Chicken Cacciatore

This dish reminds me of my childhood and it tasted a lot like chicken paprikas (if anyone knows what that is). I actually took this recipe out of an international recipe book and it is an Italian dish. Italian food is always good!!!!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken, cut into serving pieces

1/4 cup butter

2 T olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1/2 green or red bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp basil

1 cup canned stewed tomatoes with liquid

1/2 cup tomato juice, chicken broth, or water

Hot cooked rice or pasta (optional)

Directions:

Brown chicken in butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When pieces are golden brown on all sides, stir in onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion is tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add untrained tomatoes and mix well. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato juice, chicken broth, or water and simmer an additional 10 minutes. It may be served with rice or pasta. Serves 4

Pistachio Salad

This is another cool recipe from my mother in law's cookbook.

Ingredients:

1 pint Cool Whip

1 can crushed pineapple (16 0z)

2 Cups mini marshmallows

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 small package pistachio pudding (use it dry)

1 Cup coconut if desired

Add the pudding to Cool Whip then add other ingredients.

Frog Eye Salad

My first attemt to make a frog eye salad and it was so easy to make it. I love this recipe!!!! We had a party at my house and it seemed that everyone enjoyed the salads that I made. So nice to have cold food in a Hot Summer day. :D
Ingredients
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 quarts water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (16 ounce) package acini di pepe pasta
3 (11 ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained
2 (20 ounce) cans pineapple tidbits, drained
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup shredded coconut
Directions
In a sauce pan, combine sugar, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pineapple juice and eggs. Stir and cook over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat; add lemon juice and cool to room temperature.
Bring water to a boil, add oil, remaining salt and cook pasta until al dente. Rinse under cold water and drain.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta, egg mixture, mandarin oranges, pineapple and whipped topping. Mix well and refrigerate overnight or until chilled. Before serving add marshmallows and coconut. Toss and serve.

Chicken Salad

My sister in law make this great chicken salad and I stole her recipe. :D I used canned turkey instead of boiled chicken because I did not want to stay in the kitchen more than I should. LOL You could probably make it with any leftovers and it is not that hard to boil some chicken either.

My sister in law uses the onion deep mix to substitute for onions because she does not like raw onions, but you could use both. If you don't have onion dip mix, you can use mayo. Put the nuts in before serving to be more crunchy.

INGREDIENTS:

green onion deep mixed with sour cream as directed on the package

celery cut in small pieces

boil chicken cut in small piece

cashews or almonds

resins

red grapes

green onion optional (or any kind of onion)

salt and pepper

European Meat Balls

I am pretty sure that all around Europe they make some kind of meat balls that are similar to this one. My mom gave me this recipe and it is the one that I like and I am used to. I guess the Hungarian way to do it; I know that some Romanians add onions or parsley to it and maybe some other ingredients. I really like them and this time they turned out pretty good. We usually eat them as appetisers, but they can be served with a sauce, mashed potatoes or other side dishes. It is used mostly at special occasions (Christmas and New Years), but they can be made whenever.

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground Pork ( you can mix pork and beef)
4 cloves of garlic
2 grind potatoes
2 slices of bread dipped in milk and mashed ( you could use bread crumbs if you want)
1 egg
black pepper ( I usually around 1 T)
salt to taste
oil for frying (around 2 Cups)

Mix all the ingredients together and form 1-1 1/2 inch balls. Fry them in oil till they are done turning them over occasionally.

Deluxe Potato Casserole

This is another crock-pot recipe that I like a lot. I made it a few times and it turned out pretty delicious. It is a great recipe when I am not up to cooking something with meat. My little 15 month old boy thought that it was heaven on Earth; he ate so much of it. :D

Ingredients
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) plus 3 tablespoons melted butter, divided

1 teaspoon salt

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

1 1/2 to 2 cups stuffing mix

Directions
Combine soup, sour cream, onion, 1/4 cup butter and salt in small bowl.
Combine potatoes and cheese in CROCK-POT® slow cooker. Pour soup mixture over potato mixture; mix well.
Sprinkle stuffing mix over potato mixture; drizzle with remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Cover; cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH 5 to 6 hours, or until potatoes are tender.
Makes 8 to 10 servings

Taco Soup

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can white hominy, drained
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
1/4 cup sour cream (optional)
1 1/2 cups water

Directions
In a Dutch oven, brown ground beef or turkey with chopped onion, stirring frequently. Once beef is browned drain grease from pan.
Add canned tomatoes, kidney beans, hominy, taco seasoning and ranch salad dressing mix. Mix well and let simmer over low heat for two hours. (Add 1 to 2 cups of water if necessary to make soup the desired consistency)
Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with shredded Cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

A friend of mine from Romania was craving some green beans, but I did not know hoe to make her some that she is used to, so I looked it up online and this is what I found. To my surprise, my friend loved the recipe as well as my kids, my husband, and myself. I used cream of chicken instead of the mushroom because that's what I had. It is very easy to make and very delicious. I baked it for almost an hour; maybe my oven is not that good. :D

Ingredients:
3 (14.5 ounce) cans French cut green beans, drained
1 cup sour cream
1/2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup coarsely crushed buttery round crackers
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, mix together the green beans, sour cream, condensed soup, salt and pepper. Spoon into a 2 quart casserole dish. Stir melted butter into the crushed crackers, then sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned and bubbly.

