Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes – Cheesecake Factory Copycat

Serves 8-10

For the Salsa Verde:

6 Tomatillos

3 can diced green chilies

3 green onion

½ bunch fresh cilantro

4 ½ teaspoon sugar

¾ teaspoon cumin

¾ t salt

½ t ground pepper

Pulse in food processor, not too thin and not too chunky

For the Pico De Gallo:

4 Large Roma Tomatos diced

4 T Red onion diced

4 T Fresh Cilantro

2 t lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

You can chop or pulse in food processor

For the Southwestern Sauce:

1 ½ C Mayonnaise

3 t white or applecider vinegar

3 t water

1 ½ t sugar

1 ½ t chili powder

¾ t paprika

¼ - ½ t cayenne pepper

¾ t onion powder

½ t garlic powder

Blend together in blender and put in fridge/squeeze bottle

Sauce for the Chicken:

3 T. chili powder

3 T. ground cinnamon

3 T brown sugar

3 t. cocoa powder

1 1/2 t. salt

3/4 t course black pepper

6 T olive oil

3 T balsamic vinegar

2 packages chicken tenderloins

Season chicken with Sniders or your favorite chicken seasoning.  Cook on medium and brush sauce on chicken as you cook.  Save chicken for assembly

For the Corn Cakes:

4 ½ c frozen sweet corn

1 ½ c butter softened to room temp

9 T sugar

½ t salt

1 ½ C Corn Masa Harina Flour

6 T all purpose flour

Garnish:

Sour Cream

Avocado, diced

Fresh Cilantro

1.    Add 3 Cups frozen corn to food processor until it couarsely pureed.  In a medium bowl add the pureed corn, softened butter, sugar and salt, mix till combined. 

2.    Add masa and flour and mix until no flour streaks remain.  Add the remaining ½ cup frozen corn kernals and mix till evenly distributed/ ( I forgot to add the whole corn)

3.    Measure ½ cup portions of the mixture and use your hands to form them into 3 inch wide patties.  I put them on wax paper on a cookie sheet and made them in advance and kept them in the fridge covered with plastic.

4.    Add olive oil to a large skillet and preheat over medium low. Add patties to the skillet and cook until golden brown, about 5-8 min and then flip and cook the other side until golden brown another 5-8 minutes.

To Assemble

Heat the Salsa Verde in a sauce pan.

Add Salsa Verde to your plate, spread it evenly. Place the corn cakes on top of the warmed salsa verde, next add chicken, and evenly distribute the pico and southwestern sauce on top.  Dollop with sour cream and garnish with avocado and cilantro.

Tortellini with Snap Peas and Lemon-Dill Cream

1 lb refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 cup sugar snap peas, cut into thirds on an angle
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 oz pancetta, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 shallot, finely chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tsp finely chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/3 c grated parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add tortellini and cook according to package directions, adding the sugar snap peas during the last 2 minutes of cooking.  Drain and set aside.
In a large skillet set over medium high meat, heat the oil.  Add pancetta and cook until crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a small bowl.  Pour off all but 2 tbsps. of fat from the pan.  Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown around the edges, about 2 minutes.  Add the heavy cream, chicken broth, dill and lemon zest.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.  Add the tortellini, peas and pancetta to the sauce and toss gently to coat.  To serve- sprinkle with parmesan cheese and more dill.  Serves 4-6.

fettucini with artichoke hearts and tomatoes

Recipe: Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes
Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Cook Time: 30 Minutes | Servings: 6 Ingredients
■2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
■2 Tablespoons Butter
■3 cloves Garlic, Minced
■1/2 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
■1 can Artichoke Hearts (14.5 Oz. Quartered Or Whole) Drained
■1 can Diced Tomatoes With Juice (14.5 Oz.)
■1 cup Heavy Cream
■1/2 cup Chicken Broth (More As Needed)
■1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
■Salt And Pepper, to taste
■1 pound Thin fettucini or whatever noodle you like
■1 cup Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated
■2 Tablespoons Fresh Chives (or Other Herbs) Chopped
sliced browned seasoned chicken breasts
one bunch of basil chopped up.
2 cups of mushrooms

Preparation Instructions
Cook noodles till al dente. Drain and set aside.

