Garlic Lime Chicken

This is easy, turns out great, and is so yummy! (Plus, it was a great way to get rid of the generic Ritz crackers I bought- they crumble just when you look at them!!!)

1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp thyme
3 Tb butter
1C Ritz crackers, smashed
2 chicken breasts, sliced into small strips
2 Tb lime juice
2 Tb Parmesan cheese

In plastic bag, mix everything except butter, chicken, lime juice, and Parmesan. Drop chicken in melted butter then put in bag to coat. Place pieces in well greased baking dish. Dribble lime juice over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 30-40 min at 350 degrees.

Triple-Layer Pumpkin Spice Pie

Not the same as a real pumpkin pie, but still very very yummy!

2C cold milk
2 pkg (small boxes) Pumpkin Spice Flavor Pudding Mix (we used one pumpkin spice and one regular old vanilla)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tub (8 oz) whipped topping
1 graham cracker crust
1/2 C pecan halves
1 Tbsp honey

Beat milke, pudding mixes, and cinnamon with wire whisk until well blended.

Spread 1 1/2C onto bottom of pie crust.

Add 1 1/2C of the whipped topping to the remaining pudding mixture; stir gently. Spoon over layer in crust.

Top with remaining whipped topping.

Set aside in fridge for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, cook pecans and honey in skillet on med-low heat until pecans are carmelized, stirring frequently. Spread onto waxed paper. Cool. Sprinkle over pie before serving.

Chicken Pot Pie

This is our favorite pot pie recipe, especially because my kids don't like using cream of mushroom soup for the filling. My older son will eat pot pie for almost every meal as long as we have leftovers. Also, it is a great way to use that leftover turkey we will all have this week!

Preheat Oven to 425 degrees.

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
1C sliced carrots
1C frozen peas
1/2C celery
1/3C butter
1/3C chopped onion
1/3C flour
1/2tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp celery seed
1 3/4C chicken broth
2/3C milk

2- 9 inch deep dish pie crusts (unbaked)

In saucepan combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15min. Drain and set aside. (I usually boil these in chicken broth and use the reserves to the 1 3/4C chicken broth that you need later in the recipe. Also, use whatever veggies you want- but reduce the amounts of others or your pie will overflow)

In saucepan, over medium heat cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, peppter, and celery seed (don't think I ever remember the celery seed). Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place chicken/veggie mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour liquid mixture on top. Cover with top crust, seal edges. Make several small slits in top to allow steam out.

Bake in preheated oven 30-35min or until golden brown and filling is bubbly.

South of the Border Chicken Stew

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt
black pepper
2 TB olive oil
1 1/2C chopped onions
1 C seeded, chopped green bell peppers
1C diced celery
1 TB chopped garlic
2 tsp dried oregano
4C reduced sodium chicken broth
1 1/2C frozen corn (thawed)
1 1/2C canned diced tomatoes, with liquid (who measures canned diced tomatoes but the cup? crazy people. we always measure by the can, and thus we just poured a bunch in...)

3C baby spinach
1/4 tsp hot-pepper sauce
1/2C nonfat plain yogurt


Cut chicken into 1 inch chunks and lightly season with salt/pepper.

Heat 1 TB oil in 4-5 qt pot over med-high heat. Lightly brown chicken (about 5 min). Put chicken in bowl.


Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 TB oil, onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 min. Stir in oregano, broth, and dash of salt. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in corn, tomatoes, and chicken and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occassionally. Stir in spinach and hot pepper sauce.

Serve with plain yogurt (or sour cream) and some chopped green onions on top.



We even used the plain yogurt, which was surprisingly delightful. (and I am one to ignore fat and go for all out sour cream!)

Jenny's Caribbean Tuna and Fruit Kabobs

1/2 C lime juice
1 C orange juice
4 Tbl honey
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne

1 lb. tuna steak, cut into 16 1-inch cubes
1/2 tsp salt
24 1-inch cubes fresh pineapple
2 peeled, pitted mangos, cut into 24 chunks


1. Stir lime juice, orange juice, honey, allspice, thyme, and cayenne together in a small bowl. Marinate the fish in 1 C of the lime juice mixture in the fridge for 1 hour. Reserve remaining marinade.

2. Preheat broiler

3. Remove tuna from marinade and sprinkle with salt. Thread fruit and tuna onto skewers. (Fills approx 8 skewers)

4. Place kebobs on baking sheet coated with cooking spray and brush with reserved marinade. Broil 3 mins. Turn kebobs, brush with reserve marinade, and broil 3-4 more minutes, or until tuna is cooked (flaky and not translucent)


Serve with rice.


Obviously you could also grill these and they would be just as yummy. And that is what they are- yummy! This would also be good with chicken, so in the future we will also make a couple chicken kebobs for our younger and pickier child.

Couscous and Black Bean Salad

I have just been too busy unpacking and getting my internet connected to actually post what I have been cooking (frozen lasagna, anyone?). Now we are finally back into the swing of things, and lest ye think that I never cook, I think I should finally contribute. Here is a salad my little sister sent to me that I made last week to go with some steaks Jim grilled up.

We give it 3 stars (Jim said he would have preferred less couscous and more of the "other stuff")!!! I thought it was super yummy!

Couscous and Black Bean Salad

1C uncooked couscous
1 1/4C chicken broth
3T olive oil
2T fresh lime juice
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp ground cumin
8 green onions, chopped (I didn't have any, so I threw in 1/4 red onion, diced)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4C fresh cilantro
1C frozen corn kernals, thawed
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (I did 1 can black beans and 1 can kidney beans)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 2qt or larger sauce pan and stir in the couscous. Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand 5 min.

In large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, and cumin. Add green onions, red pepper, corn and beans and toss to coat.

Fluff the couscous well, breaking up any large chunks. Add to the bowl with the vegetables and mix well. Season with salt/pepper as desired.

Serve immediately or refridgerate.


Oh, FYI- we served this freshly made the first time and then for leftovers we never heated it up. It was just as good cold as when first prepared.