Totally Tangy Baked French Fries

I found this recipe at allrecipes.com. The word tangy should be in all capitals on the name. Be sure you have a cold drink when you eat these. The flavor is really good, but really, well, tangy.

Totally Tangy Baked French Fries

4 Russets, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch fries
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder
2 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl mix everything but the salt and potatoes. Add the potatoes, stir to evenly coat. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Flip fries over and bake 10 to 15 minutes, until brown and crispy. Season with salt.

**I served these with slow cooker Italian beef sandwiches,http://gillwhatsfordinner.blogspot.com/2010/07/slow-cooked-italian-beef-for-sandwiches.html
**I would suggest cutting back on the pepper flakes and cayenne if you don't like things hot and spicy.

Salsa Chicken and Ranch Florentine Tostadas

I found this recipe at picky-palate.com. It was really easy to make and tasted good. This only made enough for the two of us. But could easily be doubled. We ate the first ones like the recipe. I did not serve with salsa, there seemed to be enough on there. The flavor was good, but it was missing something. So when Corey wanted seconds I suggested going ahead and putting a bit more salsa and maybe some cheese. I didn't have any of the cheese blend I would normally use on something like this. I used a sprinkle of shredded Monterey Jack that I had left from another recipe. He said it was better with the added salsa and cheese.

Salsa Chicken and Ranch Florentine Tostadas

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breasts
2 Tbsp fresh, minced garlic
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp dry ranch seasoning
1/2 cup salsa
6 corn tortillas

Heat oil in medium pan over medium heat. Saute spinach until it wilts. Stir in chicken, garlic, cumin, salt, ranch and salsa. Cook about five minutes. Heat small skillet over medium heat. When hot add tortilla. Cook about 30 seconds, flip, cook another 30 seconds. When lightly brown remove. Cook all tortilla. Top with chicken mixture. Serve with salsa if desired.

**I used tostada shells. I heated the oven to 400 when I started cooking the chicken. When I removed the chicken from the pan I turned the oven off. I put the shells on a baking sheet. When the spinach was wilted I put the shells in the oven. Keep an eye on them they will only take a minute or the oil in them will make them burn.
**I did not chop the spinach just used the leaves whole.
**This is the ranch seasoning I used, but you could use the packets, just be sure you get the one that says seasoning.

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

I have had this recipe in my recipe box for a long time. I have made them several times. They are super easy. Instead of spreading the chocolate over top, you could easily cut the bars then dip them in chocolate to completely cover them.

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups peanut butter
2 1/2 cups powered sugar
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter, brown sugar, vanilla, peanut butter and powdered sugar. Press into a 9 x 13 pan. Melt chocolate chips, pour and spread over top. Refrigerate until set. Cut and serve.

**I mix with a spatula. After mixed well, I will use a fork and press out any lumps of powdered sugar in the mixture.
**Spread foil or wax paper in your pan, leave some over the edge. When set, use the hangover as handles to lift bars out of pan.
**Don't dirty two bowls. After spreading peanut butter mixture into your pan, use the same bowl to melt your chocolate. Put chocolate in microwave for about 45 seconds, if need more time to melt give about 30 seconds more.

Mojito Chicken

I found this recipe on this blog http://www.goodeatsblog.com/. I have had it on my menu for a couple months. Since I don't drink and Corey only drinks wine, or a beer once in a blue moon, I didn't want to buy rum. So I kept pushing this recipe back telling myself I would just go to the liquor store and get the smallest rum they have. Then I decided to search online for substitutions for the rum. I found one that was perfect, made from two items I always have in the apartment, vanilla extract and water.

My next problem was it call Trader Joe's simmer sauce. Since there is no Trader Joe's where I am I needed a substitution. My final problem was Caribbean seasoning. I couldn't find it at my grocery. I was gonna just give up on this one. But as people say "Google is your friend". I searched for recipes for both the simmer sauce and seasoning. Found both so once again this recipe was on the menu.

Mojito Chicken

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, diced

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

Trader Joe's simmer sauce

1 can corn, OR 8 oz frozen corn

1 can black beans, drained

1 Tbsp Caribbean seasoning OR Jamaican Jerk seasoning

1/3 cup rum

pinch crushed red peppers

Salt and pepper the chicken. Sprinkle with Caribbean seasoning and red peppers. Cook in small amount of olive oil until brown. Add rum. Cook until alcohol burns off. Remove from pan, set aside. Saute onions and garlic. Add corn and beans. Simmer for just a few minutes. Add sauce and chicken back into pan. Serve over rice.

