Orange Dream

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups orange juice, chilled
1 cup light vanilla soy milk (soya milk), chilled
1/3 cup silken or soft tofu
1 tablespoon dark honey
grated orange zest of one small/medium orange
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 ice cubes
4 peeled orange segments


Directions
In a blender, combine the orange juice, soy milk, tofu, honey, orange zest, vanilla and ice cubes. Blend until smooth and frothy, about 30 seconds.
Pour into tall, chilled glasses and garnish each glass with an orange segment.

Nutritional Analysis(per serving)
Calories 105 per serving

Peanuty Tangy Shrimp

1 lb shrimp (thaw frozen, pre-cooked shrimp -- tails off)
Cut a yellow pepper in thin long strips
Dice into small pieces 1/2 cup onion

Cook rice....

Mix in a bowl
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. marmalade
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. peanut butter (creamy)
2 tsp corn starch
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (or more depending on how spicy you like it)

In another frying pan add 2 T olive oil, heat veggies and shrimp. Lightly pepper. Cook through about 6 minutes. Add sauce and simmer 15 minutes...

Serve it over the rice.....

IT WAS SO GOOD!!! TRY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maple Salmon

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound salmon

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.
2. Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven, and bake salmon uncovered 20 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork.

Garlic Bread

1 16-ounce loaf of Italian bread or French bread
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
1 heaping tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cut the bread in half, horizontally. Mix the butter, garlic, and parsley together in a small bowl. Spread butter mixture over the the two bread halves. Place on a sturdy baking pan (one that can handle high temperatures, not a cookie sheet) and heat in the oven for 10 minutes.

Remove pan from oven. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over bread if you want. Return to oven on the highest rack. Broil on high heat for 2-3 minutes until the edges of the bread begin to toast and the cheese (if you are using cheese) bubbles. Watch very carefully while broiling. The bread can easily go from un-toasted to burnt.

Remove from oven, let cool a minute. Remove from pan and make 1-inch thick slices. Serve immediately.

Chicken Piccata

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.


Sever over angel hair pasta lightly seasoned with fresh parmesan and black pepper -- it is FANTASTIC!

Easy Crabcakes

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 medium green onions chopped
4 cans crabmeat, drained, cartilage removed, and flaked
1/4 cup vegetable oil.
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1) Mix mayo, and eggs in bol. Stir in remaining ingredients except oil and bread crumbs. Shape mixture into 12 patties, about 3'' in diameter.
2) Heat oil in 12 '' skillet over medium heat. Coat each patty with bread crumbs. Cook in oil about 10 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and hot in center.

Roasted Turkey Breast

4 - 5 lb turkey breast

1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup apple juice
1 1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Place turky, skin side up, in slow cooker. Mix remaining ingredients. Brush remaining ingredient mixture over turkey and bake in slow cooker until juice of turkey is clear. (on low it takes about 8 hours)

Shrimp Bisque

1. cup chicken broth
2 tbs cocktail sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp butter
1 bottle (8 oz) clam juice
1 lb thawed cooked shrimp
3 cups half'n half

1) Mix all ingredients except shrimp and half 'n half in dutch oven. Heat to boil. Stir in shrimp; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp are pink.
2) Gradually add half'n half stirring constantly until half 'n half is heated through

Serves 4

Artichoke Spinach Lasagna

1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can vegetable broth
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 jar (16oz) alfredo sauce
lasagna noodles
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 package crumbled herb-and-garlic feta cheese (to be used on top)

1) Heat oven to 350, lightly grease 13x9x2 pan
2) Spray skillet with cooking spray, heat over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic in skillet about 3 minutes. Stir in broth. Heat to boiling. Stir in artichoke and spinach, reduce heat. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in Alfredo sauce.
3) Spread 1/4 of artichoke mixture in bottom of pan. Top with 3 lasgana noodles. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times. Spread with remaining artichocke mixture, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle feta cheese on top.
4) Bake 40 minutes covered. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes.

Cranberry Sweet Potatoes

6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
2 Tbs butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. dried cranberries

1. Place sweet potatoes in saucepan, add enough water to cover, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Drain.
2) Heat oven to 350degrees
3) Mash potatoes with 2 tbs butter and salt. Spoon into ungreased 1 quart casserole. Mix remaining ingredients together. Sprinkle over potatoes
4) Bake uncovered 30 minutes

Winter Fruit Pasta Salad

1 cup uncooked small pasta shells
1 medium apple, chopped
1 medium pear, chopped
4 medium green onions, chopped
1/4 c. chopped pecans
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1/3 c. mayonnaise
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
1/4 teaspoon salt

1) Cook pasta, rinse with cold water, drain
2) Mix pasta, apple, pear, onions, pecans, and cranberries in large bowl. Mix mayonnaise, orange marmalade and salt. Stir all ingredients together
3) Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes prior to serving.

