PF Changs lettuce wraps

Lettuce wraps are probably my favorite food these days.  These are so delish and quite simple to prepare! Best of all... they are a huge hit with my kids!  The recipe is really a fast fix.  If you're a fan, these are worth the effort!!!  Don't let the amount of ingredients stop you from trying these!  I doubled the recipe, so here's what we did...

8 chicken tenders, sliced thinly or 2 pounds ground turkey (the last time I made them, I deboned a roasted chicken from the grocers and didn't have to even cook the meat!)
1 medium onion, minced
salt & pepper, a dash of each
4 large cloves garlic, minced2 inch nob fresh ginger, peeled & minced
2 Tablespoon sesame oil

5 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon water

2 Tablespoon natural peanut butter

1 Tablespoon honey

2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoon rice vinegar

2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce  (We use half what it calls for even when doubling the recipe...you can always add more)

dash of fresh pepper

6 green onions, chopped

1 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained & chopped, if desired

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

curly or romaine lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

Heat a large, non-stick skillet on high. Add chicken, onion, salt & pepper, and cook until chicken is nearly done, stirring often to break up the meat. Add in minced garlic and ginger, and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink.  Meanwhile, in a microwave safe bowl, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, water, peanut butter, honey, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce and pepper. Microwave for 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Add into the skillet and stir to combine.  Add green onion and water chestnuts into the skillet then cook for 1-2 minutes until the onions are soft and the water chestnuts are heated through.  Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, and serve with cold lettuce leaves.  Again, we served ours with rice.  Enjoy!!!

Aunt Jan's Sweet Potatoes

I got this recipe from friend, Heather, several years ago and can not say enough about it. It's actually her aunt's recipe. It's wonderful, delish, a heart attack in a casserole, but ohhhhh, so tasty! Since I'm making three double batches of these for the family party tonight and realized that I'd never posted it here on the cooking blog, it is time! One suggestion. Read through the recipe before you make it so that you get it right! I always double this recipe and put it in a 9x13" pan..

3 cups cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
1/4 c. sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup butter, melted
1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 c. flour

Combine potatoes, sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, salt, eggs, 1/2 cup butter, milk and vanilla. Place in buttered 2-quart casserole pan. Combine remaining butter, brown sugar, nuts and flour. Spoon over potatoes. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Frog-Eye Salad (acini de pepe)

Frog-eye Salad

This was one of the first "Utah" foods that I ever experienced and I fell in love!  I'm talking serious love!  It's always been a favorite.  It's not something that you make for dinner because it makes sooooooo much but it's perfect for a large gathering!  This makes the huge Tupperware Fix-N-Mix bowl full!! It sounds like work but is quite quick to prepare ahead (it tastes better the next day) and is always the hit at every family reunion!  There's a new way to do this.

Boil 3 quarts water and 1 Tbsp oil.  Add 1 box of Acine de Pepe (usually on the top shelf above the pastas.)  Drain 2 cans (1crushed and 1 tidbits) pineapple, saving the juice. 

In saucepan, add:
1 3/4 cup pineapple juice
1 tsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs (I whip them up a bit first)

Boil and cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
Add 2 Tbsp. lemon juice.

Pour over cooked and drained pasta.  Fold gently.  Refrigerate overnight.  The next day, add:
2 cans drained mandarin oranges
the pineapple
1 large container of Cool Whip
2 cups marshmallows
maraschino cherries for color!

(Some people also add a cup of coconut flakes.)  Fold it all together, keep chilled until serving.  Dang!  Now, I want some!  Enjoy!

Chocolate Filled Oatmeal Bars

Over the weekend, I baked these babies for the ladies I visit teach.  It makes a ton and is so dang nummy and gooey.  Every now and then, I get in the mood for chocolatey and gooey.  This is the solution.  Oh. My.  I'm proud to say that I baked them, took them to my ladies, kept less than half the pan at home and I only ate two before they were all gone!  But, it filled the craving, for sure!  I actually think that this is one of those "Mother used to make these" recipes. Not my mom, but, I remember having these like in the 70s.  Worth making, for certain!

