Thursday, March 22, 2007

Black Bean and Salsa Chicken

I saw my friend Stephanie this morning and she reminded me of a wonderfully simple recipe in which I always keep the ingredients on hand for a quick go-to dinner.

1 jar of your fave salsa
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexi-blend cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Place chicken in baking dish and cover with salsa and beans. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over top and let bake another 5 minutes. Moist, yummy chicken!! You could even serve it with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.

I serve it with rice and corn on the cob.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Honey Ginger Grilled Salmon

This is an easy grilled salmon marinade that we have enjoyed many times. I just love salmon so much and love to try new ways of fixing it. Salmon is so fabulous for your health and you can read here why that is so! I serve this dish with grilled asparagus and baked sweet potatoes.

1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1 green onion, sliced thin
1 1/2 lbs salmon fillets

In a gallon Ziploc, combine first six ingredients; mix well. Place salmon in bag and seal tightly. Turn bag gently to distribute marinade.

Refrigerate 15-30 minutes and turn bag occasionally. (I also put this together and freeze the salmon in the marinade. It thaws nicely in the frig the day you want to use it.)

Grill salmon over medium heat for 12-15 minutes per inch of thickness. Brush with marinade up until the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Discard leftover marinade!

Serves 4

Friday, March 16, 2007

Freezer Cooking Revisited

It is that time again for Leslie and I to spend our St. Patrick's Saturday filling the freezer. Being able to pull out a tasty meal from the freezer has been a big blessing especially since I have had a sinus infection, allergies and general fatigue.

The menu for tomorrow is as follows:
  • Basic Muffin Mix
  • Two Derby Pies
  • Basic Spaghetti Sauce
  • 2 sets of hamburger patties/buns
  • 2 Poppyseed Chicken casseroles
  • 2 Caribbean Steaks
  • Honey Ginger Salmon
  • Fish with Cilantro and Lime
  • Lemon Grilled Fish
  • Flank Steak in marinade
  • 2 Sesame Chicken
  • 2 Mexican Beef and Bean Wraps
Mike is going to do some of buying at Sam's Club for me this afternoon and the rest I will purchase at Publix. Everything will be put into Freezer Quart and Gallon bags. We are going to start at 10 am and hope to finish by 4 pm with weary feet but full freezers.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Mexican Beef and Bean Wraps


These are so healthy and delicious!

1/3 lb. lean ground beef
1/3 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
2/3 cup chunky salsa
1 16 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2/3 cup cilantro, chopped
Whole grain tortillas

Combine beef and oatmeal. Brown in skillet over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Remove and drain. Add beans, spinach, spices, and salsa to the pan. Heat through. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and cilantro. Place in warmed tortillas and enjoy!!

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Lasagna Presto

This is a great recipe that I received from a friend. It's easy to double for when you have company and I serve it with garlic bread and a Caesar Salad.

8 oz egg noodles
1 lb. ricotta cheese
1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg (use only 1 egg when doubling)
15 1/2 oz. jar spaghetti sauce (extra is good)
1/2. lb. ground beef
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown beef and add the sauce. Cook noodles according to package directions and drain. Combine noodles, ricotta, mozzarella (reserve 1/2 cup for topping), parmesan, egg, salt and pepper.
Spread a little sauce on bottom of greased 2 qt. casserole. Put half of noodle mixture over sauce, repeat with remaining sauce and noodles, ending with sauce. Top with mozzarella.
Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. (Bake for 40 min. if doubled)

You can double this in a 9x13 pan. Also you can add sausage or mushrooms.