Labels

I love this idea and am excited to get to post! I will post recipes soon, but I have a suggestion about organizing. Can we all use the "labels for this post" option? I think you can put in more than one word, such as "chicken, healthy, etc..." That way we can pull up recipes later based on ingredients or cooking methods.

Rosemary Balsamic Chicken with Brown Butter and Balsamic Ravioli

I am so excited to get to be an author! I love to cook and I love to eat. I can't wait to try out some of the recipes I have been seeing. I have been out of town all week and away from my recipes. Here is a new favorite one that my sister-in-law made for me a couple of weeks ago. It is actually a Rachel Ray recipe. Some of her stuff is made with really random stuff, but most of this stuff is pretty common and you might already have it on hand. It is great!

Chicken:

4-6 Chicken Breasts
2 T. Balsamic Vinegar (BV)
2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
3 stems Rosemary stripped and chopped
Salt and course black pepper
4 Garlic Gloves chopped or some minced garlic in a jar

Coat the chicken in the BV and EVOO. Season chicken with rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Cook the chicken on a skillet and give it a nice brown coating. It cooks up really nicely. You might want the slice the chicken up so it cooks faster and it makes the presentation nice.

While the chicken is cooking you can get the ravioli ready.

Ravioli:

1 package 12-16 ounces (I love the Burtolli brand they have regular and whole wheat. It is kept in the refrigerated section usually.) Any flavor you like.
3 T. butter or more if you like more sauce
2 T. Balsamic Vinegar
2 Handfuls grated Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
parsley for a little extra color

Cook the ravioli as the package directs. In a small saucepan melt the butter. Once the butter is melted you can add the Balsamic Vinegar to it and mix it up. Once the chicken is cooked you can mix the ravioli with the sauce let it sit and reduce for a few minutes. Remove from heat and add cheese and parsley.

This is one of those meals that doesn't involve to much time and energy but tastes amazing. If you have any questions let me know. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

Can't wait to post more! Thanks Rachel!

Strawberry banana trifle

First, what a neat idea! I get in a rut, meal-wise, so it'll be fun to try the others. I'm not sure how many quality recipes I have to share, but this is one of my very favorite desserts. One, because I like how it tastes, and two, because it is pretty much impossible to mess up. And, it is incredibly flexible. I remember when Shad and I were engaged, we were invited to eat with friends from church, and I told them I would bring the dessert. Well, I had to work a little late that day, and ran out of time to make this the normal quick way, so I ran by the store and got pudding handi-packs. Shad still makes fun of me for rushing to get all those handi-packs dumped in the dish. So, he knew what he was getting into concerning food. You'll need:

either a fresh-baked or store-bought yellow or vanilla cake

2 pints of strawberries (thawed or freshly sliced) and bananas, too, if you want them

banana pudding (1 box will do) I use the cook'n serve kind for this, but the other will work, too. I just think it tastes extra good when it starts out warm with the strawberries and cake.

either Cool Whip or whipping cream (My mother-in-law always uses the real stuff, so I do, too, now, and I think it's a little better.)

After your cake is done or you get back from buying it, cut it into small squares and place half of it in the bottom of a deep serving bowl. Clear glass ones are real pretty for this.

Next, spoon half the strawberries on top of the cake. I don't add any sugar to the strawberries because everything else will sweeten them up a little.

Then, spread half your pudding on top of that. I like to make my pudding while the cake is baking, so it's still warm when I pour it over the strawberries and cake. You can add banana slices if you want, as well.

Repeat those layers and top very generously with the whipped cream.

The longer this lasts, the moister everything becomes. It makes a big enough dessert for about 10 people. If you go with a pre-baked cake, instant pudding, and Cool Whip, you're looking at a real quick dessert, too.

Chicken Pasta with Tarragon Cream Sauce

This is a favorite of mine that I picked up when I was in Belgium. Soooo good, but not that healthy for you. The tarragon adds a unique flavor, almost minty.


