Best Chicken Marinade Ever

I kid you not when I say that this is the best chicken marinade ever. At the beginning of each week I marinade a bunch of chicken and then grill it. I make 5 lunches for my husband for the week and sometimes we free the rest for later meals. This marinade is awesome- have I mentioned that yet?

INGREDIENTS

Slightly adapted from All Recipes

• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper 
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, mix together oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, wine vinegar, and lemon juice. Stir in mustard powder, salt, pepper, and parsley. Use to marinate chicken before cooking as desired. The longer you marinate, the more flavor it will have.

Grilling the chicken tastes the best. Once it is done I steam some vegetable and cook some rice and make individual lunches for the week! It tastes great!

Enjoy !!

-Christy

Three Bean Salad

This is a momma B classic and I am sure it has been a classic in many homes. This three-bean salad is so good! I never thought I would like beans out of a can but this just works!

It is good when it comes right out of the fridge, and for a good light lunch.

Ingredients

• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 can green beans, drained
• 1 can yellow waxed beans, drained
• 1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar

Directions

Combine the corn, green beans, waxed beans, kidney beans and onions in a large bowl. 

In a small bowl combine the oil, vinegar and sugar and mix well.

Poor the dressing mixture into the bean salad bowl and mx well.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Enjoy !!

-Christy

Momma B's Creamy Mushroom Pork Filet

I just want to start off by saying happy anniversary to Cathy and her husband Blake who have been happily married fro 7 years today!! 

This pork is awesome.

Momma B has been making this recipe for who knows how long now but it has always been one of my favorites. The ingredients are so simple but so flavorful!!

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Pork filet
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 3  green onions,minced
• 8  thinly sliced mushrooms
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream (35%)
• 3 tsp dijon mustard
• Fresh parsley
• Salt & pepper to taste 

Directions

Marinade the pork in the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic cloves and Dijon mustard for at least 3 hours in the fridge.

Grill pork on the BBQ or in the oven for 30 – 45 min at 375 – 400F once it is done being marinated.

In frying pan, add 1 Tbsp of oil and sauté green onions and mushrooms.  Add 3 tsp of dijon mustard and cream and slowly cook to thicken the sauce. Add fresh finely chopped parsley to the sauce once done.

Serve on Basmati rice with steamed green beans.

Bon Appétit!!

-Christy

Chicken Divan

This is a Momma B original and it is just fantastic!! It is so quick and easy. 

Ingredients

  Serves 4-6

• 2 cups cooked chicken cut in pieces
• 3 – 4 cups blanched broccoli
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• Squeeze of lemon
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• ½ Tbsp curry
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• Cheddar cheese, grated (optional)
• French fried onions (optional)
• Coconut (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F

2. In a greased baking dish, put the cooked chicken and blanched broccoli at the bottom

3. Mix the following seven ingredients together and pour over the broccoli/chicken

4. Top with cheddar cheese or french fried onions

5. Bake in oven until it bubbles- about 20 min

6. Serve over rice and add a little coconut if desired

Enjoy !!

-Christy

Margherita Pizza

I hope everyone who celebrated memorial day enjoyed their day off!! I enjoyed sitting by the pool that just opened up at our apartment complex. Man, it is getting humid here!! Anyways, this is the best pizza recipe for the summer. It is so simple yet so delicious. 

Ingredients
adapted from Sweet Treats and More
makes one 12-inch pizza

• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp minced garlic
• 1/8 tsp basil, oregano and parsleySalt and pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped or sliced thin
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 large tomatoes, sliced thin
• 1 Store bought pizza dough  or  homemade pizza dough

Directions
Preheat oven to 500. 

1.  In a food processor, combine tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and process until smooth. Sauté the mixture on the stove top for about 5 min.

2.  Roll out dough into a rectangular shape on lightly floured surface. 

3.  Place dough on a lightly greased cookie sheet with a touch of salt. Continue to roll and press out to edges (and up the sides if possible) of cookie sheet. 

4.  Cover dough evenly with pizza sauce mixture that was sauteed previously.  Top with mozzarella cheese, sliced tomatoes, and basil. 

5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

6.  Bake on lowest oven rack in a 500 degree oven for 12 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.  


Enjoy !!
-Christy

BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad

This salad is a keeper! Cathy and I made it together a few weeks ago while she was visiting Utah. I used to work at California Pizza Kitchen and I swear it tastes just like the one from there. I used to always get this salad at the end of my shift and now I will probably be making it all summer! It is super quick and easy and a nice break from something hot for dinner!

Ingredients

• 1/2 head of Iceberg Lettuce, chopped
• 1 bunch of Mixed greens
• 1/3 cup of Ranch
• 2 red vine Tomatoes, chopped
• 1 Avocado, pitted &chopped
• 1 can of Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can of Corn, drained
• 1/2 small Red Onion, chopped
• 1 cup of cooked Chicken, chopped
• BBQ Sauce

(ha, now I know why it's called BBQ Chicken chopped Salad-- everything is chopped in this salad!)

Directions
Toss the iceberg lettuce and mixed greens in the ranch so it covers all the salad
Add the tomatoes, avocado, black beans, corn, red onion and chicken over the salad
Drizzle your favorite BBQ sauce on top and dig in

Enjoy !!
-Christy

Mexican Taco Pasta

I love mexican food and I love pasta so this is like the perfect combination ever! This dish seriously only took me 20 min to make. I took the ground beef out that morning so it could defrost and I had some onions already chopped in my fridge...it was quick and so good! 

Ingredients
Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

1 pound ground beef or turkey
8-12 ounces medium pasta shells or other small dry pasta shapes
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, drained (if making this for kids you might want to use just plain diced tomatoes)
1 (14 oz.) can of corn, drained
1 packet (4 tablespoons) taco seasoning
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the meat is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the meat is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the diced tomatoes, corn and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes. 

Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit if it is still too thin.

Toss in the cilantro right before serving for some fresh color and flavor. Serve with a green salad.


Enjoy !!
-Christy

Texas Caviar

This is the easiest, quickest and best dip you'll ever have- promise! There is so much flavor and it is to addicting. We orinially got this recipe from our good friend Bethany.

Ingredients

2 cans of corn, drained

1 can of black beans, drained
1 can of black eyed peas, drained
1 green pepper, chopped
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 bunch of cilantro
1 bottle of zesty Italian salad dressing

Mix all the ingredients together and chill for 2 hours for the best dip ever. Use scoops tortilla chips for easy scooping.

Enjoy !!
-Christy

Spinach Cheese Bites

These are so stinkin' good! This is a mama B original and she used to make them all the time when we had company over. They are so quick and so easy to make.


Ingredients

• 6 oz. swiss or havarti cheese, grated
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 package of fresh spinach, chopped finely
• 2/3 cup mayonaise
• 8 English Muffins (plain or cheese)

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl to form a thick paste.

2. Slice the muffins in half. Spread the paste mixture onto each muffin slice.

3. Bake 10-12 min at 350 degrees F

4. Cut each slice into quarters.

Note: If you wash the spinach leaves, make sure they are completely dry before chopping them. Also, This can be prepared early in the day to be baked later that night. 

Enjoy !!

-Christy

Nanaimo Bars

oh baby--eat me

Oh my...these are amazing. Is it bad that my hubby and I ate a whole 8x8 pan of these in 3 days?? I hope not. Now he's on a diet. Anyways, there were so good that I decided to make these for my sister-in-laws baby shower last Sunday. This is a Canadian classic and they are delicious. Found the recipe here.

Ingredients

• Bottom Layer
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds (optional)
• 
  
• Middle Layer 
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons custard powder
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 
  
• Top Layer 
• 4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet baking chocolate
• 2 teaspoons butter

Directions

1. In the top of a double boiler, combine 1/2 cup butter, white sugar and cocoa powder. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Beat in the egg, stirring until thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the graham cracker crumbs, coconut and almonds (if you like). Press into the bottom of an ungreased 8x8 inch pan.
2. For the middle layer, cream together 1/2 cup butter, heavy cream and custard powder until light and fluffy. Mix in the confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over the bottom layer in the pan. Chill to set.
3. While the second layer is chilling, melt the semisweet chocolate and 2 teaspoons butter together in the microwave or over low heat. Spread over the chilled bars. Let the chocolate set before cutting into squares.

Note: You can use Vanilla Pudding Mix instead of the custard powder but, it will be much sweeter.

Enjoy !!

-Christy

Christy's Stir Fry

I found the original recipe here and it had amazing ratings. I was missing a few key ingredients so I have to improvise and change things up a little. I also decided to add the carrots and onions for more vegetables. I wish I would have had the hoisin sauce though. I'll have to add it for my next trip to the grocery store!


Game Plan: Marinate the chicken while you prepare the rest of the ingredients

• Ingredients
• 1 pound chicken breast (about 2 breasts), cubed or sliced
• 5 green onions, whites only, thinly sliced on an angle
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, minced
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1-2 cups of thinly slices carrots
• 3-4 cups broccoli,trimmed sliced stalks and medium florets
• 1 medium onion cut into wedges
• 3/4 to 1 teaspoon red chili flakes, optional
• Garnish: toasted sesame seeds, green onions or coconut
• Serving suggestion: Jasmine rice

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the scallion whites, about half the garlic and ginger, the soy sauce, sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of the salt, vanilla, red wine vinegar and the brown sugar. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. You can also marinade it longer in the fridge. Just make sure it is at room temperature when you begin to cook it.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and heat. 

3. Add the broccoli stems, and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
4. Add the florets and the remaining garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons of water, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper.
5. Stir-fry until the broccoli is bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

6. Get the skillet good and hot again, and then heat 2 more tablespoons oil.
7. Add the chicken and chili flakes if using. Stir-fry until the chicken loses its raw color and gets a little brown, about 3 minutes.
8. Return the broccoli to the pan and toss to heat through. Stir in the reserved cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil to thicken.
9. Add more water if need to thin the sauce, if necessary. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if you like.
10. Mound the stir-fry on a serving platter or divide among 4 plates and garnish with sesame seeds; serve with rice.

Notes: The garlic and ginger can be chopped together in a minichopper to save time.

Enjoy !!

-Christy

Bacon Tomato Pasta

This bacon is packed with flavor. It is so easy and quick to make. I absolutely loved this and so will your spouse when you make it for them on Valentine's day. The red chili flakes do make it spicy so if you're not a big fan of spicy then I would suggest adjusting it to your likes. This is a Guy Fieri recipe (he is awesome!!) and it is stinkin' great! Hope you like it.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 16 ounces spaghetti pasta
• 1 pound thick-cut bacon or pancetta, chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup red onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 3 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 2 cups Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 4 tablespoons basil, chiffonade
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large stock pot, boil 3 quarts of water, when boiling add 2 tablespoons kosher salt and the pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente.

In a large saute pan over medium heat, add bacon and saute until bacon is crispy. Remove bacon to drain on a paper towel-lined plate and remove 3/4 of the bacon fat from the pan. Add extra-virgin olive oil, onions, and red chili flakes. Cook until onions are translucent, add garlic, cook for 2 minutes then add tomatoes. Saute for 5 minutes, then deglaze with wine.

Drain pasta and add to the tomato mixture pan. Add basil and bacon. Toss with Parmesan, and add salt and pepper, to taste.