Months ago I "won" a 'pay it forward' from my friend Amanda....a lovely little package full of some of her favorite things. The only stipulation was that I 'pay it forward' also; so here goes. When I contemplated choosing a 'winner' based on comments made to this post, I thought the comments should be something productive and helpful to me (does that sound totally selfish?...) Anyway, then I needed to ponder what my readers could contribute that would be most helpful to me...in exchange for an outrageous prize of course. So, I decided that what would benefit me the most is-- Recipes. So, here's the 'contest.' Write your favorite/easiest/tastiest recipe as your comment or email me (annieditto@gmail.com); I will try them all and pick my favorite by the 1st of March. The winner will get a package in the mail of some of my favorite things AND the glory of winning! I promise to make the package GREAT, but even if that is not an incentive to you, PLEASE post your fav recipe anyway to benefit a poor pregnant lady suffering from pregnancy brain. (It's twice as hard to come up with a dinner plan lately!) I can't wait to try them all! Thank you!!!
19 comments:
ah, good idea!
so my easiest recipe that is tastey is actually just a salsa recipe so it could be part of a dinner, not a whole dinner, although it's pretty hearty so who knows?
1 can black beans
1 can little white beans
1 can corn
2 cans diced tomoatoes with green chiles (you can choose mild, medium, etc.)
1 diced green pepper
1 small bottle (maybe a little less) fat free italian dressing
mix all together
eat and love!
NOTE: it's better after it's been sitting for a day so all the flavors blend. we dip chips in it but also put it tacos or on salad or whatever. it's delicious!
1 extra soft and squishy hamburger bun
Nutella
Spread nutella on the hamburger bun.
Serves 1.
Ooooh, I hope I'm the winner.
Hee, hee.
This is one of my Favs
Easy Chicken Cordon Blue
4-6 Small Chicken breast
4-6 Swiss Cheese slices (I use provolone instead)
4-6 slices of ham (from the deli)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 soup can milk
1 box of stuffing mix
Place uncooked chicken pieces in bottom of 9x13 pan. Place ham on top of chicken and then cheese on top of that. Mix soup and milk and pour over everything. Follow microwave directions to make stuffing mix, using less water so it will crisp up in the oven. Spread stuffing mix evenly on top of all other layers. Bake in 375 oven for about 30 min. or until chicken is done. ( I always do it for longer because I'm afraid of raw chicken)
Yummmyyyy!
For a side, you can make my favorite fruit salad--
Just get a can of peach pie filling and add any fruit to it for the salad. If I just need it done fast, I'll just add a can of tropical fruit salad and a can of pears. If I want it to be extra special, I'll use all fresh fruit. Strawberries, kiwi, pears, bananas, and mangos.
Yum. I'm salivating right now.
This is great, because I'm going to use all the recipes too!
Annie and Kelly
i'm not going to submit a recipe or anything. just thought i would apologize for all the mean things that I ever said. Good to find your blog
erik peterson
Shoyu Chicken (Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken)
One Whole Chicken, cut up or 2.5 lbs of boneless chicken breasts
3/4 cup shoyu (soy sauce)
1 T. honey or molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar, loosey packed
1 1/2 cup water
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 t. ground ginger (I prefer grated fresh ginger)
2 T. apple, grape, or cranberry juice
1/4 c. green onion (chop and sprinkle over dish)
Thickening: 4 T. water and 2 T. cornstarch
1. If whole chicken is being used, cut and remove skin. Rinse well. Par boil for 3 minutes in plain water. Drain.
2. Combine other ingredients in large pot and then boil for 2 minutes.
3. Add Chicken pieces and simmer for 40 minutes (whole chicken) or 30 minutes (breasts)
4. Remove cooked chicken and arrange on platter.
5. Add thickening to sauce and bring to boil or thicken. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle green onions.
6. Serve over rice.
This is like my favorite, most-requested treat recipe. It's not exactly going to help you with dinner, but it's DANG GOOD.
