Adobo-Marinated Chicken Quesadillas

This are sooooo yummy. I love these and my husband and kids do to. This is the exact recipe (and photo) from Whole Living. I heated ours on the griddle, not the grill and left out the jalapenos. The adobo has plenty of heat for our kids. The red onion are a must though.

• 1 can (7 ounces) chiles in adobo sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 chicken cutlets (4 ounces each)
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 jalapeno chiles, stems removed, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 8 eight-inch flour tortillas
• 5 ounces low-fat Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 1/3 cups)

1. Puree chiles in adobo sauce and water in a blender until smooth. Pour mixture over chicken to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, place onion in a small bowl. Combine jalapenos, vinegar, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, and cook until jalapenos are soft and sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes. Pour over onion, and let stand until mixture is cool. Strain through a fine sieve.
3. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Grill chicken, about 2 minutes per side. Slice into strips. Wipe pan clean.
4. Place 1 tortilla onto a work surface. Arrange strips of 1 cutlet to cover tortilla. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup Monterey Jack cheese and some onion-jalapeno mixture. Top with another tortilla. Repeat with remaining tortillas, chicken, cheese, and onion mixture.
5. Carefully place quesadilla onto hot grill pan, and cook over medium heat until tortillas are crisp and cheese melts, about 4 minutes per side. Cut each quesadilla in half, and divide among 8 plates. Cut into wedges.

Baked Pork Chops with Creamy Corn

This is a dish I grew up eating (and making.) It is very simple and I love topping my potatoes with the caramelized corn. We normally eat this with baked potatoes, but I only had red skinned new potatoes so I made mashed potatoes.

6 pork chops, 1 inch thick

2 cans creamed corn

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Parsley Flakes

Baking Potatoes

1. Season pork chops, brown skillet  1-2 minutes each side (this step may be eliminated.)

2. Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Spread one can of corn on bottom of pan. Place browned pork chops in pan. Cover with remaining can of corn.

3. Sprinkle with dried parsley flakes. Bake uncovered at 350 for 1:15 to 1:30. Or until corn thickens and top begins to brown.

Serve with baked potatoes.

Serves 6

Chicken Bacon Ranch Burgers

These are so easy, yet so delicious!

Grilled chicken breasts ( I slice them in half and make them thinner)
Bacon
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Ranch dressing (must be homemade or
Hidden valley packet, not bottled ranch!)
Toasted buns
Assemble burgers 9

Sorry the pictures aren't the best quality!

Zucchini Bread/Muffins

When I make muffins, I usually add a little of this and a little of that. So, chances are if you leave out or substitute any of these ingredients (and there are A LOT,) you'll probably get a pretty yummy result.

1/2 cup wheat flour

1/2 cup oat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup almond meal

14 cup of flax meal

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup agave nectar or sugar

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini

2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil

1/2 cup coconut milk

¼ teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel

½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

1. Grease bottom and ½ inch up sides of a bread pan or line muffin tin. In a medium mixing bowl combine the flours, almond meal, flax meal, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.

2. Combine sugar, shredded zucchini, oil, applesauce, coconut milk and lemon peel; mix well. Add dry mixture to zucchini mixture. Stir just till moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts.

3. Spoon batter into the pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven 55 to 60 minutes or 15-20 minutes for muffins.

Apricot Almond Chicken

4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper 

Sprinkle salt and pepper on chicken. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Meanwhile, combine the following in saucepan and heat:
½ cup apricot preserves
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoons stone ground mustard
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

 Pour apricot mixture over chicken and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Broil at 4-5 inches for 3 minutes. Top with almonds. 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Summer Pudding Pops

These were a breeze and so yummy. The girls loved them!

1 packet of vanilla pudding
1/2-3/4 cup of strawberry yogurt (you really could use any flavor, sorry court not plain, nasty, healthy yogurt)
11/2 cups milk Fruit (I used blueberries, but strawberries would be great)
Blend it all up in a blender
Pour into Popsicle molds and freeze.

