Ribs

I really love these ribs. The spicy dry rub makes these amazing... I think anyways. :)

Ribs
2 lbs ribs
barbeque sauce

Dry Rub-
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne red pepper

Mix together the dry rub and coat ribs in mixture. Wrap each individual rib tightly in tin tin foil coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate (longer the better). Before cooking, open tin foil and coat the ribs with barbeque sauce, wrap back up and place on cooking sheet. Bake at 300 for 2 1/4 hours. Unwrap ribs, add more barbeque sauce if desired and broil for a few minutes so sauce gets nice and sticky.

Oriental Chicken Salad

Found recipe here - http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/Applebees-Oriental-Chicken-Salad-Recipe.html

I've used this recipe before, and the corn flake covered chicken is really delicious! But to cut back on time, I just used store-bought chicken strips, placed on a bed of lettuce and topped with the yummy dressing, green onions and almonds. It made this amazing salad, amazingly simple.

DRESSING

3 Tbsp honey

1 1/2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar (3 parts white vinegar 1 part water)

1/4 cup mayo

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/8 tsp sesame oil

Blend and refrigerate.

Salad
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup corn flake crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half
2-4 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 cup red cabbage
1 cup Napa cabbage
1/2 carrot, julienned or shredded
1 green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
1/3 cup chow mein noodles

1. Preheat oil in deep fryer or deep pan over medium heat.
You want the temperature of the oil to be around 350 degrees.
2. Blend together all ingredients for dressing in a small
bowl with an electric mixer. Put dressing in refrigerator
to chill while you prepare the salad.
3. In a small, shallow bowl beat egg, add milk, and mix well.
4. In another bowl, combine flour with corn flake crumbs, salt
and pepper.
5. Cut chicken breast into 4 or 5 long strips. Dip each strip
of chicken first into egg mixture then into the flour mixture,
coating each piece completely.
6. Fry each chicken finger for 5 minutes or until coating has
darkened to brown.
7. Prepare salad by tossing the chopped romaine with the chopped
red cabbage, Napa cabbage, and carrots.
8. Sprinkle sliced green onion on top of the lettuce.
9. Sprinkle almonds over the salad, then the chow mein noodles.
10. Cut the chicken into small bite-size chunks. Place the
chicken onto the salad forming a pile in the middle. Serve
with salad dressing on the side.

Meatloaf

I'd like to branch out and try some new meatloaf recipes, but I like this one and it is so easy that I always go to it when meatloaf is on the menu-

1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp mustard
2 lbs ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 egg beaten
1 tsp beef boullion granules

Mix together ketcup, brown sugar, mustard, and 1 Tbsp of lemon juice. Set aside. Mix beef, bread, onion, egg, boullion, remaining lemon juice and 1/3 of the ketchup mixture. Press to bottom of loaf pan and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Drain excess fat, coat with remaining ketchup mixture and bake an additional 10 minutes. Yum!

Taco Stuffed Shells

Found recipe here - http://www.food.com/recipe/taco-stuffed-pasta-shells-43574

This recipe first caught my eye because of my weakness for tacos and I thought definitely worth a try! We've had it a few times since. :)

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• 1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese
• 12 large pasta shells
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup taco sauce
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
• 1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 green onions, chopped

Directions:

1. 1
   COOK BEEF.
2. 2
   ADD TACO SEASONING AND PREPARE ACCORDING TO PKG DIRECTIONS.
3. 3
   ADD CREAM CHEESE.
4. 4
   COVER AND SIMMER UNTIL CREAM CHEESE IS MELTED.
5. 5
   YOU CAN CHILL THE MEAT SO YOU CAN STUFF THE SHELLS EASIER.
6. 6
   POUR SALSA IN THE BOTTOM OF A GREASED 9 X 13 IN PAN.
7. 7
   WHILE THE HAMBURGER IS COOKING, COOK THE PASTA, DRAIN, TOSS WITH BUTTER.
8. 8
   FILL EACH SHELL.
9. 9
   PLACE IN BOTTOM OF PAN AND TOP WITH TACO SAUCE.
10. 10
    COVER AND BAKE AT 350 FOR 30 MINUTES.
11. 11
    UNCOVER,SPRINKLE WITH CHEESES AND CHIPS.
12. 12
    BAKE 15 MINUTES LONGER OR UNTIL HEATED THROUGH.
13. 13
    SERVE WITH SOUR CREAM, MORE SALSA, OR WHATEVER ELSE YOU THINK GOES GOOD WITH TACOS.
    
    
    I halved this recipe and still filled 8 shells. It was a light dinner, but if you want to save on money, make fewer shells and serve with spanish rice or something a little heavier.
    
    
    

Minestrone Soup

I know it's summer, but soups are always so easy and it's a cheap, meatless meal. I made some home baked bread to go along with it.

I used the recipe found here - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/kens-minestrone-soup/detail.aspx

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 1 (29 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
• (I took a can of my garlic and onion diced tomatoes and pureed them in the blender since Jack doesn't like tomato chunks)
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can green beans, drained
• tiny shell pasta
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 pinch dried basil
• 1 pinch dried oregano
• 1 pinch Italian seasoning
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons vegetarian chicken flavor seasoning
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

Directions

1. In a large 4 to 5 quart saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Mix in garlic, onion and carrots. Saute the vegetables until just tender; approximately 5 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes with juice, cannellini beans, and kidney beans to the saucepan. Fill each can with water, and add the water to the saucepan. Mix in green beans and pasta. Sprinkle parsley, basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, chicken-style seasoning, and cayenne pepper into the soup; stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover, and let simmer 30 minutes.

I go heavy on the seasonings (much more than a pinch) and add tiny shell pasta. I'm not sure how much (maybe 1/3 bag), but be aware it does expand quite a bit when it cooks. Also top with parmesan cheese-it makes this. This made A LOT, but it was good.

Potato Pepper Onion Skillet

I was proud of myself with this meal. Jack is the expert potato cook but I was in charge tonight since Jack was out late with his master's classes. There wasn't much to it, but the way I cooked my potatoes I followed here - http://southernfood.about.com/od/potatorecipes/r/r70529d.htm

• 2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, quartered, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium clove garlic, finely minced
• 6 medium red-skinned potatoes, cut in 1/2-inch dice
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large, heavy, nonstick skillet or electric skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender. Add the red pepper and garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the potatoes, paprika, about 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cover and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until potatoes are just tender. Uncover and increase heat to medium-high. Continue cooking for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until nicely browned.
Serves 4 to 6.

Like I said, I cooked the potatoes according to this order and added in my own seasonings until I reached what i liked. You'll love my measurements. :) I used red onion and added in green bell pepper too!

seasoning salt (a lot)

garlic (generous)

paprika (generous)

chili powder (little)

pepper (little)

dash of cayenne red pepper

onion powder

I also scrambled 2 eggs in (I think a must!)

Turned out delicious!

Balsamic Chicken Pasta Salad

Found the recipe here- http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Balsamic-Chicken-Pasta-Salad

• bow tie pasta
• cubed cooked chicken breast
• tomatoes
• chopped red onion
• bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (I used bacon bits)

*I halved the dressing recipe

• 1/4 cup Crisco® Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp dried basil
• 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water; transfer to a large bowl. Add the chicken, tomatoes, onion, and bacon.
• In a small bowl, whisk the oil, basil, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Cranberry Chicken Pasta Salad

I needed to use the other half of my can of Costco chicken and was in the mood for a cold pasta salad. I couldn't decide between 2 I found so I made a little of both. :) I think they would be much better with cubed chicken, but not bad for what it was. I'll include the other recipe in the above post.

Found recipe here - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/chicken-pasta-salad-with-cashews-and-dried-cranberries/detail.aspx

• bow tie (farfalle) pasta
• coleslaw dressing
• cubed cooked chicken
• seedless green grapes, halved
• seedless red grapes, halved
• water chestnuts (I left out)
• thinly sliced celery
• sliced green onions
• cashew halves
• dried cranberries

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, green grapes, red grapes, water chestnuts, celery, and green onions. Stir in dressing, and mix well. Place the salad in the refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours, or overnight. Mix in cashews and dried cranberries just before serving. Serve cold.

I mixed up my own coleslaw dressing found here - http://southernfood.about.com/od/saladdressings/r/bl60117c.htm

*I only made a quarter of the recipe below, but I also didn't make very much pasta

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 full of a 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 cup cider vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• salt, to taste

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a jar; shake well. Refrigerate for about an hour.

White Sauce Enchiladas

I found the recipe here- http://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-enchiladas-white-sauce-rich-131628

For my review, see below-

• 1/8 cup butter
• 1/8 cup flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 4 ounces sour cream
• 4 ounces chopped green chilies, undrained
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breasts (I use 1/2 can Costco chicken)
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 cups monterey jack cheese
• 4 flour tortillas

Directions:

1. 1
   In medium saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, add chicken stock, heat and stir until thickened and bubbly.
2. 2
   Add sour cream, green chilies and cayenne. Remove from heat.
3. 3
   In a separate bowl, toss cooked chicken and chopped onion. To this bowl, add 1/2 cup sauce mixture from the saucepan. Stir well.
4. 4
   Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture, roll up and place seamside down in oblong greased casserole.
5. 5
   Pour remaining sauce on top.
6. 6
   Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, covered.
7. 7
   Remove from oven, take off foil and sprinkle cheese over top.
8. 8
   Return to oven and broil until cheese becomes browned a little.
   
   
   
   
   

Jack and I really aren't enchilada fans. We don't like them mushy so usually let the cheese brown. There is another recipe I normally use, which I will include below. With that, the cheese gets crispy, but this recipe called out to me because it looked like cheesy goodness so I thought I would give it a try. Plus, it's pretty fast and simple. I liked the taste of this one better. I topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and corn. Jack threw some tortilla chips on his to give it a crunch, but he likes my other recipe better. He felt this was too greasy. And with the butter it does have more of that texture. So if you're looking for a similar taste, with less grease, my other enchilada recipe is as follows:

1/2 can Costco chicken

cream cheese

onions

I mix these together in a saucepan until the cheese is melted. Sorry I don't know how much cream cheese I use, just to get a good consistency. I roll it up in tortillas. Open a can of green enchilada sauce pour a little on the bottom of the pan, put my tortillas in, pour a little on top of the tortillas and top with cheddar cheese. I then let it cook until the cheese gets crispy. And that's it!