Mom's Broccoli, Cauliflower and Carrot Salad

Mom's Broccoli, Cauliflower and Carrot Salad
1 head of broccoli
1 head of cauliflower
10-15 sliced carrots
1/2 diced red onion
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup mayo

Directions:  Wash vegetables.  Cut up broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and red onion.  Combine sugar, mayo and apple cider vinegar.  Pour the dressing over the vegetables, mix and refrigerate.

Here's what I started with: 

 Here's how I did it:

#1 I washed and cut off the stems of the broccoli.  I cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces.

#2 I washed the cauliflower and cut it in to bite-sized pieces.

#3 I sliced up about 15 mini-carrots.

#4 I measured out 3/4 cup mayo, 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 apple cider vinegar and mixed it until all of the mayo absorbed.

#5 I diced 1/2 of a red onion and then poured the dressing over the veggies.

The Finished Product

Review:

Once again, Mom's recipes are the best.  This is an absolute staple for all family gatherings in the summertime.  It is light, sweet and refreshing.  I have seen similar salads in which raisins are added, as well.  This recipe will definitely not disappoint!  It is awesome!!

Hope you enjoy!

April

*****(5 Stars)--This dish was fantastic! It will definitely become a part of our regular rotation and we will definitely have it over and over again!

Jerry Sobery's Chicken and Dumplings

Tonight's meal was from last winter.  Kanin has been begging me to make it again so tonight I did.  It is really good and really easy!

Jerry Sobery's Chicken and Dumpling Recipe
1 (32) oz of chicken broth
5 cups of shredded cooked chicken
1 10 1/2 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 10 1/2 oz can of jumbo refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
frozen peas

Directions:  I always toss in some frozen chopped onions and season with a little pepper or Mrs. Dash.

Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil over med. high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to med. high : return to a low boil.

Place biscuits on a lightly floured surface. Roll or pat each biscuit to 1/8 inch thickness: cut into 1/2 inch wide strips.;

Drop strips, 1 at a time, into boiling broth mixture. Add peas and cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 min. stirring occasionally to prevent dumplings from sticking.

Here's what I started with:

Here's how I did it:

#1 I cut up 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts to help them cook.

#2 I put the chicken pieces in boiling water and let them cook for about 20 minutes.

#3 Once the chicken was cooked through, I drained them and then shredded it with 2 forks.

#4 Next, I combined the chicken broth, cream of mushroom soup and cooked chicken in a dutch oven.  I brought it to a boil, turned it down and covered it and let it simmer for a bit and then turned it back up to a low boil.

#5 While the chicken was boiling in the stock, I threw some flour down on the cutting board.  I opened the biscuits and padded them down until they were about 1/8 inch and then cut them into 1/2 inch strips.

#6 I dropped them into the pot and let it cook, covered, for about 20 minutes.  I stirred it every once in a while so they biscuits didn't stick.

#7 Finally, I put about 1/2 bag of green peas in the pot, too.

The Finished Product:

Review:

This recipe was so good and so easy.  I had never heard of dropping biscuit dough into boiling water so I was afraid that they would turn out really doughy but they were fantastic.  (Apparently, though, this is a popular way of making dumplings instead of from scratch). 

The peas added a sweetness to the dish and chicken stock, chicken and cream of mushroom soup made a perfect broth.  Kanin had 4 helpings so anytime that happens then the recipe is a keeper!

Thanks, Georgia, for sending me your mom's recipe!

Hope you enjoy!

April

Power Salad

Power Salad Adapted from JJ Twigs
1 bunch/bag of spinach
1 can of black olives, drained
1 can of mandarin oranges, drained
1 container feta cheese
Handful of raisins
Handful of sunflower seeds
Some red onion
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:  I seasoned the chicken breasts and put them on the grill until finished.  I combined all other ingredients.  Once chicken was done, I sliced it up and added it to the salad.

Modifications:
-I left off the bacon bits.
-I added grilled chicken (an extra cost at the restaurant)
Here's what I started with:

The Finished Product:

Review:

A couple of week's ago we went out to this local restaurant and I ordered their Power Salad and it was SO good.  The ingredients were so easy that I decided to make it at home.  They serve it with a sweet dressing much like this one but, personally, I found that the mandarin oranges added just enough juice to the salad for me.

This is a very healthy, delicious salad and we will be having it all summer long.  Of course, you could add any fruits or vegetables to this salad that you may have on hand.

Hope you enjoy!

April

Weekly Menu 17

Make sure to check your pantry and refrigerator for items you may already have.  Match coupons with sale items for extra savings.