Melt olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste (do not undersalt!) Cook over low heat until heated through, then turn off heat.

Place drained pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1 cup Parmesan. Pour sauce over the top. Add chives. Toss lightly to combine and coat; add a tiny bit of reserved pasta water if sauce seems too thick.

Delicious!

Finn's "Can we pleeeeeease have shepherd's pie for dinner?" Shepherd's Pie

Since Finn is my son and all, I never dated him but you might consider him the culmination of all the dating I did do. And Finn is an all meat and potatoes kind of guy. So I am posting his very favorite meal and putting his name in the title. And this isn't your grandma's shepherd's pie with green beans and canned tomato soup. Every time I make this I think, "I should take a picture of this so I can post it." But then by the time I actually get it on the table, I forget. So hopefully you can imagine flavorful ground beef mixed with vegetables, smothered in a light gravy and topped with lightly toasted, fluffy mashed potatoes.
Finn's "Can we pleeeeeease have shepherd's pie for dinner?" Shepherd's Pie.
5-6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tbsp sour cream
1 large egg yolk
1/2 c cream or milk
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 carrot peeled and chopped
1 onion chopped
1/2 c frozen peas
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 c beef stock
2 tsp A-1 sauce
1 tsp sweet paprika
Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and add sour cream , egg yolk and cream. Mash potatoes until smooth. While potatoes are boiling, preheat skilet over medium high heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and then add ground beef. Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3-4 minutes. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a small saucepan over medium high heat, melt butter and then add flour. Cook together for 2 minutes. Whisk in beef broth and A-1 sauce. Thicken gravy for 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables, then add frozen peas. Preheat broiler to high. Put meat mixture in a smaller casserole dish. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned.
Also we like ours with a little ketchup on top.

Family Favorite (All six kids eat it!!!)

Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce
1/2 c butter
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
2 tsp garlic powder
2 c milk
6 oz grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long. Toss with hot pasta to serve.

I also like Lisa's chicken (from her sandwiches) with this, or just plain chicken and broccoli. Lisa's chicken is just a thin chicken breast cooked in a frying pan with olive oil and Italian seasoning sprinkled all over, mmmmm.

The Spaghetti Sauce that isn't quite as famous as James Dashner but almost.

James Dashner was my very first date and honestly he has always been more like a brother to me than anything else. In fact I think after he took me to TCBY for our date, he went on another date with the girl he really liked. Which I'm sure was fine with me. But Jamie, as I remember him as, is now the most famous person I have ever dated. He is the author of "The Maze Runner" and the sequel to that book- "The Scorch Trials" comes out this week. So I thought it only fitting that this recipe carry his name this week. Because this is one of my most requested-"famous" if you will- recipes. And although it isn't as famous as James, it is more tasty.

The Spaghetti Sauce that isn't quite as famous as James Dashner but almost

22 cups raw, peeled blended tomates- To peel tomatoes, bring water almost to a boil in a large pan. Submerge tomatoes for a few minutes. Then remove and let cool or put in a bowl of cool water. The skins should come off easily. Put tomatoes in a blender, puree and then put into a large pot. Repeat this process until you have 22 cups. Also I usually use roma tomatoes. They make the thickest sauce.

4 onions chopped or 1 c. dry onions

4 cans tomato paste- the small ones.

2 tbsp. salt

2 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. oregano

4 tbsp. basil

4 cloves of garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder

2 bay leaves

After you have 22 cups of blended tomatoes in a large pot, add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and ccok for 30 minutes. Then put sauce in pint or quart jars. Wipe off lid of jar and put new lids on. Then put your rings on. Process pints for 20 minutes and quarts for 25 minutes in a boiling water bath. This recipe makes about 6 quarts or 12 pints.

