Five-Spice Coconut Chicken

Sometimes I forget how easy and good marinades are. Just mix up a few ingredients, plop the meat in, let it sit, and then grill it up--delicious. This recipe was great because it also combined the ingredients used in the marinade for a yummy dressing for the side dish. I used green beans instead of snap peas (steamed them up for about five minutes) and it turned out delicious. I think my 11-month old ate more of them than I did. I had some coconut milk left over after making the marinade so I threw that in with the rice in my rice cooker to make it extra flavorful. I baked the chicken at 375 for 20 minutes instead of grilling it, it turned out great.

recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray Magazine

Five-Spice Coconut Chicken

1/3 c. plus 1 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut milk

2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. honey

1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. lime juice

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder

1 tsp. salt

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1/2 lb. sugar snap peas

Cooked white rice, for serving

1. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp. coconut milk, 1 tsp. honey and 1 tsp. lime juice. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1/3 c. coconut milk, 2 Tbsp. honey and 1 Tbsp. lime juice with the soy sauce, garlic, five-spice powder and salt. Add the chicken thighs, coating well. Marinate at least 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the sugar snap peas and cook for 1 minute; drain. Transfer to a medium bowl and toss with the reserved coconut-honey dressing.

4. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium. Grill the chicken thighs for about 4 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Serve with the sugar snap peas and rice.

Hawaiian Pulled Pork

  Here is another crock-pot meal to add to your repertoire. I buy the pork loin roasts at Costco, they come in a package of four, and they're the perfect size for your family with some leftovers for a yummy lunch or second meal.  I paired it with Hawaiian rolls and steamed broccoli.  Easy. Delicious.

recipe courtesy of I Was Born to Cook blog

Hawaiian Pulled Pork

3 pounds pork shoulder (or butt)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (left this out for the kiddos)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 (15 ounce) can pineapple pieces, drained
salt and pepper
rolls

Place pork in crockpot, followed by onion and remaining ingredients.  Cook for 6-8 hours on low.  While cooking, when meat looks tender enough, shred with 2 forks so it absorbs more juice. Add salt and pepper to taste (about 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper)

Pan-Seared Salmon with Citrus Vinegar Glaze and Green Beans

Melissa's Notes: I must say, I'm not completely comfortable cooking fish at home, mostly because I really haven't done it all that much.  But last weekend James wanted a lighter dinner, so I decided to go out of my comfort zone and go for it...I'm so glad I did!  The fish was perfectly cooked and dinner was on the table in less than 15 minutes, not to mention everybody loved it and cleaned their plates without complaint.  It has inspired me to incorporate fish more regularly into our weekly menu.  If the glaze isn't your cup of tea, I urge you to still try this simple way to prepare salmon, it's delicious even without the glaze and so easy.  Just FYI, I halved the recipe for the glaze and it still made more than enough. Also, I made sure everything was ready to go before I put the salmon in the pan, that made the dinner super quick and stress-free.

recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals 2

Ingredients

4 salmon fillets (6-oz. each)
EVOO, for brushing fish
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 c. dry white wine (I'm sure you can substitute this with water or white grape juice if you want)
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. orange juice
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. coarse black pepper
1 lb. green beans, trimmed
orange or lemon rind slices

Directions

1.  Preheat a cast-iron pan or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.  Brush the salmon fillets with oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook salmon until just cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side.
2.  While salmon cooks, bring wine, vinegar, citrus juices and brown sugar to a boil over high heat.  Reduce glaze 3 or 4 minutes, until thickened (I found this took more like 6-7 minutes).  Remove from heat.  Stir in 1/2 tsp. coarse black pepper.
3.  To a second skillet, add green beans, pieces of orange and/or lemon rind and 1/2 inch of water.  Bring to a boil, cover, and cook 3 or 4 minutes.  Drain the beans, toss with a drizzle of EVOO and season with salt and pepper.
4.  Drizzle glaze over salmon fillets and serve with citrus green beans.

