Marinated Greek Chicken Kabobs and Greek Rice Pilaf

Emily brought me this yummy main dish after I had Talmage and I promised I would post it for her.  It was sooooo good!  Enjoy!

Marinated Greek Chicken Kabobs

1 8oz container fat-free plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese with basil and sun-dried tomatoes
½ tsp lemon zest
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp crushed dried rosemary
1 pound chicken breasts- cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large red onion- cut into wedges
1 large green bell pepper- cut into wedges

In a large shallow baking dish, mix the yogurt, feta cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Place the chicken in the dish, and turn to coat. Cover, and marinate for 3 hours in the refrigerator. Thread the chicken, onion and peppers onto skewers and grill. Serve with greek rice pilaf.

Greek Rice Pilaf

• 1/4 lb butter
• 2 cups uncooked rice
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 5 cups hot chicken broth
• salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat butter in a heavy skillet. When it's hot, add the rice and, stirring constantly, saute on medium heat until transparent but not brown.
2. Add the lemon juice, chicken broth, and salt.
3. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and let pilaf stand uncovered for 5 minutes before serving.

Creamy Pumpkin Curry Soup

Make this immediately!!!

4tbsp (1/2 stick) Butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Large onion diced (to taste)
1 1/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coriander
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 cup chicken broth
16 oz. can solid pack pumpkin (or squash)
1 12oz. can of evaporated milk (I used 2% but I think anything would work... and wondered about coconut milk instead as well... will try next time.)

Melt butter in large saucepan, saute garlic & onions till golden brown. Add curry powder, salt, coriander, cayenne and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in broth & simmer partially covered for 20 minutes. Add pumpkin stirring till smooth. Add evaporated milk. Heat @ medium for 5 minutes. Don't allow to boil (simmer ok). In batches, put in blender until smooth. Eat, love, and be HAPPY!!!

Fast Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts seriously might be my new favorite vegetable.  These are delicious!

Water to cover plus an inch more, well salted (allow 1/2 tablespoon table salt for 4 cups of water)
1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed and gnarly outer leaves removed, Xs cut into the cores with the tip of a knife

1 tablespoon butter,
1 clove garlic, finely chopped (I might have used 2... I like garlic)
Juice of half a lemon (about 1 tablespoon) (lime worked well too)
Salt & pepper to taste

Bring the salted water to a boil. Drop the sprouts in, cover and let cook for 3 to 5 minutes until mostly cooked. Drain. (If cooking ahead, drop the sprouts into ice water for a brief moment to stop the cooking and drain again.) Cut the sprouts in half lengthwise.

In a large skillet, heat the butter and garlic until shimmery on MEDIUM heat and let cook for about 3 minutes until the garlic flavor is infused into the butter (don't let the butter or garlic burn). Remove the garlic clove and discard and increase the heat to MEDIUM HIGH. Add the Brussels sprouts and stir to coat with fat. Cook the sprouts, turning only every so often for you want the flat edges to darken, taking on almost a little 'burn' and that won't happen when stirring often. (It takes patience to not stir often but you can do it!) When the edges are browned to the desired level, sprinkle with lemon juice. Season with additional salt (if needed) and pepper (if needed). Savor and enjoy!

Tomato, Basil, Cheddar Soup (with Greek yogurt... not cream)

  2 28-oz. cans of diced tomatoes

  1 yellow onion, chopped

  2 cloves of garlic, chopped

  1 tsp olive oil

  2 cups of vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)

  1 cup of plain Greek yogurt

  1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

  1/2 cup basil, chopped, loosely packed

  2 tsp of oregano

  1 tsp sugar

  salt and pepper to taste

Directions:  Over medium heat, add the olive oil to a large pot. Add the chopped onion and allow to cook until tender, about three to four minutes. Add in chopped garlic and cook for an additional two minutes. Pour in the two cans of tomatoes (juice and all) and the vegetable stock. Stir in the basil, oregano, sugar, and salt and pepper. Place the lid back onto the pot and allow to simmer ten minutes. At the end, stir in the Greek yogurt and cheddar cheese until well blended. Use either an immersion blender or food processor to puree the soup if you prefer a smooth texture. Garnish with chopped basil and grated cheddar cheese if desired.

