Chinese Chicken Salad

1 lb chicken breasts

10-12oz farfalle pasta (optional, I use about 3/4 of a 1 pound box)

6-8oz wonton squares (I use about 1/2-3/4 of a 12oz package)

canola oil for frying

1 head romaine lettuce

6 stalks green onions, thinly sliced

2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

DRESSING

1/2 cup canola oil

2 Tablespoons sesame oil

6 Tablespoons vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place raw chicken on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 25-40 minutes (depending on size of chicken) or until chicken is baked through. Let rest for about 5 minutes and then shred or dice. Set aside. (or just use rotisserie chicken, like me!)

In the meantime, if you are adding the farfalle pasta, cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Fill a saucepan up to 1 inch, with canola oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Slice wonton squares into 4 strips, about 1/2 inch wide. When oil is heated, carefully place a few strips into the oil, not overlapping. Wontons should immediately start to bubble and cook. If they don't, your oil is not hot enough. Carefully cook in oil until strips are bubbly and cooked through, and barely starting to turn golden on the edges. Wontons will cook really quick if your oil is super hot. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove to a paper towel to cool and drain. (Make sure to remove wontons before they turn golden, they will continue to cook once removed from the oil.) Repeat until all wonton strips are cooked. If wontons start browning too quickly, turn down heat to medium or medium-low.

Wash and dry lettuce and shred. Set aside.

Pour cooked pasta, diced chicken, sliced green onions, and toasted sesame seeds into a large bowl.

Pour all dressing ingredients into a shaker bottle or large glass measuring cup. Shake or whisk dressing until combined and sugar dissolves.

Pour about 1/4 cup of dressing over the pasta and chicken mixture. Stir to combine.

When ready to serve add lettuce and wontons, reserving some wontons to garnish on top. Drizzle with dressing and toss until coated. Garnish with reserved wontons. Serve immediately.

NOTES

Toasted sesame seeds can be found at the grocery store on the asian isle. You can also use regular sesame seeds and toast them in a pan over the stove or use them un-toasted. Add wontons at the very end so they stay crunchy. This makes a big salad, perfect for a crowd when serving with other items. Half the recipe if you are making it for dinner for 4-6 people. Maybe just make some extra wontons if you are making half a recipe, everyone always likes extra wontons.

Instant Pot Cheese Risotto

INGREDIENTS:
*2 Tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
*1 small white onion, diced
*2 cloves of garlic, minced
*1 cup of Arborio rice
*1/4 cup of white wine (or broth)
*2 cups of chicken broth
*3/4 teaspoon salt
*2 Tablespoons butter
*1/4 cup Parmesan cheese *pepper to taste
*splash of heavy whipping cream, optional

DIRECTIONS:
1. Turn your instant pot to “Sauté”.
2. Add the oil.
3. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring often until onion softens and becomes translucent.
4. Add the garlic and cook for just one minute while stirring. Be careful not to overcook because garlic burns easily and becomes bitter.
5. Add the rice and cook, toasting the rice, and stirring for a few minutes.
6. Add the wine and cook while stirring until the alcohol cooks off about 3 minutes. (Note: if you choose not to use wine, just use extra broth in the next step and skip this step.)
7. Add the broth and salt. Stir. 
8. Put the lid on and cook on “manual” or “pressure” for 6 minutes.
9. Do a quick pressure release.
10. Add butter and Parmesan cheese. Stir in and let it rest for a couple of minutes. If the risotto looks anything less than creamy, add a bit more broth. If you want, give it a splash of heavy cream. Season with pepper to taste.
11. Serve hot and enjoy!
Note: this will thicken and dry as it cools. Next day-leftovers will do well if more broth is added when it is warmed up.

Brussels Sprouts

2 lbs brussels sprouts, trimed and halved

24 oz fresh cut butternut squash

2 8 oz cans sliced water chestnuts, drained

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

4 T Italian herb seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degress. Coat a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray

Combine brussels sprouts, butternut squash, and chestnuts in prepared pan. Generaously drizzle olive oil over mixture. Generously salt and pepper mixture. Sprinkle Italian herbs and toss to coat. Roast approx. 45 minutes.

Cranberry Salad

3 Cups of whole fresh cranberries
3/4 Cup sugar
1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple (drained)
2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pomegranate seeds


Chop cranberries in food processor until they are fine and no large pieces remain. Transfer to a bowl and stir sugar into cranberries. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Drain any accumulated juice from cranberries and reserve.  Stir in drained pineapple and marshallows. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.  Fold into the cranberry mixture. Adjust texture with the reserved cranberry juice if needed.

