Pepper and Chicken Nachos

• YIELD: Makes 4 servings
• HANDS-ON: 18 MINUTES
• TOTAL: 37 MINUTES
• COURSE: Main Dishes, Appetizers

Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 medium-size bell peppers, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 cups chopped deli-roasted chicken
• 1 (15 1/2-oz.) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 (7.5-oz.) package sliced sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation

• 1. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Combine garlic and next 5 ingredients. Reserve 3 Tbsp. garlic mixture. Pour remaining garlic mixture into a large shallow dish; add peppers, turning to coat. Cover and chill 15 minutes, turning once. Remove peppers from marinade, reserving marinade for basting.
• 2. Grill peppers, covered with grill lid, 8 to 10 minutes or until peppers blister and are tender, turning occasionally and basting with marinade.
• 3. Preheat broiler with oven rack 4 inches from heat. Combine chicken and peas with reserved 3 Tbsp. garlic mixture. Place peppers in a single layer on a lightly greased rack in an aluminum foil-lined broiler pan. Quarter cheese slices. Top each pepper with chicken mixture and one cheese quarter.
• 4. Broil 4 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve immediately.

Southern Living JULY 2011

Grilled Steak-Corn-Spinach Salad

• YIELD: Makes 6 servings
• HANDS-ON: 30 MINUTES
• TOTAL: 30 MINUTES
• COURSE: Main Dishes, Salads

Ingredients

• 2 pounds rib-eye steak
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 4 ears fresh corn, husks removed
• 1 (5-oz.) package fresh baby spinach
• 2 ripe avocados, thinly sliced
• 1 red grapefruit, sectioned
• Bottled peppercorn Ranch dressing

Preparation

• 1. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Rub steak with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and next 3 ingredients. Brush corn with remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil.
• 2. Grill steaks and corn at the same time, covered with grill lid, 7 to 8 minutes, turning steak once and turning corn every 4 to 5 minutes. Let steak stand 10 minutes.
• 3. Meanwhile, hold each grilled cob upright on a cutting board, and carefully cut downward, cutting kernels from cob. Discard cobs. Thinly slice steak.
• 4. Layer spinach, grilled corn kernels, steak, avocados, and grapefruit on serving plates. Serve with bottled Ranch dressing.

Southern Living JULY 2011 p. 124

Tortellini-and-Tomato Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 2 (9-oz.) packages refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
• Salt and pepper

PREPARATION

• 1. Prepare tortellini according to package directions.
• 2. Meanwhile, process olive oil and next 5 ingredients in a blender until smooth. Toss olive oil mixture with hot cooked tortellini, tomatoes, and next 3 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

KITCHEN NOTE:

It makes way to much dressing for the amount of pasta, I would recommend cutting it in half, or saving half of it away to make another salad with- with the price of EVOO best to save it back when you can!

Recipe is from Southern Living, July 2011 p. 127

Baked French Toast

If you’re searching for a simple, frugal breakfast recipe — this one for Baked French Toast is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Because you can use stale or day-old bread, it’s relatively inexpensive as well. Someone brought it in to my husband’s office a few months ago, and he raved about it. His co-worker was nice enough to share her recipe and we just made it this weekend for a family gathering. Here’s how to make it:

1 loaf French bread, cubed
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
8 large eggs, beaten
2 1/2 C. half and half
6 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
1/3 C. maple syrup
Cinnamon

Grease a 9×13 pan. Put half of the bread crumbs in the pan, spreading out evenly. Top with cream cheese slices. Add the rest of the bread cubes. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the eggs, half and half, butter, and maple syrup. Pour over the top of the bread cubes/cream cheese. Pat everything down into the pan to ensure it all gets moistened. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle with cinnamon before placing in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Top with maple syrup as desired and enjoy!

Serves 8.

This entry was posted in Frugal Living, Groceries and Cooking, Recipes and tagged Baked French toast, breakfast recipe. Bookmark the permalink.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Veggies

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  8 oz. dried fettuccine

• ½ cup dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), chopped

• 4 Tbsp. butter

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

• 4 oz. fresh asparagus spears, trimmed

• 4 oz. fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered

• 1½ cups fresh broccoli florets

• 8 fresh mushrooms, sliced

  

• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

• 1¼ cups milk

• ½ cup finely shredded Parmesancheese

• 1¼ cups milk

• ½ cup finely shredded Parmesancheese

• 2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel

• 1. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding dried tomatoes the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain and return to saucepan; keep warm.

• 2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and mushrooms. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove vegetables from skillet; set aside.

• 3. In same skillet melt remaining butter over medium heat. Stir in flour. Cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Gently stir in pasta and vegetables. Stir in additional milk to reach desired consistency. Sprinkle with lemon peel and additional shredded Parmesan cheese. Makes 4 (1-½ cup) servings.

  
  

  from Better Homes and Gardens January 2011 P. 108

Sausage Risotto with Spinach & Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 3½ cups chicken broth
• 1 pkg. Jimmy Dean® Regular Flavor Pork Sausage Roll
• 2 cups chopped leeks (white portions only)
• 1 cup chopped fennel bulb
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
• 1 pkg. (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring broth to a boil in 2-quart saucepan. Reduce heat to low to keep broth hot.

2. Cook sausage, leeks and fennel in large skillet over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes or until sausage is thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently; drain. Return to skillet. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in rice; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Stir in wine; cook until wine is almost completely absorbed. Add ½ cup of the warm broth; cook until broth is absorbed, stirring constantly. Repeat with remaining broth, adding ½ cup at a time. (This will take about 20 minutes.)

4. Stir in spinach, tomatoes, basil, and pepper; cook just until spinach is wilted, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with cheese.

Yield:

Makes: 4 servings (1-1/2 cups each)

Jimmy Dean Recipe

bean and barley salad

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup quick-cooking barley
• 1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (11 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 large sweet red pepper, finely chopped
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
• DRESSING:
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• Prepare barley according to package directions. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in the beans, corn, red pepper, onions and cilantro. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Chill until serving. Yield: 12 servings (3/4 cup each).

Taste of Home April,May 2010 p. 28