Recipe Review - Cajun Chicken Pasta

photo courtesy of the Pioneer Woman

  One of my favorite things to do is try new recipes. In fact, I probably do it too much, I need to build up my repertoire of go-to recipes more. A couple of months ago, the Food Network released about 4 or 5 episodes of "The Pioneer Woman", which I was excited about as I've visited her blog frequently. On one episode she made a pasta that I was surprised looked so tasty to me, as I'm not a huge fan of peppers, onions, or food that is too spicy. But I was determined to try it, and finally, last night, I did. Besides the fact that I used way too many dishes and felt a little frazzled getting everything ready for the short cooking times (next time I would totally prep throughout the day), my efforts paid off. It really was delicious: it wasn't too spicy (I think the heavy whipping cream was a nice addition to tame the spice), the peppers and onions completely added to the dish (in fact, I went back to the pot to retrieve more of them), and the cajun flavoring was wonderful (which, by the way, I made my own with ingredients I had on hand). I was so glad that my instincts of what looked good won over my instincts of what sounded good. I couldn't wait to eat the leftovers for my lunch today...I think I may have enjoyed it even more this time!

Here are a couple of pointers if you decide to try the recipe out:

-If you don't think your kids will eat it, just set aside some plain pasta and top it with butter and parmesan, that way you don't have to make a completely separate meal for the kiddos.

-As I mentioned before, prep when you have time throughout the day. Cut up the chicken and season it, chop up all the veggies and store in the fridge, and get all the ingredients ready by the stove so you can put it together quickly.

-I halved this recipe since I knew only James and I would be eating it. I did make a whole pound of pasta, but just saved half in a plastic bag with a little bit of olive oil (so it doesn't stick to itself) to be used throughout the week. I believe you can even freeze pasta like this.

Find the recipe for Cajun Chicken Pasta here. And the cajun seasoning mix here.

Pan-seared Pork Chops w/ Green Apple-Cranberry Compote

Melissa's Notes: I checked out a recipe book from the library the other day, and it actually had some really good recipes in it that I decided to try right away. My kids love pork chops, so I thought this would be a good choice. We loved it, any dinner that the kids don't complain at all about is a hit in my book! I served it with Wild Rice Pilaf and steamed asparagus.

recipe courtesy of The Family Kitchen by Debra Ponzek

Pan-seared Pork Chops w/ Green Apple-Cranberry Compote

1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 6-oz. boneless pork chops
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
3/4 c. apple cider (I used apple juice)
1/3 c. dried cranberries
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
3 sprigs sage, leaves removed and chopped
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350.
In an ovenproof saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until just smoking. Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper and sear for 1-2 min. per side. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for about 15 min., depending on their thickness, until cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for about 5 min. before serving.
Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apples, cider, cranberries, and brown sugar, cover the pan, and cook for about 15 min., until the apples are soft and wilted.
Uncover the pan, add the sage and balsamic vinegar, and simmer for another 5 min. or so until all the flavors are combined.
To serve, place a couple of spoonfuls of the compote on each pork chop.

Serves 4

Hawaiian Haystacks

Melissa's Notes: I got a request to post this recipe. I like to make this when I have to cook for a bigger crowd (4 adults plus kids) because it makes way too much for just our family. It's also nice for picky eaters because they can pick and choose what they want to put on top.

recipe courtesy of Favorites

Hawaiian Haystacks

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. sliced mushrooms
6 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into pieces

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add flour and salt and stir. Add milk and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add cream of mushroom soup, mushrooms, and chicken. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Serves 8.

