Easy Meals 4 Moms

Steak, Pork or Chicken Marinade

2009-09-10T13:40:00.006-04:00

I am trying to get some more grilling in before the weather starts to get cold again.

This was a easy marinade that gave a good flavor. You can also try other mustards like dijon.

2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder

In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, liquid smoke, mustard, pepper, and garlic powder.
Place meat in the bowl, and coat with the marinade.
Cover, and allow to marinate a maximum of 4 hours in the refrigerator.
Preheat the grill for high heat.
Oil grill grate. Discard marinade, and place meat on grate.

Cake Batter Ice Cream

2009-09-08T18:35:00.007-04:00

Cake Batter Ice Cream

My kids love this birthday cake ice cream from a local ice cream shop, so as a back to school treat we made this in our ice cream maker.

1 cup whole milk, well chilled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream, well chilled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 to 3/4 cup cake mix (we used Funfetti cake mix)

Place freezer bowl of ice cream maker into the freezer. It is better to keep it in there 24/7 that way it is always ready.

In a medium bowl, whisk the milk and granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved.

Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla to taste.

Stir in cake mix, making sure there are no lumps.

Pour mixture into the freezer bowl and let mix until it has thickened (about 25-30 minutes).

Remove ice cream from freezer bowl and place into a separate container.

Place freezer bowl and the ice cream into the freezer to further harden.

Back to school, back to reality

2009-09-07T19:55:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow is back to school for my kids and also back to reality for me. I was very lazy this summer and did not do much cooking or baking so now that school is back I am also back to my meal planning.

I hate to iron so my "recipe" for today is homemade no iron wrinkle remover. I just made a new batch up for back to school time

No Iron Wrinkle Remover

20 ounces distilled water
1-2 teaspoon downy fabric softener

Mix the last two ingredients well in the spray bottle.
Hang garment on a hanger.
Gently mist with spray.
Lightly tug and smooth the fabric and allow to hang dry

Sour Cream Banana Bread

2009-05-18T14:52:00.003-04:00

This was my son's request so I made it with the kids today. My son asked me to make it everyday :)

Sour Cream Banana Bread

Serves 12 1 loaf

1/2 cup melted butter or oil
1 cup sugar

2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed banana (I used 3 medium size)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (omit if you don't like nuts)
1/2 cup sour cream

Grease 1 large loaf pan.
Cream butter/oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
Add dry ingredients, then bananas, nuts and sour cream.
Mix well.
Bake at 350 F for 1 hour.

Crabcakes

2009-05-18T14:40:00.003-04:00

I love crabcakes. These are a low carb version but the only difference is no breadcrumbs. If you want feel free to add about 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs to the mix.

I served these with a smoked tomato remoulade. My husband smoked the tomato's on his smoker and I just blended them with some mayonnaise. I have made them before with this mustard sauce and that is very good also.

Crab cakes

Serves 4

1 pound crabmeat
1 tablespoon small diced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon small diced green bell pepper
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

2 tablespoons canola oil

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients, except oil
Form crabcakes and refrigerate for 1/2 hour before serving
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook on 1 side until firm, about 2 minutes, and then flip and cook for about 2 more minute.
Serve hot with mustard sauce.

Mustard Sauce:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Yield: 3/4 cup

Crockpot Alfredo Chicken with Mushrooms and Spinach

2009-05-16T09:39:00.004-04:00

This is an easy one pot meal that is great for busy nights

Crockpot Alfredo Chicken with Mushrooms and Spinach

4-6 large boneless chicken breasts

Seasoning salt, to taste

16 ounce jar Alfredo Sauce

3 cloves garlic, cut in half (I used pre minced from a jar)

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, cut in half

Garlic powder

Freshly ground pepper

chopped 4 1/2 ounces fresh spinach, about 1/2 bag (I used a full bag but I like spinach)

Place the chicken in a slow cooker and sprinkle on both sides with seasoning salt.
Add the sauce and garlic; mix to coat the chicken with the sauce.
Place the mushrooms on top of the chicken; sprinkle with a little garlic powder and pepper
Cook on LOW about 4 hours or until the chicken is done.
Add the spinach and cook just until the spinach starts to wilt.

If your chicken breasts are quite large, you may be able to cut each one in half and get about 8 servings

Stuffed Peppers

2009-05-11T16:45:00.004-04:00

This is a low carb version so no rice. You can make these with ground beef or ground turkey and add some rice to the stuffing mix if you like it . I used a mexican sausage called chorizo as the meat this time.

