Grilled Chicken, Mashed Red Potatoes with Mushroom Gravy, Seasoned Veggies

This was delicious.  I didn't really measure anything. . .

Mashed Red Potatoes
8 medium red potatoes, cut into thirds
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup half n half
1/4 cup butter, melted
salt and pepper
garlic powder

Cover potatoes with water and add garlic.  Bring to a boil, and boil until tender when pierced with a fork (not too soft, but tender.)  Drain.  Add butter, half n half, salt and pepper, and garlic powder.  Mix with electric mixer or mash, adding seasoning and extra milk to desired taste and consistency. 


Mushroom Gravy
Sautee 8 oz sliced mushrooms in 1 TBSP butter, until softened and browned.  Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and simmer.  Thicken with a little cornstarch mixed with water.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Delicious!


Seasoned Veggies
Steam sliced carrots, cauliflower and broccoli florets until desired tenderness.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Toss to coat.

Served with Grilled Chicken (we just seasoned it generously with salt and pepper--our kids love it 'plain' like this) and Oat Dinner Rolls.

Spinach Quiche, Lemon Bread, Berry Yogurt Parfaits with Homemade Granola

Served for Staff Luncheon June 2011

Special thanks to Genene for the inspiration for this fabulous menu!

Spinach Quiche
This was my mom's favorite growing up--but since it was way too sophisticated for us kids, she'd only make it on her birthday.  Now I love it!  Enjoy.

9-inch unbaked pie shell
2 Tbsp green onions, chopped
3 fresh mushrooms, chopped small (optional--I like them and used them today)
1 T olive oil
10 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
1 1/4 cup grated baby Swiss cheese (can use Havarti or Jack. . . .I like Jarlsburg).
4 eggs
scant 2 cups half-n-half
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cooked chopped spinach, well drained (can use frozen or fresh)

Preheat oven to 425.  Fill pie shell with foil and place beans or marbles (something weighty) in the foil to prevent the crust from puffing up during pre-baking.  Pre-bake pie shell 10 minutes.  Remove filling and set pie shell aside.  Meanwhile, sautee green onions and mushrooms, if using, in 1 T olive oil until softened.

Sprinkle bacon over bottom of pie shell.  Top with swiss cheese. 

Beat eggs with half n half and salt.  Add spinach, green onions, and mushrooms to egg mixture and combine.  Pour mixture over cheese and bacon. 

Bake at 425 20 minutes with foil around the edge of the crust.  Reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 30 minutes.  You may remove foil during the last 10 minutes to brown crust. 

Test for done-ness with clean knife in center.  If knife comes out clean and center is set (it may jiggle a bit like a cheesecake or jello) it is done.  Let sit 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Pie crust:
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup crisco
1/4 cup ice water

Combine flour and salt.  Cut in Crisco until like small crumbs.  Pour water evenly over crumbs, and stir dough until ball forms (don't over mix once water is added).  Turn dough onto sheet of waxed paper.  (If dough is very sticky, add sprinkles of flour.)  Place another sheet of waxed paper on top.  Using your pie plate, press the ball of dough into a circle shape.  Roll with a rolling pin to desired size (a little bigger than your pie plate).  Remove wax paper from top.  Replace lightly, and turn over.  Remove other wax paper sheet and discard.  Place crust (pastry-side down) over pie plate and remove wax paper from top.  Press into pie plate, shaping as desired.  If it sticks to the wax paper, set it in the fridge for 10 minutes and try again.  

Lemon Bread 
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup lemon yogurt
1/4 cup milk
zest from 2 lemons
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

Glaze:
2 TBS lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease 9x5x3 loaf pan.  Cream margarine and sugar.  Add eggs, and beat well.  Mix in yogurt, milk and lemon zest.  Sift together and add: flour, salt, baking powder.  Mix together and pour into prepared pan.  Bake about 45 minutes, or until golden on top and toothpick comes out clean.  Meanwhile, mix lemon juice with sugar.  Pour over loaf immediately after removing from oven.  Cool in pan.


Berry Yogurt Parfaits with Homemade Granola
Layer in parfait glasses: Tillamook Vanilla Bean Yogurt, berries, spoonful of granola.  Repeat until glasses are full.  Garnish with remaining berries.  I used blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and chopped strawberries.


Homemade Granola:

2 c brown sugar

1 c vegetable oil

1 c water

3 tsp vanilla

2 tsp salt

8 c Quick Rolled Oats

3 c Wheaties

2 c wheat germ

2 c coconut flakes

2/3 c sliced almonds

Combine liquid ingredients and sugar, then add remaining ingredients. Stir to coat. Spread mixture onto two rimmed cookie sheets and bake at 250 until light brown (about 2 hours), stirring occasionally. Cool and store in airtight container.  You can add raisins or other dried fruit/nuts of your choice after it has cooled.

Grilled Teriyaki Pork, Sweet Raspberry Biscuits

Teriyaki Pork Marinade

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup grape or apple juice

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salad oil

Combine ingredients and pour over pork chops. Marinate until ready to cook (at least 30 minutes.) Grill until done. 