Crispy Cucumbers and Tomatoes in Dill Dressing

This recipe comes from allrecipes.com.  I was looking for a great summer salad, and this is what I found, made, and received rave reviews. I doubled the recipe and used half cider vinegar and half balsamic vinegar.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chopped fresh dill weed
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cucumbers, sliced
1 sliced red onion
2 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together vinegar, sugar, salt, dill, pepper and oil.  Add cucumber,
onion, and  tomatoes.  Toss, and let stand for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Sweet Potato Quinoa Burgers

These are REALLY REALLY good! Like SUPER good. Like the three of us ate all 10 patties/burgers in 2 days good.

From The Naked Kitchen


1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
3 C cubed sweet potatoes, peeled (about 3 regular sized potatoes)
3/4 C sweet corn, frozen or fresh (thawed if frozen, fresh grilled corn would be excellent in this dish)
1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C cooked quinoa
1 TB olive oil
heaping 1/3 C garbanzo bean flour (you can use whatever flour, I used all purpose)
2 TB roasted sunflower seeds
1/4 tsp sea salt
fresh black pepper to taste
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)
1 tbsp hot sauce (optional)

Oven at 375º

Cook the sweet potatoes, but try not to over-cook them! You don't want them too mushy. Smash them, but leave it a little lumpy.

Add half the black beans to a bowl and smash them. Add the rest of the ingredients (incl. rest of the beans). Stir until combined.

Form mixture into 10 balls, smash them into 1/2" thick patties.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil and place patties on the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, flip half-way through time.

(I made ours in a skillet just pan-frying them so it was much quicker. If you pan-fry, cook for about 5 minutes on each side.)

Classic Meatloaf (with a twist)

I'm NOT a meatloaf person. I think the last time I ate meatloaf was in junior high. So ... I made meatloaf tonight and it was surprisingly good. This doesn't use ground beef or pork, although I read that you could definitely use whatever ground meat you prefer.

From The Naked Kitchen

1.5 C sweet onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, mashed
1 lb. ground chicken (or ground turkey)
3/4 C old fashioned oats
1 large egg
3/4 C ketchup (divided)
2 tsp worcestershire
1 tsp sea salt (I used 3/4 tsp table salt)
1/2 tsp pepper
2 TB ground flaxseed

Oven at 350º

Saute onions and garlic until onions are golden.

Combine onions/garlic, ground chicken, oats, egg, 1/2 C ketchup, worcestershire, flaxseed, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well.

Spray an 8x4 loaf pan. Press mixture into pan. Spread remaining ketchup on top (1/4 C).

Bake for 1 hour and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

* Dice/slice the onions however you want. If you like chunky make them bigger or longer slices. If you don't like chunky, slice them thin/small.
* I didn't have flaxseed, but want to try it next time.

Abiento Tortilla Soup (aka the BEST tortilla soup ever ever ever)

Seriously. This is THE BEST tortilla soup you will ever have. It's addicting. There's lots of chopping/prep, but otherwise super duper easy. Oh man, I want more right. now. It makes a lot and although I had intentions to freeze half, it's just too good and we ate it for several days.

2 TB olive oil
3-5 cloves garlic, smashed
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1 large white onion, coarsely chopped
2 whole leeks, coarsely chopped
2 red bell peppers, coarsely chopped
2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 TB ground coriander
2 tsp cumin
6 TB chopped cilantro
2 quarts chicken broth
6 corn tortillas, torn in pieces
salt, pepper

optional:
canned corn
shredded cooked chicken
grated cheese
avocado
red pepper flakes

Heat oil in large stock pot. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add celery, onion, peppers, and leeks. Saute over medium heat until soft, 8-9 minutes.

