The fruits (and vegetables) of our labors.

My parents have a pretty amazing garden. And they were kind enough to plant potatos, peas, carrots and beans even though they would be out of the country to partake of the bountiful harvest.
Or help with the weeding or harvesting... hmmm.
how convenient. too convenient.


I spent an hour in the hot sun, battling bugs and thorns and weeds to get these beauties-

Pretty sure it is all going to be worth it when I have a yummy
baked potato and green beans for dinner.
And some raspberries and ice cream for dessert.

Thanks Mom and Dad! I love you!

Fast, Cheap and Easy

and delicious.

I found this recipe while flipping through a magazine while the Kindergarten class I was subbing for was enjoying their nap time. It looked easy and yummy. And I have a bunch of broccoli left over from our Relief Society dinner.

It was so fast and easy.

Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo
from http://www.campbellskitchen.com/

1/2 of a 1-pound package linguine or spaghetti

1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli flowerets

2 Tablespoons butter

1 pound chicken breast- cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Prepare the linguine according to package directions in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the broccoli during the last 4 minutes of cooking.

Drain the linguine mixture well in a colander.

Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it's well browned, stirring often. Stir the soup, milk, cheese, pepper and linguine mixture in the skillet. Cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling, stirring occasionally.

Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

I read some of the reviews from other people who have made it. They recommended adding a little garlic. I had a little bit of Herb & Garlic Cream Cheese so I put that in there. I am not sure what difference it made but it was tasty. But a little garlic would make it even more delightful.

I LOVE that you put the broccoli in with the pasta to cook it.

We ate it with a side of carrot sticks. And not just any carrot sticks. The BEST carrots in the world. Truly. They are Al's Carrots grown in St. Paul, Alberta. They are only available at Sobey's (to my knowledge). When I bought some last week the cashier said they will be gone in 3 weeks. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking some up!

Arrivederci Fettuccine

Here is another delightful recipe from Pillsbury.
Fettuccine with Chicken & Herbed Vegetables

12 ounces uncooked fettuccine
1 Tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 medium onion- chopped (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 pounds chicken- cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small green pepper- cut into bite sized strips
2 cloves garlic- finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 small zucchini- cut in half lengthwise- sliced
3 large tomatoes- seeded- chopped (3 cups)
3 Tablespoons chopped basil leaves
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese


Cook fettuccine. Drain; cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile in a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Stir in chicken, bell pepper, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is browned. Stir in zucchini, tomatoes, basil and oregano. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender.

Place fettuccine on serving platter; spoon chicken mixture over top. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Why is it that the pictures in the recipe book (or online) look sooo much better than what it looks like when I make it?

My taste testers stated that it would be bland without the parmesan cheese (we just used grated instead of shredded). This could have been because I used dried basil and oregano instead of fresh. I don't know if that really makes a difference... I am spice challenged. But I do know it is delicious. And healthy!

yummy.

I have been trying new recipes. It's the blogging about them that is the hard part for me. I made this yummy recipe a couple weeks ago. There was a little bit left over and it was equally delightful for lunch the next day. It is so delightful, I suggested we have it for our Relief Society's March 17th party dinner. MMmmm. I hope there is lots leftover. Ha!

Cashew Chicken & Broccoli
from Pillsbury

1 cup uncooked rice
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons grated gingerroot
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil (if desired)
1 pound chicken breast- cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 green onions- sliced
1 cup salted roasted cashews

Cook rice.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix soy sauce, gingerroot, sugar and sesame oil. Stir in chicken until coated; let stand 15 minutes to marinate.

In a small bowl, stir 1/4 cup of the broth and the cornstarch until cornstarch is dissolved; set aside.

In skillet, heat vegetable oil over high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and add to heated oil in skillet; reserve any remaining marinade. Cook chicken about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink in center.

Stir broccoli and remaining 1/2 cup broth into chicken in skillet; cover and cook 1 minute. Stir in onions and cashews.

Stir reserved marinade into cornstarch mixture. Stir into chicken mixture; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly.

Serve over rice.

We like to put sesame seeds on our stir fries. Although in this picture it looks like I like a little stir fry with my sesame seeds!

The sauce didn't really thicken- it actually disappeared. So when I make this again I think I will double or at least 1 and a 1/2 the marinade.

Lasagna. Take dos.

I decided to try another lasagna.