Serve over sticky, white rice with the following toppings:

grated Cheddar cheese
chopped celery
chowmein noodles
pineapple tidbits
chopped tomatoes
coconut
toasted sliced almonds
chopped green onions
soy sauce

Calzones - Two Ways

Melissa's Notes: Okay, this has to be one of my all-time favorite things to eat. I love everything about this meal, and it really is something you can make from start to finish in about 30 minutes. You can adjust the filling for your family, but I love these recipes just as they are. These recipes make a TON, so I always half the recipe, and it's enough for my family of four, plus yummy lunch leftovers the next day for me! Use your own pizza dough recipe or buy a trader joe's pizza dough or pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough (one package of the store-bought kind is enough for two good sized calzones). I usually just make one of these fillings at a time, but it might be fun to make both fillings if you're having friends over for dinner.

recipes courtesy of Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals 2

Spinach Artichoke Calzone

makes 4 calzones

2 c. low-moisture part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, or a few pinches ground
black pepper
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 package (10-oz.) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, and squeezed dry
1 can (15 oz.) quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained and coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tubes, prepared, refrigerated pizza dough (10 oz. each)
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 c. marinara sauce, for dipping

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl to make the filling. Roll both tubes of pizza dough out on 2 separate nonstick cookie sheets and cut each dough in half across. Spread 1/2 c. mozzarella and up to 1/4 of the filling on each rectangle. Work on just half of the surface of each rectangle of dough, then fold dough over top of filling and pinch edges firmly to seal.

Space calzones evenly on baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown (I find brushing the top with olive oil helps with this). Serve with warm marinara sauce, for dipping.

Sausage Calzones

makes 4 calzones

1 1/3 lb. Italian sweet sausage
a drizzle of EVOO
2 c. ricotta cheese
a handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
A handful grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated or a couple pinches ground
a few grinds freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped pimiento
2 tubes prepared, refrigerated pizza dough (10 oz. each)
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 c. marinara sauce, for dipping

Preheat oven to 425.

Brown sausage in a skillet in a drizzle of olive oil. Transfer crumbles to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Combine sausage with ricotta cheese, parsley, garlic, grated Parmesan, nutmeg, pepper, and pimiento. Roll both tubes of pizza dough out on 2 separate nonstick cookie sheets and cut each dough in half across. Spread 1/2 c. mozzarella and up to 1/4 of the filling on each rectangle. Work on just half of the surface of each rectangle of dough, then fold dough over top of filling and pinch edges firmly to seal.

Space calzones evenly on baking sheet, and bake 12-15 min. or until golden brown. Serve with warm marinara sauce, for dipping.

Another Apricot Chicken

Melissa's Notes: Chances are you have tried Apricot Chicken where you mix apricot preserves, onion soup mix, and russian dressing and pour it over chicken. I really like this recipe as well, and I serve it with an instant rice mix and vegetable. I love that I almost always have all the ingredients on hand and it cooks up in about 30 minutes.

recipe courtesy of Keeping Up Cookbook

Another Apricot Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
1/2 c. apricot jam
1 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard (I just use spicy brown mustard)
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. sliced almonds

Pat chicken breasts dry, season with salt and pepper, then place in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

Meanwhile, stir together remaining ingredients (except almonds) in a saucepan. Heat until well combined, stirring often. Pour sauce over chicken and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle chicken with almonds and briefly broil until almonds toast and sauce begins to caramelize. Be sure to pour the sauce over the rice!

Beef Terriyaki

Melissa's Notes: This recipe is so yummy, you won't be disappointed. And it comes together super quick, especially if you prep throughout the day (make the sauce, prep your vegetable, etc.). I served it with rice and steamed broccoli.

recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Beef Terriyaki

1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. sugar
grated ginger (about a 1" piece)
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 lbs. steak, sliced 1/4" thick (I used top blade, you could use anything though, flank steak would also be good)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
2 scallions, sliced thin (optional)

1. Whisk soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, cornstarch, and red pepper together. Set aside.

2. Pat meat dry, then season with pepper (the salt in the sauce will be plenty). Heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half the meat, about 5 minutes, then transfer to a clean bowl. Repeat with remaining oil and meat.

3. Briefly re-whisk mixture then add to skillet. Simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

4. Return the meat with all the drippings to skillet and warm through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions.

