Oatmeal Pancakes

found on rachaelray.com by Emily Wyckoff, with a few changes

Oatmeal Pancakes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup white or white whole wheat flour

3/4 cup oats, ground in food processor

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter, melted (or 4 tbsp applesauce)

1/3 cup chocolate chips or blueberries

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

2. In a small, bowl whisk together the egg, milk and butter. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.

3. Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat (about 375 F) and butter or spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter in 1/4 cupfuls, add any extras like the chocolate chips or blueberries and cook until the edges are cooked and bubbles form on the surface. Flip the pancakes and cook until the other side is golden brown, about 2 minutes.

4. Enjoy!

I doubled this recipe for our family of six. I poured the batter on the griddle then dropped a few blueberries on some, a few chocolate chips on others and left a few without anything else so we had three different flavors to choose from. My husband and I liked the blueberry ones the best. The boys liked the chocolate chip ones, which I'm sure doesn't surprise you!

I tried it with the applesauce and they were great.

Husband rating: 4 stars
Boys say: thumbs up!

Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage

from ourbestbites.com

1 pound Italian sausage or Italian turkey sausage (“hot” or “sweet”)
1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt
3 cups water
12 ounces (about 3 3/4 cups) ziti pasta
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (fresh is best, but if you need to sub dried, use a heaping tablespoon of dried basil and add it in with the tomatoes)
ground black pepper
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)

Note: This recipe is to be cooked in a 12 inch skillet.  I recommend using one slightly larger if you’re adding the sausage as well.  Make sure your skillet is oven proof (no plastic handles) and has a lid.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 475 degrees.  Pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until coarsely ground and no large pieces remain, about 12 pulses.

Remove sausage from casings and cook, crumbling with a spatula until browned and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.  Heat 12-inch or larger oven-safe skillet to medium high heat and add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.  (If you’re not using sausage, just add a little more olive oil and start with the next step, sautéing the garlic and pepper flakes.)  

Add garlic and red pepper flakes to sausage and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.   Stir in the processed tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the water, then add the pasta.  Cover, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until the pasta is tender, 15-18 minutes.

Stir in the cream, Parmesan, and basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top.  Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and browned, about 8-10 minutes (or just until melted, like, 1-2 minutes).  Serve.

I recommend dumping everything into an oven safe dish and cooking it in there, instead of in the pan.  Or you could do that but be very very careful not to think the handles are cool or you might burn yourself when you take it out of the oven or are serving this. Just saying!  

I don't like ground turkey.  I have never found a version of ground turkey or a recipe with it I could like.  Until now!  I used the Italian sweet turkey sausage and it was actually good in this recipe!  I love using fresh basil. Don't substitute the dry basil in this recipe.  Fresh basil and tomatoes are a match made in heaven!

Also, my store didn't have ziti so if you run into that pick a pasta with some texture to help hold onto the sauce.

Husband rating:  4 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Honey Balsamic Chicken

from ourbestbites.com

Ingredients
2 – 2 1/2 lbs chicken drumsticks (10-12 drumsticks)
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon onion powder

Sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse chicken, pat dry.  Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, toss to coat.  Add seasoning mixture and use hands to massage into all pieces.  

Heat large dutch oven (or heavy oven-proof skillet with an oven proof lid) to medium heat.  When hot add 2 teaspoons olive oil and use a brush to make sure it’s distributed over the entire surface of pan.  Brown chicken 2 minutes per side (in batches if necessary.)

While chicken is searing, whisk sauce ingredients together and add to pan.  Gently toss chicken to coat.  Cover pan and place in oven.  Bake for 20 minutes, flip chicken pieces and baste with sauce and return to oven for 20 minutes more.  

Remove chicken from pot and cover to keep warm.  Bring sauce to a boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes until thick and glazy.  Return chicken to pan and gently toss in glaze.  Let sit for a few minutes before serving. 

Strawberry Spinach Salad

spinach

strawberries

poppyseed dressing
sliced almonds (optional)

Put spinach in a big bowl.  Mix dressing into leaves.  Top with strawberry slices and almonds.

Husband rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up (It's chicken legs, how could they not love them?!)