CC Bars
1 bag caramels
2/3 C. evaporated milk (divided)
2/3 C. melted butter or margarine
1 package German Chocolate cake mix
1 C. chocolate chips
1 C. chopped pecans (optional)
Melt caramels and 1/3 cup milk together. In a bowl, mix melted butter, 1/3 cup milk and cake mix. Pat 2/3 of cake mixture in bottom of greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 6 min. Take out of oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Top with melted caramels. Pat remaining cake mixture on top. Bake another 15-20 min. Check for doneness by flicking the top layer with a toothpick.
Annie I want that package! I thought I would do a savory and sweet...2 chances to win! P.S. our blog is jandkellison.blogspot.com
Chicken Marsalis-
(Macaroni Grill Recipe)
4 chicken breast grilled & chopped
2 C. sliced mushrooms
3 T. Butter
1 C. tomatoes soaked in olive oil with 3 tsp. garlic salt
2 T. Italian Seasoning
Sauté Mushrooms in Butter then add rest of ingredients & simmer while you prepare pasta & sauce.
1 Package of Pasta boiled till soft
Sauce:
1 C. Butter melted
1 1/2 C. parmesan cheese
1 1/2 C. whipping cream
Combine all ingredients & cook on low until cheese is melted.
Combine pasta with mushroom & chicken mixture. Then pour over pasta and toss. Serve immediately.
Sticky Buns-
18 -20 Frozen Rhodes Rolls
½ C. Melted Butter
½ C. Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 3oz. pkg. Butterscotch Pudding (not instant)
Glaze:
Powdered Sugar
Butter
Vanilla
Milk
Night before serving spray budnt pan, place rolls evenly around pan. Mix butter, brown sugar, & cinnamon. Pour over rolls & sprinkle ½ pkg. of pudding over rolls. Cover let rise over night. Bake @ 375* for 25-30 min. Then turn onto plate & drizzle with glaze.
Actually one of my favorite meals is Lucy's stroganoff, but I think it is cheating to give you one of your grandma's recipes!
I am so glad I found your cute blog! Here is Aaron's favorite dinner it does take some time and has A LOT of sugar, but it is good.
Sticky Chicken
3-4 Chicken breasts, cut into strips
corn starch
egg
oil
garlic salt
2 TBS soy sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup catsup
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp accent
1 cup sugar
2 TBS balsamic vinegar
Dip chicken in egg, then coat with cornstarch. Brown chicken in hot oil, then put in foil-lined baking pan (usually I just spray the pan). Sprinkle with garlic salt. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Serve over rice.
Can I enter twice :) This is my favorite dinner
Broccoli Cheese Soup
3 stocks celery, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups chopped broccoli
2 carrots, grated
2 cups diced potatoes
Boil in 2 quarts of water until very tender
Add: 4 chicken bullion cubes
1 jar cheese whiz
3 TBS butter
make a paste with 3/4 cup flour and 1 cup water add slowly stiring quickly
Bread maker rolls
1 cup water
2 TBS butter
1 egg
3 1/2 cups flour
2 TBS powder milk
1 TBS yeast
1 tsp salt
mix on dough cycle (or knead by hand) let rise and make into rolls let double then bake at 350 for 17-20 minutes.
enjoy!
One of my favorites is one I learned on my mission and later modified when I got home. It doesn't really have a name so we just call it Portuguese Pasta (all of the ingredients are subject to taste and how much you want of each)
1 onion (chopped)
1 green pepper (chopped)
2-3 garlic
4-6 Roma tomatoes (other tomatoes work fine as well)
2 cups cream
chicken breasts
noodles of your choice
salt and pepper to taste (salt really changes the way it tastes, you have to put in about 1 tsp of salt)
Cook the chicken how ever you like to cook chicken, we like cooking it in the George Forman grill. In a pan cook the onion, green pepper, and garlic in olive oil. Add the cream, tomatoes and chicken. Let cook for 10 minutes or so until it looks good. We serve with noodles. We use extra wide egg noodles.
