Sunday, July 4, 2010

Chicken Pot Pie

1 10-oz. package frozen mixed vegetables
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 1/2 - 3 cups cut-up cooked chicken or turkey
Pastry for 9-inch two-crust pie

1. Rinse veggies in cold water to separate, drain.
2. Melt butter in 2-qt saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, onion, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in broth and milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 min. Stir in chicken and veggies; remove from heat.
3. Heat oven to 425 F.
4. Make pastry. You will have enough filling here to either make one square 9 x 9 x 2 inch pot pie, or 2 regular 9 inch round pot pies. You can choose what to do with that.
5. Bake about 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Grape- Mint Salsa

Here's a new one I haven't even made yet, but it sounds so good. I think I will make it for our church's next craft night. (Marty hates sweet salsas, so he won't like it- which is why I haven't made it yet.)

2 cups green grapes, chopped
2 cups red grapes, chopped
2 T chopped chives
2 T chopped mint
1 T lime juice
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

Combine in a medium bowl. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Grilled Romaine Salad

Though this salad is quite time consuming (for a salad), it is absolutely delectable. You have to try it.

"Sun-dried" Tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
3 T sugar
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8 roma tomatoes, halved or quartered

Dressing:
2 shallots
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 T brown sugar
1 3/4 cup olive oil

Salad:
4 romaine hearts
1 T olive oil

1. Heat oven to 225 F. Mix first 6 ingredients in a plastic bag. (You can do this the night before, and marinade them overnight.) Shake in tomato halves. Place tomatoes cut side up on baking sheet. Bake 2 1/2 hours.
2. In blender, finely chop shallots. Add vinegar and brown sugar until smooth. Slowly add oil, process frequently to thicken.
3. Preheat grill to high heat. Brush romaine hearts with olive oil. Place on preheated grill. Cook 5-10 min. turning frequently, until charred, but not heated through. Serve warm on salad plates surrounded by tomatoes and drizzled with shallot dressing.

Spinach and Berries Salad with Curry Dressing

The best part of this salad is the dressing.

6 oz. spinach
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 small red onion, ringed
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Dressing:
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 T rice vinegar
4 T honey
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Wash and dry spinach leaves. Whip together dressing, and toss with spinach. Add berries, onion and pecans. Toss lightly, and serve.

Hummus

This recipe blows store hummus out of the water. If you think you like hummus try this; it's super easy and VERY good.

1 16-oz can garbanzo beans
1/4 cup liquid from beans
3 T lemon juice
1 1/2 T tahini (optional)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
2 T olive oil

Put all in a blender and blend until creamy. Serve with veggies and tortilla chips for a great summer lunch.

Chewy Granola Bars

4 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 cups raisins, nuts, craisins or whatever you like

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Lightly grease 9 x 13 inch pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, flour, baking soda, vanilla, butter, honey, and brown sugar. Stir in the 2 cups assorted stuff.
3. Press mixture into pan. Bake for 18 - 22 min. or until golden brown. 2 or 3 times during baking, press the bars down into the pan with a spatula. Let cool for 10 min. then cut into bars. Let bars cool completely before removing from pan.

Baked Oatmeal

This easy breakfast recipe can be altered in almost every way. I use raw sugar instead of brown, and you can replace the raisins with craisins, chocolate chips, or any fresh or frozen berry. I put in about 1/2 cup walnuts, or almonds, pecans, or whatever you like. It's fast to mix up, and a great filling breakfast.

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup raisins
1 T walnuts
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup applesauce
2 T butter, melted (or use oil)
1 egg

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease an 8 or 9 inch pan. Mix all ingredients together and pour into pan. Sprinkle brown sugar on the top, if desired. Bake 30 min.