Apricot Chicken

This is a very simple dish to make and I like the sweet/salty combo. I served it with Couscous because we are getting sick of rice. You can find couscous in the asian isle of the supermarket-close to the mediterranian foods. I also served steamed brocoli with it. Laura

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 jar (10 oz) apricot or orange marmalade jam

Heat oven to 350.

Place chicken breasts in a 3-quart dish that has been sprayed with PAM. Mix dry onion soup and marmalade in a small bowl and spread over chicken. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes.

You can also cook this in a crockpot and it turns out fabulous. Prepare it the same way and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.

Sweet and Sour Pork or Chicken

This recipe is from a lady in my ward who is actually from China so maybe it has more authenticity than my previous "chinese chicken" post. It is quick and easy to make. It calls for red and green peppers which I have used but I have also substituted carrots for the peppers because my kids are more willing to eat carrots (that and right now I just can't eat peppers).
You just have to add the carrots at the beginning with the meat instead of at the end. Paige

1 can (16-0z) pineapple chunks in syrup (don't drain)
1 Tbs. cider vinegar
2 Tbs ketchup
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 lb. boneless pork or chicken cut into bite-size cubes
1 onion, chopped
1 green and red bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
1 Tbs cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbs water

1. Heat 1 Tbs oil, stir in pork/chicken and onion, cook for about 10 minutes, until meat is cooked and onion is tender.
2. Add pineapple with syrup, vinegar, ketchup, and soy sauce, cook for 10 minutes more.
3. Add cornstarch and stir to make sure the juice thickens.
4. Add the pepper, stir till pepper is coated and warm. Serve over rice.

Mexican Lasagna

Another way to eat the mexi food combination. This recipe is from Rachel Ray and it really is easy to prep. The recipe calls for ground chicken but I used ground turkey and I'm sure that ground beef would also substitute well. As yellow onion could be used instead of red and kidney beans instead of black, and canned corn instead of frozen.

3 Tbs. olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken or turkey breast
2 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 (14-oz) can stewed tomatoes
1 cup taco sauce
1 (15-0z) can black beans, drained
1 cup frozen corn kernels
salt
8 8-inch flour or spinach flour tortillas
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or pepper jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 425.
Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 Tbs olive oil. Add chicken/turkey and season with chili powder, cumin and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add stewed tomatoes and taco sauce. Add black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2-3 minutes then season with salt, to your taste.

Coat a shallow baking dish with the remaining olive oil. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat and beans, then tortillas then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese again. Bake lasagna 12-15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly.

Quick-Fix Beef Burrito Skillet

This turned out pretty good--nothing gourmet, but we enjoy different types of Mexican food. It's really good if you eat it with a chunky homemade salsa made of diced tomatoes, red bell pepper, avocado, can of black beans, can of corn, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic. Laura


1 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) Taco Seasoning Mix
1 can (19 oz.) kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1 cup Salsa
1 cup water
4 flour tortillas (6 inch), cut into 1-1/2-inch squares
1 cup Mexican Style Shredded Four Cheese
1/3 cup Sour Cream
1/3 cup chopped green onions (about 1 large)



BROWN meat in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat; drain.
ADD seasoning mix, beans, salsa and water; stir. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min.
STIR in tortillas; top with cheese. Cover; let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and onions.

Microwaved Salmon and Yogurt Sauce

When I saw this recipe I didn't think it would work to microwave the fish but it actually turns out great. It is nice for me because I don't have a hood on my oven and this makes less of a fish smell after dinner. And it is really quick. I served it with Lark's lemon rice and a green vegetable. Paige

Salmon:
1 Tbs. chopped fresh ginger (I used dry spice but less than a Tbs.)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 1/2 lbs salmon filet, cut into 4 pieces.

Sauce:
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
3 Tbs fresh chopped mint
1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp fresh minced onion, shallot or scallion
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

1. Sauce: In a small bowl, combine yogurt and the rest of the sauce ingredients. Cover and refigerate until ready to serve.
2. Salmon: In a small bowl, mix together ginger, garlic, curry powder, lemon juice, paprika, salt, cinnamon and cayenne. Place salmon in a microwave-safe baking dish. Spread ginger-curry mixture over salmon.
3. Cover with plastic wrap, venting in one corner. Microwave on High for 5 minutes. Let rest for a few minutes.
4. Slip thin spatula underneath skin and lift salmon off; serve salmon with yogurt sauce on the side.

BBQ Ribs

My kids call these "cow bones" and they always go over well. We sometimes grill them outside and sometimes cook them in the crockpot. When done in the crockpot the meat comes off the bone much easier and the flavor soaks in better, but some times we like the flavor of the grill. I served them with french fries and had happy, busy mouths that night!

1 pkg. beef (or pork) ribs from the meat department (I buy them when they are on sale. This week the short ribs were on sale--half the size of a regular size rib)
1/2 bottle of BBQ sauce

Put meat in slow cooker. Dump BBQ sauce on top--you can add water to thin the sauce. Cook about 5 hours on high. They stay hot for a long time after coming out of the slow cooker so I usually just cut the meat off the bones and serve them.

Homemade Pizza

I often make pizza when I don't feel like doing a lot, or when I am totally out of ideas. I always keep a bag of pepperoni in my fridge so I can make it anytime. I also always make the dough from scratch because I'm cheap and don't plan ahead sometimes to buy the Bobolli crust...but that works great too. I always serve with salad. Lark
Quick Pizza Dough
2 C. flour
1 Tbsp. quick rising yeast
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. sugar or honey
¾ C water (hottest water from tap works)
Combine everything except water. Then add hot water (if mixture is too dry you can add 1 or 2 Tbsp. more hot water)
Knead until dough forms a ball.
Transfer dough to a lightly floured bowl (or leave in your Kitchenaid as is - no need to dirty another bowl!) Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
On floured surface, using a rolling pin, roll out your pizza – about 12” in diameter and ½” thick.
Transfer dough to a floured cooking surface and poke with a fork in a few places.
Bake at 425* for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Then add sauce, cheese and favorite toppings and cook again until cheese is melted.
For sauce, I use a jar of spagetti sauce or a can of tomato sauce with Italian seasonings, fresh garlic and sometimes canned diced tomatoes.
Then add your favorite toppings:
1. Pepperoni w/ olives: either slices of pepperoni or a stick, chopped up in your food processor.
2. Canadian bacon and pineapple: I use ham lunch meat, cut up and canned pineapple chunks and slivered almonds.
3. BBQ Chicken pizza (one of our favorites!): Sprinkle crust with colby jack cheese, then BBQ sauce (1/2 bottle or more), then cubed, marinated BBQ chicken, then red onion slices and finally more cheese. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes or so. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh, chopped cilantro.