Garden Wars

It's me vs. them right now. Aphids. It is inevitable that they come to attack. You have to be ready. You need to be armed and you need to be diligent. I get them when the plants are getting towards the end of production but I want to milk every last fruit I can. Right now the aphids are plentiful. I turned my back for a couple days and bam! The leaves are covered. So, every morning, I spray them down with a hose then treat the underside with a little soapy water solution. If I stay on it, I can win the war. I have to admit, when it gets blasted hot in AZ, I sometimes feel like letting the aphids win. But, too much time and money has been put into that garden and I will push forward. If I want to keep with my goal of picking a basket full every day for a year, I can't let them get the best of me! 


The garden has been pretty successful this year with a few set backs. The tomatoes:

The plants contracted an infection this year. I had to pull many but am nursing the ones I have. Not too many this year but enough for a little salsa and bruschetta. 

The new garden has been pretty happy. The Armenians have climbed all over the tops making it a little challenging to access the garden but it looks pretty.

The cantaloupes are liking their trellis. I could make some funny joke how my melons are so big I have to sling them back with pantyhose, but some might get offended, so I won't. But, they are cute and they are getting big and I do need to sling them back with pantyhose. A few more weeks.....

All 20 of my plums are starting to ripen. Some years I get overloaded, some years only a few. They are big and sweet and I will cherish everyone of them. I think I have been eating them all myself. My little treat when I work in the garden. Sorry, kids. You have to be a little earlier to the draw.

One thing that isn't small in numbers is zucchini. We still eat one about everyday. If it isn't on a plate somehow, it is in our smoothies. I grilled up some super duper steak and veggie tacos. I grilled the zucchini with some Mexican lime olive oil and some house seasoning (salt, garlic and pepper mix) along with some onions and peppers. I grilled the steak with a cumin and house seasoning rub with some lime oil as well. I chopped all that up, sauteed it in a little more oil and more seasonings to taste including some smoked chipotle seasoning and wow! Scrumptious! I could eat that for breakfast this morning. I would be fine with just the roasted veggies.


Here's that house seasoning in case you forgot:

1 cup sea salt

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

I use it for everything! So simple yet so perfect.

I hope your gardens are flourishing. Don't let the bugs get the best of you. Fight them with all  you got. Even if it is just spraying them down with the hose before the sun gets up, that will kick them down plenty. Make sure you get the underside. It takes time and patience but if you have done the work to put in the garden, don't give up! It is getting hot which means the garden will slow down a bit so their is relief in site. 

Happy summer.  

A Little Soul Food....

Last night we had a little soul food. It was greasy and fried and yummy. I have only made fried chicken once in my life. I prefer to keep things a little more natural and clean but it was good and we ate it all. I don't feel entirely guilty. It was organic and fried in coconut oil. Finger licking good. I was quite proud of myself. Perfectly golden and crunchy. Miss Paula Deen lent me her recipe. (Courtesy of the Food Network)


I kept on the fried theme and made some fried zucchini because I have seven of them in the fridge (sorry, no picture) and some cajun oven roasted fries (see below). Of course we had to have a fresh green salad and some watermelon to add to the nutrition factor. The crowd was pleased. All 6 of them.

If you would like to have a little soul food yourself, here are a couple recipes to try out. You won't be disappointed; well, unless you burn the chicken or substitute the ingredients for something less flavorful.

Southern Fried Chicken

Paula Deen

First off, make the house seasoning. There will be lots extra to keep on hand for other dishes. It is a great, all purpose blend:

1 cup sea salt

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix and store in container. Cut up chicken into tender size pieces or buy some tenders to start off with. 

Sprinkle well with the house seasoning.

Make the dredging mixture:

2 cups white flour

1 tsp pepper

1 T. house seasoning

Make the wash by whisking together:

2 eggs

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup tobasco pepper sauce

Dip the chicken in the egg wash and then in the flour mixture. Lay on wire rack while you are finishing the bunch.

Fry in hot oil, about 350 degrees until crisp and golden. 

I used the same mixture to do my fried zucchini since there was plenty left after I fried 3 pounds of chicken. If you are doing less, just half the ingredients. 

