Dinner Tonight

What's for dinner tonight?? Below holds some answers.....

Friday, April 29, 2011

Dinner Apr 28 - Cashew Chicken--The Healthy Way!!

Next in line to Mexican, comes my second favorite cuisine: Chinese!  I love to experiment w/ stir-fry and lo mien dishes....they are so easy to prepare, a wonderful way to clean out the fridge and a great way to incorporate some veggies into your meal!  This one came from http://www.bettycrocker.com/.  I got compliments from the fam--there wasn't much left!!  Check it out and enjoy!!!

Healthy Cashew Chicken

2 T Oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 teas ground ginger
1 bag frozen stir-fry veggies
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 teas crushed red peppers
3 T soy sauce
3 T teriakyi sauce
2 teas rice vinegar (I bought some of this awhile ago and use it in my Asian dishes; it lasts forever and is a good investment to have on hand)
1 T cornstarch
1 teas sugar
3 cups hot, cooked rice
1/2 cup cashews

Heat oil in skillet and cook chicken, ginger and red peppers 8-10min, until chicken is no longer pink.  Add veggies and saute until thawed; 4-6min.  Add 1/2 c broth.  Simmer on low.  Mix together  1/2 c broth, soy sauce, teriakyi sauce, vinegar, cornstarch and sugar.  Add to skillet and simmer on low until sauce is thick.  Add cashews and serve over rice.  Yum!!!

Dinner Apr 27, 2011 - Chicken Pot Pie

Hello everyone!  It was cold and rainy here on Wed.  And, since I vowed to have made my last soup of the season :), I had to search for something else to warm us up.  In swoops--chicken pot pie!!  I love making pot pie; I make it different every time....and each time it's wonderful :)  Below, is my latest recipe:

Chicken Pot Pie

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 c chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken
1/2 can cream of mushroom (Here I would have used cream of celery/potato....whatever I had on hand)
1/2 c milk, to make it smooth
2 cups mixed veggies, thawed
1 refrigerated pie crust
1 egg, beaten w/ a little water added

Heat oven to 400deg. Poach chicken in broth 15-20 min, or until no longer pink.  Cut chicken into cubes.  Mix soups and milk until smooth.  Add chicken, soup and veggies to baking dish.  Cover w/ pie crust and brush w/ egg.  Bake 20-25 min, or until crust is golden brown. 

This was delish!!  I hope you add it to your box of make-when-it's-nasty-out recipes :)

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Dinner Apr 25, 2011 - Caribbean Pork & Rice

Good evening!!!  I hope everyone is staying dry :)  It seems to be raining all over the country this week!  Tonight's dinner came from www.kraftfoods.com and It-Was-Amazing!!!  I don't cook w/ pork often; I'm too afraid I'll undercook it, so I just don't use it :)  But I LOVED this dish!  Peppers, rice, pineapple.....lots of make-me-feel-like-a-beachy-meal ingredients!!!!  Behold.....your dinner: 

Caribbean Pork & Rice

1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into cubes
2T Olive Oil
1T paprika
1 teas crushed red peppers
Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 c chicken broth
2 c rice, uncooked
1 can pineapple chunks, undrained
3-4 tortillas, cut into strips

Heat oven to 350deg.  Place tortilla strips on baking sheet and bake 8-10 min, or until brown. 

Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet and add pork.  Add spices, onion, carrots and pepper.  Saute 10-12 min, or until pork is no longer pink and veggies are tender.  Add broth, rice and pineapple.  Cover and simmer on low 5-7 min, until rice is tender.  Serve the pork and rice w/ the baked tortilla strips.  I hope you enjoy!!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Back in the Saddle :)

Happy Monday to everyone!!!  I hope you all had a wonderful Easter.  It turned out to be a beautiful weekend for us.  Finally!!!  Now if this rain would just go away....

