Shrimp, Lemon, and Herb Fettuccine Recipe

Oh, my I love it, love it. It was so very good and super easy to make. This is one of the best recipes I have tried so far. Just a few minor changes. In lieu of white wine, I used sparkling white grape juice, also, I have no idea what kamut spaghetti is so I just used fettuccine. Lastly, the red pepper does give it quite a quick so you may want to half the amount if you are not a fan of spice, but it was just enough for me. 

YIELD

 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME

 5 mins

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INGREDIENTS

• • 1 pound kamut spaghetti
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound rock shrimp or small shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • Parmesan cheese, for garnish

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INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.
  2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add garlic and shrimp and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring rarely, until shrimp are cooked through and slightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully add wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the alcohol smell has cooked off, about 30 seconds, add red pepper flakes and lemon juice and stir to combine.
  3. Add reserved pasta, reserved cooking liquid, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, parsley, and lemon zest to the pan and stir to combine. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

Indian Spiced Chicken

This recipe had so many ingredients, but it was very good. Its a mildly sweet dish, not spicy at all. Make sure you use regular yogurt, I used greek. I think it took away from the sweetness. The raisins really make the dish, I may up the quantity next time. Also I did not use basmati rice, it's super expensive, so I just used white and cooked it before adding it in. Lastly,  the phyllo dough was great, but I am tempted to try toasted coconut instead.

Indian Spiced Chicken
 YIELD Serves 4

NGREDIENTS

• • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for the dish
  • 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
  • 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped
  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 6 to 12 sheets phyllo dough, thawed (optional)
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted (optional)

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INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Heat oven to 400° F.
  2. Cut each thigh in half. Season the pieces with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper.
  3. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
  4. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the broth and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, for 1 minute.
  5. Add the cinnamon, ginger, and the remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the yogurt. Stir in the raisins, almonds, rice, and browned chicken.
  6. Transfer to an oiled 8-by-11-inch baking dish or 2-quart casserole. If using the phyllo, butter the tops of 6 sheets, stack them on top of one another, and place on the casserole, molding to fit. If not using the phyllo, cover the casserole with foil. Bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

Trying to use up a ham-bone

Duane is really into pork. So about once every three months or so we buy a spiral-cut ham (yum) and then freeze it in small baggies and eat it for breakfast meat and in other dishes but it means we sometimes stockpile the soup bones. I have been wanting to use one but none of the usual recipes sounded yummy so I just kind of made something up. It turned out to be delicious so I'll share my concoction with you!

I put a layer of dry pinto beans on the bottom of my crock pot and added the ham bone (with lots of leftover bits of meat on it), a pitcher full of water and a heaping tablespoon of chicken bullion. I put the crock pot on low for about 4 hours before I added some pealed and cubed potatoes and carrots along with a chopped up onion, some pepper, garlic, thyme, basil, and some extra chicken stock to taste. I took out the ham bone and let it cool. When the potatoes were done I added back the ham meat. At the last second I threw in some frozen okra for greens and some leftover mini pasta noodles I had around. I served it with garlic bread. Yum!

I love when an culinary experiment turns out well!

Greek Penne Pasta and Garlic Green Beans

Ok, so it did not turn out looking quite like this, but it will still yummy. I halfed the recipe and it was more than enough for my hubby and me, plus leftovers for lunch. Be sure to really rinse the artichoke hearts, if not it can be a bit on the vinegary side. My husband does not like tomatoes or artichokes, so it says alot when he ate it up. Very quick and easy.

Greek Penne and Chicken

Yield4 servings Active Time20 Min Total Time50 Min
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Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts in water
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

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Instructions

1.In a large pot with boiling salted water cook penne pasta until al dente. Drain.
2.Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat melt butter, add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add chopped chicken and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes.
3.Reduce heat to medium- low. Drain and chop artichoke hearts and add them, chopped tomato, feta cheese, fresh parsley, lemon juice, dried oregano, and drained penne pasta to the large skillet. Cook until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4.Season with salt and ground black pepper. Serve warm.
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I paired the pasta with this green bean recipe. Again so easy and just a hint of flavor to help you eat your veggies for the day. I am a bit of a garlic fan so I just left them in rather than picking them out, it really does not change anything. Enjoy.