Cajun Oven Fries

8 golden potatoes

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp thyme

2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne

14 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp tobasco sauce

2 T. olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. mix ingredients above into a paste. 

Cut potatoes into small wedges. Place them in a bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil. Add paste mixture and sprinkle about 2 T. of dried onion pieces and work around potatoes until they are covered well.

Lightly oil a baking sheet. Place fries on sheet trying to keep them in a single layer.

Bake in oven around 30 minutes or until golden. Flip once during cooking. 

Taco Time

It was another night that gave me 15 minutes for dinner prep. Baseball season is a killer. I had some grass fed beef ready to be used in the fridge that in no way was I going to let go to waste. Add to that a beautiful orange bell pepper, a couple tomatoes and garden lettuce. Super. I could make taco's in 15 minutes and it is a meal the kids would also be thrilled about.  I usually make taco's with black beans so all beef taco's would rock their world. 

As part of my 90 day meal supply , I keep taco shells on hand. These babies pictured above are a pretty decent lot. In a perfect world, they would be organic and treated with lime but I take as near perfection as I can get. The ingredient list is simple:

Corn

Salt

Coconut oil

Where do you ever see coconut oil listed as an ingredient? Pretty rare. I am SOOOO sick of seeing canola oil, corn oil and safflower oil. Total junk. These shells are on sale right now at Basha's for $1.45. With a good shelf life, they are a great thing to stock. 

Now, don't go and ruin your healthy taco with that packaged taco mix. Way too much salt and preservatives. It is so easy to make a taco taste right. I just dump the ingredients so I can't give any exact measurements but here is the general idea:

Cook your ground beef with onions and peppers as desired. Drain if you need to. Use black beans and grains if desired as well. 

Add cumin (about 1/2 to 1 tsp per pound beef)

Add Chili powder until desired spice is achieved.

Salt

Pepper

Garlic if desired

Add some salsa to the mix to just moisten and add flavor. 

That simple. Fill the taco shell with cheese, meat, lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, etc. 

For my 90 day supply meal, I have planned it with black beans, quinoa and salsa. You always have to plan it like you don't have any fresh ingredients for worse case scenario. Man, that would be a toughy for me. But, at least I will have some great flavor. I am adding some canned, natural cheese to my stash so at least I will have that to add. 

How's your supply coming? In case you haven't been paying attention, the world is a bit nuts right now. Stock up. Prepare. Be responsible. 

Real Food

Vacation was wonderful. I relaxed and ate way too much. However, whenever I return back from a trip, I crave good food. Real food. Food that isn't the same color. Food that is fresh and from my kitchen. We ate out way too much and I don't care if I see a burrito for months. That may be an exaggeration but right now I mean it. I missed my rainbow of colors. I came home, unloaded the car and as soon as I could get the sand out of my suitcases, I hit the farmers market.

I LOVE the farmers market. I loaded my cart with fresh farm eggs, whole wheat, hand spun tortillas, local red new potatoes, fresh picked corn and melons, tender asparagus and much, much more. I only stopped when my cart would hold no more. I became inspired to cook again. Hooray. My husband requested roasted sweet potatoes, Basmati rice and a good smoothie for dinner. It was perfect. The teenagers were gone so we were able to pull that one off. Light and flavorful.

I couldn't wait to cook up the fresh asparagus for dinner tonight along with the corn and melons. The potatoes were amazing. You don't know what a potato tastes like until you get them fresh from the ground. I roasted them in some olive oil and fresh chopped rosemary with a little Celtic salt. Heavenly. The veggies were roasted with a little olive oil and Herbs de Provence. I served them alongside some garlic Parmesan chicken that was packed with flavor. My palate is pleased. We finished it all.

Want to try it out? It would make a great family night dinner.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken

1 C. soft whole grain bread crumbs (finely crumb bread in blender)
3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 T. dried parsley flakes
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt
1 T. poultry seasoning or 1 t. thyme and 1/2 t. ground sage
1 T. olive oil
dash of pepper
1 stick of butter
chicken breasts or tenderloins

Mix bread crumbs with Parmesan, seasonings and olive oil. Add more salt if needed. Cut chicken into smaller pieces, about three inch sections or use tenderloins. Dip in egg and water mixture and coat in crumb mixture, piling a little extra on the top of the chicken. Put in pan that has been sprayed with oil. Drizzle some melted butter on top of chicken.

