{ Sesame Chicken Salad }

Submitted by Chelsey
recipe from Real Simple cook book, meals made easy
I made this the other night and ate it with left over cream biscuits from the recipe Mal posted earlier! Perfect Dinner!!



Ingredients:
2 carrots
2-5oz bag baby spinach
1 small red onion
3 Tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
1 store bought rotisserie chicken, shredded (I just cooked two chicken breast)
1-1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
2 Tablespoons soy-sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup sesame oil

Using a vegetable peeler, shave the carrots into long thin ribbons. In a large bowl, combine the carrots, spinach, onion, sesame seeds and chicken. In a separate bowl, whisk together the ginger, soy-sauce, and vinegar. Whisking constantly, slowly add oil in a steady stream. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat. Enjoy!

{ Yummy Vegetable Soup }

Submitted by Chelsey
From the Real Simple Cook book!!
makes 4 servings
Total time 40 minutes

This is the best vegetable soup! Make this with the cream biscuits on an earlier post by Mal!!



2 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3-14.5oz cans chicken broth
1/2 pound potatoes, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1-14.5 oz can died tomatoes
1/4 pound green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces (I didn't put this in)
1 cup chopped broccoli
Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until softened but, not browned, about 5 minutes. Add broth, 1 cup water, the potatoes, thyme, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover partially, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, and broccoli, return to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with Parmesan on top!

{ Southwestern Chicken }

Submitted by Chelsey


This is a fast and easy recipe that I got from Jana!Enjoy!

1 cup cubed cooked chicken or turkey (I have even used canned chicken)
1- 8oz can corn drained
1- 4oz can chopped green chili peppers drained
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salsa
sour cream

Preheat oven to 400. Spray 9x9 inch pie plate with non-stick coating. Mix chicken, corn, and green chili peppers in pan.In a bowl mix eggs and milk , then beat in flour, salt and pepper. Pour over chicken mixture.
Bake uncovered at 400 for 25-30 minutes or until top is set and lightly browned. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 2-3minutes more until cheese melts. Top with sour cream and salsa!!

Raisn Loaf

From the kitchen of Millie Moser

1 cup raisins
11/2 cup boiling water
1 tsp. Soda
Boil together and set to cool
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
Blend together, then add raisin mixture
Mix in–13/4cups flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder

TOPPING FOR ABOVE
½ Cup brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chocolate chips
BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 30-35 MINUTES

{ French Bread Rolls }

adapted from allrecipes.com
submitted by Chelsey for Mal

I thought I would post this since it goes with the BBQ Chicken Braid recipe that Mal posted earlier

*Makes about one dozen rolls or two loafs

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 12-14 equal pieces, and form into round balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth (or greased saran wrap), and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Bake for 12-13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

*Can freeze the rolls after baking – microwave on high for 2 minutes before serving.

{ Meatball Hero's }

Submitted by Chelsey
Easy recipe from Real Simple and Dave Lieberman

This is a healthy but delicious manly man meal! I made this with Will in mind! And honestly he LOVED it and so did I! If you are short on time just buy some frozen meatballs . . . but these meatballs are really good and worth the extra time! The meatballs take 15 mins to make and 20-25 mins to cook. You could always make the meatballs ahead of time and freeze or refrigerate . . . Enjoy!




4 Submarine rolls
1 jar pasta sauce
1-8 oz bag shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Ingredients for the Meatballs
(or if your short on time buy frozen meatballs)

3 tablespoons canola oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
1-1/2 cups cooked quinoa(picture below of what kind I bought,$11 a little pricey)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
3 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, very finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper






To make the meatballs
preheat the oven to 425F. Heat the canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, partially covered, until very soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Make the Quinoa while cooking the onions. To cook whole grain quinoa: Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in 2 qt sauce pan. Add 1/2 cup Quinoa, bring back to boil, cover, cook over medium heat for 12 minutes or until Quinoa has absorbed all the water. Remove from heat, fluff, cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Yields about 2 cups.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, quinoa, Parmesan, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, and cooled onions. Stir until a smooth, homogeneous mixture has formed.

Roll the meat mixture into 2-inch balls and set them on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet in neat rows. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until nicely browned but still soft to the touch



How to put it all together
Heat pasta sauce.Heat oven to 250F. Warm rolls on the oven rack. Halve each roll lengthwise. Spoon meatballs and sauce onto bottom of roll and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Sandwich with top half of each roll!

Homemade Mac and Cheese

Submitted by Colette



We went to dinner at "Iggy's" with some friends a couple of weeks ago and Randy ordered Mac & Cheese! He loved it, so I decided to make it for him. This does not compare to the boxed. It is a yummy comfort food.

MACARONI AND CHEESE

Serves 12 (I halved it)

8 Tablespoons butter
6 slices white bread (I used wheat) process into big crumbs
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I used wonder flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 1/2 cups (about 18 oz.) grate sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni (or pasta of choice) cooked and drained
Sour cream or tomatoes for garnish (optional)

1. Heat oven to 375. Butter a 3 qt casserole dish; set aside. Mix bread crumbs with 2 Tablespoons butter. Set aside.

2. Heat milk over medium heat. In separate pan melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook stirring, for 1 minute.

3. While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking an whisking til mixture thickens.

4. Remove from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, peppers, and 2/3 of both cheeses.

5. Stir macaroni into cheese sauce. Pour mixture into prepared dish.

6. Sprinkle remaining cheeses an bread crumbs. (Top with tomatoes as prepared below if desired)
Bake until browned on top, 45 to 50 minutes.

Yum! :) I roasted sliced tomatoes on a cookie sheet, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with coarse salt, pepper, and thyme for 10 minutes-then arranged on top of mac & Cheese before baking.