Southwestern Steak, Rice & Black Beans

Ingredients:
2 lb boneless top sirloin steak, about 3/4-inch thick, trimmed
1/4 cup canola oil, divided
1 1/2 Tbs chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/4 tsp salt, divided
2 medium lemons
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
6 cups hot cooked medium or long grain rice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, optional

Directions:
1. Preheat grill or broiler. Rub both sides of steak with 2 tablespoons canola oil. Mix chili powder, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; rub onto steak.
2. Grill or broil steak 10 minutes for medium-rare, turning halfway through cooking, or to desired doneness.
3. Place steak on cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before thinly slicing across the grain; set aside.
4. Meanwhile, grate 1 tablespoon lemon zest and combine with juice from one and a half lemons and remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil in large bowl.
5. Add tomatoes, black beans and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and mix well. Add hot rice and toss to blend.
6. Place rice mixture on serving platter and top with beef slices. Garnish with cilantro and additional lemon wedges, if desired.

Notes: YUM!!! We got this recipe from Macey's recipe of the day. It was so delicious.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients*:
4 chicken breasts
4 slices of ham (may need more or less depending on how thick they are)
4 slices Swiss cheese
1/4 c. flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
4 Tbsp. butter

Directions:
1. Pound chicken breasts until they are 1/4 inch thick. This can be done easily by placing the chicken breast between plastic wrap and using a mallet to pound it.
2. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Place 1 slice of cheese and 1 slice of ham on each chicken breast. Roll up each breast, using a toothpick to secure if needed.
3. Dredge in flour, shaking off any extra. Dredge in egg and then bread crumbs. Place in greased baking dish. Place about 1 tablespoon of butter on each chicken breast.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes, or until juices run clear. Serve with a sauce made from chicken broth and cream, or cream of chicken soup and sour cream, seasoned to your taste.

Notes: Although it sounds fancy, this recipe is really simple and extra tasty! *The amounts can be adjusted depending on how many people you will be cooking for. I think I only did 2 chicken breasts, but doubled the recipe for this post.

Creamy Tomato Soup

1 (14 oz) can chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (or dill)
1/2 cup heavy cream, optional

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Strain the chopped tomatoes, reserving the juices, and spread onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, to taste, drizzle with 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and roast until caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-low heat. Add celery, carrot, onion and garlic, cook until softened, about 15 minutes. (Times double for doubled recipe.)

Add the roasted tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken broth, bay leaf, and butter. Simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15-20 minutes. Add basil and cream, if using. Puree in your blender or with a hand held immersion blender until smooth.

Notes: This is the 100th recipe that we've posted on the blog! We got the recipe from one of my high school friends and his wife. It is definitely a step up from canned tomato soup, and we both thought it would be very tasty in a bread bowl.

Chicken Mole

Ingredients

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

4 lbs chicken parts

1 cup chopped onion (1 small)

1 clove garlic

2 1/2 cups salsa

1 cup chicken broth

3 Tbsp chili powder

2 to 3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

2 Tbsp Baking Cocoa

8 cups cooked long-grain white rice (optional)

Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions

Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook, turning frequently, for 4 to 6 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove from skillet. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes or until onion is tender.

Stir in salsa, broth, chili powder, peanut butter, and cocoa. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Place chicken in sauce; cook, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink near bone. Makes 8 servings.

Optional: Combine rice and parsley in medium bowl; serve with Chicken Mole.

Notes: One of my college roommates was from Mexico and used to frequently make mole. He got me hooked on it. Despite the fact that I've craved it several times since Brittany and I got married, this is the first time we've made it. There are lots of different mole recipes out there. I found this one here. I thought it was easy yet tasty, but I really don't know how authentic it is. We quartered the recipe and, while it didn't call for it, chopped up the chicken. I will probably make more sauce next time we have this if we chop up the chicken again. The original recipe calls for Ortega salsa and we just happened to have that kind - different brands would likely give different flavors.

