Southwestern Chicken Salad

One of my most favorite recipes EVER.  Seriously, such a crowd pleaser, so flavorful, healthy and delicious!  I should have taken a picture BEFORE we started devouring it!

Serves 6; 1 cup serving

Chicken Salad:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 4 oz each)

1/2 green bell pepper

1/2 red bell pepper

1/2 medium red onion

15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup diced jicama (I always just use an apple, usually a Granny Smith, instead--it's the same texture and I like the flavor it adds)

1/2 cup snipped fresh cilantro

1/2 fresh jalapeno, minced

Dressing

2 T. olive oil

2 T. orange juice

3 T. cider vinegar

1 t. ground cumin

1/2 t. chili powder

1/2 t. cayenne pepper

1/2 t. salt

The recipe recommends cooking as follows, but I just cook my chicken however I want (boil, grill, or throw in a frying pan) and dice.  

Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.  Put chicken in a 9-inch microwave-safe pie plate and cover with wax paper.  Microwave on 100% power (high) for 4-5 minutes, turning chicken halfway through cooking time.  Or bring 1/2 inch water to a simmer in a large skillet and cook chicken, covered, for 15 minutes, or until barely pink in center.  Set aside to finish cooking and cool.

Meanwhile, dice bell peppers and onion; put in a large bowl.  Add remaining chicken salad ingredients to bell pepper mixture, stirring well. 

In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine dressing ingredients.  Shake to dissolve salt.  Pour over bean mixture. 

Chop chicken and add to bean mixture, tossing well.  Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until needed

Chocolate Lava Lava

This is from Emily -
If you are a chocolate lover here is the recipe for you...


I attempted a chocolate lava cake this year for Valentine's Day.  I overcooked them on accident by about 2-3 minutes.  They were still divine!!!  And did I mention super easy??  I bought 2 sets of small glass pyrex dishes that come in a pack of 3 at Walmart.  They were about $7 per pack of 3.


This makes 6 servings:


8 pieces (squares) Semi-sweet baking chocolate
1 c. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
4 whole eggs
4 egg yolks
6 Tablespoons flour


Preheat oven to 425.
Spray glass dishes with Pam.
Microwave chocolate and butter until often.  (Stir often and do not burn!)
Whisk in sugar until well blended.  Whisk in eggs and yolks.  Whisk in flour.
Divide between cups.
Bake 10 min. (it said to bake it 13-14 min and I overcooked mine by baking them this long). **Bake until sides are firm and center is soft.  Don't overcook!  Let stand 1 minute.  Eat warm with ice cream.


Yum is all I have to say!!!

Fiesta Wheat and Bean Salsa

Fiesta Wheat and Bean Salsa
This recipe is from the book "I Dare Youto Eat It"


1 orange or red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, cored and diced
Juice of 1 lime
3 c. cooked wheat berries
1 can corn, drained (16 oz.)
1 can black beans, drained (15 oz.)

2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 c. cider vinegar
1 T. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss well. Chill  for at least 1 hour before serving.  This is from a food storage recipe book that I've never seen but this one is really delish!  Everytime I make it I have people ask for the recipe.  (Wheat berries are just boiled wheat.  I think one cup makes two of wheat berries.)

Swedish Pork Chops

1 C chopped onions
1/2 c chopped celery
1 tsp curry powder
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 c water
3 Tbsp vinegar
6 oz ketchup
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt


Place chops in baking dish.  Add ingredients (water and ketchup last) - lift chops with spoon to completely cover meat.  Bake 325 for two hours. 

Okay, I know this says bake for two hours, but if you're in a time crunch, I've just done them on the stove before and it worked great.  There is a lot of sauce left and I put it on rice and YUMMY!!!

Shelley Brownies

Shelley Brownies

1 c. butter
1/3 c cocoa
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 c flour
2 tsp vanilla
2 c. walnuts


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream Butter. Mix cocoa and sugar together, then add butter. Add eggs one at a time. Add flour. Add vanillla. Mix in walnuts. Pour mixture into 9x13 in. pan and bake for 30-35 mins. Make the day before for best cutting. 

Very yummy!

Chicken Pesto and Bowtie Pasta

This is one of my GO TO recipes when I'm having guests over or just want a quick and delicious pasta dish!  Seriously, I can't tell you how many times I've made this.  To make it super fast and easy, I freeze 1 lb. bags of cooked, shredded/diced, chicken in our freezer and then when I need chicken in this recipe (or any other recipe), I pull them out, defrost and throw them into this dish!

1 - 12 oz box pasta
1/2 cup Classico pesto sauce (I just use a dry pesto mix packet from the store that you mix with water and olive oil)
1 - 10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 lb. chicken, cut into cubes

Cook chicken in olive oil in large skillet (cook pasta separately, according to instructions).  When chicken is done, add soup, milk, and sauce.  Mix and bring to a boil.  Let simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in cooked pasta and serve.

Hi Ladies!  This is the amazing mac and cheese from our Pike Place Market food tour.  Expensive, but oh, so good!  One of the secret ingredients is chipotle chile powder and, wow, is it good!  I'll post a pic soon.

Beecher's Mac and Cheese

Yield Serves 4 as a side dish

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Ingredients

• Butter or vegetable oil, for baking dish
• 6 ounces penne
• 2 cups Beecher's Flagship Cheese Sauce
• 1 ounce cheddar cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
• 1 ounce Gruyere cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or oil and 8-inch baking dish; set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook penne, according to package direction, for 2 minutes less than recommended on the package. Rinse pasta in cold water; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together cooked pasta and sauce gently but thoroughly. Pour pasta into prepared baking dish; sprinkle with cheeses and chile powder. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Beecher's Cheese Sauce

Yield Makes about 4 cups

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Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 14 ounces cheddar cheese, preferably Flagship, grated (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 2 ounces Jack cheese, preferably Just Jack, grated (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1. Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour. Continue whisking and cooking for 2 minutes.
2. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, salt, chile powder, and garlic powder. Stir until cheese has melted and all ingredients are well incorporated, about 3 minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate up to 3 days.
3. To reheat sauce, place in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through.

James Family Granola

2, 42 oz canisters Old Fashion Oats
6 oz sunflower seeds
7 oz coconut
8 oz wheat germ
1 c. sesame seed

Mix together in a very large bowl.

Then in a small sauce pan mix:

3/4 c. honey
1/2 - 3/4 c. vegetable oil
1 c. brown sugar

Cook on stove top until dissolved.  Then add:

1 T. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon (to taste)

Stir.  Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Stir the wet mixture from the sauce pan into the dry ingredients in the large mixing bowl.  Evenly coat.  Spoon onto 3 separate cookie sheets.  Bake for 15 - 20 min, flip granola over with a spatula so the granola on the "underside" will bake, switch racks (top cookie sheets on bottom oven rack and vise versa).  Bake another 15 - 20 min.  Flip granola and switch racks again.  Bake for another 10 min or until golden brown (keep checking it so as to perfectly brown the granola; burnt granola is the worst!).