Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta

Ingredients

4 whole Grilled Chicken Breasts, Sliced
1 pound Penne Pasta, Cooked Until Al Dente
1/2 stick Butter
3 whole Lemons, Juiced
3/4 cups Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Half-and-half
1-1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (or Romano)
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
20 whole Basil Leaves, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta, reserving 1 cup of hot pasta water when you drain. Set pasta aside in a colander.

In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Squeeze in the juice of 3 to 4 lemons. Whisk together. Pour in cream and half-and-heat. Whisk until hot. Dump in cheese and whisk until melted. Add salt and pepper. Check consistency, adding some of the hot pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.
Pour pasta and sauce into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining basil all over the top, then add sliced chicken breasts. Serve immediately!

LENTILS WITH GARDEN VEGETABLES, AVOCADO, WALNUTS AND HUMMUS

What it took for 2:

* 1/2 cup uncooked French green lentils, picked over for any stones
* 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/4 to 1/2 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, sliced into small pieces
* 6 cups chopped garden greens (I used swiss chard, kale and spinach)
* 1/2 avocado, sliced
* 2-4 Tbs. favorite hummus
* 2-4 tsp samal oelek
* small handful of toasted walnuts
* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook the lentils in boiling water until tender, but not broken, 20 to 25 minutes. (if you can’t find French lentils and are using regular green lentils, the timing may be shorter. Start checking at the 15-minute mark.)

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high. Add the asparagus and sauté until slightly tender, 3 minutes. Add the garlic; bloom 30 seconds. Add the remaining chopped garden greens and sauté until wilted, 2 minutes. If you need to add a little water to help it along, don’t! Just kidding, you totally can. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Serve lentils with sautéed greens, topped with avocado slices, a dollop of hummus and a little sambal oelek.

And the walnuts.

SUMMER WATERMELON SALAD

Ingredients

·         1 lemon, juiced

·         3 tbs chopped Italian parsley leaves

·         ½ cup balsamic vinaigrette

·         2 tbs canola or grapeseed oil

·         6 cups watermelon cubes

·         1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

·         1 large cucumber, diced

·         ½ cup red onion, diced

·         1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced (optional)

·         1 cup shredded baby spinach leaves

·         4 oz. feta, crumbled for sprinkling

·         Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1.       In a large serving dish, whisk together the lemon juice, parsley leaves, balsamic vinaigrette, and canola oil. Add the watermelon, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and jalapeno. Toss together and refrigerate for an hour, or until chilled. Right before serving, add the shredded spinach leaves. Serve portions over additional watermelon slices if desired. Sprinkle each serving with feta cheese and salt and pepper, to taste.

Taco Pizza

Ingredients

Prepared pizza crust (2 pouches of Betty Crocker pizza crust mix works well)
corn meal (for sprinkling on cookie sheet)
2 lb ground beef
2 pkg taco seasoning mix
½ cup water
1 can (4oz) chopped green chilies
3 cup shredded colby jack cheese, divided
lettuce
tomato

Instructions

Prepare pizza dough according to package (use two pouches if not making from scratch). Press dough into a large cookie sheet (sprinkled with corn meal) or jelly roll pan, with sides, with extra dough on the edges.
When pizza pan is prepped with dough, poke fork in dough all over. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes. (dough will not be completely cooked yet). While dough is baking, brown beef completely then drain. Add taco seasoning and water and let simmer 5-10 minutes. Drain again.Top dough with drained ground beef, chopped green chilies and 2 cups of the shredded cheese. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes (until crust is golden brown). Remove from oven, cut into squares before adding toppings. Then top with lettuce, tomato, and remaining cheese (black olives are good too, but then I really would have had to eat the whole pizza by myself). Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Barbacoa

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6-8 hours
Keywords: slow-cooker entree beef chipotle peppers Mexican

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

3-4 lb beef chuck roast
2 limes, juiced
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (just the peppers, not the sauce)
4 garlic cloves
1 heaping Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp oregano
1½ tsp salt
1½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp ground cloves
1 cup chicken broth
3 bay leaves

Instructions

In food processor (or blender), combine vinegar, lime juice, chipotle peppers, garlic cloves, cumin, oregano, pepper, salt and ground cloves. Process on high until smooth.
In large crockpot, add roast, pepper puree, bay leaves, and chicken broth. Heat on low 6-8 hours. Shred beef and place back in juice, remove bay leaves. Serve on a tortilla with cilanto-lime rice, colby cheese, lettuce and guacamole. Enjoy!!!