Easy Slow Cooker Clam Chowder

1 10.75 oz can cream of celery soup
2 can cream of potato condensed soup
2 can new england clam chowder condensed soup
4 cans minced clams (with juice)
1 quart half and half
1 pint heavy whipping cream

1) Mix all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours

Tuna / Cashew Hot dish

1 Can tuna, drained
3 stalks celery diced
1 medium onion diced
1 can cashews
1 bag chinesse noodle (the kind you would eat on a salad or something)
2 cans c. of mushroom soup

Lightly grease baking pan. Spread tuna across. Cover with cashews, onion, celery then crunchy noodles. Cover mixture with 2 cans cream of mushroom soup to 2 cans water.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Serve over white rice.

Corn Chowder

2 Tbs butter
1 large onion diced
1 green pepper diced
1 red pepper diced
2 carrots chopped
2 10 oz packages frozen corn kennels, thawed
1 1/2 cups dry potato flake
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 cups water
2 cups milk
1 cup half'n half
1/2 cup shredded cheese

1) Melt butter in large sauce pan, cook onion/peppers/carrots until tender.
2) Stir in thawed corn, potato flakes, salt, ground pepper and 3 cups water. bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes
3) Stir in milk, half'n half. Warm only.

Serve sprinkled with cheese.

Chicken Adobo, Americanized

Package of chicken thighs, skin removed.

Place in Crock pot.

Cover with: 1/2 cup distilled vinegar. 1/3 cup red wine vinegar. 1/4 cup soy sauce (maybe a 1/3, no more than that though or the meal gets salty!) 1 diced onion. 1 bay leaf. Season with either peppercorns, or crushed garlic.

Cook in crockpot on low all day. After 8 hours and chicken falls apart add snap peas, and diced carrots. Cook rice on stove top.

Serve mixture over rice

Spicy Shrimp Fest!

4 Table spoons Old Bay Seasoning
2 teaspoons johnny seasoning
4 quarts of water

Bring to a boil, add

4 large new potatoes diced
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 diced hilshire farms kielbasa sausage
3 ears of corn cut in half
1 to 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, tail on.

Boil all ingredients til potatoes are soft to a fork and meat is cooked through.

Drain water from pot. Serve mixture, sprinkling more old bay on top.

Very spicy, excellent!

Italian Spaghetti Squash

I cooked the BEST meal ever tonight! And you're never gonna believe me, but Josh and Jake thought it was awesome too! I will definitely be cooking it again... are you ready?

Spaghetti Squash

2 lb spaghetti squash, cut in half and seeded
olive oil
1 medium onion diced
1 red pepper cut into strips
2 zucchini's cut into rounds
2 cans of del monte diced tomatoes with onion/garlic/basil
1 can of mushroom pieces

Parmesean cheese (fresh) to taste.

1.) Place the squash halves, cut side down in a glass baking dish. Add 1/8 c. water and cover with pastic wrap. Microwave on high for 9 minutes (spaghetti squash is big, I had to do each side seperately)

2.) Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add diced onion, and red pepper. Heat until the onion is translucent. Add the zucchini and cook about 4 minutes. Pour in your diced tomatoes with juice and your drained mushroom pieces. Let simmer about 10 minutes.

3.) Using a fork scrape the squash strands on to your individual plates. That was my favorite part, it seriously looks like spaghetti noodles! And your "sauce" and sprinkle with parmesean cheese.

It was SO GOOD!!!!!!

Recipes

I plan on posting quite a few of my new recipes this weekend! Check back after the 4th of July!

Sausage Grill

1 green pepper sliced
1 red pepper sliced
1 medium onion sliced

1 package of Johnsonville polish sausage

1/4 c. italian dressing

1/3 c. water

Lightly brown your sausage in a frying pan for a few minutes. Add 1/3 c. water and cover -- let them simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove sausage from the pan, add your onion and peppers. Pour 1/4 c. italian dressing over the veggies, place the sausage on top. Lightly squirt extra italian dressing on the sausages. Cover and let simmer at least another 10 minutes.

Serve on a sourdough bun.

Easy Pork chops or cutlets

6 small cutlets

Season with salt, pepper, garlic salt.

A splash of olive oil on the bottom of your pan.

Brown both sides of your cutlets.

Add 1/2 large red (purple?) onion, diced.

Pour one can of cream of mushroom soup on top.

Simmer for 30 minutes, turning pork about every 5 - 10 minutes.