Sarah's Best Chicken Pasta Salad

Story:
I've mentioned Sarah E. before on this blog. I love Sarah! She lived across the street from me in UT and we were great buddies. This is her recipe. I remember I first had her chicken salad at a baby shower that she hosted in her home.... and, sadly enough, I remember this salad more than anything else from that morning! I made it when we had lots of family over after Gretchen received her baby blessing. I also made it for a Relief Society Birthday Dinner (when I was the enrichment leader.) Basically, it makes quite a bit and it's been a hit every time. So I hope you like it too...

Ingredients:
4 C cooked and salted shredded (or cubed) chicken
3 C (uncooked) medium pasta shells: Cook, drain, and chill
2 C red grapes (I usually slice 'em in half)
2 C diced celery
2 C diced red apples
1 small can crushed pineapple
1/4 C sliced green onions
1 1/2 C cashews (bits or whole)
1 C mayonnaise
1 C coleslaw dressing (Sarah's aunt says that it's best with Best Foods or Hidden Valley brands)

Directions:
Start with cooking the chicken and the pasta.
Then just add to a big bowl: the cooked chicken, the cooked pasta shells, grapes, celery, apples, pineapple, and onions-- and mix all that up. (It's best to do this the night before, and keep it in a ziploc bag in the fridge overnight... gives the flavors a chance to blend. Also, the juice from the pineapple keeps the apples from browning.)
Then, before serving, mix (in a separate bowl) the mayo and the coleslaw dressing. Add the mayo/dressing and the cashews to the chicken/salad mixture right before serving.
It would look pretty served on a lettuce leaf, but I usually serve it up in a big fat croissant to make a chicken salad sandwich! Yum!

Note:

• I have started putting the chicken in the crockpot the day that I'm going to make this salad... and then I just shred the chicken. It's easier for me than baking and cubing it... especially if I'm making a double batch. Also, I usually make it in the summer, and this way I don't have to turn on my oven.
• I'm not a big "nut" fan, but these cashews are great in it! And Sarah said that she's forgotten them before, and the salad isn't quite salty enough.
• Kentucky Friends: For anyone here in my neck of the woods, the only grocery store I've found that carries the HV brand of coleslaw dressing is Crestwood Supermarket. Let me know if you find it cheaper than $3.99 anywhere else!

Becky's Chicken & Black Beans

Story:
When I lived in UT, my good friend Becky D. and I used to go to the LDS cannery on a regular basis. We were making good progress on our food storage and having a few little adventures while we were at it ... like when the lid wasn't on tight and we sent "potato pearls" flying through the air! Good times.
When canning black beans one time, we got to talking about recipes, and she shared this one with me... one of her favorites, and now, one of ours.
It is served like a casserole, though Ben likes to roll it into a tortilla with sour cream to make a burrito. It makes a really tasty burrito! It's full of fresh ingredients, which I love and it has a great flavor. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded (I use the Cafe Rio chicken in here... yum!)
2 medium tomatoes
1 medium avocado
2 T cilantro or parsley, chopped - (I always use cilantro and I usually use more than 2T)
1 (15oz) can black beans
1 (12oz) jar of salsa (1 1/3 cups)
1 (8oz) pkg Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 flour torillas

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.
Dice tomatoes and coarsely mash avocado.
Set aside 1 teaspoon of the chopped cilantro and 1/2 cup of the cheese.
In a large bowl, stir together the chicken, tomatoes, avocado, black beans, salsa, remaining cheese, and remaining cilantro.
Put mixture in a 9x13 (or a shallow 2 1/2 qt casserole dish). Cut tortillas into quarters and arrange over the chicken mixture.
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Remove from oven and set oven to broil. Remove foil and sprinkle the remaining cheese and cilantro over the top.
Broil for 3 minutes or unil top is crisp and golden.

Chicken & Pasta Stir Fry

Story:
When we first moved into our house in Crestwood, a cute little magazine came in the mail for the previous owner or "current resident." Well, I was the new current resident, so I kept it. It's one of those "Food and Family" magazines put out by Kraft to try to sell their products. Most of their stuff seems highly processed, but I've come across a few good recipes in there and we like this one. They called it "Speedy Chicken Stir Fry," but that sounds too cheesy. Nonetheless, it's one of the kid's faves... which is nice, because it is pretty easy.

