Day 7 Recipe Week: Angel Chicken

This recipe originally found here, but adapted to taste. Great for Saturday afternoon or Sunday.


Angel Chicken
Serves/Makes: 6
Ready In: 2-5 hrs

Ingredients:

6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup butter
1 envelope (0.7-ounce) Italian salad dressing mix
1 can (10 3/4-ounce size) condensed golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 tub (8-ounce size) cream cheese with chives and onion (or plain cream cheese)
hot cooked angel-hair pasta

Directions:
Place chicken in a 3 1/2- or 4-quart crockpot.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the dry Italian salad dressing mix. Stir in mushroom soup, white wine, and cream cheese until combined.

Pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.

Serve chicken and sauce over hot cooked pasta.

Day 6 Recipe Week: 7-Layer Dip

This is a favorite for parties! I got this recipe from my sister several years ago. I love to make this, it's easy and tasty!

7-Layer Dip
I usually make on a normal dinner plate
1st: Refried Beans (I mix 1-2 tablespoons of mayo in with the beans to make them a little creamer).
2nd: 1 12 oz. Dean's Zesty Guacamole (has to be Dean's it's the BEST!) Put on top of bean layer.
3rd: Sour Cream (I mix about half of a taco seasoning packet into a 16 oz. thing of sour cream, I use most of the sour cream but not all of it.) Put on top of guacamole layer.
4th: Cover with cheese (I use a mexican blend).
5th: Chopped black olives
6th: Chopped tomatoes (We like a lot, usually only takes 2-3 romas)
7th: Chopped green onions

Best to make a few hours before and put in refrigerator to chill.

Day 5 Recipe Week: Beef Scewers

I've mentioned this recipe here and here. I love it every time we make it. The marinade is ah-mazing!

Asian Beef Skewers
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sesame seed
2 green onions, chopped
1 pound sirloin steak, cubed
20 bamboo skewers

In a bowl, combine all ingredients except sirloin to make marinade. Add sirloin, cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours. Thread diced sirloin steak on bamboo skewers. Grill until cooked to desired wellness!

*I recommend soaking bamboo skewers so they don't burn to a crisp. Also, we've wanted to try creating a sauce with the marinade and serving over rice (If you prefer make a little extra marinade and set aside so it doesn't mix with the raw meat. Heat in a pan and use flour or corn starch to thicken).

Day 4 Recipe Week: White Chicken Chili

I mentioned this recipe here. Definitely a recipe I'll have around for a long time! Delicious and great for those cold, long winter months.


White Chicken Chili
I call this a chili, but it's really a soup consistency.
If you want it thicker, just reduce the amount of broth.

1 T Extra virgin Olive Oil
1 lb boneless chicken, cubed (about 3-4 boneless, skinless breasts)
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans Great Northern Beans
1 3.5 oz can green chilies
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t oregano
1/2 t coriander
1/2 t salt
fresh cracked pepper
1 lime
1/2 C chopped cilantro
1 32oz box chicken broth

Condiments: (in addition to measurements above)
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro
Pepperjack or Jack cheese, shredded
Avocado
Tortilla Chips or make your own tortilla strips

In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add chopped onion and cook for about 2 minutes- just until it starts to become translucent. While onions are cooking, drain beans and rinse with cold water and set aside. Sprinkle chopped chicken with a little salt and pepper and add to pot. Add garlic as well. Cook until there's no more visible pink on the chicken, probably 3-4 minutes.

Then add green chills- along with all of the juices in the can. Add beans, cumin, oregano, coriander, salt, and a few turns of fresh cracked pepper. Stir to combine and with your spoon smash some of the beans up so it will thicken the broth. Then add chicken broth.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the juice from one lime and the 1/2 C chopped cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream. Serve with condiments. If you don't have all those condiments- at least have sour cream! But honestly, it's best with everything :)

Makes about 8 cups of soup.

*Oh, and this freezes well. Sometimes I make a batch and when it cools I put single servings into zip-locks and pop them in the freezer. Makes a great quick lunch.


Recipe from Our Best Bites

Day 3 Recipe Week: Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

This recipe is one I received from my sister-in-law. Very delicious and healthy for you. Probably the only way I will ever eat Zucchini!


Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 to 2 medium zucchinis, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)
1 small onion, minced (about 1 cup)
1 package Uncle Ben's Ready Rice- Long Grain & Wild
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
Black Pepper to taste
3 Green Bell Peppers, halved lengthwise, cores and ribs removed
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans low-sodium Italian-style stewed tomatoes, finely chopped
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cups Italian Style Bread Crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine the beef, zucchini, onion, rice, egg, oregano, salt and pepper and bread crumbs. Mix like meatloaf until thoroughly combined.

Arrange the pepper halves cut side up in a 9x13-inch baking dish and fill each pepper with the meat mixture (it may be over-flowing depending on how big your peppers are). Pour the tomatoes over the peppers (pour one juice from canned tomatoes over peppers and into the bottom of the pan). Sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the meat mixture is completely cooked and the peppers are tender, about 25 minutes longer (I usually add a little extra cheese after I remove the foil).

Day 2 Recipe Week: Dinnertime Quesadillas

I found this recipe on Kraft Foods, one of my favorite recipe websites. This is a fast and easy meal that my husband loves! The best part about this recipe is you can put whatever you like on it.

Dinnertime Quesadillas

Prep Time: 10 Min
Total Time: 16 Min

Makes: 4 servings, two quesadillas each

2 Cups shredded cooked chicken (Our favorite is to buy a Rotisserie Chicken from Costco and use that)
1/2 cup drained canned whole kernel corn
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup drained black beans, rinsed
1 cup salsa (your favorite kind)
1 cup shredded cheese of preference (I usually use a mexican blend)
8 flour tortillas

Directions: Layer chicken corn, onions, beans, salsa and cheese evenly over one half of each tortilla. Fold tortillas in half to enclose filling. Cook one or two quesadillas at a time in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 3 min. on each side or until quesadillas are lightly browned on both sides and cheese is melted.

We like to add fresh cilantro and avocados to our quesadillas as well.


Come back tomorrow for Stuffed Bell Peppers!

Day 1 Recipe Week: White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

I thought I'd start off recipe week with a dessert! I found these cookies online one day when I was craving the White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies from Subway. I thought they turned out pretty good.

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
10 oz. white chocolate chips
5 oz. chopped macadamia nuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375*

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture. Finally, stir in the white chocolate chips and the macadamia nuts. Drop cookies by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. When cool, store in an airtight container (I always store with a piece of bread. This helps keep cookies moist).


Tomorrow: Dinnertime Quesadillas- Fast and Delicious!!!!