Stuffed Peppers
4 servings

2 large green or red peppers, halved lengthwise
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup tomato, chopped
about 2 ounces Salt and pepper, to taste
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded, for topping

In a large pot, bring about half a potful of water to a boil.
Add the peppers and boil for 3 minutes; drain. In the same pot, brown the hamburger, onion and garlic.
Drain the fat and stir in the tomatoes and seasonings.
Cook until the tomatoes are hot; remove from the heat and stir in the 4 ounces of cheese.
Put the pepper halves in a greased 8x8" baking pan and fill with the meat mixture.
Sprinkle the extra cheese on top, if using.
Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes.

Sloppy Joes

2009-04-23T17:07:00.004-04:00

Sloppy Joes remind me of growing up. This is a nice and easy recipe with ingredents that most people have in their cabinet. You can make these with ground beef or ground chicken.

Sloppy Joe's

2 lbs hamburger
1 onion, diced
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2-3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons chili powder
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon mustard (optional)

Brown hamburger and onion.
Drain out grease.
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer 15-20 minutes with lid.

Grilled Shrimp

2009-04-18T14:32:00.004-04:00

These are the best grilled shrimp. Lots of flavor !! This also is great on wings too

For the rub

1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
2 tablespoons brown sugar
For the shrimp
2 tablespoons olive oil (give or take)
2 lbs medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

In a 1 gal plastic food bag place shrimp and olive oil, toss to coat, sprinkle enough rub to lightly coat the shrimp. The bag should look dark red.
Refrigerate for 1-4 hrs, the longer you wait the hotter they'll be.
Light the grill and while it's heating place shrimp on skewers.
When coals are very hot, clean the area that the shrimp will be on and rub with a bit of canola oil on a rag (use a mitt please) or spray with non stick spray.
Immediately place shrimp on greased grill for 2-3 minutes, turn and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
Remove from skewers and serve hot.

Artichoke Chicken

2009-04-06T14:04:00.006-04:00

This is a easy dish that is a bit different. My oldest daughter likes this but my son will not eat it, but that is not saying much because he does not like alot of things.
I served it with sauteed spinach with garlic and oil.

Artichoke Chicken

SERVES 4
1 (14 ounce) can water packed artichoke hearts, well drained and chopped
3/4 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 dash garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves
4 boneless skinless chicken breast

Preheat oven to 375.
Spray an 11x7 inch baking dish with Pam.
Salt and pepper the chicken breast halves and place in the dish.
In a bowl, combine the artichoke hearts, parmesan cheese, mayonnaise and garlic powder; mix well.
Spread artichoke mixture over chicken breasts.
Bake, uncovered, 30-35 minutes or until chicken juices run clear

Fruit Pizza

2009-04-03T22:16:00.005-04:00

I made these for my daughter spring party at school. I made this one with crushed pineapples, chopped strawberries and sliced banana's. I also made one with just chopped strawberries.
I have made these with sugar cookies as a base and also plain pizza crust. You can use any variety of fruit, strawberries, grapes, pineapples, banana's, chopped apples, mandarin oranges.

Fruit Pizza

2 tubes of sugar cookie dough or 1 plain pizza crust (cooked)
1-2 tubs of strawberry cream cheese
1 cup sliced strawberries or any variety of fruit

Chop or Slice all fruit
Spread cookie dough on square baking pan or round pizza pan
Cook cookie according to package directions
Allow to fully cool
Spread with layer of strawberry cream cheese
Top with chopped or sliced fruit

Chicken Divan

2009-04-03T22:03:00.005-04:00

This is an easy casserole. I usually serve over rice

Chicken Divan

3 lbs chicken, cut up
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen broccoli
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon butter

Cook chicken until tender. Cool, debone the chicken and cut into chunks.
Cook the broccoli. Drain.
Grease a 3-quart casserole dish.
Place the chicken on the bottom and the broccoli on top.
Combine Miracle Whip, soup, curry powder and lemon juice.
Pour this mixture over the broccoli. Sprinkle with a mixture of breadcrumbs, cheese, and melted butter.
Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes

Apple Muffins

2009-03-19T20:59:00.003-04:00

These were very flavorful. I used my food chopper to mince the apples after they were peeled.

