I don't really eat chicken salad....But,k

I don't like chicken salad.  Cold chicken is not my thing, I don't eat a cold turkey sandwich after thanksgiving either.  But, I like rice and I like mandarin oranges so I thought that this was worth a try.  And I am really glad that I did.  It is really simple and doesn't take much time. there was a lot left, and the hubby made it disappear.  I really like my "Gooseberry Patch" cookbook.  It really comes in handy!!

Orange-Wild Rice Chicken Salad

Heads up!  This isn't your ordinary chicken salad..it's better!  This salad boasts wild rice, sugar snap peas and mandarin oranges.

6-oz. pkg. long grain and wild rice, cooked
2 c. cooked chicken breast, shredded (I cubbed them)
1 c. sugar snap peas, trimmed (I used frozen and I used the entire bag)
15 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained (I couldn't find 15, so I found 19.5 and used them all)
1.2 c honey-Dijon salad dressing (I couldn't find this so I used honey mustard salad dressing and added Dijon)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; mix well.  Chill until serving time. Serves 4.

(or if your hubby decides that he likes it serves 2).

Rhonda Redder
Ellicott City, Md

These totally fell apart, but tasted really good

Under that sea...Under the sea..okay enough of that.  I have made shrimp burgers in the past, they seem to be a trend of Rachael Ray's (not that I mind cause it is nice to eat a burger and it not be a hamburger).  There isn't too much prep work in this burger, and they don't take long to make.  They are super spicy and I couldn't figure out how to make them stick together.  So, instead of burger patties we had taco type meat (though some if did stick together).

Shrimp Fajita Burgers
(makes 4 burgers)

1 1/2 pounds raw medium shrimp, shelled and deveined, tails removed
1 tablespoon of chili powder (half a palm full)
1 tablespoon Old Bay or other seafood seasoning (half a palm full)
Several drops of hot sauce, such as Tabasco
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
A handful of fes flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 celery rib, chopped (no thanks)
1 garlic clove, smashed out of its skin
2 tablespoons EVOO (twice around)
1 package of large flour tortillas, warmed and passed at the table

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Place half of the shrimp in the food processor bowl with the chili powder, Old Bay seasoning, hot sauce, thyme leaves, black pepper, lemon zest and juice, parsley, celery, and garlic.  Process the mixture for 1 minute to combine.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl.  Chop the remaining shrimp and fold into the ground shrimp.  Add the EVOO to the skillet.  Mound a quarter of the shrimp mixture into the scoop at a time and transfer it to the hot pan.  Use a fish spatula to gently press the shrimp mixture into patties and fry them for 5 minutes on each side or until firm and opaque.

Not a bad dish!  

Boil the Chicken all day, peels right off the bone!

It's almost time for the crock pot to be dusted, my house to smell like fall, and to eat something with pumpkin in it until Christmas.  Can you tell I'm excited?  Fall is my favorite time of year.  (I bought pumpkin spice creamer, I have 5 cans of pumpkin in my pantry, I love FALL!!)  

I bought a bunch of chicken legs, and my hubby could not care to eat them, because they are bone in.  So I decided that I would use them for this recipe, but I needed to get the bone off first.  Not such an easy task, the chicken is not really willing to part with the bone.  So I boiled it almost the entire day.  While I was busy doing laundry, and cleaning up, the chicken was busy party ways with it's bone!!  (I crack myself up sometimes!!!)

I made "King Ranch Chicken Casserole" from my Gooseberry Patch book.  (Thank you Sharon "ShaSha" Wolfe for deciding that I need this cookbook, I have loved every recipe that I have made from it!!!)  However, when I was reading this, I didn't realize that there was no ranch in it.  I kind of wanted the ranch, and no I didn't dip it in ranch.  This recipe is simple and very yummy!!!

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

(Introduce your family to the cheesy layers of this chicken and tortilla casserole that's popular with residents of the Lone Star State, where it originated.)

