Tres Leches

From: This is a traditional Latin American dessert that my husband made.  It took a couple of phone calls and combining techniques from a few different recipes, but I'd say he nailed it!  It was absolutely divine.

Ingredients:

six eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp vanilla
1 can condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
14 oz milk (skim, 2%, whole, etc - doesn't matter which)
rum (optional)
1 can whipped cream OR whipped cream ingredients:  12 oz heavy whipping cream and additional sugar
peaches, caramel, and/or cherries (optional)

How to:  

Have all the ingredients at arm's reach, as you don't want to delay between any of the steps.

Separate six egg whites from their yokes.  Keep four egg whites and six egg yokes.  Discard two of the egg whites.  Beat the four egg whites until they are as foamy as possible.  Mix in the flour, sugar, four egg yokes and vanilla. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan well.  Coat the greased pan with flour.  Pour in the batter and bake for 25 minutes at 325° F or until it's a light brown or amber color.

While the cake bakes, put the condensed milk, evaporated milk, rum (optional), and regular milk in a medium mixing bowl.  Mix well.  Put it in the refrigerator to chill.

Now comes the whipped cream.  Either use the store-bought version or you can make it.  To make it, put 12 oz of heavy whipping cream in a mixing bowl.  Use a mixer to whip it until it becomes whipped cream, adding sugar as you go until it has the sweetness you desire.   Immediately refrigerate.

Once the cake is finished, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.  Then, with a toothpick, prick the entire surface of the cake.  Each prick should be about 1/4 inch apart.  Pour the milk mixture over the top and allow it to soak into the cake.  Top the cake with whipped cream and fruit (peaches, cherries, etc.) and/or caramel.

Shark, Talapia or Salmon

From: My mom sent me this idea for an easy way to cook fish.

Ingredients:

2 T butter, melted
5 T orange juice
2 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
dash (or more) white pepper

How to: 

Mix ingredients and pour over the top:

Cover caserole dish with plastic wrap, venting one corner. Microwave on HIGH 3-6 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with fork. Let stand for 4 minutes before serving.

Serve with veggies and rice, or Cheesy Garden Casserole.

Chicken Mushroom Stew

From: My mom passed this recipe on to me a few months ago.  This is the first time I've made it, but I'm gonna be sure and do it again REALLY SOON!  It was delicious!!

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds of boneless skinless chicken, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Tbsp oil of your choice

8 oz fresh sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, diced
2 diced zuchini
1 green pepper diced
4 garlic gloves, minced (or 1/2 tsp dried minced garlic)

3 medium tomatoes, diced OR an 8 oz can of diced tomatoes
6 oz tomato paste
3/4 cup water
2 tsp salt
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 tsp oregano leaves
1 tsp marjoram leaves
1 tsp basil

Parmesan, mozzarrella, or blue cheese (optional)

How to:  

(Using the slower cooker:) Put the mushrooms, onion, zuchini, green pepper and garlic in the bottom of the slower cooker.  Drizzle olive oil over the top and toss to cover.  Place raw chicken (may be frozen or thawed) in the slower cooker on top of the veggies.  Then add the remaining ingredients on top. Don't worry about mixing them. Turn on the slower cooker on high. Once the chicken starts to cook (turns white on one side - about an hour or so into the cooking process), mix the contents of the slower cooker well and push the chicken to the bottom. Cook on high for a total of 3-4 hours. Serve as is (absolutely delicious!) or top with cheese if desired.

(Without a slower cooker:) Brown the chicken in a large pot in oil.  Set aside.  In the same pot, in the remaining oil (or you may add more oil or butter if needed) saute the second group of ingredients (mushrooms, onion, zucchini, green pepper and garlic) until crisp/tender.  I like to add a terrible amount of butter because it tastes GOOD! Then return the chicken to the back into the pot and then add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for 15 minutes while mixing well.  Serve as is (absolutely delicious!) or top with cheese if desired.

Breakfast Burritos

From: A friend of mine mentioned the idea of making breakfast burritos ahead of time to freeze and I thought I'd try it.  Here's what I put in mine... It makes 9 burritos.

Ingredients:

9 tortillas
1 package of about 8 fully cooked turkey sausage
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 lb cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup of salsa
8 eggs
2 tbsp oil

How to: 

Start by finely chopping the turkey sausage. Set aside for a moment.  Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium heat for about a minute.  Then add the eggs and scramble on medium high heat, adding salt and pepper to your liking.  When the eggs are about halfway cooked, add the sausage and finish scrambling the eggs.  Now lay out the tortillas, egg and sausage mix, cheese, and salsa.  Assemble the burritos, wrapping each one in a paper towel.  Use a paper towel, which can be microwaved, not foil, plastic or wax paper.  Make sure to eat one while it's hot!  The rest of the wrapped breakfast burritos go into a freezer bag and into the freezer immediately to be warmed when you're ready to eat them.  I warm mine in the microwave for about a minute.  Now you've got a quick hearty breakfast that only take a minute to prepare!  Yummmm...

Side notes: Do you need a lactose or dairy-free option?  Use dairy-free cheese (click here for recipe) instead.  Do you have little ones in the house?  You can leave out the salsa and cut the burritos in half before wrapping in a paper towel.

Pesto-Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts

From: This recipe came from one of those recipe cards that Safeway distributes in their store.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
1/2 red pepper
olive oil
mozzarella cheese (shredded)
pesto sauce



How to:  

Cut a slit in the two chicken breasts so that you can stuff ingredients inside.  Cut the red pepper into strips and caramelize them (cook 'em) in olive oil in a skillet. Then stuff the inside of the chicken with pesto, mozzarella cheese, and red pepper.

Secure it closed at an angle with a couple of tooth picks, being sure the tooth picks are flush with the meat (so they don't keep the meat from being cooked well on all sides. Spread pesto on the outside of the chicken breasts. Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat.  Cook the chicken breasts on medium heat (slowly so they cook all the way through).  You can grill them too.

You can also microwave them for three minutes after cooking to be sure they are fully cooked inside, if you desire.  Be sure to remove toothpicks and top with more mozzarella if desired, before serving.

Chicken Craisin Salad

From: This recipe is from my Aunt Carol.  It's more filling than you'd think!  We love it for dinner!

Ingredients:

mostly white chicken pieces cut from small roasted chicken, about 3 c.
1 cup dried craisins (dried cranberries)
1 cup walnuts
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
3 celery stalks, sliced vertically, then chopped
pineapple slices, cut in wedges, two 15-oz cans
Marie’s (brand) cole slaw dressing (or 1000 Island or Honey Mustard) - we like honey mustard
Parmesan or mozzarella cheese

How to:  Combine all the ingredients except the dressing and cheese in a large bowl. Serve.  Top with dressing and cheese as desired.

Chicken Quesadillas

From: My husband whipped this up one evening and surprised me by setting this plate full of the best chicken quesadillas I've ever had right on my desk as I was working.

Ingredients:

flour tortillas
chicken
oregano
salt
pepper
parsley
basil
cheddar cheese
avocado
sour cream
butter
olive oil

How to:  Start by tossing some olive oil in a pan.  Heat it up and spread it around.  Then tossed in the chicken and the spices (to your liking).  Cook it through, allowing it to get nice and golden brown on the outside.  Then shred or dice it up.

Now load up a tortilla with cheddar cheese.  Add chicken, avocado and sour cream.  Close the tortilla and butter the outside.  Heat a clean pan.  Saute the quesadilla until the outside is golden brown and the cheddar cheese is melted.  Then flip it over and do the other side.

Now serve it up and eat it!