Sweet Raspberry Biscuits

These are a family favorite! You can use any kind of jam.  We have tried raspberry, triple berry, and strawberry--all good.

2 cups baking mix (I use Jiffy)

2 TBSP sugar

1/4 cup cold butter

2/3 cup milk

Raspberry jam

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

a little warm water 

 

Heat oven to 425.  Place 12 muffin liners in muffin tin.  

Combine baking mix and sugar.  Cut in butter until like coarse crumbs.  Add milk and stir until moistened. Layer in muffin liners: batter (enough to cover the bottom), 1 tsp jam, batter. 

Bake at 425 about 12 minutes, until starting to brown on top and cooked through.  Cool slightly.  

Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar with vanilla and enough water to make a glaze.  Drizzle glaze over biscuits.  Enjoy!  I think they're best warm.  

Served with roasted red potatoes and a green salad. 

Chicken Alberghetti

A friend brought this to me after one of my babies was born. I  loved it!  Tonight, I used my cast iron skillet to brown the chicken, then poured heated sauce around it, covered it and stuck it right in the oven.  It cooked faster (30 minutes total in the oven), and clean up was easy!

Chicken Alberghetti

26 oz can of Spaghetti sauce

1/2 cup half n half

3-4 pieces of white bread, broken in pieces

1 egg, beaten

4 chicken breasts (sliced in half if large)

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella 

1/4 cup shredded swiss cheese (optional)

1/2 cup grated parmesan

Dilute spaghetti sauce with half n half and pour in 9x13 dish. Place bread in blender. Blend until in crumbs. Place crumbs in shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg, then in crumbs. Brown chicken in oil over medium high heat.

Nestle chicken in sauce and top each piece with cheeses. Bake at 300 degress for 30 minutes covered, 15 minutes uncovered. Serve with spaghetti noodles. 

Served with green salad and Best Breadsticks.

Ham and Veggie Omelet, Whole Wheat Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes

Ham and Veggie Omelet

This is delicious!

1/2 T butter

1/2 green pepper, diced small

1/2 red pepper, diced small

2 mushrooms, diced

1 ham steak, diced small

1 T chopped fresh parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper

3 extra large eggs

1 T whole milk

salt and pepper

1/2 c Monterey jack cheese, shredded

Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. When butter starts to color, stir in veggies. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies have started to soften. Add ham and stir to combine. Cook another minute, then add parsley and garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.

Remove veggie mixture and keep warm in a bowl in a warm oven. Wipe skillet out with paper towel.

Crack eggs into medium bowl. Add whole milk and salt and pepper. Blend well. Melt 1/2 T butter over medium high heat in same skillet, spreading to coat. When butter begins to brown, pour eggs in center. Bring the outside to the middle until glossy and starting to set. Spread Monterey Jack cheese over the eggs. Pour filling on one side. Slide omelet out of pan onto serving plate, and use pan to fold over onto itself. Serve immediately. 

 Whole Wheat Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes

I love blueberries and always have some in the freezer.  When I want to use them inside any kind of bread, I rinse them until the water runs clear.  This way, they aren't so cold (promoting even cooking) and don't bleed into the batter.  Dry them off with a paper towel before using. 

1 cup unbleached white flour

1 cup whole white wheat flour

2 TBSP sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 large egg

3 TBSP butter, melted

2 cups buttermilk

blueberries, rinsed and dried

Place flour, sugar, powder, soda and salt in large bowl.  Whisk to combine.  
In a separate bowl, whisk together egg and butter.  Add buttermilk and whisk to combine. 
Make a well in the dry ingredients.  Pour in the buttermilk mixture and whisk gently to incorporate.  Don't overmix--you'll still have some lumps.

Heat griddle to 350 degrees.  Spread a little butter on the griddle.  Pour pancake batter by the 1/4 cupful onto the hot griddle and place several blueberries on top of each pancake.  Cook until the edges start to dry and the bottom is browned.  Flip and cook until done.  Re-butter the griddle as needed between batches.

Served with hashbrowns and fruit.

Crock-pot Italian Chicken with Mushrooms

Crock-Pot Italian Chicken with Mushrooms

I love the crock-pot for those days when you don't want to think about dinner too much during the crazy dinner-time chaos.  Put this in around lunchtime for a yummy dinner.  If you cook it all day, the chicken will be overdone.

2-4 frozen chicken breasts (depending on size. . . 2 of the huge Costco ones does it for my family)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
5 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 pkg Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix
4 oz Neufchatel cheese
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 can golden mushroom soup

Cooked egg noodles
black pepper
fresh parsley

Spray crock-pot with PAM.  Put chicken breasts in crock-pot.  Spread onions and mushrooms on top of chicken.  Microwave cheese until soft.  Stir in Italian Dressing mix, golden mushroom soup, and chicken broth until combined.  Spread over chicken.  Cook on low 4-6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through and tender.  Break chicken into pieces.  Serve over egg noodles.  Pass black pepper and garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. 

Note: We also like this with artichoke hearts and olives instead of the mushrooms.  Add the artichoke hearts in the last half hour or so, to heat through, and pass sliced olives and grated Parmesan at the table. 

Served with green salad and grape clusters.