Indian Chicken Curry

We love to try all kinds of different foods, but we especially love all the different kinds of Asian foods. I would NEVER claim to be an expert cook when it comes to Asian food, but I do enjoy eating it! This is a recipe I found on allrecipes.com. I love that despite all the herbs and spices, it is relatively easy to make, and semi-authentic tasting.

This is not one my kids necessarily liked, they tried it, but it is definitely much different than the type of food we have on a regular basis.

It is worth a try, my husband and I LOVED it, it had a little spicy-kick, which we both like, hope you do too!

Indian Chicken Curry:

2 lbs. Boneless, skinless chicken      1 tsp. Cayenne pepper

2 tsp. Salt                                      1 T. water

½ c. cooking oil                              1-15 oz. Can crushed tomatoes

1 ½ c. onion, chopped                     1 c. plain yogurt

1 T. garlic, minced                          1 T. fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tsp. Ginger                                  1 tsp. salt

1 T. curry powder                           ½ c. water

1 tsp. Ground cumin                       1 tsp. Garam masala

1 tsp. Ground turmeric                   1 T. lemon juice

1 tsp. Ground coriander

Sprinkle chicken with 2 tsp. Salt. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat; partially cook the chicken in the hot oil in batches until completely browned. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and set aside. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium-high; add the onion, garlic, and ginger to the oil remaining in the skillet and cook and stir until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir the curry powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cayenne and 1 T. water into the onion mixture; allow to heat together for about 1 minute while stirring. Mix tomatoes, yogurt, 1 T. cilantro, and 1 tsp. Salt into the mixture. Return the chicken breast to the skillet along with any juices on the plate. Pour ½ c. water into the mixture; bring to a boil, turning the chicken to coat with sauce. Sprinkle with garam masala. Cover the skillet and simmer until chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 20 minutes or 165 degrees in the center of the chicken. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Chili Cheese Enchiladas

I have to admit, when I first came across this idea, it did not sound appetizing. I told my husband about it, and he immediately said that would be something to try, not exactly the reaction I was going for. HMMMM...Yeah, the things we do! I LOVE to make dinners that don't stress me out all day, but these ingredients just didn't sound like they should be combined!

Enter about a week later, I didn't want to cook and needed to go to the store. We always have tortillas in our fridge, yes the Costco ones that you cook yourself, and we just happened to have a can of chili in the pantry. So my husband suggested we finally try these. Now, a couple months later, I have finally gotten a picture of them. We have made them 3 or 4 times, which for our family translates as a hit!

These are BEYOND simple! I timed myself when I made them this last time, and it literally took less than 30 minutes from heat up the skillet to cook the tortillas to pulling out of the oven-ready to eat! Not much is better than quick and easy when all you want is to be outside enjoying the summer weather.

Chili Cheese Enchiladas:
1-15 oz. can Hormel chili, with beans
1/4 c. water
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese, divided
6 flour tortillas
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Heat chili in a medium sauce pan with the water until it is warmed through. Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese to the chili. Divide chili mixture evenly between the 6 tortillas, reserving about 1/4 c. of the chili mixture to smooth over the top of the enchiladas. Top the enchiladas with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. 

Crepes

Let me start off by saying I have never made crepes before last night. Let me now follow that statement with...I will now be making crepes A LOT!! They are SO EASY and my whole family ate them, including my mom who was visiting us for dinner last night. :)

It was so fun to make these in my own kitchen and think back to the many days and nights I was able to spend in Europe. I was able to travel there multiple times in my young life, before settling down, getting married and having a family, and it was fun to think back to more care-free days. 

There are so many benefits to crepes you can put whatever you want inside and on top, obviously this picture shows us having ham and cheese crepes for our dinner, but what about fruit or pudding or nutella, the possibilities are as far as the imagination can reach. Another really great thing about these crepes is how fast they are from first mixing them in the blender to on the table ready to eat. It was my first time, but it only took me 15 minutes to have dinner ready start to finish! Talk about win-win situation! Something else that is nice, you already have all the ingredients on hand in your pantry and fridge. If you don't we may need to talk about the essentials to have in your kitchen. ;)

Thank goodness for allrecipes.com, I was able to find this beyond simple recipe to make a quick, healthy and easy dinner for my family without heating up my kitchen on a hot summer day.

Crepes: makes approximately 7-8 crepes
2 eggs
1 c. milk
2/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
In a blender combine all the ingredients. Process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for an hour. (I didn't refrigerate it, I continued on to the next step, and it seemed to be just fine.)
Heat a skillet over medium heat and brush with a little oil or spray with a little cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cup of the crepe batter into the pan, tilting to completely coat the surface of the pan. Cook 2-5 minutes, turning once, until golden. Repeat with remaining batter.

