Zucchini Rollups

Ingredients

• 3 small zucchini squash, ends trimmed and sliced thin
• 1 small container ricotta cheese
• 1 T dried oregano
• ¼ red onion, finely diced
• salt
• pepper
• 1 jar pasta sauce
• 1 C shredded mozzarella

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Mix the ricotta cheese, oregano, onion, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir well.
3. Place zucchini strips on a flat surface. Spoon a tablespoon of cheese mixture into the center of the strip and fold the ends over it.
4. Place ends down in a 13x9 casserole and continue until all strips are filled.
5. Pour pasta sauce over the top and sprinkle with mozzarella.
6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes.
7. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes.
8. Serve hot.

Greek Chicken Souvlaki with Lemon Rice

Ingredients:
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
**vegetables like mushrooms, onion and zucchini, if desired

Marinade Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice {about 3 lemons}
• 1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp finely minced garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme

Instructions:

Trim chicken and cut into large chunks- mine were about 1.5" big and I got 4-6 chunks from each chicken breast.

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, and thyme into Ziploc bag or plastic container. Add in chicken. Seal and squeeze bag or turn container over and shake gently so all pieces of meat are well-coated with marinade. Put into refrigerator and marinate 6-8 hours or more.

To get ready to grill, remove chicken from refrigerator, pull out chicken pieces and dump remaining marinade. Thread chicken onto skewers.  Spray grill with non-stick spray or mist with olive oil, then preheat gas or charcoal barbecue grill to medium high.

Grill skewers about 12-15 minutes, turning the first time as soon as you see nice grill marks. Souvlaki is done when the chicken is slightly browned and firm, but not hard to the touch. {If you use a meat thermometer, the temp should register 160 degrees. It will increase to 165 degrees even after you take it off the grill. I love using a thermometer as it really helps me not over-cook the chicken!}

**If you'd like to grill some vegetables along side your chicken, I highly recommend it! We did a skewer of mushrooms, plus we also sliced some white onion to thread along with the chicken. The mushrooms were amazing!! To marinate vegetables, if you just have a few, set aside 3-5 TBSP of the marinade prior to mixing with the chicken. Then just put vegetables & marinade in a separate ziplock bag in the fridge, turning the bag occasionally to mix it. If you're doing a good amount of vegetables, I'd double the marinade instead!

Greek Lemon Rice

Adapted from Kayln's Kitchen
Serves 4-5 as a side dish

• 1 cup long grain rice
• 2 TBSP olive oil 
• 1 tsp salt
• 2-3 TBSP lemon juice {I loved 3 TBSP but my kids preferred it less lemony}
• 2 cups hot chicken broth 

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. {Make sure pan has a lid!} Add in oil. After about a minute, add in rice and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring often so it doesn't brown too much. Add salt and lemon juice to rice and saute 1 minute more.

Slowly add in chicken broth. Let it come to a boil, then reduce heat to the lowest setting and put the lid on the pan. Cook for 30 minutes.

If all the liquid has been absorbed after 30 minutes, remove lid, turn off heat and let it sit for about 10 minutes prior to serving. If there's still a bit of liquid, let it cook without the lid on for another 5 minutes or so. Then turn heat off and let it sit for 10 minutes.

***I highly recommend making this rice the night before you're planning on serving! The flavors are so much better plus the rice is able to absorb the liquid and turns fluffier when it's had time to sit. I just heated it in the microwave just before serving and it was fantastic! 

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Ingredients
4 zucchini squash
2 roasted red bell peppers, diced
2 cups garlic croutons
1/4 cup sliced olives
1/2 cup crumbled feta
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 lemon


Instructions

1. Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. Slice the ends off your zucchini and then slice them in half lengthwise. Place the zucchinis in the pot of boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the water and pat dry.

2. Scoop out the flesh of the zucchini leaving the sides to form a boat. I find it easiest to just remove the flesh with the seeds. Chop up the removed flesh and put it in a mixing bowl. Place the boats on a baking sheet.

3. Combine the red bell peppers, croutons, olives, and feta in the mixing bowl with the zucchini flesh. Season with a little salt and pepper. Pour the melted butter over the mixture and stir. 