Grilled Pork Chops with Moroccan Rub

adapted from rachaelray.com

• 6 pork chops
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin 
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric 
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 1 lemon, wedged

Pre-heat grill pan to high. Brush pork chops with a little EVOO. Combine dry spice blend in a small container; cover and shake to combine. Rub spice blend into the chops on both sides. Grill chops 7-8 minutes, turning once, for medium-rare, 10-12 minutes for medium to medium-well(depending on the size and thickness of your pork chops it may take more or less time). Serve with wedges of lemon.

Orzo with Veggies

from allrecipes.com, submitted by beautifulansuz, slightly modified

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces uncooked orzo pasta 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 sweet onion (such as Vidalia®), chopped 1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup chopped green onion 1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 teaspoon dried parsley salt and ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the orzo and lemon juice, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink. Transfer the orzo to a large saucepan.
2.	Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the sweet onion, garlic and green onion until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes; stir in the zucchini and squash, and cook until the squash are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir the cooked vegetables into the orzo; season with parsley, salt, and black pepper to serve.

I didn't have yellow squash this time so I used two zucchinis.  

Husband rating:  3 stars

Boys say:  mixed reviews

Grilled Shrimp Quesadillas

from rachaelray.com

• 1 pound large uncooked shrimp, shelled and deveined
• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika (half a scant palmful)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder (1/3 palmful)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (eyeball it)
• Salt and pepper
• Juice of 1 lime
• A small handful of cilantro or flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
• 1 slightly underripe avocado, pitted, removed from skin and very thinly sliced or diced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 8 large tortillas, heated to soften slightly
• 2 plum or vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 4 scallions, very thinly sliced or chopped
• 2 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Cooking spray

Note: you will need metal skewers to prepare this recipe.

Pre-heat an outdoor grill, indoor griddle or grill pan to medium-high heat.

Dress the shrimp lightly in EVOO, then season with the smoked sweet paprika, onion powder and garlic powder; season with salt and pepper. Thread the shrimp onto metal skewers. Grill until pink and firm, about 2 minutes on each side. Douse with the lime juice, then remove the shrimp from the skewers and chop; sprinkle with the cilantro or parsley. Dress the avocado with the lemon juice.

Build the quesadillas on the tortillas in assembly line fashion: On one half of each tortilla, arrange the shrimp, tomatoes, scallions, avocado and cheese. Fold over the other tortilla half, then spray lightly with cooking spray. Grill, turning once, until crisp and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Husband wasn't home so I give these 4 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Abu's Monkey Bread

lightly adapted from Disney Princess Cookbook, recipe by Cynthia Littlefield, Disney Press, 2013, USA, pg 26-27

I was very surprised when my son came home from school with a Disney Princess Cookbook!  I guess I shouldn't have been surprised since he loves everything Disney and he likes to eat!  We picked out a bunch of recipes he thought looked tasty.  Here is the first one we made.  And it was tasty!

3 c flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 c cold butter
1 1/4 c milk
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 tbsp butter, melted

1.  Heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a nonstick fluted tube pan with cooking spray.

2.  In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.  With a table knife cut the butter into small pieces.  Use your fingertips (or a tool like the one below) to mix the butter in the flour mixture.  Then stir in the milk.  

3.  Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead it for about 5 seconds.  Pull off pieces of the dough and shape them into golf ball-size pieces.

4.  Mix the brown sugar, white sugar and cinnamon together in an 8 x 8 pan. 

5.  One at a time, dip the dough balls into the melted butter, roll them in the sugar mixture and place them in the prepared pan.  Stack the balls on top of one another until the pan is full.

6.  Bake the monkey bread for 20 to 25 minutes.  Set the bread aside to cool for about 10 minutes.

7.  Use a small spatula to gently loosen the bread from the sides of the pan.  Place a serving dish face down on top of the fluted pan.  Hold the dish and pan together securely and flip them over.  Slowly lift the pan off the plate and release the monkey bread.

8.  Pull off pieces and enjoy!  You may want to have a tall glass of milk nearby!

My 4 year-old loved helping with making this treat.  Rolling the dough into balls and then rolling them around in the sugar was so fun for him!  

Boys say:  thumbs up!

Indian Tomato Chicken

original recipe from allrecipes.com, submitted by SHECOOKS2

See my changes below.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 slice fresh ginger root 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 (1 inch) piece cinnamon stick 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 2 bay leaves 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 6 skinless chicken thighs 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Place onion, garlic and ginger in a food processor and process into a paste. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add onion paste and saute, stirring continuously, for about 10 minutes.
2.	Stir in the cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves and nutmeg. Saute, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Place chicken pieces in skillet and stir them around with the spice mixture until they are well coated.
3.	Saute for another 4 minutes, then pour in the tomatoes with liquid and stir. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 to 2 hours, or until the oil has separated from the liquid. Stir occasionally. (Note: If you simmer uncovered, the sauce will thicken; add water, or keep covered while simmering.)