BBQ Stir Fry

We LOVE to BBQ in the summer! There's nothing worse than heating up your kitchen when it is already hot outside. Enter in the husband's season to cook, or should I say grill. He loves to barbecue, and who am I to take that away from him?

A couple years ago we bought a stir fry pan for the barbecue. It's SO COOL! It has little holes on the bottom and the sides of pan, and is specifically made for the barbecue. I love that we can stir-fry in the summer time with nice healthy vegetables, fruits and meats. These BBQ specific stir-fry pans are around $20, but we have used them so often, I feel like we have really gotten our money's worth out of that purchase.

BBQ Stir-Fry:
1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 onion, cut into bite-size pieces
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
Favorite brand of teriyaki sauce
Marinate the chicken pieces in the teriyaki sauce for at least 4 hours, but ideally overnight. In a ziploc bag, combine the peppers and onions and place in the fridge for the flavors to combine.
Preheat the barbecue to a low heat. Start with just the chicken in the stir-fry pan, and cook for around 5-10 minutes, just long enough to give the meat a head-start on the vegetables. Add in the pepper and onion mixture, and continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes. Drain the pineapple chunks, and add to the BBQ pan. Make sure the chicken is cooked before removing from the heat, you might want to cook the vegetables a little longer or shorter depending if you want more crunchy or steamed vegetables. Enjoy on top of rice!

Pepperoni Pasta

Do you ever have those nights where dinner just isn't going to happen unless you crack open the blue box? Yeah, you know what box I'm talking about, Kraft Mac and Cheese! Embarrassing to admit, but last night was one of those nights.

Lucky for you, I have several dinners and recipes on stand-by for just such nights! This one is something I make every-so-often. I have always liked how easy this recipe is to throw together and into the oven. It is perfect for an easy meal at home, to take into a neighbor who is having a rough time, or just for an easier night in the kitchen.

Here's to a night in without all the work that is sometimes associated with eating at home. :)

Pepperoni Pasta:
1-16 oz. pkg. pasta, I usually use rotini, small shells, or elbow noodles, but use whatever is on-hand
1 jar pasta sauce
pepperoni slices
1-2 c. mozzarella cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13" pan by greasing the bottom and the sides. Boil a pot of water, and cook pasta according to package directions. When the noodles are cooked to al dente, drain and toss into the pasta sauce, and put into the prepared 9x13" pan. Place a layer of pepperoni slices on top, as many as desired, and then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Put your pasta into the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until everything is heated through and the cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Tacos

Sorry about the long absence! We went on vacation this past weekend, and both my son and I got a nasty cold while there. We are both on the mend now, and I am trying to get back in the groove of everyday life, after vacation. :)

Yes, I know the name for this dish sounds questionable. It took me a few weeks for me to get brave enough to try them for my family. SINCE THEN we have made them at least every couple weeks, they are SO GOOD!!! We love wings at our house, but rarely have the patience to wrestle kids at a restaurant when our hands are covered in sauce. Enter these AMAZING tacos. They are ridiculously easy, and it is even easier to make them kid friendly! My kids don't like buffalo sauce yet, it's a bit too spicy for them, but we just leave some chicken without the sauce and make their taco. EASY!!!

Even better than that, you don't have to heat up the whole kitchen to make this meal. Just use the microwave to heat up the chicken and sauce, warm the tortillas, and voila, dinner is served.

I don't remember exactly where I found this recipe originally, but when I find the blog, I'll definitely give them the credit!!

Buffalo Chicken Tacos:

2 chicken breasts, cut up or shredded (I cheat and use Costco's rotisserie chicken)

2 stalks celery, diced

Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce

flour tortillas, we LOVE the Tortilla Land-cook yourself variety, found at Costco

shredded cheese, if desired

Ranch for drizzling, if desired

Cook chicken breasts and either cut into small bite-sized pieces or shred the chicken. Add Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Sauce and set aside. Dice the celery into bite-sized pieces. Prepare flour tortillas, if needed. Put chicken mixture in the microwave for 1 minute to heat up. Serve on tortillas.

German-Style Potato Salad

You might be thinking, what in the world is German potato salad?!! In two words: NO MAYO!

My husband and I are very strange, neither of us like Mayo or Mustard. I know what you're thinking, who in the world doesn't like mayo and mustard? It's not that I don't cook with them, or occasionally eat them, it just would not be my first choice.