Shopping List
Produce
1 onion
1 whole cauliflower

Meat
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1lb 93/7 ground beef

Groceries
1 (32) oz of chicken broth
1 10 1/2 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 box dry ziti (or a tubular noodle)
2 (26 oz) jars of spaghetti sauce
1 regular can chicken broth

Frozen
1 bag frozen peas

Dairy
1 10 1/2 oz can of jumbo refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 package provolone sliced cheese
1 container of sour cream
1 package shredded mozzarella cheese
1 container Parmesan cheese
1 package Boursin or other garlic and herb soft cheese

ALL THE STUFF YOU WILL NEED FOR TACOS!!!!!


**DINNER #1**
Jerry Sobery's Chicken and Dumpling Recipe
1 (32) oz of chicken broth
5 cups of shredded cooked chicken
1 10 1/2 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 10 1/2 oz can of jumbo refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
frozen peas

Directions:  I always toss in some frozen chopped onions and season with a little pepper or Mrs. Dash.

Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil over med. high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to med. high : return to a low boil.

Place biscuits on a lightly floured surface. Roll or pat each biscuit to 1/8 inch thickness: cut into 1/2 inch wide strips.;

Drop strips, 1 at a time, into boiling broth mixture. Add peas and cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 min. stirring occasionally to prevent dumplings from sticking.

**DINNER #2**
Baked Ziti
1 box dry ziti noodles
1 chopped onion
1lb lean ground beef
2 (26 oz) jars of spaghetti sauce
6 oz provolone sliced cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Modifications:
-There are a lot of things that you could do differently with this meal. I couldn't find ziti noodles that were on sale so I used Penne Rigate. You could use any type of tubular noodles. I also did not use an entire onion but about 3/4 of one. You could also probably make this with spaghetti squash if you wanted to get really healthy and carb-conscious.

-I think you could substitute the sour cream with either buttermilk or cottage cheese for a healthier version.

-I didn't use a full 2 jars of spaghetti sauce. I had about 1/2 jar left from a previous meal so I just used that and then another full jar.

-You could also substitute the 93/7 ground beef with either ground turkey or ground chicken.

-You could use fat-free or low-fat cheese.

Directions:  Chop 1 onion (I only used 3/4 of an onion).  Cook the ground beef. I also seasoned the meat with Home Seasoning. Drain the ground beef, even if it is 93/7.  I added the onions to the meat.  I added the 2 jars of spaghetti sauce.  I let the meat, onions and spaghetti sauce simmer for 15-20 minutes.  I put the entire box of noodles in boiling, salted water.  I drained the noodles after about 8-9 minutes, when the
noodles were cooked al dente.  I put half of the pasta down in a greased 9x13 baking dish.  I then covered the pasta with 6 slices of the Provolone cheese.  Next, I added 1 1/2 cups of sour cream on top of the cheese . . .and I spread it around.  On top of the sour cream, I then covered the dish with the meat mixture.  More noodles.  I added the rest of the meat and sauce mixture I covered it all with about 1/2 of the bag of shredded mozarella cheese.  I topped everything with Parmesan cheese
Finally, I covered it with tin foil and left the hubby with instructions to bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes.

**DINNER #3**
Just plain ole tacos and all of the fixings.

**DINNER #4** (served with grilled chicken)Cheesy Cauliflower by Rachel Ray
1 cup chicken stock
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 whole cauliflower
1/3 cup, about 3 ounces, Boursin or other garlic and herb soft cheese

Directions:  Add chicken stock and 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, to a deep pot. Trim away greens and stems from the base of cauliflower. Cut away the core with a sharp paring knife. Set cored head into pot with broth. Cover pot and bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook cauliflower, covered, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover the pot and mash the cauliflower. Let some liquid cook off as you smash the cheeses into the cauliflower. As the mixture thickens, turn off heat and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in chives and transfer cauliflower to as serving dish.

Guacamole

Guacamole from The Sister's Cafe
4 ripe Haas avocados
3 Tbs squeezed lemon juice
8 dashes Tabasco sauce
½ cup small-diced red onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 to 1½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 medium tomato, seeded, and small-diced (or more)

Directions:  In a large bowl, combine lemon juice, Tabasco, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and toss well. Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of the shells. Dice the avocados into pieces and add into the bowl. Add the tomatoes. Mix well and taste for salt and pepper. I usually add a bit more salt.

Here's what I started with:

Here's how I did it:

#1 I squeezed the lemon juice into a bowl and added the hot sauce.

#2 I minced up a large garlic clove and threw it in the bowl.

#3 The onions came next.

#4 I cut and de-cored the avocados and put the meat of them into the bowl.

#5 Finally, I added the tomatoes and stirred it all up.

The Finished Product:

Review:

I follow a food blog called The Sister's Cafe.  A couple of weeks ago I saw this guacamole recipe and I could not wait to try it.  It did not disappoint.  This guacamole was so good, garlicky and salty.

