Chicken Enchiladas?

Chicken
Cream of mushroom soup
Milk
Green pepper
Zucchini
Onion
Monterey Jack cheese
Cheddar cheese
Green Salsa
Corn tortillas

Whitney's recipes:
Cook 2 chopped chicken breasts. Set aside.

Saute 1/2 cup chopped onion in 1/4 cup butter

Add:
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup bell pepper OR for spice 1 tbls diced green chilis

Add & mix:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk OR sour cream
1 cup grated cheese (cheddar, monterey jack or mozerella work great!)

Set aside.

Grate 2 more cups of cheese. Set aside.

In 9x9 pan fill flour tortillas with chicken and sauce. Roll up like a burrito and push to the side of the pan. Continue filling tortillas until pan in crammed full. Top with any remaining sauce and then with the additional 2 cups cheese.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Basic White Sauce

From Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
Dash black pepper
1 1/2 cup milk
Onion, chopped (optional)
Garlic, minced (optional)

1. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, if desired, and saute.
2. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper and cook for about 30 seconds.
3. Stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.

Baked Cod and Shrimp

2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup minced onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used frozen)
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 pound cod fillets
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a medium baking dish with the olive oil.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and saute the onion and garlic until tender. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
3. Remove from heat, stir in the shrimp and mushrooms, and season with dill, salt, and pepper.
4. Arrange cod in the prepared baking dish. Pour the white sauce over the cod. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley.
5. Cover, and bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbly and fish is easily flaked with a fork.
6. Serve over rice or pasta.

Adapted from allrecipes.com (original recipe).

Try #1 - April 20, 2010
Very yummy! I didn't use mushrooms, because I didn't have any, and I used dried instead of fresh herbs.

Try #2 - March 9, 2011
Made it with mushrooms and no shrimp this time. Put freshly shredded Romano cheese on top. Still delicious!

Garlic-Lemon Vinaigrette

From Parents magazine, May 2010

4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper

Serves 4.

Blueberry Sauce #2

Found this recipe here. I wasn't 100% satisfied with my first blueberry sauce, so decided to try a new one (although it looks fairly similar...).

1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup water
3 cups blueberries
Zest from one lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Go through blueberries and remove any moldy, soft, or blemished berries. Remove any stems remaining on the blueberries. Place in a colander and gently swish in cold water to wash berries. Allow to drain.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon and water. Stir until mixture is smooth and then add the blueberries.
3. Cook over medium heat until sauce becomes translucent and has thickened. If sauce is too thin, add 1/4 teaspoon of cornstarch and continue to cook. If still not thick enough, add more cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon at a time, until sauce is the desired thickness.
4. Remove from heat and add lemon zest and lemon juice to the sauce. Stir until well mixed.
5. Allow the sauce to cool before storing in the refrigerator.

Roast Chicken

We have roast chicken fairly often (probably at least once a month), and I always have to go to the cookbook (Better Homes and Gardens) to double-check the process for roasting. So I thought I'd put it here:

Place bird, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. We like to rub it with salt, garlic powder, and rosemary.

Set oven at 375 degrees.
2.5 to 3 pounds - 1 to 1.25 hours
3.5 to 4 pounds - 1.25 to 1.75 hours
4.5 to 5 pounds - 1.5 to 2 hours

Chicken is done when the meat thermometer reads 180 degrees in thigh muscle, or until drumsticks move easily in their sockets and juices run clear.

Roasted Carrots

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. (I did 375 degrees, since that's the temperature I had the oven at for chicken and potatoes.)
2. Cut the carrots into quarters.
3. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray.
4. Arrange carrots in a single layer on the baking sheet.
5. Drizzle olive oil over the carrots and sprinkle a few pinches of salt and dashes of dried thyme over them. (I just sprayed the carrots with olive oil cooking spray for convenience sake.)
6. Place in the oven for 45 minutes or until the carrots are soft.

Try #1 - April 16, 2010
Roasting the carrots brings out the sugars and makes them sweet and delicious! I served this with roast chicken and roasted potatoes.

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

From www.wholefoodsmarket.com

8 medium sized red potatoes (I used russet)
2 tablespoons canola oil (I used olive oil)
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, or 2 teaspoons dried
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method #1: Preheat oven to 375°F. Quarter potatoes and steam for 5 to 8 minutes, until slightly tender. Put potatoes in a mixing bowl and coat with oil. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper. Place evenly on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.

Method #2: Preheat oven to 375°F. Quarter potatoes, put in a mixing bowl and coat with oil. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper. Place evenly on baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, turning occasionally.

Try #1 - April 16, 2010
I used method #2, and the potatoes took about an hour, just like the directions said. They were delicious! Soft on the inside, crispy on the outside. Perfect! Served with roast chicken and roasted carrots.

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

From allrecipes.com

4 tilapia fillets
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter, melted (or 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Rinse tilapia fillets under cool water, and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Place fillets in baking dish. Pour lemon juice over fillets, then drizzle butter on top. Sprinkle with garlic, parsley, and pepper.
(I used the juice of 1 1/2 limes, drizzled olive oil on top, and sprinkled with minced garlic and chopped cilantro stems.)
4.Bake in preheated oven until the fish is white and flakes when pulled apart with a fork, about 10-15 minutes.

Try #1 - April 15, 2010
I made a lot of substitutions with this recipe - lime instead of lemon, olive oil instead of butter, fresh cilantro instead of parsley. The fish came out perfectly flaky. We served this over spaghetti and topped it with Parmesan cheese. The Parmesan definitely added a lot.

Chicken Chili

I didn't have dinner planned ahead of time, so I threw this together with ingredients we had. It was delicious!

