Garlic Shrimp and Pasta

2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
3 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 lbs. easy peel shrimp, shelled
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons fresh or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
8 oz. dry extra thin spaghetti, cooked
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper

In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch, broth and lemon juice until smooth. Set aside.

Heat oil in 10" skillet over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp, garlic and red pepper until shrimp turns pink. Do not overcook. Stir often. Remove from heat and set aside.

In same skillet, add cornstarch mixture and cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Return shrimp to skillet, along with cooked spaghetti. Heat thoroughly. Add parsley and red pepper.

Serve warm.

{Syd's Notes} Yummy. Buy the fully cooked, already deveined shrimp from COSTCO {Sam's Club has it too but it's very fishy}. I tried with angel hair and it was a mess. I'd stick with thin spaghetti or fettucini.

{Source} Emilee Wright

Tuna Surprise

Chopped chicken (make it easy, buy it at the store)

apples

grapes

cashews

mayo

celery salt (lots of it)

Mix together and serve in pita's. Good with a little lettuce and mustard.

{syd's notes} Did you catch that the surprise in the name is that there's no tuna in the recipe!!! We made a giant amount of this at a family reunion we had and we had no leftovers. So delicious! This is a recipe they use on the river when doing river trips. Easy to put together and delicious to the taste. I'd like to try it on croissants or even in a lettuce wrap.

{source}Jason and Jen. T.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

Marinade:
1 egg
1 T. cornstarch
2 t. soy sauce
dash pepper

Mix ingredients together, stir in chicken and refrigerate 1 hour or longer.

Batter:
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. cornstarch
1 T. oil
1/2 t. baking soda

Mix ingredients together.

Pour oil into wok and preheat on medium heat. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels and place in 200 degree oven. Put 8-10 pieces of chicken into batter; coat well. Drop chicken into hot oil one at a time. Cook on one side until golden brown, then turn and cook til golden brown. Remove and place on cookie sheet to keep warm until ready to serve.

Sauce:
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 c. chicken broth
3/4 c. white vinegar
1 T. oil
2 t. soy sauce
dash of salt
garlic

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch and water; slowly stir into sauce. Stir until thickened.

1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 c. cold water

Serve chicken with rice and pour sauce over individual servings.

{syd's notes} It's a nice change having a sauce that doesn't have ketchup in it. Really good recipe.

Crunchy Coconut Chicken Fingers

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 egg white, lightly beaten
3/4 c. crushed cornflakes (about 2 c. uncrushed)
3/4 c. flaked sweetened coconut, chopped
1 t. garlic powder
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. curry powder
1/2 t. red pepper (I used black)

Cut chicken into 20 (1/4-inch strips). Combine chicken and buttermilk in a shallow dish; cover and chill one hour. Drain chicken and discard the liquid. Combine chicken and flour in a medium-sized bowl, tossing to coat.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place baking sheet in oven.

Combine egg and egg white in a small bowl. Combine crushed cornflakes and next 5 ingredients (though pepper) in a shallow dish.

Working with one chicken strip at a time, dip into egg mixture; dredge in cornflake mixture. Repeat process with all strips. Arrange chicken in a single layer on the preheated baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake for six minutes, or until done. Yield: four servings.

{syd's notes} I used chicken tenderloins and cut them in half. I served with orange marmalade and we both enjoyed them.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Pizza Crust- I used the Betty Crocker, just add water pizza crust for this pizza but I really like the Pillsbury pizza dough that comes in the fun tube you get to open. I've also made it using Boboli crusts. Whatever you like or have on hand!

2 chicken breasts- If I'm making them just for this pizza I'll cook them in BBQ sauce but if I have some precooked then I just cube them and stir in BBQ sauce and let them sit while I assemble the rest of the pizza.

Cilantro- 1/4 bunch, chopped finely

Red Onion-thinly sliced

Cheese- LOTS OF IT. I usually have Mozzarella on hand so that's what I use but it's also good with Provolone or Gouda.

BBQ Sauce.

So spread some BBQ sauce on your pizza dough. Top with onion, cilantro and chicken and cover with cheese. Cook in 450 oven for about 12 minutes until crust is brown and cheese is melted. Enjoy!!

{syd's notes} a family favorite! this was originally introduced to me by Sarah B. and I've tweaked it to our liking.