My other recipe comes from missing the chocolate croissants in Portugal. Although these are not like the ones I would get on P-day, they are quick and good.
1 can croissant dough
1 can nutella
Spread the nutella on the croissant and roll up. Bake according to package.
Oh, Annie, this is not selfish at all. This makes it so that we can all come to your blog and get some tasty recipes. Great idea. I will imbed a few in here that I really like. Chicken curry is one of my favs--especially during pregnancy. Weird, I know.
I hope all who look at this will enjoy.
Chicken Tortilla Soup a.k.a Café Rio Soup
4 Chicken Breast (boiled and shredded) then add:
4 cups water
2 cups water boiled with 4 cubes chicken bouillon (or 4 tsp. of powder)
Onion flakes
Then add:
½ cup green onion chopped
½ cup chopped cilantro (I usually just cut the leaves with kitchen shears—much easier)
1 cup matchstick carrots
1 cup corn (frozen or canned)
1 jar of salsa (the best is Pace garlic/lime, but I rarely can find it)
2 or 3 gloves of garlic (optional)
2 tsp. chili powder
Cook all together until carrots are tender. Top with tortilla chips (I like the lime kind) and motzarella cheese.
Taco Soup
1 lb. ground beef
1 chopped onion
1 can corn (drained)
1 can pinto beans with juice
1 can kidney beans drained
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
4 carrots diced
1 can diced green chilies
1 pkg. taco seasoning
Brown hamburger and onion, add other ingredients and cook until carrots are tender. Top with tortilla chips and cheese.
Yogurt Parmesan Baked Chicken
Combine and set aside:
1 cup crushed Ritz cracker crumbs (I like the wheat ones)
2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. seasoned salt
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup yogurt
Coat each chicken piece with plain yogurt and then coat in crumb mixture. Arrange in a greased 13x9” baking dish. Drizzle with ¼ cup melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until tender. (Since moving to AZ, this actually takes about 37 minutes and it is the perfect tenderness. I know, weird.)
Chicken Pot Pie
Melt: ½ cup butter
1/3 cup flour in a saucepan
Add: 1 tbsp. onion flakes
1 tbsp. chicken base (I just use one tsp. of chicken bouillon)
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 ¾ cups water
2/3 cup milk
Cook for 2 minutes (I usually do just a little longer) and remove from heat
Add: 2 cups cooked and cubed chicken
10 oz. cooked peas, carrots, and potatoes
Place pre-made pastry shell that you can find in the refrigerated section near the croissants in the bottoms of a pie pan, pour in mixture of white sauce, chicken, and veggies. Top with other pastry shell. Pinch the edges closed.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
Cantonese Pork (or Chicken)
2 pounds of pork steaks cut into strips (or chicken)
2 tbs. vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 small can mandarin oranges, drained
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
6 tbs. brown sugar
1 tbs. distilled white vinegar
1 tbs. salt
4 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1. If using pork, in large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and brown. Drain of excess fat. If using chicken skip this step. The chicken doesn’t need to be browned.
2. Place pork (or chicken), onion, oranges, tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, and Worcestershire sauce in slow cooker. Cook on High for 4 hours or on Low for 6 hours.
3. Serve over rice.
Note: When I make this I like to have it more saucey so I double the mandarin oranges, tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, and Worcestershire sauce.
Well if you're looking for easy recipes... I have 2 that are great!
Baked Mac n Cheese
1 block Colby cheese(longhorn style) - cubed
1 cup mac noodles
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
a little salt
Boil noodles and cube cheese. Drain noodles and layer cheese and noodles in cassarole dish... try to start and end with cheese. Mix egg, milk and salt in dish and pour over noodles and cheese. Add more milk to cover if mixture is not enough. Cover dish and bake at 350 for 1-1 1/2 hours... till middle is set.
We also like...