Add tomatoes, coriander, cumin and 6 TB cilantro. Cook 2 minutes.

Add chicken broth and simmer 25 minutes.

Tear corn tortillas into pieces and add to mixture. Simmer 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat and transfer (in batches) to food processor or blender. Or use immersion blender if you have one! Puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken and corn. Heat through.

Garnish with tortillas chips, sour cream, cilantro, cheese, and/or avocado. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for spice.

DEVOUR DEVOUR DEVOUR!

Yummy Grape Salad

2 pounds red grapes
2 pounds green grapes

You can use seedless black grapes as well and do whatever mixture of grapes in whatever amounts you want. Wash grapes, de-stem, rinse and pat dry.

8 oz soften cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
Not quite 1/2 cup sugar

Mix together until cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla and sugar until smooth and then fold into grapes. I usually do this in a separate bowl from the one I am going to serve in because it makes the bowl mess. I then transfer the mixture into the bowl I am going to serve in and top it with this topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecan
Sprinkle mixture on top when ready to serve.

"Guiltless" Alfredo Sauce

Alright ladies, I'm not sure I consider anything with a cup of parmesan cheese guiltless, but compared to other alfredo recipes out there, this one really is not so bad. And it's delicious. And you can whip it up in like 10 minutes, literally. Here's the deal:

Posted By sara (of Our Best Bites)

Ingredients:
2 C low-fat milk (I used fat free)
1/3 C (3 oz) low fat cream cheese
2 T flour
1 t salt
1 T butter
3 garlic cloves
1 C grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Place milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, you don’t want to burn it.

Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it’s nice and thickened remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid. Just re-heat and add a little milk and it will be back to normal again.

Note: At the recommendation of Sara (the blogger herself), I used this sauce to make an Asain pizza tonight. Yum! I used the leftovers from the Asian BBQ chicken, mixed some of the marinade from the chicken (that I had reserved before marinating, since I had planned for this round two meal) with the alfredo sauce (only used about 1/3 of the alfredo and eyeballed the marinade). One the pizza went the Asian alfredo, mozzeralla cheese, Asian BBQ chicken, cilantro, and thin sliced red onion. It was a hit! Ben's family makes pizza every Sunday and they have a pretty killer thin crust dough recipe. If you want it, let me know and I'll pass it along. Happy eating!

Asian Slaw

(Recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman, from the Food Network)

Note: I served this with Asian BBQ chicken and coconut rice and it was delicious and so EASY! It would also be outstanding on salmon tacos (maybe with a ginger pineapple glaze or something).

Ingredients

1 bunch (6 large) scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (greens and whites)

2 (16-ounce) bags coleslaw mix or 1 (16-ounce) bag each of shredded green and shredded red cabbage (I used bagged regular slaw, mixed it with julienned carrots, but you could also just mix your own with regular cabbage and napa cabbage)

½ cup cilantro, chopped (this is my own addition)

1 small red onion, thinly sliced (I used just two slices of red onion, rather than a full red onion... between this and the green onion it was plenty oniony)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (from about a 1-inch piece)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar (added more like 3-4 Tbl to add more sweetness)

2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

2 teaspoons sesame seeds, optional (left these out)

1 teaspoon salt

20 grinds black pepper

Directions

Rough up the scallion slices a little with your fingers so all the little layers of the scallion whites separate. Toss the coleslaw mix or both kinds of cabbage, the red onion and scallions together in a large bowl until everything is thoroughly mixed. You can make the slaw up to this point up to a day in advance as long as you keep it refrigerated. Before serving, simply bring the slaw back to room temperature, make the dressing and toss.

Stir the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl until blended, then pour over the vegetables. Serve within 1 hour of dressing or the cabbage will get wilty and sad. (I ate this for round two the next day, and while it was a little wilty, it was still super delicious.)

Asian BBQ Chicken

Posted By sara (from Our Best Bites)

Note… I combined this with a recipe of coconut jasmine rice and Asian slaw. Delicious!