1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups oats
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix butter and sugar together.  Add vanilla, oats, and dry ingredients.  Spread 2/3 of mixture into a large cookie sheet/jelly roll pan or two 9x13 pans.

In a separate pan, heat until melted:

12 oz. pkg. milk chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt

After mixture has melted on low, add 1/2 cup nuts and 1 tsp. vanilla. Pour this miture over oatmeal mixture.  Randomly spread remaining oatmeal mixture on top.  Bake at 350' for 25-30.  Do NOT overcook!   Enjoy!

Crockpot Italian Chicken

This is a favorite local recipe for cooking chicken in the crockpot. I thought I'd put it here on the cooking blog years ago, but apparently not. If you've never tried this recipe, it's a simple, delish way to prepare chicken.

Chicken Breasts or Tenders
1 package Italian Seasoning Mix (I use generic brand)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup of butter

8 oz. cream cheese

Put chicken in crockpot and add the rest of the ingredients.  Toss.  Cook on high for about 4 hours or low for about six.  Thirty minutes before serving, add 8 ounces of cream cheese.  Serve over rice or pasta.  Rice is our favorite!  Walk an extra mile in the morning!  Enjoy!

Zucchini Bread

I searched through several local cookbooks and found four different zucchini bread recipes that were the exact same. I  decided that this must be a good one because I knew the ladies who had shared them to be great cooks and  the fact that it was the same one over and over...had to try it!  I doubled the batch and was glad that I did!  Four loaves and less than one left in 24 hours. It's a hit!

Mix together:

3 eggs
2 cups grated zuchhini
1 cup chopped nuts
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 T. vanilla

Sift together:

1 t. salt
1 t. soda
1 T. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. ground cloves
3 cups flour

Add to zucchini mixture. Pour into well-greased loaf pans.  Bake at 350' for one hour. 

Sweet Breakfast Strata

Sweet Strata

(sorry, we ate it before the camera came out!)

1 loaf french bread, torn into bite-size pieces

6 eggs
3 cups milk
2 cups sugar
6 T. butter
1 cup flour
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup raisins (optional)

1 pound sausage

Preheat oven to 350'. Cook sausage in frypan.  Drain.  Set aside.   While sausage is cooking, mix all of the ingredients except the bread and raisins in a blender.  Tear the bread into pieces and place in a well-greased 9x13 pan.  Toss in the raisins and sausage.  Pour the egg/milk mixture over the bread mixture, covering entirely.  Toss the bread mix in the egg mixture.  Cover with foil and bake at 350' for 45 -55 minutes.  Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes.  Serve warm with maple syrup.  (You can make this the night before and just toss in the oven when ready to bake but it's not neccessary.)

Grammy Cake

I'd heard about this cake three times from different people in one week.  It is to die for!  Seriously, we had it for breakfast the next morning with ice cream, it was so good!  When I looked up the recipe, it was referred to as a coffee cake.  My mind says dry when I hear the words coffee cake.  But, this cake is FAR from dry!  It's a MUST try!

Here's the recipe and then we are off for the day to continue on the honey-do list.  It's called Grammy Cake and I did not name it. ;)

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, including juice.  DO NOT DRAIN

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup evaporated milk (I accidentally used the whole can and it was perfect.)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup of butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix the sugar, clour, salt, soda, eggs and pineapple together and pour into a 9x13" pan.  Sprinkle the top with the brown sugar and chopped nuts.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

While the cake is baking, cook the evaporated milk, sigar, butter and vanilla.  Immediately as the comes out of the oven,  pour the cooked milk mixture over the entire cake.  Keep refrigerated, if there is any left.  (We served it with ice cream.)  ENJOY!!