We went to a graduation party last week for my sweet cousin, and I was asked to bring potato salad. I don't even know HOW to hard-boil an egg, so needless to say I got to work searching for an easier potato salad, that would taste good, and PERHAPS not include mayo or mustard. FOUND IT, and it is yummy. Thanks to the allrecipes app, I found a potato salad I could enjoy, with a couple alterations!

First of all, who doesn't like potatoes, well maybe don't answer that question, my daughter WILL NOT eat potatoes unless they are in hash brown or French fry form, we're working on that. But who REALLY doesn't like bacon?

Keep your mind open with this recipe, it really is worth a try!

Authentic German Potato Salad:
3 c. potatoes, diced and peeled           
4 slices bacon
1 small onion, diced
1/8 c. white vinegar
2 T. water
2 T. white sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
Place the potatoes in a pot and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Drain and set aside to cool. Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry until browned and crisp, turning as needed. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add onion to the bacon grease, and cook over medium heat until translucent. Add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, then add the potatoes. Crumble in half the bacon. Heat through, then transfer to a serving dish. Crumble the remaining bacon over the top, and serve warm

Chocolate Mint Bundt Cake

What a scorcher it is in my neck of the woods today!! This is definitely not a treat to make in the heat of the day, who wants their oven heating up the house even more, BUT it is an amazing dessert to take to a BBQ or potluck.

I first saw this recipe on The Sister's Cafe, yes it is one of my very favorite recipe sites! I love how most of the recipes on there are simple and you can make them quickly!

I must admit, I am not a HUGE fan of chocolate. Yes, I like it, once in a while. BUT I am not the type that has to have it all the time. For me, though, I LOVE this cake. I love the mint in it! I realize it is a little rich, but it is one of those recipes that is almost too good to eat. ALMOST!!

Chocolate Mint Bundt Cake:

1 Devil's Food cake mix                             CHOCOLATE GLAZE:

1 small box chocolate fudge pudding mix    ½ c. semisweet chocolate chips

4 eggs                                                        2 T. butter

1 c. milk                                                     2 T. corn syrup

¾ c. canola oil                                            1-2 tsp. Hot water

2 tsp. Peppermint extract

1-12 oz. Bag semisweet chocolate chips

Mix together all cake ingredients, except chocolate chips until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into greased bundt cake pan and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Use a long, thin knife to check for doneness. Try not to overbake or it won't be as moist.

Glaze: Heat chocolate chips, butter and corn syrup in small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate chips are melted; cool slightly. Stir in hot water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until consistency of thick syrup.

Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles

Do you ever just crave something completely different? We do, A LOT! Good thing we are usually up for trying new recipes. :)

I found this recipe a couple years ago on a great blog called The Sister's Cafe. Since then we have made it a few times, making just a couple alterations, which for our family is saying something! My husband spent 2 years serving a mission for our church in Hong Kong and has become a self-proclaimed Asian food expert. :) I have to admit, though, he is a VERY good judge of good Asian food, and this one turns out pretty great, without having to babysit the recipe too much.

The most time-consuming part is cooking the chicken, that is why I usually cheat and cook a WHOLE bunch of chicken at once, then put what I'm not using right away into the freezer to use for another recipe, or buy a rotisserie chicken from my local Costco. I told you I'm all about making cooking quick, easy and fun!!

Thai Chicken Peanut Noodles: The Sister's Cafe

1 pkg. rice noodles, made to package directions      2 T. olive oil

1 garlic clove, peeled                                            ½ c. white onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. ground ginger                                          ½ c. red pepper, chopped

½ c. smooth peanut butter                                    2-3 c. chicken breast,

2 T. sesame oil                                                           cooked and shredded

¼ c. soy sauce                                                     1 T. dried cilantro

2 T. brown sugar                                                  ½ tsp. salt

1 T. white vinegar                                                ¼ c. dry roasted peanuts

1 tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes                           2 T. sesame seeds, for garnish

1 c. hot water

Cook chicken, shred with 2 forks. Set water to boil and cook noodles according to package. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce in the food processor. Place garlic and ginger in food processor until well-chopped. Add peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and red pepper flakes. Pulse until combined and slowly add hot water. Set aside. Place olive oil in hot skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in chicken breast, cilantro and salt. Stir until heated through. Add sauce and chicken mixture to noodles. Toss to coat and garnish with peanuts and sesame seeds, if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

So what cookie gets made the most in my home? You're looking at it. We LOVE this cookie; my husband requests it ALL THE TIME. I love it because I at least feel a little better about giving my kids a treat, there is oatmeal in it, right? :)

I originally made these cookies with my Grandma when I was very young. My mom's mom was an AMAZING cook. Whenever she made something, you knew it was going to be good!! I am lucky enough to have gotten her recipe through my mom, and I could not be more grateful. I come from a LONG LINE of great cooks, no pressure!