Stuffed Peppers (but we don't actually stuff them)
1lb hamburger
1 small onion (optional)
2/3 cup instant rice, uncooked
1/4 cup crushed corn flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1 green pepper
Mix all ingredients and form large meatballs. Put in deep pan or pot. Cover with 1 or 2 cans of tomato soup plus 2 cans of water. Add sliced green pepper. Cook on stove top approx 1 hour. I usually double this recipe for my family... it's good reheated as leftovers.
Hi Annie! What a cool idea! I love this, I'm going to copy down some of these recipes myself! Thanks!
Here is one of my easy favorites:
Crock Pot Mexican Chicken
4 or 5 frozen chicken breast pieces
1 Jar Salsa
1 Small Can Pineapple (optional)
1 1/2 c Minute Rice (optional)
1 Can Black Beans
Cook frozen Chicken breast in Salsa & Pineapple in the crockpot on high for 4 hours. Shred chicken and add rice to soak up excess liquid (Sometimes I use regular rice because I don't like minute rice, but if you're in a hurry minute rice works great.
After the rice is ready add black beans and mix together. Serve on warm tortillas with sour cream, cheese & lettuce. DELICIOUS! And your house will smell great too! :)
ok so i told you I would send you three here we go .
this one is like a baked zitti only better i think !
Take two large cans of crushed tomatoes , two large green peppers , half a bulb of garlic or if you used minced garlic do it to taste and brown one pound of sausge. ( you want it to be like hamburger )
You boil your ziti noodles and put them in a cassarole dish after you are done with that you put your peppers and sausage over top of that and then put mozzarella cheese on top and enjoy . put in oven at 350 till cheese is melted .
chicken enchalada cassarole .
( this one is good for sundays cause it is soooooo easy and quick )
1 whole chicken
two cans of cream of chicken soup
cheese cheese cheese
one bag of large tortilla shells
cook and shred your chicken ( even easier get one of those rottisari chickens )
layer your cassarole dish with torilla shells , layer with cream of chicken the put chicken and then layer with cheese . continue this sequence till you have filled your cassarole dish will usually take three levels . put cheese of top of cassarole and put in oven at 350 until cheese is melted serve with salsa and sour cream
Enjoy
my last one is montarey jack macaroni and cheese with grilled chicken
chicken
monarey jack chesse
chedder cheese
pint of cream or milk
and macaroni noodles
cook the macaroni noodles
in separte pot melt chesses and mix in cream . if you go in a figure eight motion when you stir it stays smooth .
grill chicken and slice thinly
combine noodles with cheese sauce and lay chicken across mac and cheese
Enjoy
This is my husband's and my favorite dish, and it's always a hit with company! We like it extra spicy, and I often make it with thin whole wheat spaghetti for a healthier kick!
Thai Noodles in Peanut Sauce
1 lb. shrimp, deveined, tails
removed (or chicken strips)
8 oz. of rice noodles or very thin
spaghetti
¾ cup each thinly sliced carrots
and green onions
½ cup each sliced red/green or
yellow peppers
½ cup sliced asparagus
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Fresh lime
Peanuts
Sauce
¼ cup sugar (or 2 Tbs. honey)
½ tsp. pepper
½ cup oil
½ cup rice vinegar
5 Tbs. Soy sauce
2 Tbs. peanut butter
½ tsp. crushed red pepper (more if you like it HOT)
Make sauce in a blender and set aside. Reserve some sauce to marinate chicken or shrimp, just enough to cover. Cook noodles according to directions on package. Brown and cook chicken. (If using shrimp, cook with the veggies.) Add carrots and cook till still crisp, add other veggies and sauce. Drain noodles and toss with chicken (shrimp), veggies and sauce. Serve immediately. Top with cilantro, peanuts and a squeeze of lime.
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Annie, I'm not entering...just wanted to say hello. I just caught up on your Blog--haven't been "Blog Surfing" in a while and was reminded how much I adore you and thought you should know. Love you much!