Asian BBQ Chicken
Adapted from Cooking Light

1/4 C packed brown sugar


1/4 C soy sauce


2 T lime juice (about 1 lime)
 (I did lemon/lime since I doubled it and only had one lime on hand

1/4 t cayenne pepper


1/4 t curry powder


3-4 garlic cloves, minced


1 t grated fresh ginger


8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used about 3 large chicken breasts)

Combine everything but the chicken in a small bowl. Whisk to dissolve brown sugar. Place marinade and chicken in a zip-lock bag. Pop that bag in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, or longer if you have it (even overnight)

Preheat a grill (or an indoor grill pan or broiler). Spray cooking surface with cooking spray and place chicken on it to cook. Cook for 5-10 minutes on each side depending on the thickness. (I broiled it in a baking dish.) Optional: garnish with sliced green onions

*Tip: When I make this I usually make 1 1/2 times the marinade (I doubled it). I reserve some of the marinade before adding the chicken and then use it in the last few minutes of grilling, or just brush it on after for extra flavor.

Coconut Rice

(From OurBestBites.com)

Note: I served this with Asian BBQ chicken and Asian slaw and it was terrific! Make this meal soon!

2 c. white or Jasmine rice (I used Jasmine)

1 can coconut milk (I used lite coconut milk and it was great)

2 c. water

1 tsp. Kosher salt

Splash of white vinegar (optional, but it helps with the texture) (use it)

2-3 tsp. white sugar (I might have used a little more than this... who counts)

Handful of chopped green onions, plus chopped green onion tops for garnish (we're using the whole animal here...)

Black pepper to taste

Combine rice, coconut milk, water, salt, vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil Turn heat to low and cover for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Allow to stand 5 minutes. Add green onions, black pepper (if desired), and additional salt if necessary. Serve with any Asian or tropical-inspired food.

(I also think this rice would be good if you stirred in shredded coconut or crushed pineapple or something after cooking. Btw, that's also when I stirred in the green onion.)

Chocolate Caramel Bars for the Bishop

Sounds like a funny name, but this recipe is from The Essential Mormon Cookbook. I have made these a few times in the past, and love them!! This last weekend I needed to bring a dessert to a primary activity - and this is what I chose. Problem being, I was sick. So my dearest loving husband graciously made the bars and delivered them to the activity where he was praised and astounded others by this dish. Don't know why - the man can bake, and the recipe is quite easy. They didn't last long enough for me to get a picture.

Bon Appetite!!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 1 (14 oz.) bag caramels (next to baking chips in store, you can find caramel balls by Kraft, no need to unwrap!)
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 (12 oz.) package milk chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In large bowl combine the first 6 ingredients to form a crubly mixture.
2. Melt caramels and whipping cream in saucepan over low heat.
3. Sprinkle half of the crubmly mixture into a greased 9x13-inch pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
5. Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked mixture.
6. Top with melted caramel mixture.
7. Sprinkle remaining crumbly mixture on top.
8. Bake again at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Make a day ahead or several hours ahead to allow time for caramel to set.

{Homemade} Marinara Sauce

We all have our favorite marinara ... store-bought or from scratch, but I'll offer up this recipe as a super easy (i.e. it doesn't have to simmer all day) and delicious marinara. I've converted to making my own because of this recipe.

1 (28 oz.) can of diced OR crushed tomatoes (or 2, 14.5 oz cans) don't drain
1 (6 oz.) can of tomato paste
1-2 garlic cloves (or 1/2-1 tsp garlic powder)
1 TB dried parsley (4 TB fresh, minced)
1 TB brown sugar
2 TB olive oil

1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano (or Italian seasoning)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 C chicken stock

Put everything except chicken stock into a blender or food processor and blend away!
Combine sauce with chicken stock and simmer for 30 minutes.
Use with ANYTHING that requires marinara

Yield:  approx. 35 oz. of sauce

Raspberry Almond Tort

(Market Street Style)

Sponge Layer
5 egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
pinch of salt

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until thick. Continue beating while slowly adding sugar and beat until stiff and shiny but not dry. Set aside.

