Recipe: Crunchy Asian Salad

Occasionally I will pick up one of those little recipe books at the checkout line in the grocery store. I am really enjoying this one: "Simple Healthy Meals by Betty Crocker." My family and I have really enjoyed everything I have tried out of this magazine. Here's one we had recently:

Healthified Crunchy Asian Salad
Dressing:
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Salad:
1 package (3oz) ramen noodles, any flavor
1 bag (16oz) coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
8 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1x1/8 strips
2 seedless oranges, peeled, coarsely chopped
2 cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped

1. In large bowl, beat dressing ingredients with whisk until sugar is dissolved.
2. Break up noodles in bag, discard seasoning pkt. Add noodles and all remaining ingredients except oranges and spinach, to dressing, toss to coat. Stir in oranges and spinach (gently).
Note: The noodles do not stay crunchy very long, but leftovers are still delicious.
Blessings

Taco Lasagna- a family favorite

I find that I haven't shared one our favorite recipes. I am sure you could find other versions and the basic certainly lends itself to your own special tweeking! Let me know what you think. It is not a very expensive covered dish to carry, too.



Taco Lasagna


1 lb burger, beef or turkey

1 pkt taco seasoning

8 tortillas, flour or corn

1 can refried beans

1 16 oz jar salsa

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

8 oz shredded cheddar



Brown burger, drain and add seasoning pkt per directions. In a 9x13 baking dish, spread about a half cup of salsa. Cut and arrange a layer of tortillas to cover. Spread half the refried beans over tortillas, followed by half the seasoned burger and then half the corn. Next drop spoonfuls of salsa evenly, then sprinkle with cheese. Repeat these layers. Top with another layer of tortillas, salsa and cheese. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove the foil the last five minutes or so. Nice topped with more salsa and a dollop of sour cream.

Blessings

Praline Bars

At this wonderful time of year, I am always on the lookout for something easy to take to share. This recipe is easy and delicious...makes it tough to save enough to take anywhere. Enjoy!

Praline Bars

1/3 (16 oz) pkg honey-flavored graham crackers
1 cup butter (no substitutions)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup pecan pieces
chocolate chips, optional ...just kidding!

Break the graham crackers into 3 sections. Line a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan with foil, sprayed with Pam, then crackers. Bring the butter and sugar to a boil in a saucepan. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour evenly over crackers. Sprinkle with pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. May sprinkle with chocolate chips after baking and maybe spread a little when melted. Needs to cool off in the fridge a few minutes before breaking up.

I hope you have a truly blessed Christmas.

Black Bean Soup

I have a wonderful, easy recipe for black bean soup that is perfect for this chilly weather. It is low in fat and very South Beach and Weight Watcher friendly.

3 cans black beans, drain and rinse 2 of them
1 can chicken broth
1/2 medium onion, chopped
24 oz. medium chunky salsa
1 Tbsp cumin

Cook the onions in a small amount of broth with the cumin until clear. Puree the drained beans with the salsa in a blender. Add this to the broth to heat through. (I use the rest of the broth to get the leftover puree out of the blender and add it to the soup.) Add the undrained beans and let it simmer, stirring often, about 20 minutes. This is great with other condiments and stuff added but it loses some of the "diet friendly"ness.
Blessings!

Apple Dumplings

This is a great fall recipe. I found this in the Busy Bee Trader, submitted by Lucy Bradley of TN Farm Bureau/Country Classics. (Gotta give credit where credit is due, my mama always said.)

2 granny smith apples

1 (8 count) can crescent rolls

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

1 cup orange juice

1 tsp vanilla

Peel and core apples and cut into fourths. Unroll and separate crescent rolls. Wrap each apple piece in one crescent roll. Place in 8-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Combine margarine, sugar, and juice in saucepan. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Pour over rolls (syrup will cook down as dumplings bake). Bake in a 350* oven for 30 minutes. Spoon pan juices over rolls when serving. Recipe may be doubled- bake for about 45 minutes. Really excellent served with a scoop of ice cream!

Hope you enjoy the lovely fall!

Cake Recipe...chocolate, coconut, caramel, Oh my!

This cake recipe is easy and very flexible. No one has complained and I always bring home an empty dish. You get to name your own creation, if you wish.

1 cake mix (see flavor combos below)
ingredients required by mix, i.e. oil, eggs, water
1 reg can sweetened condensed milk
1 can goodness (see flavor combos below)
another secret ingredient (again, see flavor combos below)
Cool Whip

Bake the cake in a 9x13 baking dish per mix ingredients. While the cake is still hot, use a wooden spoon handle to punch several holes in the cake, like every couple of inches. Pour over the cake both the sweetened condensed milk and the can of goodness, about a cup of each. Top with secret ingredient and cool whip. This is best if made the day before so the cake can absorb all the goodness. Be sure to refrigerate.

I have made this in the following combos:
1. devil's food cake, hersheys syrup, and cherry pie filling
2. yellow butter cake, coconut milk, coconut and/or crushed pineapple
3. chocolate cake, caramel syrup, toffee chips and/or chopped nut
Let me know if you have any other great combo ideas. Have a wonderful day!
Kelley B

Some Chicken Ideas...

In this day and age, any ideas to save time and money are great. I like to buy frozen chicken, usually boneless, skinless breasts in 3-4 pound bags. This is a great per pound value. First, let the chicken thaw in the bag...be warned --- those bags leak.
1. Barbecue: Bake covered at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Shred. Cover in bbq sauce of choice. Return to baking dish. For immediate use, allow to warm in oven for 15-20 minutes. Save leftovers by spreading on foil covered baking sheet, freezing and placing in freezer bag.
2. Southwestern: While the chicken is thawing, sprinkle with one packet of fajita seasoning. Shake in bag to coat. Place on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool and chop.
3. All purpose: Place thawed chicken on baking sheet and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool and chop.
I like to spread the shredded/chopped chicken on a baking sheet to freeze initially and then transfer to a freezer bag for use as needed. You can take out just what you need for a sandwich, quesadilla, or salad whenever you need it.
Enjoy!