Bake at 350 until done, about 20-25 minutes depending on thickness of chicken.

You can freeze the breading for later use if you want to double the batch. I usually get about 12 tenders out of this mixture.

****I am putting in oil and supplement orders at the end of the week.

The Mango-Honey dew salsa

The Mango-Honey Dew salsa had a change of plans. It didn't make it on the pizza as planned. It was saved for it's favorite companion; The Caribbean Taco. It is one of, if not THE favorite dish at our house. Since we only do meat once a week, we save it for our favorites. This is it. Not kidding. I have blogged it before but I will do it again so you can see the pictures. I am still licking my lips as we speak. I ate 3. I could have eaten 5. The mango's I bought were the best mango's I have ever in my whole life consumed. They were so sweet, they tasted like a mango Popsicle. It went well with my garden grown honey dew that tasted like a cucumber. I added in some of my garden peppers and onions to boot. It was perfect. I love fruit salsa's. They are great with peaches and pineapple as well. It is a great way to use up what fruit you have.

Mango-Honey Dew Salsa

2 mango's
1/2 honey dew
4 T. minced onion
1/3 C. chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno or other pepper, seeded and chopped. More if desired
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and honey to taste

Chop fruit into small pieces. Add all other ingredients and chill to allow flavors to blend. Great on fish, pizzas and chicken.

Another taco picture. I am sure you will get plenty more as we are taco folk around here. This one is as simple as it gets: honey lime chicken with the salsa on top. This is in my cookbook and somewhere long ago on this blog but I will give you it again:

Honey Lime Chicken

1 1/2 lbs shredded chicken
4 T. honey
3 T. fresh lime juice
1 T. coconut oil
2 t. chili powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
salt to taste

Let sit for a bit to allow the chicken to soak in the flavors.

These need little else along side them. We served it with cucumber and carrot slices and some grapes. That's all. A perfect summer dinner. I tried to make these vegetarian with beans instead of chicken but this was one of the very few dishes that it just couldn't be pulled off on. We reserve this for our Sunday meat dinners. Worth it.

Our Closing Ceremony Dinner.....

Of course in honor of the Olympic Closing Ceremonies tonight in China, we just had to have a little Chinese food. I have been wanting to try out the Sweet and Sour chicken recipe on the "My Kitchen Cafe" blog and it did not disappoint. I rarely find a Chinese food recipe that I like at home but this was a crowd pleaser! I like Chinese food but don't like to go to restaurants because they use so much MSG. Making it at home you can put in just what you want. I used Organic Soy Sauce, (mostly, until I ran out and had to borrow some from a neighbor) and the other ingredients were just good pantry stocked items. There definitely is sugar in this but the rest of the dinner was quite healthy. The cinnamon rolls are even whole wheat with no frosting so I serve them with dinner. Somehow the frosting makes them seem like a desert so if I leave it off, I feel justified to eat it with dinner. I am the mom, I can do what I want. I use my whole wheat bread recipe for the cinnamon rolls using butter, brown sugar and cinnamon to roll them with. The recipe for the chicken says to bake for 1 hour but I made my chunks about 1 inch size and I only cooked it for 30 minutes. I will most definitely be making this again. Thanks Kitchen Cafe.....again!

And, for anyone else out there who is a little slow like me....I found out a little tip tonight that I just can't believe I didn't know. When I find a recipe on a blog, I never knew you could paste it to a word document and copy it. I know everyone else out there knows how to do this. But.....just in case you don't ,here you go and please don't laugh at me for just finding this out. Highlight the recipe you want to copy and right click. Click on copy. Open word and then click on paste. You can then change the font or do whatever you want to this recipe so you can put it in your neat little recipe binder. This sure beats my hand copied recipes I have been making. Duh.

And....a special thanks goes out to My dear sweet husband for making the beautiful fruit salad, Bryant , my oldest son for battering the chicken and Randi, my princess for cutting the veggies. Thanks guys! Love the help!