We had family in last week so there wasn't much dinner-making :)  We went out for my mom's birthday, had leftovers one night, and just had a good-ol' pizza night Sat!  For Easter, my husband made a prime rib that was To. Die. For.  Wow--I was in heaven!!  But that was a loooooong process and I had nothing to do w/ it, so I'm not going to blog it :) 

I'm back to our regular weekly dinners tonight, so stay tuned..... :)

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Dinner Apr 19, 2011 - Meatball Stroganauff

Hello everyone!  Tonight's dinner was actually started from an email I got, but then I adjusted it after I read it.  It was really tasty, but a little runny :)  I'll learn next time to adjust some ingredients :) 

Meatball Stroganauff

1 pkg frozen Italian-Style meatballs (in the freezer section, next to the lunch/appetizer items)
2 cups beef broth (I don't usually buy beef broth; I just keep bullion cubes in the cabinet and add water)
1 container Philly Cooking Creme-Italian Style (I wasn't a big fan of the plain, but the flavored stuff rocks!)
Salt and Pepper
1 lb linguine noodles

Heat the meatballs in the broth on low, to thaw and warm; reserve broth for sauce.  Heat pan on med heat and add cooking creme.  Use broth in spoonfulls to thin sauce to desired consistency.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Cook noodles according to directions on package.  Add meatballs and cooked noodles to sauce and serve!! 

We had this w/ some peas (you could add the peas to the sauce and serve w/ the meatballs) and some bread.  It was delish!!  The meatballs were a little soft, but they tasted amazing.  Next time I think I will cook the meatballs in a skillet also, so they are a little more firm. 

Happy Meatballs :)

Dinner Apr 18, 2011 - Chicken Nachos, Made-Over

Hello everyone!  I hope you are all doing well and your meals have been turning out fabulous!  Tonight's dinner comes to you from http://www.kraftfoods.com/.  Now, you know me--and you know that I love some good nachos :)  But they are soooooo unhealthy!!!  So I pounced on this recipe when I saw it.  I'll give you my comments after I show you the recipe......

Chicken Nachos, Made-Over

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 c salsa (I mixed half med, half hot)
1 c shredded cheese
1 c crushed tortilla chips
2 cups hot, cooked rice
Juice of 1 lime
Handful of torn Cilantro
Sour Cream, for topping

Heat oven to 350deg.  Place chicken breasts in 9x13 pan (coated w/ cooking spray) and cover w/ salsa (*here I would have topped w/ some frozen corn also, but I was out).  Bake 20-30 min, or until chicken is pink.  Top w/ chips and cheese and bake another 5min. 

While chicken is baking, mix rice w/ lime juice and cilantro.  Top rice w/ baked chicken and then w/ sour cream. 

This dish was okay; the flavors weren't quite as spicy or as prominent as I would have liked, but when you're trying to bake a little lighter w/ Mexican food--you gotta give somewhere!  It was good, but I think I'll maybe add a little taco seasoning onto the chicken next time......

I hope you enjoy!!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Dinner Apr 17, 2011 - Pecan-Crusted Chicken w/ Sweet Mustard Sauce

Good evening my lovely chefs :)  I hope your weekend was well and that you were able to enjoy some warm weather.  I've been doing this blog for almost 2 months now and I love it!  Not only does it help others, it helps me to not repeat the same dinner week after week!  I hope it's doing the same for you.  I'm enjoying seeing your success......and disasters :)  I'm so proud of you guys for trying new things on your families and for taking the step to make a homemade meal; it speaks wonders about the amazing person you are.  Keep up the good work kiddos!! 

Now that it's getting warmer, I'm slipping back into my grilling-days :)  This is not completely bad, but on some nights, using the grill means brats or burgers--not healthy at all :(  But I love' em!  So I'm going to try to limit those by forcing myself to blog recipes and make them!!  So, without further ado--I give you my Pecan-Crusted Chicken.  Enjoy :)

Pecan-Crusted Chicken w/ Mustard Sauce

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 c pecans, crushed
1 c bread crumbs
1 teas cayenne pepper
Salt and Pepper
2 eggs, beaten w/ a little water
1/2 - 1 c veg oil, for cooking