Ingredients:

16oz pasta (I prefer bowtie, penne, or spirals. So much easier than dealing with the long stuff.)
4 chicken breasts
8oz sliced mushrooms (Optional)
1 pint heavy whipping cream (At least)
2 cups shredded swiss or parmesan cheese
4Tbsp Margarine/Butter
Tarragon-fresh or dry
Garlic salt-to taste
Salt-to taste


Directions:


Cook pasta according to directions, drain. Cook and cube chicken, (or buy the already cooked chicken slices for convenience.) In a big saucepan melt the butter, add mushrooms, saute until tender, adding garlic salt. Add heavy cream, bring to a boil, stirring constantly to avoid burning. After cream is boiling, reduce to med-high, and start adding cheese (the swiss has a stronger flavor, so if you don't like it use parmesan) a little at a time, making sure it's melted before adding more. The sauce will thicken. You may not need both cups. Fold the chicken into the mushroom cream sauce, then add tarragon to taste-at least 2 Tbsp (for dry spices you can use less.) Put pasta back in the pot that you cooked it in over heat, add chicken mixture, stir it all up, adding more cheese or cream if necessary. Serve. You can garnish with fresh, diced tomato.


(You can play around with how soupy you want your cream sauce. I like it to be pretty thick so it sticks to everything.)

Ms. Martha's Chicken

This blog was a great idea, Rachel! This will be lots of fun and a great resource, too! I am reminded of a great cooking night we shared back in 2001, when we were both living in the Dallas area. Obviously, neither of us had much cooking experience, since when the recipe for our Stuffed Chicken Breasts called for 10 cloves of garlic, we both agreed at the grocery store that it had to mean 10 bunches of garlic. We quickly learned that the cloves were part of the bunches. It just proves you learn best from your mistakes, and hey, we had plenty of garlic left over to last us both years! What a fun memory!

Ms. Martha's Chicken (I got this recipe from my best friend's mom, Ms. Martha)

Ingredients:
4-6 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/2 cup Real Bacon Bits Pieces (not the hard, crunchy ones)
16 oz. Sour Cream
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and put in baking dish with the bacon pieces. Add salt and pepper.
Cook at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked throughout.
In in a bowl, combine the sour cream and soup.
When chicken is cooked, pour sour cream/soup mixture over the chicken and return to the oven for another 15 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

Tastes great served over steamed rice.

This is a very easy recipe, and I think it tastes great and makes me feel like I've cooked a good homemade meal.

Chicken Pesto Pasta

OK, I don't know if this even counts as a recipe, but it's one of my new favorite easy meals to make. Any time we go to an Italian restaurant, Clint just asks for chicken pesto pasta, even if it's not on the menu, so I decided to try to make it. It uses the same pesto sauce that I buy for the chicken pesto pizza, and I use the same rotisserie chicken from Wal-mart, so I usually make this and the pizza in the same week. If you buy one of those chickens, which only cost about $4.50, it has more than enough meat for both recipes.

Ingredients: (All the ingredients are in the title of the recipe)

• ~2 cups cooked chicken - small pieces (I use Wal-mart rotisserie chicken)
• Pesto sauce (comes in a little green tub in the refrigerated pasta area next to the deli at Wal-mart)
• Angel hair pasta (or any kind of pasta you want to use)

Directions:

• Boil and drain pasta
• Add pesto (I use the whole container, but you could probably use less)
• Add chicken
• Mix and serve!

If you use a whole box of pasta and the whole container of pesto, I think this will serve about 6 people.

Note: Jodi tried this recipe, and she added a little bit of healthy stuff that made it even better. I tried it when I made it again, and it was great! Saute some finely diced zucchini in olive oil until it's soft, then add diced tomatoes at the end just to warm them up a little. Add this mix to the pasta and mix it in. Yum!

My Mom's Chicken and Rice

Ok, cooking is not really my game either, but I love it. When I have time.... Anyways, I have tons of recipes I will share, but I'll start with something easy and yummy... something that can be cooked for 2 or for a bunch.

Needed:
chicken (thawed breasts, pieces, etc.)
flour
minute rice
can(s) of Chicken&Rice soup
margarine
salt and pepper

Melt margarine in a flat baking dish, dip chicken in melted butter, then in flour. Then lay it back in butter dish, turn piece over, then salt and pepper each piece. Bake about 30 minutes at 400. Take chicken out of dish, cover bottom of dish in minute rice, stir to mix up the butter drippings, pour in can of soup and add maybe half a can of water, put chicken back. Bake about 30 minutes more. (If cooking for more than 2, using a bigger dish like a 9X13, then probably use more than one can of soup.)

This is one of David's favorites. And it's easy! I'll use green beans or broccoli or something green for a side dish and that is it!

Dinner TONIGHT

Thank you Rachel for putting this blog together! I wanted to share what I cooked tonight. It was one of those quick dinners that are always good to have around!