Pineapple Glazed Chicken (or Pork Chops)

Ingredients
4 medium sized chicken breasts or pork chops (1/2 to 3/4 inch thick)
1/2 can pineapple rings, drained (reserve juice)
3/4 tbsp. dark brown sugar
2 tbsp. prepared mustard
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1/8 cup cold water
enough water to bring reserved juice to 1/2 cup

Directions
Drain pineapple and reserve juice. Salt and pepper pork chops or chicken to taste.
In a small sauce pan combine pineapple juice, water, brown sugar and mustard and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat and stir in lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and cornstarch mixture. Simmer for 3 minutes until thick, stirring constantly.
Brush sauce on pork chops or chicken breasts and place on a prepared grill. Brown pork chops/chicken for 2 minutes on each side, brush on more sauce and top with pineapple rings. Cook for two or three more minutes and turn so pineapple rings are on the grill surface and get the nice grill marks and cook for two or three more minutes. Flip once more, baste with sauce, and check pork chops or chicken. If done allow to rest for five minutes and serve.
Notes: Although these directions are for grilled chicken or pork, we still don't have a grill so we broiled the chicken instead. I thought it was quite tasty and it would probably be even better on the grill. Brittany used 2 large chicken breasts and sliced them in half so that they were thinner. She also used pineapple chunks because that is what we had. Brittany found the recipe, which she halved, at Cooks.com.

Philly Steak and Cheese

Ingredients:
1 lb. beef sirloin, thinly sliced
3-4 mushrooms, sliced
1/2-1 green pepper, sliced
Buns*
Cream cheese

Directions:
1. In a fry pan on med-hi heat, cook meat, mushrooms, and peppers until meat is thoroughly cooked and vegetables are tender.
2. Spread cream cheese on bun. Add desired amount of beef onto bun. Enjoy!

Notes: This is a little different than the traditional Philly cheese and steak sandwich, since we used cream cheese and added mushrooms. This recipe was inspired by a sandwich I had at a restaurant once. I think it would be tasty with the buns toasted.

*To make homemade buns, follow this recipe. Instead of placing dough in bread pan, divide dough (for 1 loaf) into 6-8 balls. Place on greased baking sheet and bake until golden on top.

Cabbage Buns

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 head cabbage, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
Bread dough, rolled out (enough for about 1 loaf)

Directions:
1. Brown ground beef, cabbage, and onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cut bread dough into about 4-inch squares. Place a spoonful or two of beef and cabbage mixture in center of dough square. Pinch corners together and seal edges, making sure that no beef mixture will seep out. Place on greased baking sheet seam side down.
3. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown on top and bottom, about 10-15 minutes.

Notes: These are a little difficult to photograph, but they are really tasty! If making your own bread dough, you don't need to let it rise before rolling it out. See also: Russian Cabbage Pie

Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients:
1 c. frozen peas
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
1/2 c. shredded cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
Tater tots

Directions:
Layer peas, ground beef, cheese, soup, and tator tots, in order given, in 9x13 casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until heated through and the tater tots are golden brown. Serve with ketchup, if desired.

Notes: These amounts are approximate. I just kind of threw all these ingredients together. This is a recipe from John's mom. She just told us what she used to make it, but didn't give amounts.

Dijon Chicken

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 c. breadcrumbs
2 chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
Salt and pepper
Chopped fresh parsley (I used dried)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degree. Lightly spray pan large enough to hold chicken breasts in.
2. Whisk together Dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic, and basil. Place breadcrumbs in a pie pan or on a large plate.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Spread mustard mixture evenly over both sides of each chicken breast. Coat chicken completely with breadcrumbs.
4. Place chicken in baking pan. Bake about 10 minutes on one side. Turn over and bake another 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. If chicken browns too quickly, cover with aluminum foil. Remove from oven and garnish with parsley.

Notes: I liked this recipe. However, I think it called for way too many breadcrumbs, and not quite enough mustard. I found the recipe here.