Mustard Sauce

2 T Stone-ground mustard (first time I've ever bought this stuff!)
1/4 c peach preserves
1 T cider vinegar
1/2 teas garlic, minced
Dash of salt
1/4 - 1/2 c Olive Oil

Heat veg oil in skillet over med-high heat.  Meanwhile, mix pecans, crumbs, cayenne and s&p.  Dredge chicken strips in egg mixture, then pecan mixture and fry in skillet w/ oil, 3-4 min per side.  Drain on paper towels.  Mix ingredients for sauce, adjusting sweetness w/ peach preserves as needed.  I served this dish w/ chicken, sauce, couscous and some french bread.  It was pretty good!!  The kids both gobbled it up and my hubs loved the sauce!  Happy dinners!!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Dinner Apr 15, 2011 - Veggie Soup :)

Hello friends!!!  Tonight, I'm turning to an old fav--veggie soup, yum!!  It's cold and rainy here and I don't think I can go wrong w/ a nice, warm pot of soup.  This recipe is on my blog already, so I won't type it again.  I'll prob serve it w/ some french bread and there's my meal :)  I hope your weekend is relaxing and wonderful!! 

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Dinner Apr 13, 2011 - Corn Chowder

Good evening my friends!!  I hope your week is going well.  The weather here is beautiful--I just hope it lasts!!!  Tonight's dinner is from my aunt.  She made it for some family a while back; I wasn't there to enjoy it, but they sent me the recipe and I really wanted to try it!  It's very easy and turned out wonderful!!  I hope you enjoy :)

Corn Chowder

2 med unpeeled red potatoes
1 cup cooked ham, cubed
1/2 c diced red pepper (forgot this :)
1/2 chopped celery
1 t butter
2 T flour
2 c chicken broth
1 can evaporated milk
1 can cream corn
2 T gr onions
Salt and Pepper
Cooked, crumbled bacon (again, didn't add this.  I hate frying bacon.....maybe I should buy some of that microwave bacon.....)

Heat butter in soup-pot.  Saute pepper and celery 3-4 min.  Whisk in flour and cook about 2 min.  Add broth, milk and corn.  Add potatoes and cook on low until potatoes are tender.  Add ham and allow to warm.  Top w/ bacon and onions and serve!!  I made some freezer-yeast rolls and it was soooooo good!!!  Happy last-soup-of-the-season :)

Dinner Apr 12, 2011 - Mexican Casserole

Hello everyone!!!  I owe you a few days worth of meals :)  Dinner tonight was from one of my best friends from high school.  She sent this to me and I knew I'd have to try it--and we LOVED it!!  The kiddos picked around the onions a bit, but it tasted amazing.  I was going to serve it w/ corn bread, but ran out of time :)  I hope you enjoy!!

Mexican Casserole

1 lb ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/4 c water
1 c diced onion (I used a little less)
1 bag of tortilla chips 
1 can of chili beans--don't drain (I used kidney b/c I didn't have chili)
1 can of rotel, drained
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 c shredded cheese 
Green onion (as I'm typing this I realized I forgot these--oops!!)

Heat oven to 350deg.  Brown ground beef and drain.  Mix taco seasoning and water.  Place in skillet w/ onion and saute a bit.  Crush the tortilla chips and place in the bottom of casserole dish.  Layer the meat mixture on top of the chips, then the chili beans. Then mix the rotel and cream of chicken soup together and layer that on top of the chili beans.  Place the shredded cheese and gr onions on top.  Top it off with the shredded cheese and green onions.  Bake for about 45 min.  We ate this w/ sour cream---delish!!!

Monday, April 11, 2011

Dinner Apr 10, 2011 - Chicken Kabobs

Hello everyone!!  It's grillin' time!!  I love this time of year; grill some dinner while the kids play in the yard and you enjoy a glass of wine.....sigh :)  Tonight's dinner came from http://www.kraftfoods.com/, but I had to change some things up b/c I was out of some things :)  So here's my version of some delightful, sweet chicken kabobs....