Baked Ribs

I got this international recipe book and as I was looking through it I realized that it was filled with cool recipes so i tried one out. I am planning on cooking more often from this recipe book; I need some new ideas in my cooking. :D This recipe is from the Philippines.

Serves 8
INGREDIENTS:
6-8 pounds pork spareribs, cut in individual servings
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup white Vinegar
1 Cup pineapple juice
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
2 Tbs Cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place spareribs in a large pan and bake for 30 minutes. Pour off fat. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, vinegar, pineapple juice, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick and clear. Pour sauce over spareribs in pan. Cover tightly with aluminium foil and bake at 350 degrees F. for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Boy Birthday Cakes

My adorable little boy turned 1 year old. He has been such a blessing and joy in our lives and my heart is filled with gratitude for my family. For his birth-day party I decided to make this train cake just because it seemed easier to just give him a train cart to eat than just a piece of cake. I always wanted to give my kids a whole cake and this seemed close enough to it. With my daughter I didn't do it because I cared about her staying clean for the whole occasion. LOL Instead of one cake, he got 2; just because I messed up with the first batch, but I had to save it nevertheless. So the car cake was made out of the messed up cake and it turned out to work just perfect with the candle on it.

so because I do not know how to do the here link that just leads you to the site, I will do this instead:

The train cake:

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/train-cake/5685f320-1e5c-4ebb-b2cd-1ab73633b016

The car cake:

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/off-the-road-car-cake/bbd0a1b6-a82e-4dd7-b657-faa53eaaa7e7

I didn't use the Betty crocker cakes because the Pillsbury ones were for 88 cents. LOL They turned out pretty yummy and it was actually really easy to make. They have other cool cake recipes if you want to try out a different one.

Happy Birth_day dear Adam!!!!!

Slow cooker Taco Dip

I made this dip for my son's first birth day party and it was a hit. I also made a layered dip with refried beans, guacamole, tomatoes, onions, olives, and cheese. I put a little bit of both of the dips on a soft taco and it was magical. :P They are very good with chips as well.

Cook Time: 2 to 4 hours
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Yield: Makes about 3 cups dip
See Cooking Videos
Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound ground beef chuck
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup mild taco sauce
• 1 can (4 ounces) diced mild green chilies
• 1 can (4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
• Tortilla chips
• Sour cream

Preparation:
Slow Cooker Directions:

1. Brown ground beef in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to break up meat. Drain fat. Spoon into slow cooker.
2. Add corn, onion, salsa, taco sauce, chilies and olives to slow cooker; mix well. Cover; cook on LOW 2 to 3 hours.
3. Just before serving, stir in cheese. Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream.

Tip To keep this dip hot through an entire party, simply leave it in the slo

Campbell's Savory Pot Roast

My brother in law brought us a quarter of a cow and now i have to cook. LOL I never made a roast before and I want to try out as many recipes as I can. So I started with this crock pot recipe because it is ideal to prepare it right before church and then after church is over we can just relax and eat. :P It turnedout pretty good. I am still searching for other recipes so I can compare them to each other and come up with my favorite.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
• 1 envelope (about 1 ounce) dry onion soup and recipe mix
• 6 small red potatoes, cut in half
• 6 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
• 1 boneless beef bottom round roast or chuck pot roast (3 to 3 1/2 pounds)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Stir the mushroom soup, soup mix, potatoes and carrots in a 4 1/2-quart slow cooker. Add the beef and turn to coat.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours* or until the beef is fork-tender.*Or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours

Turkey Pot Pie and Hot Water Pie Crust

I keep receiving allrecipe emails and I save lots of them without ever using them. Yesterday i decided to try this turkey recipe because I had some canned turkey that I did not know what to do with. I didn't have celery and carrots, but I used frozen vegies and it turned out surprisingly delicious. This is going to be one of my favorites.
Ingredients
1 recipe pastry for a (10 inch) double crust pie
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, diced
3 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 cubes chicken bouillon
2 cups water
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 cups cooked turkey, cubed
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll out bottom pie crust and place in the 10 inch pie pan and set aside.
Place 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion, celery, carrots, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the bouillon and water. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir in the potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm.
In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the turkey and flour. Add the milk, and heat through. Stir the turkey mixture into the vegetable mixture, and cook until thickened. Pour mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Roll out the top crust, and place on top of filling. Flute edges, and make 4 slits in the top crust to let out steam.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue baking for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

This is the Pie Crust I used. I used whole grain flour and it turned out pretty good. It is a Hot Water Pie Crust. I found it on all recipes. The reviews on it were pretty good so I tried it. It came out a little dry and I added just a little bit of water so I can work with it. Maybe it came out dry because I used wheat flour. I liked it though and I will definitely use it again.
Ingredients
3/4 cup shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon milk
1/4 cup boiling water
2 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
In a large bowl, combine shortening, salt, milk and boiling water. Whip with fork until smooth and creamy.
Add 2 cups flour and stir with round-the-bowl strokes until all flour is incorporated.
Makes crust for one double crust pie.