Peach Cobbler

Carol made this tasty peach cobbler for us last Sunday.  It was so good that we had to make more on Tuesday!  Love it! (Not my photo)

5 cups of fresh peaches, peeled and sliced  (I used 8 cups)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. flour

I drop the peaches into boiling water for a few seconds, the put them into cold water and the skins slip right off.  Then toll the dry ingredients over the peaches and stir.

1 cup flour

1 cup oats

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) of cold butter

Mix the dry ingredients then cut in the butter.  Spread the topping over the peaches in a 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Serve warm with ice cream!  MMMM!  Enjoy!

Zucchini Patties

Of all the zucchini recipes I've ever made, I think that these are right up there at the top!  Well... except for a nice chocolatey Zuchinni Cake...well, there's no comparison.  But, seriously, these were a huge hit and are quite simple to make!  I came up with the recipe using what I had in the kitchen instead.  Try them!

2 eight - ten inch zucchini, shredded and drained (about 7-8 cups shredded)
2 cups Herb Seasoned Pepperidge Farms Stuffing Crumbs
2 cups shredded ColbyJack cheese
2 large eggs
1 heaping tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper (or more!) 

Drain the shredded zucchini by squeezing it in between paper towels.  Mix all of the ingredients well.  Cover the bottom of a frypan with olive oil.  When it is very hot, drop 1/3 cup scoops of zucchini mixture and flatten like very thick pancakes in the pan.  Cook about 3-4 minutes and turn over like a pancake.  Cook another 3-4 minutes.  Serve hot!  I served with homemade ranch dressing as a dip on the side.  OH MY!  Enjoy!

Apple Pancakes

I was looking on Pinterest for something fun for a Sunday breakfast and discovered the "idea" of this recipe. Rather than use that recipe, I made a few adjustments to my own whole wheat pancake recipe, adding a little extra sugar and pie spices.  For the first three griddles full, I sliced the apples and dunked each slice in the batter, then dropped it onto the griddle.  But, that got old pretty quick.  So, I chopped up the rest of the apples into dime size pieces, stirred them into the batter and made the pancakes like normal.  We actually preferred them this way.  Anyway you try it, these are literally my favorite pancakes ever!  (not my photo...I'll take a pic of my own next time.  We were too busy eating them to take pictures this time.)

2 1/2 cups flour (whole wheat gives it a natural nutty flavor !)
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2 1/2 cups milk
6 apples

Mix the dry ingredients.  Add the eggs and liquids.   Mix well.  Stir in the apples.  Cook on buttery griddle.   I served them with Maple Syrup but next time, I'll try an apple cider syrup.  Grace informed me that they didn't even need syrup.  She ate her last few plain.  ENJOY!

Four Summer Salads

Tonight, we had a little Relief Society gathering.  There were about 25 ladies and all were asked to share recipes over the past few weeks.  They gave each of us a handout with lots of summer salad ideas and recipes. We sampled several of these VERY nummy recipes!  Here are a few of my favorites.

Four Bean Salad

If I would have just read this recipe and not tasted it, I'd never make it.  Honestly, it was delish!!! I'd probably cook my own carrots, but other than that, I'm anxious to make this  again soon!

1 can red beans
1 can black beans
1 can great northern beans
1 can green beans
1/2 cup chopped pepper
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 can cooked carrots
3/4 cup apple juice concentrate
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. mustard (not dry)
1/4 tsp. oregano

Combine all ingredients.  (That's all the recipe said.  This tasted like the beans had been drained and rinsed first.)  Chill and serve. 

Watermelon Salad

Here's another one that I'd never try by just reading the recipe.  I think that it was the most talked about salad of the evening.

HEad of romaine lettuce, chopped
3 cups  diced watermelon (about 1" cubes)
1 cucumber quartered and sliced (about 1/2 cubes)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup raspberry vinaigrette
1 tbsp. mayonnaise

Mix the first four ingredients in a large bowl.  Whisk the dressing with mayo in a separate boll.  Add dressing to the salad and toss to coat.   

