Enchiladas Verde

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 onion, chopped
4 green onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
15 oz jar salsa verde
1 1/2 tsp cumin, separated
10 oz bag fresh spinach, chopped
8 oz cream cheese
1-3 lbs. chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
18 flour tortillas, taco size
10 oz fire roasted, diced tomatoes
8 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded

Spray baking pan with nonstick spray.
In large pan, cook onions and garlic in olive oil and butter until translucent.
Add 3/4 of salsa verde and 1 tsp cumin. Turn up heat and let reduce a little.
Add spinach, letting it cook down and wilt.
Turn heat to very low and break off pieces of cream cheese and stir until melted.
Add chopped chicken. Turn off heat.

Put a large spoonful of the filling into a tortilla and lay seam side down on the baking sheet. Cover and put into refrigerator until ready to bake.

In blender, add remaining salsa verde, 1/2 tsp cumin, and can of tomatoes. Blend until smooth. This makes enough for two recipes, so store half for later.

Bake uncovered at 350° for 30 minutes. Drizzle desired amount of sauce on each enchilada and sprinkle with pepperjack cheese. Bake 10 more minutes. 

Leftovers can be rewarmed in a 375° oven until hot. 

Mediterranean Bean Salad

 Dressing:

     1/3 C Olive Oil

     Juice from 1 large lemon (approx. 3 tbsp)

     3 tbsp red wine vinegar

     2 tsp Dijon mustard

     2 cloves garlic, minced

     1/2 tsp Oregano

     1/2 tsp sea salt (or more to taste)

     Black pepper to taste

Salad:

     1-19 oz. can cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed

     1-19 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

     1-15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

     Half an English cucumber, quartered and sliced

     1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, sliced

     1 bell pepper, diced (any color per preference)

     1/2 C kalamata olives, sliced

     1/2 C chopped fresh parsley

     1/2 C red onion, finely diced

     2 tbsp fresh basil, roughly chopped

     3/4 C crumbled Feta Cheese

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing.

2. In a large bowl, gently mix together the beans, cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, olives, parsley, red onion, and basil.

3. Pour the dressing onto the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated. Fold in the crumbled feta. For best flavor, cover and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator and eat within 4 days.

Lebanese Rice with Vermicelli

Water
2 C long grain rice
1 C broken vermicelli or angel hair pasta
2.5 tbsp olive oil
salt
1/2 C toasted pine nuts, optional

Rinse the rice well (a few times), place in a medium bowl, and cover with water. Soak for 15-20 minutes. Drain well.

Heat the olive oil in medium cooking pot on medium-high. Add the broken pasta and stir continuously to toast it evenly to a nice golden brown (do not burn). 

Add the rice and continue to stir until the rice is coated with oil. Season with salt.

Add 3.5 C water and bring to a boil. When the water is down to the level of the rice, reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes on low. Once fully cooked, turn the heat off and leave the rice undisturbed in pot for another 10-15 minutes. 

Uncover and fluff with a fork. Transfer to serving platter and optionally top with toasted pine nuts. 

Recipe from www.themediterraneandish.com. #themediterraneandish

Goes great with Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Kebabs

Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Kabobs

2 tsp Spanish paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground green cardamom
salt and pepper
2 lbs boneless chicken breasts cut into large cubes
1 yellow onion sliced
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
6 tbsp lemon or lime juice
2 bell peppers (your choice of color) cut into 1.5" pieces
1 red onion cut into 1.5" pieces

In a small bowl, combine paprika, thyme, nutmeg, cardamom, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Generously coat the chicken with the spices.

Place the chicken cubes in a deep dish with the sliced onions and add the minced garlic and juice. Add a generous drizzle of the olive oil. Toss the chicken to make sure it's well coated, cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours (or marinate 30 minutes at room temperature).

Prepare kebobs by threading chicken, peppers, and onion onto skewers. Grill kebobs, turning occasionally, for 10-12 minutes or until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Serve kabobs with warm pita, tahini sauce, and Lebanese rice with vermicelli. 

Recipe from www.themediterraneandish.com #themediterraneandish!

Simple Syrup

This is used in the making of Classic Sweet Tea.

1 C Water
1 C Sugar

Bring 1 C water and 1 C sugar to a boil in a small sauce pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil 1 minute or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

Recipe from southernliving.com.

Classic Sweet Tea

12 regular-size tea bags (or 3 family size)
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 qt. water
1 qt. ice cubes
1 1/4 C Simple Syrup

1. Place tea bags and baking soda in a large heat proof glass pitcher.
2. Bring water just to a rolling boil in a sauce pan or kettle, and immediately pour over tea bags, making sure bags are submerged. Cover and steep 7 minutes. Remove tea bags without squeezing: discard tea bags.
3. Add ice, and stir until ice melts. Stir in Simple Syrup, and serve over ice.

Recipe from southernliving.com.

Crockpot Cashew Chicken

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 C all purpose flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/3 C chicken broth
1/2 C soy sauce
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
4 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 C cashews
red pepper flakes
1-2 green onions, chopped, for garnish
2 C rice (jasmine rice is recommended, but any kind will do.)

Combine flour and black pepper in a large zip-lock bag. Add chicken and shake to coat.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sear/brown for about 2 minutes per side. Place chicken in crock pot.

In medium bowl, combine chicken broth, soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, and ginger; pour over chicken.

Cook on low for about 2.5 - 3 hours. Mix in cashews. Serve over rice. (Jasmine rice is recommended, but any kind will do.) top with green onions and red pepper flakes.

Recipe from: http://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/

Pollo Loco Mexican Chicken and Rice

Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Rice
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 C uncooked long grain rice
1 tbsp onion (finely chopped)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp taco or other Mexican seasoning
2 C chicken broth
1/2 C tomato sauce

Additional ingredients
1 container Mexican Queso
chopped tomato

Marinate chicken according to Chicken Marinade recipe. Then grill until chicken reaches 165. Cut chicken into strips or cubes as desired.

While chicken is grilling, prepare the rice. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking sprinkle with garlic salt and taco/Mexican seasoning. Stir in onion, tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Heat cheese dip according to package directions.

To serve, place 1/4 C rice onto plate, top with grilled chicken. Pour 2-3 tbsp cheese dip over the chicken and top with chopped tomatoes. Enjoy!

Chicken Marinade

1/3 to 1/2 C Olive Oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Liquid smoke (optional)
1/4 C brown sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Pierce chicken breasts with a fork all over. Place in a large zip lock bag. pour marinade over chicken. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes. 4-5 hours is ideal.

Recipe from modernhoney.com.

Homemade Pizza

1 1/2 C warm water (105° - 115°)
1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
3 1/2 C bread flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Plus desired toppings

1. In the large bowl of a heavy duty electric mixer, add the warm water. Sprinkle on the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is activated. Stir to dissolve completely if needed after 5 minutes is up.
2. Attach a mixing paddle to the mixer. Mix in the olive oil, flour, salt, and sugar on low speed for about a minute. Remove the mixing paddle and replace with a dough hook. Kneed using the mixer and dough hook, on low to medium speed, until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If you don't have a mixer, you can mix and kneed by hand. If the dough seems a little too wet, sprinkle on a bit more flour.
3. Place ball of dough in a bowl that has been coated lightly with olive oil. Turn the dough around in the bowl to coat. Cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm place (75°-85°) until it doubles in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours (or several hours longer, a longer rise will improve the flavor). If you don't have a warm spot in the house, you can heat the oven to 150° and then turn off the oven. Let the oven cool till it is just a little warm, then place the bowl of dough in the warmed oven to rise. 
4. The dough can be frozen in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
5. Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 450° for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.
6. Remove the plastic cover from the dough and punch the dough down so it deflates a bit. Divide the dough in half. Form two round balls of dough. Place each in its own bowl, cover with plastic and let sit for 10 minutes.
7. Prepare your desired toppings. It is recommended you use no more than about 1/3 C of tomato sauce and 1/3 C of cheese per pizza.
8. Working with one ball of dough at a time, flatten it with your hands on a slightly floured work surface. Starting at the center and working outwards, use your fingertips to press the dough to 1/2" thick. Turn and stretch the dough until it will not stretch further. Let the dough relax 5 minutes and then continue to stretch it until it reaches the desired diameter (10-12"). Use your palm to flatten the edge of the dough where it is thicker. You can pinch the edges if you want to form a lip.
9. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil. This prevents the crust from getting soggy from the toppings. Use your finger tips to press down and make dents along the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Let rest another 5 minutes. 
10. Repeat the process with the second ball of dough.
11. Lightly sprinkle your pizza peel (or flat baking sheet) with cornmeal. Transfer one prepared flattened dough to the pizza peel. If the dough has lost its shape in the transfer, lightly shape it to the desired dimensions.
12. Spoon on the tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and place desired toppings on the pizza.
13. Sprinkle some cornmeal on the baking stone in the oven without burning yourself. Gently shake the peel to see if the dough will easily slide, if not, gently lift up the edges of the pizza and add a bit more cornmeal. Slide the pizza off of the peel and onto the baking stone in the oven. Bake pizza one at a time until the crust is browned and the cheese is golden, about 10-15 minutes. You can add more cheese near the end of the cooking time, if desired.

Amish Sugar Cookies

1/2 C powdered sugar
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C butter, softened
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1. Cream sugars, butter, oil, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat.
2. Mix dry ingredients and gradually add to cream mixture.
3. Roll into balls. Flatten with glass with sugar on it.
4. Bake at 350°  for 10-12 minutes. Cool. Frost if desired.

Makes 2 dozen.

Strawberry Syrup

2 C fresh strawberries, sliced
12 oz jar strawberry preserves

Combine and heat in saucepan or microwave until warm. Goes great with French Toast-Night Before.

Recipe from: Munko's Kitchen.

French Toast - Night Before

1 loaf French bread, cubed
8 large eggs
3 C milk
1/3 C pancake syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 C butter or margarine, melted and cooled

1. Spray 9x13" Pyrex dish with cooking spray. Arrange French bread in dish.
2. Whisk together and beat well: eggs, milk, syrup, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla.
3. Gradually pour in butter while still whisking the mixture.
4. Pour over bread, pressing bread cubes to absorb egg mixture.
5. Cover with foil and chill at least 8 hours.
6. Bake covered at 350° for 20 minutes, uncover and bake for 25 more minutes or until bread is puffy and lightly browned.
7. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving with warm strawberry syrup or maple syrup.

Recipe from : Munko's Kitchen 

Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese

16 oz elbow macaroni (or other tubular pasta)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 C all purpose flour
3 C whole milk
1 C heavy whipping cream
4 C sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 C Gruyere cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 C panko crumbs
4 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 C Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Lightly grease a large 3 or 4 qt baking dish and set aside. Combine shredded cheeses (cheddar and Gruyere) in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Cook the pasta one minute shy of al dente according to the package instructions. Remove from heat, drain, and place in a large bowl. Drizzle pasta with olive oil and stir to coat. Set aside to cool.
3. Melt butter in a deep saucepan, dutch oven, or stock pot. Whisk in flour over medium heat and continue whisking for about 1 minute until bubbly and golden.
4. Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until smooth. Continue whisking until you see bubbles on the surface and then continue cooking and whisking for another 2 minutes. Whisk in salt and pepper.
5. Add 2 C of the shredded cheese mixture and whisk until smooth. Add additional 2 C of shredded cheese and continue whisking until creamy and smooth. Sauce should be nice and thick.
6. Stir in the cooled pasta until combined and pasta is fully coated with the cheese sauce.
7. Pour half of the mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 2 C of shredded cheese and then add the remainder of the pasta.
8. In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted butter and paprika. Sprinkle over the top and bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe from: www.momontimeout.com

Rolled Sugar Cookies

Cookies:
1 1/2 C butter, softened
2 C white sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 C all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Icing:
Powdered sugar
milk

1. IN a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400°.  Roll out dough (in batches) on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6-8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.
4. Mix Powdered sugar (approx 2 C) and milk (a few tablespoons) together according to desired consistency and ice cookies.

Mediterranean Chicken

Chicken:
2-3 lbs chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
ground black pepper to taste
avocado oil

Sauce:
4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into half moon shapes
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
ground black pepper, to taste
basil or parsley, finely chopped

1. Cut chicken breasts into strips. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss to coat evenly.
2. Slice tomatoes and chop garlic.
3. Preheat large non-stick skillet on medium heat and swirl a bit of oil to coat. Cook the chicken in batches, as necessary, for 5 minutes or until golden brown on each side. Transfer to a separate dish.
4. When all chicken has been cooked and set aside, reduce heat to low, add garlic and 1/2 tsp oregano. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Layer tomatoes on top, sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Turn up heat to medium and cook tomatoes for about 5 minutes, gently tossing them around. A splash of water can be added if necessary.
5. When tomatoes have released their juices and turned into fresh tomato sauce, turn off the heat and return chicken back to skillet. Gently tuck chicken between tomatoes, sprinkle with fresh basil or parsley, and serve warm with whole wheat spaghetti, quinoa, brown rice or buckwheat.

Recipe from: ifoodreal.com Chef Olena

Stove Top Chicken and Rice

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken pieces
salt
pepper
McCormick Montreal Chicken Seasoning
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp chicken bouillon
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 C chicken broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 C uncooked basmati rice

1. Pat chicken dry and season both sides with salt, pepper, and Montreal Chicken Seasoning. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine paprika, chicken bouillon, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, chili powder, and cayenne. Set aside.
3. Heat pan and vegetable oil (just enough to coat the bottom of the pan). Add chicken in batches and brown both sides. (No need to cook it through.) Remove chicken to a separate dish and set aside.
4. After all chicken has been browned, leave the pan on the stove but turn off the heat. Add the spice mixture to the oil and juices that are left in the pan. Gently toast spices in the residual heat. Once spices are combined and toasted, turn the heat back on and slowly pour in the chicken broth to fully deglaze the pan, craping up any final brown bits stuck to the bottom.
5. Stir in the tomato paste and add rice, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil then layer in the chicken and turn heat down to the lowest possible setting.
6. Cook the chicken and rice, covered, for 25 minutes or until rice is done.

Recipe from noblepig.com.

Creamy Garlic Chicken

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
flour for dredging
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter, divided
1 whole head garlic cloves, peeled (or minced garlic)
1/2 C chicken broth or stock
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 C heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper
parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions:
1. Cut the chicken in half lengthwise so you have 4 smaller cutlets. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper then coat with flour.
2. Add the olive oil and 1 tbsp of the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, sauté chicken for 4-5 minutes per side or until it's golden. Take the chicken out of the pan and set it aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium (or med-low if using cast iron) and melt rest of the butter to the pan. Add garlic cloves and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often until their lightly browned.
4. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and garlic powder to the pan. Let it bubble for around 4 minutes or until the liquid is noticeably reduced.
5. Stir in the cream and add the chicken back into the pan. Let it cook for another 5 minutes or so, until the sauce is reduced and the chicken is cooked through. Serve with pasta and freshly chopped parsley, if desired.

Recipe from https://www.saltandlavender.com/.

Chick Deviled Eggs

12 large eggs

1 lemon, for juice (or 2 Tbsp)

1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

6 Tbsp plain nonfat Greek yogurt

4 Tbsp Caesar Dressing

1/2 tsp pepper

Zipper gallon storage bag or icing decorator bag

12 crinkle-cut carrot slices

1 Tbsp non-pareil capers, drained

1. Bring water to boil for eggs. Squeeze lemon for juice. Place 3 cups ice and 4 cups cold water in large bowl (for chilling eggs).

2. Lower eggs gently into boiling water using a spoon; cook 14 minutes. Transfer eggs to ice water; let stand 10-15 minutes or until well chilled. Remove shells from eggs.

3. Cut a time slice from the bottom of each egg so it will sit flat. Cut the top one-third from each egg. Carefully remove yolks and place in small bowl; mash with a fork. Stir in lemon juice, cheese, yogurt, dressing, and pepper until well blended. Transfer mixture to zip-top (or Pastry) bag. Seal bag, then cut off one corner. Fill each egg, overfilling by 1/2 inch; replace egg tops.

4. Cut a triangle (for the beaks) out of each carrot slice. Place remaining carrot pieces (feet) on serving place and top with filled offs. Gently press 2 captures into filling (for eyes) and 1 carrot triangle (for beak). Chill until ready to serve.

Freeze Fresh Corn

Corn

Large pot of boiling water

Vacuum food sealer or zipper type freezer bags

2 large bowls, one filled with cold water and ice

1 sharp knife

1. Buy fresh corn, however much you want to freeze. Allow approximately 1.5 ears per serving.

2. Boil water in a large pot (large enough for several ears). Fill pot 2/3 full.
3. Get bowl of ice water ready (also filled 2/3 of the way).
4. Husk the corn. Pick off as much silk as you can.
5. Blanch the corn by placing a few ears into the boiling water. Beginning timing immediately: 4-6 minutes. (Only do a few ears at a time, 3-4 max, as your pot and ice bowl allow.)
6. Cool corn immediately in ice water bath for the same amount of time it was blanched.
7. Drain corn thoroughly.
8. Cut kernels from the cob into the second large bowl. You can use a knife or a corn stripper, but be careful that you don't cut your fingers!
9. Bag the corn, getting as much air out of the bag as possible.
10. Enjoy your corn all year 'round (or as long as it lasts).