Apple Pecan Chicken Salad

• Nothing like alight summery meal.  Chicken salad sandwiches are great for lunch, dinner, for a snack, whenever!  This one was very tasty...loved the apples especially :)  I even made the homemade mayo this time around!  It would be great even if you bought the store bough stuff.
• Apple Pecan Chicken Salad
• From:  Confections of a Foodie Bride
• For the mayo
• 2 large eggs*
• 1 large egg yolk*
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp white (or black) pepper
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• For the chicken salad
• 1 cup slivered blanched almonds (or chopped pecans)
• 2 whole boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored, peeled, and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup red onion, minced
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup homemade mayo
• Salt
• Black pepper

*Use pasteurized eggs if you’ll be serving children, pregnant women, or anyone else who might be immuno-compromised.

1. Make the mayo: Blend eggs, yolk, salt, pepper, mustard, and lemon juice in a blender. Stream in the oils and blend on high until thickened. Extra mayo can be stored in a jar in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
2. Toast the almonds: Preheat the oven to 350. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast 7-9 minutes. Let cool.
3. Make the chicken salad: In a large bowl, stir together the chicken, apple, celery, onions, and parsley, and just enough mayo to bind the chicken salad. Salt and pepper to taste. If serving, add the almonds. If making ahead of time, wait to add the almonds until just before assembling the sandwiches.

Summertime Spinach Salad

I love a good summer salad.  I love it even better if it is good for you!  This one caught my eye because it has fresh spinach (love that), strawberries (oh boy), and bananas (what!)  The combo is great and the dressing pulls it altogether.  My husband would disagree, he thought the bananas and the vinegar in the dressing was too much.  You be the judge.  I think it's a great side to any of your summertime grilled meat :)

Summertime Spinach Salad

From: Real Mom Kitchen

½ cup vegetable oil ( I use canola)
¼ cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cider or red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
1-½ teaspoons ground mustard
½ teaspoon salt
1-½ teaspoons poppy seeds
8 cups torn fresh spinach
3 green onions, sliced
2 pints fresh strawberries sliced
3 large bananas cut into ½ inch slices
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted (it works fine if they are not toasted too)

Place the first six ingredients into a blender or food processor; cover and process until the sugar is dissolved. Add the poppy seeds; process just until blended. In a salad bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Drizzle with dressing; toss to coat. Serve immediately. 14 servings.

Foil Packet Potatoes

These potatoes don't exactly fit into my diet plan, but Sunday is my "cheat day," and I decided to splurge a little with these and dessert (ooops...better do double the workout tomorrow!)  These were really good, haven't done potatoes quite like this on the grill, but they are wonderful!  We served them up with some grilled chicken.

Foil Packet Potatoes

From:  Cassie Craves

8 baby red potatoes
Half of a red onion, diced
Half of a green bell pepper, diced
6 slices of bacon, fried to desired crispness and chopped
4 tablespoons butter
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Shredded colby cheese
Sour cream

1. Cut each potato in half lengthwise, then slice into half-moons. Place half of the potatoes in the center of a piece of foil; repeat process with the second half of the potatoes and a second sheet of foil. Top potatoes with red onion, bell pepper, and bacon. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons butter.

2. Close the foil packets, being sure to seal all openings.

3. Place on the hottest part of the grill and cook for 40 minutes, turning packets over halfway through cooking.

4. Let cool 10 minutes before opening. Top each serving with shredded cheese and sour cream, if desired. Serve in foil.

Lemon Raspberry Bars

I have still been trying to take advantage of berries being affordable, and this is my latest recipe using the yummy raspberries that are in season right now.  These bars are fairly a quick fix and delicious.  Anything with fresh berries is alright in my book :)

Lemon Raspberry Bars

From:  Two Peas and Their Pod

For the crust:
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
Zest of one lemon

For the filling:

2 large egg yolks
1-14 oz. can fat free sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
6 ounces fresh raspberries

directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 8 by 8 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Stir until graham cracker crumbs are moist. Press crumbs into the prepared pan, pressing the crust mixture one inch up the side of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

Once the crust is cool, combine the egg yolks and condensed milk until well mixed. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir until mixture begins to slightly thicken. Gently fold in the raspberries. Fold carefully so you don't break the raspberries.

Pour the lemon raspberry filling evenly over the graham cracker crust. Bake for 15 minutes, or until just set.

Cool to room temperature, then chill for at least one hour before serving. Cut into bars and serve. Keep bars in the refrigerator-up to five days.

*Note-use fresh raspberries and make sure you gently fold the berries into the lemon filling or you will have pink bars.

French Dip Sandwiches

We have been hitting up the water park many evenings this summer, getting home around 6 or 7.  We really are not in a position to eat out numerous times a week, and so my new best friend is the crockpot.  I threw this meat in yesterday morning, and when we came home all I had to do was shred it and put it on a bun with cheese.  Thank you to the genius who came up with the idea for the crockpot!  And these sandwiches are great, too :)


French Dip Sandwiches

1 2.5-3 lb. beef roast (you can use a frozen roast if you want)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
2 1-ounce packages dry onion soup mix
2 c. water
2 cans beef broth
6-8 large buns (or more...6 would be VERY generous servings!)
Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper.

