Chicken Couscous

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients 

1 -1/4 c. Water

1 cube chicken bouillon

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1 c. uncooked couscous

1/4 c. olive oil 

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp Fresh black pepper to taste

1 TB Parsley

1 c. cooked, diced chicken

1-2 green onions, diced

1 large crisp apple, cored and diced

green or red grapes

Instructions

In saucepan:  add water, chicken bouillon, garlic, and salt and bring to a boil. Add couscous. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and let cool. Makes about 2 cups.

In a small bowl: combine olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, parsley and pepper; mix well.

In a large bowl: combine cooled couscous and olive oil mixture; toss to coat all ingredients.

Add chicken, green onions, apple and grapes

Refrigerate and serve COLD. Yumm!

French Banana Pancakes

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 10 min. Cook: 30 min.
YIELD:5-6 servings

Ingredients

PANCAKES: 1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

FILLING: 2 TB butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup half-and-half cream (or whole milk)
3-4 firm bananas, halved lengthwise
Whipped cream and additional cinnamon, optional

Directions

1. Sift flour and confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Add milk, eggs, butter, vanilla and salt; beat until smooth.

2. Heat a lightly greased 6-in. skillet; add about 3 tablespoons batter, spreading to almost cover bottom of skillet. Cook until lightly browned; turn and brown the other side. Remove to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter (make 10-12 pancakes), greasing skillet as needed.

3. For filling, melt butter in large skillet. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in cream and cook until slightly thickened. Add half of the bananas at a time to skillet; heat for 2-3 minutes, spooning sauce over them. Remove from the heat.

4. Roll a pancake around each banana half and place on a serving platter. Spoon sauce over pancakes. Top with whipped cream and dash of cinnamon if desired. Yield: 5-6 servings.

Recipe by Taste of Home at http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/french-banana-pancakes

Banana Cream Pie

Okay, so maybe it's not picture perfect... but it IS delicious! Banana cream is my favorite pie. And this is the recipe my mom uses so I'm a little partial to it :)

Ingredients

• 4 c. whole milk (or half and half)
• 1/3 c. flour
• 1/3 c. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 TB butter
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Scald milk in medium-sized pot on stove top.
2. Sift together flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar, then add to scalded milk.
3. Whisk a little (like a couple Tablespoons) hot mixture to beaten eggs then whisk back into hot mixture.
4. Add butter and vanilla
5. Cook til mixture thickens, then cool.
6. Pour over sliced bananas in baked shell.
7. Serve cold with whipped cream

Tortellini Soup

This is Evan's ALL TIME favorite soup, and I have to agree, it is So YUMMY... with a nice hearty bread and a small spoonful of sour cream on top. Yum, yum, yum!

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb Italian sausage, casing removed (can use mild or spicy)
• 3 c. thinly sliced mushrooms (or 1 can)
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 5 1/4 c. water
• 5 beef bullion 
• 1 1/2 c. cooking red wine
• 1 tsp dried basil leaves
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 pkg (8.8 oz) tortellini, uncooked (any flavor)
• 2 c. sliced, quartered zucchini (or 1 bag frozen squash)

Instructions

1. In a LARGE saucepan, cook sausage over medium heat until crumbly; drain.
2. Add mushrooms, garlic and onion; cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes with juice, water, bullion, wine and seasonings; heat to boiling
4. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
5. Return to boiling; stir in tortellini. Cook 12 minutes.
6. Stir in zucchini, simmer 5 minutes or until tender.
7. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 8

Baked Parmesan Tilapia

Ingredients

• 4 tilapia fillets, thawed
• Old Bay seasoning
• Seasoning salt
• 4 TB Mayonnaise
• 1/2 c. parmesan cheese
• 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. basil
• 1/2 TB green onion flakes (or regular onion flakes)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place fillets on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray
3. Season top of fillets generously with old bay and seasoning salt.
4. Bake for 10 minutes
5. Meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients in a medium-size bowl.
6. When fish comes out of the oven switch the oven to a LOW BROIL.
7. Top the fish with a layer of the bread crumb mixture, pressing it gently into the fish to keep it in place.
8. Broil for 3-5 minutes or until the topping is golden (keep an eye on it!)
9. Serve with a wedge of fresh lemon and enjoy!

Recipe by Divas Can Cook at http://divascancook.com/baked-parmesan-tilapia-recipe-crusted/

Easy Drop Biscuits

We love biscuits and gravy around here. We are kind of lazy, so in the past we've just used a can of Pillsbury biscuits... and it's been fine. Then we tried this recipe and now there's no turning back. It is simple, quick and EASY which is why we chose it, but it just so happens to also be the PERFECT texture... soft, crumbly goodness :)
This recipe makes about 12-14 biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 TB baking powder
• 2 tsp white sugar
• 1/2 tsp (or less) cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c. melted butter
• 1 c. milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar and salt.
3. Stir in butter and milk until just moistened ** CAREFUL not to over-mix! If you stir too much your biscuits will be small and dense like the ones in my picture :/
4. Drop dough onto a lightly greased cookie sheet by the tablespoon.
5. Bake in preheated oven until golden on the edges about 8 to 12 minutes. 
6. Serve warm

For gravy we just mix up a packet of McCormick Country Gravy and add about 1/4 lb Johnsonville Sage sausage. Yum! Eat it with a side of scrambled eggs, a sweet muffin and a glass of orange juice... The perfect breakfast!

Recipe by allrecipes at http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/21135/e-z-drop-biscuits/?mxt=t06rda

Frozen Hot (Mint) Chocolate

Quick, simple and refreshing!

In a blender, combine:

4 cups ice
2 cups whole milk
8 heaping TB Stephens mint chocolate hot cocoa mix.
(We have also tried Stephens chocolate raspberry hot cocoa and it was excellent)

(serves four)

*optional* if you want a little more chocolate in your chocolate-to-mint ratio, you can add chocolate syrup, chocolate chips, or both.

Blend 'til smooth then eat it up, yum!

Salmon Cakes

Salmon Cakes

• 2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), divided

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions

• 2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

• 8 ounces cooked, flaked salmon

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 lemon, quartered

1. Combine 1/3 cup panko and next 10 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl, stirring well. Add salmon; stir gently just until combined. Place remaining 1/3 cup panko in a shallow dish. Using wet hands, shape salmon mixture into 4 equal balls. Coat balls in panko.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Place salmon on pan and flatten to form a patty, cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Serve with lemon wedges.
Recipe by My Recipes at http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/classic-salmon-cakes