Mojito Simmer Sauce

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped cilantro

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

juice of 1 lime AND 1 orange

Pulse in processor or blender until combined. Store in fridge.

Caribbean seasoning

1/3 cup minced onion

1 Tbsp dry mustard

2 tsp ground all spice

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

Combine all store in air tight container.

**For the chicken I used red pepper flakes

**The simmer sauce use all that the recipe makes

**I used ground red pepper in the Caribbean seasoning. This makes enough for several uses.

Coconut Macaroons

This one is for Zane, my nephew. At Christmas he requested these. I told him I have never made them but would look for a recipe and give them a try. I found a recipe online at Annies-eats.net and them seemed super simple. Of course I don't live close enough to my family to just bake some up and take to him. This Sunday is Easter and my family is having dinner. So I thought this would be a good time to make these. They were super simple to make.

Coconut Macaroons

4 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup cake flour

2 1/2 cups sweetened coconut

1 tsp vanilla extract

In stainless bowl, over a pot of simmering water, whisk egg whites, sugar and salt. When mixture is warm to the touch, remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, flour and coconut. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour, or until dough is firm. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place small mounds, about one tablespoon, on the sheets, space several inches apart. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on sheets for about 10 minutes. Move to wore rack to cool completely.

**I didn't have cake flour. So put 1 Tbsp cornstarch in my 1/2 cup measuring cup. Then filled the rest the way with all purpose flour.

40

This post is gonna have nothing to do with food. You've been warned.

I am a couple weeks away from being 40. I dreaded turning 30 but quickly got over it. I started having trouble with the big 4-0 several months ago. Of course Corey laughing and calling me old every chance he gets isn't helping. I've noticed lots more gray hairs and wrinkles. I decided long ago I was going to try to age gracefully. I was going to accept every gray and wrinkle. I wasn't going to dye my hair or use any of that anti wrinkle stuff. I also notice lots of other little things that weren't there in my younger years. And I'm starting to adjust to the changes.

Anyway, not many people know I sometimes jot down my thoughts. Last week I discovered a patch of grays and a lovely wrinkle that has formed beside my nose. It was the middle of the night when I made my discovery. I just kept thinking about turning 40 soon and wrote the following.

40

Today I turn forty, how can that be

Yesterday I was just twenty three

I look in the mirror, hey what's that there

You have GOT to be kidding, ANOTHER gray hair

Don't make me laugh, because sometimes I tinkle

And look at my face all of those wrinkles

I say to myself is that really me

Let me put on my glasses, you know I can't see

And you have to speak up, I also can't hear

I'm falling apart, at least that is my fear

I pop when I walk, arthritis you see

He's become my best friend, he lives in my knees

I can no longer eat that, it gives me heartburn

You just wait, it will soon be your turn

You may be young now but just wait and see

Someday you'll be old like me

Did I just say old, is that what I am

No longer a miss, now I'm a ma'am

I found more little wrinkles at the sides of my mouth

What once pointed north is now headed south

My memory is fading, just like my youth

Guess you can say I'm long in the tooth

But as I think back, I just have to say

Thank you dear Lord for this wonderful day

For all of the memories of times that I've had

For all of my family, my mom and my dad

My sisters and brother, oh the things we have done

Back in our youth when those things were fun

We've grown and we've changed, we've had laughter and tears

And all of this in just forty years

Hey, wait a minute, I'm not that old

And I still look young, at least I am told

So I'm gonna go out and have me some fun

I can be old next year when I turn forty one

Breakfast / Lunch

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But when the alarm goes off at 4:30 am, breakfast is not on your mind. Of course then the snooze is hit a few times. Finally at 5:30 am , no more snoozing gotta get up and get going. What makes matters worse is I don't sleep well at night. I finally get to sleep around 2 or 3 am, so when the alarm goes off I just want to throw it across the room.

But I do get up because I know once Corey is out the door I can go back to sleep. But in the time from me finally getting out of bed until Corey leaves I cook breakfast. Since I also make his lunch in this time also, breakfast needs to be quick.

Here are a few things I do to make my mornings easier.