When very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. You're not cooking the meat, you're just browning it quickly on all sides to add flavor and seal in the juices.

Place in crockpot and sprinkle with onion soup mixes. Pour water and beef broth over roast.

Cook 8-10 hours on low or cook 4-5 hours on high and another 3-4 hours on low. It's hard to screw this part up; basically, the longer it cooks, the more tender it will be. But you know it's done when you pop a fork in it and the meat just falls apart. When meat is ready, shred with a fork.

Place meat in crusty rolls. Top with cheese and broil open-faced in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes, until bread is golden and cheese is melty.

Ladle juices into small cups for dipping and enjoy! (I thickened mine up a bit with some corn starch and water...start with a tablespoon of each, mix and let it cook for a minute.  If you'd like it thicker, repeat).

Recipe by OurBestBites

Lemon Chicken Sandwich with Pesto Mayo

Lemon, avocado, pesto, grilled....what else says summer like these flavors!  This sandwich was light and very  tasty, perfect for a weeknight summertime night.  The recipe called for sourdough bread, but I have 2 packages of hamburger buns that needed to be used, so we used those.....still great!   The pesto mayo was the kicker for me, so dang good!


Lemon Chicken Sandwich with Pesto Mayo
From:  Our Family Treat

3 chicken breasts
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
1 garlic clove-minced

Marinate in zip lock bag for at least three hours.  Once marinated, grill up chicken breasts and slice thinly.

Pesto Mayo:
4 tablespoons pesto 
3/4 cup mayo

Mix together and refrigerate for at least at hour.

8 slices bacon
8 slices of sour dough bread
8 slices of provolone cheese
1 avocado sliced

Assemble your sandwich...put a small layer of pesto mayo on top and bottom slice of bread. Then add cheese, chicken, bacon and avocado. Serve warm!

Ranchero Chicken Crostada

It's no secret that I love me some Mexican food!  This one found me today on a search for something I could make in a hurry with only the few ingredients I had on hand (I suppose it's time to hit up the grocery store!)  Canned chicken, canned beans, Rotel tomatoes, pie crust, and a few fresh ingredients...yep, it's pretty easy, tasty, and quick!  Think pizza meets taco, meets pie, and this is what you get!  This was my first ever crostada, and seeing how it was so easy, I'm excited to try more :)

Ranchero Chicken Crostada

1 roll Pillsbury pie crust, thawed 2 cups shredded chicken 1 can (10-oz.) mild Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 2 tsp. ranch dressing powder 1 tsp. cumin 1 cup shredded cheese 1 can (15.5-oz.) black beans, drained 1 red bell pepper, chopped lettuce, chopped ranch dressing Directions:   Roll crust onto Pam-treated baking sheet.  In large mixing bowl, mix chicken,  Ro-Tel, cilantro, ranch powder, cumin, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, black beans, and red  pepper.   Spread chicken mixture onto pie dough leaving a 1-2-inch border around the  edges.  Fold this border up over chicken to make a deep-dish pizza-like crust,  forming pleats every 2 inches or so.  Brush olive oil on crust.  Bake at 375° for 25-30  minutes.  Top with chopped Romaine lettuce and drizzle with ranch dressing. From the Recipe Shoebox.

Pan Fried Pork Chops with Onions

I have tried a lot of pork chop recipes lately...most of them have been great!  This is a fairly healthy version.  The onion gravy on top was delicious..and coming from someone who despises raw onions, this is saying a lot (there is something about cooked soft onions that is so much better!)  It is a quick recipe to put together, great for a weeknight or fancy enough for a Sunday dinner.


Pan Fried Pork Chops with Onions

From:  cdk kitchen

4 bone-in pork chops (boneless worked great)
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons oil
2 medium onions, sliced
1/2 cup water (I ended up using more like 1 cup)

Sprinkle pork chops evenly with Creole seasoning; dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Cook chops in hot oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat, 1-2 minutes each side or until brown. Remove from skillet and keep warm.

Add onion and 1/2 cup water to skillet, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet, saute 10 minutes or golden brown, adding small amounts of water if needed so onions won't burn. Return chops to skillet, add 1/2 cup more water, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 5 minutes (I had thick pork chops and left them in for 15 minutes).

Hershey's Fudgey Chocolate Fondue

I hosted a baby shower here over the weekend...good times with good gals :)  The theme of the night was fondue, and this was my contribution.  After going to Hershey, PA a few days ago, I  was all about using a Hershey recipe!  And I must admit, the next day I had it cold out of the refrigerator with pretzels...tasted like brownie batter...yummy!

Hershey's Fudgey Chocolate Fondue

From:  Hershey's Website

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup Hershey's cocoa

Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat; immediately stir in cocoa. Add sugar and evaporated milk. 

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and hot. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Fondue will thicken slightly as it cools. Serve warm with Assorted Fondue Dippers. About 1-1/2 cups fondue.