4. Scoop the mixture into the zucchini boats filling them as full as possible. You will probably have some leftover mixture which can be enjoyed by the spoonful.

5. Place the stuffed zucchinis under a broiler for 3-5 minutes to brown it off and "melt" that feta.

6. Remove from oven and squeeze lemon juice over it. Serve hot!

Slow Cooker Lumberjack Casserole

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 medium potatoes, cut in 1″ cubes
• 1½ tsp. minced garlic (about 1 large clove)
• 1 can (15 ounce) of stewed tomatoes
• 1 can (16 ounce) kidney beans
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• ½ tsp. oregano
• ¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1½ cups grated cheese, monterey jack or cheddar

Instructions

1. Brown ground beef in skillet, then drain the fat and put ground beef in slow cooker.
2. Pour tomatoes with juice into a medium bowl and smash up a little with a potato masher utensil. Add with juice to slow cooker.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the cheese and stir to mix well.
4. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. (4 hours on high).
5. Sprinkle the top with cheese and let cook for one more hour covered.
6. Serve piping hot. Great with a side of freshly baked biscuits.

Sweet and Spicy Pork Recipe:

Ingredients:4 boneless pork chops
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard

Directions:Preheat broiler to high.  Sprinkle both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper.  Place a rack on a foil lined baking sheet.  Broil for 4 minutes.  Remove from heat.  In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, onion, chili powder, garlic powder and mustard.  Spread rub on the top side of the pork chops, turn pork chops over, and spread on the other side.  Return pan to the oven and broil for 4-5 minutes longer, or cooked through.

Cocoa and Chile Rubbed pork Tenderloin

1. 2 quarts water
2. 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
3. Kosher salt
4. Four 1 1/2-inch-thick boneless pork loin chops
5. 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
6. 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
7. 1 tablespoon pure ancho chile powder
8. Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing

1. In a large bowl, combine the water with the red pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and stir until the salt dissolves. Add the pork chops and let brine at room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Light a grill and create a cool zone. (For a charcoal grill, rake the coals to one side; for a gas grill, leave one side unlit.) In a bowl, mix the cocoa, sugar and ancho powder with 1 tablespoon of salt.
3. Drain the pork chops and pat dry, removing any bits of crushed pepper. Brush generously with olive oil. Roll the pork chops in the cocoa rub and pat to help it adhere. Grill over moderately high heat for 4 minutes, turning the chops once or twice until lightly browned. Transfer the chops to the cool zone, cover and grill for about 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the chops registers 135° for medium meat. Let the chops rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Mexican Pork Chops

Ingredients:

Chops:

4 pork loin chops, boneless, 2"thick with a pocket cut into the middle off each chop's side

1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper

Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon chipotle seasonings

Stuffing:

1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated

2 tablespoons red bell pepper, diced

2 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs

2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

Blend the marinade ingredients in a blender.  Marinate the pork chops for 4-6 hours in a plastic bag.

Mix the stuffing mix together in a bowl.  Remove chops from marinade and stuff with a quarter of the stuffing mixture.  Seal edges with toothpicks.  Season the outside with salt and pepper.

Preheat your grill to 350°F (medium heat).  Make sure the grates are clean and greased. 

Place the stuffed pork chops on the grill and cook for about 8 minutes.  Cook for another 8 minutes until the chops are an internal temp of 145°F.  

Let rest for 5 minutes. EAT! IT’S STUFFED!

Chips & Salsa Chicken Bake

 

Rub ingredients:

 

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon oregano

 

Chicken bake ingredients:

 

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup salsa

1 cup sour cream

1 cup crushed tortilla chips

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

 

In a small bowl, mix together rub ingredients. Place chicken breasts on a foil lined cookie sheet and rub about 1/2 tablespoon onto both sides of each chicken breast. Use more or less depending on how large your chicken pieces are, just make sure they're coated all the way around. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes, or until juices run clear. Remove from oven and top chicken with 1/4 cup salsa, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup tortilla chips, and 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Place bake in oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

California Cheeseburger Pie

 

Ingredients

1    pound    ground beef, 95% lean meat
2    parsley ( sprigs roughly chopped )
2    teaspoons    garlic powder
3    teaspoons    ground mustard
1/4    teaspoon    salt
1/4    teaspoon    black pepper
1    egg
2/3    cup    oats
3    teaspoons    worcestershire sauce
12    ounces    vegetable medley soup
3 1/2    ounces    processed cheese food, american ( 7 slices of Kraft singles )

Directions

1. Sweat off your onions and let them cool enough to be handled. 2. Mix together all ingredients exc ept frozen veggies a nd cheese. Form meat to a 9" pie dish as you would a pie.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Fill with Veggies and then bake an additional 50 minutes. Top with cheese and return to oven to melt cheese.

