Homemade Pesto

Does this look amazing, or what?!

It tasted amazing, too, with its wonderful mix of flavors and textures; I just love pesto, and when it comes to recipe payback for the amount of work put in, this one really packs a punch. It's made with six simples ingredients that bring plain pasta to life and make you feel like a gourmet cook! I found this gem, years ago, in my The New Good Housekeeping Cookbook.

Ingredients:

1 cup packed with basil leaves

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup pine nuts (or walnuts), chopped finely

1/3 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese (and no, you can't just use the canned stuff--the horror!)

1-2 minced garlic cloves

1 tsp salt

One method is to throw everything into a food processor and chop until it meets your pesto-texture preference. Another way is to simply chop the basil and nuts and then mix everything together. Then mix it with freshly cooked pasta, use it on homemade chicken pesto pizza, or whatever your heart desires. This recipe freezes beautifully; I packed a frozen container in our camping cooler and served it a few days later. If using that method, allow it to thaw to room temperature before mixing with your pasta. (There is no need for it to be hot when you put it on hot pasta.) If it's too cold and you don't have time to let it get to room temperature, set it in a pan of warm water while you boil the pasta.

This year, I used my own basil, grown in my garden. Next year, I plan to plant several plants and whip up enough to freeze and give as gifts--It's that delicious. I'd love to hear how you like it! :)

Mango Slaw

This recipe was offered to me by 93-year-old Cousin Ed, who assured me it is one of his popular recipes. If he hadn't insisted that I wouldn't even taste the sauerkraut*, I would have politely accepted it and dropped it in the recycling bin, but Ed also shared his wonderful Chicken Pasta Salad, so I had to trust him.

Ingredients:
1 15-oz can sauerkraut (preferably Frank's)
1 cup sugar or artificial sweetener
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 whole mango, chopped (or one large jar) Ed says jarred mango is the best; it's nice and juicy. I agree.)

I took the simple ingredients with my family on a camping trip, figuring it would be easy to assemble. It was. First, drain the jarred mango and sauerkraut.

I measured the sugar at home. It was my first time using sugar that wasn't refined, so it's brown, "in the raw." (It tastes like sugar.haha)

Dice the mango and celery.

Mix everything together. I did this in a Ziploc bag, which worked beautifully.

 I prepped the salad in the morning, for dinner that night. It turned quite juicy by dinner, 

so I used a slotted spoon to serve it, 

along with pan-fried walleye, little red potatoes, and marinated veggies.

You may have noticed the smallish portion on my plate (I was nervous!).

However, I'm very happy to report that Ed was absolutely right;

this salad is a winner, and every one of my family members said that I should make it again,

so it doesn't get better than that.

*Nothing against sauerkraut, of course; I adore it with spareribs and wouldn't dare a bratwurst without it, but in a salad?! I'm so glad I bravely ventured into this recipe :)

Chicken Tacos and Homemade Taco Seasoning

I recently made these two delicious partner recipes and didn't have time for photos. Since I'll definitely be making it again, I'll take photos next time :) The blogger on whose blog I found the taco seasoning recipe (sorry, can't find it now!) added that she makes it in bulk, puts it into small mason jars, and gives it as Christmas gifts. In case you'd like to do that, I've included conversions at the end of this post.

Crockpot Chicken Taco Meat
1 bag of frozen chicken breasts (4-5 breasts)
1 pkg taco seasoning (see recipe below if you want to make it from scratch)
1 jar of your favorite salsa
black beans, corn, and creamed cheese are optional (I didn't use them this round, and it was delicious. You can also add some cooked rice at the end.) I double this recipe, because I have a big crockpot, and it freezes very well. It also makes for a great camping meal; I cooked it at home and brought all the fixins for chicken tacos for lunch the next day. It was a big hit!

Directions
Mix the taco seasoning. Sprinkle over frozen chicken breasts in crockpot. Add the other ingredients and cook four hours on high or until the chicken is done.

YUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUMYUM!

Taco Seasoning
1 1/2 tsp chili powder (I cut this in half, as more than a few reviewers said it was a little hot.)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground pepper

Add to one pound of your favorite meat. Or....


Conversions for making gift-sized containers (You're welcome! :)

64 times bigger recipe (makes about 9 cups):
2 cups chili powder
1/3 cup garlic powder
1/3 cup onion powder
1/3 cup crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 cup dried oregano
2/3 cup paprika
2 cups ground cumin
1 1/3 cups sea salt
1 1/3 ground pepper

128 times bigger recipe (makes about 18 cups):
4 cups chili powder
2/3 cup garlic powder
2/3 cup onion powder
2/3 cup crushed red pepper flakes
2/3 cup dried oregano
1 1/3 cups paprika
4 cups ground cumin
2 2/3 cups sea salt
2 2/3 cups ground pepper

Chicken Pasta Salad

Earlier this summer, Kendall and I received the blessing of a very special lunch with a distant cousin, Ed, who is 93 and sets a table like this:

The meal included this delicious chicken pasta salad.

In my thank you note, I asked if Ed would share the recipe, and he very kindly did, and I'm so very glad, because this salad is delish!

When I made it, I was far too busy to take photos (next time, sorry), so this is the quick-and-dirty version.

Ingredients:

2 cups cut-up, cooked chicken thighs (I boiled mine.)

2 cups celery, chopped small

1 whole bunch green onions, chopped small

3/4 red grapes, halved

1 11 oz. can Mandarin oranges

2 tablespoons green pepper, chopped small

2 tablespoons pimiento

1/2 cup slivered almonds

 2 cups Creamette rings

Dressing:

1/2 cup sugar (artificial sugar works, too)

3/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup cream

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Go easy on the mayo, according to Ed; start with 1/2 cup and add more, if needed.

I doubled this recipe for a dinner with 20 of us, and it was way too much, even though everyone raved about it. It completely filled my huge, gold-colored Tupperware bowl.

Tina's Oatmeal-Banana-Chocolate-Chip Pancakes

Ever since I first made my cousin Tina's wonderful pancakes, they have been a family favorite. This morning, I made them for out-of-town guests (college girls) who were blown away by their deliciousness. One of them declared very seriously that they were the "finest" pancakes she'd ever eaten, so I figure it's about time I share the recipe. It's very simple:

Dry Ingredients:
1 cup flour (and extra, if needed) I used a mixture of wheat and white flour this time.
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup oatmeal (I like the long-cooking kind)
1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients:
1 ripe banana (mashed)
2 Tbls honey
1 egg
1 1/4 cups milk
3 Tbls oil

Mix liquid into dry ingredients with a wire whisk, just until blended. Let sit for about 10 minutes. If needed, thicken with extra flour.

I served these with my husband's maple-butter syrup: Mix room-temperature butter into warm (not hot) homemade maple syrup. One of the girls is from Canada. If you know anything about Canadians, you know they know their maple syrup. She was over-the-moon over ours :)

For six girls, I tripled the recipe, and each girl ate 2-3 6" pancakes. They were eaten so quickly that I forgot to take pics of the finished product, but don't worry; there's always next time!

Tripled Amounts:
Dry Ingredients:
3 cups flour (and extra, if needed) I used a mixture of wheat and white flour this time.
7 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup oatmeal (I like the long-cooking kind)
1 1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas (mashed)
6 Tbls honey
3 eggs
3 3/4 cups milk
9 Tbls oil (an ounce more than 1/2 cup)

Fattoush Pasta Salad

When I first found this prize-winning salad, I wasn't sure my family would like it, even though everyone reviewing it raved about it; it contained ingredients we've never been drawn to, such as radishes and "Greek Seasoning" (whatever that is). However, I'm very happy to report we loved it! I made it as a trial-run for a potential graduation party salad, loved it, and then made it again for the party.

I found the recipe via this Pinterest pin. I was a little put-off about the number of ingredients (Was this recipe complicated?), but it's actually very simple, so don't be intimidated. Just get your prep dishes ready :)

For a printer friendly version of this recipe, click here.

Ingredients:
In my photo, you'll see portions for quadrupling the recipe, since I made it for a graduation party. Missing from the photo are the mint and the red onion, which Mr.4444 was shopping for when I took the photo:

1 box Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad Classic pasta salad mix

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsps Greek seasoning
the seasoning packet from the Suddenly Salad mix

The Rest:
1 1/2 cup coarsely-chopped cucumbers (one good-sized but skinny cuke)
1 cup coarsely-chopped romaine lettuce
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup thinly-sliced zucchini
1/3 cup thinly-sliced radishes
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 cups garlic-flavored croutons or pita chips
1 tbls finely chopped, fresh mint leaves

Mix the seasoning packet, olive oil, lemon juice, and Greek seasoning in a small bowl. Set aside.

Cook the pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients. When I made this, I didn't have any mint, so I left it out, but I look forward to trying it next time.

Lettuce

Grape Tomatoes

Cukes

Zucchini

Radishes

I just got these stainless bowls (Pampered Chef--killer deal because I sold a bunch of stuff in a book party) the day before the party, and I am totally in love!! Notice the measurements inside the bowl; that made prepping a lot easier, especially since I was making so much.

Feta Cheese

Parsley

(Don't forget the red onion and the mint.)

Garlic-flavored croutons or Pita Chips

I broke them into small pieces.

Throw everything together.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'll confess that I mixed mine in this:

In my defense, it was brand-new, and it is called Homer's "All-Purpose" Bucket.

Add the dressing. Stir.

and refrigerate "for at least an hour." I didn't have an hour the first time I made this, so we ate it right away and found it to be deliciously flavorful. I had some again the next day, and it was still wonderful. I brought party leftovers to work two days later, and people still raved about it, so it holds up well.

Reviewers of this recipe noted that croutons or pita chips get a little soggy after a while, but I didn't think that took away from the salad.

***

As stated previously, I quadrupled this recipe for the party, and in case you're interested in doing the same, here are the amounts I ended up using:
3-4 skinny cukes
4 small, skinny zucchinis 

1 whole red onion
1 full head of Romaine lettuce
2 of the containers of grape tomatoes
3 4-oz containers of Feta cheese
2 bags of pita chips
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of radishes

This made more than enough for 50 guests.

Crock-Pot White Chicken Chili

This chili is sooo good that I'm typing this in the middle of my meal. I got the recipe from school; it  was judged the best in our annual staff chili cook-off this year. I have another white chicken chili recipe that people rave about, I gotta tell you, though, this one is my new favorite, as it is very, very good and super-easy to throw together.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts (or one bag of Schwann's cooked chicken pieces)
1 large can (29 oz) black beans, drained
2 15 oz. cans of sweet corn (leave one undrained)*
1 29 oz. can RoTel tomatoes
2 pkgs Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix
2 tsps onion powder
2 tsps ground cumin
2 tsps chili powder*
2 8-oz pkgs light cream cheese

Place the chicken in the bottom of the crockpot. Drain the beans. Add them and everything else (except the cream cheese) to the crockpot and give it a little stir. Lay the cream cheese on top.

Cover and cook 6-8 hours on low. Stir the cream cheese in.

Shred the chicken with a couple of forks. Serve with chips (optional).

This recipe can be halved, but I have a big crock pot, so I went all-out.  I cooked mine on high for four hours, but the recipe calls for 6-8 hours on low.

*My only change that I made to the original recipe was to cut the chili powder in half. The orginal, prize-winning recipe called for two tablespoons of chili powder. I have reduced it to two teaspoons, and my family thinks it has plenty of kick.  Also, in subsequent preparations of this recipe, I have drained one of the cans of corn; otherwise, it seems to soupy to me.

For a text-only copy of this recipe, click here.