Sunday, July 26, 2009

Dorito salad

I don't know the technical name for this, but it's REALLY good. My friend Kristina made it for another friend's bachelorette party - it's yummy!!! It's kind of a loose recipe, as most of mine are. I never buy the already cooked chicken, I just cook/cut up a couple of chicken breasts.


INGREDIENTS

1 bag of lettuce - any kind
Chicken breast, cooked and chopped (Can use pre-cooked grilled Tyson chicken strips/fajita strips-not frozen)
1 bag of cheese (I use Co-Jack)
1-2 cans of Ranch Style Beans, drained and rinsed
1 bag Nacho Cheese Doritos (slightly crushed)
Catalina dressing


DIRECTIONS

In large bowl, mix lettuce, chicken, cheese and beans.

Just before serving, add Doritos and dressing. Use just enough dressing to cover, not soak the salad. Enjoy!

Monday, July 20, 2009

Yummy blueberry muffins

I've been wanting to try some homemade blueberry muffins for awhile, but I'm too cheap to pay much for fresh blueberries. But we got some tonight, so I searched for a recipe. I wanted one with a streusel topping and adjusted one that I found on AllRecipes. The muffins got rave reviews from Zac & Kirsten! Following others' suggestions, I filled the cups and got eight muffins. Get some blueberries and give 'em a try!


INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup blueberries
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp butter


DIRECTIONS

Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in medium mixing bowl.

In another bowl, combine oil, egg, milk and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and beat well.

Gently fold in blueberries just until mixed. Drop into paper lined muffin cups.

Combine brown sugar, 2 Tbsp flour, cinnamon and butter with a fork. Sprinkle generously over muffin batter.

Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes, until just done. Let cool and remove from pan. Enjoy!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Aunt Donna's layered salad

I made this for a friend's BBQ yesterday and the recipe was requested - I love it when that happens! :) I first had this when Zac's Aunt Donna made it for Christmas and I personally think it's pretty darn yummy!!


INGREDIENTS
1 head iceberg lettuce, cleaned/dried and chopped/torn into bite size pieces
1 can water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
Frozen sweet peas
Chopped onion (optional - I don't use them)
2 cups mayonaisse
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp sugar
1 pkg bacon, cooked and crumbled


DIRECTIONS

In a 9x13 pan, layer:
Lettuce (may not use entire head)
Water chestnuts
Onions (if using)
Frozen sweet peas

In a bowl, combine the mayo, mozzarella and sugar. Spread over the layered ingredients. Top with crumbled bacon.

Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours before serving. YUMMY!!!!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Corkscrews with chicken and zucchini

Another yummy recipe from Cheap. Fast. Good. that we made for dinner tonight. I used frozen zucchini because it's what I had - but I totally recommend fresh, I think it would turn out better. I also used a small can of diced tomatoes because I didn't have fresh - that worked, but fresh tomatoes might give it a little brighter taste.


INGREDIENTS

8 oz rotini or other short pasta
1 lb chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
8 oz fresh button mushrooms (I didn't use these)
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped or 2 tsp jarred minced
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4" thick rounds
1 medium tomato, cored and chopped (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese (I used the kind in a can)


DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta in salted water until just tender. Drain and put back into pot. Stir tomatoes into pasta, cover and set aside.

Heat oil in an extra-deep 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and let cook 2-3 minutes. Add chicken, mushrooms, garlic, Italian seasoning and zucchini. Cook, stirring occasionally until chicken browns and is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

When chicken is cooked and zucchini is crisp-tender, remove skillet from heat. Combine with tomato/pasta mix and Parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese melts.


NOTE: The cookbook mentions that broccoli would be a good substitute for zucchini.

Mexi-chicken skillet

Zac's sister, Kirsten, is staying with us for a few weeks (YEA!) and helping out. She's gotten into cooking lately and so she made dinner the other night. I plan menus for the week, so she made that day's recipe. It was goooood!! Since it was just us and Abby, we had too much left over; you could half the recipe (except the rice, maybe) and easily have enough for four people. I got this recipe from Cheap. Fast. Good., a cookbook I borrowed from the library. You will be seeing more recipes from it in the next few days! Oh, and I can't take credit for the picture - I borrowed it from $5 Dinners.


INGREDIENTS

1 jar (26 oz) chunky salsa, whatever spiciness you like
1 1/3 cups long grain rice
1 lb chicken breast, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove fresh garlic, chopped or 1 tsp jarred minced garlic
2 cans (11 oz each) Mexi-corn, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
Sour cream, for serving
Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving


DIRECTIONS

Combine 2 2/3 cups water with 1/2 cup of the salsa in a covered pot and bring to boil. Add the rice, stir and reduce heat to low. Cover pan and simmer about 20 minutes, until rice is tender.

Heat oil in an extra-deep 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. After onion has begun to soften, add chicken breast and cook, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Once chicken has begun to brown, add the corn, beans and remaining salsa to the skillet. Stir to coat chicken and vegetables with salsa. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through.

To serve, spoon chicken mixture over a bed of hot rice. Top with cheese and sour cream as desired.