Breakfast

Corey is on a pancake thing right now. So at night before I go to bed I make up some batter and put it in the fridge for the next morning. I keep it in a small bowl with a lid. When I make it a make it a little runnier then I want it. By morning it is fine. Just give it a stir and it is ready to go.

**You could also cook up several pancakes and freeze them. Cook them and let them completely cool. Wrap them tightly in saran before freezing. Wrap them into the serving sizes you need.

Bacon is an every morning item here. In the evenings I will take the package of bacon and cut it in half. I have a Tupperware bacon holder with a lid. I cook the bacon to just shy of being done. I put a paper towel in the bacon holder. Then put the bacon in. In the morning all I have to do is put it in the microwave about 45 seconds, done.

Corey wants his coffee every morning. Before bed I also set up the coffee pot. Filter, coffee and water. The next morning just hit the start button.

Lunches

Corey takes his lunch to work most days. Sometimes they will order for delivery, but not very often. So this is what I take care of right after making his breakfast. He always wants the same thing everyday. He wants one sandwich with a couple kinds of meat, a slice of cheese, a little mayo or mustard and lettuce, if we have any. A small bowl of chips, two granola bars, two drinks, usually iced tea or a soda. Sometimes an extra snack, donut, candy, gum, basically a little sugar boost. And finally his water bottle, but not with water. He drinks an invisible Kool-Aid at work. So the night before I make this Kool-Aid and freeze it in his water bottle. I fill it not quite to the top. Then in the morning I fill it the rest of the way up with his drink. Then just pack up his stuff and off he goes. And off I get back to bed.

**I get his bowl of chips ready the night before. I also lay out his extras.

**His canned drinks I keep in the fridge. When I start making breakfast I put them in the freezer. I don't put ice packs in his lunch, his drinks keep things cold.

White Chili

Corey works with lots of people not from America. They have a large variety of ethnic groups in the factory. Every carry in has dishes from India, Vietnam, China and mostly Mexico. There are several places that deliver to the factory, also with different styles of cooking. So in the five years that Corey has worked there he has seen and tasted several things that he otherwise would have never come in contact with. A few weeks ago several people ordered from a Mexican place that delivers. One of the guys had White Chili. Corey said the guy had tears in his eyes because it was so hot. The guy was telling Corey some of the ingredients. All stuff Corey likes. He came home and asked me to look for a recipe for White Chili. I wasn't really sure about it. But then I thought about when we would have girls days out. We would always go to Hacienda, a Mexican restaurant in the town where we did our day out. My sisters both at one time or another ordered the White Chili. At restaurants I am sort of a find something I like and stick with it sort of person. But upon the request of Corey and knowing that Tami and Holly like it I looked for a recipe and gave it a try. Corey tried it and said it was awesome and I should try it that he thought I would like it. And well, I did give it a try, and did like it.

White Chili

1 Lb large white beans, soaked overnight, then drained

6 cups chicken broth

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium onions, chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 (4 oz) cans chopped green chilies

2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

4 cups chicken, cooked and diced

3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

1 Jalapeno or Serrano pepper, chopped

Combine beans, broth, garlic and half of the onions in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until beans are soft, about three hours, may need more. Add water, or watered down broth) as needed. In skillet, saute remaining onions in oil until tender. Add chilies and spices, mix thoroughly. Add to beans. Add chicken and simmer one hour. Add jalapeno. Serve topped with the cheese.

Optional garnishes, cilantro, tomatoes, salsa, green onions, or guacamole. Serve with tortilla chips.

**I used a Jalapeno and a couple pickled Serrano peppers in mine.

**I put a few shakes of cilantro in and stirred right before serving.

**For the chicken I just gave a couple breasts a quick fry in a bit of oil. Then shredded it a little. Then back into the pan and cooked until done before adding to beans.

**I topped mine with the cheese, a sprinkle of green onions, and a dab of salsa. To me that made the perfect topping.

Forbidden City Chicken

This is once again a recipe I found online. This was the first time I have ever used curry powder. For some reason I always thought that it would be extremely hot. That was not the case at all. However once it hit the oil everything it touched turned yellow. So be sure to have a paper towel handy. The flavor of the chicken was very good. You could taste a hint of cinnamon. As I said this was the first time I used curry powder, everything else were things I usually have on hand.