The only thing that I would do differently next time is to mash up the guacamole before I add it with the rest of the ingredients because it was kind of hard to mash the chunks with the onions and tomatoes in there, too.  Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing.

Hope you enjoy!

April

Outdoor Burger

Outdoor Burger from Recipe.com
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped green sweet pepper
1/4 cup catsup
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds extra-lean ground beef
8 slices smoked or regular mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil leaves, sliced
8 3/4-inch-thick slices Italian bread, toasted, or whole wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted

Directions: Combine onion, bread crumbs, sweet pepper, catsup, horseradish, mustard, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add ground beef; mix well. Shape meat mixture into eight 3/4-inch-thick patties. Grill patties on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 14 to 18 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in side of patty registers 160 degrees F., turning once halfway through cooking. Top each burger with a slice of mozzarella during last 2 minutes of grilling. Remove from grill, sprinkle with basil. Serve on toasted Italian bread slices or whole wheat buns. Makes 8 servings.

Here's what I started with:

Here's how I did it:

#1 I chopped up the green pepper and onion.  I put them in a bowl with the bread crumbs, ketchup, horseradish and mustard.  I added the ground beef and mixed it altogether.

#2 I shaped it into a a ball and then scored it into 4 burgers.

#3 On the grill they went.

The Finished Product:

Review:

I was so frustrated with these burgers.  They were so moist and wet that they fell apart on the grill.  This is the only burger that I was able to take a finished picture of.

As far as taste, this burger reminded me of meatloaf with the breadcrumbs, ground beef, onions, peppers and ketchup.  It had a nice "homey" taste to it; however, as wet as it was when it was cooking, it was almost too dry when it came off.  For some reason, I kept thinking that it would taste good with pasta sauce on it-maybe it was the mozzarella cheese.

While the burger tasted good, the hassle of it falling apart would deter me from making it again unless I could figure out how to make it stay together, pehaps more bread crumbs.

Hope you enjoy!

April

**(2 Stars)--This dish wasn't very good . I don't know if we would be willing to try it again or not.

Baked Mexican Pie

Baked Mexican Pie from Recipe.com
1 pound ground beef
1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning
2/3 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of onion soup
1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 (16-ounce) can refried beans
5 (12-inch) flour tortillas
3 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, cook beef with taco seasoning and broth over medium heat; drain. In the same skillet, melt butter. Cook onion, garlic, and green onion in butter until tender. Add green chiles, soup, and meat, stirring well. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel. Lightly spray skillet with cooking spray; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine enchilada sauce and beans, whisking well. In prepared skillet, layer 1 tortilla, half of meat mixture, 1 tortilla, and half of bean mixture. Repeat once more, ending with tortilla. Top with cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is browned. Garnish with sour cream, chopped green onions, and chopped tomatoes, if desired.

Here's what I started with:

Here's how I did it:

#1 Preheated the oven to 350 degrees.

#2 Browned the ground beef in the beef stock along with the taco seasoning packet.

#3 While the beef was cooking, I chopped up the green onions, garlic and a white onion.

#4 Once the beef was cooked through, I removed it from the cast-iron skillet.  

#5 I melted butter in the skillet and then added the onions and the garlic.

#6 After about 5 minutes, I added the can of chiles and the cream of onion soup.

#7 I mixed it altogether and then poured into a bowl.

#8 I wiped the cast-iron skillet out with a paper towel and sprayed it with cooking spray.

#9 I whisked together the enchilada sauce and the refried beans.

#10 Next, I layed a tortilla in the prepared skillet and then put half of the meat mixture on top.

#10 Next, came half of the enchilada/bean sauce.

#11 Another tortilla, meat and enchilada sauce.  I ended this layering with a tortilla on top.

#11 I covered it with a Pepper Jack mixed cheese and put it in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

The Finished Product:

Review:

I don't know why I continue to make dishes with tortillas in the dish instead of waiting to use the tortillas after the dish is finished and just eating "taco" style.  Once again, no one was fond of the texture of the tortilla once it had been drenched the enchilada and meat mixtures.  The top layer did have a little bit of a firmer texture but I believe that was because the cheese gave it a bit of crunch.

As much as my family likes Mexican, this dish was too spicy for the kids.  I think had I left the diced green chiles out then it would have been better for our family.  Also, I should have had either tortilla chips or at least hard shells taco just to get some type of crunch because it was really runny.

Scott ate his on a soft tortilla with some extra cheese and he said that it actually tasted pretty good.  He would give this dish a 3 but because of all of the steps involved, I will give it a 2.

If you try it and come up with some variations, let me know.

Hope you enjoy!

April

**(2 Stars)--This dish wasn't very good . I don't know if we would be willing to try it again or not.