Recipes

[momtochloe]

Good morning my recipe friends!  I know with spring being here, we'll have all sorts of new and yummy recipes to share.  Many thanks to @aroc3435 for starting us off:

Hidden Valley Pasta Salad

       Featured Ingredient:  Packet of Ranch Dressing Mix

1 envelope (1 oz.) of Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix            

1 cup milk or 1/2 cup milk & 1/2 cup of sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

Combine these three ingredients and add to one pound of still warm cooked mini seashell pasta, well drained.

Add 1  14 oz. can well drained artichoke hearts (plain type, not packed in marinade.)  Even better, use a 10  oz. package of thawed, drained, frozen hearts if you can find them instead.

Add 1  10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, well drained.

Add small halved cherry tomatoes, a quarter cup of very finely diced celery, and a quarter cup of minced fresh parsley.

You can add diced ham, or hard salami, or a can of tuna packed in water and  drained well, or  small cooked shrimp to make a heartier salad.

Next Ingredient:  CHICKEN

[JeanLouiseFinch]

CHICKEN FLORENTINE 

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (adjust size per your preference)
8 oz. fresh spinach
8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 425*
Grease a 9x13 baking dish
Chicken can be left whole or cubed - your choice. Salt and pepper the chicken and arrange in the baking dish.

Cook the spinach in a skillet until completely wilted and move it to a cutting board. Roughly chop though the spinach with a few knife cuts.

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and shredded cheese together. Add the spinach and blend well to incorporate.

Spread the mixture over the chicken.

Bake around 25 mins. Adjust time as needed, a little less if your chicken has been cut up or a little more if you are using larger breast pieces

Next ingredient: LEFTOVER EASTER HAM

[walker]

Baked HAM and Cheese Pizza Pockets

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup chopped LEFTOVER HAM

1/4 cup chopped bell pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1 (10 oz) can refrigerated pizza crust

Preheat oven to 425.  Mix all ingredients except pizza crust.  Place pizza dough on greased cookie sheet.  Press out with hands to 8x14" rectangle.  Cut into 4 separate rectangles.  Spoon 1/2 cup HAM mixture onto half of each rectangle; fold dough over filling.  Press edges with fork to seal; poke tops with fork.  Bake 10-15 minutes until golden brown.  

(* You could add whatever you want to this filling as well...little chopped pepperoni, mushrooms, etc,  as well as a "little"...1 tablespoon... pizza sauce.  ** Another thought...since I like Hawaiian Pizza, I might add pineapple.  🙂🍍)

NEXT INGREDIENT ..... GRAPES

[GenXmuse]

GRAPE, AVOCADO AND ARUGULA SALAD

• prep time: 10 MINUTES
• total time: 10 MINUTES
• yield: 2 -4 SERVINGS

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DESCRIPTION

This grape, avocado and arugula salad is fresh and light, and it makes for the perfect meal or side salad.

INGREDIENTS SALAD INGREDIENTS:

• 6 cups fresh arugula, loosely packed
• 2 cups halved seedless grapes, red or green or a mix
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
• half a small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• balsamic vinaigrette (ingredients below)

WHITE BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (or traditional balsamic vinegar)
• 2 Tablespoons honey or agave nectar, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper

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INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE THE SALAD:

1. Add salad ingredients to a bowl, and drizzle with vinaigrette. Toss to combine. Serve immediately.

TO MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE:

1. Whisk all ingredients together for 30 seconds until combined.

Next Ingredient: GRAPEFRUIT

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[aroc3435]

                             Cuban Style Mojo Marinade

                            from the Gypsy Plate website

                   Featured  Ingredient:  GRAPEFRUIT 

1/4 cup olive oil

1 & 1/2 cups orange juice

1/3 cup each  lemon and lime juice

1/3 cup grapefruit juice

2  Tsps. dried oregano

2 Tsps. kosher salt

1 Tsp. black pepper

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

minced parsley

This marinade is  typically used to marinate pork, chicken, or beef,  but I think it is also good for marinating shrimp.