12 muffins

1 cup brown sugar, divided
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup peeled chopped apple (firm apples, such as Granny Smith work best)
1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided

Spray muffin tins with non stick spray. Set aside.
Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Set aside.
Blend remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar, buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla in a large bowl.
Add dry ingredients, mixing just until barely blended.
Add apples and stir to combine.
Divide batter into 12 miffin tins.
Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon mixture evenly over top of muffins.
Bake in preheated 325F degree oven for about 20 minutes

Pizza for Breakfast

2009-03-19T20:24:00.004-04:00

An interresting twist on breakfast is to make a breakfast pizza. You can combined scrambled eggs, cheese and any breakfast meat you choose. I used a pre made pizza crust from Whole Foods. These are great, they come in a 2 pack for under $6 and you only need to do a thin coat of olive oil on the crust, then put your toppings then cook for 10-12 minutes. Fast and easy

This morning I make one with sausage and my kids loved it

Basic Meatballs

2009-03-02T17:31:00.004-05:00

This is a easy basic meatball recipe. You can add more seasoning to your preference if you like garlic, basil, oregano. I have even used these when I make swedish meatballs.

The one thing I always add is zucchini and carrots that have been chopped very small in my mini food chopped, as always trying to add more veggies to my kids diet.

1 lb beef, ground (you can also used ground turkey)
1 large egg
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup italian herbed breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mix all the ingredients together.
Shape mixture by Tablespoonfuls into 1 1/2-inch balls.
Place the meatballs in a lightly greased 13 X 9 X 2 or 15 1/2 X 9 1/2 X 1-inch baking dish and bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven until light brown, about 20-25 minutes.
Drain off any excess fat and use meatballs as desired.

Freezing: Cool meatballs before freezing

Allow meatballs to thaw about 30 minutes at room temperature before using - use as desired with your favorite recipes.

These are uncooked. I made some for dinner tonight and some to freeze

Zucchini Noodles or "Pasta"

2009-02-26T17:44:00.004-05:00

Zucchini noodles are a great alternative to pasta as a side dish. I make mine sauteed in butter or olive oil mixed with parmesan cheese, garlic salt and black pepper.

You can peel it with a regular potato peeler into strips or I use a Julienne Peeler made by OXO, which you can get at Bed, Bath and Beyond. This makes nice thin spaghetti size strips

Tonight I made the zucchini with shrimp and mushrooms

Julienne Peeler

Dijon mustard sauce

2009-02-24T21:38:00.003-05:00

This is a easy sauce that you can make with pork or chicken.

Brown boneless pork chops or chicken breasts in a little butter in a frying pan.
Remove meat to platter.
Add a tablespoon of dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/2 cup cream. Simmer over medium heat until sauce thickens.
Return meat to sauce and serve

Teriyaki Ranch Baked Chicken

2009-02-19T17:34:00.004-05:00

This seems like a weird combination but it has a nice taste. I used crumbled real bacon, not bacon bits and no green onions as I did not have them.

Teriyaki Ranch Baked Chicken

SERVES 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
3 green onions, chopped
1 (3 ounce) jar bacon bit

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together Teriyaki and Ranch dressing.
Spoon sauce over each breast.
Put chopped onions, cheese and bacon bits on top.
Bake for 45 minutes.

Cream of Chicken Soup

2009-02-18T14:13:00.005-05:00

Sorry for my lack of posts. We have been busy and eating not at home or someone (including me) have been sick. Today since my son and husband are sick I made this for dinner. It was my first time and I really loved the taste of this soup.
I added the cayenne pepper in a separate batch for the adults and it really added a great flavor.

Also I chopped the chopped the carrots, celery and onion in my mini food chopper so my kids would not see the veggies. I would double the recipe for a larger family or just to have some to freeze.

Cream of Chicken Soup
SERVES 4

6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup celery, chopped fine
1/4 cup carrots, chopped fine
1/4 cup onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (or to taste)

Melt butter in large heavy saucepan.
Add onion, celery,carrot and garlic and saute until soft.
Add flour mixing well.
Cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add milk, cream and broth mixing well.
Cook and stir until mixture thickens and comes to a boil.
Reduce heat and stir in chicken and remaining seasonings.
Adjust seasonings to taste.
Cook over low heat 2-3 minutes then serve

Homemade Microwave Popcorn

2009-02-10T19:21:00.005-05:00

Great idea and much more economical then the commercial microwave popcorn.
I used this recipe in a microwave corn popper I bought from Walmart. It holds up to 12 cups and has a vented lid for popping. Then when it is ready you just take off the lid and enjoy