Turkey Burgers w/ Cranberry and Spicy Mustard

Melissa's Notes: These are my most favorite turkey burgers. They are so yummy and healthy too! There is horseradish in the recipe, and I wouldn't leave it out, it really adds a subtle flavor that complements the cranberry sauce. For the kiddos, I just mix the turkey with the grill seasoning and make their patties before I add the horseradish. If you're a fan of cranberry sauce with turkey, try these!

recipe adapted from Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals

Turkey Burgers w/ Cranberry and Spicy Mustard

1 package ground turkey breast
2 rounded Tbsp. prepared horseradish
Sharp Cheddar cheese, sliced
1 rounded palmful grill seasoning (I use McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning)
EVOO
spicy brown mustard
hamburger buns
1 can cranberry sauce, whichever way you prefer, jellied or whole-berry
romaine lettuce leaves

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

In a medium bowl, mix together the meat, horseradish and grill seasoning. Form patties. Drizzle the EVOO in the skillet before putting the burgers in. Cook the burgers about 5-6 minutes each side. When you flip to the second side, top with cheddar cheese.

Top with spicy mustard, cranberry sauce, romaine leaves, and mayo (if you like). Serve with carrot sticks.

Lemon Chicken Fricassee w/ Biscuit Topping

Melissa's Notes: I love one pot dinners, mostly because I don't love making side dishes. This is a great meal and it includes all your components: protein, vegetables, and a starch, all in one dish! What's not to love about that? The only thing I would have changed about this dish is I would have had less of a biscuity topping, so maybe cut the biscuit recipe down, or don't use all of the dough.

recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray magazine

Lemon Chicken Fricassee with Biscuit Topping

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 3/4 lbs.), quartered
salt and pepper
1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. vegetable shortening, chilled
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. flour
1 14.5-oz. can chicken broth
1 c. frozen peas and carrots
grated peel and juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 c. plus 2 Tbsp. buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. shortening over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. (I had to do this in two batches) Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 Tbsp. flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the peas and carrots, lemon peel and lemon juice. (Don't thicken up the sauce too much, it will thicken more in the oven)
2. In a bowl, combine the remaining 2 c. flour, the baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt. Using your fingertips, rub the remaining 1/2 c. shortening into the dry ingredients. Stir in 1 c. buttermilk to form a dough. Transfer to a floured surface and roll out 1/2 in. thick. Using a 3-in. cookie cutter, form 8 biscuits (maybe 6 if you don't want it too bready)
3. Top the chicken mixture with the biscuits and brush the dough with the remaining 2 Tbsp. buttermilk. Bake until browned and cooked through, about 25 minutes.

Steak Sandwiches

Melissa's Notes: Another easy meal that is so tasty! You kind of feel like you're eating out with this one, but paying so much less! I bought these ciabatta rolls from Albertson's that you take home and finish baking in your oven, and they really give you that fresh bread experience. I don't know if this is a very kid friendly meal (at least for younger kids), but James and I loved it. Serve with oven fries, or sweet-potato fries.

Steak Sandwich

1 rib-eye steak (about an inch thick)
McCormick steak seasoning (or another brand that you like)
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. ketchup
ciabatta rolls
sliced tomatoes
lettuce

Cut the steak in half crosswise, so you have two thinner steaks (kind of like butterflying, I think). Sprinkle both sides generously with steak seasoning. Cook at medium high heat on an oiled grill pan, about 3 minutes each side. Mix mayonnaise, ketchup, and a little bit of steak seasoning in bowl. Spread the mayonnaise mixture on the ciabatta rolls. Top rolls with steak, tomatoes, and lettuce (or anything else that sounds good to you). Use the rest of the mayonnaise mixture to dip your fries in!

