Southwest Chicken Wraps

This is a recipe I have made several times and I just love it. They are delicious and pretty easy to make. And there's always a good amount of leftovers (for our family) to enjoy for lunch the next day.

Southwest Chicken Wraps

3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
8 ounces picante sauce
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
14 1/2-ounce can black beans, drained
8 flour tortillas
1 medium tomato
1 cup shredded lettuce
2 Tbsp chopped green onions (I've never actually added these)
1/2 cup guacamole
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro (I don't like cilantro, so I leave this out)

1. Combine chicken, picante sauce, chili powder an dgarlic powder in a large skillet and mix well. Cook over medium heat until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Add 3/4 cup cheddar and beans to mixture and mix well.
3. Wrap flour tortillas in a kitchen towl. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute.
4. Spoon equal portions of th ehcicken mixture onto each warm tortilla.
5. Chop the tomato. Top chicken mixture with remaining cheddar, lettuce, tomato, geren onions, guacamole, sour cream and cilantro. Roll to enclose filling. Serve immediately.

**If you want a meatless version, replace the chicken with refried beans or red kidney beans, then add grilled peppers and onions and sliced black olives to the filling.

HoneyBaked Easter

I've never done the Easter dinner myself... so I enlisted HoneyBaked Ham for help.

YUM! The line was out the door and around the corner on Saturday. And once you got in... there were 7 more lines. The 20-30 minute wait was worth it.

It was dinner for my hubby, my parents, Kalea and myself - ordered the quarter ham combo with turkey. YUM! And I picked up some sides: ambrosia, mac salad, cranberry salad and stuffing.

I made my Mom's Crescent Rolls, a green salad... and we had mini-strawberry cheesecakes.

No fuss... no muss.... easy and got to hang with the family.

I had no idea how distinctly, delicious the HoneyBaked Ham flavor was. You can bet I'll be visiting there more often.

What'd you do for Easter?

Molly's Chicken

Since we have church from 2-5 p.m., I'm always looking for crockpot recipes so dinner is ready when we get home. I recently made this one and it was easy and good and the kids loved it. So I thought I'd pass it on. I got it from allrecipes.com.

Molly's Chicken
3 1/2 pounds chicken drumsticks, skin removed
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1. Place drumsticks in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and tomato sauce. Pour sauce over chicken.
2. Cover, and cook on Low heat 8 hours.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

As requested by Her Majesty, Queen Scarlet.

1 cup sweet cream, unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
Cream together.

Add:
2 large eggs
3/4 teas. salt
1 teas. baking soda
1 teas pure vanilla
Mix.

Slowly stir in:
3 cups all purpose flour

Dough should be smooth and creamy (yum!). Add chocolate chips to taste (I really like the Ambrose chocolate chips from Costco. They're not too sweet and not too bitter).

Bake at 350 for 11 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool for 8-10 minutes before removing from sheet.

Molten Marshmallow-Chocolate Cakes

This is a recipe kids will have fun helping you prepare. Be careful to not overcook these or the hidden marshmallow surprise will “disintegrate”.

Molten Marshmallow-Chocolate Cakes

1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup (1/8 lb) butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

6 large marshmallows

Powdered sugar (optional)

In a 3- to 4-quart pan over very low heat, stir chocolate chips and butter until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well blended. Stir in flour. Fill six buttered, floured ramekins (1/2 cup capacity) or muffin pans (1/2 cup capacity) about halfway. Press a marshmallow into the center of the batter in each ramekin. Spoon remaining batter equally over marshmallows, completely covering. Bake in the center of a 350 degree regular or 325 convection oven until tops are puffed up and crackly, 12-15 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes, then run a knife along inside of ramekins and invert to release cakes. Place right side up on plates. Sprinkle tops with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve warm.

Making it easy...

Yesterday Nicole and I went to Dream Dinners... check it out. I made 6 meals and had the Chicken Enchiladas last night... serves six people and we had my parents over ... delish... mmm yum. Leftovers for lunch today after it snowed in El Dorado Hills. Perfect.

There's also other shops that do this Dish It Up and Super Suppers...

No more... what the heck am I going to make for dinner...YAY!

Q: How can BYU mint brownies be any better? A: Dark chocolate ganache.

Yes, my friends, I have a gift. It is the gift of dark chocolate ganache. No longer are the BYU mint brownies too sweet; I have made them PERFECT. Please send your praise and money and join my cult of ganache.

Brownies (from BYU recipe):
1 c. margarine
1/2 c. cocoa
2 Tbsp. honey
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 c. chopped walnuts (or not.)

Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts, or not. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.

Now here is where I come in (Mwah-Ha-Ha.):
While the brownies are cooking, clear out a space in your freezer large enough for the pan.

As soon as they are done, put the pan in the freezer. Then

Mix together in a small saucepan:
3/4 c best quality unsweetened cocoa powder. (I get mine from penzey's spices)
1/2 c heavy cream
6 T butter, cut into bits
3/4 c powdered sugar
tiny pinch of salt

Cook over low heat until combined and thickened, about 10 minutes.

As soon as this is thickened, pour it over the pan in the freezer. Just a thin layer, you will save some in the pan. Close the freezer and make the mint icing

5 Tbsp. margarine, softened
dash of salt
1 Tbsp. dark corn syrup
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. mint extract, or more to taste.
1-2 drops green food color, or as green as you want it. You don't even need it if you are of the "Bryers mint ice cream with no added color" persuasion.
3 Tbsp. milk, or enough to make it the right consistency

In a bowl, use your mixer to blend together first 4 ingredients until creamy. Add flavoring and coloring, and the milk. You want the consistency to be as thin as the ganache, so you may need to add more milk, depending on how it all goes. As soon as it is done, spread it on the layer in the freezer.

Wait five more minutes or so, and then layer the last bit of chocolate and the last bit of mint in the freezer. You can make it all swirly like mine, or you can leave it with the scary green on top.

I am telling you, you will be sorely disappointed the next time you have the Cannon Center ones--you will cry "Why does Jen not work here?" And I will say "Because I finally graduated and do not need to be the office secretary any longer."

San Francisco Chops

I haven't been great at posting on here, but now that I'm approaching my second trimester and the thought of food doesn't bring me to the verge of "tossing my cookies" (to put it discreetly since this is a food blog), I'll try to include more recipes and comments! And hopefully be trying more recipes!

So here is one we really like. I usually double or even triple the sauce. My husband loves the sauce and wants plenty of it.

San Francisco Chops

4 bone in pork loin chops
1-2 T veg oil
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine or chicken broth
2 T brown sugar
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 T corn starch
1 T cold water

In skillet brown chops on both sides in oil (sear them). Transfer to crockpot. Add garlic to drippings in pan. Saute for 1 min or until golden. Stir in soy sauce, wine or broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Pour over chops. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 5 1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Combine corn starch and water until smooth; add to crock pot. Cover and cook at least 30 minutes more or until thickened. Serve with rice or potatoes. Yield 4 servings.

Cheesy Broccoli and Noodle Soup (Crock Pot)

Got this recipe from my friend Ginny Thuesen. It's yummy for a rainy day. (this time around I'm adding potatos and carrots...)

Cheesy Broccoli and Noodle Soup
(Crock Pot)

2 cups chicken broth
2 ½ cups broccoli
½ cup onion
1 can cream of chicken
12 oz evaporated milk
1 ¼ cups uncooked egg noodles
2 cups cooked chicken
½ tsp lemon pepper
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Spray crock pot with pam.
Mix chicken broth, broccoli and onion and cook on LOW for 3 hours
Stir in cream of chicken, milk, uncooked noodles, chicken and lemon pepper
Cover and cook for 2-3 hours on LOW
Stir in cheese until it melts and serve

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese and Caramel Frosting

OK, peeps, here is the cake. It is a pain in my bunsies to make, but it is also un-freakin-believeable.

Cake: Butter and flour two parchment-covered 9" cake pans.

Sift together and set aside: 2 3/4 C flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

In another bowl, mix the following together:
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 c) butter
1 2/3 C sugar

Add in 4 eggs, one at a time

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture.

In another bowl, mash 3 really really ripe bananas, 1/4 C sour cream, 1 t vanilla

Fold banana mixture into main bowl

Divide mixture into two cake pans, bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Cool completely.

Now for the tricky, messy part:

In a skillet, sprinkle 1/4 c sugar and heat on high, stirring or shaking occasionally, until carmelized. Add 3 T butter and stir constantly until butter is melted. Turn heat to medium and add three ripe bananas that have been sliced lenghtwise. Cook about 2 minutes on each side.

To assemble the cake:

One layer
Carmelized bananas
Other layer

Frost with any cream cheese frosting that you like, although I would make it instead of buy it, just because the store-bought ones tend to be very sweet, and this is a sweet cake already. Whatever.

