Sundried Tomato and Basil Naan Bread Pizza with Balsamic Drizzle

Ingredients:

2 pieces Naan Bread
1/2 cup of your favourite tomato sauce
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (the ones I used came in a jar packed in olive oil), cut into small pieces
1 pkg fresh mozzarella pearls (I bought this kind in the States)
5-6 fresh basil leaves, snipped into small slivers
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Top each naan bread with a thin layer of sauce. Sprinkle on sundried tomato pieces. Place mozzarella pearls evenly on top. Add fresh basil. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust starts to brown slightly. While the pizza is baking, heat vinegar over high heat stirring constantly until boiling. Keep stirring until vinegar starts to thicken. Drizzle on warm pizza when it comes out of the oven. Serve immediately.

Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 to 4 medium)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup milk
• FROSTING:
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups icing sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in bananas and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.
2. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
3. For frosting, in a small bowl, beat peanut butter, milk and vanilla until blended; gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over cake.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:
1 9 " pie shell, baked and cooled
4 cups fresh strawberries, thinly sliced
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup water
3 tablespoons strawberry Jell-O powder


Directions:
1. Slice fresh strawberries into bottom of baked pie shell.
2. Combine remaining ingredients (except Jello) in saucepan and cook until thick and clear.
3. Remove from heat and stir in Jello powder.
4. Pour over fruit. Chill until set. Serve with real whipped cream.

Also works great with fresh peaches and peach jello!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken and Pineapple Kabobs

1 pkg bacon (not thick-sliced)

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 fresh pineapple, cut into chunks

1 recipe Teriyaki Sauce

Teriyaki Sauce:

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. soy sauce

1/8 c. rice vinegar

1 tsp garlic

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp cold water

To make the Teriyaki Sauce: Combine sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and black pepper in a small saucepan.  Bring to a  boil over medium-high heat.  While the soy sauce mixture is heating, whisk together cornstarch and cold water.  When the soy sauce mixture comes to a full boil, whisk in cornstarch mixture and stir sauce until thickened and clear.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

For the kabobs:

• *Note* If you're using wooden skewers, soak them in water for a little while prior to preparing the kabobs. This will prevent extra charring of the sticks when grilling. 
• Cut the bacon into thirds. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces; you'll want roughly as many pieces of chicken as you have of bacon.
• Set up a workstation with kabob skewers, chicken, bacon, and pineapple, plus a shallow dish, cookie sheet, or heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag for marinating the skewers.
• Wrap a piece of bacon around a piece of chicken and poke the skewer through it.  Push the meat all the way to the bottom.  Top with a pineapple chunk.  Repeat the process so there are three pieces of bacon-wrapped chicken on the skewer and two pineapple chunks.  Do the same for your remaining skewers.  
• Place the skewers on a cookie sheet lined with foil.
• Reserve 1/2 cup of Teriyaki Sauce and pour the remaining sauce over the chicken.  Marinate for 4-8  hours (I let it sit overnight).
• If you choose to cook these on a grill, preheat the grill to medium-high heat (about 400 degrees F).  Place skewers on grill and baste with reserved Teriyaki Sauce.  Cook for 7 minutes, turn, baste, and cook for another 7 minutes, approximately.
• To cook these in the oven, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Cook for 20 minutes, turning and basting once.

Fruit and Goat Cheese Salad with Orange Raspberry Dressing

Ingredients

For the Salad:
• 1 cup Pecan Halves
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 12 oz package Romaine lettuce, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 8 oz fresh strawberries, quartered
• 4 oz fresh blueberries
• 2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup red onion, sliced (cut into small pieces)
• 15 oz can Mandarin oranges, drained (reserve juice)
• 
  
For the dressing:
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 cup raspberry vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1-2 Tbsp poppyseeds
• 1/4 cup reserved mandarin orange juice

Instructions

1. To candy the pecans: In a small skillet over medium heat, saute pecans with sugar and butter. This will take several minutes for the sugar to dissolve as you stir the pecans. Set aside and cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine romaine, berries, oranges, cheese and onion. Toss gently.
3. In a small mason jar, combine dressing ingredients and shake with lid on.
4. When ready to serve, add candied pecans and drizzle with dressing. ENJOY!