You can use this sauce wherever you would use a marinara or spaghetti sauce... for regular spaghetti, pizza, lasagna, meatball subs, chicken parmigana, etc. One trick Eric taught me with this sauce is when you are warming it up to add to your dishes add about a tsp. of sugar and a tsp. of either balsamic or red wine vinegar. (If you are using a full quart add a TBSP of each.) The sugar softens the acidity of the tomatoes and the vinegar adds a depth of flavor. Doing this will make your sauce even more famous than James Dashner!

Garret* was such a Jamaican JERK Pork Chops

*To protect the innocent I am leaving off Garret's last name. Okay so Garret wasn't really a jerk. But he was my first hardcore, fell for him big-time, thought I would be Mrs. Garret ______________ love. We dated for almost a year and you know how it goes, the bigger the relationship... the harder it falls. He really was a charming, fun guy to date, but he broke up with me and not in the most charming, fun way. So therefore he gets the honor of being named in a dish that has the word JERK in it. And by the way, he wasn't Jamaican in the least. In fact if I had become Mrs. Garret ___________ my kids would most likely be short and blonde. But these pork chops definitely have a Jamaican flare and they won't leave a bad taste in your mouth like my relationship with Garret did. They are pure, unadulterated tastiness from start to finish.

Garret was such a Jamaican Jerk Pork Chops

6 boneless pork chops

1 TBSP brown sugar

1/2 TBSP allspice

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

Wedges of lime

In a small bowl mix together all above ingredients, except pork chops and limes. Then rub the mixture onto both sides of the pork chops. Refrigerate for an hour or up to overnight. Then grill on medium high heat for 4-6 minutes on each side, depending on how thick your pork chops are. Let rest for a few minutes then squeeze lime juice over right before serving.

Now I don't care what other sides you have with this dish, but the following two sides MUST be served with this meal. If you didn't serve these two sides along with these pork chops it would be like Harry Potter without Ron and Hermione or Bella without Edward and Jacob. In other words these supporting characters are a must.

Grilled Bananas and Sweet Potatoes

3 large sweet potatoes- Cut into 3/4 inch rounds with the skin left on

3 firm yellow bananas- skin off, cut in half then in half lengthwise again

Salt

2 TBSP melted butter

4 TBSP brown sugar

Put the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and lightly salt them. Bake for 15 minutes at 400. Then spray partly cooked potatoes and sliced bananas with cooking spray on both sides. Grill both potatoes and bananas for about 2 minutes on each side until slightly golden in color. Mix butter and brown sugar and paint this over bananas and sweet potatoes. Serve with pork chops.

"BALS OUT" Chicken in a Crockpot

6-8 Chicken breasts
Pepper
Salt
Garlic Powder
3 cloves Garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
2/3 c. Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 c. chicken broth
1 t. dried basil
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried rosemary
1/2 t. dried thyme
Brown sugar
1 Large Onion, sliced
1 pkg. Mushrooms, quartered
Mozzarella
Parmesan cheese.

First season your chicken breasts (or tenderloins) with pepper, salt and garlic powder. Heat oil in saucepan and brown both sides of chicken. Put Chicken into crockpot and add garlic, tomatoes, vinegar, chicken broth, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and 3-4 T. brown sugar. Let chicken cook on low for 4-5 hours, until done.

While chicken is cooking in the pot, boil your favorite noodles. I used bowtie pasta and some corkscrew together....this was not on purpose, but turned out just fine.

When chicken is almost done, saute onion and mushrooms in 1 T. oil, til onions are transparent. Add about 1/2 t. of salt. Add 1-2 T. brown sugar to caramelize, stir. Then turn off heat and add a couple splashes of balsamic vinegar. Let onions and mushrooms mellow in the vinegar.
***If you want to skip this step, you can put the onions and mushrooms in the crockpot with everything else....but doing it separately REALLY makes a difference.

