BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad

Fried Tortilla Strips

Vegetable Oil for frying
6 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4" strips

Ranch Dressing
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon water
2 1/4 cups mayo
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 Tablespoons thinly sliced scallions (green and white)
2 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoons freshly minced Italian parsley
1 1/2 Teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 Teaspoon minced fresh dill
1/2 Teaspoon minced fresh oregano
1/2 Teaspoon black pepper
1/4 Teaspoon minced fresh basil

Mix the dry mustard and water together & let sit for 10 minutes. Then mix in remaining ingredients & refrigerate.

Grilled Garlic BBQ Chicken
1 1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 1/2 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
2 Teaspoon Soy Sauce
2 Teaspoon Salt
4 - 5 oz chicken breasts
1/4 - /2 cup BBQ sauce

Marinate for 15-30 minutes before cooking chicken. Broil chicken 6-7 minutes on each side, until cooked through or grill the chicken. Cube chicken and toss with BBQ sauce. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. 

For the Salad
Iceberg lettuce, cored, rinsed and cut into strips
Romaine lettuce, rinsed and cut into strips
12 large basil leaves, rinsed and cut into thin strips
 1 lb. jimaca, peeled and cut into strips
1-2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1-2 avocado, peeled and sliced
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 lbs fresh tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions

Oriental Turkey Pasta Salad

1 pound spaghetti
2 T sesame oil
3-4 C cooked turkey cut into 1/2-in. cubes
1 bunch green onions with tops, sliced
1 med. cucumber, unpeeled and cut into thin strips
4 oz. sliced water chestnuts
1/3 C chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing
2 T sesame oil
2 T vegetable oil
1/3 C soy sauce
3 T Chinese rice vinegar
1/2  t hot chili oil
3 T minced fresh ginger
2 T sugar
1/3 C dry sherry
1 t salt

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Add the spaghetti and cook according to
pkg directions. Pour into a colander, drain,
and rinse with cold water, separating the strands
with your hands while rinsing. Drain the
spaghetti well, place in a large bowl, and toss
with 2 T sesame oil. Stir in the turkey, onions,
cucumber, water chestnuts and cilantro.

Whisk all the dressing ingredients in a small
bowl. Pour the drsg. over the pasta and toss
well. Cover and marinate several hours at
room temp, tossing occasionally.

*The salad may be refrigerated, covered,
up to 3 days. Bring to room temp before serving.
Makes 6 main-dish servings.

Moo Shu Chicken Wraps

A variation on Moo shu pork using chicken breasts instead of pork, coleslaw mix instead of Chinese vegetables, and spring roll wrappers. Leftovers taste great reheated for lunch the next day.

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs. chicken breast - cut into 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick strips
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil for stir-frying (optional if using non-stick fry pan instead of Wok)
• 1 package coleslaw mix - with green and purple cabbage and carrots if you can find it
• 2/3 cup green onions
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (use more if you'd like)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
• 8 spring roll wrappers, warmed
• 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
• Marinade:
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce - reduced sodium is fine
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil - Olive oil works fine too
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Preparation:

Slice chicken into thin strips. In a medium bowl combine marinade ingredients and add chicken, tossing to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 10 - 15 minutes.

Remove chicken from marinade, discard marinade. Heat wok and add peanut oil, or just heat large non-stick frying pan. Add chicken and stir-fry until it turns white...about 3 - 5 minutes.

Add coleslaw mix, green onions, ginger, and cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir until sauce is thickened and bubbly.

To assemble...spread one side of each wrapper with 2 teaspoons of Hoisin sauce, spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture in center of each tortilla. Fold bottom edge up over filling. Fold right and left sides to center, overlapping edges. Makes 8 rolls.