Green Beans with Toasted Garlic

Yield4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
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Ingredients

1 pound green beans, trimmed
2 teaspoons butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

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Instructions

1.Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add beans; cook 5 minutes. Plunge beans into ice water; drain.
2.Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and oil; swirl until butter melts. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Remove garlic; set aside. Add beans; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes, tossing frequently. Top with garlic.

Chipotle Crusted Pork Tenderloin

These were very yummy, but very spicy. I did not have a whole loin, but I did have some loin chops, so I just marinated those instead and cooked them in a skillet. Next time I will definitely cut the amount of chipotle powder in half and maybe add a touch more brown sugar. Also, I used real garlic. I prefer it to the powder. But I just love garlic anyway.
This is a good recipe for adults, but I would not recommend it for kids. My husband yummed them up, but he was sweeting. LOL
Yield
6 servings

Active Time
15 Min

Total Time
35 Min

Ingredients
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons chipotle chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 (3/4 pound) pork tenderloins


Instructions
1.Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
2.In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, chipotle chile powder, salt, and brown sugar. Place tenderloins in bag and shake, coating meat evenly. Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes.
3.Lightly oil grill grate, and arrange meat on grate. Cook for 20 minutes, turning meat every 5 minutes. Remove from grill, let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

Chicken Stuffed with Spinach, Feta, and Pine Nuts

Here is this week's recipe. I would give it 3 stars. Good, but not fantastic, as all the fancy ingredients might imply. When you get a real good bite of chicken and the stuffing, it really does taste good. But you only get one or two good bites towards the middle of the chicken breast. Also the outside of the chicken,does not have much flavor. Not gross, just bland. I think when I try this recipe, I will be seasoning the outside with perhaps garlic. I had some left over filling and I put it in the middle of some crescent rolls, now that was yummy.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed chicken breast half)


Ingredients
5 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 350°.
2.Heat a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach to pan; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts, tossing constantly. Place spinach in a colander; press until barely moist. Wipe pan clean.
3.Combine spinach, cheese, nuts, thyme, juice, and garlic. Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff 3 tablespoons filling into each pocket. Seal with wooden picks. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
4.Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until brown. Add broth, and cover pan. Place pan in oven. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until done.

Friend Reccomended...

http://www.pepperplate.com/sharedrecipe.aspx?id=bc4a5b6d-45b0-49d7-b6ff-7f1d6b101cb9

Looks good!

Ways to stretch 2 chicken breasts...

Courtesy of Marilyn Montero Carruth...

• cut up 2 chicken breasts into small pieces, about the size of a small walnut
  dredge in flour, season with salt, pepper or whatever
  
  dice fresh tomatoes, about 4 (I use Roma)
  dice fresh garlic, 1 clove
  olive oil
  1 tsp oregano or basil
  
  in skillet, add olive and garlic oil to heat
  add floured chicken pieces, cook and stir till done and crispy
  add oregano or basil, then tomatoes
  stir and remove from heat
  
  serve with rice.

Easy Quiche

I like this quiche recipe because you don't have to heat the egg/milk mixture before pouring it over everything.
I prefer to use chicken and broccoli instead of ham and cheddar instead of swiss but you can change this recipe up to be whatever you like!

(Stolen from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cooked ham, diced
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground dry mustard
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• 2 tablespoons chopped pimento peppers, garnish

Directions

1. In medium bowl, toss 4 teaspoons flour with the grated cheese. Sprinkle mixture into the pie shell. On top of cheese, sprinkle 1/2 cup of diced ham.
2. In medium bowl, combine eggs, milk or cream, and then add salt and mustard powder. Beat until smooth and pour over cheese and ham.
3. Put piece of plastic wrap large enough to overlap sides over top of quiche, then a piece of foil, and seal well around the edges. (plastic keeps the foil from sticking to the food). Place prepared quiche in freezer.
4. When ready to prepare, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C.) Remove foil and plastic wrap. Put foil around edge of crust to protect it.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until filling is set and crust is golden brown. Garnish with parsley and pimiento if desired 

Spinach Pesto

Alright, I know our blog has seen better days but figured I would share this super easy, super yummy recipe with you since all of my kiddos gobbled it down last night - and my hubby, which is a miracle.

