Asian Salad Dressing

This recipe is actually from Pampered Chef. It's on the side of the salad dressing mixer thing. You can buy it here.


Asian Salad Dressing

3 oz Rice Vinegar
1 oz. Soy Sauce (I buy low sodium)
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
1 Clove Garlic (I used a teaspoon of crushed garlic)
2 tsp Sugar (we use 1 small scoop of Truvia)
2 oz of Sesame Oil
5 oz of Olive Oil
Pepper

Mix everything together and you have a yummy salad dressing with no crap in it!

Chad's sister puts this on top of salad and this shredded carrot and shredded beet salad. I am sure you could use it on chicken or other things too!

My Mom's Shepherd's Pie

My mom used to make this all the time when my brother and I were growing up. I loved it so much that I now make it. I have however changed the recipe to what we like. We don't eat ground hamburger so I use ground turkey which tastes better anyways.

Shepherd's Pie

2-3 Packages Ground Turkey
2 Cans Tomato Sauce
3 Cans Green Beans
Mashed Potatoes
Shredded Cheese
Sea Salt
Pepper
Garlic Salt

1. Boil your red potatoes until soft. Drain the water and put into a mixing bowl. Added sea salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste. Then add butter and sour cream to taste. I'd say I put in 1/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup sour cream. I would just add until you feel that's enough for your taste. Mix with hand mixer and set aside.

A. My mom used to use instant mashed potatoes I believe, however, we LOVE red potatoes. So I buy a bag of red potatoes and cut them up and boil them until they are soft enough to mix into mashed potatoes. Since I don't measure I can't give you the exact amount. I usually cook up the whole bag and just put the remaining mashed potatoes in the fridge for later. 

2. While the potatoes are boiling brown the turkey meat in a pan adding in the sea salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste. You can add other spices if you wish. Once meat is all the way cooked add the tomato sauce and let warm in the pan with the meat.

3. Put the meat mixture into the bottom of a x11 pan (I use a glass pan) and spread it out evenly. Drain the water from your cans of green beans and dump the green beans in on top of the meat mixture. Spread out evenly as the second layer. Then layer your mashed potatoes on the very top. I usually put these kind of thick on top. Spread them out evenly so you don't see the green beans layer.

4. Top the dish off with a layer of cheese (I use shredded chedder). Bake at 350* for 25 minutes. Since everything is warm except the green beans and cheese don't go over the 25 minutes or the cheese will burn.

Derby Pie

Down in Lake Havasu City, AZ there is a restaurant named "Barley Brother's Bewery" it has the most amazing Derby Pie I've ever had. Plus, the food is amazing. Every time we go there to eat we have to get Derby Pie for dessert.

I found this recipe online and made it - it wasn't AS good as the restaurant but it was good.

Derby Pie
Total Time: 55 Minutes

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup pecans or 3/4 cup walnuts
9 inches unbaked pie shells

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients and mix with fork.

2. Bake in pie crust at 350 for 45 minutes, or until brown on top!

Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies

I found this recipe on Picky Palate's blog and because Chad LOVES peanut butter and I love chocolate I thought these would be a great combo for both of us. Chad loved them. I will be making these again.

Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies

1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 sticks softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups good quality chocolate chunks
1 cup cocoa powder

1. Preheat oven to 350*F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat liner.

2. Place peanut butter into the freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.

3. In a stand or electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until well combined.

4. Place flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add to wet ingredients along with cocoa powder, and chocolate chunks, slowly mixing until just combined. Drop dollops of frozen peanut butter into dough and turn mixer on for just a few turns of the mixer to get swirls of peanut butter through the dough. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart from each other. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Serve with milk.

Spinach-Stuffed Baked Salmon

This is super easy to make and Chad loved it. Add a side of veggies and some rice and it's a complete healthy meal.