Ingredients:
8 oz. angel hair pasta
2 C broccoli florets
2 C sugarsnap peas
1/2 C shredded carrots
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1/2 C Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame dressing
2 T soy sauce
1/4 t ground ginger
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t crushed red pepper
1/3 C dry roasted peanuts

Directions:
Cook pasta as directed on package, adding the veggies to the boiling water for the last 3 minutes of the cooking time.

Spray a skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium-high heat. Add the chicken, cooking 6-8 minutes or until cooked through (stir occasionally). Then stir in the dressing, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Cook and stir for 1 minute.

Drain the pasta mixture into a large bowl. Add the chicken mixture and mix lightly. Serve in bowls and sprinkle the peanuts on top.

Note:
The original recipe just called for the broccoli. I added the sugarsnaps and carrots--the sugarsnaps are actually my favorite part of the dish, and the carrots are really just for color. You can add whatever other veggies you want or have on hand.

Ranch Broiled Chicken

Story:
Looking back, I don't know what Ben and I ate the first year or so we were married. Honestly, I vaguely remember that "Chili Mac" was on the menu! (Eew.) Needless to say, this was about the time of my life that I started perusing magazines here and there for ideas.
I remember sitting at my in-laws house one afternoon and looking through one of LuAnne's magazines when I came across this recipe on a Ranch dressing advertisement. It sounded easy enough... and I discovered (for the first time!) the beauty of broiling meat.

Ingredients:
1 packet (1 oz) Hidden Valley Original Ranch dressing mix
2 T olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use 4 frozen breasts)

Directions:
Combine the dressing mix, olive oil, and vinegar in a plastic bag. Add chicken; shake and work mixture into the meat. Marinate for at least one hour.
Broil chicken 10-14 minutes total, turning once.

Notes:
This is a quick and easy fix with a box of couscous and a salad. Keep in mind that you can grill this meat in the summer... oh, and leftover chicken is always good sliced up on salads.

Fish Tacos

Story:

Another one from Monica! I adapted the sauce... it's pretty easy really.

Ingredients:
small corn tortillas
fish sticks (click here for our favorite kind)
salsa (click here for our favorite kind)
cabbage, sliced "as thinly as humanly possible" (as Monica puts it)
Cafe Rio dressing (click here for recipe)

Directions:
Bake fish sticks according to package directions. (I like 'em nice and crispy, so I leave them in longer than the directions say.)
Rub a little oil on each side of each tortilla and put it in a pan to crisp it up a little.
To eat, take the tortilla and layer on 1 1/2 to 2 fish sticks, salsa, cabbage, and dressing.
That's it! Enjoy...

San Francisco Chops

Story:
This is another recipe from Traci's mom, Julie. It was in the original cookbook that she made for Ben and me for a wedding gift. I'm not usually a big fan of pork chops, but the flavor of these is awesome!

Ingredients:
4 pork chops (1/2 to 3/4 inch thick - about 1 1/2 lbs)
1 T oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 t oil
4 T beef broth
4 T soy sauce
2 T brown sugar
1/4 t crushed red pepper
2 t cornstarch
2 T water

Directions:
Trim fat of pork chops.
Heat oil in skillet. Brown chops on both sides
Remove the pork chops and add a little more oil if needed.
Saute garlic for a minute, being careful not to burn it.
Combine oil, broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and red pepper.
Place chops back in skillet and pour the sauce over them.
Cover tightly.
Simmer over low heat until chops are tender and cooked through (30-35 minutes).
Add a little water (1 to 2 T), if needed, to keep sauce from cooking down too much.
Turn once.
Remove chops to a platter. Stir in the cornstarch, dissolved in water. Cook until thickened. Pour over the pork chops and serve with noodles or rice.

Monica's Granola

Story:
I have a good friend here in KY named Monica. And I love that we can hardly ever get off the phone with each other without sharing a recipe with each other. (Actually it's usually her sharing something new she discovered... which I am always anxious to copy.) She shared her granola recipe with me... and I fell in love with it. Thanks, Monica!

