Guacamole by Sami

Ingredients

1               Avocado

1/4           Red onion - finely chopped

                 Lemon juice

                 Salt and pepper

Cut avocado in half and spoon the insides into a bowl

Cut and mash the avocado

Add finely chopped red onion

Add lemon juice (start with a tablespoon)

Add salt and pepper

Season to taste by adding either salt, or lemon juice

Serve with Tortilla chips

Green Salsa for Enchiladas by Karen

Karen's Green Salsa with University of Utah Chips (of course)

Ingredients

12               tomatillos

1                 jalapeno pepper

                   salt

peel and wash the tomatillos

Place in pot and boil until tomatillos JUST BEGIN to turn color (light yellow)

Remove from the water and set aside

Wash the jalapeno and cut off the stem 

If you smell the jalapeno after being cut you can kind of tell how hot it is

Start by using only about 1/2 of the jalapeno 

Place it in a blender and puree

Add the tomatillos and chop

Add salt to taste

This salsa is to be used as an ingredient for Taylor's Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

For a dip to be used with chips you don't have to boil the tomatillos before blending.  

Taylor's Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

This Recipe is so simple.   

Especially if you prepare the chicken before hand in a pressure cooker 

(see this post)

Serves 6

Oven - 350 degrees,   Spray a square baking dish with cooking spray

Ingredients

8 oz.                 Cream Cheese

8 oz                  Green Salsa     (We use Karen's Green Salsa Recipe)

3 cups               Shredded Chicken

1- 1/2 cup          Shredded colby / monterey jack cheese

6                      Flour or Corn Tortillas  (we prefer flour) 

On medium low heat melt the cream cheese.   Then stir in the shredded chicken until well coated

Spread a layer of Green salsa in the bottom of the prepared baking dish

Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture and roll

Place each tortilla, seam side down in the baking dish

Pour green salsa over the top of the tortillas

Top with shredded cheese

Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until heated through

Serve with shredded lettuce, black beans, tomatoes and chips. 

We love Zatarain's Rice

(Add water and butter, cover and cook in the microwave for 20 minutes)

Savory Spinach and Salmon Salad

4 servings

3     tablespoons orange juice

2     tablespoons soy sauce

2     teaspoons minced fresh ginger

1     teaspoon honey

1 1/2     teaspoon olive oil

4 (6 ounce) salmon filets

2                 cups fresh salmon, washed

In a small bowl, combine orange juice, soy sauce, ginger and honey.

Whisk, gradually adding the olive oil, until well blended

Grill or bake the salmon filets.

Make a bed of spinach or salad.   Place the salmon on the spinach.   Drizzle the orange-soy sauce dressing over the entire plate.

I LOVE this Orange-Soy sauce on fish!!! Yummy.

Oatmeal Cookies - Ken's Favorite

2         cups flour

1         tsp. salt

1         tsp. baking soda

3         cups oatmeal

1         cup sugar

1         cup brown sugar

1         cup vegetable oil

2         eggs

4         tbsp. milk

1-1/2   tsp. vanilla

Cream sugars, oil, eggs, milk and vanilla together

Mix Flour, salt and soda together and slowly add to sugar mixture.

Add oatmeal.

Drop by tsp. 2 inches apart

Bake 350 degrees   10-12 minutes

Macaroni and Cheese Kids Love!

6 Servings

1-1/2      cups uncooked macaroni

3            tablespoons butter

2            tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2         teaspoon salt

1/8         teaspoon ground black pepper

2            cups milk

2            cups shredded cheddar or Colby cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a square baking dish

Cook the macaroni according to the package directions.   Drain and set aside. 

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.   Blend in the flour, salt and pepper.

Add the milk; cook and stir until the mixture is thick and bubbly.   Decrease the heat to low and add the cheese.   Stir until the cheese is melted.

Combine the cheese sauce with the macaroni and place in the prepared 

baking dish.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through.

Serve with ground beef patties and a vegetable.

Shish-kabobs by Ken - Beef or Chicken

Ingredients

Red, Yellow and Orange Bell Peppers - washed and cut into large chunks

Red Onion - cut into large pieces

Large mushrooms washed

Beef Sirloin trimmed of all fat and cut into chunks

Boneless - skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks

Olive oil

McCormick Steakhouse Seasoning - GRINDER

Skewers

Directions

Thread vegetables and chicken or steak onto skewers,   Place on grill

Brush with olive oil and season with Steakhouse Seasoning

Grill on Medium heat - 350*  turning to cook evenly, 

until meet is cooked to desired tenderness.