5 egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
¼ cup melted cooled butter
½ cup finely chopped, lightly toasted almonds

Beat yolks, sugar and salt together until thick and creamy (at least 10 minutes). Add cornstarch and mix until well combined. Fold in melted butter and chopped almonds. Fold this mixture into egg white mixture. Divide batter between two 9" cake pans that have been lined with parchment and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in the pan.

Pastry Cream
3 cups milk
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
6 egg yolks
2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup milk (additional)
4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ teaspoon almond extract
4 egg whites
¼ cup sugar (additional)
1 pint container of fresh raspberries

Place 3 cups milk in a saucepan and sprinkle unflavored gelatin over top. Let set for 5 minutes for gelatin to soften. Add sugar and salt, place over medium high heat and stirring constantly, bring to a simmer. In a separate bowl, combine egg yolks, flour, cornstarch and ½ cup milk. Whisk until well combined. Whisk some of the hot milk mixture into the yolk mixture, and then return all to the saucepan. Whisking constantly, bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Add butter and extracts. Beat egg whites and ¼ cup sugar until will hold soft peaks. Fold hot mixture into egg whites until well combined and let cool.

To Assemble:
Place one of the sponge layers on a serving plate. Spread a ½ inch thick layer of pastry cream over top, to within ½ inch of edge of layer. Place a ring of raspberries around edge of pastry cream and sprinkle remaining raspberries equally in the center. Add another layer of pastry cream over raspberries, spreading evenly. Place second layer, top-side up, over pastry cream and press gently. Sift powdered sugar over top, serve and enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Warning: There is nothing about this recipe that is healthy, but it's super good.  I actually have never made it, I've just been on the eating end. (One of my students brought this to our end-of-semester potluck).

2 C shredded chicken (rotisserie or breast)
1 loaf/16 oz Velveeta spicy buffalo cheese
1 can Muir Glen organic fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 C buffalo wing sauce

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray, put all the ingredients in. Cover & cook on low for 2 hours or until the cheese is melted. Serve with chips.



Honestly, I've never purchased Velveeta and didn't know such a thing as Velveeta spicy buffalo cheese existed. I'm sure it's totally natural. ;)  Just don't think about it when you eat it. It's really tasty dip!

Carolina Pulled Pork

(If you like Chick-fil-A sauce then you will like this recipe)

Use a pork shoulder roast or pork butt roast

prepare the cooker;

slice onion and put in bottom of cooker

pour in half can of Rootbeer or more depending on the size of your cooker, add apple cider vinegar so that there is about 1 inch of liquid (you can also use broth if you like for the liquid)

then rub meat with a mixture of

Cumin, garlic salt, salt and pepper (add chili powder if you like spice)

there is not measured amounts here, just balance it out depending on the amount you like of different tastes, I always use more cumin that any other spice but usually close to equal parts, mix enough to cover roast on all sides

put rubbed roast in crock pot or covered roaster pan in oven (250 degrees)

slow cooker about 6 to 8 hours, or 4 hours in an oven for 250 degrees

shred the roast with forks (pull apart) (make sure meat is falling apart before you shred otherwise it will be tough and chewy

sauce

I use about

1 1/2 cups of mustard (or a whole large container of mustard from Wal-mart)

1/4 cup or less of dark brown sugar

1/2 to 1 cup of apple cider vinegar

bring to boil and taste, add honey to cool it down or vinegar to spice it up, if you put sugar in it it tastes funny so keep with a small of brown sugar, honey makes it better

then add to meat and add 1/2 stick of butter, stir and keep warm for about an hour then serve, the longer it stays ready for serving, you can keep adding the vinegar and honey (equal parts) to keep it moist along with small amounts of butter

the two secret ingredients in this are the butter and Rootbeer- most recipes you find don't have either and it does make a difference