Spinach-Stuffed Baked Salmon

1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
2 Ounces Fresh Spinach Leaves
1 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Zest
1/2 Cup Chopped Roasted Red Bell Peppers, Rinsed and Drained if bottled.
2 Tablespoons Chopped Walnuts
Cooking Spray
4 Salmon Fillets, Rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons Plain Dry Bread Crumbs
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano, crumbled
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/8 Teaspoon Pepper

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook the spinach and lemon zest for 2 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted, stirring constantly. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the bell peppers, basil and walnuts. Let cool for 5 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 400*F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Lightly spray the foil with cooking spray. I just put the salmon in a glass casserole dish instead.

3. Cut a lengthwise slit in the side of each fillet to make a pocket for the stuffing. Be careful to not cut through to the other side. With a spoon or your fingers, carefully stuff a scant 1/2 cup spinach mixture into each fillet. Transfer to the baking sheet. With a pastry brush or spoon, spread the mustard over the fish.

4. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle over the fish. Lightly spray the tops with cooking spray.

5. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork and the filling is warmed through.


****I made this with a half of salmon - I didn't cut it into fillets because it was easier to just do the whole salmon instead of cutting and stuffing each piece. I believe I cooked it for almost 20 minutes as a half a salmon.****

Brownie Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who wouldn't love brownies AND chocolate chip cookies merged together?!? I saw this recipe and couldn't wait to make it. Picky Palate has tons of cookie recipes and "stuffed" cookie recipes. There are so many that you just want to cook them all.

Brownie Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes Roughly 12-16 Cookies

1 Box Brownie Mix (I used Ghirardelli Double Chocolate)
2 Sticks Softened Butter
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
3/4 Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
3 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
2 Cups Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips


1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Prepare brownie according to packaged directions. Let cool completely then cut into 1 1/2 inch squares (I made mine smaller).

2. In a stand or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, continue to beat until well combined.

3. Place flour, salt and baking soda into a bowl; mix to combine then add slowly to wet ingredients along with the chocolate chips.

4. Place a large cookie scoopful of dough on top of a brownie square and another large scoop on the bottom. Gently press and enclose brownie with dough adding pinches more dough to cover sides if needed. Place 6 filled cookies onto a cookie sheet and bake for 18-22 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove and let cool for 15 minutes before removing from baking sheet.

Pizza Monkey Bread

I got this recipe HERE and couldn't wait to have a reason to make it. So on Tuesday I made it for Devin and Cameron for dinner. They said it was good but regular monkey bread is better! Kids!!! I didn't get to try it because for some reason I didn't buy enough dough. Next time!

The recipe was for Pepperoni pizza only. I added mushrooms, ground turkey sausage and olives too. You could add whatever you'd like to this recipe. I also didn't do each little ball the same. That way there was variety.

I apparently didn't take any pictures when it was done cooking before the boys ate it - oops! Next time I make it I will add a finish picture to this post. You can however, click the link above and see the images on the food blog I got the recipe from.

Pizza Monkey Bread

You can take the long route and make your favorite pizza dough and marinara sauce, or the short route and pick up your favorite pizza dough and red sauce from the store.

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (I used already chopped garlic)
4 Tbsp butter
2 lbs pizza dough (I bought Pillsbury Pizza Dough)
6 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes (you'll need ~48 pieces)
48 slices of Turkey pepperoni (from 1 package)
2-3 cups marinara sauce, warmed, for serving


1.Heat garlic and butter over medium heat just until the garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat and let sit.

2.Lightly brush the inside of a bundt pan (or other oven-safe dish) with garlic butter.

3.Pull off large marble-sized balls of dough and flatten (a kitchen scale makes this very easy). Top with a slice of pepperoni and a cube of mozzarella.

4.Wrap the dough around the pepperoni and cheese, pinching well to seal.

5.Very lightly brush the pizza ball with garlic butter and place into the bundt pan (I dabbed the pizza balls on a butter-dipped silicon brush to keep butter use low - there will be 1+ Tbsp leftover - and my hands butter free. Buttery hands make it hard to get the pizza balls to seal).

6.Repeat until all of the dough is used.

7.Cover and let sit for 30 minutes, while preheating the oven to 400.

8.Bake for ~35 minutes, until the top is very brown.

9.Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes.

10.Turn out onto a platter and serve with warmed marinara sauce for dipping.