Tangy Slow Cooker Pork Roast

Melissa's Notes: I made this last week for Sunday dinner and it was great, it made good leftovers too (in James' opinion, the leftovers were better!). Although, I didn't think it was really "tangy", and I probably would use a little more salt next time I make it. You could do a double duty dinner with this and have pork sandwiches for the second dinner. I added purple potatoes to the crockpot, and you have to do this, the potatoes may have been the best part!! Serve over egg noodles or rice. We served it with jello and sauteed shredded zucchini.

recipe courtesy of All Recipes

Tangy Slow Cooker Pork Roast

Loaded French Bread Pizzas

Melissa's Notes: So I love this recipe because I'm a big fan of recipes that have a lot of veggies in them, but it doesn't seem like it, and it's still very satisfying to eat. I don't think my kids would really eat this, but it would be easy enough to just make a cheese french bread pizza for the kiddos along side the grown up version.

recipe adapted from Weight Watchers Magazine

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (I used yellow)
2 links sweet italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup marinara sauce (I used Prego)
1 loaf french bread (I used the skinny kind)
mozzarella cheese, shredded.

Preheat oven to 425. While oven is heating, add olive oil to skillet and heat to medium-high heat. Add in mushrooms, onions, and pepper and cook until veggies are soft, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle some salt on the veggies during this at some point. Add the italian sausage and brown, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Add in your marinara sauce and heat through. Cut your french bread into 4-6 "boats". Top with the sauce and shredded mozzarella. Bake in oven until cheese browns, about 10-12 minutes. Enjoy!

Pineapple Salsa Chicken Tacos w/ Mango Salsa

Melissa's Notes: I had a bit of help coming up with this recipe from a Trader Joe's cookbook, it's so easy and delicious, my favorite combo! James raved about this, and I made quesadillas with the chicken for my kids, Annie's was gone before I even sat down to the table. I served it with corn on the cob...yum!

Pineapple Salsa Chicken:

chicken tenders
Pineapple salsa from Trader Joe's (or something similar)
flour or corn tortillas
mild cheddar or pepper jack cheese, grated

Heat oven to 375. Put chicken tenders in a baking dish and cover with salsa, you don't even need to defrost them! Cook about 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Warm tortillas. Cut up chicken and put in tortillas. Top with cheese, melt in microwave if needed. Top with mango salsa.

Mango and Avocado Salsa:

1 mango, peeled and cubed
1 avocado, cubed
juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp. red onion, chopped finely
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

Combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Summer Tomato and Basil Soup w/ Grown-up Grilled Cheese

Melissa's Notes: This meal was soooo good. I am not a huge fan of tomato soup (esp. the Campbell's soup kind), but I love the tomato soup at Nordstroms Cafe. My Mom bought this cookbook years ago, and I finally tried this recipe, YUM! I made up the grilled cheese recipe myself (I know, not so hard to do, but you have to start small), and it was so satisfying to eat together. It got rave reviews from hubby and kids, they ate it all up! A winner in my book if my 2 year old is getting some vegetables in her. I halved this recipe and it still made plenty. I love that you don't need fresh basil to make the soup, very convenient. And I am positive that if you left the whipping cream out it would still be super good (for the health conscious).

courtesy of Nordstrom Friends and Family Cookbook
For the soup:
1/3 cup EVOO
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. dried basil
3 28-oz. cans whole Italian-style tomatoes in puree
1 14-1/2 oz. can chicken broth
2 cups heavy whipping cream
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. lightly packed fresh basil leaves, cut into fine ribbons

In a 6-8 quart saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the carrots, onion, and dried basil and saute, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the tomatoes, including the puree, and the broth and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes to blend the flavors.

Remove from the heat. Puree the soup in the saucepan using a wand type immersion blender or working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Return the pureed soup to the saucepan, add the cream, and place over medium heat. Warm until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into a warmed soup tureen or individual bowls, garnish with the basil, and serve immediately.