TO SERVE:

Place chicken and juices over pasta. Add sauteed mushrooms and onions. Then top with Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses. Try not to make sounds as you eat, its just embarrassing. Serve with Roasted Asparagus. (last time I did the roasted asparagus I did not use olive oil, but coconut oil....it was good)

"Better Than Jon Fairbanks in the hot-tub" Tortellini Soup

This may be my most scandalous post yet... but I'm sure you have heard of "Better than S--" cake. Well this soup is in the same vein. This soup is one of my new favorites and Jon Fairbanks was really one of my favorite boyfriends. A lot of times the recipes I post are named after guys I just went out on one or two dates with. But Jon was my boyfriend for about 4 months and in those months there was an infamous "incident" in a hot-tub that my dear friend and roommate, Kj, witnessed and reminded me of when I was in Texas visiting her last month. (In fact she reminded me of a few other choice, juicy events from my college days that I haven't disclosed yet but believe me when you see a dish bearing the name Steve Stockard- it will be a complete guilty pleasure with almost no nutritional value;)! Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. You were forewarned!) But back to why I am naming this soup after Jon Fairbanks. Jon was and I'm sure still is a great guy. He has honest, a gentleman and HOT! And this soup is all those things. Not really sure how a soup can be a gentleman but somehow it works. And even though things eventually had to end, when they did Jon was nothing but forthright and open. I was sad the relationship ended but grateful for the experience. And this soup will leave you with the same feeling. When you look into your empty bowl with just the spoon sitting in there you will be sad the meal is over, but completely satisfied with the experience. Who knew that both soup and old boyfriends could be so filling?!?

1 lb. italian turkey sausage (You can use regular sausage but it is completely fine without it.)

1 small onion chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

5 C. beef broth

1/2c. water

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 c. thinly sliced carrots

1 1/2c. sliced zucchini

1/2 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. parsley

1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce

2 C. cheese tortellini

Parmesan cheese for the top.

Brown meat and then remove from pot. Saute onion, garlic, carrots and zucchini in the oil from the meat. You may need to add a little extra oil if you have really lean meat. When veggies are translucent- about 5 minutes- add sausage back in with broth, water, tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add tortellini and cover and simmer for 35-40 mroe minutes. Top with cheese.

I have a secret ingredient I put in almost all my soups, except maybe chili. I have kept it secret because it is kind of obscure, but it really does put your soup over the top. It is a parmesan cheese rind. It gives your soup a smooth, creamy flavor and adds a bit of saltiness. If you buy the more expensive parmesan cheese and save the rind once you are done using the cheese, you can save it in your freezer for soups. And it goes well in this soup. You just put it in with the rest of the liquid ingredients and let it simmer. Sometimes it dissolves completely and other times you have to fish it out. I have heard that you can buy parmesan cheese rinds at the deli counter at Harmans but I have yet to check it out myself. Oh and for the record, Jon's secret ingredient was his abs. I saw those in the hot-tub!

J.J. loves my Rosemary Chicken

Let's get one thing perfectly clear: Although I love J.J. dearly, I never have nor will I ever date J.J. The reason being J.J. is married to my sister. But J.J. is so fun to cook for. He is one of those people who appreciates good cookin' and he absolutely loves my rosemary chicken. So that is the reason I am breaking my own rule and naming this dish after him instead of someone I dated. Because I figure anyone who moans and groans that much about something I cook should either be married to me or have the dish named after them. So logistically speaking I had to name the dish:

J.J. loves my Rosemary Chicken

4 chicken breasts- I have used chicken tenders too.

