Baked Potato Wedges

Got a few potatoes in hand and need a quick side for dinner or a snack?  Cut potato in six-eight wedges, toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika and put on foil-lined baking sheet or pan. Other options are ranch dressing powder, barbecue powder, or lemon pepper seasoning. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Serve immediately with your favorite condiments like ketchup, barbecue sauce or ranch dressing.

Tomato Garlic Cream Pasta

Tomato Garlic Cream Pasta is a quick and tasty meal for weeknights that will satisfy and delight your taste buds. 

The sauce is tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, (though you can always use a store bought sauce-if I do, I like Prego), oregano, basil, garlic and onions sauteed. Add cream, butter, grated Parmesan cheese and cream cheese. Salt to taste. In a separate pan sauté vegetables (I like eggplant, onion, mushrooms and red bell peppers) with olive oil and garlic. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss cooked pasta, vegetables and sauce together. Add Parmesan cheese and chopped basil. 

Grilled shrimp and nectarine salad

 

This salad is another fresh and healthy dish on a warm summer day, or if you want to remember the summer. 

Start with fresh mixed greens, add vegetables. I love cook cucumbers, red bell pepper, grape tomatoes, and grated carrots. Add ripe nectarine, almonds and grilled shrimp. 

Grilled shrimp:

-season shrimp with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic (or garlic powder)

-grill shrimp for 2-3 min or until shrimp is pink. 

Strawberries, candied nuts and crouton green salad

This salad is light, refreshing, and so easy to make! 

Start with fresh greens (I used a mix of romaine lettuce and mixed greens), add other vegetables-I love cucumbers, grape tomatoes, red bell pepper, mushrooms. Add feta cheese for a nice tangy flavor to off-set the sweet of the strawberry and candied nuts.

Add candied nuts and croutons. Top with your favorite light dressing. I love balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. The balsamic vinegar works nicely with the strawberries and feta cheese.

Candied nuts:

-line a pan with parchment paper and spread nuts on the pan

-mix about a half cup brown sugar with a table spoon of water. (Add more water to loosen) Add about 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Stir. Drizzle mixture over nuts and toss lightly. 

-Bake at 250 degrees, tossing nuts every 5 minutes until nuts are dry. (Approximately 30 min)

-cool nuts and store in an airtight container

Homemade croutons:

-Cut bread (Sourdough, roasted garlic, anything thick with work best) into bite sized pieces.

-Drizzle with olive oil, salt and garlic powder

-Bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes or until the bread is toasted and dry. 

-cool and store in an airtight container. (My kids snack on these croutons so I usually make a double recipe)

Other fun options:

-I sometimes add roast chicken (from Costco-can't beat the flavor, convenience, or the price!) Grilled shrimp is also amazing with this refreshing and tasty salad.

Easter Carrot Cupcakes

Easter Carrot Cupcakes are an easy and delicious treat to make! This is the same recipe that I use for carrot cake made in a 9x13" pan (so moist and yummy!)-but I make these in cupcakes as they are fun to decorate for different occasions!

Easter Carrot Cupcakes

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup oil

2 cups grated carrots

1 small can crushed pineapple, drained

3/4 cup chopped nuts

Mix dry ingredients together. Add sugar, eggs, and oil. Mix well. Add carrots, pineapple and nuts. Fill 3/4 way into cupcake liners and bake for approximately 20 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. 

Frosting

Beat 8 oz cream cheese until fluffy. Cream 1/2 cup butter. Add 1 tsp vanilla. Stir in 1/2 box powdered sugar and beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. You can spread with a knife, or I like to frost using a bakers bag.

Decorate with shredded coconut (about 1 cup) mixed with two small drops of green food dye. Top with candy eggs.

Chinese Chicken Ginger Jook-Quick, Easy, Tasty

Chinese Jook (rice porridge) is a dish often served after Thanksgiving, when there is leftover turkey and turkey bones.  The savory ginger and garlic in the jook is aromatic, and gives this dish just enough flavor on a cold night, or comfort food when you are sick.

You don't have to wait until you have turkey on hand to make jook.  You can use leftover chicken and carcass anytime.  I've found the chicken from Costco or Sam's Club is easy, and has a lot of seasoning, that you don't have to add more salt or flavorings to the jook.

Fill a pot with water and boil the entire chicken (cut in sections) until the chicken begins to separate from the bones.  Add 2 1/2" of smashed fresh ginger and two cloves of smashed garlic to the pot.

 

Skim the fat and scum from the top.  Remove chicken and bones from the pot.  Skim the fat again.  Reduce heat to simmer.

Shred/chop the chicken into small pieces and reserve on the side.  Add vegetables (I like to use shiitake mushrooms and carrots) cut into small pieces.  Put into pot and bring to a boil until the vegetables are tender.  Add chicken back to pot.

Add uncooked, washed, rice to the pot (use 1 cup rice to 8 cups water for best results) and boil until rice is cooked.  This is approximately 20-25 minutes.  Add chicken broth to pot until you have the right, thick porridge consistency.

 

Serve hot and enjoy.  Make a double recipe as this freezes well.

 

Broken Glass Jello Recipe

Love jello, but wish there were more flavors in each bite?  Love rainbow jello dessert but hate to make it because each layer takes forever to set?  (I've been impatient before and have had flavors bleed into each other.  Still yummy, but looks icky.)  Well, this broken glass jello recipe is both super easy to make, and so delicious!  The best part?  You can change up the jello flavors/colors for any occasion!

The photo below shows the broken glass jello dessert I made for the 2014 Super Bowl game day--team colors for the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Sea Hawks!  It was a favorite from fans from both teams!

BROKEN GLASS JELLO RECIPE
1 3-oz box of (total four different colors) jello
1 cup boiling water
1 can condensed milk
1/2 can hot water
1/2 can tap water
4 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 cup hot water

In separate bowls, dissolve each package of Jell-O in one cup of boiling water.  Chill until set.  In a large bowl, blend condensed milk, 1/2 can hot water and 1/2 can tap water.  Stir to blend well.  Mix 4 envelopes gelatin into 1 cup hot water.  Stir well.  Combine condensed milk into mixture.  Set aside to cool.

When Jell-O is firm, cut up into "broken glass" pieces and distribute evenly into 9x13" pan.  Pour milk mixture into the pan.  Chill until set.  Cut into pieces and enjoy!