Barbeque Chicken Salad

Super light and yummy.  A must for one of those easy summer nights!

Barbeque Chicken Salad
Shredded cooked chicken in crock-pot with BBQ sauce
Romaine lettuce
Green Leaf lettuce
Canned black beans
Canned corn (or frozen)
Shredded cheese
Avocado
Green onion
Tomato
Crispy corn tortillas (cut and fried in a pan)
Homemade ranch dressing

Toss everything together!!  Delicious!!

Savory Stuffed Rolls

Oh Oh Good!!  Hands down, I have eaten the largest part of this recipe.  My kids did love them also, but I couldn't get enough!!  The bread dough makes them so moist and truly amazing.  I found this recipe on www.melskitchencafe.com, but I have made a few changes.

Dough

1 1/2 cups warm water
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  Let rise until double.

Punch down the dough and roll the dough out into a large rectangle about 1/2-inch thick.

Filling

12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
2 cups chopped ham (leftover ham or deli ham works great here)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped broccoli
2 cups shredded cheese (Swiss, Cheddar..options are limitless)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup finely chopped green onions

In a small bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese.  Mix in the ham, broccoli, cheese, Parmesan cheese, and green onions.  With your hands, pat down mixture onto bread dough (see the picture below).

Roll the dough up, pinching the seam to seal. Slice the roll into about 1-inch segments. Place the rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise until nearly doubled and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly.

Banana Muffins

My kids love these and are great helpers in the kitchen while baking them.  Such a simple and very yummy recipe.  They are super moist and we often finish the whole batch in one day!

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup mashed very ripe bananas (3 medium)
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Beat sugar and butter.  Add eggs and beat for another 4 minutes until mixture is light and fluffy.  Add bananas, milk, and vanilla; beat until smooth.  Add flour, baking soda and salt just until moistened.  Divide batter into muffin tins or loaf pans.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes (muffins) or 1 hour (for loaf pans).  Be sure to watch and adjust time if baking too quickly.

Spinach Fettuccine with Green Peas

You've got to love those park days where you're having just too much fun and can't quite pull yourself away, but you're thinking the whole time, what can I make in the first 10 minutes of getting home before the kids melt-down from exhaustion and hunger.  I figure it takes them 10 minutes to wash hands and set the table and then I need to have dinner ready and on the table.  This pasta meal is super easy and so good.  (adapted from Ina Garten)

Kosher salt
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup butter
ground pepper
box of Spinach fettuccine
8 ounces frozen peas
4 ounces grated parmesan cheese

Add 1 tablespoon salt to large pot of water and bring to boil.  Meanwhile, in a large saute' pan, heat the cream over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.  Add the butter, 1 teaspoon of salt,  and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper (I sometimes omit for the kids).  Lower heat to very low.

Add pasta to boiling water and cook for 7 minutes.  When pasta is cooked, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.  Add the drained pasta and frozen peas to the saute' pan and toss it with cream sauce.  As the pasta absorbs the sauce, add as much reserved cooking water as necessary to keep the pasta very creamy.  Remove from heat and toss in 3 ounces of Parmesan cheese.  Use remaining cheese as a garnish.

Garden Vegetable Soup

We had this soup (and rosemary focaccia) for dinner a few nights ago and it was delicious! The zucchini, tomatoes and basil were all from our garden, which I think made it taste even better. The recipe is from My Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com), and other than adding 1/2 cup chopped basil, omitting the onion and adding 1 can of canned corn, I followed the recipe exactly (I think). The great thing is, it tasted even better the next (and the next and the next) day.

Summer Garden Vegetable Soup

3 medium zucchini, chopped into bite-size pieces
4 medium tomatoes, chopped into bite-size pieces
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped (I added 1/2 cup)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups frozen, fresh or canned corn kernels
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the zucchini, basil, parsley and onion and saute, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add the flour, salt and pepper and cook for one minutes. Gradually add the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Add the lemon juice. Mix well. Simmer, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes, until the zucchini is tender but still has some bite. Add the tomatoes, evaporated milk and corn. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until corn and zucchini are tender. Stir in the cheese just before serving.