1/2 c. olive oil

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 clove crushed garlic

2 TBSP. fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried rosemary

Mix together olive oil, vinegar, S&P, garlic and rosemary in a shallow glass dish. Put chicken in to marinade for at least an hour. Then grill for 6-8 minutes on each side. You can also saute the chicken over meduim high heat for 6-8 minutes on each side, but be aware the balsamic vinegar will create a dark glaze on the chicken and in the pan. But don't be afraid that it is burning and take it off the heat too soon or else you might undercook it! Grilling is the easiest when the weather permits.

I hope you all enjoy this as much as J.J. does!

Indian Spiced Chicken

1 tsp chili powder

1 Tbsp lemon juice

4 chicken breasts

Marinade

2 Tbsp plain yogurt

2 garlic cloves

1 Tbsp raisins

1 in ginger

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp ground coriander

1 small red chili

Preparation: 20 minutes + 3 hrs marinating time

-Combine chili powder & lemon juice

-Make several cuts in the chicken.  Brush the lemon mixture over the chicken & set aside for 20 minutes

-Place marinade ingredients in a blender and puree.  Pour on top of chicken, cover & marinate in fridge 3 hrs.

-Preheat oven to 400 F

Cooking: 45 minutes

-Add water just to cover the base of a roasting pan

-Place chicken on a rack in the pan, reserving marinade in fridge.

-Roast chicken, basting frequently with marinade, til tender, about 40 minutes.

-Place chicken on a serving platter and serve immediately.

Matt Nicosia Florentine Meatball Calzones with Creamy Tomato Dipper

The only reason Matt Nicosia was chosen to grace the title of this recipe is because Matt was Mediterrean and "Florentine" is Mediterrean. So if I come across a fabulous Greek dish that I feel I must post, I will be out of luck because Matt was the only Greek I dated. But he was tasty and so is this dish.
10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung of excess water
1 lb ground turkey
1 small onion, half grated and half finely chopped. I usually grate my onion with a microplane but if you don't have all the fancy tools I have:) then you can use a regular grater. But if you like your knuckles at all I would probably just chop it up finely.
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 eggs, 1 lightly beaten
3/4 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 1/2c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/8 tsp nutmeg
S & P
2 10 oz. tubes refigerated pizza dough
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 14 oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes- If you use diced tomatoes- use a potato masher- you know all the fancy tools I have- to smash the tomatoes up in the pot.
1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped or 1 tsp dried
1/4 c heavy cream
Preheat oven to 425. Combine spinach, ground turkey, grated onion, half of the garlic, 1 egg, breadcrumbs, both cheeses, nutmeg and S&P. Work the mixture together with your hands until combined and set aside. Spread the pizza doughs out onto the counter. Cut in half widthwise and in thirds lengthwise, making 6 squares out of each tube of dough. Take a scoopful of the meat mixture (about 1/4c.) - I use an ice cream scoop- nothin' but fancy tools at my house- to make a meatball and drop it onto the corner of one of the squares. Continue in this way until there's a meatball on each square. Brush the edges of each square with a little of the beaten egg and fold the opposite corner over to close in the meatball and make a calzone. Fold and press the edges to seal the meatball inside. Brush the tops lightly with egg. After you've finished doing this to all freakin 12 of them, bake until dark golden brown- about 15 minutes.
While the calzones are baking, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the chopped garlic and remaining garlic to the pan, season with S & P and cook until tender- about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes- use that fancy potato masher if you need and let simmer while the calzones bake. Add the basil and cream right after you take it off the heat to serve with your tasty and healthy calzones- your kids won't know they are eating spinach- I promise.

Ham It Up

I'm not a big fan of ham, unless it is made this way...

9 to 10 lb. butt portion ham
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 c. orange juice
1/2 c. honey

Score top of ham diagonally with a knife. Place in a turkey bag (follow instructions on box) and place in a roasting tray. Mix rest of ingredients and pour over the ham. Close bag and bake at 325 degrees for 4-5 hours. When it's done, I just pull it apart in big chunks with a fork like a roast. I made this with stuffing and fresh green beans tossed with feta cheese. "Phenomenal dinner" was how my dinner guest described the meal. Kari tells me the ham hock is good for lots of bean recipes, too, so keep that.

