Creamy Chicken Taquitos

shared by Patty H. (made these for the first time today and they were wonderful - makes a good alternative to the beef taquito recipe that was posted earlier)
Ingredients:

1/3 cup (3 oz.) cream cheese
1/4 cup red or green salsa ( I used red)
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tablespoon dried cilantro (or 3 T. chopped fresh cilantro)
2 Tablespoon sliced green onions (I used frozen chopped onion)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup grated cheese
8-10 flour tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
2. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic.
3. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well. You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.
4. Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer.
5. Place 2-3 Tablespoons of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll it up as tight as you can.
6. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. (Allow to cool just a little before serving because the filling will be very hot!)

Betty's Cherry Cream Cheese Dessert

shared by Patty H. (whose good friend Betty shared the recipe after bringing this delightful dessert to a banquet I attended. If you love the taste of cherries and cream cheese, this one is for you. Easy and delicious! )

Preheat oven to 350.
 
2 -   8 oz. tubes refrigerated crescent dough sheets
Unroll 1 package of crescent dough and fit into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 baking dish. 

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
 
1 - 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. of vanilla
1- cup of sugar
Mix all together.  (Do this before you bake the bottom crust above.)
Set aside
 
Spread the cream cheese mixture over the hot dough in the baking dish.
 
1 -  21 oz. can of cherry pie filling
Spread the cherry pie filling over the cream cheese mixture.
 
Unroll the remaining crescent dough and lay on top of the pie filling.
 
1 stick of butter, melted
1 Tbsp. of sugar
half cup of sliced almonds
Combine the above and spread on the dough.
 
Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.

BBQ Roast in the Crockpot

shared by Patty H. (Smoked paprika has to be my new favorite "secret" ingredient.  This recipe made just smelling the roast cooking almost as good as the eating!)

Ingredients:
1 - 3 lb. boneless chuck roast
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4  tsp. coarse ground black pepper
1/4  tsp. dried thyme
1/2  tsp. garlic powder
1/2  tsp. onion powder
3/4  tsp. kosher salt
1 TBS. brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup of your favorite bottled BBQ sauce (I used KC Masterpiece.)
apple cider vinegar, enough to loosen the sauce, approx. 3 TBS.

Directions:

1. Combine the spices and brown sugar in a small bowl.  Rub on top of the roast.  Allow roast to sit for 30 minutes with seasonings on it. 
2. Spray crockpot with cooking spray.  Add seasoned roast and a 1/2 cup water.  Cook on low for 6 - 8 hours or until roast is fork tender. 
3.  Remove roast from crockpot and set on a cutting board.  Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 10 - 15 minutes.  Discard the juices left by roast in crockpot. 
4. Shred the meat with two forks, discarding any visible fat.  Return meat to crockpot and add in the BBQ sauce and the vinegar.  Cook on HIGH until heated through, stirring often. 

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

shared by Patty H. (Zucchini bread is wonderful but these muffins stir up easily and cook quickly so if you want something tasty in a hurry, this will do the trick.)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup boiling water
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 1/2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons cocoa
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp.  baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½  tsp.  salt
1 – 1 ½  tsp. cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
optional: add ¼ cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In large bowl, pour boiling water over zucchini.
3. Add all other ingredients and stir just until well combined.
4. Line muffin pans with paper muffin cups, and use a 1/4 cup measure to pour batter into cups.
5. Bake for 30 minutes. Yields 18 muffins.

Number of Servings: 18

Patty's Cashew Chicken

shared by Patty H. (This isn't my original recipe but Donna's Cashew Chicken can also be found on this website so I named it to let you know the difference.)

Ingredients:

3  lbs. boneless chicken breasts (I used chicken tenders)

1 med. green pepper, cut into 3/4" pieces (I used frozen red, green & yellow pepper strips)
3 green onions, bias sliced into 1" lengths (I used regular onion slivers)

 Sauce:

1 can chicken broth

1/2 c. water (I didn’t use because we like a thicker sauce)
1 ½ Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. lemon pepper

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces and set aside.
2. Combine sauce ingredients and set aside.
3. Stir fry green peppers, green onions. Remove them from skillet.
4. Cook chicken pieces in skillet until they are no longer pink.
5. Add vegetables and sauce mixture; cook until thick and bubbly.
6. Add cashews.
7. Serve over rice.

