Kale Crisps

Okay, I had never even heard of kale before a facebook friend posted the link to this recipe on her facebook page. I rather like it now. It is kind of time consuming as I don't have a salad spinner, but I think it is worth the time it takes. It is a great way to eat your greens and enjoy them in bulk (I ate almost the entire bunch in one sitting).

Kale Crisps
1 bunch of kale (about 1 lb)
a drizzle of olive oil (no more than 1 tbsp)
sea salt (you will just sprinkle it on, so not much)

Wash the kale. Remove the leaves from the stems (tear into large bite size pieces as it will shrink as it is cooked). Dry the kale thoroughly (spin or pat dry, air dry doesn't work too well). Drizzle olive oil on kale pieces and massage gently to coat all peices of kale with oil. Spread kale onto a large cookie sheet (I actually had to use 2 large cookies sheets to get it only one layer deep). Sprinkle with sea salt to taste (whatever looks good). Bake in preheated oven (325 degrees) for 10 - 12 minutes until leaves look dark forest green and take on a translucent look. Remove from oven, allow to cool, and enjoy your snacking!

I hope you all enjoy this lovely recipe. I have only made it once, but I sure liked it. If you would like picutes and such check out the blog from which I obtained the recipe at http://www.threetastes.com/blog/blog_files/kalecrisps.php

P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps!

I found this super yummy recipe online for these lettuce wraps, and the filling even tastes delicious on rice (in fact, Drew likes it better just on rice).

Stir fry cubed chicken, chopped mushrooms, water chestnuts, onions, and a little garlic until chicken is cooked. Add sauce and cook until chicken is juicy and smells delicious!

Sauce: 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar

Serve in iceberg lettuce leaves like a burrito!

At P.F. Chang's, these are served with two sauces. One sauce is 1 Tablespoon hot mustard and 2 teaspoons hot water just mixed together (you can also add a chili paste). The other sauce is as follows:

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

When I made this, I boiled the chicken then cubed it, rather than frying it, and it turned out just fine. The website I got this from even says that you can use ground chicken, too. I doubled this recipe and it was plenty for dinner, along with some rice. And it's a lot easier than it seems. Delicious!

Elizabeth's recipes...

Elizabeth has a new blog called That's {FAM}tastic! She has all kinds of cool stuff on there including recipes she has not posted here.

I can't wait to try her tex-mex-cheese-enchiladas, and her famous salsa! Maybe I can eat Mexican again in a few weeks when the baby is born and I don't have to worry about salt and swelling anymore :)

Tortilla Soup

This is easily one of my favorite meals, not only to eat, but to make. It is so easy and yummy. The kids even love to eat it and ask for seconds.

Ingredients:
1 lb. cooked chicken or browned hamburger (I usually use one can of canned chicken)
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can chicken broth
1 can corn
1 can Ranch Style Beans
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can Ro-Tel

Combine all of the above ingredients and simmer on medium heat to a boil. Pour over chips and sprinkle cheese on top.

Mom's Corn Chowder

Here's your picture Mom, so add the recipe :)

Sticky Chicken

I heard this recipe on Oprah the other day, and when I tried it, it was easy and delicious! Drew even liked it, and he said that he thought it sounded gross. All you do is marinate chicken breasts in this combination:
soy sauce (good amount)
honey (lots)
mustard (little bit)
then coat the chicken in sesame seeds. Cook under the broiler for 12 minutes. It's really good!

Anyone Else?

So, this blog has been kind of slow lately....

If there's anyone you want to invite to contribute some yummy recipes, feel free!

Thanks for all the tasty recipes that have been shared so far!

Zuppa Toscana

This is seriously so good! To me it tasted just like Olive Garden's. I made a few modifications because I'm cheap...I'll tell you what they are below the recipe.

Recipe: Olive Garden Toscana Soup

CDKitchen http://www.cdkitchen.com/
Category: O - Copy Cat Restaurant Recipes
Serves/Makes: 5 Difficulty Level: 3 Ready In: 30-60 minutes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup onions, diced 1/8 inch
1 slice bacon, 1/4-inch diced
1 1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 ounce chicken bouillon (2 Tbs)
1 quart water (2 c.--I added 2 more, see below)
2 medium potatoes, cut in half length-wise, then cut in 1/4-inch slices
2 cups cavallo greens (kale can be substituted), cut in half, then sliced into 1/16-inch strips
1 1/2 cup sausage link - spicy, precooked, cut in half length-wise, then cut at an angle into 1/2-inch slices
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Place sausage link onto sheet pan and bake in 300 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until done.

Place onions and bacon into 3 to 4 quart saucepan and cook onions over medium heat until the onions are almost clear. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add chicken bouillon, water and potatoes, bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients then simmer for 5 more minutes and serve.

Okay, so I didn't feel like buying a whole thing of bacon just for one slice. Also, for some reason there was sasuage in the freezer section that was way cheaper than the refirigerated kind...BUT there was no spicy in the freezer kind, so instead I got a pork and bacon kind, and added crushed red pepper flakes that I already had to make it spicy. Also, I just used the whole 1 lb. roll (a little more than it calls for). I also added an extra potato, which let me add a whole extra 2 cups of water, stretching the soup. DELICIOUS!!!!! Oh yeah, I forgot to say that I just cooked the sausage in the skillet and then drained the grease, instead of baking it.

Margie's Punch

This is very tasty fruit punch that I've made a few times. I'm making it tomorow for a baby shower. The recipe came from my friend Margie Speight.

2 lg cans Pineapple Juice
2-2 liter bottles Hawian Punch
2 lg cans frozen Lemonade made per directions
2 cans apricot nectar
2-2 liter bottles Ginger Ale
Freeze lemon slices or marichino cherries or both in an ice ring. Mix everything and pour in a punch bowl with the ice ring. You can make 1/2 at a time to make it easier.