Pork Egg Rolls

 Egg Rolls:

1 lb sausage
1/2 head of cabbage
1-2 TBL of freshly grated ginger
1 to 2 cloves of fresh garlic (grated or diced very thin)
4 green onions (diced)
Zuchini
Squash
Carrots
Celery
and ANY other veges you have available
Salt
Pepper
1 TBL of Sesame Oil
1 TBL of Soy Sauce

Brown Sausage with garlic and ginger in a LARGE skillet. Once brown, drain fat. Cut Cabbage in thin bite-size pieces. Grate all the other veges.  Put in cabbage and veges. Your pan will be overflowing with veges, but they will cook down quickly. Add Sesame Oil and Soy Sauce and Salt and Pepper to taste.  Place filling in wraps and deep fry until golden brown.

Tostados

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 onions, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. salt
3 cups rice, uncooked
6 ups vegetable broth
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 cans diced tomatoes
9 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

In a stockpot over medium-high heat, heat the oil.  Add the onion, garlic, salt, and rice and sauté for 3-4 min.  Add the prepared vegetable broth, bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat and cook for 20 min.  Add the spices, tomatoes, and black beans.
(This makes A LOT!  I would say enough to feed 25-30 people!)

Spoon over fried tostado shells. Top with cheese, lettuce, sour cream and salsa!
If the tostado shell is too hard for kids to eat you could just do a corn taco shell.

Freezer Instructions:
Thaw topping and reheat.

Cilantro Thai Grilled Chicken

Cilantro Thai Grilled Chicken (serves 8)

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup cilantro
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

8 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Grill or put under broiler

(I thought I was going to do Huli Huli Chicken - but this recipe is so yummy and a little different - great on the grill! Hope you guys like it!)

Quesadilla Casserole (Freezer Meal)

Quesadilla Casserole (Freezer Meal)


1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried minced garlic
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
16 oz tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (8 3/4 oz) whole kernel corn, undrained
1 can (4 1/2 oz) green chilies, undrained
6 flour tortillas (8 inch size)
2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese
1. Brown beef and onion in a large skillet on medium-high. Add tomato sauce, beans, corn and green chilies. Mix well. Stir in all of the spices except the red pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat low and simmer 5 minutes. Add red pepper to taste if desired.
2. Spread 1/2 cup of the beef mixture on bottom of 9X13 pan (sprayed with pam). I like to use the foil pans for freezer meals. Top with 3 of the tortillas, overlapping as needed. Layer with 1/2 of the remaining beef mixture and 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, beef and cheese.
3. Double wrap with heavy duty foil and label. 
Cooking Instructions: Thaw and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!!
We put sour cream on ours. Guacamole would be yummy on it too.

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

• 6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound penne rigate (I used a 14.5 oz box of Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne Rigate)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally (I used some leftover cooked chicken)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 6 cups whole milk
• 10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced (I used 8 oz of button mushrooms)
• 1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces) (I used an italian blend that had provolone in it)
• 1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. If you’re going to freeze one, use a disposable foil pan.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.
2. While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.  While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes).  Use a little extra olive oil if needed In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot , melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer.  Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
3. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes.  If freezing, place remaining parmesan cheese in a zip-top baggie.  If cooking, sprinkle on top.
4. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Freezer instructions:
To freeze, prepare through step 4 and then let pasta cool.  Cover pan well with plastic wrap.  Place extra cheese in baggie (for topping) on top and then cover entire pan well with foil.  Freeze for up to 3 months.  To bake, preheat oven to 400.  Remove foil and plastic from pan and set cheese baggie aside.  Place foil back on pan and bake for about 1 1/2 hours.  Remove foil, stir pasta, and top with cheese.  Return pan to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes (I only did 10 minutes)  or until mixture is hot and bubbly throughout.

Grilled Garlic-Lime Chicken

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tbp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
pepper

Directions: In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine the first five ingredients.  Add the chicken; seal bag and turn to coat.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Drain discard marinade.  Sprinkle chicken with pepper.  Grill, covered, over medium heat for 4-7 minutes on each side or a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees.

Freezer Instructions:  Thaw and grill using instructions above. Serve with potatoes or rice and veggies.

