Not Even a Recipe Burritos

These burritos are SO easy because they are really just directions. Not even a recipe. But what you'll need is:

Chicken (One breast halved per person)
Black Beans (One can is good for 3-4 Burritos)
Rice Sides or Rice a Roni (One bag is enough for about 4 burritos)
Tortillas (One per burrito)

Okay so just cook your chicken and chop it up. I cook mine in a frying pan with just a tiny bit of olive oil after I've chopped it into small chunks. Heat your beans. And cook your rice as desired. I like Rice Sides because they cook faster and tend to have more flavor. I usually use either the chicken flavor or the Mexican or Spanish rice.
Layer each topping inside a warm tortilla and serve with sour cream, ranch dressing, salsa, etc.

I know this seems easy and way too bland to be good but its really surprisingly super good. So easy, I don't even consider it a recipe.

Focaccia Bread

This takes about 45 minutes to an hour total but is SO easy!

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
**1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
**1 cup mozzarella

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, basil and black pepper. Mix in the vegetable oil and water.
When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Punch dough down; place on greased baking sheet. Pat into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Brush top with olive oil.
**Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. OR You can also just brush it with Olive oil and herbs if you would like.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Fresh Spring Salad

Since I am about to go home for lunch I thought you ought to to know that I am going to be making this salad:

Because it truly is the best salad ever.

Ingredients for Salad:
Spinach leaves
Romaine chopped
Craisins
Feta cheese crumbled
Diced pears (not quite ripe)
Small can of mandarin oranges

Combine everything, as much as you'd like and put this dressing on it:


Or oil and vinegar alone is good, or any kind of balsamic vinegar or vinaigerette. Or, frankly just leave some of the mandarin orange juice in there and its yummy too =)

Journey Cakes

This recipe is from my mother-in-law. SO yummy!! We served appetizer sized at our wedding and I made full size for dinner last night. Always so yummy and SO SO easy!

Ingredients:
2 Packages Crescent Rolls
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can medium olives sliced
1 pkg Brown Gravy Mix
1/4 cup water

Directions:
Brown your meat and drain fat off. Add brown gravy mix and just enough water to moisten. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile... slice your olives and shred your cheese and preheat your oven according to the crescent roll directions.
When your meat is cooled, add cheese and olives and stir together.
Roll out one crescent roll and fill with beef mixture. I like to use a rolling pin because it rolls out nicer but you can just press it out to the sides if you would rather. Close it up and place on cookie sheet according to crescent roll directions. Cook for 11-13 minutes or until barely golden brown. Serve!

PS these are great as a freezer meal and leftovers are AWESOME cold or warm.

Roasted Tomato and Herb Pasta

What you need:
12 ounces pasta
5-6 cups cherry tomatoes
5-6 smashed garlic cloves
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh chopped herbs, i.e. basil, parsley, oregano, chives etc.(I've used dry when I don't have any fresh and its still yummy)
Parmesan for serving if you want
Chicken grilled and cut in strips if you would like

Directions:
Turn on your oven to 400°
Meanwhile: Cook the pasta as normal, strain and return to pot when done
Meanwhile: On a cookie sheet, stir and toss around the tomatoes, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the oil, half teaspoon salt, and a little less than half a teaspoon pepper.
Roast the tomatoes in the oven... about halfway through toss them once, until they begin to pop open, (20 to 25 minutes)
Add the oven mixture to the pasta with the chopped herbs and remaining tablespoon oil.
Serve with the Parmesan and oil if you would like. Chicken can easily be added to this dish if you want!

Brown Sugar Salmon

This yummy Salmon dish is SO easy to make and so yummy!

All you need:
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. + 2-4 tsp. packed brown sugar
4 Salmon fillets
1 tbsp. butter, melted
(opt.) 4 thin slices lemon

What to do:
Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a rectangular or deep square dish depending on how big your fillets are, pour your lemon juice and sprinkle your 1/4 c. brown sugar. I prefer to cover mine with foil for easy clean up first!
Place fillets flat in dish and drizzle melted butter over the top.
Bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes and turn.
If you want to... it does add some nice garnish, place 1 slice lemon on each salmon fillet
sprinkle with 2-4 teaspoons brown sugar (or more if you want).
Bake until fish flakes easily with fork, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Serve with juices from dish.

Atlantic Salmon

Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

3/4 cup chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 bay leaf
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 90 minutes (you can simmer less than this if you would like, 90 minutes is enough time for the flavors to fully merry but if you're on a time crunch, shorten it!). Stir in tomato paste, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and simmer 30 minutes more (again, less is okay, just until the flavors are how you like them). Serve.

Recipe also found here

Teriyaki Chicken

You will need:
4-6 Boneless skinless chicken breast (I prefer halved)

Sauce:
½ cup sugar
5/8 (1/2+1/8)cup soy sauce
1/2 - 1 tsp powdered garlic
dash ginger

Mix sauce ingredients and bring to a boil in deep frying pan or sauce pan
Drop in chicken and cook until done (20-30 minutes depending on thickness of chicken)

THE BEST EVER OREO TRUFFLES

Okay so there are tons of recipes for this out there and I don't know which one I may have used since I honestly didn't look at a recipe once while I made these, but, they were delicious =) I almost always keep a package of Oreo's on hand to have as a fast dessert or treat so this was perfect!

