Garlic Chicken w/ Bow Tie Pasta

This recipe is not only tasty but it's super quick and easy.  I had most of these things already in my pantry. You can also add any other vegetables that you would like.  Serve it with a salad and your good to go.....Enjoy!

1 tb olive oil

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced crosswise

salt and pepper to taste

1 tb olive oil

6-7 cloves of garlic, crushed

1/2 lb mushrooms, quartered

1/2 cup green onions (I was out of onions this time)

1 cup carrots, sliced and blanched

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups bow tie pasta

parmesan cheese, grated

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Cook pasta according to box directions

Heat 1 tb olive oil over medium heat and fry chicken.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and remove from pan.  Cover with foil to keep warm.  Add 1 tb more olive oil and cook garlic, mushrooms, green onions, carrots.  Add tomatoes, chicken broth, crushed red pepper, cornstarch and salt.  Heat to a boil and simmer for 5-10 min.

Add chicken and cooked pasta back into pan.  Heat for another 2-3 mintues.  Garnish with parmesan cheese

Finger-Lickin Ribs

I am usually a beef ribs kind of gal. That's what I grew up on and that's what my dad taught me to make. But my husband is not a fan of beef ribs, particularly the fat(which happens to be my favorite part...sorry but its true). I decided to try my hand at pork ribs and I admit it was mighty tasty....and messy! And I also discovered that these ribs don't take as long to make....Enjoy!

6 TB brown Sugar
6 TB paprika
3 TB pepper
3 TB garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
3-4 slabs of pork spare ribs or baby-back ribs
9 TB dijon mustard
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Combine brown sugar, paprika, pepper, garlic powder and salt in a small bowl. This is the rub!Salt both sides of ribs and place on a large baking sheet or jelly roll pan lined with heavy duty foil. Brush both sides of meat with dijon mustard. Rub both sides of pork with the prepared rub.

Place ribs directly on the top rack in your oven and place pan on bottom rack directly below the meat to catch any drippings.

Broil for about 5 min until it starts caramelizing. Lower heat to 250 degrees and bake until fork tender for 2-3 hours for spare ribs or 1 1/2 to 2 hours for baby backs.

Quiche

I used to think that because of the name...quiche would be complicated to make. But when I found this recipe over at pioneerwoman.com I realized that it isn't complicated at all. Infact its once of the easiest things I have made and its sooooo yummy. Now.. I have to confess that I use already pre-made pie crust because I haven't found a recipe that is easy enough for me to do. But I am still looking and when I find one then I will for sure have to post it. Of course you can mix up your choice of filling but I have found that these really compliment each other quite well. Also, please note that this recipe is for a deep dish pie crust. If you don't have a deep dish then either half the recipe or make two pies (which is what I did)....Enjoy!

7 eggs

1 1/2 cups half & half

2 cups grated swiss cheese

salt and pepper to taste

3/4 pound bacon

1 stick butter

1 onion, very thinly sliced

10 oz mushrooms, sliced

1 can quartered artichoke hearts

1 deep dish pie crust or 2 standard pie crusts

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Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a skillet, fry bacon until crisp. Let cool, crumble and set aside. Pour out excess grease and melt butter in the same skillet. Add onion and cook for a few minutes. Add mushrooms and artichokes and cook for a few more minutes. Salt to taste. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.

In large bowl, beat eggs with half & half. Add grated cheese, salt and pepper and set aside. With a slotted spoon, add mushroom mixture into egg/cream mixture. Add bacon and stir together.

Pour into pie crust and press to submerge ingredients. Cover loosely with foil, place on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour, removing foil for the last 10 to 15 min. Bake for slightly longer if quiche is overly jiggly.

Remove from oven and allow to set for 10 min before serving.

Chinese Omelette

Ever have left over chinese food? Ever wonder if there is something else you can do with it? Well, there is and it might sound a little crazy but it's absolutely delish! My dad use to make us these when I was young and sometimes we would order extra food the night before just for this purpose. When I introduced this to my family, I at first received some weird looks but I just had to smile to myself as they licked there plate clean.....Enjoy!

Its really very simple...

All your left over chinese food including the rice

eggs

cheese

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Cut your chinese food into bite size pieces. Combine all the leftovers in a pan and warm up on medium heat. Prepare omelette using cheese and the chinese food!

Mango Island Chicken

This is one of those quick and easy recipes that you throw in the crock pot and ShaZam!...you have a tasty meal that will seem like you spent hours on....Enjoy!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can of corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups of mango salsa
cumin to taste
lemon pepper to taste
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Add chicken and spices to the crock pot. Cover and cook until tender. Shred chicken on a separate plate and return to the pot. Save the juices in a separate bowl.

Add the corn, beans and salsa. More salsa can be added to taste. If the mixture seems dry then add some of the reserved juices.

Serve over rice. Garnish with cilantro if desired

Chicken Poppy Seed Salad

I like going to potlucks for this reason alone....because you'll find stuff like this salad! I don't know why but you can always count on some little old lady bringing her prized recipe she got from her friends at the clubhouse. This salad has it all...great taste and it's easy. The dressing is really what makes it so you can pretty much add what you want to it. I am not including measurements for the salad contents because you can make the salad as big or as little as you want. But the dressing recipe does make ALOT. So be prepared for that. You can't go wrong with this.....Enjoy!

Romaine Lettuce
Grilled Chicken with lots of lemon pepper, sliced
Red onion, sliced thinly
Crispy Bacon, crumbled
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Toasted almonds (or sugared almonds)

The Dressing....Yummmmm!

1 1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dry mustard
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tb chopped onion
2 cups canola oil *Please note: I started with 1 cup of canola oil because 2 cups seemed like alot. So you may want to do the same.
2 Tb poppy seeds

Mix everything but the oil and the poppy seeds in a blender until well mixed. While the blender is on, slowly add the oil until thick. Stir in the poppy seeds

Rhubarb Big Crumb Coffeecake

My husband is huge rhubarb fan. I hadn't much to do with the stuff until I met him. For his birthday he usually gets some type of rhubarb dessert but I decided to try something new and make this for his breakfast. This recipe is a little bit involved but the results are definitely worth it. Not a rhubarb fan? Don't fret because this could also be made with blueberries, raspberries, sour cherry or any other tangy fruit you can think of. Just adjust the sugar because they would need less sugar then the rhubarb. Next time I think I will try adding strawberries in with the rhubarb....Enjoy!

Butter for greasing pan

For the rhubarb filling:
1/2 pound rhubarb, trimmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground ginger

For the crumbs:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup melted butter
1 3/4 cups cake flour (all-purpose would work fine too)

For the cake:
1/3 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour (all-purpose would work fine too)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tb softened butter, cut into 8 pieces
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 8-inch-square baking pan. Toss rhubarb with sugar, cornstarch and ginger. Set aside

To make crumbs, in a large bowl, whisk together sugars, spices, salt and melted butter until smooth. Stir in flour. It will look like a solid dough

To prepare cake, in a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add butter and a spoonful of sour cream mixture and mix on medium speed until flour is moistened. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds. Add remaining sour cream mixture in 2 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Scoop out 1/2 cup of batter and set aside.

Scrape remaining batter into prepared pan. Spoon rhubarb over batter. Dollop set aside batter over rhubarb.

Using your fingers, break topping mixture into big crumbs (all around the same size) Sprinkle over cake. Bake cake until toothpick inserted into center comes clean of batter (it might be moist from rhubarb), 45-55 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Optional: Sprinkle with powdered sugar!