Grown-Up Grilled Cheese (my own recipe)

fresh French bread from the store
Havarti cheese
Grated Parmesan Cheese (I just used the Kraft kind)

Assemble the sandwiches by cutting thick slices of bread, and putting about 2 slices cheese on each. Heat a skillet to medium heat. Melt some butter and olive oil together on skillet. Put sandwiches on skillet, and flip right away to make sure the butter/oil mixture soaks in on both sides. Sprinkle the tops with the Parmesan. Get another skillet and squish down the bread, leaving the skillet on top (kind of like Panini). When browned on one side, flip and brown the other side. Smoosh the bread again so it's a nice thin sandwich.

Southwest Burgers with Guacamole

Melissa's Notes: A nice twist on a classic, sometimes you just need to change things up a bit!

Ingredients

1 lb. hamburger
1-2 Tbsp. taco seasoning blend (I used Blend it Up Southwest blend, you can buy it at Costco)
Monterey Jack cheese
sliced tomato

For the Guacamole:

1 avocado
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Mix hamburger with southwest seasoning, grill outside or on a grill pan. Top with cheese, tomatoes and guacamole. Makes 4 burgers.

Root Beer Can Chicken

Melissa's Notes: We had this tonight and it was sooooo good! James wanted to try a barbecue recipe that was more of a slow-cooked meat, so we tried this one out. The whole family loved it and we can't wait to try it again. We served it with coleslaw and mashed red potatoes, it would be good with roasted red potatoes, but I left it too late, so I didn't have time to roast them in the oven.

Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

Root Beer Can Chicken

Tangy Garlic and Sour Cream Marinated Chicken

Melissa's Notes: This is a great marinade to make chicken a little more interesting when you're getting sick of the same old. I just used chicken tenders, and halved the recipe. I also left out the celery salt, because I didn't have any, and it was still very tasty!

recipe courtesy of The Mormon Family Cookbook

Ingredients

1 c. sour cream
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 tsp. lemon pepper
3/4 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 fryer, cut up, or 6 chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients but chicken. Pour over chicken pieces, covering all surfaces. Cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight or for several hours. Remove chicken from marinade, and broil on grill or bake in oven set at 350 until tender. (I just pan-fried the chicken).

What Should I Make?

Menu:

Chicken with Cashews and Broccoli (recipe follows)
Brown or White Rice
Orange slices and Avocado over butter lettuce, with Asian dressing

Melissa's Notes: This dinner was really good, and really healthy, too. Stir fry takes no time at all, as long as you prep during the day when you get a moment. Sometimes I'll just put all the veggies in a bowl, chopped up, and store it in the refrigerator until it's time for dinner. You could do this with the meat and sauce as well. I love the brown rice in the frozen section at Trader Joe's. You pop it in the microwave for three minutes and it's done, it tastes great! A really good Asian dressing is Brianna's Ginger Mandarin. I halved this recipe and it was enough for James, Annie, and I (Nat was at her cousin's house), plus leftovers for James' lunch.

Chicken with Cashews and Broccoli

recipe courtesy of a Junior League Cookbook

1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 c. chicken broth
2 Tbsp. soy sauce (add more if it needs more salt)
1/4-1/2 tsp. Tabasco (I left this out)
1/4 c. peanut oil (I used Canola)
3 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 slices fresh ginger (1/2 tsp. powdered)
3 c. broccoli flowerets
1 medium, sweet red pepper, cut into 1-inch squares (I left this out and instead added yellow squash)
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced (I left this out)
1 bunch scallions, slivered
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 c. dry roasted cashews (I used honey roasted peanuts)

Combine the cornstarch, chicken broth, soy sauce, and Tabasco in a small bowl. (I also added some orange juice from the orange I segmented for the salad)

Ten minutes before serving, heat the oil in a hot skillet or wok. When oil is very hot, add chicken and ginger (I used powdered ginger, and coated the chicken with it before putting it in the skillet). Cook, stirring constantly, until chicken turns white. Remove chicken and discard ginger slices.

Place the broccoli, red pepper, mushrooms, scallions, and minced garlic in the skillet. Cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Combine the chicken and cornstarch mixture with the vegetables and continue stirring until the sauce thickens slightly. Sprinkle with the cashews and serve immediately with steaming hot rice.