You could incorporate the shrimp in a salad of mixed salad greens and add fresh grapefruit and orange segments for a refreshing spring or summer entree.  If you have some fresh strawberries you could halve and add those as well.

aroc3435

Washington, DC

Next Ingredient:  POSTER'S CHOICE 

[Zhills]

Grapefruit is not the most popular fruit because it is bitter!  Right?

Grapefruit is not bitter, the "pith" or white membrane is what is bitter.  The fruit is delightfully sweet.

When I was small, my Mom worked 'sectionizing grapefruit' so it could be jarred.  No membranes.  It was wonderful! 

Then, automation came along and it cuts the slices out, membrane and all.  Bitter grapefruit was the result! 

Never buy canned citrus.  It will be bitter.

Peel the fruit and remove ALL the white membranes. 

Do an orange the same way.

Put in a bowl along with grapes and chunks of pineapple

Sprinkle with sugar (it will make its own juice) and serve for breakfast!  Delicious!  A specialty at Hampton Inns.

Next ingredient:  Green beans  Poster's Choice

[GenXmuse]

Spinach, Feta & Rice Casserole

This one-pan recipe is the casserole version of spanakopita! It's hearty enough to enjoy as a vegetarian lunch or dinner, yet versatile enough to serve alongside just about any protein. To make it extra creamy, top each serving with a dollop of sour cream.

Active:

25 mins

Total:

50 mins

Servings:

6

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 3 large cloves garlic, grated
• 3 cups cooked brown rice
• ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
• ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Directions

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

• Step 2

  Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add spinach and garlic; cook, stirring, for another minute. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add rice, feta, dill, pepper and salt to the pan; stir to combine.

• Step 3

  Whisk eggs and sour cream in a medium bowl. Add to the rice mixture and stir well to combine. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until lightly browned in spots, about 25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Cup

Per Serving:

319 calories; protein 11.8g; carbohydrates 31.3g; dietary fiber 3.4g; sugars 2.3g; fat 16.7g; saturated fat 5.9g; cholesterol 145.4mg; vitamin a iu 5866IU; vitamin c 5.7mg; folate 103.1mcg; calcium 192mg; iron 2.3mg; magnesium 85.6mg; potassium 350.4mg; sodium 358.9mg.

© Copyright 2021 eatingwell.com. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.eatingwell.com 04/06/2021

Next Ingredient: GREEN BEANS

[walker]

Dinner in a dish......this recipe has been around for awhile but still a favorite of mine for a quick and tasty dinner.

Chicken with Vegetables

3 or 4 chicken breasts

6-8 small red potatoes, quartered

fresh GREEN BEANS

olive oil

Italian dressing mix or seasoning

Place chicken breasts in center of 9x13" baking dish.  Put potatoes around one side.  Clean and trim GREEN BEANS and place on other side.  Drizzle olive oil over all.  Then sprinkle half of package of Italian Dressing Mix over everything or use Italian seasoning.  Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

NEXT INGREDIENT ...... TOMATOES, fresh or canned

[Zhills]

Pasta Pomodoro

Ingredients:

8-10 Roma tomatoes ( I have used Cherry tomatoes)
8-10 leaves fresh basil
2-3 cloves garlic
Red pepper flakes to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
pound of pasta  (I use rigatoni)
Pecorino Romano cheese

Easy Cooking Instructions:

Before you start… Put water on to boil for pasta. 
Cut tomatoes in eighths; set aside.  Slice garlic thin.  Cut basil into strips.

Add olive oil, basil, and garlic to large skillet pan. 

Make sure the pan is deep enough to hold all the
tomatoes and the pasta that you will add later. 

Simmer for a minute or two.  Do not let the garlic brown. 

Add the tomatoes. 

Cover and cook 15 minutes or until tomatoes make a sauce.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the pasta while tomatoes are cooking. 
When pasta is ready add directly to tomato sauce in pan. 
Mix and serve.  Garnish with fresh basil and cheese. 