Refridgerate or freeze.  Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

{recipe and photo found here}

"Funeral" Potato Casserole

In small saucepan, melt and stir until smooth, the ingredients below:

• 2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1/2 Cup Butter
• 1 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1/3 C. Chopped green onion or equivalent onion flakes
• 1 pint sour cream (2 cups)

Frozen Shredded Hash Browns (I like the ones from Costco)

Put a layer of hash browns in a 9 x 13 pan.  Pour half of the above mixture on the hash browns and smooth with spatula to cover the hash browns.  Repeat with another layer of hash browns and then another layer of sauce.

Combine:  1 C. Crushed cornflakes (or more if you like ), and 2 Tbsp. melted butter.  Sprinkle on top of casserole and bake uncovered for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Candied Coconut Sweet Potatoes

4 C mashed Sweet potatoes (5 med sweet potatoes or 2 large sized cans)

2/3 C Sugar

1/2 C butter

2 eggs

1/2 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 t vanilla

Topping:

2 C brown sugar

2 C sweetened coconut flakes

1/2 C melted butter

3/4 C chopped pecans

If using fresh sweet potatoes, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick each sweet potato with a fork and place on foil in the oven. Cook for 40-60 minutes or until tender.

Cool, then slice in half and scoop out the insides into a mixing bowl.

To the mixing bowl add in sugar, butter, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla.

Spread this mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 pan.

For the topping, combine brown sugar and coconut and then pour melted butter over and combine. Add pecans. Sprinkle evenly over the sweet potatoes in the pan.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40-50 minutes.

Julie's Cafe Rio Style Black Beans

First, soak your dried beans overnight.
Put them into a bowl and cover them with water, to a level that is probably about 2 inches above the beans.
The next day, begin by dicing an onion. You want to have about 1/2 cup of diced onions. So, if it is a larger onion, then you will only use half, smaller onion, the entire thing.
Put the diced onion into your crockpot.
Next mince 1-2 cloves of garlic.
Add one can of green chiles (mild)
drain the beans and add them to the crockpot.
next add water (depending on the amount of beans add the appropriate amount -
it's on the packaging).
add chicken bouillon to the water (I like to use the mexican chicken bouillon made by Knorr)
place the lid on the crockpot and cook on low until the beans are tender.
(usually this takes about 8 hours)

Corn Casserole

1 c. whole kernel corn with juice
1 c. cream style corn
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 (8 oz.) box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

In 2 quart baking dish, mix together melted butter, slightly beaten egg, sour cream, muffin mix, salt and pepper. Add corn and mix thoroughly. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 8-10

Sweet Potato Casserole

2 large (29 oz) cans yams, drained
2 eggs
1/2 c. canned milk
1/2 - 1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp butter flavoring

Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut (optional)
1/3 cup butter
chopped pecans

Drain and mash the yams in a bowl. Add milk, eggs, vanilla, butter, sugar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and butter flavoring. Mix until smooth. Pour into a greased 8x8 inch casserole dish. Sprinkle with topping. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Green Pouf

1 15 oz. can of crushed pineapple
1 large package of lime jello
1 lb container cottage cheese
1 pint whipping cream (whipped)

Put cottage cheese in bowl. Drain half of juice from pineapple and add to cottage cheese. Add jello, then whipped cream. Chill before serving.

Cherry Fruit Salad

1 can cherry pie filling
1 cup of pecans (this is optional)
1 can pineapple chunks
1 can sweet and condensed milk
1 large tub of coolwhip
1 bag of miniature marshmallows

Mix coolwhip and sweet and condensed milk. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill before serving.

Funeral Potatoes

7-8 cooked, peeled, and grated potatoes OR 32 oz. bag of frozen hash browns
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1-2 cups grated cheddar cheese

In 9x13 pan layer potatoes, sauce,potatoes, sauce

Crush cornflakes (about 2 cups crushed) and stir in about 1-2 tbsp. Of butter. Top the potatoes with corn flakes and bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Cafe Rio Rice

3 cups water
3 cups Minute rice
4 tsp chicken bouillon
4 tsp minced garlic
½ bunch cilantro
1 can green chiles
¾ tsp salt
1 Tb butter
½ onion chopped

Blend cilantro, green chiles and onion together in blender. Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients. Simmer covered 30 minutes.