Chipotle Pulled Pork Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups premade BBQ sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1/2 cup white onion, finely chopped
• 2 -3 chipotle peppers, finely chopped (use some of the adobo too)
• 1/2 cup water
• pulled pork

Method

1. Add garlic and onion to a medium pot and sautee for a few minutes until clear (use a small amount of oil)
2. Add the sauce and water
3. Simmer for at least 15 minutes

Lime Marinated Chicken Skewers

Ingredients

• 1 lb of chicken breast {cut in 1 inch cubes}
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• juice of 1 lime
• salt/pepper {to taste}

Instructions

• whisk together all of the ingredients {except the chicken}
• pour marinade over the chicken cubes
• cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes
• soak the wooden skewers
• thread the chicken {once marinated} onto the skewers
• grill over medium - high heat for 8 - 10 minutes {turn after 4/5 minutes}

Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken

 

2 large chicken breasts

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can corn, drained

2 cups salsa

3/4 tsp. cumin

3/4 tsp. chili powder

1/2 c. chicken broth, opt.

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

cooked rice, for serving

chopped cilantro, for garnish

Place chicken breasts in slow cooker.  Add the beans, corn, salsa, cumin, chili powder and chicken broth.  If you want it to be super thick, then omit the chicken broth.  I like mine to be slightly saucier, so I add the broth. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked through.  Shred chicken using two forks.  Then, add the cream cheese, cover and cook on low for 30 more minutes or until softened.  Stir together and serve over cooked rice.  Garnish with chopped cilantro.  Serves: 4-6

Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 3 tsp. salt
• . . SAUCE .
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 jalapeño pepper finely chopped
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. salt more if needed TT
• 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Cut chicken breasts up into bite size pieces and toss in a large zip lock bag. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, black pepper, ginger and salt. Stir to thoroughly combine.
3. Pour into zip lock bag with chicken. Seal tight and shake and move chicken in bag to evenly coat. Place in fridge and marinate at least one hour.
4. After chicken has marinated for at least one hour, dump into large frying pan (marinade included) and cook on medium-high heat until chicken is done and cooked through.
5. Place chicken in strainer and let remaining marinade drip off. Do not rinse. Set aside.
6. In a large sauce pan, melt butter. Add in finely diced jalapeños and minced garlic and saute for one minute.
7. Next, add the cumin, paprika, and salt and stir to evenly combine.
8. Add tomato sauce and heavy cream to sauce pan. Stir to evenly combine. Once sauce has started to simmer, turn heat down to low and let simmer until thickened. This takes about 20 minutes.
9. Add chicken to sauce and stir to evenly coat and combine. Let simmer a little more if needed until it thickens up how you would like it to.
10. Serve with naan and/or rice.

Sweet Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 pound boneless pork tenderloin NOTE: I use two (2) 1 lb boneless pork tenderloins
• 1/2 cup water
• For Dry Rub1 teaspoon ground sage
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1/4 teaspoon pepper
  1 clove garlic, crushed (or 1 tsp dried minced garlic)
• For Glaze1/2 cup brown sugar
  1 tablespoon cornstarch
  1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  2 tablespoons soy sauce
  1/4 cup water

Combine and mix together sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over tenderloin. Place 1/2 cup water in slow cooker and then pork tenderloin. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. NOTE: It usually takes 6 hours on low for tenderloin to cook in my slow cooker – cooking time will vary based on your slow cooker.
About 1 hour before tenderloin is done, combine ingredients for glaze (brown sugar, cornstarch, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and water) in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture starts to thicken slightly. Brush glaze on pork tenderloin 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking.
You could pour the rest of glaze on top of the tenderloin. We choose to serve the remaining glaze on the side. We LOVE the glaze!