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Dip

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi sweet mini chocolate chips
8oz pkg Reese's peanut butter cup Minis (or about 1 1/2 cup chopped Reeses cups)

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in the sugar and heat until sugar dissolves (about one minute). Remove from heat immediately add vanilla and allow to cool to room temperature (very important).
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with powdered sugar and peanut butter until creamy (about 3-4 minutes, don't skimp on the beating time). On low, add in brown sugar mixture (that has cooled to room temperature). Mix until combined. Fold in mini chocolate chips and mini Reese's cups. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy with pretzels, animal cracker and graham sticks.

Grilled Picnic Taco Nachos

Ingredients

5	cups tortilla chips
1	can (15 oz) Progresso® black beans, drained, rinsed and mashed
1	can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles, drained
2	teaspoons Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix (from 1-oz package)
2	plum (Roma) tomatoes, chopped
2	medium green onions, sliced (2 tablespoons)
2	cups finely shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend (8 oz)

Directions

Heat gas or charcoal grill. Spray 12×18-inch foil pan with cooking spray. Spread tortilla chips in pan.

In medium bowl, mix beans, chiles and taco seasoning mix; spoon evenly over tortilla chips. Top with tomatoes and onions. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover pan with foil.

Place foil pan on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Carefully remove foil.

Stuffed Cherry Pepper Appetizers

Ingredients:

18 cherry peppers
1 large baking potato
1 cup diced zucchini (about 2 small)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Cut tops from peppers, and remove seeds and membrane. Set tops aside.

2. Cook peppers in boiling water to cover 1 minute, and drain. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain and set aside.

3. Peel potato, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Cook in boiling water to cover 20 minutes or until tender; drain and mash.

4. Sauté zucchini and next 3 ingredients in hot oil 3 minutes. Add wine, and cook 2 minutes or until liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat.

5. Stir together potato, zucchini mixture, 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, and next 3 ingredients. Spoon into peppers and place in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon cheese, and replace pepper tops.

6. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Bửffalo Chỉcken Bỉtes

These bỉte-sỉzed Bửffalo Chỉcken Bỉtes are oven baked, not frỉed, so not only do they taste great, bửt are so mửch healthỉer for yoử.

ỉngredỉents:

3 cửps shredded cooked chỉcken
1/4 to 1/2 cửp hot saửce (to taste)
3 1/2 oửnces cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cửps sharp shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cửp chopped green onỉons
1 cửp all-pửrpose floửr
4 eggs, lỉghtly beaten
3 – 4 cửps Corn Flakes cereal, crửshed

Dỉrectỉons:

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Lỉne a large bakỉng sheet wỉth parchment paper.
ỉn a large bowl, combỉne chỉcken, cream cheese and hot saửce, cheddar cheese and green onỉons.
Roll a heapỉng tablespoon of mỉxtửre ỉnto a 1½-ỉnch ball and place onto a plate or separate bakỉng sheet. Repeat wỉth the remaỉnỉng mỉxtửre.
Place floửr ỉn a shallow dỉsh.
ỉn a second shallow dỉsh, place eggs.
ỉn a thỉrd shallow dỉsh, Place cornflakes.
Dỉp each chỉcken ball fỉrst ỉnto the floửr, then the egg and endỉng wỉth the Corn Flakes. Place on the prepared bakỉng sheet and bake for 20 to 25 mỉnửtes. Serve warm wỉth ranch or blửe cheese dressỉng.

Recỉpe Note:
ỉf freezỉng place the dỉpped and ửncooked chỉcken balls onto a parchment lỉned bakỉng sheet and freeze for 15 to 20 mỉnửtes. Transfer to a freezer bag and store ỉn the freezer ửntỉl ready. When ready to bake, place the frozen chỉcken balls on a parchment lỉned bakỉng sheet and bake at 350˚F for 25 to 30 mỉnửtes, ửntỉl crỉspy and golden brown.

