Squash Quinoa Soup

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 32 mins

Ingredients:
12 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup finely chopped shallot or green onion (only the white part if using green onions)
2 tsp. olive or canola oil
2 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 5.5-ounce can apricot nectar
1 lb. butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions:
In saucepan cook chicken and shallot in hot oil over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes or until shallots are tender, stirring occasionally.  Add broth, apricot nectar, squash, quinoa, and cumin.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, 5 minutes.  Add zucchini.  Cover and cook 10 minutes more until squash and quinoa are tender.  Season to taste with salt and ground black pepper.  Makes 6 (1-1/3 cup) servings.


Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens

Whole Wheat Bread

Whole Wheat Bread

This recipe is essentially the same as the other whole wheat bread recipe listed on this blog here.  The only differences are that this recipe is a little bigger - makes more bread, and the instructions are written a little differently. The ingredients are all the same.

Makes: 4 large loaves
- or 5 medium loaves (4x8 size pans)
- or 4 medium and 2 mini loaves - as pictured

11-12 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour, divided (either hard white or hard red wheat is fine - the white wheat will be a little lighter.)
2 Tbsp wheat gluten
2 Tbsp yeast
1/3 cup dough enhancer
2 Tbsp salt
2/3 cup honey or brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil, canola oil, or unsalted butter - melted
5 cups really warm water

Add 6 cups flour with everything else in order listed into a large mixer.  Using dough hook, mix for 4-6 minutes (on the second to the highest speed if you're using a bosch).  Add 5 more cups flour and mix on high for another 4-6 minutes.  Check for elasticity.  Dough should be sticky but not wet.  Should pull out about 1 1/2 inches before breaking.  Gradually add up to but not more than one more cup of flour.  Dough should be pulling away from sides of bowl, but not dry.  Add more water if too dry.  Rub hands with oil and divide into 4 equal portions (or adjust for the pan sizes you're using).  Shape into loaves and put into greased pans.  Cover with a towel and let raise until double in size (about 45 minutes to 1 hour) (mine usually takes a lot longer - maybe my kitchen is cold).  Bake at 350*F for about 25-30 minutes.  Should not be too dark but crusty.  Remove from pans right away, brush with butter on all sides, and wrap in paper towels to cool on counter.  Put loaves in bread sacks and freeze when completely cooled if you won't be using them within about 4 days.


*Note: This makes too much dough to fit in my smaller kitchen aid mixer bowl so I divide all the ingredients in two parts and mix half at a time.  I go ahead and measure all the dry into a second bowl while I'm working on the 1st half of the dough so that it's ready to mix with the wet ingredients when I finish the 1st half. (I don't even know if that makes sense!) For my pans (4x8) this recipe makes about 5 loaves or 4 regular and 2 mini loaves (2 reg and 1 mini from each half).

Berry Cherry Groovy Smoothie

This is a recipe my 5 year old found and requested that we make.  It turned out really delicious!

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1/2 cup fresh or frozen pitted Bing cherries
1/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup low-fat yogurt (plain works great!)
strawberry and raspberry for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. Place the fruit in the base of a blender. Add the juice and yogurt.
2. Blend on low, stopping the blender to stir if necessary, until smooth.  Increase to high for several seconds.
3. Divide the mixture between two glasses and top with fresh fruit.

Kitchen Tip: Buy frozen fruit for the smoothie.  The fruit will be ripest and you won't need any ice cubes for a nice thick smoothie.

Recipe source: http://www.nickjr.com/recipes/berry-cherry-groovy-smoothie.jhtml

Aloha Chicken

ALOHA CHICKEN
Serves: 4  
Ready in 30 mins or less

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp oil
2 cans (8oz size) unsweetened pineapple chunks
1 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp light teriyaki sauce or light soy sauce
1/8 tsp black pepper
hot cooked rice

Directions:
Flatten chicken to 1/4 inch thickness.  Place 1 tablespoon of flour in a large Ziploc bag; add chicken and shake to coat.  In skillet over medium heat, brown chicken in oil for 3 to5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.  Remove and keep warm.

Drain pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup juice.  In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and reserved juice until smooth.  Add to skillet.  Stir in honey, teriyaki sauce and pepper.  Boil 30 seconds or until thickened.  Add pineapple chunks and chicken; heat through.  Serve over rice. (We had it with brown rice and it was excellent!)

*Note: Next time I think I'd like to have a little bit more sauce so I may increase the amount of pineapple juice, cornstarch, honey, and teriyaki sauce to make more.  It would probably be nice to have some to pour over the rice too. 

source: www.cdkitchen.com

5 Minute Chocolate Frosting

WHAT YOU NEED:
1 ¼ cups baking cocoa
1 cup butter – softened
⅓ cup milk
1½ Tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
DIRECTIONS:
1. Put your softened butter in mixer; mix until it is creamy.
2. Add in vanilla, sugar, & baking cocoa. It will get VERY thick here.3. Slowly add in milk!
That’s it! Now you are ready to frost your cake. It will make quite a bit of frosting and the first time I frosted a cake with it, I didn’t put enough on and had half the bowl full of frosting. The cake looked like I had to much frosting on it, until I went to eat it later. It compacts down, so don’t be afraid to frost the heck out of the cake!
I love to put this onto the Duncan Hines Chocolate Fudge Cake — double chocolate heaven right there. Maybe some vanilla ice cream on the side too, you know, to even things out!

Recipe source: http://www.discountqueens.com/diy-5-minute-chocolate-frosting/

Grandma's Sugar Cookies

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
2 Tbs milk
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

• Cream butter and sugar.
• Add egg, milk, and vanilla; mix.
• Add flour and baking powder; mix
• Roll dough out and cut with cookie cutters.
• Bake at 350* for 12-15 minutes.

(Recipe from Emily C.)

Pumpkin Bars

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup oil
2 cups pumpkin
4 eggs

• Preheat oven to 350*.  Prepare a 15x10 pan.
• Blend together all ingredients and mix at low speed for 2 minutes.  Pour into pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Let cool.  Frost. (Frosting recipe below).

Frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup butter

3 oz cream cheese

1 Tbs milk

1 tsp vanilla

• Combine ingredients to make frosting.  Spread frosting over cooled pumpkin bars.  Store in refrigerator.

(Recipe from Emily C.)