Ranch Pork Chops

6 boneless pork chops
1 package hidden valley ranch dressing mix
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 450. Mix ranch dressing mix and pepper and rub onto pork chops. Put single layer of pork chops onto baking sheet or broiler pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Surprise Mash Potatoes
drop half a block of cream cheese into your mash potatoes, along with butter and grated cheddar and some minced garlic. I sprinkled some more cheese on top, covered with foil, and put back into oven for about 20 minutes. I put them back into the oven with the pork chops.

The pork chop recipe is a great recipe when you are cooking for small group.

ENJOY!

Simple Roast in the crock pot

Hey Rachel! Thanks for inviting me! I have to admit that cookin' is not my game....but I do play it simple and manage to feed my family without too many gags. :) Here is one of my very favs from a pal.

Simple Crock Pot Roast

1 oven Roast (sirloin is always nice if you got the cash...honestly I dont know much about meat...so I choose the one that says "oven roast" at the store).
1 packet of Ranch Dressing Mix
1 packet of Brown Gravy Mix
1 packet of Italian Dressing Mix
(choose the smallest size packet for all these)
1 cup of water (or more if you want)
---I usually add carrots and cut up potatoes

Place the meat in the crock pot, dump in all the other ingredients. (Some mix the powders before dumping them in....whatever). Turn on low all day.

Mmmmm...you will love this and love how easy it is!

Melanie Cagle Jones (Daniel Jones' wife)

Chicken Pesto Pizza

One of my all time favorite meals is Chicken Pesto Pizza from EZ's in San Antonio. Since we don't have an EZ's here in Paris, a couple of weeks ago I decided to try to recreate it, and it turned out pretty good.

Ingredients:

• ~1.5 cups small pieces of cooked chicken (I buy the rotisserie chicken from the Wal-mart deli and shred it by hand, but you could cook your own)
• Pizza crust (Pillsbury roll-out crust is good, or my Wal-mart has some small round pizza crusts in the deli section that don't have to be pre-baked.)
• Pesto sauce (also from the Wal-mart deli area, by the refrigerated pasta. It comes in a small plastic tub, and the label is green. I'll try to find out the brand later.)
• ~2 Tbsp. Pine nuts
• Shredded Cheese (I bought the Parmesan blend that has Parmesan, Fontina, Asiago, and Romano)
• 2 Roma tomatoes, very thinly sliced

Directions

• If you bought the Pillsbury or similar pizza crust, it needs to be cooked part of the way before you put on the toppings, so cook it about 8-9 minutes or whatever the package directions say. If you bought crust that does not need to be pre-cooked, go straigt to the next step.
• Spread a thin layer of pesto on the crust.
• Add chicken, sprinkle pine nuts and cheese, and place tomato slices on pizza to your liking.
• Bake at 400-ish until crust is light brown and cheese is melted (6-10 minutes)

Sorry the directions are sort of vague. I didn't pay attention to brands or amounts, but when I make it again, I'll try to pay attention and come back and add those details. If you use the Wal-mart rotisserie chicken, you'll have a ton of meat left over for another meal.

Welcome!

I’ve decided to set up a blog for friends and family to share recipes! I’m not much of a cook, but my Granny used to tell me that if you can read, you can cook. This is true if you can find good recipes! So I’m always looking for new good recipes, and I know I have several friends that do the same, so I thought this would be an easy way to share them. (I stole the idea from my friend, Myra.)

If you are related to me, you should feel morally obligated to share any family recipes or other good recipes. If you are not related to me, you should just feel inclined to share any good recipes you’ve tried. I like trying new recipes out of cookbooks, but you never know if they will be as good as they sound. Ask my sister-in-law Maurine about her mayonnaise enchiladas. Mmmmm… I also occasionally like to experiment, but that doesn’t always turn out well. Clint still likes to remind me about the rosemary squash fiasco. If I’m going to spend the time and money to cook, I’d prefer to try a recipe that someone I know has tried and can vouch for.

I’ve already invited a few people to be authors, which means that they can post their own recipes any time. If you’d like to be an author, let me know. The more, the merrier. If you don’t want to be an author, but you want to share a recipe at some time, you can email it to me or just leave it in a comment and I’ll post it on the main page.

So welcome to our cooking blog and let’s share some recipes!

Note: To be an author, you have to set up a Blogger or gmail account if you don't have one already. But it’s easy and I don’t think they will send you any annoying emails.