ORANGE CREAMSICLES

Ingredients

1 cup orange juice (fresh or frozen. you could also use orange juice concentrate for a stronger orange flavor)
1 cup heavy cream or full fat coconut milk (you could also substitute melted/very soft vanilla ice cream)
3 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon orange extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients together.
Pour mixture into popsicle molds. Let set for 30-60 minutes, then add popsicle sticks. Freeze for another 4-6 hours or until frozen.
When you’re ready to serve, run some warm water along your popsicle mold to loosen the popsicles and serve immediately.

Cherry Margarita

Sipping Saturday

A bulging  bag of ruby jewels arrived home with me on each of  3 trips to the grocery store this week.   My intentions for the first bag were to whip up my Saturday Margarita, that didn’t happen.

Half -way into the second bag I felt another trip to the grocery store was in my future.  By the third bag we had lost all control.  Cherries rock!

We didn’t even bother to mix a batch of pancake batter or cream butter for a cake.

Fresh over ice.

These cherries stood no chance,  as juice ran down our cheeks we sat barefoot in our small backyard throwing back pound after pound of cherries.  No conversation, no interruptions, just cherries.  When I finally awoke from my cherry laced dream I sent hubby to the store for another pound.  Lucky me.  Cherry Margarita.

This margarita is my new favorite, well at least for this week.  The color is mind blowing beautiful, but the taste is crazy good.  It is a little more work only in regard to pitting the cherries, but man is it worth the effort.  The lime juice and salt rim really add another flavor dimension to this ruby red liquid happiness. Give it a try. Enjoy! Sweet Life

A wonderful reader recently wrote asking why some of my margaritas have a thin foam.    In all my margaritas, I only use fresh juice.  I run my fresh fruit through my trusty juicer to extract the most flavor.  This produces a tiny amount of foam from the juicing process.  Feel free to strain for a clearer juice.  I kinda enjoy the earthy look.   Thanks for your email Judy.  Enjoy this Cherry margarita.

Cherry Margarita

makes 4 margaritas

salt

lime wedges

1 cup tequila

1 cup fresh cherry juice, about  1   1/2 cups of fresh cherries

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup Cointreau

ice cubes

On a small plate spread salt.  With lime wedges moisten rim of 6 ounce glasses.  Dip glasses into salt.   Place glasses into freezer to chill.

In a pitcher combine tequila, cherry juice, lime juice and Cointreau.  Remove glasses from freezer and serve margarita mixture over ice. Garnish with lime slices.

Orange Fluff Jello Salad Recipe

Every Sunday, our Mom would make some sort of jello as a side dish to our delicious dinner.  It was usually my favorite part of the meal!  This recipe was one of our favorites growing up, and now my little family eats it right up.  Plus, it makes a lot so it is a great side dish for parties or big dinners!

This dish is tasty enough to be a side dish or dessert!

Orange Fluff Jello Salad Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 large package Cook and Serve vanilla pudding
1 large package orange jell-o
2 cups water
1 16 oz Cool-Whip (lite or fat-free is fine)
1/2 bag mini marshmallows
1 can pineapple tidbits (Any size, depending on your preference)
1 can mandarin oranges (Any size, depending on your preference)
2 bananas, sliced (Optional, put in before serving so they don’t turn brown in the fridge)

Directions:

Mix together pudding, Jell-o, and water over medium heat until it boils. Remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Refrigerate until mixture has thickened (about an hour). Beat until creamy. Fold in Cool Whip, marshmallows, and fruit. Chill about an hour before serving.

Carrot Kohlrabi Juice

Kohlrabi belongs to the cabbage family of vegetables, is high in vitamin C and contains a good amount of B vitamins as well.

Ingredients

• 6 carrots, scrubbed
• 2 small or 1 large kohlrabi, scrubbed and peeled

Instructions

• Chop everything into chunks that fit into the juicer chute.
• Pass all the ingredients through the juicer, alternating ingredients.
• Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove foam if desired.
• Pour juice into ice-filled glasses and serve immediately.

Notes

Gluten Free, Grain Free, Paleo, Vegan, Raw