Spinach Pesto
2 cups fresh baby spinach
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
1 cup grated Romano cheese
2 Tbsp. fresh oregano
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 Tbsp. Lemon juice
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1 cup olive oil

Place the first six ingredients in a food processor; cover and pulse until chopped.  Add the walnuts, lemon juice, and peel; cover and process until blended.  While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream to desired consistency.  Serve with pasta or transfer sauce to clean ice cube trays.  cover and freeze for up to 1 month.  To thaw frozen pesto, put cube in the refrigerator for 3 hours.  Serve with pasta.

I loved this recipe because it got my boys to eat spinach - they still aren't convinced that it's yummy.  I didn't toast the nuts in the recipe, and I used pecans instead of walnuts because that is what I had on hand.  I used the pesto on the following recipe.

Pesto Ravioli with chicken
2 tsp olive oil
1 lb chicken, sliced into strips
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 (9 oz) package ravioli
3 small zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup pesto
Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, if desired.

Heat oil in skillet and cook chicken for about 4 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown.  Remove chicken from skillet and place in an oven safe dish.  (Put chicken in warm oven and let set until ready to add to the rest of the recipe.)  Add broth and ravioli to skillet.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer about 4 minutes or until ravioli are tender.  Stir zucchini, bell pepper, and chicken into ravioli.  Cook over medium high heat for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender and chicken is no longer pink in center.  Toss with pesto and sprinkle with cheese.

I used a tomato instead of red bell peppers in this recipe because my kids aren't too fond of peppers.  The tomato tasted so yummy.  I also tried out a new brand of ravioli from Safeway and was pretty pleased. - Open Nature Spinach and Cheese Whole Wheat ravioli.  It's organic and whole wheat and had decent flavor.  The boys loved them!  Enjoy!

Repurposing...

I love the idea of recipe clubs and of this recipe blog so much that I'm having a tough time letting go of it. I miss Oly2 a LOT LOT but since no one over there has picked up the torch of this blog I'm thinking of re-purposing it as a cyber recipe exchange so that people from all over can participate and all us ex-Oly2-gals can get our fix of that wonderful ward :)

Any objections?

Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Not that I cooked it (mine was from Safeway for $2) but it was so yummy I'm investing in a recipe so I can have it year round...

Irish Soda Bread Recipe

Print Options

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 to 4 1/2 cups flour
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk

Method

1 Preheat oven to 425°. Whisk together 4 cups of flour, the sugar, salt, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.
2 Using your (clean) fingers (or two knives or a pastry cutter), work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal, then add in the raisins.


3 Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add beaten egg and buttermilk to well and mix in with a wooden spoon until dough is too stiff to stir. Dust hands with a little flour, then gently knead dough in the bowl just long enough to form a rough ball. If the dough is too sticky to work with, add in a little more flour. Do not over-knead! Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a round loaf. Note that the dough will be a little sticky, and quite shaggy (a little like a shortcake biscuit dough). You want to work it just enough so that the flour is just moistened and the dough just barely comes together. Shaggy is good. If you over-knead, the bread will end up tough.

4 Transfer dough to a large, lightly greased cast-iron skillet or a baking sheet (it will flatten out a bit in the pan or on the baking sheet). Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about an inch and a half deep in an "X" shape. The purpose of the scoring is to help heat get into the center of the dough while it cooks. Transfer to oven and bake until bread is golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 35-45 minutes. (If you use a cast iron pan, it may take a little longer as it takes longer for the pan to heat up than a baking sheet.) Check for doneness also by inserting a long, thin skewer into the center. If it comes out clean, it's done.
Hint 1: If the top is getting too dark while baking, tent the bread with some aluminum foil.
Hint 2: If you use a cast iron skillet to cook the bread in the oven, be very careful when you take the pan out. It's easy to forget that the handle is extremely hot. Cool the handle with an ice cube, or put a pot holder over it.
Remove pan or sheet from oven, let bread sit in the pan or on the sheet for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool briefly. Serve bread warm, at room temperature, or sliced and toasted. Best when eaten warm and just baked.