Next ingredient:  Rice

[GenXmuse]

Spicy Thai Chicken and Brown Rice Bowls

YIELDServes 4

PREP TIME10 minutes to 15 minutes

COOK TIME34 minutes

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CURRIED PEANUT SAUCE:

• 1/2 CUP

  CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER

• 3 TABLESPOONS

  TAMARI OR SOY SAUCE

• 3 TABLESPOONS

  WATER

• 2 TABLESPOONS

  RICE VINEGAR

• 2 TEASPOONS

  TOASTED (ASIAN) SESAME OIL

• 1 TABLESPOON

  THAI RED CURRY PASTE

• 1 TABLESPOON

  FINELY GRATED PEELED FRESH GINGER

• 1/4 TEASPOON

  CAYENNE PEPPER (OPTIONAL)

FOR THE BOWLS:

• 1 CUP

  SHORT-GRAIN BROWN RICE

• KOSHER SALT

• 2 TABLESPONS

  COCONUT OIL, DIVIDED

• 1

  MEDIUM RED BELL PEPPER, THINLY SLICED

• FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

• 1 POUND

  GROUND CHICKEN

• 2 CLOVES

  GARLIC, MINCED

• 1/2 TEASPOON

  CAYENNE PEPPER

• 2

  MEDIUM SCALLIONS, THINLY SLICED, DIVIDED

• 2 CUPS

  FINELY SHREDDED RED CABBAGE

• 1 CUP

  SHREDDED CARROT

• CHOPPED FRESH THAI BASIL LEAVES, FOR GARNISH

• CHOPPED ROASTED PEANUTS, FOR GARNISH

INSTRUCTIONS

MAKE THE PEANUT SAUCE:

1. PLACE ALL THE INGREDIENTS IN A FOOD PROCESSOR FITTED WITH THE BLADE ATTACHMENT OR BLENDER. PROCESS CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL SMOOTH, ABOUT 2 MINUTES; SET ASIDE.

MAKE THE BOWLS:

1. PLACE THE RICE, 2 CUPS OF WATER, AND A GENEROUS PINCH OF SALT IN A MEDIUM SAUCEPAN AND BRING TO A BOIL OVER MEDIUM-HIGH HEAT. REDUCE THE HEAT TO LOW, COVER, AND COOK UNTIL THE RICE IS TENDER, ABOUT 40 MINUTES. REMOVE FROM THE HEAT AND SET ASIDE TO STEAM, COVERED, FOR 10 MINUTES. MEANWHILE, COOK THE BELL PEPPER AND CHICKEN.

2. HEAT 1 TABLESPOON OF THE OIL IN A LARGE SKILLET OVER MEDIUM-HIGH HEAT UNTIL SHIMMERING. ADD THE BELL PEPPER, SEASON WITH A SALT AND PEPPER, AND COOK, STIRRING OCCASIONALLY, UNTIL JUST SOFTENED, ABOUT 4 MINUTES. TRANSFER TO A PLATE.

3. HEAT THE REMAINING 1 TABLESPOON OIL IN THE SAME SKILLET OVER MEDIUM-HIGH HEAT. ADD THE CHICKEN, GARLIC, AND CAYENNE, SEASON WITH SALT AND PEPPER, AND COOK, BREAKING UP THE MEAT WITH A WOODEN SPOON, UNTIL BROWNED AND COOKED THROUGH, 6 TO 8 MINUTES. STIR IN 1/2 OF THE SCALLIONS AND 2 TABLESPOONS OF THE RESERVED PEANUT SAUCE, AND COOK FOR 1 MINUTE MORE.

4. TO SERVE, DIVIDE THE CABBAGE AND CARROTS AMONG 4 BOWLS. DIVIDE THE BROWN RICE, GROUND CHICKEN MIXTURE, AND BELL PEPPER AMONG THE BOWLS. DRIZZLE WITH THE PEANUT SAUCE AND SPRINKLE WITH THE BASIL, REMAINING SCALLIONS, AND PEANUTS.

Next Ingredient: GARLIC