Forbidden City Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 Tbsp peanut or canola oil
1/2 to 1 tsp curry powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ginger puree
1 tsp garlic puree
3 Tbsp brown sugar (or 3 Tbsp Agave nectar)
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp chicken stock
sliced green onions (for garnish, optional)

Heat oil in pan about one minute, turn off heat. Whisk in curry, cinnamon, ginger, garlic and brown sugar. Add soy sauce, lemon juice and chicken stock. Stir until well blended. Trim meat of all fat. Cut small slits down one side. Marinate three to four hours in fridge. Spray glass baking dish with non stick spray. Place meat slit side down in pan. Brush with some of the marinade. (Save marinade). Bring meat to room temperature while heating the oven to 325 degrees. Cook twenty minutes. Remove from oven, turn meat over, brush with marinade. (Can now discard marinade). Cook ten minutes. Remove from oven, brush with marinade from in the pan. Cook five to ten minutes, until lightly browned.

**I used vegetable oil
**I used fresh ginger, grated
**I used fresh garlic, minced I used three cloves
**I used bottled lemon juice, had left from another recipe, next time will use fresh
**This would go well with any vegetable in my opinion

Mongolian Beef

I found this recipe here, http://www.amandascookin.com/. It is really easy. The flavor has a slight sweetness. I used a jalapeno pepper in mine. I took out most of the seeds, but still had a little kick to it. Be sure you chop everything before you start. This recipe cooks super fast. Corey mentioned he felt like he needs more vegetables so as you can see, I served the beef over rice with some vegetables on the side. It went together nicely.

Mongolian Beef

1/2 Lb beef, sliced thin

1 Tbsp sherry cooking wine

1 tsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp + 1 tsp Hoisin sauce

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 chili or sweet peppers, cut into rings

6 green onions, cut into 2 inch pieces

Place beef in bowl Add sherry and cornstarch. Mix together and marinate for fifteen minutes. If making rice start it now. Mix 2 Tbsp Hoisin and soy sauce, set aside. When beef is ready add 1 tsp Hoisin sauce and mix into beef. Heat a Tbsp oil in wok on high. Add beef, fry two to three minutes, until no longer pink. remove beef. Add a little oil to wok. Fry garlic, peppers and onion for two to three minutes. Move veges to one side. Put beef on the other side. Pour the sauce in the center. Stir a little. Combine meat and vegetables with the sauce. Stir a minute or two. Goes great served over rice.

**Again this goes very fast, have everything ready.

Hoisin 5-Spice Chicken

Once again a recipe I found online. A couple posts ago I showed my spice cabinet. I would say my spices have doubled since trying new recipes. This recipe is sort of a two part recipe. Between both recipes I used five spices for the first time today. This has a unique taste. I would say if you like Chinese you would like this. It would go really well served over rice.

Hoisin 5-Spice Chicken

6 drumsticks

1/4 cup Hoisin sauce

1/4 tsp 5-spice powder (recipe follows)

2 cloves garlic, minced or grated

1 Tbsp honey (or agave nectar)

2 Tbsp soy sauce

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put all but meat in zip top bag. Mix ingredients. Add meat and toss to coat. Marinate in fridge for a few hours. Bake in upper third of oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

5-Spice Powder

1 tsp ground Szechwan pepper (or black pepper)

1 tsp star anise, ground

1 1/4 tsp ground fennel seeds

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt (optional)

1/4 tsp ground white pepper (optional)

Blend all. Store in air tight container.

**I used boneless, skinless breast in place of drumsticks.

**If you can find 5-spice powder could use instead of making your own

**I couldn't find ground anise and fennel, so I put them in a bowl and used a small flat bottom glass jar to pound them a little.

**I used about 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1/2 tsp white pepper

**I marinate my meats in a shallow bowl with a lid. I poured the excess marinade over the chicken before putting in the oven. I would suggest putting some foil in your pan for easy clean up. Wish I would have thought of that before I cooked mine. Oh well, now I know for next time.

Sausage, Potatoes and Green Beans

Guess the name about says it all. But I'm gonna tell you how I do it my way. This is a one pan, really easy, few ingredients meal. It is another as much or as little as you want sort of thing. It is great rewarmed for a next day lunch also. I always make a lot for just that reason.