Blueberry Muffins with Cinnamon Crumb Topping

I love blueberries....and I love that they are so cheap right now!  I had a few that needed to be used up, and came across this recipe.  I haven't made homemade muffins in a long time and they sounded excellent.  These were GREAT!  Quite possibly one of the better muffins I have ever made :)


Blueberry Muffins with Cinnamon Crumb Topping
From:  Jamie Cooks It Up


Muffins:
1 1/2 C flour
3/4 C sugar
1/2 t salt
2 t baking powder
1/3 C canola oil (or vegetable)
1 egg
2/3 C milk
1 C fresh or frozen blueberries


Crumb Topping:
1/2 C white sugar
1/3 C flour
1/4 C butter, cubed
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
In a medium sized bowl stir together the dry ingredients. In a small bowl whisk together the wet....then, let the two worlds collide, folks. Stir just until incorporated, don't over mix.



Add the blueberries and stir ever so carefully. You don't want that beautiful purple juice spreading all over into your batter. If it does, let's not cry about it okay? Let's just be happy about our lives. It is summer after all, and the world is a beautiful place. And we're making muffins. All good things, my friends.



To make the crumb topping choose your self out a small bowl and mix up the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Add the cubed, cold butter and smash it all around with a pastry blender or fork.



This is what you're looking for, nice crumbly crumbs.



Line your muffin tins with liners (or don't, if you don't have any....let's not cry if we don't, okay?) Fill the liners 3/4 of the way full, then sprinkle with the crumb topping.



Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.

Asian Chicken Peanut Wraps

There is something about summer that makes me want sandwiches, salads, and wraps!  This one was great with some wonderful flavors.  To be honest, though, I think I liked this Rachael Ray one better, but this was was a bonus because it was easier to put together!


Asian Chicken Peanut Wraps
From:Recipe Shoebox
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
olive oil (for brushing)
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1 grated carrot
1/2 cup snow peas
4 pita breads or large flour tortillas
lettuce leaves 
SAUCE: 
(if using shredded chicken, I recommend making a 1-1/2 batch of the sauce)
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 Tbs. soy sauce
3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
zest of one lime 
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Brush chicken with oil and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until no longer pink and juices run clear.  Set aside, allow to cool, and chop into cubes (or shred it).  

In a sauce pan,  immerse the snow peas in  boiling water for 30-60 seconds.  Immediately drain the boiling water and immerse the snow peas in a bowl filled with icy cold water.  Allow to sit for 2 minutes in the cold water, then drain and set aside.  


Meanwhile, in a bowl whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, lime zest, sugar, ginger, sesame oil, and garlic until smooth. 


In a large bowl, toss the cooled chicken and snow peas,  celery, green onions, and carrot.  Pour peanut butter dressing over the chicken/veggie mixture and toss until evenly coated.  Spoon into lettuce lined pitas or tortillas and roll.  Makes 4 servings.

Grilled Corn Salad

I love finding new ways to enjoy corn.  We love grilling it, especially.  That's why this salad caught my eye.  The sweetness of the corn and the smoky cumin tasted dang good together.  We will make this again!

Grilled Corn Salad

From: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

6 ears of corn, still in their husks
1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 green onions, thinly sliced

To prepare the corn, carefully peel back the husk without removing it completely and tear off the silky threads. Gently fold the husk back over the corn. Fill a large bowl or pot with cold water and soak the de-silked corn for 15-30 minutes.

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Place the corn (still in it’s husk) on the grill and cook the corn, flipping it when each side turns black and charred. The whole grilling process should take about 8-10 minutes (depending on the heat of your grill). The corn husks will get awfully black but don’t worry about that. If you are worried about whether the corn is done, using an oven mitt or something else to protect your hands, pull back the husk and gently cut off a piece of the corn to test it.

When the corn is juicy and cooked, cut the kernels off the cob (again, using an oven mitt or towel to hold the hot corn while you cut off the kernels). Toss the hot corn with the butter. Stir in the cumin, salt, pepper and green onions. Serve immediately.

Chili Cheese Frito Salad

Oh my...this stuff is quite addicting!  The picture is awful...I forgot to take a picture until after the Fritos got all soggy, but don't let that fool you!  This salad would be great for all your summer BBQs, goes great with burgers and hot dogs.  It is very simple and comes together quickly.  The flavor is great, the crunch, the sweetness from the corn, and creamy dressing...you cannot go wrong.  The downside....leftovers are nasty!  Nothing like soggy chips :)   Try this soon!

Chili Cheese Frito Salad

From:  Real Mom Kitchen

• 3 (14 oz.) cans of corn, drained
• 1/4 of a red pepper, diced
• 1/4 green pepper, diced
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 (9 1/4 oz) bag of chili cheese fritos

1. Combine corn, peppers,onion, cheese, and mayo in a bowl.
2. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
3. Just before serving mix in the fritos. I save about a handful to sprinkle on the top.  Enjoy and eat it all because it’s not good as leftover.  The fritos get too soggy.