Annie, I love your blog. It's fun to stay updated on your darling family.
Here's my tried-and-true recipe. It is easy, and these are ingredients I almost always have.
Honey Mustard Chicken
(Serve over mashed potatoes or rice)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
2 Tbsp. mustard
1/4 tsp salt
Pre-heat oven to 350. Put chicken in shallow baking pan. Combine melted butter, honey, mustard & salt. Pour over chicken. Bake for one hour, basting every 15 minutes.
i've been lacking inspiration for dinner lately, too (but without pregnancy brain!!). great idea--i now have some inspiration from your readers. i do have a couple of dishes that i always get requests for the recipe:
I apologize because I hardly ever follow an exact recipe when I cook, so I don't have exact amounts....
Chicken Parmesan:
You'll need:
chicken breasts
1 egg beaten with a little milk
italian-flavored bread crumbs
parmesan cheese (grated)
a little olive oil
a little butter
angel hair pasta
pasta/marinara sauce (I like using Hunt's garlic and herb flavor)
shredded or sliced mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Cook the pasta according to directions (usually 4 minutes or so)and place in casserole dish. Pound and flatten chicken breasts (I put the chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound it with my rolling pin--just be careful to do it evenly and not too hard or you'll get holes).
Trim excess fat/ligaments. Mix together equal amounts of bread crumbs and parmesan cheese (or, maybe a little more bread crumbs than cheese).
Preheat olive oil and butter in a frying pan over medium to medium-high heat.Dip chicken in egg mixture and then bread mixture and brown in pan for about 5 minutes on each side (it won't be cooked all the way through yet). Place browned chicken in one even layer on top of pasta. Place a slice of
cheese over each piece of chicken (or sprinkle cheese everywhere). Pour marinara sauce over everything, cover with foil and bake about 30 minutes at 350.
Hope that all makes sense!! Enjoy!!
And something sweet:
Cake Balls/Truffles:
Bake any cake mix according to directions. When it's still hot (right out of the oven), dump into a bowl and crumble it up well. Then, mix in a whole container of icing (any flavor). Scoop into balls with melon baller and place on wax paper on a cookie sheet. Place in fridge or freezer and chill. Melt about 8 bars of candy coating (called almond bark or chocolate bark in some places--it's by the chocolate chips in the baking aisle). Dip each ball in chocolate and place back on the cold cookie sheet. They will harden immediately. Taste like truffles. YUMMY! We made some today for valentine's with strawberry cake and cream cheese frosting. We coated with choc. bark and then decorated with drizzled vanilla candy coating mixed with pink food coloring. They look fancy but are so easy to make (but, are a little time consuming with the cooling and then dipping).
Hi Annie, I'm Becca's friend from Kansas (we live in Utah now, but we met in Kansas). You and I are always pregnant at the same time, so I feel like I should know you. =) Besides, Becca's super cool, so you must be as well. I've also met your brother, mom, dad, and grandpa, so it's like I've met you.
Seeing as I currently also have a pregnancy brain, I don't know how much help I can be by way of dinner help (we had tomato soup and baked potatoes last night if that tells you anything), but I do have a casserole that I like to make that is really easy.
Chicken Stuffing Casserole
2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, chopped
1 box stuffing mix, cooked according to directions
1 can cream of chicken soup, mixed with 1/2 can of milk or water
1 can green beans, a couple handfuls of frozen green beans, or sliced zucchini (I've tried them all, and the canned green beans are my least favorite of the three)
Layer 1/2 the stuffing on the bottom of the casserole dish, then all of the green ingredient, then all the chicken, the rest of the stuffing, topped by the cream of chicken soup. Cover and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.
This is especially easy to use after a turkey dinner. If you already have the chicken or turkey cooked, it really goes together fast. I've also used this casserole baked in a pumpkin around Halloween. I don't remember how it turned out, but I think Becca might have tried it. I think it turned out good. Ask Becca. Happy cooking.
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