I didn't have time to do the recipe as written when I made this last week.  So, I basically put everything in my slow cooker and turned it to low for 8-9 hours.  I didn't do step one at all.  I really tossed everything in to the slow cooker and let that do all the work!  I had to shred the chicken a little and mix it with the sauce before serving.  It was very easy.  

I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  I also used about a 1/2 tsp ground ginger in place of the ginger root.  I doubled the tomatoes and spices and served this over basmati rice.  

We have a world map in our home.  While we ate this we identified India on the map since the recipe and rice was from there.  The boys were amazed the rice could make it all the way to our house from India!  

Husband rating:  2 stars

My rating:  4 stars

Boys said: thumbs up

Caramel Popcorn

from my friend, Joanne

2 1/4 C  Brown sugar

1/2 C     butter

1 C        Corn Syrup

1 can     Sweetened condensed milk

Mix brown sugar, corn syrup and butter.  Bring to a boil.  Add sweetened condensed milk.  Cook to soft ball stage. Pour over popped corn.

I usually do 2 batches of popcorn in the hot air popper. But you may want to try microwave popcorn.  The added saltiness would probably go nicely with the caramel.

As a tip-pop the popcorn and then sift it through your hands but lifting handfuls out and shaking the popcorn then putting the popcorn in your hands in to a new bowl. The seeds will fall out into the first bowl and you can throw those away. Then you don't have to worry about biting into a seed in the middle of your caramel popcorn!

We had a group of people over to watch a show and they all loved this.  This does make a lot of caramel popcorn.  So when you have a crowd to feed (a house full of teenagers anyone?) pull out this recipe and you'll be sure to have happy, sticky smiles!

Thanks, Jo!

California Smoothie

from allrecipes.com, submitted by Janice

INGREDIENTS:

7 large strawberries 1 (8 ounce) container lemon yogurt

1/3 cup orange juice

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Place strawberries in a plastic container and freeze for about an hour.
2.	In a blender, combine frozen strawberries, yogurt and orange juice. Blend until smooth. Pour into a tall glass and serve. I didn't bother to freeze the strawberries.  I just added about half a dozen ice cubes to the ingredients.  The lemon yogurt intrigued me because I'd never used it before.  This is good, but I think I'll try vanilla yogurt next time and may even toss in half a banana.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by kate

INGREDIENTS:

flour salt and pepper to taste 1.5 tablespoon brown sugar 3 tablespoons honey 1/4 cup soy sauce plus 1/8 c more 3 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger root 3 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 tablespoons hot sauce 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch strips 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Lightly salt and pepper the chicken pieces.  Put chicken into a plastic bag.  Add a little flour (maybe 1/4 cup) and shake it.
2.	Mix together brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and hot sauce in a small bowl.
3.	Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken strips and brown on both sides, just a couple of minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep covered.  Reduce heat to medium.  Pour the sauce into the pan. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens.  This should only take about 2 minutes.  Place the chicken back in the pan and mix to coat with the sauce.  Allow everything to heat together for a minute or two. We used Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce.  At 1 tbsp it was perfect for my husband but too hot for the rest of us.  So you may need to adjust based on your tolerance for the heat!  Also, I will probably make more of the sauce next time just so we can mix it in with the rice.  As written it's plenty to coat the chicken so make according to your preference. This was yummy and easy.   Husband rating:  4 stars Boys say:  too spicy!

Mango-Licious Fish Tacos

adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by Chris

6 tilapia fillets 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest 1/4 cup fresh orange juice salt and pepper to taste  Salsa: 1 mango - peeled, seeded and diced

2 tbsp small red onion, finely chopped 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced 3 roma tomatoes - chopped 1 lime, zested and juiced 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1.	Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C.)
2.	In a shallow baking dish, combine the olive oil, orange zest, orange juice, salt and pepper. Rinse the fish fillets and pat them dry. Place them into the baking dish and turn to coat with the seasonings.
3.	Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until fish can be flaked with a fork.
4.	While the fish cooks, combine the mango, onion, avocado, tomatoes, lime zest and juice, ginger, cilantro and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a glass bowl. Stir to blend and set aside at room temperature until fish has finished cooking. Shred the tilapia.  Spoon some tilapia on to a warm tortilla.  Add desired amount of salsa.  Enjoy!