Spring Rolls

spring roll wrappers

leaf lettuce, torn

spicy peanut sauce {recipe below}

vermicelli {rice} noodles, cooked

rice wine vinegar

carrots, shredded

cilantro, torn

mint {regular or chocolate}, torn

basil {regular or thai}, torn

napa cabbage, chopped

• To assemble the spring rolls, soak a wrapper in warm water until pliable.
• Place the lettuce on the bottom and top with about 1 tablespoon of sauce, add some noodles, carrots, herbs and the cabbage and wrap up as if you were wrapping a burrito.
• Cut in half on the diagonal and serve when ready.

Spicy Peanut Sauce:

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons onion, chopped

2 garlic clove, chopped

4 tablespoons red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water 

2 tablespoon peanut butter

2 tablespoon hoisin sauce

2 teaspoon tomato paste or ketchup

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

• In a pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil and cook the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes.
• Add the remaining ingredients and combine. Cook for about 5-6 minutes.

*If you're not as fond of spice , you can reduce or omit the amount of red pepper flakes in the recipe. That's the awesome thing about a recipe, it can be changed to fit you better!

Cindy's Rocky Road Fudge

                              Rocky Road Fudge
                                                          by Cindy Moss


2 bags chocolate chips ( i use 1 semi-sweet and 1 milk chocolate)

3/4 cup peanut butter

3/4 bag miniature marshmallows


Melt chocolate chips in large bowl in microwave, 30 seconds at a time until completely melted. Add peanut butter to chocolate and stir together.  Add mini marshmallows, coating with chocolate-peanut butter mixture. Pour into a buttered 9x13 pan.  Set in freezer if you want it to set quickly or you may set in fridge. 

*Tip:  for easier cutting of the fudge, line the pan with foil. When the fudge is set you can just take it out of the pan with the foil edges, lay it out and cut into bite-size squares.

Easy, easy, easy!  Enjoy!

Chicken Bundles
6 oz. softened, spreadable cream cheese
2 c. chicken, cooked and cubed
salt and pepper to taste
3 T milk
2 T sliced green onions
2 T chopped pimento
1 (8 oz.) can crescent roll dough (Pillsbury)
2 T melted butter
1/2 c. crushed croutons

Blend cream cheese chicken, salt, pepper, milk, green onions and pimento. Mix well. Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles. Divide and place chicken mixture on the each wide edge of each triangle. Pull corners of dough to meet the center and roll up into a big fat puffy crescent pinch edges to seal. Brush top with melted butter and dip in bread crumbs. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Barb's Raspberry Whip  (recipe requested after served at Bookclub)

Filling:
1 1/2 - 2 quarts frozen raspberries
2 C sugar
5 egg whites
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 pint whipped cream, set aside

Crust:
Whole graham crackers crushed
3 T sugar
melted butter
cinnamon and fresh nutmeg to taste
(set some aside to sprinkle on top if desired)

Put ingredients except for cream in large bowl and beat on high speed until it forms stiff light peaks.  Barb says to taste at this point to see if sugar's okay. Fold in whipped cream and pour over graham cracker crust in a 9 X 11 or larger dish.  Freeze. (Barb says she tries to use really fresh eggs since they're raw....)

Butternut Squash Risotto

Once and for all: risotto IS rice. It is not a pasta. And if anyone ever says that they've never made risotto, I say that they probably have. "Risotto" is the rice in Rice-a-Roni. (The roni part is vermicelli.) So if you've ever made Rice-a-Roni, you've made risotto.

Ingredients

• 2 cups butternut squash puree
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4-6 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup minced onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups Aborino rice
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

Melt the butter, add olive oil and saute the onions and garlic on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter, sautee until mostly brown and toasty. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and cook for a few minutes, until absorbed. Add 2 more cups of broth to the rice plus the salt, & pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, a litttle at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan cheese. Mix well, garnish with chopped green onions (and a sprig of sage), and serve.

Tracy Kelly's Hot Fudge

1/2 C cocoa
1/3 C light Karo syrup
3/4 C sugar
2/3 C evaporated milk (half a can)
1/3 C butter
1 t. vanilla

Combine cocoa, syrup, sugar and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil whisking constantly.  Boil 1 + minute.  Remove from heat.  Add butter and vanilla.  (Seems to work out okay to cut back on the butter a little.  I've been adding a pinch of salt.)

