Deviled or Dressed Eggs

 

Ingredients:

• Eggs
• 3/4 cup of Miracle Whip
• 2-3 Tablespoons of Yellow Mustard
• 3 Tablespoons of Sweet Pickle Relish
• Paprika and/or chopped Parsley

Instructions:

• Boil the eggs. HERE is a great guide!
• After the eggs are cooled and peeled, slice into halves and dump out the yolk into a medium bowl.

• Break up the yolks with a fork.

• Add Miracle Whip, Mustard, and Relish to yolks and mix well. (Mixture should be sort of like a soft pudding texture.)

• Transfer yolk mixture to a piping tube. (I use my Pampered Chef Cookie Press.)
• Pipe yolk mixture into egg white halves.

• Chill till ready to serve.
• Sprinkle with Paprika and/or chopped Parsley to garnish and serve.

Ranch Pasta Salad

 

Ingredients:

• 16 ounce box of Rotini Pasta
• 15 ounces of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 14 ounce can of corn, drained
• 1 cup of diced tomatoes 
• 1 bunch of green onions, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 16 ounce container of sour cream
• 1 package of dry ranch dressing mix
• 2 Tablespoons of lime juice
• 1 cup crumbled corn tortilla chips or Doritos

Instructions:

• Cook Rotini to al dente and rinse with cold water.
• In a medium bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, dressing mix, and lime juice and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine Rotini, black beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and cheese.
• Add dressing mixture to Rotini mixture and chill until ready to serve.
• When ready to serve, top with chips.

Notes:

• For a taco flavor, add 2 Tablespoons of taco seasoning.
• Can make a one-dish meal by adding cooked, shredded chicken or browned ground beef.

Happy Thanksgiving 2020!

 

Grilled Chicken

We love the flavor of chicken cooked on the grill.  My husband has a pellet grill and that gives this chicken a really moist and delicious flavor.

Ingredients:
1 cup + 1 shot of Jack Daniels Whiskey
1/2 cup Kosher Salt
1 splash of orange juice or lemon juice
2 sprigs of Rosemary
1 cup of apple juice (I have substituted cranberry juice or water.)
1 large package of chicken thighs or breasts (We have used boneless, skinless as well as bone-in and skin-on.)
1/2 stick of melted butter
3-4 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Instructions:

• In a gallon zip bag or plastic container, mix together 1 cup of Whiskey, salt, juices, and Rosemary to make a brine
• Add chicken to brine and let sit for 15-20 minutes at room temperature or as long as overnight in fridge
• Lift chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towel
• Optional: rub with any kind of spice rub you prefer
• Mix butter and Worcestershire together and paint about half onto chicken
• Place on grill, painted side toward the heat
• Paint remaining butter mix
• Close grill and drink the extra shot of whiskey
• Cook for 5-7 minutes
• Turn chicken pieces over and cook for 5-7 more minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees
• Remove from grill and let rest about 5 minutes if you can resist

Leftovers are great!  I often cut into bite-sized pieces and eat over a salad or add to rice or a tortilla with veggies for a wrap.

Shrimp Tacos

This is a recipe that I adapted after eating with my daughter-in-law, Jessica, and it is a family favorite!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp (I've used fresh or frozen)
3 Tablespoons taco seasoning
3-4 Tablespoons butter
4 cups bagged. shredded slaw mix
2 teaspoons sugar
1 Tablespoon vinegar
2-4 Tablespoons mayo (depending on how sloppy you like your slaw)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 Tablespoons guacamole or sour cream
1/2 cup chopped, green onions
6 flour tortillas
Salsa

Instructions:

• Mix together slaw mix, sugar, 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning, mayo, and vinegar to make coleslaw and refrigerate till ready to serve
• Chop shrimp into bite-sized pieces
• Melt butter in a non-stick skillet
• Drop shrimp and green onions into melted butter and stir to coat the pieces
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning onto shrimp and stir to coat
• Cook shrimp just until the liquid is cooked away and a little color/crust is formed on places

To serve:

• Layer flour tortilla, slaw, shrimp and onions, cheese, salsa, and guacamole or sour cream
• Fold tortilla and eat like a traditional taco or add another layer and eat with a fork
• We've also been known to add other taco ingredients such as sliced, black olives and tomatoes and chopped peppers

Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or 4 chicken breasts)
salt and pepper
1 cup of minute rice
1 package of onion soup mix
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups of water

Directions:

• Spray a two-quart casserole dish with vegetable spray and arrange chicken in it.
• Salt and pepper chicken.
• Pour uncooked rice over chicken.

• Sprinkle onion soup mix atop the chicken and rice.

• Mix mushroom soup with water.

• Pour soup/water mixture over chicken and rice.

• Cover and bake at 350 degrees for one hour and fifteen minutes or until rice is tender.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Calories: 470, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 148mg, Sodium: 791mg, Potassium: 978mg, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 54g, Vitamin A: 1.4%, Vitamin C: 3.3%, Calcium: 3%, Iron: 9.5%

(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)

Summer Trifle - For July 4th

Ingredients:
1 Angel Food Cake
1 large container of Cool Whip
1 quart of blueberries
1 quart of strawberries
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 eight-ounce package of cream cheese

Directions:

• Cut Angel Food Cake into bite-sized pieces and spread a layer in the bottom of a large glass bowl.

• Wash and slice strawberries into bite-sized pieces.

• Wash and drain blueberries.

• Add a layer of berries atop the cake pieces.

• Mix cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk.  Pour a coating of this mixture atop cake and berries.
• Spread on a scant layer of whipped topping.
• Top with two more rounds of cake, berries, milk/cheese mixture, and topping layers.
• Spread generous layer of whipped topping as last layer.
• Garnish with berries.
• Cover with plastic wrap and chill till ready to serve.

For the July 4th garnish, I cut recipe cards in half lengthwise and folded them in half.  Then, set the cards on edge with folds to outside forming a star shape.  I placed the blueberries outside the cards and strawberries inside the cards.  Then, removed the cards just before serving.