Penny's Salad

I loved this salad!  It's a little different variation on the traditional pasta salad with italian dressing.  Penny said that it's the "must serve" at every family gathering.  I could see why!

1 large head fresh broccoli, cut into small flowerettes
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into flowerettes
1 purple onion, sliced thin
1 can sliced olives
 1 small can mushrooms drained (I'd use fresh)
1 carton cherry tomatoes, cut in half or 3-4 tomatoes, diced
1 carrot, grated
1 celery stalk, sliced thin

Mix and sprinkle salad with two envelopes of Zesty Italian Dressing mix an 1 bottle of Zesty Italian dressing. (Must be Zelsty italian!)  Mix well.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.   Add 1 small package of cooked spaghetti just before serving. 

Grape Salad

I didn't see this salad there tonight but it was in the mini-recipe booklet.  I've had it before and LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!

1 pound green seedless grapes
2 pounds seedless red grapes

Remove grapes from stems, wash and place on clean towel to dry.

8 oz. cream cheese soften
6 oz. sour cream

Mix together.  When grapes are dry, fold the cream cheese mixture onto the grapes.

3 Tbsp. Brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix together, sprinkle over the top,  fold in gently.  Serve cold!  Enjoy!

Spinach Salad

My sister-in-law, Jill, brought this salad to our family reunion last weekend.  She had mentioned this salad a few weeks ago at the extended Corbridge Reunion, which has had me anxious to try it ever since!  Jill said that she'd tried this salad at another reunion the month before and it was the talk of the menu.  She couldn't wait to get the recipe and when she finally did, she realized that it was a  recipe she was given at her own bridal shower twenty-some years ago.  She'd thought that the recipe sounded strange and had never made it before!  Now it's a favorite.  And I get why!  Holy Cow!  This is one great salad!!!

Salad

1 package bacon, cooked and crumbled
12 ounces swiss cheese, grated
2 large bags of fresh spinach
1 head of lettuce, choppped

Dressing

3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 medium purple onion, sliced thinly
1 1/2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
1 cup vegetable or olive oil
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. dry mustard
1 tbsp. onion salt

Mix the dressing and let sit for at least two hours.  Then, pour the dressing on the salad and toss and serve.  The dressing keeps in the fridge for a few days, if you don't want to toss it all at once, since the salad is so huge!   SO SO good!  Enjoy!

English Muffin Bread

This is seriously the most simple bread I've ever made.  It tastes just like English Muffins when it's toasted.  With the price of English Muffins, I thought I'd give it a try.  And seriously.  It was so simple and quick to make.  I used my Bosch Kitchen Machine but,  you wouldn't even need a bread mixer for this recipe.  We have had it with jam, butter, honey and cinnamon sugar.  So tasty!!  

5 1/2 cups warm water

3 packages yeast, instant

2 Tablespoons salt

3 Tablespoons sugar

11 cups flour (I use bread flour)

Mix all of the ingredients together.  (I did mix the water, sugar and yeast and let them rise for ten minutes before adding the salt and flour.)  Mix the flour and salt in just barely enough for it to all be wet.  It does not need to be over-mixed.  It's VERY sticky dough.  VERY STICKY.  Spoon the dough into 4 well-greased loaf pans.  Let rise in pans until dough reaches the top of the pans, and bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown.  Take it out of the oven and brush it with melted butter.  Put it back in the oven for ten minutes. Makes 4 loaves. Bread will be moist at first. Allow to COOL COMPLETELY before cutting.  Enjoy!!

The BEST Poppy Seed Bread EVER!

Good friend, Natalie, made this tasty bread and dropped off this loaf "just because".  It's the lightest poppy seed bread I've ever had!  Loved it!

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) white cake mix

1 package (3.4 ounces) instant lemon pudding mix

1 cup warm water

4 eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

4 teaspoons poppy seeds

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, water, eggs and oil; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Fold in poppy seeds. Pour into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Yield: 2 loaves (16 slices each).  Enjoy!