Glazed Pecans

1 egg white
1 T water
1 lb. pecans
3/4 C sugar
1 1/2 t. table (not kosher) salt

For cinnamon pecans: 1 t. cinnamon

Experimented with otherly-spiced pecans for Feb. Added 3/4 t. chili powder, 1/4 t. cayenne, 1/4 t. smoked paprika and about 1/8 t. each of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, coriander, cumin, pepper and garlic powder.  IMO still too sweet to go on a salad, but that's a starting point....

Whip egg white until very firm.  Pour in nuts.  Sprinkle with water.  Fold all together so that pecans are coated.  Pour sugar/salt/spice mixture over.  Fold just until sugar is distributed.  Spread in single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake 300 for about 30 minutes.  Stir and rearrange every ten minutes or so.  Sometimes hard to tell when they're getting too dark.  Take them out what looks like a little "early."  Cool, break apart.  Let cool completely before storing.

Swedish Cream  (Mount Hood - Timberline Lodge)

2 C heavy cream
3/4 C sugar
1 T vanilla
3/4 - 1 T unflavored gelatin
3 C sour cream

Heat first 4 ingredients until hot but not boiling.  Stir in sour cream. Refrigerate 3 hours. Top with raspberry puree:

Thaw unsweetened frozen raspberries in large fine-meshed strainer suspended over a large bowl. (This may take a few hours.) Once the berries have completely thawed, force the juice from the berries by gently pressing with the back of a large spoon.  All that should remain is the raspberry seeds.  Throw away the seeds and, to the strained juice, stir lemon juice (if using) and 1/2 C sugar - add more if needed.

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Chocolate Cherry Cake:

1 pkg. Chocolate fudge cake mix

1 21 oz can cherry pie filling

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla or almond (I used almond)

Combine all ingredients.  Stir carefully to not break up cherries too much, until mixed.

 Bake in greased/floured 13x9pan. Bake350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Pour-able Chocolate Frosting

1 cup sugar

1/3cup milk

5Tbs. Butter

6 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips (I use about 1/3 cup milk chocolate and the rest semi-sweet)

Cook sugar,butter, milk

Boil 1 minute. Stir constantly.

Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips until melted.

Pour over cake.

Shrimp Orzo Pasta Salad

1 lb. orzo pasta, cooked al dente
2 large cucumbers, seeded, quartered lengthwise, and sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 lb. feta cheese, crumbled
1 lb. medium shrimp, grilled or sauteed in garlic

Dressing
1/4 cup fresh dill
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Combine all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.


Combine cooked orzo pasta, cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, feta, and shrimp. Pour dressing over the top and stir.

Steak Salad

Steak Salad

Cooked New York strip, flank or skirt steak, warm or room temperature, sliced thinly

Goat cheese or blue cheese

Cherry tomatoes

Salad greens - romaine, etc.

Balsamic Onions

1 tablespoon peanut oil
4 onions, peeled and thinly sliced (about 8 cups)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1. Heat the oil in large skillet over medium heat until it slides easily across the pan.  Add the onions, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 20 minutes.

2. Add the sugar and reduce the heat to medium low.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions appear dry, about ten minutes.  Add the vinegar.  Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and dry, about 1 hour.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Store in the refrigerator.  It will keep for several weeks.

Dressing for Greens

1/2 C red wine vinegar
3 T lemon juice
2 t. honey
1 t. salt
1 C (or less) olive oil

Soup's on!

As soon as you walked in the door you knew it was going to be good! The smells coming from the kitchen were delish, and the soups themselves did not disappoint. Kathy and Cindy prepared Italian Wedding Soup on the spot, including a demo of how they make their meatballs. Though each person had a personal favorite, everyone liked all of the soups. 

Kathy's featherbed rolls and Debbie's jalapeño bread were also a huge hit! Everyone kept coming back for "just a half."  Another fun time had by all. 

Theme in February is Valentine's Day menus. Desserts "allowed."  

See you all February 10th!