Chicken Couscous with Dried Fruit

This is a great recipe if you have any leftover chicken. If not, boil some chicken then shred it.

2 cups shredded chicken
2 lemons
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup mixed dried fruit such as apricots, cranberries
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups couscous
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Grate 1 1/2 teaspoons zest from the lemons and squeeze 1/4 cup juice. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm 3 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion and saute until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until the garlic and onion are golden, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cinnamon, and then mix in the chicken, lemon zest and juice, dried fruit, and broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.
Stir in the couscous, re-cover the pan, and remove from the heat. Let stand until liquid is absorbed and the couscous is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cilantro and toss with a fork to fluff the couscous and distribute the cilantro. Garnish with the almonds.

Lime Shrimp with Coconut Rice

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 1/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 lime
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 green onions, both white and green parts, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the grains are well coated with the butter, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 1/4 cups water and the coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
While the rice cooks, grate 1 teaspoon zest and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice from the lime. About 5 minutes before the rice is ready, in a large frying pan, over medium heat, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Add the garlic and lime zest and juice and stir until the mixture is bubbly. Add the shrimp and green onions and saute until the shrimp are opaque throughout, about 3 minutes. Stir in about half of the cilantro.
Fluff the rice and gently stir in the remaining cilantro. Top with the shrimp and serve.

Turkey Meatloaf

This is actually from my Weight Watcher cookbook. I'm not a huge meatloaf fan, but I love this one and so does Joshua.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
4 slices whole-wheat bread, made into fine crumbs
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 egg white, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese-you can add a little more
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350; spray an 8x5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a small non-stick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the onion until tender, 4-5 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the onion, turkey, bread crumbs, milk, egg white, ketchup, cheese, garlic powder, basil, thyme and pepper; blend well. Shape into a loaf and transfer to the pan. Bake until browned and cooked through, 50-60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Creamy Herb Mushroom Sauce

Again Betty Crocker comes to my rescue!! This sauce is so good. You can put it with anything. I have cooked chicken breasts and poured the sauce over them, or I have mixed it with pasta. YUM!

1/4 c. butter
1 tbsp chopped shallots
1 c mushrooms
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (1tsp dried)
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (1 tsp dried)
1/2 c half and half

Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. cook shallots and mushrooms stirring until tender

Stir in flour, thyme, parsley. Cook, stirring constantly until slightly thick. Gradually stir in the half and half until smooth. Serve immediately.

Blueberry Banana Bread

This recipe is from the Betty Crocker Cookbook. It's an "alternate" recipe, you know the ones after the recipe that tell you what else you can do with the original recipe. This is the best! Seriously, I love this one. I just never get to make it because bananas don't get to the "ripe" stage at my house very often.

1 1/4 c. Sugar
1/2 c. butter
2 Large Eggs
1 1/2 c mashed very ripe bananas (3 medium bananas)
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c. All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp salt
1 c. Fresh or Frozen Blueberries

Heat oven to 350. Grease bottoms only of pans.

Mix sugar and butter in a large bowl. Stir in eggs until well blended. Stir in bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt just until moistened. Stir in blueberries. Divide batter evenly between pans.

Bake for 1 hr 15 minutes for 9 inch loaf pans or until a toothpick  comes out clean.

Loosen sides of loaves from pans and remove from pans and place on a wire rack to cool.

Wrap tightly and store at room temp for 4 days or put in the fridge for 10 days....if it lasts that long Ü

Chuy's Jalepeno Dip

Tried this this weekend too, loved it!

•16 ounces, weight Light Sour Cream
•1 package (1 Oz.) Ranch Dip Mix
•2 whole Large Jalapenos, Finely Diced
•2 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
•⅓ cups Chopped Fresh Cilantro
•1 whole Lime, Juiced
• Milk (optional)

Preparation Instructions


Mix all ingredients (except the milk) together. Use the milk to thin the dip to whatever consistency you desire. Serve with tortilla chips. Simple. Easy. Delish.

Raspberry Cheesecake Trifle.

Totally a keeper recipe. DELICIOUS!




Ingredients:

-(2) 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
-2 cups powdered sugar
-1 cup sour cream
-2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar, sour cream and vanilla.

-1 cup heavy cream
-1 tablespoon sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip heavy cream, sugar and vanilla. Then fold into the cream cheese mixture.

-2 prepackaged Angel Food Cake, cubed
-2 package raspberry Danish Dessert
-3 cups water
-2 package frozen raspberries

Bring water and Danish Dessert to a boil. Stir constantly. Remove from heat and add frozen raspberries. In trifle bowl, begin to layer. Start with raspberry layer, then add cream cheese mixture, then angel food cake, and repeat. Be sure to end with raspberry layer. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

(different) Cheese Fondue

(when I say different, I just mean not the classic cheese fondue, hehehe)

2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup hidden valley ranch dressing
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
paprika (optional)
sliced green onions (optional)

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle flour in melted butter and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Whisk milk into flour mixture and constantly stir until mixture thickens and begins to boil. Lower heat to simmer; stir in cheese and ranch until smooth. Pour into a fondue pot and sprinkle in paprika and/or green onion, if desired.