Summer Berry Salad

Summer Berry Salad

Ingredients per 1 salad:
1/3 cup berry vinaigrette salad dressing + 2-3 tbsp
1 tbsp olive oil
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, trimmed and pounded to even thickness
2-3 cups leaf lettuce
1-2 tbsp feta (or blue) cheese, crumbled
1-2 tbps walnuts, chopped
3-4 medium strawberries, diced
Couple of croutons, if desired

1. Put 1/3 cup berry vinaigrette salad dressing and olive oil in a resealable plastic bag with chicken. Marinate for 1-3 hours.
2. Grill chicken on medium heat for 5-6 minutes per side, or until no longer pink in the center.
3. Meanwhile, toss lettuce with remaining salad dressing. Sprinkle cheese, walnuts and strawberries on top.
4. Cut cooked chicken lengthwise and place on top of salad.

Recipe Origination: Our garden lettuce is out of control, so while looking for a new salad dressing at the store to help eat it all before it goes bad, I saw this cool looking berry vinaigrette, which became the inspiration for this recipe. It turned out to make a great summer salad!

Puppy Chow

Puppy Chow

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips
9 cups Crispex
1 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, put Crispex in a large bowl. Pour chocolate mixture over crispex and gently stir until evenly coated.
3. Dump coated Crispex into a large brown paper grocery bag. Cover with powdered sugar. Fold bag over on itself a few times to close and shake aggressively for a minute or two.

Notes: If you turn the heat too high, the chocolate will burn and you'll have to start over, so watch it carefully. If you don't fold the paper bag over a few times, powdered sugar will puff out and get all over you.

Recipe Origination: I'm sure I originally got this off of a Crispex or Chex box. Not sure which one.

Ginger Pork Rolls

Ginger Pork Rolls

3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp ground ginger
2/3 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 lb pork loin, thinly sliced
8 mini rolls or 4 regular rolls
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
A few sprigs of cilantro

1. In a large skillet, combine 1 cup water with soy sauce, ginger, raisins, and onion. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; simmer for 5-6 minutes, or until rainsins are plump and onions are tender. Remove raisins and onions with a slotted spoot and transfer to a small bowl.
2. Add sliced pork to cooking liquid in skillet. Simmer, uncovered, for 7-8 minutes or until pork is cooked through, turning once.
3. Serve pork on buns with cucumber slices, cilantro, and raisin mixture.

Notes: Grating ginger root is a pain, but it does make a difference. If you're not up for the nuisance, go with the pre-ground spice in a jar. This will serve 4 people. Adapting it for 2 is hard because it's difficult to find a half pound pork loin.

Recipe Origination: "Better Homes and Gardens"

Blackened Chicken with Beans

Blackened Chicken with Beans

1 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp garlic sea salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup black bean and corn salsa (we like Neumann's)
1/4 cup tomatillo salsa (we like Frontera)
1/4 cup frozen corn , thawed

1. Sprinkle both sides of chicken breasts with chili powder, garlic sea salt and pepper.
2. In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil to medium heat. Add chicken and cook for 4 minutes each side, or until no longer pink in the center.
3. Remove chicken and wrap in aluminum foil to keep warm.
4. Add the beans, salsas and corn to the skillet. Warm over medium heat for 3 minutes or until heated through.
5. Place half of bean mixture in each of two shallow bowls. Place chicken breast on top of each.

Notes: If you don't like spicy food, this isn't the meal for you. This is a quick meal to prepare, and is very tasty.

Recipe Origination: I got the idea from a recipe from "Better Homes and Gardens," but tweaked it a bit to match our taste buds.

Aloha Chicken Kebabs

Aloha Chicken Kebabs

1 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 small sweet potato, cooked and skin removed
1/4 pineapple
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenders (or breast cut into "fingers")
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
10-12 short wooden skewers

1. With a food processor or blender, puree sweet potato and pineapple together. Set aside.
2. In a shallow bowl, mix breadcrumbs with flaxseed meal.
3. In a second wide, shallow bowl, combine sweet potato / pineapple puree, soy sauce, egg white and coconut using a fork.
4. Thread the chicken fingers lengthwise on skewers and sprinkle with salt. Coat the chikcen with the egg-white mixture and then roll in breadcrumbs until coated.
5. Add oil to a large nonstick skillet and heat to medium-high. Add the chicken in a single layer and brown for 3-4 inutes on one side. Turn the skewers and cook for another 4-5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Notes: If you just roll the chicken in the egg-white mixture, nothing will happen. You have to physically slap the stuff on in a decently thick layer before rolling it in the breadcrumbs. We like to eat the kebabs with a side of rice.

Recipe Origination: From Jessica Seinfeld's "Deceptively Delicious." This dish made me realize that perhaps sweet potatoes aren't so bad. Now I love them!

Elephant Ears

Elephant Ears

1 package frozen puffed pastry dough, thawed

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Roll one sheet of puffed pastry to 11 x 8" on a lightly floured surface.

2. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle half the mixture over the pastry.

3. Starting with the short sides, roll up dough jelly-roll style toward the center. Cut roll into about a dozen 1/2" slices and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.

5. Repeat with second sheet of pastry dough.

Notes: These are easy and good. Make them.

Recipe Origination: I'm not sure. I found it last weekend when I was cleaning off my desk - it's torn out from a magazine.

Fiesta Chicken Bundles

Fiesta Chicken Bundles

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 corn tortillas, chopped

1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

1/2 cup + 1/4 cup salsa verde

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 tsp garlic sea salt

1 tbsp oil

1/4 cup water

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp chili powder

Suggested Toppings: minced fresh cilantro, sour cream

Suggested Sides: Black beans, jasmine rice with minced cilantro and lime juice

1. Flatten chicken breasts to 1/4" thickness and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine torillas, cheese and 1/2 cup salsa verde. Spoon mixture into each chicken breast; roll up and secure with toothpicks.

3. Combine cornmeal and garlic sea ssalt in a shallw bowl. Coat chicken with cornmeal mixture.

4. In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil for 1 minute on each side. Add the water, remaining salsa verde, lime juice and chili powder. Reduce heat and cook, covered, for 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked all the way through.

Notes: If you don't have a meat pounder, put the chicken breast in between 2 pieces of saran wrap and bang with an omelete pan.

Recipe Origination: "Taste of Home" with tweaks. (Original called for orange marmalade - we like lime juice better.)