You then want to pour caramel sauce all over the cake, and all over each piece that you cut. I made the sauce for this one but, in retrospect, would just use caramel ice cream topping next time because making caramel sauce chaps my hide.

Keep refrigerated while you are not eating this.

Creamy Lemon Chicken Soup

Creamy Lemon Chicken Soup
allrecipes.com
Submitted by: Pam Anderson


Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 30 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings

"Spinach, chicken and lemon juice make this hearty Greek-style soup a one pot meal."

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 1/2 quarts chicken broth
3/4 cup orzo pasta (and I added some rice)
1/2 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I used fresh baby spinach)
3 eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring chicken and broth to a boil in a small soup kettle or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add orzo; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add spinach, reduce the heat and simmer 8 to 10 minutes.
2. While soup simmers, beat eggs and lemon juice until frothy in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk several ladles full of the hot soup into the eggs, being careful not to curdle the eggs.
3. Turn off the soup kettle; return egg and soup mixture to the pot and stir well. Season with salt and pepper and serve at once.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2005 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 2/19/2006

Sauteed Shrimp and Vermicelli

Quick recipe. I include the nutrition info because I got this recipe from a Weight Watchers magazine. But really, who only eats one cup of pasta at a time.


Sauteed Shrimp and Vermicelli

2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
1 (0.7-ounce) package dry Italian dressing mix
3/4 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
4 cups hot cooked vermicelli (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta), cooked without salt or fat
Note: I add parsley and top with Parmesan cheese.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; stir in dressing mix. Add shrimp; sauté 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Combine shrimp mixture and pasta; toss well. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup). Cal 320, Fat 7.4g, Carb 41.7, Sodium 834mg.

Chocolate Cherry Bars

These are super yummy for Valentine's...or any holiday...or anytime because they are so yummy to eat.

Chocolate Cherry Bars

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa or Hershey's Dutch Processed Cocoa
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup Hershey's Mini Kisses Semi-Sweet or Milk Chocolate Baking Pieces
(*I used 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1 cup chopped maraschino cherries, drained

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
2. Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat; stir in cocoa until smooth. Remove from heat. Add sugar, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups flour, and almonds; mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together remaining 1 egg, remaining 1/3 cup flour, sweetened condensed milk and almond extract. Pour over baked layer; sprinkle mini kisses and cherries over top. Return to oven.
4. Bake additional 20 to 25 minutes or until set and edges are golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate until cold, 6 hours or overnight. Cut into bars. Cover; refrigerate leftover bars.
Makes about 48 bars.

Slow-Cooker Barbecue Chicken

This is a favorite of ours. Easy, delicious, versatile.

Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken

3-4 chicken breasts (can be frozen)
2 C ketchup
4 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix all ingredients (except chicken) in crock-pot. Add the chicken, coating
each piece in sauce. Cook on high 4 hours. Remove chicken and shred/pull
with forks. Return to pot and stir in sauce to coat. Serve on buns.

**leftovers can be frozen and re-heated for sandwiches, or used to make BBQ
chicken pizza (put on a pizza crust, top with favorite cheeses, onions,
etc.) or used to make BBQ chicken burritos (put on tortillas, add refried
beans, cheeses, etc.)

My favorite Chicken Casserole

My Mom got this recipe from a fellow ward member and we've loved it ever since she made it for us. ENJOY!

Afton’s Chicken Casserole

1 cup butter
4 cup herb seasoned dressing (prefer Parisian French Bread Stuffing), dressing should be finely crumbled, not cubed [sometimes you can’t find the Parisian one – so Mrs. Cubbison’s works too]
½ tsp. poultry seasoning
Sprinkle of Italian seasoning
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cram of chicken soup
1 large can evaporated milk
2 cups cooked chicken (about 4 breasts)
½ pkg. Jimmy Dean sausage [I always end up using the whole pkg]
½ cup cooked minute rice [I use regular rice and add as much as I want]
2 Tbsp minced onion (dry is ok)
½ cup finely chopped celery (1 large stalk)
1 jar chopped pimento (optional)
1 cup frozen peas (optional)

Melt butter and mix with dressing mix. Spread ½ of this mixture in a 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle with poultry seasoning and Italian seasoning. In separate bowl mix soups and milk together. Add chicken, sausage, rice, onion, pimento, and peas. Pour chicken mixture over the crumbs in pan. Top with remaining crumbs. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. Serves 10. Serve with chicken gravy if desired.

NOTE: This casserole can be made ahead of time, covered tightly with foil, and frozen. Allow an extra 15 minutes cooking time if frozen.