Chick Pea Burgers

shared by Cori H.

Ingredients:

1 – 16 oz. garbanzo beans (chick-peas) rinsed, drained and mashed (I pureed in my blender)
½ c. finely chopped red onion
½ c. finely chopped celery (I used ½ T. celery salt)
1 c.  dry bread crumbs (I toasted 4 slices homemade bread and pureed in blender)
½ c. tomato sauce
1 T. Dijon mustard (I used yellow prepared mustard)
1T. Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
2 tsp. olive oil
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
½ cup minced fresh parsley (I did not use this ingredient)

The recipe says:

1. Preheat oven to 350. 
2. Combine all ingredients and form into patties.
3. Place on sprayed baking sheet. Cover with foil.
4. Bake 30 min. Uncover and bake for 5-10 min until brown.

Here’s what I did:

1. Heat electric skillet to 350.
2. Flattened a scoop of the mixture into a patty in my hand.
3. Fry 8 patties at a time on the electric skillet until brown on both sides.
4. Serve with carrot sticks, chips of choice and ketchup for dipping.

Fragrant Fried Rice Pilaf

shared by Cori H.
Ingredients:

1 c. rice (I used Basmati but it is  also DELICIOUS with Jasmine)
¼ c. oil  (I used coconut oil)
4 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper
3 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated (I think this is the secret ingredient)
1 -15 ½ oz can white beans, rinsed
1 c. frozen peas and carrots mix, thawed (My crew doesn’t eat peas,  so I just peel and chop up 2 carrots)
1 t. ground cumin
2 T. soy sauce
½ c. chopped cilantro (another secret ingredient)

Directions:

1. Rinse rice thoroughly until water runs clear, drain.  Proceed to follow package directions and cook rice.
2. Meanwhile, in skillet, heat 1 T. oil and cook the eggs.  Add salt/pepper to taste and stir until set.  Set aside.
3. In same skillet, heat 1 T. oil and cook the scallion whites and carrots until crisp-tender.  Season with salt/pepper.  Add the beans until warm. Set aside.
4. In same skillet, heat 2 T oil and the cumin and add the cooked rice.   Spread into a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until rice forms a crust, about 3 min.  Break up the rice and sprinkle the soy sauce.  Stir in scallion greens and cilantro, add the bean/carrot mixture and eggs and heat through.

Enjoy!!

Prep: 15 min   Cook: 30 min  

Easy Lemon Bars

shared by Patty H. (OK, I'm back to making desserts again while I wait for my Girl Scout cookie order to arrive. :) These are very easy and tart and lemony. Aren't you impressed I'm not sharing another chocolate recipe? Anyway, the good thing about these is that the recipe only makes an 8-inch pan full, not an entire 9x13 pan full.  Less temptation, right? Sorry, we ate them before I remembered to take a picture.)

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 stick butter, room temperature
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 cup flour
1/8 tsp. salt

Filling:
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup lemon juice (juice from approx. 2 large lemons, if using fresh)
1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest (I didn’t use.)
2 Tablespoons flour

Powdered sugar, for sprinkling on top of cooled bars

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and move the rack to the center of the oven.
2. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick spray.
3. Crust: In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth.
4. Add the flour and salt and beat until the dough just starts to come together.
5. Press crust onto the bottom of prepared pan and bake for 18-20 min. or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven and cool while preparing the filling.
6. Filling: Beat the sugar and eggs until smooth.
7. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir to combine.
8. Fold in the flour.
9. Pour the filling over the shortbread crust and bake for 17-20 minutes or until the filling has set.
10. Remove from oven and cool.
11. Cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar.
12. Store in the refrigerator (if you have any left).