocolate of course.
Yesterday I attempted my first ever kabobs. It was a suggestion from a friend that her kids love them, thanks Karen. While digging through my Paula magazines, I found a Lime Chicken and Shrimp Kabobs recipe. I must omit the shrimp since Anna has a severe allergy. I added the ingredients to my shopping list and grilled these up last night. Very tasty! Another great recipe to do again.
Lime Chicken Kabobs
3/4 cup veg oil
juice of 3 limes
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 crushed red pepper (i didn't have any and thought it might be too hot for the kids)
1 red bell pepper and 1 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 16 oz. can pineapple rings, drained, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
(if you want to add shrimp, 1/2 lb. large fresh shrimp, peeled and de-veined)
In a small bowl, combine oil, lime juice, vinegar, sugar, and crushed red pepper. In a dish or plastic bag, throw in the bell pepper, onion, pineapple, chicken (and shrimp). Pour lime mixture over chicken mixture. Cover and seal and marinate in refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.
Remove chicken from marinate and thread ingredients onto kabob sticks. Grill covered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until done, turning occasionally.
*Since I didn't use the shrimp, I added a green bell pepper. I didn't think one red bell pepper was enough. I dumped all the ingredients into a ziploc bag, dumped the marinade on top, sealed bag and then toss around to coat all the ingredients well. I also like to turn and toss the bag during the marinating process when its in the refrigerator, just to help everything evenly coat.
Sausage and Pepper Pasta
1 tbsp veg oil
1 14 oz pkg beef smoked sausage, halved lengthwise, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp Creole seasoning
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 16 oz pkg penne pasta, cooked and kept warm
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage, and cook about 6 minutes stirring frequently or until sausage is browned. Add peppers, onion and garlic; cook for 6 to 8 minutes or I cook until my veggies are tender the way we like them.
Stir in crushed tomatoes, creole seasoning, red pepper and salt. Turn down to medium heat and cook about 5 more minutes or until cooked through. Add cooked pasta, tossing gently to coat. Serve immediately.
My kids love this! I usually serve with corn on the cob and some toasted bread. Usually I still have fresh salad, so I'll throw that in. This is a quick and tasty meal! Oh and yes, this is from one of my Paula magazines. love her.
--I'll go out of order and post a requested recipe that just dawned on me...the Chicken Club Tacos. Chris and I used to frequently eat at Chili's after we had our 2nd child. It was close to the house and we received several gift cards there after we had her. By the way, I loved the restaurant gift cards for baby gifts! One night I saw this on the menu and tried them out. I realized quickly that these could easily be duplicated at home and enjoyed anytime. So, here's what we came up with.
Chicken Club Tacos
about 4 Grilled Chicken breasts--I use whatever I have...house seasoned chicken breasts, canned chicken breasts (seasoned well) or even chicken fajita meat.
lettuce
shredded cheese
ranch dressing
bacon bits--please no imitation in this house. I either make them homemade or use the REAL bacon bits that comes in the big bag at Sam's. I love those, very quick and tasty.
flour tortillas
lots of options: chopped onion, garlic, chives, cilantro, diced tomatoes
Cut up your chicken breasts, grill them up. If I have time I usually throw in some chopped onion (and garlic) with a little butter or EVOO with my chicken breasts. Warm up your tortillas. Then build your own tacos. In each tortilla put some chicken, shredded lettuce, cheese, bacon and ranch like a club sandwich. Wrap it up and enjoy! Like I said, you can get creative and add many options to suit your family's tastes. The next time you go to Chili's, try out their version. PS...NOT a Paula recipe. maybe I should send this to her.
With this I usually serve my black beans. I dump a can of black beans and a can of rotel together. Simmer in a small pot. These are yummy added to your tacos or dip your chips in them! My kids have a hard time NOT making a mess during this meal. If I have time, I take some of the chicken and cheese and make them quesadillas with it. It's easier for them to eat without all the mess.
The kids are still sleeping and the laundry is still going so let me try to type out one more...
Another requested recipe...hamburger steak. This yet again, is from a Paula magazine. It is the BEST recipe I've found for this dish. It's tasty and easy. Best of all, everyone in my house eats this up!
Hamburger Steak
1 1/2 lb ground beef
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley (i never use this, or just the dried)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 8 oz pkg. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 10.5 oz. can beef consomme
1 cup beef broth
1 pkg brown gravy mix
Hot cooked egg noodles or rice or mashed potatoes to be served with the steaks
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, worchestershire, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Shape into patties, about 5 or so 1/2 in thick.
Heat a large skillet over medium to high heat. Add beef patties and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side or until browned. Remove from skillet and set aside. Drain skillet reserving 1 tbsp skillet drippings.
In the same skillet, heat reserved drippings over med to high heat. Throw in mushrooms and onions, cook stirring frequently for 5 to 6 minutes or until tender. Return beef patties to skillet.
In a small bowl combine consomme, broth and gravy mix; add to the skillet. Bring to a boil over med to high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until patties are cooked through and sauce is thickened. Serve immediately over your starch of choice! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment