Easy One Pan Teriyaki Chicken

2 chicken breasts
4 garlic cloves minced
1 1/2 c water
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 tsp ginger
2 c minute rice
small bag of frozen broccoli

If chicken is unprepared, fry chicken in oil with garlic. When chicken is done, put in water, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic and boil. Once boiling, throw in rice and frozen broccoli. Cover and heat on a med-low setting for 5 minutes. Remove from heat for 5 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff and serve.

Leftover Chili Manicotti

3 c (give or take) leftover Chili
1 c (give or take) spaghetti sauce
8 manicotti shells
1 egg, beaten
1 c shredded cheese
1/4 c parmesan shredded
1 sm carton ricotta cheese

Combine chili and sauce
Boil manicotti according to directions.
Combine egg and cheeses.
Pour 1/2 of the chili mixture in a greases 9x13 pan.
Fill manicotti shells and place on top of mixture.
Pour rest of chili mixture on top of shells.
Bake 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Not Quick - Chicken Asparagus Soup

Ok, this one is Not Quick. If a recipe is not quick it has to be reallllllly good for me to keep it. And this one is. I usually make the broth and soup base the day before and the soup the next day since it's time consuming.

2 lbs fresh asparagus; 2 large potatoes, peeled or not and diced; 1 lg onion, chopped; 2 T dried parsley; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 T vegetable oil; 3.5 C (2 cans) chicken broth; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp. pepper; 1 bay leaf; 2 C cubed cooked chicken; 2 C half and half, Parmesan cheese 

Make broth - Cut tips off asparagus, set aside. Cover stalks with water in large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 40 min. Strain, reserve 4 C of cooking liquid. Discard stalks.

Make soup base - In dutch oven, saute potatoes, onion, parsley and garlic in oil til vegetables are tender. Stir in broth, salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, asparagus water, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce , simmer uncovered 30 min. Discard bay leaf, cool slightly. In blender, a little at a time, puree soup.

Make soup - In soup kettle or dutch oven, put soup base, chicken, half and half, and asparagus spears. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 5 min. or until spears are tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Homemade Magic Shell

3/4 c chocolate chips of whatever type
1/4c coconut oil (it's in the baking goods section if you've never gotten any, usually by the chocolate chips--use it in place of any kind of oil/shortening)

Melt in microwave about 45 seconds, stir until it looks like magic shell. If it hardens on the shelf, zap in microwave for 10 seconds (Put in glass container!)

Shepherd's Pie

This uses up mashed potatoes nicely.

1 lb burger, 1 onion

Brown burger and onion

2 c. frozen veggies, 1/2 c beef broth, 1 tsp worchesterchire, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 1 can tomatoes drained

Add the above to meat and heat through

Mashed Potatoes (2 cups? Enough to spread on top) and Shredded Cheese

Place the meat mixture in a casserole dish, spread mashed potatoes over the top, top with shredded cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is not a red sauce, it's more like the brown sweet and sour sauce you'll find in .....China. Imagine that. Man, I wish I could go back to China for the food! I've made this since high school, it's great stuff.

Feeds 2 adults and some children. :)

2 chicken breasts cut in short strips
2 T oil
1 c. Chopped carrots
1 garlic clove minced
1 T cornstarch
1/4 c soy sauce
8 oz pineapple chunks with juice
3 T brown sugar
3 T white vinegar
1/2 tsp ginger
prepared rice

Brown chicken in oil. Add carrots and garlic (if freshly minced) to chicken and oil. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until carrots are tender. Mix cornstarch, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and ginger, and garlic if out of jar. Dump this mixture and pineapple along with it's juice in with chicken and carrots. Bring to full boil. Serve with prepared rice. 

Leftover Hot Dog Hamburger Bun Bread Pudding

Around 8 leftover buns give or take a few
3 c hot milk
2-3 eggs
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 c dates or raisins
1/4 tsp salt
1 T butter
1 1/2 T vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking powder

Grease/Butter a casserole dish. Mix all the ingredients, tear up buns and throw them in. Dump into dish, sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake 350 degrees for about an hour.

Easy Deodorant

1/4 c coconut oil

1/4 c cornstarch

1/4 c baking soda

essential oil or fragrance oil drops (I use tea tree oil for the disinfectant properties and sandalwood fragrance since sandalwood essential oil is expensive and the smell works for either sex)

used or empty deodorant tube or bowl

Melt the oil, mix ingredients. When it becomes semi-solid pack it into an empty deodorant tube if you want. Keep in refrigerator if you want a solid like the deodorant from the store. Or leave in bowl and use it like a lotion/cream application

Garlic Brown Chicken

Original Recipe here: Easy Garlic Chicken
My version:

•  2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
•  2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon onion flakes 
• salt and pepper 

Line baking dish with foil and grease. Mix the ingredients. Smear on top of chicken breast.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 500 degrees about 20-30 minutes.

Broiled Baconnaise Tilapia

(If you don't have baconnaise, plain mayonnaise will work, maybe add some bacon bits?)

4 Tilapia Filets

2 T butter, softened
1 1/2 T baconnaise
1 T  lemon juice
1/8 tsp. basil
1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. paprika
dash onion powder
dash salt

(Creole Seasoning)

Oil aluminum foil on a broiler pan. Preheat broiler. Broil fish for 2 minutes, flip. Broil for 2 more minutes, flip. Mix the above ingredients and slather on top of fish. Broil 2 more minutes or until done. Sometimes I add Creole Seasoning.

Garlic Broth

I will never have plain chicken stock when I am sick again - This is awesome broth.

8 c. chicken stock

3 Tbs. minced garlic or more

2 Tbs. olive oil (either saute fresh garlic in this or just put in a glug :)

½ tsp. paprika 

Sprinkle in a generous helping of parsley, then a bit of  thyme, oregano, and basil

salt and ground black pepper to taste

 

Bring everything to a boil, then simmer 30 minutes. YUM.

Chunky Potato Soup

This may not be easy and quick, but when I thought I'd lost this recipe, I went into despair--I love this soup.
Original found here. Though I've changed it up.



My version:

• 3 medium potatoes
• 2 cups water
• 1 small onion
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 6-7 Caraway seeds
• Cayenne to taste
• Ground black pepper to taste
• Salt to taste
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup shredded white cheeses
• 1 cup cubed cooked smoked sausage

Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes.

Bring water to a boil in large saucepan. Add potatoes and cook until tender. Drain, reserving liquid. Set aside potatoes. Measure 1 cup cooking liquid, adding water, if necessary; set aside.

Peel and finely chop onion. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to saucepan; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and tender, but not brown.

Add flour to saucepan; season with  seasonings. Cook 3 to 4 minutes.

Gradually add potatoes, reserved 1 cup cooking liquid, milk and sugar to onion mixture in saucepan; stir well. Add cheese and ham. Simmer over low heat 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

Garlic Salmon Linguine

1/2 pkg linguine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. olive oil
2 cans salmon deboned/deskinned
1 c. chicken broth
1 T. parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
dash cayenne

Cook linguine acc. to directions. In large skillet, saute garlic in oil (or skip this step if using preminced garlic). Stir in salmon, broth, parsley, salt and cayenne. Cook til most of the water has evaporated out, but just enough left to coat your noodles. Drain linguine and add to salmon mixture. Toss to coat.

This is always a standby if I've forgotten to thaw any meat or need dinner really quick. I always keep two cans of  salmon in the pantry.

Chicken and Black Bean Burrito Filling

1/2 c. salsa
1 c. cooked cubed chicken
1 can black beans, drained
1/4 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese
tortillas

In med. bowl, stir together all ingredients.
Heat in microwave until heated.
Fill soft tortillas with filling.

Honey Herbed Pork Loin Glaze

pork meat sliced in 1/2" thinkness
1 T. melted margarine
garlic powder, salt, tarragon, thyme, paprika, pepper, cayenne pepper, honey

On ungreased or aluminum foil lined baking sheet, place pork and brush with butter. Sprinkle all herbs on. (I take a bit in my fingers and sprinkle that way, comes out too fast from bottles). Broil for 5 min. Turn over and broil for 3 more minutes. Brush on the other side warmed honey and broil for 3 more minutes til done.

I love this one, so fast and nice tasting.

Ham Tortellini Alfredo

1pkg cheese tortellini
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/3 c. butter
1/2 c. frozen peas
1 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1c. cubed cooked ham
3/4 c. whipping cream
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. ricotta cheese
grated parmesan

Cook tortellini acc. to pkg. In skillet, saute onions in butter til tender. Add ham, peas, and mushrooms; cook til mushrooms are tender. Stir in cream, garlic, and pepper; heat through. Stir in ricotta cheese until melted. Drain tortellini and place in serving dish. Add the sauce and toss to coat. Sprinkle with parmesan.

String Cheese Meatloaf

1 c. plain spaghetti sauce
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 c. bread crumbs
dash of italian seasonings
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. rosemary
1 lb. burger
1/2 lb. sausage
3 pieces string cheese or mozzarella chunks or any cheese really

In bowl, combine 1/2 c. sauce, egg, bread crumbs, garlic and rosemary. Crumble meats on top and mix well. Press 1/2 of mixture in greased loaf pan. Cut one string cheese in half and place the cheeses down the middle. Cover well with remaining meat mixture.
Bake uncovered @ 350 for 1.5 hours til internal temp is at least 160. Drain. Pour remaining sauce on top and cook for 10 min. Let stand 10 min. before slicing.

Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast

1/4 c. water; 1 med. onion; 5 potatoes, cut in quarters; 1 envelope onion soup mix; 1/4 tsp. each salt, pepper, and dried thyme; pot roast meat. Place water and and vegetables in slow cooker, sprinkle onion mix on vegetables. Stir. Rub salt, pepper and thyme all over pot roast (I feel that putting it in semi-frozen helps with moistness.) Cook with lid in slow cooker low 8-9 hours or high 5-6 hours til tender.

Italian Peasant Soup

This one takes a lot of chopping, but after that it's fast. Makes a ton, I often serve this for gatherings, but I freeze serving sizes in ziplocs when we make it for ourselves.

1 lb. sausage links, cut in 1" pieces

1 lb. cubed cooked chicken

1 large or 2 med. onions, chopped

6 large garlic cloves, minced (I use equivalent of preminced garlic from jar)

2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cans (3.5 cups) chicken broth

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. oregano

6 handfuls of fresh spinach (small bag or half of a large bag), chopped

grated parmesan

In skillet/cast iron preferred over med. heat, cook sausage til no longer pink, transfer to large dutch oven/pot. Cook onions (& garlic if you're using fresh garlic) in skillet til tender, transfer to pot. Cook chicken if uncooked til no longer pink, transfer to pot. Add broth, beans, tomatoes, basil and oregano (& garlic if using preminced). Cook uncovered 10 min. Add spinach and heat just til wilted. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Even finicky kids eat it - just don't tell them ahead of time there is spinach! I get raves over this soup all the time and often lots of people go back for seconds.