Chicken Oriental salad

My aunt used to bring this salad to most family occasions.  I just remember being so amazed that the cabbage tasted so good with the ramen!  Very tasty and slightly addicting salad!

Chicken Oriental Salad
2 chicken breast halves
2 TB slivered almonds, toasted if desired *
1/2 head cabbage, finely chopped (about 4 c)
2 green onions, sliced
1 pkg Ramen oriental noodles chicken flavor
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds*
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 Tbsop vinegar
1/2 tsp MSG (optional)
salad greens
Tomato wedges

Cook chicken in small amount of water, covered, until tender, aobut 20 to 30 minutes, skin, bone and dice chicken to make 2 cups.  Combine chicken with alonds, cabbe green onions, and uncooked noodles that have been broken up with envelope of seasonings, set aside.  In glass jar, combine sugar, oil, salt, pepper, vinegar, and MSG.  Shake until blended.  Pour over salad, toss.  Add more salt and pepper as needed.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or for as long as 24 hours.  Serve on crisp salad greens garnished with tomato wedgs.  Makes 8-10 servings. 

*Toasted sesame seeds and almonds:  To toast sesame seeds, spread in shallow pan in single layer;bake at 350 for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  To toast slivered almonds, spread in single layer in shallow pan; bake at 350 for about 5 minutes.

Hamburger Minestrone Soup

Yet again a staple food from growing up.  Very hearty and tasty.  You can whip up this whole thing  and then freeze leftovers for when you just want some yummy soup!   (Oh I always have a piece of toast, homemade of course, with cheese on it to dip in.  MMMMM!)  Go ahead and crockpot this too...

Hamburger Minestrone Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 c onions, chopped
2 medium potatoes, cubed
2 c sliced carrots
2 stalks celery, diced
2 c shredded cabbage
1/2 c brown rice or barley
1 small zucchini, sliced (optional)
1 qt tomatoes or tomato juice
2 tsp Mrs Dash
1 small bay leaf
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
2 tsp beef bouillon granules
2 qts water

Brown hamburger with onions until tender.  Drain fat.  Mix all of the ingredients together and boil for 5 minutes.  Turn down to low and cook 1 1/2 hours or until vegetables are tender.  Makes 12 large servings.

A Quick Fruit Cobbler

This is sooo tasty.  You can use whatever fruit you have on hand and mix and match as you desire.  For this version I used Blueberries and Raspberries.  It is so fast and easy and the kids think it is funny that you put the fruit on the top.  So fun!

A Quick Fruit Cobbler

4 cups fruit of your choice, frozen, canned, or fresh

1 cup Flour

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Milk

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup butter

Preheat oven to 400.  Heat fruit in microwave until boiling.  Set aside.  Place butter in 9 x 13 baking pan and put in oven to melt butter.  Mix flour, sugar, milk, and baking powder.  Pour batter over melted butter in baking pan (pull it out of the oven first...  :D  )  Top with fruit.  Do not stir.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  Serve with ice cream, milk or yogurt.  

Zucchini Dinner

Possibly my most favorite zucchini main meal.  A definite staple while we were growing up.

1 pkg Stove Top stuffing mix
3 cup zucchini, diced or grated
1/4 onion, diced or grated
1 c carrots, dicd or grated
2 Tbsp margarine or butter
1 tsp salt

Mix together:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c sour cream
1 cup chicken or turkey, cut up
1 cup grated cheese

Melt maragrine in bottom of pan and carefully cook veggies until tender.  Add a little water if necessary.  Add this to veggies and pour in casserole dish.  Pour bread crumbs from stuffing mix on top.  Bring to a boil 1 1/2 cups water with seasoning packet (if it has it)  pour over bread crumbs, moistening each one.  Bake at 300 for 30 minutes.

Tamale Pie

Another great way to use zucchini.  If you want the quick version of this you can just use premade chili...

1/2 lb browned ground beef
1/2 c onion
1/2 c chopped green peopper
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/4 c diced black olives (optional)
2 c cooked lentils
1 c corn (optional)
1 c tomato sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
3 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
2 c grated cheddar cheese
1 recipe for corn bread (for a 9x9 pan)

Brown ground beef.  Add onion, green peopper, and zucchini; cook until onion is transparent.  Add remaining ingredients except cheese and corn bread. Pour 1/2 corn bread batter into greased 9x13 pan/  Add the hot beef mixture and cheese, then top with remaining batter.  Bake at 425 for 25 minutes.

Meat Pasties

These are a bit like hot pockets only homemade.  I didn't care for them as a child but have grown fonder as I have gotten older.  I would try mozzerella cheese if you aren't a swiss fan, it could change the whole experience.

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 c shredded cabbage
2 c shredded zucchini
1 tsp minced garlic
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 tsp basil
swiss cheese
frozen texas rolls, thawed or your favorite roll recipe

Brown ground beef; drain fat.  Add onion, cabbage, and zucchini.  Cook until vegetables are tender.  Drain off any extra liquid.  Add garlic, tomato sauce, and basil.  Mix well.  Roll out rolls in flattened circle 1/2 to 1/4 inch thick.  Place 1 inch square slice swiss cheese on edge of roll.  Place spoonful  (3 Tablespoons) of beef mixture on top of cheese.  Fold dough over the top and crimp edges to seal.  Place on greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until bottom is browned.  Serve warm or cold.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This chocolate cake is a great way to eat zucchini!  It is a very tasty cake.  I tried it once with all whole wheat flour and agave nectar for the sugar--ummmm, don't waste your time.  Hubby actually said it was worthless.  I have to admit it was extremely heavy!  I will work on substitutions and try again some other day!  Enjoy this one!

