Garlic Balsamic Asparagus

1 lb. asparagus
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
1 tsp. minced or pressed garlic

If roasting in the oven, heat oven to 425. If grilling, prepare grill to medium heat. Wash asparagus and then remove the bottom couple of inches of each stalk. Just snap off the woody ends. It may seem wasteful, but you won't eat it, anyway--it's too tough and is one of the big reasons why lot of people don't like asparagus.

In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, and garlic. Drizzle over asparagus and toss to coat.

If roasting, place in a single layer on a broiling pan. If grilling, reduce heat to low, lightly oil grill, and place asparagus perpendicular to the grate of the grill. Drizzle any remaining oil/vinegar mix over the asparagus.


If using oven, roast for 10 minutes, turning once. If using grill, grill for 8-10 minutes or until asparagus is bright green and still slightly crisp, turning very frequently.
Serve immediately.

*D: Asparagus?! That's what I thought when I was faced with the dilemma of cooking this veggie. I don't love asparagus, but I remembered a time last year when my mom made me try bacon-wrapped asparagus while we were in Disneyland. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. But let's be honest for a moment...probably any vegetable wrapped in bacon and grilled to a crisp is going to be delicious. But I liked it then, so I thought I'd give it a try. And besides, don't you think of asparagus as kind of "high class?" I mean, it's not like you get served asparagus every day.


This recipe was delightfully easy and totally delicious! We did the oven method and it turned out great. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. I probably didn't let them cook long enough, and the flavor was still very strong, perhaps a teensy bit bitter, but very robust.


The recipe calls for a pound of asparagus, I don't know how much I had vs how much I used. I just knew Tyler and I were not going to eat a pound of asparagus, so I used about 15 stalks. There did seem to be a little excess sauce, but too much dressing is never a bad thing. I probably could have done 5 more without breaking a sweat. Any more than that and I think you might need to double the sauce recipe.


Next time you want to impress company, try some asparagus and let me know how it goes. ;)


Enjoy! (I know I did.)


I found this recipe here: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/06/garlic-basalmic-asparagus.html Pin It

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

Brownie Base
1 box (1 lb 6.5 oz) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box

Filling

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk

Topping

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter


1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray or shortening. (For easier cutting, line pan with foil, then grease foil on bottom only of pan.)

2. In medium bowl, stir brownie mix, pouch of chocolate syrup, water, oil and eggs until well blended. Spread in pan. Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

3. In medium bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over brownie base.

4. In small microwavable bowl, microwave topping ingredients uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds; stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes; spread over filling. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set. For brownies, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Follow High Altitude directions for 13x9-inch pan on brownie mix box

*D: I got this message right off of the Betty Crocker website. I love it because it's easy and takes ingredients I usually have on hand. That makes it nice when I get called to bring a dessert to a dinner party or something. However, this recipe is not a quick one. You have to wait for the brownies to completely cool before to you top them with peanut butter goodness. I used a regular brownie mix but added an extra egg to make them "cake-like." Also, if you use milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet, be aware that because there is more fat in them they don't harden as well. I don't know if the butter helps with that or not, so you might just end up with a gooey topped brownie...and no one minds gooey brownies! Pin It

Honey-Garlic Shrimp/Chicken Stir Fry

4 - 6 cups cooked rice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 TBSP honey
1 garlic clove, minced OR 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 TBSP oil
4 cups veggies (broccoli, carrots, zucchini, squash, cauliflower, pea pods...etc)
1 lb shrimp (51 - 60) or chicken (diced and cooked)

Mix soy sauce, honey and garlic in a small bowl. Heat in microwave for 10 seconds to mix honey easier. Heat oil in fry pan; when hot, add veggies. Cook approximately 2 - 5 minutes until tender-crisp. If cooked too long they will be mushy after next steps are done. Add shrimp/chicken and sauce and cook until warmed through. Note: if you like sauce, you may want to double the sauce next time. Very good flavor!

*D: I use chicken because it's cheaper, frozen veggies because it's winter (for now) and they are already chopped. When I use frozen veggies I usually use a mix and then just add regular carrots or whatever else I have. You just have to make sure your veggies don't turn mushy from being heated too long. This is an easy delicious recipe! Pin It

Scotcheroos

1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup light corn syrup
6 cups crisp rice cereal
6 oz chocolate chips
6 oz butterscotch chips

Combine sugar and corn syrup. Heat to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter. Pour over cereal. Press mixture into a buttered 9X13 dish. Melt chips together (approximately 3 minutes in the microwave). Pour over mixture in dish. Spread smooth. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Cut and serve.

*D: I also have another recipe that has you just put the first three ingredients in a pan together and heat until the sugar has dissolved. I have done it both ways and it works just fine. If you don't refrigerate, the chocolate will continue to be gooey/runny. If you cool the scotcheroos, the chocolate topping will be firm and delicious. These are my favorite treat! I could eat a whole pan if I had the stomach for it.


6 cups of rice cereal is about half a box, just FYI. Pin It

Scalloped Potatoes and Onions

5 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3/4 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Paprika

In a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish, layer potatoes and onion.

In a saucepan, melt the butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add broth, mayonnaise, salt and pepper; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly. Pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika.

Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours or until tender.