1c. onion diced
1c. green pepper, diced
8-oz pak. sliced mushrooms (I forgot to buy them)
1/4c. butter
10 3/4oz can cream of mushroom soup
10 3/4oz can cream of chicken soup
10 oz can tomatoes with chiles (I used rotelle)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. chili powder
1 T. chicken broth
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, torn into quarters (I forgot to tear them)
3c. cooked chicken, diced and divided
16oz. pkg, shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Saute onion, pepper and mushrooms in butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add soups, tomatoes, garlic chili powder and broth, heat until bubbly and set aside.
Arrange half the tortilla pieces in a light greased 13x9 baking dish, top with half the chicken half the sauce and half the cheese.  Repeat layers.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Serves 6.  (Um more like two and a hubby who decided that he loved it and ate on it until there wasn't anymore).

Linda Behiliing
Cecil, PA

Yummo!!!!

Southern Peach Pork Chops...and I am missing the Peaches :(

I always try my best to make sure that if I am going to cook something I have all the ingredients...  For this recipe I am missing the peaches, simply because they rotted :( !!!!

This recipe isn't too bad, but it isn't the most flavorful recipe, when the book says "Quick and Easy" there isn't much to it to make flavor!

Southern Peach Pork Chops
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Makes: 4 servings


1 tablespoon curry powder (I didn't have this)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch coarsely ground black pepper
1 garlic clove (I cheat and use the refrigerator jar of minced garlic)
 4 bone-in pork chops, 3/4 inch thick (5 ounces each) (my hubby would have been happier if they would have been boneless, but you have to cook them for a bit and the boneless would have burned on the grill)
4 large peaches, each cut in half and pitted (mine rotted)
1/2 cup peach or apricot jam or preserves

1. Prepare grill for direct grilling over medium heat.
2. In a cup (I used a bowl), with fork, stir curry powder, sugar, oil, salt, cinnamon, pepper, and garlic until blended; use to rub on both sides of pork chops.
3. Brush cut side of each peach half and one side of chops with some jam.  Place peaches, jam side down, and chops, jam side up, on grill over medium heat; grill 5 minutes.  Turn chops and peaches, brush grilled side of chops with some jam and grill 5 minutes longer.
4. Transfer peaches as they are browned to platter.  Turn chops and grill until browned on the outside and still slightly pink inside 2 to 3 minutes longer.  Transfer chops to platter with peaches and serve.

From Good Housekeeping: Fast Weeknight Favorites, 200 Really Quick, Simply Delicious Recipes

Fresh Produce my foot!!!!

As I was cleaning my kitchen today, I noticed how much "Fresh Produce" I was throwing out (and it hasn't been even a week since I bought it).  I am not saying that I want it to last forever, but a week without rotting would be great!!  My bank account would really appreciate it!!

I just find that I am throwing them out.  So the better question is, how long is it left there before I buy it?  My peaches that I bought lasted 2 days before fuz started to grow on them.  I was really sad!  

I really like to keep fresh stuff on hand.  If I was better at growing it, I would.  Maybe I just need to make the trek to the farmers market on Saturday and buy from there.  It might cost a little bit more, but I think that stuff is actually fresh.  And being that I refuse to work Saturday's I have no excuse not to go.  Now I just need to get cash!

I hope that you have better luck with your produce!  I will continue to buy it, after all it's good for you!!

Best of luck!!!

I did not grill this..but it was still good!!

First I want to apologize for not following my lined out schedule of blogs.  I have decided that I am going to go with the flow and pray for the best.  Second, I haven't been on here a lot this year.  Blogging is always on my mind, but time is never on my side.  

I have a ton of cookbooks and cooking magazines.  So, I decided that I should go through them.  After all there are so many recipes that I could make, I could make something new every day and blog every day, I just neither have the time or money.  

For my bridal shower, almost two years ago (:D) I got a cookbook called Good Housekeeping: Fast Weeknight Favorites, 200 really quick, simply delicious recipes.  The cover shows a picture of stir fry!!  This is the first time that I have really opened it.  It is quite interesting.  