Zucchini-Beef Italienne

Just in case your veggie drawer in your fridge looks something like the above picture, here is another recipe for all of those zucchini's. My zucchini plants are finally slowing down a bit so I am ready to move on to other veggies. I love this recipe and haven't made it in a while. The red wine in it is optional but it definitely gives it a better flavor. Don't cut it out unless you have to. I use the California red table wine.

Zucchini Beef Italienne

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, chopped or pressed

3 8oz cans tomato sauce

1 cup red table wine

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp allspice

1 bay leaf, crumbled

seasoned salt and pepper to taste

1 4 oz can sliced mushrooms , drained or 1 heaping cup fresh mushrooms, simmered, covered in 1/4 cup 5 minutes and drained

2-3 small to medium zucchini

1/4 pound shredded mozzarella cheese

2 Tbl grated Parmesan cheese

Saute beef, onion and garlic until meat is browned. Drain. Add tomato sauce, wine and seasonings. Mix well , cover and simmer gently 1 hour, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms. (This makes a great sauce for lasagna) While meat sauce is cooking, wash zucchini , slice in 1 inch chunks and steam very lightly so they are still firm. You want enough zucchini to line the bottom of the 9X13 pan. Arrange in a single layer in sprayed pan. Sprinkle zucchini with mozzarella cheese, pour meat sauce over it, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

*****FYI......I am going to start little chef cooking classes in 4 week blocks beginning in August. I will start a new block every month and they will be on Monday's from 3:30 to 5:00. Each month will be something different so you may sign up for multiple months if you desire. I will keep the classes to 9 students. The cost for the month is $55 that includes all supplies. Ages 7-12 are welcome. $10 off to subsequent family members. I will email all recipes to you ahead of that weeks class so you can have the ingredients on hand for your little chef to come home and cook dinner for you or breakfast the next day! This will help them put their skills to work! Email me if you would like a spot. I love these classes!

A Real Peachy Dinner.....

Saturday was my day dedicated to getting the rest of the peaches off my tree and processed. I have frozen 18 bags of peach filling and still have plenty to go. So, tonight I decided we would be having a "peach theme" for dinner to use up a few more. I googled "Peach Recipes" for the main course and have to say that it was super delicious. It was a Grilled Chicken with a Chipotle Peach Glaze, Garlic Mashed potatoes, Roasted Veggies and Peach Cobbler. After fasting all day, this couldn't have been a better meal. It was very fast and I can't wait to use the glaze in other recipes. It reminded me of a similar dish from Tia Rosas that I have often reminisced about. Try this out. You can make it as spicy as you want. My whole gang loved it and the cobbler is so fresh and tasty. I don't use whole wheat on this, it is not meant to be a health food. You have to go a little crazy now and then! Here you go, wish I had pictures, it looked as good as it tasted.

Grilled Chicken with Chipotle-Peach Glaze

1/2 cup peach preserves (I used homemade peach jam)

1/4 cup lime juice

1 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce, seeded and chopped (not the whole can, just 1 and you can freeze the rest of the chile's for later)

1 tsp adobo sauce from can of chilies

2 T chopped fresh cilantro

8 chicken breasts or 12-14 tenders (I prefer tenders)

garlic powder

salt

pepper

cumin

In small sauce pan, mix preserves, lime juice, chile and heat over low heat until jam melts, stirring occasionally. Stir in chopped cilantro and set aside. Sprinkle chicken with garlic, salt, pepper and cumin and rub in. Grill chicken and baste with glaze the last few minutes. Save some glaze for the chicken when served. I served the chicken over the garlic mashed potatoes. I left the potatoes chunky, laid tenders over them and drizzled more sauce over that.

Fresh Peach Cobbler

1 1/2 cups fresh peaches, thinly sliced

1 C. Sugar, divided

1/4 C Water

1 egg

1 T. shortening

1 T. milk

1/2 cup flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

Preheat oven to 375. Combine peaches, 1/2 cup sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. keep peaches hot. With a fork, combine egg, 1/2 cup sugar and shortening until fluffy. Add milk. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Spread batter in prepared 11X7 baking dish. This will be thin. If you want to use a 9X13 size, increase this recipe by another 1/2. Pour peach mixture over top. This will be runny. Bake for 25-30 minutes. You can serve with ice cream or whipped cream but I like it plain.