*D: Where's the cheese?! This recipe doesn't call for cheese, but it's one of the best recipes I've tasted, so I always add some. Just a layer on top before I bake it. I use dehydrated onions because it's easier than chopping, and that works just fine. Sometimes when a recipe calls for paprika, I totally skip that part, but not in this recipe. I'm a recently converted paprika fan. When a recipe calls for chicken broth (in general) I use bouillon rather than opening a can. If it calls for lots of broth (2 or 3 cans), then I will use the can instead of the granules.


I don't usually end up baking this for 2 hours unless I cut the potatoes thick or there are 2 dishes of it in the oven. Check the potatoes after 1/2 hour to 45 minutes to see if they are fork tender. Pin It

Taco Casserole

1 lb hamburger - brown with onions
2 cans (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 1/2 TBSP chili powder
1 can cream of chicken soup
shredded cheese
corn tortillas

Brown hamburger with onions and then drain. Mix with tomato sauce and chili powder. In a separate bowl, mix soup and milk. Layer tortillas, meat mixture, soup mixture and top with lots of cheese. Bake uncovered at 350* for 15 - 20 minutes.

*D: Yum, yum and yum.

I cut back on the chili powder a bit, and I did not add enough corn tortillas to the bottom of the pan. When I made this I had about 1/2 pound of cooked ground beef already in my freezer, so I used that. The recipe made enough for 2 - 4 people, so if you plan to feed more than that, you may have to 1 and a half it or just double it. It's hard to say for sure since I only used half the meat, but when I made this I baked it in a square glass dish, 8 X 8 I think.

Great recipe, tastes almost like enchiladas.

Possible side dishes: corn, Mexican rice, beans, salad. Pin It

Apricot Chicken

1 cup Russian Dressing1 pkg. onion soup mix
1 cup Apricot jam
4 chicken breast halves

Mix first three ingredients together in baking dish. Cut raw chicken into bite size pieces. Add chicken and stir together. Bake covered at 350* for 30 minutes and then bake for another 30 minutes uncovered. Be sure chicken is completely cooked. Serve over rice.

*This is an absolute favorite of mine, and Tyler kind of enjoys it. I've heard it called Sticky Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken, The Best Chicken Ever, Apricot Chicken...I guess it's a versatile meal.

A couple of things: Russian dressing isn't really all that popular, and can therefore be kind of pricey. You can use Catalina dressing and it will still be delicious. Also, you can use either peach or apricot jam in your recipe. And don't forget that if you don't have an envelope of onion soup mix you can make it instead. (Click on the ingredient above.)

This particular recipe says to chop the chicken into small pieces and serve over rice, which is what I usually do. My sister-in-law cooks the breasts whole and just pours dressing over the rice. Another recipe I've seen has you chop the chicken into smaller bits, but everything is done on the stove top. Here is that basic recipe:

Brown chicken in a pan in hot oil. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until chicken is tender and sauce thickens. Serve over cooked rice.

I prefer the oven method because I just mix, put it in the oven and walk away.

Possible side dishes (besides rice): green salad, sliced peaches, green beans. Potatoes are not recommended unless you forgo the rice (too much starch). Pin It

Rosemary Red Potatoes

1 3/4 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
1 small onion, quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

In a bowl, combine the potatoes, onion, oil, rosemary, garlic and garlic salt; toss to coat. Transfer to a foil-lined 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and browned.

*D: I have tried this recipe with russets and Yukon golds and it works great. Feel free to use whatever kind of potato you have. It might be easier to put all the ingredients into a bag to toss, but I usually use a bowl.


This is one of our favorite potato recipes! It's easy and delicious! Pin It

Extra Easy Lasagna

3/4 pound ground beef
3 cups spaghetti sauce
6 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese (about 2 cups)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup water

Brown the ground beef. Spoon off fat. Add spaghetti sauce; heat through stirring occasionally.

In 2-quart oblong baking dish, spread 1 1/2 cups meat mixture. top with three uncooked lasagna noodles, half the ricotta cheese, and half the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Top with remaining meat mixture. Slowly pour water around the inside edges of t baking dish. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 375* for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

*D: This is so easy to make and tastes like lasagna. I know that's a silly thing to say, but sometimes "easy" recipes don't taste like the hard recipe. This one, however, does. I would caution you to make sure you layer your lasagna as follows:


1 1/2 cup meat
3 lasagna noodles
1 cup ricotta
1 cup mozzarella
1 1/2 cup meat
3 lasagna noodles
1 cup ricotta
1 cup mozzarella
remaining meat


I did not read the instructions right and had a total lapse in judgement when I made this and ended up with my ricotta/mozzarella layers on top, so then I had to open another jar of spaghetti sauce to top it off.


I also like to put mozzarella on top. I use home-made spaghetti sauce, and that tends to be a little runnier anyway. If you are using home-made, you don't need to put in all the water. Maybe 1/8 cup or none at all. Ours ended up pretty runny because I added the full water as called for.


Possible sides: french bread and salad. Pin It

Simple Salisbury Steak

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

In a large bowl, mix 1/4 cup soup, beef, bread crumbs, onion and egg. Shape firmly into 6 oval patties of even thickness.

In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, , in hot oil, cook half of the patties until browned on both sides. Remove; set aside. Repeat with remaining patties. Pour off fat.

In same skillet, combine remaining soup and mushrooms. Heat to boiling. Return patties to skillet. Reduce heat to low. Cover, cook 20 minutes or until patties are no longer pink, turning patties occasionally.

*D: I don't use the mushrooms because I don't like mushrooms. I also add a bit of garlic in the beef.


Possible side dishes: fried potatoes and green beans, corn and rolls, steamed carrots and salad. Pin It