French Dip Sandwiches

I'm making this again, because my family loves eating French Dip Sandwiches.  I just use the Aus Jus packet to flavor the meat while cooking and then make an additional packet of Aus Jus to dip in.  Enjoy.

Grilled Huli Huli Chicken

This recipe comes from the Taste of Home Magazine.  This is for the month of May 2013.

1 c brown sugar packed
3/4 c ketchup
3/4 c low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 c chicken broth
2 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
24 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 5 lbs) (this recipe makes a ton)

In a small bowl, mix the first six ingredients.  Reserve 1 1/3 cups for basting; cover and refrigerate.  Divide remaining marinade between two large resealable plastic bags.  Add 12 chicken thighs to each; seal bags and turn to coat.  Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Drain and discard marinade from chicken.  Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long-handled tongs, lightly coat the grill rack.

Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until no longer pink;  baste occasionally with reserved marinade during last 5 minutes.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

3-4 lb pork roast
1/2 c. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
2 Tbsp. minced onion
2 c. brown sugar
2 cans green enchilada sauce

Mix ingredients, except brown sugar and green enchilada sauce in a crock-pot.  Add roast and cook on low for 8-9 hours. Shred pork and add brown sugar and enchilada sauce.  Continue cooking for 1 hour. Serve in flour tortillas or on chips.

Freezer Instructions:
Thaw pork roast and put in crock-pot.  Add bag of seasoning.  Cook on low 8-9 hours.  Shred and add brown sugar and enchilada sauce.  Cook for another hour.
(I think 2 cups brown sugar is PLENTY! I usually cut this back a little bit.)

Lemon Chicken Pasta w/ Broccoli

1 box Barilla pasta (mini bow tie or penne)
4 cups cooked cubed chicken, seasoned with salt, pepper, basil, oregano
4 cups fresh broccoli, steamed
4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 bag Italian cheese mixture, shredded

Cook the noodles al dente, according to package directions.  Mix lemon juice and olive oil.  Combine ingredients in large bowl and toss.  Pour into a 9x13 greased pan. (This recipe filled about 1 1/2 foil pans)  Top with the cheeses. (I added cheese halfway and on top.) Bake covered at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until heated.

Freezer Directions:  Everything is already cooked, so you just thaw it. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Korean Bulgogi

April BBQ Chicken Sliders

I went and bought all of the stuff before I posted this and I saw that someone else is doing sandwiches.  At least they are different:)  I will post the recipe soon.  Thank you!!

April Meal - Chicken Caesar Sandwich

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CAESAR SANDWICHESrecipe from: The Girl Who Ate Everything

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts (I used Chicken Breasts)
1/2 to 1 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing (I used Brianna’s Asiago Caesar)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley or 2 teaspoons of dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
12 slider buns or 4-6 regular sized hamburger buns
Place chicken in a 3-4 quart slow cooker with 1-2 cups of water, cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.
Remove chicken from cooker using a slotted spoon and drain the water from the slow cooker. Place chicken on a cutting board and pull chicken into shreds, discarding any fat.
Place chicken back in the cooker and pour dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. Stir until mixed evenly. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot.
Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto each slider bun if you are making sliders or more for regular sized buns. Top with extra shredded Parmesan cheese and lettuce to serve.

Hawaiin Grilled Chicken: Angela Rydalch

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken

• 1 cup of soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 5 diced green onion (reserve some for garnish)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil (If you don’t have this you can use veg. or canola, but sesame adds nice flavor)
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 5-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1. Combine every thing except the chicken into a gallon sized resealable freezer bag.  Mix well.
2. Add the chicken to the bag and seal.  Place in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours but overnight is even better.  Rotate the bag half way through the process to get both sides of the meat soaking good.
3. Remove chicken from marinade and grill over medium to low heat.  There is a lot of sugar in this marinade so you don’t want it to burn.  Grill for around 5-7 minutes per side.  (if you use breasts it will take longer)
4. Freezer Directions: Thaw and let marinate for the day. You can grill or bake or fry the chicken. I liked it served with Coconut Rice: 

for the rice:
* 2 cup jasmine or basmati rice
 * 2 cups  coconut milk
* 1/2 cup cilantro, plus more for garnish

 Pour the coconut milk and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover, reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes, until the rice is cooked and fluffy. Stir in the cilantro before serving.
If you want less rice just adjust accordingly the rice and liquid measurement.