Oma's German Meatballs

Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef
6 slices of bread, wet with water and squeeze out
1 onion, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 eggs
2 cans evaporated milk
2-3 Tbsp. cornstarch
Water added to milk to make desired amount of gravy
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. vinegar

Directions:
1. Mix beef, onion, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and eggs. Form into meatballs. Brown meatballs in skillet (see notes) and drain fat, but leave any beef "crumbs" for flavoring the gravy.
2. Remove meatballs from pan. Make gravy by adding cornstarch to milk and water. Cook in skillet until thickened. Do not boil hard, or gravy will curdle! Add salt and pepper to taste. Add sugar and vinegar to gravy. Add in equal amounts if more is desired to flavor to your liking.
3. Add meatballs to gravy and serve over mashed potatoes.

Notes: This is my great-grandmother's authentic German recipe. The potatoes really complement these meatballs and gravy. I had a hard time getting the meatballs to hold their shape. I saw a meatball recipe that suggested chilling the meatballs for an hour before cooking them, so perhaps that would help them hold their shape. I made half of this recipe and we had enough to feed four, plus enough for 2 the next day. We had company the night I made this and they had to go back for seconds.

Split Pea and Ham Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb. (or 2 cups) green split peas
6 c. water
1 lb. lean ham
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 c. diced celery

Directions:
1. Rinse peas and sort out bad and foreign objects. Place peas in 4-quart saucepan with 6 cups water. Bring to boil and simmer 2 minutes with lid tilted. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.
2. After 1 hour, dice ham and celery and add to peas. Add onion powder and pepper. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Notes: A nice soup for a change. It was tasty with saltine crackers.

Beef Skillet Supper

Ingredients:
8 oz. egg noodles
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/2 c. water
1 can corn, drained
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. shredded cheese

Directions:
1. Cook noodles according to package directions.
2. Brown beef and onion. Drain.
3. Add tomato sauce and water; mix well. Cover and simmer for 8 minutes.
4. Add noodles, corn, salt, and pepper and sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook until heated.

Notes: We got this recipe from John's mom. We used whole wheat noodles, which were tasty, and only used 1 pound of ground beef. We would have liked a little bit more of a tomato flavor, but it was a tasty meal.

Oriental Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
Dressing:
1 c. canola oil
6 Tbsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
3 dashes tabasco sauce
2 Tbsp. sesame seed

Salad:
3 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
2 small heads iceberg lettuce
4 green onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, cut diagonally
2 small cans mandarin oranges
1 pkg fried wonton strips

Directions:
Blend all dressing ingredients except for sesame seeds. (It works well to put them into a small jar with a tight lid and shake it up well.) Add sesame seeds. Mix all salad ingredients. Toss with dressing.

Notes: To make fried wonton strips--buy wonton skins in produce section. Cut squares into strips. In pan with enough oil to cover, cook on medium-high heat until strips are brown, then drain. This will only take a few seconds. We only did half of this recipe and it was enough for us to eat dinner, plus lunch the next day. We didn't use a whole package of wonton skins, so we have a lot in our freezer to use later. They were a fun addition to the salad. I found the recipe here.

Creamy Chicken Chowder

Ingredients:
Water (plus chicken bullion, if desired for more flavor)
Diced potatoes
Chopped carrots
Sliced celery
Chopped onion
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 can cream chicken soup
Chicken breast, chopped
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup butter
⅓ cup flour
2 cups milk

Directions:
1. In a large pot, cook chicken and vegetables in enough water to cover ingredients. If desired, add more chicken bouillon to make flavor stronger. When done cooking you should have about 3 cups broth.
2. In separate pan, melt ¼ cup butter. Add ⅓ cup flour and mix.
3. Stir in 2 cups milk and stir until thickened over medium-high heat.
4. When just starting to boil remove from heat and add 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese until melted. Add the can of cream of chicken soup.
5. In the pot of broth and vegetables, add the cheese sauce and stir until well mixed. Soup is great with fresh bread and a garden salad.