I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we do, cookies don't get much better than these!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1 c. shortening                           1 tsp. Baking soda

¾ c. sugar                                 1 ½ c. flour

¾ c. brown sugar                       1 tsp. Salt

2 eggs                                       2 c. oatmeal

1 tsp. Vanilla                             1 c. chocolate chips

1 tsp. Hot water

Cream together shortening and sugars. Add in eggs, vanilla, water and soda. Then mix in remaining ingredients. Place on greased cookie sheet by rounded teaspoonful. Bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes.

Chili Haystacks

Alright, ready for one of the EASIEST dinners ever?!!!

This one has become one of my family's go-to dinners, when we are not in the mood to cook. :) Why? The hardest this meal gets in our family is heating up a can of chili. It's a good meal in the summer or the winter. It's actually an easier take on the Navajo Taco. Instead of the fried bread, we use Fritos chips. Layer on the other ingredients and it is a very family-friendly meal. Our kids love that they can have chips for dinner with "sauce on top".

I have NO IDEA where this recipe began, I was introduced to it at my awesome in-laws' home. Thanks to them, we don't have to spend a crazy amount of money to eat at a restaurant when we want an easy dinner. Really, try this, it is delicious!

Chili Haystacks:
1 bag Fritos chips, regular or the scoops 
1-15 oz. can chili, we like the Hormel with beans variety, but any will do great
shredded lettuce, for garnish
shredded cheese, for garnish
diced tomatoes, for garnish
Heat up the chili in a small saucepan on the stove until it is heated through, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, chop up a head of lettuce, grate some cheese, and cut up the tomato. First, place the desired amount of chips on your plate, top with however much chili you like. Garnish with the lettuce, cheese and tomato, as desired. Enjoy!

Macaroni Grill Bread Copycat

I don't know about you, but I LOVE to go out to eat Italian food. The problem is it costs so much to go ANYWHERE for dinner anymore, that we have started trying to remember the best parts of certain restaurants and making those favorite dishes at home.

My, now, husband and my first date was to Macaroni Grill, so obviously it holds a special place in my heart. Little did I know that their bread would become one of my favorites. You might be thinking THERE IS NO WAY I CAN MAKE BREAD!! I am here to tell you that it is easier than you might think. I had NEVER made bread until the first time I made dinner for my hubby, just before we were engaged. Coincidence, maybe, but I digress. All you need to do, is follow the directions, even if you mess up a little, it usually turns out great! Plus, it's homemade bread, who doesn't enjoy that, even just for the smell?!

So here is one of my cherished secrets. I originally found it on the blog Mel's Kitchen Cafe but have now altered it just a bit, because I rarely have just Rosemary in my home. There is, however, always Italian Seasoning which I have now substituted into the recipe. I like it just as well, but just know the original recipe calls for rosemary rather than the Italian Seasoning.

Macaroni Grill Bread:

1 T. active dry yeast                                      1 ½ tsp. salt

1 T. sugar                                                     1 T. dried Italian seasoning

1 ½ c. warm water                                        2 T. butter, melted

2 3/4-4 c. flour                                             Kosher salt for sprinkling

In a large mixing bowl, or electric mixer, combine the yeast, sugar, and water. Let the mixture stand until foaming and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups flour, salt and Italian seasoning. Mix. Continue adding flour gradually, until a soft dough is formed. Judge the dough based on texture and feel versus how much actual flour you've had to add based on the recipe. The dough should be slightly tacky to the touch but should hold its shape while still being soft and smooth. Knead the dough for 4-5 minutes, adding additional flour only if the dough is overly sticky and not clearing the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly-greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, 1-2 hours. Once doubled, gently deflate the dough and divide in half. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray. Shape the dough into two smooth, oval-shaped loaves and place them on the baking sheet, one on each half of the tray so they have room to rise and bake without touching. Use a brush to slather the melted butter over the top of the loaves. Continue brushing on the butter until it is gone, the loaves will be well-saturated. Cover the loaves again  and let rise for another hour. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly sprinkle kosher salt over the top of the loaves. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly-browned and baked through. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy either plain or with Balsamic vinegar and olive oil.