1/2c butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c sour milk or buttermilk  (add a half teaspoon of lemon juice to your milk to sour it)
2 c zucchini, finely chopped or grated unpeeled
1 3/4 c sugar
2 eggs beaten
2 1/2 c flour
5 Tbsp cocoa
1 c chocolate chips
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325, cream butter and sugar.  Add vanilla and eggs; blend well.  In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, soda, and salt.  combine flour mixture and creamed mixture; beat well.  Fold mixture into greased and floured 9x13 baking dish.  Sprinkle chocolate chips over top.  Bake 45 minutes.  Makes 1 cake.

Creamy Chicken Soup

This recipe is a tasty creamy soup.  If you leave out the cheese it saves you 200 calories a serving.  But then this soup wouldn't be nearly as good!  I am a cheese lover I guess.  It sure warms the soul on a cold day, and is quite easy.  I adapted it to use my powdered milk, but if you prefer regular milk just use 4 cups instead of the powdered and water.  Let me know what you think!

Creamy Chicken Soup

2T butter
3 stalks celery

1 cup chopped carrots

5 T cornstarch
4 cups water
12 T Powdered milk  (wisk with water)
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
8 oz sharp cheddar shredded or cut in small chunks
1 12.5 oz can chicken breast
2 tsp worcesterchire sauce
2 tsp fresh black pepper

In a six quart dutch oven, saute vegies in butter until crisp tender.  About 10 minutes.  Stir in cornstarch.  Slowly add milk (or reconstituted powdered milk), chicken broth, worcestershire sauce and black pepper.  Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Stir in chicken and cheese.  Allow cheese to melt, stirring frequently.  Then Enjoy!

Serves 4

Cals 580
Fat 28.6
Carbs 26.1
Fiber 1.3
Protein 52.5

Vanilla Cake

This recipe I found in the Penzey Spice catalog, and then I tweaked it a bit for healthy fair.  It tastes fabulous with strawberries. The original recipe isn't online right now, but I am sure it will be there eventually.  They have such good spices.   Mmmmmm

Here is my version:

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 T Apple sauce, a little more could be used as it was a teensy bit dry...
1 Cup milk
2 T wheat germ

1 1/2 T butter melted to coat the cake pans

For the topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375.  In a large bowl beat eggs and add sugar and vanilla.  Mix in applesauce then milk into the eggs.  Add flour, wheat germ, baking powder and salt slowly beating until smooth.  Grease and flour two 9 inch layer pans.  Bake until golden brown and springy about 22 minutes.  The butter gives the edges a nice kripsy taste.  Allow to cool on a cooling rack while preparing the cream topping.

Whip the cream (with cold beaters and bowl for best results) sifting in powdered sugar and drizzling in the vanilla extract as you go.  Stop when you draw out the beaters and the cream holds firm peaks.  This can take up to 5 minutes.  Frost cake with cream when layers are cool.  Slice layers in half horizontally if you desire a 4 layer cake.  Strawberries are a tasty addition.  I would even add them in the layers...

Serving size 1/12 cake without strawberries

269 cals

47 carbs

6.8 grams fat

138 Sodium
29.9 sugar
5.2 protein

Black Bottom Banana Bars

A fantastic combination of banana bread and chocolate.  Who can beat that?  I have found that the easiest way to mash the bananas is with the beaters as I put them in.  I used to do it with a fork before hand, but I am a lazy cook!   Use the extremely ripe-black on the outside bananas as they give the best flavor.  Another trick is to put the bananas you don't want to throw out into the freezer and defrost them just before using.  Frozen bananas are a great treat anyway, we used them as popcicles growing up.  The easiest way I have found is to take a gallon size zip lock bag, peel the banana and put it in, you can keep adding to it as you have the stray banana that is overripe.  Then make banana bars to your heart's content!   Makes 12


Black Bottom Banana Bars

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cups mashed bananas, about 3 medium
1-1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c cocoa

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and vanilla; beat until thoroughly combined.  Blend in the bananas.  Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Divide batter in half.  Add cocoa to one half and spread into a greased 9/13 pan.  Spoon remaining batter on top and swirl with a knife.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until the bars test done.

Texas Cake

OOOOOH Yummy! And fast too!  This cake is probably what made my husband fall in love with me.  If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.  I think it is also why I gained at least 20 lbs in the first year of our marriage.  Texas cake is a chocolate lovers dream.  Fudgy frosting, soft cake--the ultimate in comfort food.  Perhaps that is why I have not made it that often since I have been eating healthier.  Everything in moderation though so don't make this weekly like I did when I first was married.  But have it every once in a while and enjoy the decadent chocolate goodness!

Texas Cake
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
4 Tbsp cocoa  (I use heaping Tablespoons)
1 cup water
2 slightly beaten eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp soda

In a microwaveable bowl combine butter, cocoa, and water.  Heat in microwave until butter is mostly melted.  Stir and then bring to a boil.  (Be careful not to burn it!) Mix with beaters and slowly add sugar and flour.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.   Pour into a well greased 11x17 inch cookie sheet with sides.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Frost while still warm.

Icing for Texas Cake:

1 stick butter
4 Tbsp cocoa (heaping never hurts here either)
1/3 cup milk
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Bring butter, cocoa, and milk to a boil.  Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.  Spread over warm cake.  Makes 24 servings.

I have followers!

Thank you my followers!  I am glad that someone is actually looking at my blog!  I will keep putting up recipes!