Recipe of the Day

Western Bean Salad

Ingredients
• 16oz can of Pinto Beans
• 16oz can of Red Kidney Beans
• 11oz can of Mandarin Oranges
• 1 cup sliced Celery
• 1 medium Green Pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup sliced Olives
• 1 small Red Onion, diced
• 1 Avocado, diced
Dressing
• 1 TBSP Lemon Juice (2 tsp for avocado)
• 1/4 cup Mayonaise
• 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Basil
• 2-3 Dashes Hot Sauce

Directions
Drain beans and oranges. Dip avocado pieces in 2 tsp lemon juice and set aside. Combine all ingredients except avocado. Mix dressing and pour over salad and toss. Fold in avocado and chill at least 1 hour.

Filed under: Food, Recipes

Recipe of the Day

Baked Penne w/ Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Each baking dish serves four; bake one tonight and freeze the other for a ready-made dinner later on. When ready to cook, bake it straight from the freezeer.

Ingredients
• 6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pound penne rigate
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (8 ounces each), halved horizontally
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups whole milk
• 10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces)
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan (4 ounces)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta, and return to pot.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

3. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Off heat, gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

4. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes; sprinkle each with cup Parmesan.

5. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

To Freeze A Dish
1. Prepare through step 4; let cool. Cover tightly with foil, and freeze, up to 3 months.

2. Preheat oven to 400, and bake (still covered in foil) on a rimmed baking sheet until center is hot, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil; bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.

(via)

Filed under: Food, Recipes

Recipe of the Day

I had this for the first time yesterday for lunch and it was incredible!

Spicy Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

Ingredients
• 2 TBSP butter
• 1 TBSP oil
• 3 chicken breasts, cubed or shredded
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1-2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 5 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups half-and-half cream or milk
• 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1 (14 oz) can cream-style corn
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
• Salt (to taste)
• Fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
• Tabasco sauce (to taste)

Directions
1. 
Heat butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.

2. 
Add in chicken, onion and jalapeno peppers; cook stirring until chicken is no longer pink (adding in the garlic and cumin the last 2-3 minutes of cooking time).

3. 
Add in broth; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

4. 
Reduce heat to low then stir in cream, shredded cheese, cream-style corn, green chilies and diced tomatoes; cook stirring until the cheese has melted and all ingredients are heated through (about 2-3 minutes).

5. 
Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco to taste.

6. 
Ladle into bowls then sprinkle with more shredded cheese.

Filed under: Food, Recipes

Recipe of the Day

Pumpkin & Sweet Sausage Lasagna

Ingredients
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
8 oz cooked, drained sweet Italian sausage
1 lb peeled, seeded butternut squash, 1/4″ slices
1 cup sliced zucchini
1 cup sliced roasted red bell pepper
2 15 oz containers of ricotta cheese
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
2 TBSP chopped thyme
5 cups shredded mozzarella
4 large eggs
1 quart favorite Alfredo Sauce
2 pkgs cooked Rossi Pasta pumpkin lasagna sheets, cook according to package directions

Directions
1. Mix ricotta with fresh herbs, eggs, parmesan and 3/4 mozzarella cheeses. Reserve.

2. Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add all vegetables and sauté until slightly tender, add cooked sausage. Cool.

3. Spray bottom of 13 x 9 x 2 casserole pan with non-stick spray. Coat bottom with aprox 3 oz of sauce.

4. Top sauce with layer of cooked pasta sheets. Top sheets with ricotta mixture. Top Ricotta with sauté vegetable mixture. Continue process to fill up dish.

5. On top layer sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese.

6. Cover dish with wax paper, then aluminum foil.

7. Bake in 350 degree oven for approx 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for additional 20 minutes or until golden brown and heated thru.

8. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

9. Serve with favorite alfredo sauce.

Filed under: Food, Recipes

Recipe of the Day

Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
Tater Tots
shredded cheddar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Brown ground beef in skillet; add onions. Cook until done; drain. Put beef in casserole dish; add Tater Tots, soup, a handful of cheese, and season to your liking. Bake in oven according to Tater Tot package directions. When done, put a little more cheese on top, and place back in oven until cheese melts.

ht

Filed under: Food, Recipes

Best Diet Plan Ever

(ht: The Deloach)

Filed under: Diet, Exercise, Food, Health, YouTube

Eden Organic Gomasio

Every month Eden Foods puts out an email newsletter highlighting a different product. It also contains organic news bits, recommended books, a recipe, and a discount offer.

This month features Gomasio.

Gomasio is a condiment made by dry roasting sesame seeds in a skillet and grinding them with sea salt. When the hot sesame is combined and ground with salt, the seed’s oil melts and coats the salt, mellowing it so you get smooth full-flavor and yet consume less salt. Today, sesame is recognized as one of the most concentrated sources of important nutrients including essential fatty acids, calcium, iron, and high quality protein with amino acids such as methionine, tryptophan and lysine that are often missing in other vegetable protein sources.

Eden offers Gomasio in 5 different varieties: Black & Tan, Black, Garlic, Seaweed, and Regular. It’s been said to be good on baked potatoes, salads, vegetables, and popcorn, but my favorite application is Garlic Gomasio on some spicy noodles!

Filed under: Condiments, Eden Foods, Food, Gomasio, Organic, Salt, Sea Salt, Sesame Seeds

Monday Meme

(via transitionpete)

What was I doing 10 years ago?
Ten years ago today I was sitting in class at Harding University, wondering if there was going to be a basketball game later that day. I was preparing for my spring break vacation with my friend Mike. We were heading to the Grand Canyon to camp, and to some spring training games in Phoenix, while my soon to be wife was heading home to Michigan to plan our wedding for the following Summer.

Five things on my to-do list today?
1. Wrap up an eNewsletter.
2. Update some NLEA files online.
3. Resize a recent ad I designed for 10 different magazines.
4. Ride bike with my son.
5. Cook some Salmon for the fam.

5 places I have traveled?
1. Caribbean
2. Las Vegas, Phoenix, Cincinatti, Pittsburgh (vacations)
3. Germany (lived there 4 years)
4. New York, Chicago, Washington (for work)
5. Arkansas, Florida, South Dakota, Michigan (lived in these states)

5 snacks or treats I enjoy?
1. Coke Classic
2. Crab cakes & Shrimps
3. Dunkin Donuts Coffee w/ French Vanilla Creamer
4. Cheeseburgers
5. Peanut M&M’s

What would I do if I were a billionaire?
1. Quit my job
2. Build NewSong a building
3. Travel
4. Find a billion ways to give it all away.

5 of my bad habits?
1. Procrastination
2. Eating Unhealthy
3. Nose picking
4. Thinking more than I act
5. Avoiding necessary conflict

Places I have lived?
See above.

Jobs I’ve had?
1. Maintenance at Funeral Home
2. Bindery and Pre-press at Print Shop
3. Assistant for Chimney Sweep
4. Sandwich artist at Arby’s
5. Graphic Designer / Marketing (current)

Feel free to fill in your own answers in the comments.

Filed under: Food, Giving, Meme's, Monday's, Play, Travel, Work

Chef Mud: Day 3

The Green Chili Chicken and Sweet Corn Cake was a resounding success.

Filed under: Cooking, Family, Food, Love, Mexican, Recipes

Chef Mud: Day 1

Well, tonight was Day 1 of Chef Mud Week. On the menu tonight were Pierogies w/ Bacon, Peas, Sautéd Onion, and Sour Cream.

[recipe via Cooking Light]

The funny thing is this was anything but a “light” meal, but any great meal must start with a healthy portion of butter, onions, and bacon. Mmmmmmm……

This is the first time I made pierogies using a recipe and, to be honest, I prefer my own methods. It wasn’t horrible, but normally I cut up some polish sausage and cook it with the pierogies. We did try out a new brand of pierogie which we liked a lot better.

All in all, it was a nice and simple start to the week.

Filed under: Cooking, Food, Pierogies, Recipes