Green Chicken Curry

Wow! This curry was so good. I LOVE curry and Indian food, so I was pretty excited to try this recipe. I saw Aarti Sequeria make this on The Next Food Network Star and knew when Bobby Flay, and a table of foodies, said he loved it, that I had to give it a try. I stayed pretty true to the recipe (I even used an onion!, but not the shallots), except that I used chicken breasts instead of thighs (be careful to cook it slowly so the chicken doesn't get tough) and regular vinegar instead of malt vinegar. Also, I used Fage Greek yogurt. It is pretty spicy, so I served it with rice AND naan (the Trader Joe's naan is delicious).

Green Chicken Curry

2 small bunches cilantro, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 bunch fresh mint, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 red onion, chipped
6 cloves garlic
1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
salt
pepper
1/4 cup water, plus 1 1/2 cups
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. turmeric
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 1 3/4 pounds, halved
1/2 tsp. malt vinegar
1/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt, whisked until smooth
rice/naan

Add the cilantro, mint, onion, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper to a food processor. Puree until smooth. With the processor running, add about 1/4 cup water and blend until the mixture is the consistency of a thick paste (masala). Set aside.

In a large pot or deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, until golden brown. Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds. Pour the masala mixture into the skillet and cook, stirring often until it deepens in color and aroma. You'll know it's ready when it looks shiny, little droplets of oil will appear on the surface, and the masala will hold together as a cohesive mass.

Add the chicken, coating every piece in the masala and stirring often. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, so the masala really adheres to the chicken. Add 1 1/2 cups water, just enough to cover the chicken, and the vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 20-25 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the yogurt. Serve over rice and/or naan.

California Pizzas

This was one of my favorite meals growing up. It is easy to put together and perfect for those days when you just don't feel like cooking (or eating) meat. Plus, it's super easy to adapt this recipe based on the veggies in your fridge.

My mom used to categorize her meals according to seasons. This was definitely a summer meal. I didn't completely understand her logic as a kid, but now I do. Of course it makes sense to have lots of fresh veggies in the summer when they're cheap and plentiful, and hot, heavy meals in the winter when it's cold outside. I try to do the same thing now and it really makes meal planning that much easier.

California Pizzas

tortillas (plan on one per person; Mission flour tortillas (or something similar)-and not the kind you cook yourself-work best)
pizza sauce
italian seasoning
mozzarella cheese, grated
veggies, raw and cut into bite-sized pieces (my favorites include carrots, broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini, beans)
tomatoes, diced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread tortillas on a cookie sheet (you don't want them touching) and bake, turning frequently, until golden brown and firm (don't over cook; if the tortillas are dark brown, they're overcooked). Meanwhile, steam veggies (layer veggies with those that take the longest to cook on the bottom) on the stove just until done. Drain. Top tortillas with a generous slathering of pizza sauce. Add veggies--enough to form a heaping mound. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and top with cheese. Bake just until cheese melts. Top with fresh tomatoes just before serving.

Asian Wonton Salad

Can it still be considered a "family favorite" if half the family didn't like it? I think so. I had no idea my husband didn't like Chinese food. Anyway, I loved the salad and my husband graciously tolerated it for a few nights (I thought he loved it too, so I made LOTS), so I think it's worthy of a post.

Asian Wonton Salad

romaine lettuce (iceberg is fine, too)
cabbage (I used green cabbage, but purple would be delicious)
carrots, shredded
jicama, cut into matchsticks
wontons, cut in half, then in thirds and deep-fried
rotisserie chicken, cubed

*Dressing:
2/3 cups rice vinegar
1 cup oil
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2-3 Tbsp. sesame seeds

Cucumbers, onions and tomatoes could all be added, if desired. Throw everything in a bowl and toss with dressing.

*As written, this make A LOT of dressing! Unless you're serving a [BIG] crowd, I'd scale it down. Also, make sure your sesame seeds are fresh; otherwise, the salad will have a bitter taste. Finally, I read at least a dozen dressing recipes looking for the perfect one, and I'm sorry to say I have no idea where this one came from.