Butternut Squash Soup

This was a version of a fun recipe I watched Tyler Florence make on the Food Network. It is so sweet and so delicious on a cold winter afternoon. It is really much better than you could imagine and so easy to make. Make sure your knife is sharp though- butternut squash is a pain to cut up.
Ingredients.
2 medium butter nut squash, pealed and diced into 1 inch cubes
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 carrots peeled and chopped into same size as onion
3 cloves garlic
6 cups chicken broth
3 T sage
Salt and black pepper

In a large pot, saute onion and carrot in olive oil and butter for 5 minutes. Add in garlic, stir for another minute. Add the butternut squash and the chicken broth. Boil for about 15-20 minutes until the squash is fork tender. Add in sage.
Use an immersion blender, a food processor or a blender. I used a blender. Blend 2 cups at a time in a blender until smooth. (10-15 seconds) *be careful, liquids are hot and will want to jump out at you.

Serve with toasted Crostini
baguette sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
garlic
1 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan or other white cheese
Kosher salt
Line baguettes on cookie sheet, add toppings and toast at 400 for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Clairissa's Brocolli Salad

This is by far my favorite recipe ever created. I can't begin to describe the flavor explosion that is set off on your tongue with one bite of this salad. Because this salad is so expensive to make, I rarely make it, but when I do, I can't get enough. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

I owe my gratitude for this salad recipe to my SIL Clairissa. She brought this to a family dinner the year Lindsey was born. (2002) I know this, because my mom rented a house in Gilbert right next to Highland High School for one year while my lil sister Ashley finished her senior year of high school in Arizona. My mom and Ashley watched baby Lindsey for 3 weeks while I went to real estate school and studied for my real estate exams. It was in this same home, I tried Clairissa's broccoli salad. I vividly remember the yellow kitchen in eye sight of a TV playing Food Network 24/7 and we were all in love with Rachelle Ray's 30 Minute Meals. Many happy memories were shared in this home enjoying weekly Sunday dinners & eating our newly loved favorite, broccoli salad. For one year, I experienced one of life's greatest treasures... living close to my Mom.

2 large heads of broccoli... (about 4 cups of broccoli, small sliced florets only.)
3/4 cup diced celery
1/2 red onion, diced very small
1 cup red grapes cut in half
1 package of bacon, cooked and chopped
1 cup craisins
1/2 cup sun flower seed kernels (salted)
1/2 cup cashews cut up
1/2 cup graded cheddar cheese

Dressing:
1 cup real mayonnaise
1 T vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

Do NOT toss in dressing more than 30 minutes before serving.

Casey's Pretzel Jello Salad

SO YUMMY!

Crust
2 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
3 T Brown Sugar
3/4 cup butter
Mix together, place in well sprayed 9X13 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool in fridge until cold. Break crust into large pieces using a square spatula (2x2 inches).

Cream layer
8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 small container cool whip
Cream the cream cheese and sugar well. Mix in cool whip until creamy. Scoop several large spoons onto pretzel crust. Spread gently, not to pick up pretzel crust into cream mixture. Cool in fridge.

Jello layer
6 ounce box raspberry jello
4 cups water
2 cups frozen strawberries or raspberries (sliced)
Make jello as directed. add in strawberries. *Let set in fridge for 15-20 minutes before pouring onto cream layer, so jello won't sink to bottom and float pretzels and cream layers. Serve COLD.

Stolen Salad Recipe

All credit for this salad goes to Jessica Washburn's blog. http://www.these-are-the-days.com/ I find so many creative ideas and yummy recipes from this amazing gal. I made this salad for my family and we all loved it. I think my favorite thing about this salad was the dressing. I am kind of sick of ranch and Italian and raspberry whatever. Instead, this salad's dressing is so simple to make and is frosted right on top of the salad. The entire salad is left to chill in the refrigerator and it comes out so crisp and perfect. I made this salad in the morning and we enjoyed it that evening.

I am famous for stealing web pictures, but I always give credit, so I hope I am not doing anything illegal or don't offend. This picture was taken from Jessica's blog. I did not have an amazing serving dish for a blog worthy picture. I instead used a simple clear serving bowl.