Ingredients:
14 C rolled oats
2 C wheat germ
2 C coconut
2 t salt
1 1/4 brown sugar

1/2 C honey
1 C oil
1 C warm water
1 T vanilla

Directions:
Mix all the dry ingredients in a big bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl.
Pour the wet over the dry and mix together.
Pour the granola onto two baking sheets.
Bake at 225 for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

To serve, you can add anything you'd like... like peaches, bananas, raisins, craisins, almonds, etc. I like to sprinkle on some flaxseed and I love it with nutmeg!

Taco Soup

Story:
Believe it or not, somehow I grew up never having Taco Soup. My mom gave me this recipe soon after I was married and I thought it was the best creation ever! It was then that I realized that everybody else in the world already seemed to know what it was. And everybody else already seemed to have their own version of this yummy soup. Oh well. This one is my all-time favorite recipe for Taco Soup. I love it. Ben loves it. The kids love it. And it makes a lot, so be prepared for leftovers!

Soup Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 C chopped onion
2 C water
1 (12 oz) can of V-8 juice
3 (14.5 oz) cans of diced tomatoes
1 (16 oz) can of red kidney beans (drained)
1 (11 oz) can of corn (drained)
1 (14.5 oz) can of green beans (drained)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
2 T sugar

Garnish Ingredients:
Fritos (I like the Scoops!)
Grated Cheese

Directions:
Cook the ground beef with the onions.
In a big pot, add all the soup ingredients except the corn and beans.
Simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the corn and the beans the last 5 minutes.
Serve with Fritos and grated cheese.

Notes:

• The original recipe called for 3 cups of water. If it seems a little too thick for you, feel free to add more.
• The original recipe called for 16 oz can of V-8. I either just use one 12 oz can... or sometimes I have some of the little 5.5 oz cans (Costco) on hand, so I use 2 or 3 of those.
• I buy taco seasoning in bulk, so I use 1/4 cup of that instead of the individual packages.
• Other ideas for the garnish: green peppers, green onions, sour cream, olives, chopped tomatoes, or avocado.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Story:

I love pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. They've been one of my favorites for years, but I had never made them until a couple of weeks ago. And I've made them three times since then. Knowing that I like them so much, my good friend Kate W. shared her recipe with me. I shared some with my neighbors last week, and now they want the recipe as well. Sure sign it's a "keeper." Here you go:

Ingredients:

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C brown sugar

1 C margarine

1 t vanilla

1 egg

1 C canned pumpkin

2 C flour

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1/2 t ginger

1 1/2 t cinnamon

1 C chocolate chips

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat the sugar, brown sugar, and margarine until light and fluffy.

Add vanilla, egg, and pumpkin; blend well.

Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, level, and stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger; mix well.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop desired amount onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten the cookies a little with a spoon.

Bake at 350 for 14-17 minutes... until edges are lightly golden.

Cool on sheet for 1 minute, then remove.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Notes:

• The recipe says you can use butter or margarine. I've found that butter, in cookies, usually makes the cookies crispier and margarine makes 'em softer, so I use margarine.
• I like to double the recipe so I can use the whole can of pumpkin. (I mean, what would I do with a half a can of pumpkin sitting in my fridge?) The only downside, is then you have to use a whole box of margarine... and that just seems kind of gross, y'know?
• The recipe also suggests using peanut M&M's instead of chocolate chips... I'm a chocolate chip girl, so that's what I use. But have fun with it!

Microwave Caramel Corn

Story:
This one came from Ben's sweet Grandmommy.
Aaaw...we sure miss her.

Ingredients:
15 C air-popped popcorn (that's about one batch in my air-popper)
1 C brown sugar
1 cube of margarine
1/4 C light Karo syrup
1/2 t baking soda
(& a brown paper bag)

Directions:
Pop the popcorn into a big bowl.
Put the brown sugar, margarine, and karo syrup in a glass bowl. (I use my 4 cup Pyrex glass measuring cup.) Microwave 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave 3 minutes more.
Add the baking soda and stir well. (This is the cool science experiment part where it changes color and texture.)
Pour over the popcorn and stir gently.
Pour the popcorn into a brown paper bag and microwave for 30 seconds. Shake well, then microwave for 1 more minute.
Pour into a bowl and as it cools, break it up with a wooden spoon.

Note:
I'm typically a butter kind of person (not margarine). But the popcorn gets harder and burns more easily with butter. Stick with the margarine.