Peach-a-licious!!!

What's In a Mushroom?????

Yesterday my Bountiful Basket came with a little brown lunch bag full of mushrooms. While I love the shrooms, it is the one food my children really protest. But, since I am determined to use all in my basket each week, I need to use these cute little fungi before they go bad. I must be cleaver, however and disguise them so that they give them a chance before they even notice what they are eating. I did a pretty good job of that tonight with some Beef Stroganoff. I haven't made this in a very long time but it was really pretty tasty. I will give you that recipe for those of you also looking at your little brown bag wondering too what to do with them. But first, here are some nutritional facts about what you should be eating, the all powerful mushroom.

First of all, the mushroom is a very low fat food. In 5 medium mushrooms there are only about 20 calories. Of course, I need mine sauteed in butter or oil so there goes those 20 calories! Mushrooms also contain 3 major B vitamins; Niacin , which helps the digestive and nervous system work properly; Pantothenic acid which aids in the production of hormones and Riboflavin which promotes healthy skin and good vision.
The mushroom also contains a very high amount of potassium. One 3 ounce portobello actually contains more than a banana. The shrooms are also the only produce with a significant amount of selenium. Selenium is an essential mineral important for immune and thyroid health. Researchers are just beginning to understand how wonderful these fungi are for the treatment and prevention of cancers.
I really had no idea how great these little buttons were. I thought since they weren't green that they must not really have much too them. Now I realize that these must be a bigger part of our diet. Once again, I am amazed that our solutions to our health problems are right here. Why does it take us so long to figure this out? So, all you hormonal women, guys with prostate problems and teens with bad skin, Go grab a handful of fungi today and enjoy a good omelet.

Beef Stroganoff

1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak or stew meat.
3 T. olive oil or grapeseed oil
1/3 cup diced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 pound fresh chopped or sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 to 2 Cups milk
1 tsp paprika
1 cup sour cream
Egg noodles

In large skillet, saute meat sliced into thin bite sized pieces in oil with garlic and onions. When no longer pink on the outside, lower heat and cover. Simmer for 25-35 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add water if needed. When tender, add mushrooms and cover again for about 10 minutes until tender. If you have ultra gel, just add the milk and paprika and thicken with ultra gel to desired consistency then add sour cream. Heat till warm but do not boil or you will curdle cream. Salt more if needed. If you don't have ultra gel, use dripping from pan and heat and stir in flour. Whisk in milk and thicken. Return to meat mixture then add sour cream. I added a little more garlic powder at the end. Serve over medium egg noodles.

Moo Shu Wraps

I used to really shy away from a recipe that threw in an uncommon ingredient. Not being adventurous cost me some really great recipes in the meantime. This one is a very tasty and simple recipe that has hoisin sauce, not a common staple in the pantry but it should be! It adds that restaurant flavor to the recipe. My kids like this dish a lot and needs to be served on a really good tortilla. No whole wheat this time. I like the fresh tortillas from Costco. Check your ingredient list on the soy sauce and hoisin sauce. I bought the organic soy sauce from Kikkoman and it has great ingredients. I am out of Hoisin so I need to go check out a good brand for that sauce. I am making this tomorrow. I hope you all try it out and see what you think! I received this recipe from Amy Fraughton in our recipe club. I changed a few little things for family preferences. This is a Weight Watchers meal for those of you watching those calories.

Moo Shu Wraps

8 oz lean sirloin beef

3 T organic soy sauce

1 t. cornstarch

2 t. vegetable oil ( I use grapeseed oil)

2 medium scallions, chopped

3 medium garlic cloves, minced

2 T. sherry cooking wine

2 C. Chinese or nappa cabbage. ( I used regular green cabbage and it was great)

1 C. sliced mushrooms (less if no one cares for these)

1 large egg, beaten

8 flour tortillas

1/2 C hoisin sauce

Place beef in bowl, thinly sliced into about 2 inch by 1/2 inch strips. Add 1 T. soy sauce and cornstarch. Stir to coat. Heat oil in large skillet. Add scallions and garlic, saute 1 min. Add beef and cook until browned, about 2 min. Add remaining soy sauce and sherry, cook 1 min more.