Notes: This comes from Brittany's family cookbook. Very tasty!

Tinfoil Dinners

Ingredients
ground beef
potatoes
carrots
onions
seasonings

Directions
There aren't really any specific directions for these - you can pretty much make them however you would like. We sliced the vegetables and shaped the ground beef (which can be seasoned to your liking) into patties. We then wrapped a patty and veggies in 2 layers of aluminum foil, which was sprayed with cooking spray, and cooked them in the oven (400 degrees) until the vegetables were tender and the meat was done, which took about 50 minutes. Each dinner had its own aluminum foil wrapper.

Notes: These, of course, are also great when cooked in the hot coals of a campfire. Make sure tinfoil is wrapped tightly and any openings are on the top, as juices will leak out during cooking otherwise. I like to top mine with barbecue sauce.

Spicy Orange Chicken

Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 C flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
3 T butter

Sauce:
2 T brown sugar
2 T vinegar
1 C orange juice
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. dried basil
1 small can mandarin oranges (optional)
ground ginger (optional)

Directions
Combine flour, salt and pepper in bag. Shake chicken pieces until coated. Brown on both sides in butter in skillet over medium heat. Drain off fat. Combine sauce ingredients and add to skillet. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes or until tender. Optional: add drained mandarin oranges and heat about 5 minutes.

Notes: This recipe comes from a blog called This Week for Dinner. On that blog, the author suggested cooking chicken and sauce in a covered skillet, but tipping the cover a little to thicken sauce towards the end of the cooking time. She also makes 1.5x amount of sauce, but we tried that and ended up with too much sauce. We also tried the ginger, and may have added too much. I suggest skipping the ginger or starting small and adding to taste. Overall we thought this was pretty tasty, and we'll likely try it again.

Strawberry Banana Pancakes

Ingredients
1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 beaten egg
2 Tbsp. oil
1 cup milk (or buttermilk)
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 - 1/3 cup strawberry yogurt

Directions
1. Sift together dry ingredients in mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Combine eggs, oil, milk, bananas, and yogurt.
3. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.
4. Bake on hot griddle (350 degrees F).
Makes about 12 pancakes.

Notes: We had a couple of over-ripe bananas, so Brittany decided to add them to her normal pancake recipe. She also added the yogurt just for kicks. (Remove the bananas and yogurt for a regular pancake recipe.) We didn't really notice a strawberry flavor in the pancakes once cooked, so we topped them with homemade strawberry jam and fresh strawberries (yummy). Maybe using more yogurt/fresh strawberries or only one banana in the batter would have allowed the strawberry flavor to come through. Also, the texture of the pancakes was different than normal pancakes due to the banana.

Jack-O'-Lantern Pot Pie

Ingredients
Filling:
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp. flour
1 chicken bullion cube or 1 tsp. chicken base/chicken granules
3/4 to 1 C. milk or water (you can also use chicken broth for the liquid and chicken flavor)
1 cup mixed vegetables
1/4-1/2 cup broccoli
1 1/2 C. chicken, cooked and cubed or shredded

Pie Crust:
2 C. sifted flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 C. shortening
5 to 7 Tbsp. milk