March Brown Sugar Spiced Pork Tenderloin

Brown Sugar Spiced Pork Tenderloin 
Adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

Rub Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pork tenderloin (approx 2 1/2 to 3 pounds) cut into quarters
2 tablespoons olive oil

Glaze ingredients:
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon hot  sauce ( I used franks)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, then coat the pork with the spice rub. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat until the oil is hot and rippling. Brown the pork, turning, about 4 minutes total. If you have a skillet that can go straight into the oven you can leave the pork in the skillet; however, if you are like me and  don’t have an ovenproof skillet, transfer it to a foil-lined baking pan (like a 9X13-inch). 

Stir together the brown sugar, garlic, and hot sauce and pat on top of each tenderloin. Roast in the middle of the oven until a thermometer inserted diagonally in center of each tenderloin registers 140, about 25 minutes. Let pork stand in the skillet at room temperature for 10 minutes. The temperature will rise to about 155 while standing. Slice on the diagonal and serve, spooning the sauce from the skillet on top of the pork.

Here is a potato recipe I'm going to try with it.

 Best EVER Red Potatoes

small bag of red potatoes
2-3 tablespoons butter, melted
sea salt
pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 uh I actually meant 350 (it was late the first time I posted this). Pour melted butter in bottom of 9X13 pan. After washing potatoes, place them in pan and coat evenly with melted butter. Drizzle evenly with olive oil. Salt and pepper to your taste. Don't be shy about using the salt...remembers to potatoes they are like oxygen.

Bake for 2 hours, uncovered. Yes, I said 2 hours. Just trust m

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

• 16 Boston Bib or green leaf, or butter lettuce leaves
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger  
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)
• 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil

Directions

1. Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
2. In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, sesame oil, and cooked beef; continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
3. Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Shredded Chicken Sandwich

3-4 chicken breasts
1 cans chicken broth
2 tablespoons Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 Loaf of French Bread
Ranch Dressing
4 slices of bacon
1 Avocado sliced
1 Tomato sliced
1 cup shredded cheese

Cook in crock pot on high for four hours with chicken broth and Montreal Steak Seasoning
(feel free to add more chicken, chicken broth and Steak Seasoning for future dinners)
It is easier for me to shred the chicken in the crock pot so that it soaks up all the marinade. Chicken freezes well for future meals!

Cut French bread loaf long ways in half.
Spread Ranch dressing on both sides of the loaf.
then add layers...chicken, bacon, cheese, tomato and avocado.
Bake at 375 for 10 minutes, and then I like to broil it for another 2 minutes. Slice and serve.

Creamy Ham Noodle Casserole

Ingredients

• 10 cups uncooked tricolor spiral pasta
• 4 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 3 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
• 3 cups 2% milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups cubed fully cooked ham
• 2 cans (8 ounces each) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
• 1 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, saute the celery, pepper and onion in butter until tender. Stir in the soup, milk and salt. In a very large bowl, combine the soup mixture, ham and mushrooms. Drain pasta; add to soup mixture and toss to coat.
• Transfer to two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. Top with cracker crumbs. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Bake the remaining casserole, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
• To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 2 casseroles (9 servings each).
• I omitted a few ingredients for the kids.  Thanks and enjoy!!

German Apple Oven Pancake

Thaw overnight, assemble, and bake German Apple Pancakes for a warm, healthy breakfast. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place the 1/4 cup of butter in a large cake pan in the oven for a few minutes to melt.  Pour in the egg/flour mixture over the melted butter.  Spread the apple slices around and then sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar evenly everywhere.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.  Serve.  This makes your house smell great! (It is as if you made cinnamon rolls, but much easier.) 

4 eggs
3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. butter
2 med. apples, thinly sliced
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

(This is so inexpensive that I will add another breakfast item to go with it.  It is one of our family favorites, and makes for a happy morning!)

Sloppy Joes

I'm doing sloppy joes this month. I'm out if town till Sunday so ill post the recipe then!