I'm so excited to share this recipe with you!  This is fresh and tasty!  We had a little salsa left over so I gave it and some white corn tortilla chips to a friend.  She loved it!  

Husband rating: 5 stars
Boys say:  mixed reviews

Grilled Chicken with Sweet, Sour and Tangy Mustard

When I was shopping at Costco the other day I discovered a new yummy sauce.  It's Fischer and Wieser's Sweet, Sour and Smokey Mustard Sauce (I accidentally called it tangy in the title, but that word does describe the flavor!  It's just not in their name for their sauce).  It really doesn't get any easier than throwing some chicken breasts halves on the grill and basting them with the sauce.  Add to that a baked potato (seriously, that's about the easiest side dish in the world!) and a green salad and you're all set to enjoy the weather warming up while eating a tasty, easy, inexpensive meal.

Welcome back warm weather!!!

Husband rating: 4 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Hash Brown Casserole

from Cooking Light

6 bacon slices (if you buy precooked ones you can save yourself some time)

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (32-ounce) package frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes

1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded Classic Melts Four Cheese blend, divided

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed 30% reduced-sodium, 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

Cooking spray

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, and crumble. Discard drippings in pan. Add 1 cup onion and garlic to pan; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the potatoes; cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine crumbled bacon, 1/4 cup cheese, green onions, sour cream, salt, pepper, and soup in a large bowl. Add potato mixture; toss gently to combine. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove casserole from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Bake casserole, covered, at 350º for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until bubbly around edges and cheese begins to brown.

I didn't have time for the steps of letting it sit in the fridge overnight so I just put it all together and cooked it.  Also, I used a shredded colby jack blend for the cheese and that was good.  I'm sorry I didn't get a picture this time!

Husband rating: 3 starsBoys say:  thumbs up

Spiced Chicken Pasta with Tomato Sauce

from Cooking Light

• 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound chicken breast tenders, cut into (1-inch) pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups canned diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup white wine
• 8 ounces uncooked penne
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; rub over chicken.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes, turning once. Remove from heat; set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds or until garlic is soft. Add tomatoes and wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Add chicken, and simmer 5 minutes.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Toss pasta with sauce in a large bowl. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Any small pasta will work in this quick, easy entree. Ground fennel and coriander bring a welcome complexity to the chicken and impart their flavor to the sauce.

The only changes I made were to use 1/2 tsp ground fennel seed.  That is difficult to find at the store.  I had to buy fennel seed and grind it up myself.  As a help-4 cups of canned diced tomatoes comes to about 3 14.5 oz cans of tomatoes.  Also, I used chicken breast meat instead of tenders.  Either way is fine just chop them to the size you want.  Or pound them a little first which is fun and makes the chicken breasts thinner!

I thought the taste was great, but the sauce was too thin.  Next time I may mash the tomatoes in the blender before adding to the pot to cook and hopefully that will help.  

Husband rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  mixed reviews

Kalua Pork and Rice with Steamed Broccoli

I introduced you to this fantastic pork recipe when we used it on our homemade pizzas.  Here is another way to try it.  

3 bacon slices
about 3 lb pork sirloin tip roast
about 1 tbsp coarse red Hawaiian Sea Salt (or another type of sea salt if you can't find that)
Hickory flavored liquid smoke

Rinse the pork roast and pat it dry. Pierce the entire roast with a fork. Sprinkle generously with the liquid smoke (about 1 tablespoon, more if you have a very large roast) and sprinkle with the sea salt (start with about a little less than tablespoon and see how far it gets you; you can always add more after it cooks).   Rub the salt into the roast.  Place the bacon slices on the bottom of the slow cooker.  Place the roast in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the meat shreds easily with a fork.

Remove the roast from the pan and place it in a serving dish or on a serving platter. Shred the pork.  Drizzle enough of the cooking liquid over the pork to re-moisten it and keep it from drying out.  Serve over rice with steamed broccoli.

Husband rating:  flavor-4.5 stars, overall-3 stars because he likes sauce over his rice and while the meat is moist there isn't sauce to cover the rice
Boys say:  thumbs up