Directions
1. Saute onion and garlic in butter in saucepan. Add flour and mix well.
2. If using chicken bullion cubes or granules, mix them in water or milk. If using chicken base paste, mix it in with flour mixture.
3. Add liquid to flour mixture and mix with a whisk. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. If soup is not thick enough, add some flour to some cold milk or water; pour through a fine mesh strainer into pan to keep lumps out. Cook until thick. Remove from heat; set aside and keep warm.
4. If using frozen or fresh vegetables, cook until tender. If using canned vegetables, you do not need to cook them.
5. Add chicken and vegetables to soup. Heat through. Set aside and keep warm.
6. (Directions for pie crust) In a large bowl, sift flour and salt together. Cut in shortening with pastry blender until pieces are pea-sized.
7. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of milk at a time over the flour mixture, gently tossing with a fork after each addition. Repeat until moistened.
8. Divide dough in half. Form each half into a ball. Flatten each ball on a lightly floured surface, rolling from the center to the edges until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut Jack-O'-Lantern face out of one piece of dough.
9. Place piece of rolled out dough without cutouts in pie pan (tip: gently fold crust into quarters, lay in pan, then unfold, being careful to repair any small tears); add filling. Place the dough with Jack-O'-Lantern cutouts on top of the filling, sealing edges.
10. Bake at about 425-450 degrees until crust is lightly browned and filling begins to bubble. If the edges begin to brown too quickly, you can put foil around the edges to keep them from burning.

Notes: This was very tasty, but it took a lot of work to make. It can be made much quicker by using diluted, canned cream of chicken soup instead of making your own. You can also use pre-made (unbaked) pie dough. The amounts for the filling are approximate. I made about twice this amount, and had enough left over for another pie. The inspiration for the Jack-O'-Lantern pie came from a Jack-O'-Lantern Sloppy Joe Pie recipe that John received in an email (it can also be found here). The cream of chicken soup recipe is from my sister, Kimberly. The pie crust recipe is my mother's.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Ingredients

Juice of 1 lemon, approximately 3 Tbsp

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic, about 2 medium cloves

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 lb chicken breasts

Directions
1. Combine all marinade ingredients.
2. Place chicken in a Ziploc bag and pour marinade over chicken.
3. Seal bag and place in fridge overnight.
4. Grill (or cook in frying pan). Note: If you cut your chicken into smaller, bite-sized pieces and then marinate it, you can get away with only letting it marinate for 5 or 6 hours instead of overnight.

Notes: I believe this is the last of recipes from Karrissa's Kitchen that Brittany had on her list to try. We baked the chicken instead of grilling it or frying it, and parts of it turned out a little dry. It was still tasty, though.

Lasagna Roll-Ups

Ingredients
Sauce:
1/4 lb ground beef (we used more)
2 Tbsp onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 16 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 dash cayenne pepper

Filling:
1 1/4 cups small curd cottage cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1/4 tsp onion powder
6 lasagna noodles, cooked
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. In a large skillet cook ground beef, onion and garlic until the beef is no longer pink. Drain any excess fat from the pan. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt and cayenne. Simmer for 10 minutes. Spread half of the meat sauce on the bottom of a greased 9” baking dish.
2. In a bowl combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley and onion powder. Spread ¼ cup of the cheese mixture evenly over each lasagna noodle. Roll up and place seam side down in rows in the baking dish. Top with remaining sauce.
3. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes. About 5 minutes before the dish is finished cooking remove from the oven and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Return to oven and cook until cheese has melted.

Notes: This is another recipe that Brittany found at Karrissa's Kitchen. The original recipe is from Blog Chef. Go to the Blog Chef page if you want to see step-by-step photos and an end result photo that looks different than regular lasagna (unlike my photo). The recipe more or less tastes like regular lasagna as well - it is just a 'fun' way to make it. For another variation, check out the Lasagna Toss recipe I posted a couple of years ago.

Pork Chops with Orange Rice

Ingredients
4 pork chops
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/3 c. uncooked rice
1 C. orange juice
1 can chicken with rice soup, undiluted

Directions
1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Salt and pepper pork chops and brown in oil on both sides.
2. Sprinkle rice in a greased 9"x9" baking dish. Add orange juice.
3. Place pork chops over rice.
4. Pour chicken with rice soup over chops; cover. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
5. Uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes longer or until meat juices run clear and rice is tender.