A Lasagna with Mex-Appeal to be exact.

from Looneyspoons

2 cups chopped onions

2 cloves garlic- minced

1 1/2 cups chopped green pepper

1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes-undrained, cut up

1 cup salsa

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 can (19 ounces) black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can (19 ounces) red kidney beans, drained & rinsed

8 (7 inch) flour tortillas

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 small tomatoes- thinly sliced

Sour cream (optional)

Spray a large saucepan with non-stick spray. Add onions, garlic, and green pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, salsa and cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in black beans and kidney beans. Remove from heat.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Spread 1/3 of the bean mixture over bottom. Cover with half the tortillas (overlapping as needed), and half the cheese. Spoon another 1/3 of bean mixture on top of cheese, followed by remaining tortillas, and last of bean mixture. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with tomato slices and green onions. If desired, serve with a dollop of sour cream on top.

It was pretty tasty. But next time I think I would make a few changes.

Like replace one of the cans of beans with chicken. It was a little too beany for me.

And it makes alot. So unless you are feeding a lot of people- you might want to half it. I think 3 of us had it for 3 meals and still ended up throwing the last bit out as we had had enough.

Veggie Lasagna

I have a LOT of recipe books. And I always want to try new recipes. So my personal challenge this year is to make 2 new recipes a week.

And share them with you!

So here we go-

"Not Nearly as Complicated as it Looks" Veggie Lasagna

from Looneyspoons cookbook

(Great recipe. Will for sure make it again. See notes at bottom.)

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic-minced

2 cups sliced mushrooms*

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup chopped sweet red peppers

1 cup thinly sliced zucchini

1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes- undrained- cut up

1 cup "Italian-style" tomato sauce

1 can (5 1/2 ounces) tomato paste

1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

9 whole wheat lasagna noodles- uncooked

2 cups low-fat (1%) cottage cheese

1 egg white

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach- thawed, squeezed dry & chopped**

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Spray a large saucepan with non-stick spray. Add onions, garlic, mushrooms, carrots, red pepper and zucchini. Cook and stir over medium heat until vegetables are softened, about 7-8 minutes.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, soy sauce, basil, oregano, brown sugar, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare lasagna noodles according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and drain well.

In a medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg white, Parmesan cheese, and spinach. Set aside. In a separate bowl, toss mozzarella and cheddar cheeses together until well mixed.

To assemble lasagna spray DEEP**** 9x13 inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Spread 1 cup sauce over bottom of pan. Layer 3 noodles over top. Spread 2 cups sauce over noodles, followed by 1/2 of the cottage cheese/ spinach mixture, and 1/3 of the cheese.*** Top with 3 more noodles, 2 cups of sauce, 1/2 of the cottage cheese/ spinach mixture and 1/3 of the cheese.*** Layer final 3 noodles on top, followed by 2 cups of sauce (you should be left with 1/3 of the cheese).

Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Return to oven, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Let lasagna cool for 10 minutes before slicing. (Be patient. It will hold together much better if you wait!)



Makes 8 servings. (34 calories & 8.6 g fat per serving)



I think it took me longer to type that up than it did to make it!

Changes I did or will make:
*I (nor any of my family members) don't like mushrooms. So I didn't want to put them in. But I felt like 2 cups was a significant amount of an ingredient to just leave out. We had some leftover chicken so I cut it up and added it instead.
** This was a little too much spinach. It wasn't bad- but just a lot. So unless you have a great love for spinach, I would put a little less next time.
***So I have a problem. I just skim recipes before making them. And then will realize I missed a step when it is a little too late. I didn't realize there was supposed to be cheese layered throughout until I was at the 2nd cheese layer. I decided to just put lots of cheese on top. It ended up tasty. But oh my- it would be even more tasty with cheese throughout. So ALWAYS read your recipe thoroughly before making it!
****I did not use a deep pan. And had to put a cookie sheet on the rack below to catch the drippings that were surely (and did) going to happen. It doesn't necessarily be a big pan, but just not a shallow glass one!!

Crunchy Poppyseed Chicken Salad

I fed the sister missionaries last night and wanted to make something simple, delicious and nutritious. I really liked it. I got this recipe from the free recipe magazine from Kraft. In Canada it is What's Cooking and Food & Family in the U.S. (click on the name to get your copy today) If you aren't getting it- you need to!

It calls for 2 red peppers... I changed my recipe to 1 and actually didn't even put in 1/2. I don't like peppers though- so do as you wish.

Crunchy Poppyseed Chicken Salad

4 cups broccoli slaw

1 large red pepper- thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

4 medium carrots- shredded (about 2 cups)

1 can (8 oz) pineapple tidbits-drained

6 oz chicken breast- cooked and cut up

1/2 cup Poppyseed dressing

1/4 cup cashews

Combine all ingredients except dressing and cashews in large bowl.

Add dressing. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with cashews before serving.

There is some leftover so I think I will go eat some right now! Enjoy!