Salad recipe is found at:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/08/layered-salad/

My revised version of the salad for a family of 5

Ingredients
SALAD:
1 head of Iceberg Lettuce, Chopped

2 cups spinach
5 whole Hard Boiled Eggs, Chopped
1 pkg Bacon, Cooked And Chopped
2 large Tomatoes, Chopped
3 stems Green Onions, Thinly Sliced
Cheddar Cheese, Grated
1/2 bag (10 Ounce) Frozen Peas, Partially Thawed

FOR THE DRESSING:
½ cups (real) Mayonnaise
½ cups Sour Cream
2 Tablespoon Sugar

Preparation Instructions
In a clear glass bowl, layer salad ingredients in the order they appear above, concentrating ingredients around the perimeter of the bowl and filling in the center with lettuce, if needed. Combine dressing ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well. Pour over the top. Frost the top of the salad, bringing dressing all the way out to the edges of the bowl.
Cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Toss before serving.

Chicken a la King

Whenever I go to Costco, I love to pick up a rotisserie chicken for dinner. We always have left over chicken meat waiting to be transformed into a yummy meal the following night. This dish was also inspired by my Grandma Forshee who loved to make Chicken a la king when a guest would stop by. Although Grams always served her Chicken a la king on a piece of toasted white bread, I prefer using freshly baked reduced fat Pilsbury biscuits. This is an easy and quick version of chicken pot pie without all the guilt from the pastry crusts. (You can also slow cook this meal by using 2 raw chicken breasts cubed. After sauteing onions and celery, adding flour and whisking in chicken broth and sour cream, place all ingredients and chicken in crock pot on low for 5 hours. Bake biscuits right before serving. )

1-2 c Chicken (cooked and shredded or cubed)
1 small bag frozen mixed vegetables with green beans, corn, carrots and peas
2 T butter
1 t garlic
1/4 c onions
2 stalks celery (chopped)
2 T flour
3/4 c chicken broth
1/4 c sour cream
1/2 t pepper
salt to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 t dried sage
Large and fluffy refrigerator biscuits

In a saucepan, saute onions and celery in butter and garlic. Add 2 T flour. Cook flour for 2 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth. Stir in sour cream, salt, pepper, sage and cayenne. Gently fold in frozen vegetables and chicken. Cook on medium/ medium low for 15 minutes. Bake biscuits as directed on package. On a dinner plate, break warm biscuits in half and spoon chicken and vegetable mixture on top of biscuits. *This dish requires no side dishes.

Ginger Peanut Chicken Wraps

This is a great spring/summer dish. I absolutely love the warm and cold combination as well as the added crunch from the cucumber and bell pepper.

Ingredients
1 T olive oil
3 chicken breasts
Salt and Pepper
2 T sugar
1 T fresh ginger (minced)
1 t fresh lime juice
2 t soy sauce
1/4 t salt
1 t garlic (minced)
1/4 c creamy peanut butter
2 T water
3 T fresh cilantro (chopped)
8 flour tortillas
romaine lettuce (shredded)
cucumber (peeled and diced)
Red bell pepper (diced)

Directions: Cook chicken (seasoned with salt and pepper to taste) in 1 T oil over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side or until done. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. While chicken is cooking, place sugar, fresh ginger, lime juice, soy sauce, salt and garlic in a blender and process until smooth. Add peanut butter and water; blend for 20 more seconds, scraping sides. Add peanut butter mixture to chicken and toss. Add fresh cilantro and toss. Warm tortillas. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto each tortilla. Add cold lettuce, cucumber, and red bell pepper and roll up. (add green onion slivers if desired.)

Zucchini Casserole

Years ago, I brought this yummy dish to a Super Saturday Craft day where all potluck dishes were judged. This recipe won first place in the main dish category and first place overall. This is a fabulous vegetarian main dish or a great side dish to a piece of meat. I usually serve this casserole as a main dish with a slice of french bread or cornbread. This is one of Corey's favorites.

Ingredients
1 box Uncle Ben's long and wild rice (original not quick)
1 T olive oil
2 c water
¼ c butter
4 stalks celery (diced)
1/2 medium onion (diced) *if your family likes onion, use entire onion.
1 green bell pepper (diced)
4 oz package mushrooms (sliced) or 1/2 of 8 oz package
3 small or 2 large zucchini (diced)
14 oz can of diced tomatoes with juices
1 T garlic (minced)
2 t seasoning salt
1 T dried basil
8 oz pepper jack cheese (shredded)

Directions...Sauté long and wild rice in 1 T olive oil for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water, cover and cook for 25 minutes. While rice is cooking, sauté vegetables and mushrooms in ¼ c butter and 1 T of garlic for 8 minutes. I use a large sauté pan with deep sides. (All vegetables should be diced approximately the same size.) Add can of tomatoes, seasonings from box of rice, seasoning salt and basil. Cook for a few more minutes. Combine vegetables with rice and place in baking dish. Sprinkle with pepper jack cheese and bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.