Chicken, Spinach and Tomato Calzone

Recipe from Our Best Bites


Chicken, Spinach and Tomato Calzone
1 Recipe of Pizza Dough
3 tomatoes
1/3 bag of spinach
2 chicken breasts, shredded
Mozzarella
Your favorite pizza sauce to dip in

Roll your pizza dough into a rectangle. Spread some olive oil evenly on top of pizza dough and sprinkle some parmesan cheese. Top with mozzarella, spinach, tomatoes and chicken. Fold both long ends over and pinch dough, then fold short ends over and flip the calzone over. Spread more olive oil on top and sprinkle parmesan cheese and whatever seasonings you would like.
Bake at 425

Grandma Mary's Carrot Cake

I made these into cupcakes for Easter and they were so yummy. Really similar to the healthier version I made last spring. I did add about 3/4 cup sweetened coconut.

• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup crushed pineapple
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cuts canola oil
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups nuts

Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Fold together carefully.

Bake for 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces light cream cheese/Neufchatel
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 or 3 teaspoons milk
• 4 cups powdered sugar 

White Chip Chocolate Cookies

This was a new recipe to our family.  Avery made these! You can't really go wrong with butter, chocolate and sugar!

White Chip Chocolate Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Baking Cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Premier White Morsels

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by well-rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. 

Chicken Tikka Masala

This recipe was adapted from The Pioneer Woman and this photo is hers too. ;) Click her link for step by step photo instructions.

Here's a NEW family fav. It's fun experimenting with ethnic foods. This recipe takes a little concentration the first time around, but is actually a relatively quick dinner once you get the hang of it. I've found that you can use half and half instead of cream for a less rich dish. That being said, the cream is really tasty!

And since the grill will be fired up, you might as well whip up this flatbread recipe and throw it on the grill just as your chicken is finishing.

Chicken Tikka Masala

2-3 whole Chicken Breasts             

Kosher Salt

Ground Coriander

Cumin, To Taste

1/2 cup Plain Yogurt

3 Tablespoons Butter

1 whole Large Onion, diced

4 cloves Garlic

1 piece fresh Ginger

Garam Masala

1 can (28 Ounce) Crushed Tomatoes

1 Tablespoon Sugar

½-1 cup Heavy Cream or 1 cup half and half plus a scoop of plain yogurt

2 cups Basmati Rice

                       

OPTIONAL:

Fresh Cilantro

Chili Peppers

Turmeric

Frozen Peas

Preheat grill. Season the chicken with salt, coriander and cumin. Coat coat the chicken breasts completely with the plain yogurt. Grill chicken through. It should have slightly blackened edges.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Saute onions until they are slightly browned. As the onions cook, mince the garlic. Next, cut off the outer skin and mince or grate a 1 by 2 inch chunk of fresh ginger. Add the garlic and ginger to the onions. Season with salt and about 1-3 tablespoons Garam Masala spice. If you like it spicy, add a minced serrano chili peppers. Add the can of tomatoes. Add sugar.  Simmer on medium for about 5 minutes.

After the Tikka Masala sauce has had a chance to simmer for a little bit, heavy cream or half and half/yogurt. Dice chicken breasts and stir into the sauce. Garnish with cilantro.

To a rice cooker add 2 cups Basmati rice, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon Ground Turmeric and 3 cups water. Cover, turn on your rice cooker and walk away. If you do not have a rice cooker, cook your rice as usual.  Add some frozen peas into the cooked rice, give them a stir, and allow the heat of the rice to cook the peas.

Serve the rice with the Chicken Tikka Masala over top. Make sure to have some Nann bread handy, too.

Chocolate Coconut Frosted Graham Crackers

I've been looking for delicious, healthy graham crackers for awhile and my search has come to an abrupt halt. They have been located! I found them at amazon.com for just under $3 a box. And, they are actually made with real graham flour, no hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. Most "graham" crackers are not :( The oats have kinda thrown my kids for a loop, but my husband and I think they are delish. The only thing that makes them better than a glass of milk is this yummy little concoction. Don't bother measuring, just go do it!!!

Chocolate Coconut Frosting

1 glob coconut oil (sub butter)

about 2 cups confectioner's sugar

about 1 cup cocoa powder

a couple splashes of coconut milk (sub cow's milk)

Mix it all together and spread it on thick!

(I like mine to sit for several minutes to several hours to soften the crackers just a bit.)