Cafe Rio

Café rio pork
6 lbs. pork
1 16 oz. bottle of salsa
1 can coke
2 c. brown sugar

Place pork in crock pot and fill it ½ way up the pork with water. Cook on High for 5 hours. Drain off water. Cut pork in thirds. Mix together sauce ingredients and put on top of pork. Cook an additional 3 hours on high. Shred pork with forks. Leave it on low until ready to serve.


Café Rio Dressing (the best ever)
1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet (make as per recipe)
2 tomatillos (tomato like vegetable with a husk around them)
½ bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeño (Use the seeds too if you like it spicy. You could substitute a few drops of green tobasco for the jalapeno.)

Use a food processor to blend all the ingredients well. Refrigerate.


Cilantro-Lime Rice

1 cup uncooked rice {not instant}
1 teaspoon butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, lime peel, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice.

Black Beans
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 cup tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

To get the full affect, you must make them all and layer like the picture.... shell (Costco uncooked are awesome), meat, rice, beans, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, and dressing.

{syd's notes} Awesome, yummy, delicious. Makes a ton.

{picture} Sarah B.

Hawaiian Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts
½ c. flour
½ c. cornstarch
3-4 eggs
Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Mix flour and cornstarch and coat chicken. Beat eggs and coat chicken. Cook until browned in frying pan.

SAUCE
¼ c chicken broth
¾ c. sugar
¾ c. vinegar
4 Tbsp. Catsup
1 Tbsp. Soy sauce
Mix and dissolve sugar in vinegar and add remaining ing. Add browned chicken and bake @ 350 45-60 min. Sauce should be thick and sticky. Serve with rice.

{syd's notes} Double the sauce. You'll want extra for the rice. I've also made this in one pan and let it simmer on the stove instead of sticking it in the oven.

{source} Sarah B.

Mac and Cheese

1 pound elbow macaroni
1/4 c. butter
4 Tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
4 cups grated Sharp Cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni according to package. Drain. In a large pot, belt butter. Add flour and stir. Pour milk and cook, stirring constantly until thick. Add salt, pepper and dry mustard, then add 3 cups of the cheese and stir just until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and add cooked macaroni and mix together. Pour into 9x13 pan, sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake 350 for 30 minutes.

{syd's notes} I accidentally doubled the cheese sauce one time and decided to freeze it. It froze perfectly. When I went to use it I just microwaved the sauce, cooked the noodles and threw it together. Very quick and very tasty.

I've also made it using several kinds of cheeses. Although the sauce wasn't as "strong", it was still very tasty.

{source} Sarah B.

Roasted Veggie Enchiladas

½ c. onion
1 red pepper, chopped
1 zuccini, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 c. frozen sweet corn
1 can olives
1 can black beans- drained
1 16 oz. green chili enchilada sauce ( I usually use 2 cans)
1/2 t. ground cumin
½ t. oregano
garlic salt
grated cheese
tortillas (10-12)

Saute onion, pepper, zucchini, squash until tender. Add corn olives, beans and spices. Roast until most moisture in gone. Spray 9x13 pan, spread layer of enchilada sauce on bottom. Fill tortillas with mixture and cheese. Top with remaining sauce and cheese if desired. Bake 350 for 30 min. uncovered.

{syd's notes}- Yum, yum, yum. Jared actually called from work to "dubs" the leftovers.

{Source} Sarah B.

Lasagna Roll Ups

15 oz. ricotta cheese
1 ½ c. shredded mozzarella
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
½ c. sour cream
¼ c. bread crumbs
1 T. Italian seasoning
1 t. garlic powder
12 lasagna noodles
15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 ½ c. salsa
½ c. shredded mozzarella

Cook lasagna noodles according to package and lay on cookie sheet to dry a bit. Combine 1st seven ingredients to make filling. Spread 1/3 cupful down each noodle, leaving a little tab at the end to make it stick. Roll up and place in a 9x13 dish. Original recipe says to let it sit overnight covered, but if your noodles are dry enough, they will stick to themselves and you won’t need to. Combine tomatoes & salsa, and spread over rollups. Bake until heated through, about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Immediately sprinkle with ½ c. mozzarella and serve. The filling is freezable as well as the sauce.

Sydney's Comments: Such a fun twist on lasagna. Super easy to make and very delicious!
Source: Sarah B.