Fried Rice

This is SO easy and a great way to get rid of leftover rice, chicken or pork, and vegetables. I don't measure anything, since I'm usually dealing with what I have in my fridge, so all measurements are approximate. Sorry. It is best to use a large frying pan or a wok, if you happen to have one. The more space to move things around, the better!

2 T. olive oil
2 cups cold cooked rice (I usually use brown but any kind is fine)
1-1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1-1/2 cups cooked vegetables (I mostly use mixed veggies or peas and corn)
2 eggs, beaten
soy sauce (I use low sodium)

Heat the oil in the pan and add rice, stirring constantly. Add some soy sauce- maybe 1/4 cup??? Mix in chicken and vegetables and stir until everything is hot. Make a space in the center of the pan and dump the eggs in it. Scramble them up the best you can before mixing them with everything else. Stir everything together, cover, reduce the heat to medium and let sit for just a couple minutes to make sure the eggs are cooked thoroughly. ***Don't let it burn! Burned fried rice smells REALLY bad!*** If it gets too dry towards the end, add a few tablespoons of water.

Split Pea Soup

This is one way I can guarantee my family gets their daily dose of vegetables. We like to eat it with rolls or home-made bread bowls. It's also good with a thick slice of Italian bread. We love our carbs here! =)

5 cups water
2 cups dried split peas, rinsed
1-2 cups potatoes (I've used leftover but-up baked potatoes, frozen hash browns, and food storage dried potato dices, of which you would use 1/2 the suggested amount since they get bigger when they rehydrate. They all work well.)
1 cup carrots (I usually use frozen slices or 1/2 c. dehydrated)
salt or seasoning salt
pepper

Optional toppings:
grated cheese
cooked bacon, crumbled
cooked ham, chopped

Combine water and peas in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and add potatoes and carrots. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until all vegetables are cooked and tender. Salt and pepper to taste.

There are 2 options for the next step:
#1- Remove 1/2 of the soup, blend it in your blender, and then mix back in the pot with other 1/2.
#2- Use a hand blender to blend about 1/2 of the soup in the pot. You just want to do it enough to make it creamy, but still have some nice chunks.

Top as desired.

Gnocchi recipe

I found this recipe in the Family Fun magazine. They always have yummy ideas! You can search for recipes on their website and sign up for a weekly e-mail with fun food ideas for the family.

This classic Italian dish is a simple-to-make crowd-pleaser. A cross between pasta and dumplings, potato gnocchi are a scrumptious switch from your everyday spaghetti. You can bake these tender, fluffy pillows in our rich, cheesy sauce, or try one of our serving suggestions. Though making gnocchi from scratch may seem daunting, the most difficult thing about gnocchi is saying the word (it's pronounced NYOH-kee). Kids get to help by playing with -- er, shaping -- the dough.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
	For the gnocchi:
	1 pound (about 3 medium) gold-fleshed potatoes, such as Yukon Gold
	1 teaspoon salt
	1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
	1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan
	1 large egg, lightly beaten
	1/2 cup plus 1 to 2 tablespoons (or more) flour
	For the sauce:
	1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
	1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Scrub the potatoes and place them in a large pot. Cover the potatoes with a couple of inches of water, add ½ teaspoon salt, then boil the potatoes gently until they're cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes. (Check to see if they're done by poking them with a fork or a skewer.) Transfer the potatoes to a plate and let them cool, about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, lightly butter a medium-size casserole and set it aside. Put a large, fresh pot of water on high heat, and heat the oven to 400 degrees.

3. Peel the potatoes and, working over a large bowl, put them through a potato ricer. If you don't have a ricer, force the potato flesh through a sieve with the back of a large spoon. (A regular masher won't give you the texture you need for light, fluffy gnocchi.)



4. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, the pepper, the Parmesan, and the egg to the riced potatoes. Toss gently to mix. Add the 1/2 cup flour and stir well to make a moist dough. Stir in another tablespoon or two of flour, as necessary, to make the dough just firm enough to knead. Turn the dough out onto a floured counter and knead very gently for 1 minute with floured hands. Add a little extra flour to the counter, if necessary, so that the dough doesn't stick.

5. Divide the dough into four pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough into a rope about ¾ inch thick and 18 inches long. Using a knife or a dough scraper, cut the rope into 3/4-inch-long pieces.