Chicken Kabobs

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1T paprika
1/2 T cayenne
Salt and Pepper
2 T Olive Oil
1 can pineapple chunks, reserve the juice when draining
Wooden skewers
1/2 c BBQ sauce
1 box couscous (cooked using 2 cups broth instead of water :)
1 loaf french bread (yep, Schwan's again!)

Heat the grill on med-high.  Place chicken, spices and oil into ziploc and shake to coat.  Soak skewers in cold water for about 15 min to keep them from burning.  Alternate chicken and pineapple on skewers.  Grill about 4-6 min per side.  Mix pineapple juice and BBQ sauce.  Brush on kabobs while cooking, being careful not to get too much b/c it'll make the grill flame-up.  Serve w/ couscous and bread--quite a meal!!!  I hope you enjoy this my friends :)

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Dinner Apr 7, 2001 - Beef Enchiladas

Hello my lovely cooks :)  I am sorry I have been absent for a few days; it's been crazy around here!!  We had a friend over for dinner on Thursday and I decided to make her these tasty enchiladas!  I had a recipe for them, but once I read it I didn't like it so I adjusted it a bit :)  Below, you will find an amazing Mexican delight!!!

Beef Enchiladas

1lb ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/4 c water
1/2 c salsa (I used half medium, half hot)
1 can enchilada sauce
1 1/2 c shredded cheese, divided
8-10 flour tortillas
Sour cream and lettuce, optional

Heat oven to 350deg.  Brown meat in skillet until no longer pink; drain.  Return meat to pan.  Mix taco seasoning w/ water and add to beef.  Add salsa, sauce and 1 c cheese.  Mix and simmer on low for 10 min.  This makes the flavors mix and taste extra super-yummy :)  Fill tortillas and place in 9x13 pan.  Pour any remaining mixture over rolled enchiladas.  Top w/ cheese and bake for about 20-25min, until cheese is bubbly.  This dish was awesome!!  I topped it w/ the lettuce and sour cream and served it w/ some Spanish rice.  Voila--a meal!!!  I hope you enjoy :)

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Dinner Apr 5, 2011 - Shrimp Tacos w/ Rice

Good evening!!  Dinner tonight was wonderful!  The thought of some lovely, fresh shrimp tacos while it's sunny and warm outside just makes me smile :)  Well, it wasn't quite as warm as I would have liked, but I'll take what I can get :)  These tacos were delish and soooo easy!  Below, I lead you to an evening that will make you feel like you're on a beach w/ a little umbrella drink...... ;)

Shrimp Tacos w/ Rice

1 lb raw, peeled & deveined shrimp
2T Olive Oil
1 tsp of EACH of the following:
- garlic powder
- onion salt
- cayenne (adjust to your heat-liking)
- paprika
- chipotle powder
2 tsp chili powder
tortilla shells, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa
2 cups hot, cooked rice
juice from 2 limes
2T fresh cilantro

Heat oven to 350 and place tortillas, covered in foil, in oven to warm while preparing dinner.
Heat skillet on med-high.  Place shrimp, oil and spices in ziploc and shake to coat.  Cook in skillet 5-7 min or until shrimp is pink.  Stir rice w/ lime juice and cilantro.  Serve tacos w/ shrimp, toppings and rice inside warm tortillas....paradise :)  Enjoy my friends!!

Oopsies :)

I want to tell everyone that I omitted a part of the Mango-Orange Chicken.....you are supposed to use the 2c chicken broth to cook the couscous.  I didn't say at all how to use it :)  Sorry guys!!!!

Monday, April 4, 2011

Dinner Apr 4, 2011 - Easy Stuff!!

Hello my fellow-followers!!  I hope your Monday is treating you well.  Mine is about to get better--because I've got book club tonight!!  It's my fav night of the month!!!!  So that leaves me w/ a nice, easy dinner to make for the fam....sloppy joes, I see you in my future :)  I've already posted this recipe, so I won't re-post it :)  Feel free to serve up some super-sloppy joes or pull up another recipe from days' past!!!  Enjoy!!