Cheddar BBQ Chicken Breasts

The thing I like about this recipe is that it pairs up everyday ingredients to make something really delicious. It's easy too!

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 8 cooked bacon strips
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 1 cup bbq sauce

Cover chicken breasts with bbq sauce and bake until done (about 30 minutes at 350). When chicken is done, pour on more sauce. Add bacon strips to cover chicken and cover with shredded cheese. Return to oven until cheese melts. Sprinkle with green onions and serve.

Fruit Salad

Super easy fruit salad. Tasty too!

• 1 can peach slices, undrained*
• 1 can pineapple chunks, undrained
• 1 box dry vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 lb strawberries, stemmed and quartered
• 1 banana, sliced
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 bunch grapes
• 1-2 tbsp sugar (optional)**

In a large bowl, combine peach slices, pineapple chunks and dry vanilla pudding mix. This includes the juices from the cans. Mix well until pudding is dissolved. Stir in strawberries, banana, blueberries, grapes and sugar (if desired). Chill.

* I used a can of fruit cocktail instead, which worked well.

** I left the sugar out and found it to be sweet enough without it.

Cheese Blintzes with Mixed Berry Sauce

I read a book the other day where the main character was a cook and described making a meal like this one. I googled and googled until I found this recipe that sounded very similar to the one in the book. I made it for my mom and sister for breakfast and it was a big hit!

Crepes:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Cheese Filling:

1 cup dry curd or farmers cheese

1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese

8 ounces softened cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter, or as needed, to fry filled crepes

Mixed Berry Sauce:

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen sliced strawberries

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

3/4 to 1 cup sugar or to taste

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or to taste

Directions for crepes:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Gradually add in the flour and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot

Stack crepes to fill now, or refrigerate or freeze them and assemble later.

To make the cheese filling: In a large bowl, combine cheeses and sugar, and beat with a wooden spoon until thoroughly blended. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt and stir until smooth.

To make the mixed berry sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup raspberries, 1 cup strawberries, 3/4 cup blueberries, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and bring to a simmer over medium heat until sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes. Adjust sugar, if necessary, and cook until dissolved. Puree the berry mixture and return to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add additional lemon juice, if necessary. Add remaining 1/2 cup raspberries, 1/2 cup strawberries and 1/4 cup blueberries, and simmer until sauce is hot. Sauce can be served hot or cold.

To assemble the blintzes: Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons filling on lower third of each crepe. Fold bottom of crepe over filling, then fold each of the remaining sides over to make a little package. Repeat with remaining crepes. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Arrange 6 blintzes at a time seam-side down in skillet and sauté until faintly brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Turn blintzes and brown on second side, another 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining blintzes, adding another tablespoon of butter for each batch.

Serve 3 blintzes per plate with sauce ladled across the center.

* The batter for the crepes is supposed to keep in the fridge for up to a week. I made the batter and the cheese filling the night before so I didn't have that much work in the morning. I found the cheese filling to be a bit too runny so I think I would cut back on the eggs next time.

One Skillet Salsa Chicken

• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 pouch taco seasoning mix
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 3/4 cup salsa
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup frozen niblet whole kernel corn
• chopped onion greens
• 1/2 cup water

Place flour and taco seasoning mix in a large plastic bag; shake to combine. Shake chicken in mixture until coated. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on both sides. Combine salsa, 1/2 cup water, sugar and salt; pour over chicken. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add corn to skillet, cover and cook 5 minutes. Serve over hot cooked rice, sprinkle with onion greens.

Tropical Chicken Pizza

A recipe from my friend Heather. This pizza is a little different than the norm, but oh so tasty.

• Your favorite pizza crust (to fit a cookie sheet)
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup Kraft mandarin orange with sesame dressing
• 1 jar classico alfredo sauce
• 200 g finely chopped ham
• 1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
• 1 to 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (I used marble this time around as it's what I had on hand)

Fry chicken breasts in salad dressing until fully cooked. Sliced into small pieces. Spread pizza crust with 1/2 to 3/4 jar of alfredo sauce. Top with sliced chicken, ham, pineapple and grated cheese. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes.

Saskatoon Berry Muffins

Scrumtpious!

• 3/4 cup margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup buttermilk (or sour milk)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups sasktoon berries

Combine softened margarine, sugar and flour. Remove 1/2 cup of crumbs to be used later for topping. Add buttermilk, egg and baking soda. Mix well. Gently stir in sasktoon berries. Fill muffins tins and then add crumb topping. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Makes 1 dozen large muffins.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate! How can you go wrong?
- 3/4 cup margarine
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips

Beat first 4 ingredients until light and fluffy. Blend eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes on ungreased cookie sheets. Let stand a few minutes before removing from sheets.