Mike Bean Burritos

So I am kind of cheating with this one because I never really dated Mike Bean, but we were really good friends in college and who elses name would I use for bean burritos?!? I think one of the reasons I never dated him was because he was about 3 inches shorter than me and I needed a man who could hold me, not the other way around. Maybe he would have been taller if he had eaten more beans!
This is a really good vegetarian meal and these are also awesome to freeze and have on hand.
3/4 c. rice (white or brown)
2 Tbs olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeno chile, chopped (ribs and seeds removed for less heat)
1/2 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper
3 Tbs. tomato paste
3 can (15oz. each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/4 c. frozen corn kernels
6 green onions, thinly sliced
8 burrito size flour tortillas ( I use the ones you buy at Costco and cook up yourself.)
2 c. shredded cheese- cheddar or Monterey Jack
Salsa, sour cream and avocado- optional

Cook rice and tortillas according to directions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onions, garlic, jalapeno and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring 1 minute. Add beans and 1 1/2 c. water, bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally until thickened- about 10to12 minutes. Add corn and heat through- about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add green onions.
Assembling the burritos:
Mound 1/4 c. rice, 3/4 c. bean mixture and 1/4 c. cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold and hold in sides. starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down.
You can serve them immediately with salsa, sour cream and avocado or individually wrap them in plastic and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat put in microwave for 3 minutes.

Poppyseed Chicken

Poppyseed Chicken
Mix together and put in a 13 X 9 inch pan:
Cooked or canned chicken, shredded
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1.5 pint sour cream

Mix together and put on top of soup mixture:
1 stripe Ritz crackers, crushed
1 Tbsp poppyseeds
1/2 stick margarine or butter, melted

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve over rice.
*Make this a food storage meal by omitting the sour cream and substituting water for the butter. Delicious!

Pomegranate Chicken

First of all a big shout out to my mother-in-law that gave me this recipe she is always finding me new things and bringing them to me to try out. THIS RECIPE TAKES A FULL 2 HOURS TO MAKE. IT IS NOT INVOLVED BUT IT IS NOT GOOD IF IT IS RUSHED.

6 chicken breasts
1/2 teas turmeric
1 medium onion, sliced
1 1/4 C. walnuts, ground in food processor
2 3/4 C. Chicken broth
1 pomegranate seeded (good price for one is under $2)
1/4 fresh lemon juice
1/4 C. sugar

You want to use a deep skillet for this. You only need one pan for the whole thing. Salt and pepper chicken and brown well in a little bit of oil. Remove chicken and set aside.

Cook onions in skillet until brown and soft (15-20 min). Add turmeric and walnuts and cook a couple more minutes. Then add broth. Bring to a boil then simmer 15 minutes.

Add chicken, COVER, simmer 45 minutes (If you have not seeded the pomegranate do so now. ADD lemon juice, sugar and 1/3 of your pomegranate seeds simmer 30 more minutes.

Now mix up 1/3 C. flour and 1/2 cup water. Pour this into a spot in the pan where you can stir it in good then mix it around. This thickens the sauce up real good. Sprinkle the seeds over the chicken and some parsley to make it pretty.

E-Train's Turkey Broccoli Pasta Bake

Last Thanksgiving Eric and I made this recipe up to help use up some of our turkey leftovers. I thought it would be incredibly rude of me to name a dish Eric helped make up after an old boyfriend so I did a little shout-out to Eric's college days with one of his younger days' nicknames- "E-train". He was also a "hard guy" in high school- Some of you 1992 MHS graduates might know what this means but I didn't think "hard guy" lent itself well to the title of a pasta dish. Eric served his mission in Italy therefore we make and eat a lot of pasta in our house. And Eric is an excellent cook. When we first got married we took some homemade rolls that Eric had made to a family party and my Grandma pulled Eric aside and said, "Isn't it so nice to have a wife who can make homemade rolls." Eric didn't correct her but I sheepishly told her Eric had made them. She responded, "Well, even better." Needless to say Eric knew a lot more about cooking than me when we got married. But ahhh- the apprentice has become the master over the course of 12 years! Ok- enough chit chat- here's the yummy recipe if you have any turkey leftovers, left.