Add cabbage and mushrooms. Saute until vegetables are tender but not soggy. Stir in egg and cook until done. To serve, place heated tortilla on a plate. Spread about 2 tsp. of hoisin sauce down middle of tortilla and then place about 1/2 cup of filling on tortilla. Roll up.

For your picky eaters, just make sure that you roll this up before they see the cabbage. It looks mostly like beef when it is cooked and they won't really notice the veggies when they are eating it. Its all about presentation!

"Safe Food" Friday

So Miss Enlightened Homemaker has been humbled. After bragging in my class Wednesday that my children are never sick and no one has had a broken bone due to lack of calcium from not drinking milk, I got a slap of humility. Tate came home with a fever that day and Randi broke her wrist the next day. I guess I am human after all. Tate is all better today and after an all nighter at the lovely St. Josephs Hospital in Down Town Phoenix, the wrist is back where it should be. I get the point. Stuff just happens sometimes.

For the first "Safe Food" Friday, I thought I'de tell you about this Soy Vay sauce I used the other night. It is very hard to find Chinese dressing, sauce or food of any kind that is on the Safe list. This is a great product and also very tasty. I have tried a couple of their products and have loved them all. This one, the "Veri Veri Teriyaki" was a great little sauce for chicken and broccoli stir fry. Using my pressure cooker for rice that took about 5 minutes, I had this little simple dinner done in 10 minutes flat! I bought this at Fresh and Easy but have seen it at Trader Joe's and at some grocery stores.



April Heymore emailed me about a friendly peanut butter she tried and liked called "Naturally Made". It does have sugar but everything else is great. I love the Costco Organic Peanut butter that only has peanuts and salt but if you have kids that are hooked on the jif, this may be an easier switch. It also does not need to be refrigerated or stirred.

I have a great recipe that incorporates both of these ingredients to try out on your little eaters. It is one of my families favorites by far and adapted from a recipe from Miss Molly. The peanut sauce is the best homemade recipe I have tried and is great to make extra for a Thai Pizza. Try it out and see what you think.



Thai Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce



2-3 chicken breasts, minced
half red onion, chopped finely
1 cup shredded green cabbage ( I add about 2 cups)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 T or more of grated or minced ginger (not powdered)
2 cloves garlic, minced
soy sauce or Teriyaki Sauce
Lettuce cups, washed and chilled (cut iceberg in half and peel cups apart)

Cooked Rice, about 2 cups

Saute onion in hot oil until tender. Add chicken and saute until no longer pink. Add the rest of the ingredients except soy sauce and saute about 2-3 minutes until tender. Sprinkle with soy or teriyaki sauce as desired for flavor. I also like to add some Chinese Red chili paste, About 1 T. for a little kick. Keep warm while you make the sauce, don't let cabbage get soggy!

Peanut Sauce

1/4 C. Creamy Peanut Butter
1/ C. Sugar
3 T soy or Teriyaki sauce
4 Cloves Minced Garlic
3 T Water
2 T oil ( I use grapeseed oil)
Thai chili paste if desired, about 1 tsp or more


**I usually double this

Cook sauce in pan on low to medium heat until sugar dissolves. Whisk until smooth. Stir often and keep warm. To assemble wraps, spoon rice in first, top with chicken mixture, spoon on sauce. Dig in. This is such a nutrient packed little meal! Enjoy.

Go Greek for a Day...

For dinner last night, we had a bit of a Greek theme and it was delicious. Everyone agreed and I think there was only one bite of potatoes left. I just have to share the recipes to try out for yourselves. They are very simple and nutritious. My son on the Gluten free diet could even eat all of it , just be careful to get a gluten free soy sauce if you need to.