Notes (1st time we had this): This recipe is adapted from a recipe found here. I did only 2 pork chops (they were big) and had a hard time fitting them in the pan. It may be a good idea to use a bigger dish. There was no temperature given in the original recipe, so I baked the chops at 350 degrees. I had a difficult time getting the rice to cook, which may have been because of the pan size or the temperature. If you wanted to skip buying a can of chicken and rice soup, you could probably just use chicken broth or stock instead. John and I both enjoyed the flavor of the rice. It was a nice change.

Notes (2nd time):  Instead of using a can of chicken with rice soup, Brittany made the rice on the stove, using 1 cup chicken broth and 2 cups orange juice and 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice. She also added a little butter and some orange zest at the end.  It turned out a lot better.

Mitch's Chicken Roll Ups

4 cups cooked chicken (we shredded it)

12 ounces cream cheese, softened

Salt and pepper to taste

4 Tbsp chopped green onions

2-3 pkgs. Pillsbury crescent rolls

Bread crumbs (we seasoned them with some Italian seasonings)

Melted butter

Sauce:

1 can cream of chicken soup
¼ cup sour cream

Flatten individual crescent rolls. Combine the rest of the ingredients, except bread crumbs and butter, in bowl. Place small amount of chicken filling on roll and fold together, sealing edges. Dip in melted butter and roll in bread crumbs. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Combine cream of chicken soup and sour cream; heat through. Serve roll-ups with gravy or sauce.

Notes: This is a recipe that my former roommate, Mitch, made a couple of times for the dinner group I was in when I started this blog. The roll ups can be frozen after baking. For variations on the same idea, check out Chicken in a Blanket or the other Chicken Roll Up recipe we have on the blog. They are all really tasty.

Spicy Honey Chicken

Ingredients
2 tsp vegetable oil

rub:
2 tsp granulated garlic (we used garlic powder)
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp coriander
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder (we didn't have this, so we left it out)
8 boneless chicken thighs (we had bone-in, so that's what we used)

glaze:
1/2 cup honey
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions
1. Use kitchen shears or knife to trim off any excess fat from chicken pieces. Pat dry.
2. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces.
3. Toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well.
4. Grill chicken a few minutes on each side, until cooked through.
5. While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it's not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Reserve 2 Tbsp honey glaze for later. Take the rest and brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling. Drizzle remaining glaze over chicken before serving.

Notes: Brittany found this recipe on Karissa's Kitchen blog, but apparently the original is found at Our Best Bites. Both sites have a link to a spicy honey chicken salad that sounds really tasty. We don't have a grill yet (maybe someday), so we baked the chicken. It was still delicious. I'm sure we'll have this one again sometime in the future.

Mexicali Chicken

Ingredients
2-4 chicken breasts
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp oil
1/2 cup salsa
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 avocado
2 Tbsp green onion

Directions
1. Spread mustard over chicken.
2. Heat oil and put mustard side down and cook, turn over.
3. Combine salsa and lime; spoon around chicken and simmer uncovered until chicken is cooked.
4. Top with avocado and onions.

Notes: I found this recipe on a blog called Karrissa's Kitchen. John thought it was good, but not as good as it sounded from the recipe. That might be because he isn't a big fan of the kind of salsa we have right now. I thought it was a nice change, but nothing special.

Polynesian Crockpot Spareribs

3-4 lbs pork spareribs
5 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 cup chicken broth

Place ribs in the bottom of your slow cooker. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over ribs. Cover and cook on low for 8 - 9 hours. If the ribs are fatty boil for 5 minutes before placing in slow cooker.

Notes: This was really tasty! When I looked at the ingredient list I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but Brittany, my parents, and I all really enjoyed it. It tasted like a sweet pork recipe I've had at a restaurant somewhere. I found the recipe on a website called Tasty Crockpot Recipes. We think it would be good shredded and on a sandwich or in a wrap as well.

Mozzarella Chicken with Tomatoes and Mushrooms

2 chicken breasts (or 1 for each person)
1 small tomato, sliced
about 4 mushrooms, sliced
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh or dried basil

Directions:
1. Place chicken breasts in an oven-safe pan or casserole dish. Top with tomatoes and mushrooms. Sprinkle desired amount of cheese and basil on top.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear.

