Cheese Board

I love taking a cheese board to a dinner party, you can play with so many different ideas of what to add.  Here are some of the items I always try to make sure I put on my cheese boards, just always trying to have a bit of something for everyone.

Items To Include:
-2 different types of cheese
-2 different types of crackers
-a nut (I used almonds here)
-1 or 2 meats
-olives
-a berry (I used raspberries)
-a citrus (I used clementines)

Cream Spinach

3 pounds of frozen spinach, cook according to package directions and then drain and squeeze out all of the remaining moisture
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces of cream cheese (I used reduced fat cream cheese)
1/2 cup of milk (I used 2%)
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a large saute pan sauce the butter, onions & garlic for about 5-8 minutes, then add the cream cheese and blend together.  Once that has incorporated nicely add the milk and make sure all is blended together and then add the nutmeg, salt & pepper.  Now add the drained spinach and mix well.  Spoon into a baking dish and top with grated parmesan cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.  Enjoy!!!!

Chili Peanut Chicken

Our family loves any food with an asian kick and let's be honest the kids love rice!

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of dried ginger
3/4 of peanut sauce
1 tablespoon of Asian chili paste/sauce
1/4 cup peanuts (I crush them up)
2 green onions (chopped)

In a saucepan I turned to medium heat, spray with pam and then add the chicken and top with 1/2 of the salt, ginger and black pepper and cooke for 3-4 minutes, then flip the chicken and top with the remaining of the salt, ginger and black pepper.  Add lid to saucepan and let it start to cook and drop the heat to simmer.  then once you think the chicken is getting tender add the peanut sauce and then chili paste/sauce and replace with lid.  Just let it cook low and slow until you can shred the chicken.

Once chicken is cooked and you have shredded it you are good to go!

Serve on top of white rice and then top with crushed peanuts and green onions.

I also served with an Asian salad on the side for our veggie.

Enjoy!!!!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Homemade Taco Seasoning

I was going to make taco pie for dinner tonight and then realized that I didn't have a taco seasoning packet at home, so why not try and make my own!

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried Oregano leaves
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (you could add an additional 1/4 teaspoon if you wanted more of a kick)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 Cumin

Mix all together, you can double or triple the recipe to make sure you always have some on hand.

Enjoy!!!!

Taco Pie

1 pound ground beef (I used grass fed)
4 eggs
2/3 cup cream (I used table cream)
1 cup shredded cheese (I used reduced fat mexican blend)
3 green onions, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1/3 cup salsa
1 packet Taco seasoning (I used reduced sodium)
2 pinches of sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a pie pan, spray with cooking spray.

In a large skillet good ground beef like you would for tacos, then drain and mix in the taco seasoning and set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl whisk together the cream, eggs and then mix in the green onions, tomatoes, salsa and 1/2 of the cheese - then add the sea salt.

Mix in the taco meat with the egg mixture and pour into the pie pan and then use the rest of the cheese on top!

Bake the taco pie for 40-45 minutes (golden brown).

I topped ours with lettuce, chopped tomatoes and sour cream.  The kiddo's loved putting into a tortilla.

Also it was great leftover!

Enjoy!!!!

Wild Rice and Chicken Salad

This is a great salad to just make and have the in fridge for the week during these summer months, I took it to a 4th of July BBQ and everyone loved it!

Dressing:

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tablespoon of dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 rice wine vinegar

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

I put all of the ingredients into a mason jar and just let them all marinate together

4 cups cooked wild rice

2 boneless/skinless chicken breast, cooked and cubed

4 green onions, chopped

1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thinly

1 cup of snap peas, chopped

2 avocados, diced

1/2 cup of sliced almonds 

Put all ingredients into a large salad bowl and then mix well with dressing!

I have also taken to parties with a french baguette as well.

Enjoy!!!!

Slow Cooker Ranch White Bean Chili

In the summer months it is so much easier making dinner in the slow cooker, you don't have to eat up the house and you just come home to dinner cooked after you have been running around dropping and picking up kiddo's all day!

3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
2 chicken bullion cubes (I use low sodium ones)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2-15.8 ounce cans of Great Northern white beans (drained and rinsed)
2-small cans of diced green chilies
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 teaspoons Oregano
1 bag of frozen corn
2 teaspoons Cumin
3 cups chicken broth (I use low sodium)
salt and pepper to taste
1 packet of Ranch dressing mix
sour cream and cilantro for topping

In your slow cooker, as the bottom layer put the broth, cumin, onion, garlic, oregano, bullion cubes and ranch dressing packet.  Then place your chicken in and then the corn, green chillies and beans.  About 30 minutes before you are ready to eat you can take the chicken breasts out and shred them and return them to the slow cooker.

Everyone loved it and there was even enough to freeze for a random night.

We topped ours with sour cream, cilantro, shredded cheese and the kids did crumbled chips on top!

Enjoy!!!!