1 lb penne or ziti pasta- cooked

4 cups shredded turkey

2 cups steamed broccoli

1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 medium onion chopped

small can of mushrooms or you could use fresh - but we didn't have any.

2 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs butter

4 Tbs flour

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup cream

1 Tbs White wine vinegar

1 crushed clove of garlic

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Heat oil and butter together over medium high heat. Add onions, mushrooms and garlic. Saute until onions are soft- about 4-5 minutes. Add flour to make a roux- cook for a minute or two. (If you use fresh mushrooms you may have to add more oil to make the roux, because those babies just soak up the oil!) Add chicken broth and cream. Let thicken, then add vinegar, parmesan cheese, nutmeg and S& P to taste. Let cook for a few minutes. Combine pasta, turkey, broccoli, and roux. Pour into a 9 x 13 sprayed with cooking spray. Then top with Swiss cheese. Cook for about 15-20 minutes until the cheese is browned on top.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos---We had them tonight. They are sooooo good.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

6 Chicken boneless breasts or your choice.

1 teaspoon Cumin

3 tablespoons Chili powder

3 Garlic cloves or 1+ teaspoon garlic powder

1 Green pepper, diced
1 Onion chopped

1 Can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth

Put all ingredients in Crockpot and cook on high for 2 hours.When chicken is done shred chicken. Blend Pineapple and a little bit of juice.

Cook the corn tortilla with cheese on it.  Top with Sour Cream, Avacado slices, and Pineapple sauce.

"Robert Hales was such a Turkey Meatloaf"

No, I didn't date the General Authority Robert Hales- but the Robert Hales I did date told me he was his son and I believed him for a long time. Until I was watching General Conference one time and Elder Hales was talking about his family. He mentioned his three daughters but said nothing about a son. I immediately marched over to his-the Robert Hales I had dated-apartment and found him sitting there with a sly look on his face. Therefore this dish is named after him. So if that Robert Hales googles his name and finds it in this recipe- I don't think he will be surprised. He was a turkey- albeit a cute and funny one! Anyway- I thought this recipe would be a good November one. I really like the combination of turkey and cranberry and the leftovers makes a really good sandwich. (Incidentally- A leftover turkey meatloaf sandwich sounds like something a 1950's wife would pack her husband for lunch in one of those little tin lunch boxes with a Thermos of milk. But don't let that stop you from trying it. Trust me- it makes a tasty sandwich!)
1 lb ground turkey
1/3 c milk
1/3 c bread brumbs- or a leftover piece of bread
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 small carrot- grated
1/2 onion- grated
1 egg
Topping:
1/4 c ketchup
1/4 c cranberry sauce
1 TBS prepared mustard
1 TBS brown sugar
Pour milk over bread crumbs. Add turkey, salt, pepper, thyme, carrot, onion and egg. Mix thoroughly. Form in a loaf pan. Mix together ketchup, brown sugar, cranberry sauce and mustard and pour about 1/2 over meat. Save the rest to top the meatloaf once it is done. Bake at 300 for 1 1/2 hours until meat is no longer pink.

Black Bean Burritos

Black Bean Burritos
Ingredients
flour tortillas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon minced jalapeno peppers
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Place onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapenos in skillet, cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally.Pour beans into skillet, cook 3 minutes stirring.Cut cream cheese into cubes and add to skillet with salt. Cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir cilantro into mixture.Spoon mixture evenly down center of warmed tortilla and roll tortillas up. Serve immediately