Greek Lemon Potatoes

4 russet potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch rounds with peel on

1/4 C. lemon juice, fresh squeezed

1 T. olive oil

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp lemon zest

3 minced garlic cloves

2 tsp salt

feta cheese (optional)

Pre heat oven to 450. In a large bowl mix all ingredients except for potatoes and cheese. Toss in potatoes and turn until all covered in marinade. Spray baking spray in 9 X 13 pan and layer potatoes. Cover with 1 cup boiling water. Bake uncovered until almost all liquid has evaporated and potatoes are tender , about 40 min. Sprinkle with Feta and return to oven until cheese is lightly golden.

Marinade for Shishkabobs

2/3 cup Soy sauce

2 Tbl oil

2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix up all ingredients and pour over beef or chicken shishkabobs.Zuchinni, mushrooms,onions and peppers are all great. Let marinade for about an hour or so. Save some marinade to baste during grilling. Grill evenly on all sides until done.

**I only had enough Soy sauce to make half the recipe and did not baste during grilling and these had lots of flavor!

Thanks for the recipe Kristie Bringhurst!

I also grilled some pineapple which was like a dessert. I sliced the pineapple in 1/2 inch slices. I grilled a side until golden and then flipped them over. I then sprinkle them with a little brown sugar and cooked another minute until warm and slightly grilled on both sides. Delicious!

Carribean Tacos

My friend, Kristi Moak, sent me a great recipe for a Honey Lime Chicken Enchilada. It was delicious. I loved the chicken so much I tried it in a few other venues. Here is one I loved particularly and was very quick. If you love the chicken, make a bunch and freeze it. It would be great in soft tacos, enchiladas and pannini's. Try it out!
Thanks for all of those who signed up for my class, I have two spots left so let me know quickly if you would like to come. If you have to cancel, please let me know so I can give your slot away. I am trying to keep the class small for an intimate gathering. If I have enough people that need another date or night class, I may try one more class. I am not really looking for a career at this point so we will see how it goes. I am excited though to get to know some of you and to show you my favorites!

Caribbean Tacos

4 T. Honey
3 T. Fresh Lime Juice
1 T. Oil
2 tsp. Chili Powder
1/4 tsp. Garlic powder
1 - 1 1/2 pounds shredded and cooked chicken

Mix marinade and toss with cooked and shredded chicken. Take soft corn, table tortillas (these are the kinds that fold without breaking) or you can use regular corn tortillas, just fry them a bit or get them real crispy If you want to eat them saucer style.Fresh and Easy has cute mini corn tortillas. layer a little shredded green cabbage , chicken and some fresh mango salsa. I bought some great mango salsa from Costco. Vitamin A source. I wanted my tortilla a little crisp but didn't want to fry it so I put it in the toaster.It is very low fat that way.Someday's I just don't care and would go straight for the oil! Get creative! Enjoy!

Crispy Chicken Taco

I tried this recipe from the Sunset magazine my sister-in-law signed me up for.
I have found that most of their recipes are very delicious, usually restaurant quality.
This recipe is no exception. This quickly became a family favorite and my kids
ask for them weekly. They are very simple to make and ooooh so delicious!

Crispy Chicken Tacos

3 cups packed shredded cooked chicken
2 cups shredded jack cheese or mexican cheese
salt
cumin
vegetable oil
16 corn tortillas
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
fresh salsa or western slaw (recipe to follow)

In a bowl, mix chicken with cheese and season to taste with salt
and cumin. I usually use about 1 tsp cumin.Pour 3 TB oil into a
medium fry pan over hight heat. When hot,add tortillas, 1 at a
time, heating just until soft, not crisp. stack on paper towels.
Mix cilantro with chicken filling. fill each tortilla with about
1/4 cup filling down center. Fold in half then fry in about 1/2 in.
hot oil. You can secure with a toothpick if needed. Tacos should
sizzle in hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Let tacos drain, then
Lay on single layer on baking sheet and keep warm in oven with
foil till all ready to eat. We never make it this far, we eat them
before they get cooled down. Fill with salsa and whatever else you
want.

Southwestern Slaw

shredded and chopped green cabbage
sour cream
salsa, like Pace


Mix sour cream with salsa, equal parts. Mix with cabbage until moist
and a little saucy. Refrigerate for about 30 min.