Grilled Sesame Chicken Salad

Ingredients: 

Marinade and dressing -

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 2 large chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, sliced into bite sized pieces
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions (white and green parts)

Salad - 

• 1 lb Napa cabbage, very thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, grated 
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced and cut on the diagonal
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted with some sugar if desired
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 tsp black sesame seeds, toasted

Directions:

Mix marinade/dressing ingredients together. Remove 3 tbsp of mixture and fry boneless, skinless chicken in a hot frying pan. Fry chicken until cooked through. 

Place salad ingredients in a large bowl. Top with cooked chicken from frying pan. Drizzle remaining dressing on top. Toss salad and serve. 

Greek Style Burgers

• 1lb ground Chicken 
• Chopped Garlic – 3 cloves
• 1/4 cup Finely chopped Red Onion
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp Red Chilli 
• 1 tsp Cumin 
• 1 tsp Kafta spice (equal amounts of cumin, coriander, and cinnamon)
• Salt to taste
• pita bread, to serve

Tzatziki-style sauce

• 4 tbsp cucumber with skin on, chopped
• 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
• 1 tsp dried Mint
• 1 tsp epicure lemon dilly dip mix
• 1 tsp garlic powder

toppings

• Few leaves of fresh crunchy lettuce
• red onion, sliced thinly
• feta cheese, crumbled or with herbs in brine

For making the Chicken burger, bring together in a mixing bowl, the chicken, spices, and onion. Mix it well with your hand and form flat patties and fry them in a few drops of olive oil on a non stick pan or bake them in the oven until browned. 

For the sauce,  together the cucumber, Greek yogurt, mint and spices. Warm the pita bread slightly and then spread sauce on entire surface. Place the cooked patty on the sauce and then top with lettuce, onion, and feta cheese.

Greek Style Roasted Lemon Potatoes

Ingredients

1.5 pounds mini potatoes, cut into wedges

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup lemon juice 

3 teaspoons dried oregano

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Add potatoes and and boil for 8 minutes and then drain potatoes.
3. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and salt in a large bowl (large enough to hold the potatoes). Add potatoes, and gently toss in lemon mixture. Spread potatoes in an even layer on a baking sheet...I like my pampered chef baking stone. 
4. Roast potatoes until crispy, turning half way through, about 40 minutes.

Pear, Brie, and Fig Quesadillas

Ingredients:

1/2 wheel brie cheese

1 firm pear, cored and chopped (peeled if desired)

6-8 dried figs (I used mission figs bought in the produce section), chopped with scissors

2 flour tortillas

Directions: 

Place thin slices of brie cheese (leave rind on if desired) on 1 half of flour tortilla. Top with pear and fig pieces. Cover with additional thin brie cheese. Fold tortilla over and place in a frying pan at medium-low heat, cover and cook on one side until golden. Flip carefully and then cook on the other side. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut into wedges and serve. 

Crockpot Pulled Pork for Tacos

Ingredients:

1-2 cups of your favourite salsa - blended if you want to remove chunks

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon brown sugar, if desired

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1-2 lb pork tenderloin

1 package soft tortilla shells

taco toppings:  grated cheese, peppers, onions, corn, salsa, sour cream

Instructions:

Place salsa and spices into crockpot and stir well. Place pork loin on top and scoop some of the sauce on top. Cook on low for 8 hours. When done, shred the pork using two forks. Serve in warmed tortillas with desired toppings.

BBQ Spare Ribs

I don't have a lot of experience with doing ribs, but I needed to find something different to make.  I was in a rut of making the same thing over and over again.  

This is a recipe from my Mom-in-law and it was super easy and very tasty.

I cut the pork ribs (2- 2 1/2 lbs) into sections and baked them on a foil lined pan for an hour at 350.

Then I mixed up this sauce:

1 tbsp celery seed
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 - 10oz tin tomato soup

I transferred the ribs to a roaster, dumped the sauce on top and baked it for an hour at 350, uncovered.

There were no left overs.  The sauce is great over rice.