Notes: This is a pretty simple recipe. I got the basic idea from my sister Kimberly. She likes to pour canned tomatoes on top of the chicken and add cheese and basil on top. That is tasty, too! You can change the amounts, depending on what you like.

Sausage, Beans, and Rice

1/2 package smoked polska kielbasa (Polish sausage)
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can kidney beans, reserve about half the liquid
Salsa (to the consistency you like)

Directions:
1. Slice sausage into 1/2-inch thick circles. Fry in a large pan until it is golden on both sides.
2. Add green pepper and onion to pan. Saute with sausage until tender.
3. Add kidney beans, with about half of the liquid, and salsa until you reach the desired consistency. It shouldn't be too runny, but not real thick, either.
4. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Serve on top of rice.

Notes from Brittany: The amounts are approximate. My sister Stephanie made this while I was visiting her. I tried to copy it according to memory.

Meatball Sandwich

Mushroom Marinara Sauce:
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
6 oz of button or cremini mushrooms, sliced thinly
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1 tsp white sugar
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Sauce Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and saute until tender; add the garlic and cook for 60 seconds, stirring frequently. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for at least 2 hours.

Meatballs:
1 lb lean ground beef
7 button mushrooms, diced finely
1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced finely
1/4 cup of Italian style breadcrumbs
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 egg
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp fennel seed, crushed
Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp olive oil (for cooking)

Meatball directions:
Put the onions, garlic and mushrooms in a food processor to chop, otherwise chop them as small as you can. Combine all ingredients (except for olive oil) together gently. Form into small meatballs and set aside. Once the meatballs are prepared. Heat a skillet over medium heat with 1 tsp olive oil. Cook the meatballs until golden brown on all sides. Remove from skillet and place the cooked meatballs in the mushroom marinara.

Put it together:
Place meatballs with some sauce on hoagie buns. Sprinkle the top with mozzarella and Parmesan. Place in a pan, under the broiler and melt cheese (watch carefully so it doesn't burn). Top with basil and serve. Enjoy!

Notes: Brittany found this recipe on a blog called For the Love of Cooking: here. I more or less copied and pasted the recipe from there. It made enough for probably 6-8 sandwiches, although we ate the leftover meatballs and sauce with spaghetti a couple of days later, so I'm not sure. We liked the sandwich, but I think we will try other meatball recipes before trying this again, as the mushroom marinara wasn't our favorite.

Tortilla Soup

Ingredients
1 med. onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 C. beef broth
4 C. chicken broth
1/2 C. tomato juice
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 fresh jalapeno, chopped and seeded
3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 C. shredded chicken
Tortilla chips
Top with: sour cream, shredded cheese, tomato, avocado

Directions
1. In 4-qt. pot, saute onion and garlic in oil.
2. Add broths, tomato juice, cumin, chili powder, jalapeno, and Worcestershire sauce.
3. Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 hour. Add chicken pieces.
4. Pour soup in bowl, add chips and toppings.

Notes: This recipe comes from Brittany's sister, Stephanie, and I think it is delicious. The list of ingredients is long, but it is easy to make. Makes 4-6 servings.

Mexican Goulash

Ingredients
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup onion
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
3 cups tomato juice
1 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder

Directions
Add macaroni to boiling water and cook for 7 minutes. Cook the beef, onion, and pepper in cast-iron skillet until meat is brown and vegetables are tender. Drain off fat. Add tomato juice, macaroni, and spices. Simmer until liquid is almost absorbed. Makes 4-6 servings.

Notes: I found this recipe online somewhere three or four years ago, but had never tried it until now. Brittany and I both thought it was a bit lacking in flavor. If I make this again, I might try doubling the spices or adding something else. The recipe I found also had the following line: "Cook in crockpot 2 hours or until completely heated." From the way it was written I couldn't tell, but I think it was meant to be an alternative way to cook it.