6. Press the tines of a fork into one side of each piece, just deep enough to leave a mark. Transfer the pieces to a floured plate. Each rope makes about 20 gnocchi.





7. After you've cut and shaped the gnocchi, gently drop about half of them into the lightly boiling water. After 1 to 2 minutes the gnocchi should rise to the surface. Once they do, cook them at a low boil for another 1 1/2 minutes. Be careful: a vigorous boil may cause the gnocchi to fall apart. Remove the gnocchi with a small strainer, let them drip dry for several seconds, then place them into the buttered baking dish. Cook the remaining gnocchi and add them to the dish as well.


8. You can use cooked gnocchi in any number of ways (see "Serving Suggestions," below, for a few ideas). For a simple, creamy sauce, sprinkle the gnocchi with 1/3 cup Parmesan and drizzle the heavy cream over the top. Bake the dish on the center oven rack until the sauce is bubbly, about 10 to 12 minutes. Serve at once. Makes about 5 servings.


Nutritional Information Per serving (15 pieces), with cheese sauce: Calories 211, Protein 6 g (13% DV), Carbohydrate 24 g (8% DV), Total Fat 10 g (15% DV), Cholesterol 67 mg (22% DV), Saturated Fat 6 g (29% DV), Sodium 300 mg (12% DV), Fiber 2 g (6% DV), Sugars 1 g, Vitamin C (24% DV), Iodine (22% DV)
Percent daily values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

9. Serving Suggestions

Cook the gnocchi in chicken broth to make a simple dumpling soup. Garnish each serving with a pinch or two of minced scallions.

Saute cabbage or other greens. Just before the greens are done, add cooked gnocchi and a handful of diced, cooked kielbasa or other sausage to the pan. Saute them together until everything is hot and the greens are fully cooked.

Stir cooked gnocchi into leftover ratatouille or another saucy stew.

Gently mix cooked gnocchi with Alfredo sauce, marinara sauce, or pesto. Spoon the mixture into a pan, sprinkle with Parmesan, and bake it as directed in the main recipe.

Zucchini Casserole

Just in time for all the extra zucchini that seems to abound. This is one of our family favorites.

I've already posted it on a recipe blogsite that one of my cousins has going. Click here for the lowdown.

Mexican Skillet Casserole

This recipe comes from "Living Well a North Memorial Publication"
3 c rotini pasta
1 lb ground beef
1/2 c onion
1 can corn
1 can drained black beans
1 can diced green chilies
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 c mild salsa

Make the pasta. Brown beef with onion add rest of ingredients; simmer 10-15 minutes. We ate it with tortilla chips and cheese. It's good and makes a TON-be warned! We'll be having this for the next few dinners...=)

Dinner Menu List

This is the list I work from for my family- tried and true recipes for our set of picky eaters. All of these items are fast and easy; I don't like to spend a lot of time cooking with little monkeys crawling all over me. =)
Feel free to contact me if you need the recipe for any of these.


Spaghetti & bread sticks or French bread
Taco salad
Hamburger hot dish w/ tater tots
Chicken and pasta alfredo
Baked chicken & mashed potatoes
Chicken pot pie
Smothered burritos
Chinese chicken
Chinese chicken salad
Fried rice
Italian chicken & rice or potatoes
Baked sandwich
Pigs in a blanket
Curry
Pesto chicken
Chow mein
Turkey burgers
Tuna noodles w/ peas
Baked potatoes
Chili & cornbread
Almond chicken (I actually haven't tried this one but i have the recipe and it looks GOOD)
Gnocchi (I just found a recipe to make from scratch but haven't tried it yet)
Scalloped potatoes w/ mixed veggies
Baked BBQ chicken
Popcorn shrimp
Chicken nuggets (the all-natural ones from Costco are the BEST!) & carrot sticks
Sloppy joes
Split pea soup & rolls
Fajitas
Home-made pizza (our Friday night favorite)
French bread pizza

Chilcken Salad Sandwiches YUM

These were soosososo good and low in sodium...!

1 c cooked and cubed chicken
1/3 c celery, cucumbers, and apples (add whatever else sounds good!)
1-2 T chopped onion
3T Mayo ( I ended up using about 5 after adding lettuce, tomatoes and grapes to the mixture)
*You can use plain yogurt instead*
Dash of salt and pepper (I used Costco's organic no salt seasoning)

Mix it all up and put in the refrigerator. Put in rolls or over lettuce. It's a yummy and easy dinner!

Enjoy!