Homemade Microwave Popcorn
6 -8 cups

1/3 cup popcorn
2-3 tablespoons melted butter
salt

Pour kernels into a small paper bag (standard lunch size is fine) and fold the top of the bag over twice to close (each fold should be 1/2 inch deep; remember the kernels need room to pop).
Seal the bag with tape placed 2 to 3 inches apart. (Do not use staples, in a microwave they can be hazardous)
Place bag in microwave on carousel.
Cook on high 2-3 minutes, or until the pops are 5 seconds apart
Mix with butter and salt

Pork Chops in the Crockpot

2009-02-09T13:10:00.004-05:00

This was very easy and had lots of flavor. After the pork was ready I put the extra sauce in a small sauce pan and thickened it a bit with Gold Medal brand Wondra Flour. It is great for thickening sauces.

Wondra Flour is a high-quality, bleached, enriched all-purpose flour milled from a select blend of wheats. This quick-mixing all-purpose flour is the perfect solution for lump-free gravies and sauces, as well as for tender pancakes and popovers. It’s also ideal for breading fish and poultry
http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/gold-medal-flour/gold-medal-products.htm

Pork Chops in the Crockpot
SERVES 6

6 boneless pork chops (I am sure you could do this with chicken also)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce (I usually cook with low sodium)
1/4 cup ketchup
2 garlic cloves, Crushed (I buy pre minced garlic in a jar and use it in everything)

Place pork chops in slow cooker.
Combine remaining ingredients and pour over pork chops.
Cook on Low setting for 4-5 hours or until internal temperature of pork has reached 160 degrees F.

Before cooking in the crockpot

Homemade Ketchup

2009-02-06T13:27:00.005-05:00

Most store bought ketchup's have high fructose corn syrup them and not much else. I finally decided to try making my own which was very easy. This is a very basic recipe. Some recipes add dry mustard and additional spices but I wanted to keep it simple since my son is picky with foods. I may go a bit more creative next time. You can lower or omit the salt if you are following a low sodium diet or even sub splenda for the sugar if you follow a low calorie diet.

Homemade Ketchup

4 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 cups water
3/4 cup vinegar
6 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon onion powder
4 teaspoons salt (kosher preferred)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Place tomato paste in pan and stir till smooth.
Add water little bit at a time while stirring.
Add vinegar same way.
Add remaining ingredients and stir over low heat till simmering.
Place into old bottles and cool. Store in fridge.

This and That

2009-02-04T07:46:00.006-05:00

I have added a email sign up section on the left of the main page. This will allow you to receive updated via email when I update my blog.

I will be making some updates/notes to my Homemade Oatmeal packet recipe. Instead of making mine in baggies I have just been grinding some and putting it in a container and I wrote the recipe right on the lid of my large Quick Oats container. When I need to make a bowl I just put all the ingredients that I would normally put in a baggie into the bowl and add hot water. Also I realized my kids like their oatmeal a bit thicker so I have been using 1/2 c of water.

Creamy Cantaloupe Pops

2009-02-03T17:33:00.004-05:00

These came out very good. My kids are not much into trying new fruits so I figured this was a good way to get a new fruit in their diet without them knowing. They tasted similar to a creamsicle.

Creamy Cantaloupe Pops

1 1/2 C cubed cantaloupe
1 C heavy whipping cream
1/2 C sugar

Place cantaloupe in blender. Process until smooth.
Pass blended cantaloupe through a strainer (not required but makes it smoother)
In small saucepan, combine the cream and sugar. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
Stir in pureed cantaloupe.
Pour into popsicle molds or plastic cups. Freeze until firm

Chicken Noodle Casserole

2009-02-02T07:34:00.000-05:00

This is a great way to use up leftover chicken or turkey. I did not have any broccoli in the house so I just made it without and served it with a salad.

Chicken and Noodle Casserole
SERVES 6

1 1/2 lbs cooked cut up chicken breast
2 (10 1/2 ounce) cans cream of chicken soup
1 (12 ounce) package egg noodles
1 (16 ounce) bag frozen chopped broccoli
4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
1 dash hot sauce (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
Cook egg noodles according to instructions on package.
Heat broccoli in microwave until done; drain.
Mix the 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, broccoli, chicken, cooked hot egg noodles, salt, and pepper. (I also like to mix some extra cheese into this mixture)
Put into casserole dish.
Cover top with shredded cheddar cheese .
Put in 350F oven for about 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted