Chicken and Dumplings

The other week when I was grocery shopping I accidentally grabbed cream of celery instead of cream of chicken. I have never used cream of celery and had no idea what to do with it. I searched high and low on the internet to find a good recipe to use it in. I came across this chicken and dumplings recipe and it was delicious! It was incredibly simple and only has four ingredients, (though many reviews I read people adjusted by adding more things, but I thought it was delicious the way it is).
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 cans cream of celery
salt and pepper
1 pkg refrigerated biscuit dough

In a large pot over high heat, combine the chicken with enough water to cover, and boil for 15-20 minutes. Drain some of the water, reserving 3 cups in the pot. Remove chicken and allow to cool, then pull it apart into bite size pieces, return to pot. Reduce heat to medium, and add the cans of cream of celery. Season with salt and pepper. Pull biscuit dough into pieces, and add to the soup. Simmer over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, or until dough is cooked through. Serves 4.

Salmon & Bok Choy

I discovered this recipe from a blog I read. I really like bok choy but dont' find many recipes calling for it. The lime in the sauce is a great addition and a little bit of salt on salmon makes it taste so good. It really doesn't need anything but a little salt and pepper to make it taste amazing. It was so easy to make!




1 cup brown rice
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
4 teaspoons canola or peanut oil
4 salmon fillets (4 to 5 ounces each)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 head bok choy (1 1/2 pounds), cored and chopped

Cook rice according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, and agave, if using. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high. Season salmon with salt and pepper and cook until opaque throughout, 1 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to a plate. Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel.In same skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium. Add garlic and bok choy; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing, until bok choy is bright green, about 3 minutes. Serve salmon and bok choy with rice and soy-lime sauce.

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

My Dad came into town on business and typically he takes us out to dinner when he is here. Except this time it was a Sunday, we don't go out on Sundays, and I wanted to make dinner for him. I think I've only cooked for him one other time. He is usually up for anything and I know he doesn't get Tilapia regularly. This dish was delicious! I made some lemon rice to go with it and from Trader Joe's a frozen bag of vegetables in a balsamic buttery sauce. Yum! Tilapia is a really mild fish, and takes on the taste of the seasonings you use.

(photo courtesy of allrecipes.com)

4 tilapia fillets
3 T lemon juice
1 T butter, melted
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 t parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Rinse fillets under cool water, and pat dry with paper towels. Place fillets in baking dish. Pour lemon juice over fillets, then drizzle butter on top. Sprinkle with garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper. Bake in preheated oven until the fish is white and flakes when pulled apart with a fork, about 25 minutes.

Lemon Rice

2 cups chicken broth
1 cup white rice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons melted margarine

In a two-quart baking dish, mix together all ingredients except the broccoli. Bake at 325° F for 50–60 minutes until tender.

Alfredo Sauce

I love Fettuccine Alfredo, but I never make it mostly because I think the jars of Alfredo sauce are more on the pricey side. I'm a cheap-o when it comes to grocery shopping. Why spend money on a name brand when you can by generic? Unfortunately, not all generic brands are good. So we go without. I discovered this recipe for Alfredo sauce and it's delicious and so quick and easy. And I bet you have all the ingredients sitting in your cupboard or fridge. 1/2 c butter
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
2 t garlic powder
2 c milk
6 oz grated Parmesan cheese
black pepper to taste
salt to taste
oregano to taste
basil to taste

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan 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 seasonings. 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.

Pork Chops and Garlicky Broccoli

week 2/day2
I was brave enough to have pork chops again. Every time I hear the words "pork chop" I think back to when my parents wouldn't let my sister leave the table until she ate her pork chop. btw she hates pork. Anyways, this was a quick fix dinner. I didn't think the broccoli was very garlicky. If you want it more add 2 more cloves of garlic. Otherwise it's a really simple meal when you are running low on time.1 c white rice
3 T olive oil
4 pork chops (original recipe called for bone-in, I used boneless)
kosher salt
black pepper
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T soy sauce

Heat oven to 400. Cook the rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat 1 T of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper to taste and cook until browned on both sides. Transfer to a baking dish and place in oven let cook about 20 minutes or until cooked through. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli, garlic, soy sauce and 1/3 c water. Cook covered, until broccoli is tender. Serve with pork and rice. Serves 4.

Roasted Pork with Brussels Sprouts and Apricots

week 1/day 4
I took a chance with this recipe. I don't like pork and I have never had Brussels sprouts but have not heard good things about them. I took a greater risk by having dinner guest over for dinner. However everyone really enjoyed it. My mother-in-law said the Brussels sprouts were the best she's ever had, the apricot was great with them. The corn and cornbread (batter left over from the night before) were a great addition to the meal.
2 T olive oil
1 1/4 lb pork tenderloin
Kosher salt
black pepper
12 oz Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
1/4 c dried apricots, chopped

Heat oven to 400. Heat 1 T of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 6-8 minutes. Transfer pork to a baking dish and place in the oven and roast until cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Rest before slicing. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts, apricots, 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper and cook, tossing until the Brussels sprouts are just tender. Serve with the pork. Serves 6.

Beef and Bok Choy Stir Fry

Week 1/Day 2
Another success! We are two for two. Again this was a simple, quick dinner. This was the first time I've use flank steak. I'm still learning the many different cuts of meat and this was a new one for me. I got it London broil and wasn't quite sure how to cut it so it ended up in pieces instead of strips. Nonetheless it was delicious. The sauce had a strong ginger taste, which I liked. I'll definitely be using it again.

1 c rice
1 T olive oil
1 lb flank steak, thinly sliced
kosher salt
black pepper
4 heads baby bok choy, quartered
1/4 c soy sauce
2 T rice vinegar
1 T ginger
1 T brown sugar

Cook the rice according to the package directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the streak with 1/4 t each salt and pepper and cook, turning often, until cooked through, 3-4 minutes. Transfer the steak to a plate. Whip out the skillet. Add the bok choy and 1/4 c water and simmer, covered, until tender, 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and sugar. Add to the bok choy in the skillet and bring to a boil. Add the steak and any accumulated juices and cook, tossing, until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Serve over rice. Serves about 4.

Tilapia with Bell Peppers and Olives

Week 1/ Day 1
It's official we've kicked off our month of ALL NEW recipes. First up was fish. I was a little nervous for this because I really only like salmon. I figured this could go two ways a) good b) horribly bad. Luckily it was the first. It was good. We both liked it, well minus the olives for dearest husband. It didn't have an overly fishy taste. Really it took on the taste of the other ingredients. I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a fish entree. I reduced the amount of bell peppers and onion because two peppers and a whole onion would be way too much for us. I used a half of each and since I had sliced green olives I used what I had. I will probably make it again. Especially since Tilapia was cheap!


2 T olive oil
2 tilapia fillets
kosher salt
black pepper
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c pitted green olives
1/2 c parsley
2 T fresh lime juice

Heat 1 T of oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season fish with 1/4 t each salt and pepper and cook until opaque throughout, 4-5 minutes per side. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a second skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the peppers and onion, stirring frequently, until tender, 8-10 minutes. Stir in olives, parsley and lime juice. Serve with fish.

Balsamic-Glazed Salmon

I'm still on my search for finding delicious salmon recipes. Without having a grill I often find myself at a dead end. I keep coming across recipes using a cedar plank to cook the salmon on the grill, but I always have to skip over them because I can't put a cedar plank in the oven. This recipe was very good. It has a distinct taste, due to the balsamic vinegar. It was quite and easy to do, which is always a winner.

4 salmon fillets
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T white wine vinegar
1 T honey
1/3 c balsamic vinegar
4 t mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 T oregano

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Over medium heat cook and stir garlic, white wine, honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for about 3 minutes. Arrange salmon fillets on baking sheet and brush with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with oregano. Bake for 12 minutes, or until flesh flakes. Brush fillets with some glaze and serve over rice.

Caramel Apple Pork Chops

It's like apple pie for dinner! I'll admit I do not enjoy pork chops. I don't enjoy pork unless it's slathered in BBQ sauce or some kind of sauce that masks the taste. But my husband does enjoy pork chops and I'm sure he is getting sick of chicken, salmon and meatless. I sucked it up and made this recipe. Now for you other pork chop haters, and I know you are out there, you can substitute the chops for chicken. But the apple part of the dinner was delicious.
4 thick pork chops
1 t olive oil
2 T brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 t cinnamon
18 t nutmeg
2 T unsalted butter
2 tart apples (I used Pink Lady Apples), chopped

Preheat oven to 175 degrees and place a medium dish in the oven to warm. Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Brush chops with oil and place in hot pan. Cook for 5-6 minutes turning occasionally, until done. Transfer to warm dish and keep in preheated oven. In a small bowl combine all ingredients except butter and apples. Add butter to skillet and stir in mixture and apples. Cover and cook, until apples are just tender. Pour over chops and serve.

Maple Glazed Salmon with Pineapple

This was a delicious salmon recipe. I'm yet to find one that I don't enjoy. We absolutely love salmon in this family. I probably could eat it everyday, okay maybe not every day but at least twice a week. This was super easy to make and while the recipe says it takes 40 minutes it really can be done in under 30 minutes. I always made some adjustments to the recipe, which worked out for the better.


1/2 c maple syrup (I just used Mrs. Butterworth, that's all I have)
2 T mustard
4 6 oz salmon fillets
1 1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t black pepper
whole fresh pineapple
1 jalapeno, chopped finely
2 c cooked rice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Meanwhile whisk together maple syrup and mustard over medium heat, bring to boil. Simmer until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside. Place salmon on foil lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Slice the peel from the pineapple and cut into chunks. Scatter pineapple and jalapeno around salmon. Brush with half syrup mixture. Bake for about 15 minutes or until salmon is done. Serve with rice and drizzle remaining sauce over rice. Serves 4.

Old Bay Shrimp Fest

My husband's grandparents live right on the beach in North Carolina near the boarder of South Carolina, so whenever we go we eat good Southern food. Well we are heading there at the end of Summer and I'm looking forward to the fresh shrimp and crab! To get us ready I made this shrimp fest, just like good ol' Southern cookin. It was delicious. I was originally going to make hush puppies to go with, but I didn't find the corn meal and I didn't have time to shop around so instead I grab a box of Trader Joe's cornbread. Best decision! If you haven't tried it I highly recommend that! And in place of vegetable oil use applesauce, in fact do that with any cornbread recipe. But if you are in the mood for some Southern style cooking, try this, you will be satisfied! You can usually find Old Bay seasoning and the meat and seafood counter in the grocery store and I eliminated the beer.

1/2 C Old Bay Seasoning
2 T salt
4 quarts water
1 can beer
8 red potatoes, quartered
8 ears fresh corn, broken in half
4 pounds large shrimp in shells

In a large pot, bring Old Bay, salt, water and beer to boil. Add potatoes and cook for 8 minutes. Add corn and boil for 7 minutes. Add shrimp for about 4 minutes. Drain cooking liquid and pour contents into a large bowl. Serves 8.

For a real fun way of eating it. Dump contents onto a new paper covered table and just eat off the table.

Angel's Pasta

It's getting to be a challenge to find vegetarian meals that I know my husband will eat. I try to focus on a lot of vegetables and usually pasta because those are pretty basic and enjoyable. This one turned out really good. I had some left over sliced olives in the fridge so I added that to the mix and it was great. Instead of mozzarella I would try feta cheese. I really enjoy cooking without meat some times because the meals take very little time to make.

8 oz angel hair pasta (I used thin spaghetti)
1 T crushed garlic
1 T olive oil
2 zucchini, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
3 tomatoes, chopped
12 leaves fresh basil
4 oz shredded mozzarella

Bring a larger pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Pour in oil and saute garlic until golden. Stir in zucchini, salt and pepper. Saute 2 minutes, then mix in tomatoes and cook a few minutes more. Chop basil and add to vegetables right before mixing with pasta. Combine pasta and vegetables. Serve topped with mozzarella. Serves 6.

Simple Salmon

This is one of our favorite recipes for Salmon. It's incredible simple but so tasty. I bake it in the oven, but I really like it when it's done on the grill. This is the way I ate Salmon growing up and my parents always cooked it on the grill. So if you have a grill go ahead and do it on the grill, just make sure you have fish holders (not sure of the real name) so the fish doesn't fall through the grates. Add a wedge of lemon to it and it's delicious.
1 lb salmon
seasoned salt
dill
lemon, cut in wedges

Season salmon with seasoned salt to taste and a dash of dill. (The dill reduces the fishy smell and taste). Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet either use cooking spray or olive oil to prevent salmon from sticking. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Or until opaque. Serve with rice and broccoli. Squeeze the lemon over the salmon.

Tip: Fish continues cooking even after it's been removed from the oven or grill.

Chicken Roll-Ups

This is one of my husband's favorite meals. I'd consider it his comfort food. They are super easy to make and can even be made ahead of time. It's a pretty cheap meal too. This is probably a meal the rotates more frequently in our menu line up. When ever I make these my husband likes to sneak some of the dough from the crescent rolls, I find it disgusting, but he loves it and I love him so I let him usually sneak some dough. I will usually add some rice if I'm feeding a lot of people.

4 boneless skinless chicken breast
8 oz pkg of cream cheese
4 T margarine
2 c bread crumbs
salt and pepper
1 pkg Pillsbury 8 crescent rolls
can of cream of chicken
1/2 can of milk

Cook chicken all the way through (I used the tin foil method, but anyway gets the job done). Cut into small chunks. Mix together cream cheese, 2 T margarine and chicken. Salt and pepper to taste. In two bowls melt the other 2 T of margarine and in the other bowl pour the bread crumbs. In each roll wrap about 2 T of cream cheese mixture. Fold and then dip in margarine then bread crumbs. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees. For 20 minutes or until golden brown. Heat cream of chicken and milk to make a gravy. Serves 4.

Haystacks

A super easy meal that tastes delicious is Haystacks. This is on our weekly rotation.

1 8 oz. can of pineapple tidbits

1 2.25 oz. can of sliced olives

chow mein noodles

1 12.5 oz. can of chunk chicken (or 1-2 diced up and cooked chicken breasts)

1 10 oz. can of cream of chicken

1/3 cup of milk

grated cheddar cheese

1 cup of rice

optional toppings: diced celery, diced tomatoes

Cook rice using your preferred method. About 5-10 minutes before rice is done heat cream of chicken, chunk chicken and milk in sauce pan on stove pan just until warm.

Serve sauce and toppings over desired amount of rice.

Greek Pasta with Tomatoes and Beans

Here is a healthy pasta dish. It contains whole grain pasta, tomatoes, spinach and black beans. The last two are "super foods." Remember when I mentioned super foods? Seriously you should eat them more because I'm guessing most people don't get enough. Since my dear husband can't handle more than one meatless meal a week I made this pasta a side to the Greek Style Rib-Eye Steaks. It was a great combination. But the pasta would have been good on it's own too.

1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
10 oz chopped fresh spinach
8 oz whole grain penne pasta
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese

Cook pasta in a large pot until al dente. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes and beans in a skillet. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add spinach to the sauce, cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly. Serve sauce over pasta and sprinkle with cheese. Serves 4.

Greek Style Rib Eye Steak & Salad

I'm not a big red meat fan, but I do try to have it every once in a while because it has good iron in it and I've been known to lack in iron. Also red meat can be a little on the expensive side. So I bought one steak to share and added a lot of sides. This was a great recipe. Really simple, no grilling and it tasted delicious. I could have eaten my entire portion but I'm trying to eat until I'm full, not beyond.
Greek Style Rib-Eye Steak

1 3/4 lb beef rib eye steak
1 t garlic powder
1 t Italian seasoning
1/2 t kosher salt
1/8 t pepper
1 T olive oil
1 T lemon juice
2 T crumbled feta cheese
1 T sliced black olives

Rub garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper on both sides of steak. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Cook steaks in skillet for about 4-7 minutes on each side. I'd flip mine after every two minutes so it wouldn't get too burnt. (for medium-rare the meat thermometer should read 145 degrees, medium 160 degrees, well done 170 degrees). Take off skillet and sprinkle lemon juice, cheese and olives. Serve.

Fruit & Lettuce Salad

2 c baby spinach
1 Romaine lettuce heart cut
1 apple
1 c Crasins

Dice apple and place in bowl with spinach and cut romaine lettuce. Sprinkle Crasins over salad. Serve with Poppy Seed or Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing.

Chicken, Zucchini & Squash

Here is another recipe I made up by taking ideas from other ones. I've discovered cooking chicken in the oven wrapped in tin foil is a simple way to do so with great results. Sprinkled with kosher salt it brings out the juices but the tin foil holds it in resulting in a moist, tender piece of meat.
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast
medium zucchini
medium yellow squash
one lemon
kosher salt
pepper


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice zucchini and squash. Cut chicken in halves and place on separate large sheets of tin foil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon all over chicken and vegetables. Wrap in tin foil. Bake for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. I added Rice-a-Roni Rice Pilaf as a side. Enjoy. Serves 3.

Shrimp and Feta Cheese Pasta

This is a great meal with shrimp. It's light and flavorful and very simple to make. I made a few alterations by using Italian seasoning instead of just oregano and basil and a can of diced tomatoes instead of fresh and I think it turned out great and was ready in about 20 minutes. And for you seafood haters (though you really should enjoy seafood it's good for you) I bet you could throw in some chicken or sausage instead.

4 T olive oil
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 T white vinegar
1 lb spaghetti noodles
1 can diced tomatoes
Italian seasoning
1 pkg crumbled feta cheese

Bring a pot of water to boil and place pasta in and let good until al dente, drain. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet heat 3 T olive oil. Heat tomatoes, garlic and vinegar. Add shrimp when pasta is close to being finished. Add Italian seasoning to taste. Cook until shrimp turns pink. Mix together pasta and shrimp mixture. Toss with feta cheese and serve. Serves 5.