Hamburger Potato Casserole

1 lb. lean ground beef
3 cups thinly sliced potatoes (either peeled or with thin skins)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease an 11 x 7 (2 quart) glass baking dish. In medium skillet, cook the onions and ground beef until done. Drain the grease. In a medium bowl, mix together the milk, soup, salt and pepper. Layer half of the potatoes, soup, cheese and then the hamburger meat. Repeat with the rest of the potatoes, soup, hamburger meat and then the cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the potatoes are tender.

Sweet Bacon Chili

1/2 pound bacon
1 pound hamburger
1/2 pound sausage, optional (I always leave it out because I'm too lazy to buy any)
1 15 oz can baked beans
1 15 oz can red beans
1 15 oz can pinto beans
1 C ketchup
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T vinegar
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 T mustard
1 T brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Use kitchen shears to cut bacon into small pieces and brown in a large pot on the stove, adding in onion and pepper as bacon begins to cook. When bacon is cooked through drain the fat, then add ground beef (and sausage if desired) and brown. Mix in all remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cover and turn down heat to maintain simmer. Let cook for one hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with cheese. Delish!

Dr Pepper Chili

2 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons of chili powder
• 2 chipotle chile en adobo chopped, plus 1 tablespoon of sauce from the can
• 1 pound of lean ground beef
• 1 can of Dr Pepper 
• 1 large can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 medium can (14.5 ounces) of diced fire-roasted tomatoes 
• 1 small can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can of dark red kidney beans, drained

• Saute onion and garlic in olive oil, just until they start to soften. Add salt, chili powder, chipotles and chipotle sauce and stir until combined over heat. Just a minute or two.
• Add ground beef and break up as it browns. Once browned, add Dr Pepper and scrape all the yummies from the bottom of the pan. Let reduce over medium heat to half the amount of liquid. 
• Use kitchen shears (or your hands if you prefer) to cut (or crush) up the whole peeled tomatoes. You don't need to go crazy. Just a few snip, snips to break up the tomatoes. Add tomatoes, and their juices to the pan as well as the tomato sauce and fire roasted tomatoes. Let your chili simmer on the stove for at least 30 minutes until nice and thick. Add the beans during the last five minutes so they can heat through.
• 
  This chili is very flavorful and spicy, reduce the spiciness by using only one chipotle in the recipe.  

Yogurt Chicken

The recipe:

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup parmesan cheese - grated
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Combine greek yogurt, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, seasoned salt, and pepper in a bowl.

3) Line baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

4) Coat each chicken breast in greek yogurt mixture and place on foiled baking sheet.

5) Bake for 45 minutes.

Copy-Cat Honey Baked Ham

Ingredients:

1 bone-in spiral sliced pre-cooked ham (un-sliced also works)
2 cups white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly ground if possible)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 to 4 Tablespoons water
Score outside of ham into diamond shapes and place in crock-pot. Add about 2 cups of water to bottom of pot. Heat on high for about 3 hours until heated through.
Combine the rest of the ingredients in a sauce pan. Add enough water until you get a thick syrup (about 2 to 4 Tablespoons). Bring the syrup to a boil on the stove top. Boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat.
Remove ham from crock-pot and place in a foil lined baking pan. Baste ham with syrup. Place ham in oven and broil at 500° for 1 to 3 minutes until syrup starts to bubble. Keep an eye on the ham while it is in the oven. Do not leave ham in oven unattended as it will burn quickly! Remove ham from oven and serve.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients for the marinade:

1/2 cup natural yoghurt
 2tsp lemon juice
 3/4tsp ground cumin
 1/2tsp cayenne pepper
 1/4tsp ground ginger
 Salt and pepper to taste
 2 chicken breasts

Ingredients for the sauce:

 1tbsp butter
 1 garlic clove, minced
 1/2 tsp ground coriander (I would put in 1/4tsp)
 3/4tsp cayenne pepper (I would put in 1/4tsp)
 1/2tsp garam masala
 1tsp paprika
 1 1/12tsp ground cumin (I would put in 1/2tsp)
 salt to taste
 3/4 of a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes, puréed
 1 cup single cream