And chicken should no longer be pink

Creamy Chicken Chowder

4 servings

2             cans (18.8oz each) ready-to-serve creamy potato with roasted garlic soup

1 -1/2      cup cut-up rotisserie or other cooked chicken

1 -1/2      cup diced cooked ham

1             cup shredded swiss cheese

1             tablespoon chopped fresh chives or green onion

In a 3 qt. saucepan, heat soup, chicken and ham over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Slowly stir in cheese.   Cook about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted.

Serve topped with green onion or chives

Note- Go here for cooking fresh chicken in 5 minutes

http://armstrongfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/search/label/Time%20Saving%20Tips

French Toast by Alyce

Ingredients

Milk                                                                              Cooking Spray

Eggs                                                                              Butter

Cinnamon                                                                     Maple Syrup

Bread

Truth be told, Ken (my husband) is a better cook than me

So I am proud to say -my kids love my french toast the best!

There are two secrets and I'm going to tell you what they are.

1.   You have to get the right proportions between eggs, milk and cinnamon - 

      Then you have to whip them properly before dipping the bread

2.   Never leave the bread in the mix, just in and out.

Turn on an electric skillet -325 (medium heat)

Begin by adding 3 eggs in a shallow pan

add a big glug of milk ( about 1/3 of a cup)

Beat well with a fork

When fully mixed you want a nice rich yellow color.   

I need to add one more egg to the above photo

Add about 2 tbsp. of cinnamin

and add more as needed

whip vigorously with a fork 

This looks about right but I need a bit more milk   

(The problem is when you stop whipping 

the cinnamon clumps together and floats to the top of the milk)

 

The above photo is perfect

Spray electric skillet with cooking spray

Now, dip one slice of bread in the egg mixture,

one side and then immediately the other

and place on skillet

 

Above you can see the secret

As you dip the bread each piece picks up the cinnamon,

leaving less for the next

The perfect piece is the far right on the back row

I promise - who ever get's that piece is one lucky guy!

And I hope he doesn't tell the guy who gets the piece on the far left of the back row. 

Not Enough Cinnamon

This needs to be whipped vigorously before dipping another piece of bread

Awww - golden brown - Perfect 

And, it's a great idea to add a piece of ham on the side

Love this skillet - Grills meats perfectly

Chicken - Main ingredient for 4 meals prepared in 15 minutes

Karen, my daughter mentioned to me she loved her pressure cooker.

Chicken cooks in 5 minutes

I was immediately sold.  This is how you do it.

Use Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Trim all fat and cut into the breast to remove gristle

Cut chicken into chunks as this will make it cook faster

Put 2 tbsp. olive oil in cooker and on high heat

and lightly brown chicken

then add 3/4 cups chicken broth

Follow your pressure cooker instructions 

(each brand has specific instructions)

to cook the chicken

Chicken cooked in 5 minutes

Then divide and break half into chunks and shred the other half.

Place chicken and broth in air-tight containers and store in the refrigerator

Simple Boiled Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Ingredients


1/2         cup (1 stick) butter
1            cup sugar
1/2         cup evaporated milk
1/4         cup unsweetened cocoa powder


1 tsp.      pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp.   salt

Melt 1 stick butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat
add the sugar, milk, and cocoa  

Stir and bring to a boil.   Boil for 3 minutes.   Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly


Stir in the vanilla and salt


Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon for a few minutes.   Let the mixture rest for a couple of minutes and beat again for a few minutes until the mixture is thickened but still pourable.


Pour frosting over the cake when both cake and frosting are still warm.

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 servings

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless fresh or frozen chicken breasts

4 slices lunch ham

4 slices swiss cheese

1/4 cup bread crumbs

6 tablespoons butter

If you are using frozen chicken breasts, while they are still slightly frozen, place between wax paper and pound with a meat mallet to 1/8 inch thickness.   Don't pound to thin or the chicken will break apart when rolling.   

If you are using fresh chicken breasts, trim all excess fat and cut into the breast to remove the gristle.   Then pound to flatten between to sheets of wax paper

Preheat oven to 350* and grease a small baking dish

Sprinkle chicken breast with salt.   Add one slice ham, 1 slice of swiss cheese

1 tbsp. of butter, and a sprinkle of bread crumbs.   Roll up the breasts tightly and tuck in the ends

Secure with a toothpick if necessary

Place in a greased baking dish

Top each breast with melted butter and a 1/2 a slice of swiss cheese

Bake 40 to 50 minutes, basting with butter occasionally.

Cover with foil when chicken browns to prevent it from drying out.

The chicken is done when it is tender and no longer pink 

Serve immediately

Serve with rice or baked potato, with green beans or broccoli for a vegetable.

The chicken and broccoli is plenty and you could add a roll. 

We have tried this with mozzarella cheese as well and we prefer the swiss cheese. 

Swiss brings out the flavor much better.