Ingredients:
1 package double stuff oreos
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1 bag milk chocolate chocolate chips
White chocolate (optional)

Helpful but not required:
Wax Paper
Cookie scoop

Directions:
Dump your Oreo package into a blender and pulse until it is pretty broken up.
Add entire package of cream cheese and then really blend it. (I like this better than crushing all the Oreo's first so the cream cheese actually really mixes with the cream filling of the oreos and then you get cookie chunks still.)
Lay wax paper over cookie sheet
Use a cookie scoop or large spoon to spoon out the right amount and either shape into nice neat little balls, or do like I do... leave them as dallops
Stick them in the freezer for about 10 or 15 minutes so they get cold and harden
Meanwhile, melt your milk chocolate chips. I do mine in the microwave (I know I know... gasp!) Just doing 15 seconds the first time, then stirring for about 30 seconds, then 10 seconds, stir for 30 seconds, 10 seconds, stir for 30... you get it.
Then take your little Oreo balls and dip, drizzle, cover, do whatever works for you to get them nice and chocolatey.
Stick them back in the freezer (still on cookie sheet) for about 20 minutes.
After you are done serving if you have leftovers like to keep them in the fridge in an airtight container instead of the freezer so they aren't rock hard when I want to eat one =)

Drizzle white chocolate if you want them to look extra fancy =)

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

My favorite ever comfort food casserole recipe from my very own mama!

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

4 cups chicken cooked and cubed (can also use turkey)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
16 oz. sour cream
2 cups water
1 boxes chicken stove top stuffing

Mix sour cream, soup and water. Prepare stuffing according to directions. Mix chicken, soup/sour cream
mixture, and stuffing. Pour into freezer bag and freeze. When thawed, bake in greased 9x13 , at 350
for 40 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

So easy you won't believe it!!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

3 8oz cream cheese
1 1/3 C sugar
Cream until smooth, add:

4 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 pkg mini choc chips
Mix until smooth.

Bake in 2 graham cracker crusts @325 for 50 minutes.


You can add chocolate curls to the top if you want =)

Stuffed Chicken Scallopine

If you don't have fontina I would recommend substituting parmesan =)

Ingredients
6 (4 1/2 to 5 1/2-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded thin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 sage leaves
3 ounces grated fontina cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, halved
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Special Equipment: toothpicks

Directions
Place the chicken cutlets on a clean work surface, narrow end facing you. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place one sage leaf crosswise on each of the pieces of chicken. Sprinkle each of the pieces of chicken with 1/2 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) of fontina cheese. Roll up the chicken and seal with one or two toothpicks.

Warm the olive oil and halved garlic clove in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken. Brown the chicken on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and remove and discard the garlic. Add the wine and simmer for 2 minutes while scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes and red pepper flakes in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the tomato mixture to the reduced wine in the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavors marry.

Return the chicken to the pan. Simmer the chicken in the tomato sauce for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken over and simmer until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the pan. Season the tomato sauce with salt and pepper. Spoon the tomato sauce onto serving plates or a serving platter. Slice the chicken into 1-inch rounds. Remove the toothpicks. Place the chicken over the sauce and serve immediately.

*Giada*

Classic Meatloaf

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 egg, lightly beaten
8 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

Topping:
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix all meatloaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf.

Topping:
Mix ingredients for topping and spread on loaf. Bake for 1 hour.

AMAZING! And super moist, not even a little dry

*Paula Deen*

Crab Cakes

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
1 pound crabmeat, picked free of shells
1/3 cup crushed crackers (recommended: Ritz)
3 green onions (green and white parts), finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper
Flour, for dusting
1/2 cup peanut oil
Favorite dipping sauce, for serving

Directions
In a large bowl, mix together all
ingredients, except for the flour and peanut oil. Shape into patties and dust with flour.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, carefully place crab cakes, in batches, in pan
and fry until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip crab cakes and fry on other side until golden
brown, about 4 minutes. Serve warm with preferred sauce.

Paula Deen's Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients
•2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and drained
•1 cup mayonnaise
•1 cup grated sharp cheddar
•1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
•2 eggs, lightly beaten
•2 cups crushed crackers
•2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli, mayonnaise, cheese, soup and eggs. Mix well with a metal spoon. Place the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Top with the crushed crackers and pour the melted butter evenly over the crackers. Bake for 35 minutes or until set and browned.

Sun Dried Tomato and Basil Chicken

What you need:

3 or 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomato dressing from Kraft

1 tomato chopped

1 tbsp dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh

What you do:

Put the chicken in a ziploc bag with about 2 tbsp. of the dressing as a marinade. Shake it up, turn it over, get it covered - then stick it in the fridge

While this is marinating for about 10 minutes, you can chop up your tomato and basil if necessary and get a pan out to grill the chicken.

Place the chicken on the grill or pan and let it cook, covered, for about 5 or 6 minutes.

While this is grilling, combine your tomato, dressing, and basil.

Turn your chicken over and pour your mixture over the top. Continue to cook, covered, for about 8 minutes or until your chicken is done.

Right before you serve, you can grate some mozzarella or parmesan cheese over the top for extra flavor.

Enjoy!