Sausage, Potatoes and Green Beans

Heat a large skillet. Cut some bacon, about three to five slices cut into bite size pieces. Chop a medium sized onion into as large or as small of pieces that you like, throw into the pan. Peel and dice your potatoes. Once again as many as you would like. At this point I add a little salt and pepper and some Italian seasoning. Cover and let cook about fifteen to twenty minutes are so. Be should to stir occasionally. Slice your sausage into bite size pieces and add to pan. Stir in with the potatoes. Cover and cook until potatoes are done. Add green beans and stir in with other ingredients. They will only take a couple minutes to heat.

**If you don't want to use bacon just use a couple pats of butter in the pan so help brown the potatoes. You could also use bacon bits. If you use bacon bits you may need a little butter since they won't put off the grease to help fry.

**Corey and I both like onion so I use a medium sized one. You could use as much or as little as you desire. I cut mine into nice sized pieces, but cut them as big or as small as you prefer.

**I used all beef sausage, but use whatever smoked sausage you like.

**I use two cans of green beans, but once again it is your choice. Add one can then see if that is enough for your liking.

**And finally, a twist on this recipe. Make it in the crock pot. Throw everything into the crock pot. Cover with water and cook several hours until the potatoes are tender.

Spices

I don't have a new recipe to share today. Tonight Corey and I are having frozen pizza. I know, I should make my own, but I really like the ones I get at Aldi. Anyway I had to run to Wal-Mart to pick up a few odd items that Aldi doesn't carry. As I was putting some spices away I thought to myself that I have developed an addiction. I am for sure not afraid of spices. Even odd ones that are not common use I will buy if I find a recipe that calls for it. It's strange that I am so willing to try them. Growing up I think the only spices my mom used were chili powder, garlic salt, table salt and pepper. As you can see I have added lots of new spices to my cabinet since I have started trying new recipes.

The top shelf just has the few things you can see. Anyone that knows me knows I can't reach the top shelf. The middle shelf also just has the spices you can see. Behind them are a few things I don't use much but needed a place for them. That brings me to the bottom shelf. You can see the row across the front. Then you can see the row with the black lids in toward the back. However what you can't see is there is a row of shorter jars between those two rows. And then there is also a row in the back of tiny odd spices that don't get much use.

It's not just spices that I have added since my finding and trying new recipe adventure. I have another cabinet that now has five, yes five types of vinegar. And some random things for baking. Of course as much as I love to bake I have a cabinet with my baking stuff, sugar, powdered sugar, brown sugar, nuts, chocolate chips, pans, sprinkles, paper muffin cups, the list goes on. Thank goodness I have a closet that has been turned into a pantry or I wouldn't have any place for food.

Red Wine Balsamic Grilled Chicken

I found this recipe online, of course. I wasn't sure about it. Having two kinds of vinegar made me think the flavor would be funky tasting. But since I was set on trying new things I decided to give it a go. I have never used red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar. It is another very easy marinate the chicken and grill it. I was running behind this afternoon so only got to marinate it for an hour. It had some of the flavor, but not enough. So if you try this one I would suggest marinating it for at least a few hours.

Red Wine Balsamic Grilled Chicken

4 to 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp honey

juice from half a lemon

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Pound chicken to uniform thickness, about an inch thick. Place in large deep dish. Top with remaining ingredients. With tongs flip and move around to coat evenly. Cover and put in fridge for one hour to overnight. Bring to room temperature. Grill about 10 minutes. Rest 3 to 5 minutes before cutting.

**I served mine with some mixed vegetables. It was an excellent combination.

Olive Garden Tuscan Garlic Chicken

This is a recipe right off the restaurants website. It is from http://www.olivegarden.com/recipes/recipe_search/recipe_display.asp?id=99. It is pretty easy to make. I usually do a lot of one pan meals. This is NOT one. I used three pans and a sheet pan for this meal. However it was worth the extra dishes to wash. You could turn it into a two pan meal if you cook your chicken in a deep skillet. Then you could just give it a wipe before making the sauce in it. As I said in a previous post, I am not much of a pasta eater. And I dislike, would say hate but that sounds a bit harsh, spinach. Anyway, I did give it a try. It was pretty good. Corey loved it. In my opinion it could use a little more garlic.

Tuscan Garlic Chicken

4 (4 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 1/2 cups + 1 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 Lb fettuccine pasta, cooked

5 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp chopped garlic

1 red pepper, julienned

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 Lb whole leaf spinach, stemmed

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning in shallow dish. Dredge chicken in mixture, shake off extra. Heat 3 Tbsp oil in large skillet. Cook breasts over medium heat until brown and crisp (2 to 3 minutes). Add more oil if necessary. Place on baking sheet into oven. Cook 10 to 15 minutes, to 165 degrees. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in sauce pan. Add garlic and red pepper, cook about one minute. Stir in 1 Tbsp flour, wine, spinach and cream, bring to a boil. Sauce is done when spinach has wilted. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Coat cooked, drained pasta with sauce. Top with chicken and remaining sauce. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

**I cooked the chicken and put it on a sheet pan and set aside. I brought my pasta water up to a boil. I then started my sauce. Once I put the pasta in the water I put the chicken into the oven. The sauce was done a few minutes before the pasta and chicken. I set my timer for 15 minutes when I put the chicken into the oven.

Easy Chicken and Rice

This is a recipe my sister Holly sent to me a long time ago. I kept pulling it out to put on the menu then would find other recipes I wanted to try first. It is a very easy recipe. Pretty quick to make.

Easy Chicken and Rice

1 Tbsp oil

1 1/2 cups water

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 cups white minute rice

Heat oil in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned. Remove chicken and set aside. Add soup, water, pepper and paprika to the skillet. Heat to a boil. Stir in rice and top with chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5 minutes or until rice is tender.

**I added a little chicken broth to mine because it was a little dry.

Grilled Cube Steak Roll Ups

Surprise, surprise, I found this recipe online. This one came from http://www.amandascookin.com/. This one was easier then I thought it would be. I read over the instructions and thought they sounded easy, but more work then I wanted to put in. I saved the recipe anyway because it sounded good. I read over the instructions a couple more times and decided they weren't complicated at all. The flavor was excellent. The marinade would be great on, I would say, any other meat also.

Grilled Cube Steak Roll Ups

4 or 5 pieces cubed steaks

marinade (recipe follows)

2 oz cream cheese, softened

4 to 5 pieces bacon, raw

1 sprig fresh parsley with stem, minced

Marinade

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

6 Tbsp soy sauce

1/4 cup minced garlic

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 Tbsp pepper

1 Tbsp crushed, dried rosemary

3 Tbsp your favorite steak seasoning

3 Tbsp A1 sauce

For the marinade, put all ingredients in a blender and puree. Pour over meat for 2 to 24 hours. When ready preheat grill on high with lid closed. Remove meat from marinade, place on paper towels to drain. Warm cream cheese in microwave a few seconds. (Very soft like a runny frosting). Combine with parsley . Spread thin layer over one side of meat. Starting with short end, roll up meat. Spirally wrap a slice of bacon around the roll. Secure with a couple toothpicks. Turn grill to medium. Sear each side for a few minutes. Heat to low. Continue to grill about 25 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.

**I didn't have fresh parsley so I used a couple pinches of dried.

**I don't have an outdoor grill. I lined a baking pan with foil. Put the steaks seam side down in the pan. I baked them at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes. Them put them on my Foreman grill for about 10 minutes. Corey likes his meat well done. If you don't like well done drop the time back to your desired doneness.

Java Roast

Once again a recipe I found online. As much as I love the smell of coffee, I hate the taste. I never was and am not now a coffee drinker. Corey drinks coffee every morning and sometimes in the evening. So there is always coffee in the apartment. Since this recipe didn't call for a huge amount of coffee, I decided to give it a try. I am glad I did. I didn't have a coffee taste at all. While cooking I could smell the onions and peppers with a hint of coffee. But once you add the cream cheese there is no coffee taste. So even if you don't like coffee, give this one a try.

Java Roast

3 Lb chuck roast, trimmed of fat

3/4 cup brewed coffee

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1 tsp garlic powder, or 4 to 5 cloves, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

4 oz cream cheese

Add everything except cream cheese to crock pot. Cook on low 7 to 8 hours or high 4 to 5 hours. Remove meat. Cut cream cheese into small cubes. Stir into mixture.

**I just sliced my onion and pepper. I didn't have a red pepper, so used a small yellow and small green pepper that I had on hand.

**I minced my garlic cloves

**Corey doesn't like mushrooms, so I omitted them.

**I served this with potatoes that I wrapped in foil and cooked right on top of the meat in the crock pot. I cut a few pats of butter and used a little salt and Italian seasoning on them before wrapping.