I am not really a steak person, I like a good one once in a while. But, I honestly do not go out of my way to make steak.  My hubby on the other hand could eat it every night.  If I mention it I think that his mouth waters.  So I found a recipe for Chili-Crusted Flank Steak.  He was totally excited.  This recipe is very easy to make, and it is super tasty.  Basically a man meal that doesn't take very long to make (okay who is interested now!>?!?!?)  

Chili-Crusted Flank Steak
Total Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 6 servings

2 tablespoons of chili powder
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 large garlic clove, crushed with garlic press
1 beef flank steak (1 1/2 pounds)
3 large red onions (8 ounces each), each cut into 6 wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions
1. Prepare grill for direct grilling over medium heat.
2. Meanwhile, in a cup, with fork, stir chili powder, sugar, salt, lime juice, and garlic until blended.  Use to rub on both sides of steak.  In a medium bowl, toss red onions with oil.
3. Place steak and onions on grill over medium heat and grill steak, turning once, 15 to 20 minutes for medium-rare or until desired doneness.  Cook onions, turning occasionally, until browned and just tender, about 15 minutes.
4. Transfer onions and steak to cutting board.  Let steak stand 10 minutes to set juices for easier slicing.  Thinly slice steak and serve with grilled onions.

Each serving: About 270 calories, 24g protein  15g carbohydrate.  13g total fat (5g saturated).  57mg cholesterol, 200mg sodium.

Tips and Changes:  I didn't grill, I fried in a pan.  Still tasted good, but would have like the grilled taste even better.  You don't need 3 onions, you probably don't even need 2, one will do you.  I used lime juice in a bottle, I also used chopped garlic that I had prepared, they each tasted just fine.  Lastly, don't leave this out where your boxer can get to it...she will eat it and then you will have none left over and your hubby will be sad.

Make it and let me know what you think!! 

This was not a winner, but not a loser either!

We have all cooked that recipe that just didn't work.  I am not exception to this rule.  With this recipe, there was a cheese sauce to be made, and it didn't work.  It is butter, flour, milk, and then provolone cheese.  However, it didn't get sauce-y. I was not happy.  So I had to scrap the milk, butter, flour, concoction and just melt provolone cheese on top.

Have you ever made a meal and thought that some one was coming to eat it, and 30 minutes later, they are still not here?  Yeah, that happened to me.  I thought the Hubby was going to come down stairs, dinner was all sorts of done, and he come strolling down stairs 30 minutes later.  To a cold meal (YIKES).  So we had to use our trusty side-kick the microwave...

So this meal wasn't completely awful...It really did taste good. But I added more A-1 sauce.  I really like condiments.  I know that they are not super good for you, but they help me eat meat. Something that started when I was a kid and hasn't not ended.  Oh, well...we all have our down falls...


here is the recipe: http://tasteofhomecooking.blogspot.com/2011/05/philly-cheesesteak-sloppy-joes.html

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
Adapted from Rachael Ray

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 softball-sized onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons steak sauce, such as A-1
1/2 cup beef stock
Salt and ground black pepper
4 dinner rolls
Cheese sauce (see below) or sliced provolone or Cheez Wiz
Optional toppings: shredded Romaine, sliced tomato, sliced raw white onion, 4 tablespoons mayo mixed with a splash of red wine vinegar and a shake of oregano 

Cheese sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 cup provolone, shredded

In large skillet over medium-high heat add the oil. Add the onion and green pepper and cook until soft and starting to brown. Add the ground beef and cook about 5-6 minutes. Drain off the fat, then stir in the steak sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil and cook about 2 minutes.

Toast the rolls and set aside. 

If making the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a medium-size pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring up to a bubble and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in the cheese. 

To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls, then top with the cheese sauce and replace the top of the roll. If serving as a cheesesteak hoagie, spread the mayo mixture on the top bun and add lettuce, tomato and raw onion on top of the meat.

recipe curtsy of Taste of Home & Pinterest