2 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
1 can kidney beans
1 can chili beans
Frozen corn
Frozen green beans
1-2 cup salsa
Chili powder
Cumin
Oregano
Parsley

Serve over brown rice, top with cheddar cheese and plain yogurt.

Slow-Cooker Pulled-Pork Tacos

From www.realsimple.com

2 cups store-bought salsa, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
kosher salt
1 2 1/2-pound boneless pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
18 corn tortillas
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
3/4 cup sour cream
1 lime, cut into wedges

1.In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the salsa, chili powder, oregano, cocoa, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the pork and turn to coat.
2.Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
3.Twenty minutes before serving, heat oven to 350° F.
4.Stack the tortillas, wrap them in foil, and bake until warm, about 15 minutes.
5.Meanwhile, using 2 forks, shred the pork and stir into the cooking liquid. Serve with the tortillas, cilantro, sour cream, lime, and extra salsa.

Hearty Ham Casserole

2 cups potatoes, cubed (I used 5 smallish russet potatoes)
2 cups cooked ham, cubed (I used 1 cup cooked ham)
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained (I used 1 cup frozen corn and 1/2 cup frozen peas)
1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley (I used 4 tsp dried parsley)
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (I put some in the sauce, then some on top during the last 5 minutes)

White sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon chopped onions (I used a whole onion)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
(I also added some garlic powder)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool. (I skipped this step)
3. Combine potatoes, ham, corn and parsley; set aside. In a saucepan saute onion in butter for 2 minutes (I sauted for much longer, maybe 10 minutes or so), stir in flour until blended well. Gradually add milk and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and pour over the ham mixture. Stir to mix well.
4. Pour into greased 11x7 baking dish. Cover and bake for 25 minutes (I baked for a little over an hour, since I put the potatoes in raw. Oh yeah, and I didn't cover it either...). Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer until cheese melts.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Try #1 - April 12, 2010
I followed this recipe very loosely. I added peas in addition to corn, and some garlic powder to the sauce. I also decided to bake the potatoes with everything rather than boiling them first. I think this gave the potatoes a very nice texture. However, it of course took longer to bake - about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. But if I had the time, I would definitely do it this way again. Great way to use up leftover ham and dig into that 10 lb bag of potatoes that we often have in our pantry! :)

This was creamy and delicious - although almost a bit too rich for my taste (Nathan really liked it). Next time I might use less butter.

Try #2 - January 6, 2012
I think part of the reason it was so rich last time is actually the sweet corn I used, so I decided to omit that this time. I also decided to serve the peas on the side instead of putting them in the casserole. I also used 3 Tbsp of butter instead of 1/4 cup. I cooked the potatoes ahead of time in the microwave so the baking time would be less.

Ruby-Red Strawberry Sauce

From allrecipes.com

1/2 cup sugar (I used 1/8 cup)
4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch (I used 2 tsp)
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate (I used 1/8 cup water)
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries (I used 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in orange juice concentrate until smooth; add strawberries. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cool. Store in the refrigerator.

Try #1 - April 7, 2010
We had some rather tasteless strawberries, so I decided to turn them into something more edible. Great over oatmeal and yogurt; would also be good over ice cream.

Pasta with Tuna

I didn't actually have a can of tomatoes (strange, I usually do!) for the recipe below, so I made this little concoction instead.

1/2 lb penne pasta
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese
Basil and oregano
1 can tuna, drained
Peas
Shredded mozzarella cheese

Boiled the pasta, mixed everything except the mozzarella cheese together, then topped it with the mozzarella. Easy, and not bad, quick lunch with ingredients I usually have on hand. Abby liked it! :)

Pasta with Tuna Sauce

From allrecipes.com
I usually have most of these ingredients on hand (except capers, but I'd just omit them), so this would make a quick lunch when we don't have any leftovers.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tablespoon capers
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 (6 ounce) cans tuna, drained
1 (16 ounce) package dry pasta

1.In a large saute pan, heat oil over low heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in capers, tomatoes, lemon juice, and parsley. Season with red pepper flakes to taste. Simmer gently for 3 minutes to thicken sauce. Fold in tuna, and heat through.
2.While sauce is cooking, add pasta to a large pot of rapidly boiling water; cook till just tender. Drain well.
3.Toss pasta with sauce, and serve.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

From Angela's blog

1 cup quinoa
1 3/4 cups water
4 tsp olive oil
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 medium tomato, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp (or more) cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp salt

Add quinoa and water to a medium sauce pan. Bring to boil then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Drizzle with olive oil and then add the rest of the ingredients.

Homemade Whole Wheat Crackers

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Lightly grease two large cookie sheets. Combine the dry ingredients, and then stir in the water, oil and mix until a smooth dough forms.
3. Divide the dough in half and flatten each half on a cookie sheet. Use a small rolling pin or even your fingers for a rustic, uneven look. Once the dough is spread thin, use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut the dough into squares. The elasticity in the dough will make the crackers shrink slightly and pull away from each other; this makes them easy to bake without sticking together.
4. Brush lightly with an egg wash (one egg white and 2 tablespoons of water) or spray lightly with olive oil.
5. Sprinkle with the topping of your choice. Experiment with your favorite flavors, or try one of these variations below.
6. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the crackers are golden and crispy.

Variations:
Salt & Pepper
Rosemary & Coarse Sea Salt
Ranch Dressing Mix
Basil & Parmesan

Source: Frugal Momma's Cooking (originally taken from here)

Try #1 - May 19, 2010
I made these crackers with Abby this morning. On one cookie sheet I did sea salt, and on the other sea salt and garlic powder. I definitely liked the garlic ones better. These are good (and really easy to make), but I think I'll try to find a few other cracker recipes and experiment a little.

Try #2 - January 12, 2011
Abby and I made these as animal crackers! It was fun, and the crackers came out looking fancy too!