Key Lime cupcakes with Jello Salad frosting

Key Lime cupcakes with Jello Salad frosting
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Ingredients

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• CUPCAKES shopping list
• 1/2 cup butter, softened shopping list
• 1 cup white sugar shopping list
• 2 eggs shopping list
• 2 teaspoons grated key lime zest shopping list
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour shopping list
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder shopping list
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda shopping list
• 1/4 teaspoon salt shopping list
• 3/4 cup key lime juice shopping list
• LIME JELLO SALAD frosting shopping list
• 1 regular sized package of lime gelatin dessert powder (not sugar free) shopping list
• 3 cups powdered sugar shopping list
• 1 cup cream cheese shopping list
• 1/4 cup butter shopping list
• 1-4 tablespoons pineapple juice shopping list

How to make it

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• CUPCAKES
• Cream together the butter or margarine and 1 cup sugar.
• Beat until light and fluffy.
• Separate the eggs.
• Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, and add the key lime zest.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Add these dry ingredients to the egg butter mixture, alternating with 3/4 cup key lime juice.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff, and fold into the batter.
• Spoon the batter into paper lined cupcake tins.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the cakes test done with a toothpick.
• This recipe should make about 12-18 cupcakes.
• Allow to cool before frosting.
• LIME JELLO SALAD FROSTING
• In the bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high until smooth.
• Scrape from the edges of the bowl with a spatula and turn mixer to one of the lowest settings. slowly add the lime gelatin dessert powder, followed by the powdered sugar.
• The mixture should be dry and crumbly.
• Turn the mixer speed to high, one step at a time, allowing the mixer to remain at each speed for about 30 seconds or so.
• Add the pineapple juice one tablespoon at a time.
• Mixture should come together and fluff up.
• IF the mixture is still dry, add a tablespoon of HOT water.
• IF the mixture is too liquidy, add more powdered sugar.
• Let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes before spreading on the cooled cupcakes.
• Sprinkle with sprinkles and top with a lime section or a marachino cherry.

Stuffed Green Peppers

Original Recipe Yield 6 servings

 

Ingredients

• 6 green bell peppers
• salt to taste
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup uncooked rice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
• water as needed

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds. Cook peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain. Sprinkle salt inside each pepper, and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, saute beef and onions for 5 minutes, or until beef is browned. Drain off excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes, rice, 1/2 cup water and Worcestershire sauce. Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from heat, and stir in the cheese.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C). Stuff each pepper with the beef and rice mixture, and place peppers open side up in a baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine tomato soup with just enough water to make the soup a gravy consistency. Pour over the peppers.
4. Bake covered for 25 to 35 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.

2 Sauces

I'm sad I missed our "sauce" recipe group. If I had been there, I would have brought one of these super yummy sauce recipes.

Pork Satay with Peanut Sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 green onions, sliced
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
3 Tbsp. Thai chili sauce
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into 1/4 inch slices (I always use the teriyaki flavored ones)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 Tbsp. hot water
2 tsp. lime juice

In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Set aside 1/4 cup for dipping sauce. Pour remaining sauce into a large resealable bag or container; add the pork. Seal and turn/shake to coat; refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drain and discard marinade. Thread pork slices onto metal or soaked wooden skewers. Place skewers on a greased baking pan. Broil 3-4 inches from the heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until meat juices run clear. Meanwhile for sauce, combine peanut butter and water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir in lime juice and reserved soy sauce mixture. Serve with meat skewers. (We always make sticky rice with this dish and love to dip the rice in the sauce as well.)

Sweet and Sour Sauce ala Betsy
*I grew up with this sauce. It was one of those Sunday dinners that always tasted good. It is heavy on the sweet and light on the sour so we often call it Betsy's sweet sauce at our house.

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1 cup chicken broth
4 Tbsp Ketchup
1 Tbsp soy sauce
dash of salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients and heat to dissolve.
*How I use this recipe: Defrost 4-6 chicken breasts. Crush saltine or ritz crackers to make a crumb coat on chicken. First, dip chicken in beaten egg. Then, dip chicken in cracker crumbs. Brown chicken in oil. Add sauce mixture to chicken and cook over medium high heat until chicken juices run clear and the sauce thickens. If the sauce is not thickening, you can always add some corn starch to help it along. Serve over rice.

