Balsamic Vinaigrette

 I am very much into homemade dressings. This recipe is great: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/best-balsamic-vinaigrette/

Ingredients

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp fine kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 large clove garlic, minced (I use it from the jar)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Whisk everything in a mason jar. Shake and enjoy! Remember to take it out of the fridge prior to serving. 

Norma Jean Darden's Mac n Cheese

Ingredients

2 cups dry macaroni

2 teaspoons salt
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
2 large eggs, beaten
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease a 9" X 13" baking dish.

3. Cook the pasta in boiling water with the two teaspoons salt until al dente. Drain and set aside.

4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and whisk in the evaporated milk until well blended. Add 2 cups of the cheese, the 1/2 teaspoon salt, melted butter. and cooked pasta.

5. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Top it evenly with the remaining cup of cheddar cheese.

6. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the custard has set and the cheese on top turns golden brown.

Lemon garlic rosemary chicken

Adapted from Food and Wine: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/lemon-and-garlic-baked-chicken-thighs

Ingredients

8 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs

1 medium lemon

16 peeled garlic cloves

12 fresh rosemary sprigs

3 Tbsp EVOO

1 1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 tsp honey

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut lemon in half and then thirds. Discard seeds. Grate 4 garlic cloves. Arrange lemon slices and grated garlic and cloves and sprigs on the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish. Toss to disperse the grated garlic. Place chicken thighs over mixture skin side up. Drizzle olive oil. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Bake until the chicken is a deep golden brown - about an hour. Remove chicken from dish. Pour remaining juices including the garlic cloves and sprigs into a blender. Add honey and remaining salt to mixture. Serve thighs with sauce and roasted vegetables. 

Chicken Teriyaki

Adapted from Willcookforsmiles....

Teriyaki Sauce:

1/2 cup soy sauce

4 garlic cloves, pressed

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1/3 cup honey

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 cup chicken broth 

1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

Chicken Teriyaki

2 Tbsp canola oil

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 Tbsp cornstarch

salt

3 garlic cloves minced

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 head broccoli

1 medium carrot 

1/4 cup chopped scallions 

1/2 Tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions 

1. Chop and slice vegetables

2. Whisk all ingredients together for the sauce. Set aside.

3. Slice chicken meat into small pieces and combine it in a bowl with some salt and cornstarch. Make sure the cornstarch is spread evenly throughout. 

4. Preheat a large cooking pan over medium heat and add oil. Sauce chicken until almost done. Take chicken and juices out of pan and set aside.

5. Add oil if needed. Add minced garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant. 

6. Add remaining vegetables to the pan. Stir fry until they start to soften. 

7. Add chicken back in and add sauce. 

8. Cook everything until sauce thickens. Top with sesame seeds/ 

9. Serve over steamed white rice. 

Mango Chicken and Coconut Rice

 This recipe is largely adapted from Willcookforsmiles.com

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 Tbsp cornstarch 

2-3 Tbsp canola oil 

Mango Sauce

2 Tbsp butter

1 ripe mango 

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup chicken stock

3 garlic cloves pressed

1 lime - juice only

1 tsp fresh ginger chopped

Coconut Rice:

1 cup jasmine

1 cup chicken stock

5.46 oz can coconut milk

1/2 tsp white granulated sugar

salt to taste

Instructions

Rice: 

1. Set up rice to cook while you are cooking the chicken

2. In a cooking pot, over medium-high heat, combine coconut milk, chicken stock, sugar, and salt. Whisk it together and bring mixture to boil.

3. Add rice, stir just once, lower the heat to the lowest setting and close the pot with a lid. Do not open the lid. Cook rice for about 18-20 minutes. 

4. When rice is done, fluff it with a fork and set aside. 

Mango Chicken: 

1. Dice mango flesh into small pieces and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, chicken stock, lime juice, ginger, and garlic. Set it aside.

2. Cut chicken into bite size pieces. 

3. Put cut chicken in mixing bowl and add cornstarch. Mix chicken well until evenly coated. 

4. Preheat large cooking pan over med to med-high heat. Add oil. Sear chicken on all sides.

5. Lower heat to medium. Melt butter in pan. Stir and cook mango for a couple of minutes until softened.

6. Whisk sauce and pour in with mango. Gently stir and allow to simmer for a couple minutes

7. Add chicken back, stir and let cook for 2-3 minutes until chicken is completely done and sauce is thick. 

8. Serve mango over rice. 

Herb butter chicken and wild rice

 Adapted from this website: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/herb-butter-chicken-and-wild-rice/

Ingredients 

1.5 cups brown wild rice blend (HT brown basmati wild rice blend)

1 small yellow onion, diced (in food processor) 

1 Tbsp dried parsley

2 carrots cut in 1 inch pieces

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and Pepper

3 1/2 cup chicken broth

2 chicken breasts 

2 tsp dried thyme 

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp paprika 

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

6 cloves garlic, minced

4 Tbsp salted butter

8 leaves fresh sage, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven 425 

2. In a large dutch oven, combine 1 Tbsp olive oil, chicken, thyme, rosemary, paprika, and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper. Sear on both sides until golden, 3-5 minutes. During the last 2 minutes add the butter, garlic, and sage. Allow the butter to brown. Remove everything from the pan to a plate. 

3. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil, rice, onion, carrots and dried parsley. Season well with salt and pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes, then pour over the broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat to the lowest setting. Allow the rice to cook 15 minutes until most of the liquids have boiled off. 

4. Slide the chicken, garlic, and juices back into the pan. Bake uncovered 15 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Lemon Herb Sea Bass

 Ingredients 

2 fillets of sea bass (I used the wild sea bass from Costco)

1 good sized clove of garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp of chopped fresh rosemary

olive oil 

lemon juice (fresh would probably be better, but I used bottled)

salt and pepper to taste 

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 F. Thaw sea bass and place on aluminum metal sheet. Mix chopped garlic with olive oil. Spread over fillets. Sprinkle fresh rosemary over fillet. Grind salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 12 minutes. Enjoy!

Banana Muffins

 These muffins are delicious! In the words of my 1.5 yr old "more"!

Ingredients 

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp salt

3 large ribe bananas, mashed

3/4 cups white sugar (consider reducing) 

1 egg 

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

chocolate chips (optional) 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use paper liners and coat with non-stick spray. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt, set aside. Combine bananas, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and melted butter in a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture and chocolate chips. Stir until combined. Scoop into muffin pans. Bake in preheated oven for 25 min. 

Thai Panang Red Curry

This curry is a little sweeter and has more of a lime flavor then other curries. My 1 1/2 year old ate two servings. This recipe is adapted from another blog to fit our tastes. 

Ingredients 

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1/2 small sweet onion, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, diced 

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 carrot, cut like match sticks 

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 can Panang red curry paste

1 Tbsp peanut butter

1 can coconut milk 

1.5 Tbsp fish sauce

Directions

1. Heat coconut oil over medium high heat. Caramelize the onion over medium high heat. Add garlic. Stir for an additional 5 minutes. Add curry paste and peanut butter. Stir until fragrant. Add chicken breast and sear in seasonings. Add coconut milk and fish sauce. Add red bell pepper and carrots. Simmer until chicken breast is fully cooked and vegetables are tender. Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

 We love making large pots of soup during the winter and this one hit the spot! Adapted from a recipe in Allrecipes.

Ingredients

1/2 sweet onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin 

1 tsp dried oregano 

1 (28 oz can) crushed tomatoes

2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth

2 cups frozen sweet corn

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile peppers

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 boneless skinless chick breast or thighs (roasted beforehand)

tortilla chips

avocado

shredded cheese

sour cream 

Directions 

Heat oil over medium heat. Sauce onion and garlic in oil until soft. Stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to boil and simmer 15 minutes. Add corn, chiles, beans, and chicken. Simmer 1 hour. Garnish with tortilla chips, avocado, cheese and sour cream. Enjoy!

Asian Meatballs

This recipe is slightly sweet, savory, and a little spicy. Jared loved it!!! 

Ingredients 

Meatballs

1 lb lean ground beef

1 tsp minced fresh garlic 

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1/2 tsp korean pepper flakes

1 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil 

1 tsp sugar

2 eggs

1.5 Tbsp chopped green onion

dash coriander

dash parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

1/4 cup light soy sauce

1 tsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp honey

1 tsp sriracha 

1 tsp minced fresh garlic

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1 tsp sesame oil

Directions: 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Place meatball ingredients in a metal bowl. Combine and form 24 meatballs. Place meatballs on a large bar pan. Bake for 15 minutes. While the meatballs are baking, whisk the soy sauce and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Add in the honey, sriracha, garlic, and ginger. Cook until thicken on medium heat (3-5 minutes). Finally, add the sesame oil. 

We ate the meatballs with the sauce drizzled over it with brown rice and sautéed spinach. See image below. Enjoy!

Oven baked mac and cheese

 Ingredients 

1 cup elbow macaroni 

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cup milk 

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in 1/2 a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes at 375 F. 

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

 Grandma Sprague's recipe

Ingredients 

1
cup white sugar

4 Tbsp cocoa

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

3 cups oatmeal (quick oats are best)

1 tbsp vanilla

3/4 cup peanut butter

Bring the sugar, cocoa, butter, and milk to a boil for 1 minute. Keep stirring. Add the oatmeal, vanilla, peanut butter and more cocoa if desired. Mix well and drop onto wax paper. 

 Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken

From https://www.wellplated.com/slow-cooker-honey-garlic-chicken/

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts (approx 1 1/2 lbs)

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup honey

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp chili paste (sambal oelek)

4 cloves garlic minced (I used bottled garlic)

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

2 Tbsp cornstarch (I skipped this step)

Toasted sesame seeds and green onions for garnish 

Serve over brown rice

Directions

Place the chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker. In a medium bowl whisk soy sauce, honey, tomato paste, chili paste, garlic, and rice vinegar. Pour over chicken. Cook on High for 3 hours then reduce to low for 1/2 hour to an hour. Alternatively, you can cook on low for 5 hours. Shred chicken and serve over rice with garnish. Enjoy!

You may also remove the chicken before shredding and thicken the sauce with cornstarch by stirring it in the slow cooker for an additional 15-30 minutes on high (without the chicken). 

Easy Pumpkin Muffins

Fall is upon is and so is pumpkin season. Check out this easy recipe for pumpkin muffins or pumpkin cupcakes. Literally, four ingredients.

Ingredients 
1 regular sized can of pumpkin
1 package of Spiced Cake Mix
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs

Directions 
Mix together pumpkin, cake mix, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until blended. Preheat oven to temperature on cake mix package. Cook per the directions on cake mix for cupcake or muffins. Frost if desired and enjoy!

Magic Dust

We rub this on chicken thighs, pork, and ribs. Use this on chicken thighs with TJ's Sriracha BBQ sauce and you'll be thanking me!

Ingredients

1/2 cup paprika
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp mustard power
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup ground cumin
2 Tbsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup ground garlic powder
2 Tbsp cayenne powder

Mix all together. Enjoy

Thai Yellow Curry

Don't think about it, just make this! It's so easy and delicious!!!

Ingredients 

canola oil
1 4 oz can of Yellow Thai Curry Paste (I used Maesri Yellow Curry Paste)
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
6 skinless chicken thighs
3 yellow yukon potatoes
3/4 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp fish sauce

Directions

In a stainless steel dutch oven, heat canola oil. Add can of yellow curry paste. Stir until fragrant. Add chicken thighs and sear. Add brown sugar and fish sauce. Add coconut milk and chicken broth. Cook for 20 min. Add potatoes and cook for an hour. Serve with rice and cucumbers.

Garlic Butter Orange Roughy

This recipe is modified from the recipe on the back of the Wild Caught Kirkland Orange Roughy bag :)

Ingredients:

16 oz Wild Orange Roughy cut into 4 oz pieces (I used 2 packages of Kirkland Orange Roughy)

3 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp minced garlic 

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt 

Pepper 

Paprika

Parsley

1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp Panko breadcrumbs mixed with walnuts  

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375 F. Rinse fish portions in water; pat dry with paper towels. Set aside. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add garlic and olive oil, site until mixed together. Spray a small glass baking dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt. Sprinkle pepper, paprika, and parsley to taste. Lay fish in the dish. Pour garlic mixture over fish. Sprinkle with cheese and panko breadcrumb mix. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the fish flakes easily with a fork. 

This recipe pairs well with Trader Joes Rice Orzo mix, arugula, and Brussels sprouts.  

Honey Oat Bread

Delicious soft, sweet oat bread made in the bread machine. Modified from this recipe: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/honey-oatmeal-bread/

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups warm water
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 cups plus 2 Tbps bread flour
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Directions

Add ingredients as directed by bread machine directions. Ours requires dry, then wet ingredients. Select bake, light and large loaf. Bake in the machine and enjoy!

Spicy Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Winter is coming and that means hot soup, roasted chicken and leftovers! Here's a tasty number inspired largely by this recipe in Cooking Light: https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/spicy-asian-chicken-noodle-soup

Ingredients

4.5 cups homemade chicken stock
1.5 cups shredded roasted chicken
1/2 -1 cup raw, peeled shrimp
1/2 cup julienned carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced red pepper
2 tsp Siracha
2 tsp Thai red curry paste
2 tsp soy sauce
1 2 inch peeled, chopped fresh ginger
canola oil
2 blocks Ramen Millet, Rice noodles (from Costco)
Scallions sliced as garnish

Directions 

Heat ginger in canola oil. Stir in Siracha, red curry paste and soy sauce. Slowly add chicken stock. Add roasted chicken and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Bring mixture to boil. Add carrots and red pepper. Low boil for 5 minutes. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp are cooked thoroughly. Cook ramen according to directions. Fill bowls with ramen and pour soup mixture over noodles. Garnish with green onions.