Chicken with French/Cranberry Sauce

So here is a recipe I would have for our "Sauces" day if I'd been thinking ahead. You wouldn't think these flavors would go together but they are really yummy. Serve it over rice for a delicious meal.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-6)
Bottle of French salad dressing
Packet of dry onion soup mix (most boxes are 2 in a packet for something like $2 but they have them at the dollar store - 3 packets for $1)
Can of cranberry sauce - the kind with whole cranberries not the kind that is the jelly you use at Thanksgiving.

Grease the bottom of a 9x13 pan and lay the chicken breasts in the pan.
In a separate bowl mix together dressing, soup mix, and cranberry sauce.
Pour over chicken.

Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 until chicken is cooked through (45min -1 hour)
Serve over rice and enjoy!!

Jamaican Lasagna

Sweet Potato - Lentil Stew

Hi everyone! I miss you guys. I was looking at the blog and thought about what we've been eating and thought I would share an amazing meal we've had twice now due to the leftovers (which have been equally as yummy, if not better). It's a little different but so so so good! We ate it with bread the first night and on top of brown rice for the leftovers. It's from a book called The Kind Diet. It's a very interesting read and all the recipes I've tried so far have been really good!

Sweet Potato - Lentil Stew

Ingredients:

1/4 cup safflower oil (I used olive oil)

1 medium onion, diced

2 small tomatoes, diced

1 tsp. minced fresh ginger (I always keep a stick of this in the freezer; it keeps in there forever)

1 1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. cayenne (I used about half of this since the girls would be eating it)

Fine sea salt

2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4" cubes

7 cups veggie broth (I'm sure you could use chicken broth and it would be just fine)

1 cup brown lentils

Directions:

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, deep pot. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, or 2 minutes or until the onion starts to soften. Stir in the tomatoes and ginger and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne and a small pinch of salt. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, then taste for seasonings; try to use only enough salt to heighten the flavors.

Add the sweet potatoes, broth and lentils. Stir well, and bring to a boil over high heat. When the mixture come to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until the lentils and sweet potatoes are soft.

Turkey Pozole Soup with green chilies

Prep and cook time: 2 hours
Yields: 3-4 quarts

Ingredients:
2 pounds turkey meat (or pork) cut into 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
2 red peppers, seeded and chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
2 tablespoons peeled, chopped garlic
1 15oz can chopped green chilies
1 cup crushed tomatoes
2 quarts chicken broth
1 28oz can golden or white hominy
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chopped scallions
sour cream
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Serving:
Pour the oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pot and heat ofver medioum heat.
Season the turkey with the salt and pepper. Add to the pot and sute until well-browned. Using a slotted spoon transfre the turkey to a bowl and set aside.
Add the onions, red pepper and jalapeno to the pot and brown until golden, which takes aproximately 7 minutes.
When the onion begins to carmelize, return to the turkey to the pot, sprinkle with the cumin and chili powder, stir in the garlic, green chilies and tomatoes.
Add the chicken broth plus 2 cups of water, stir and ring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and let the chili simmer, partially covered, for one hour.
Add the hominy. Continue to cook until turkey is tender, which takes approximately 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve with cilantro, scallions, and sour cream as topping.

Tortilla Soup

Prep: 12 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Serves 6

Ingrediants:
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup diced red onion
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast
4 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 4oz can diced green chilies
3/4 cups tomato puree
1 tablespoon enchelada sauce mix
1 avocado, chopped
1 cup shredded mexican cheese blend
3/4 cup crushed baked blue corn chips
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
Heat a large pot of a medium high heat. Add oil, onions and ground turkey. Saute until turkey is just cooked, stirring frequently to break up clumps.

Add the chicken stock to the pot and stir in garlic, chilies, tomato puree, and enchilada sauce mix. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Put some of the chopped avocado in the bottom of each serving bowl and ladle the soup on top. Stir to combine. Top with cheese, crushed chips, and sour cream. Garnish with cilantro.