Fresh berry syrup

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups fresh or frozen berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or triple berry)
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the berries, water, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir frequently, and bring to a low boil.
  2. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water.
  3. Slowly stir the cornstarch into the blueberries, taking care not to crush the blueberries.
  4. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, about 5 minutes.
  5. Remove from heat and gently stir in vanilla.

This leaves the berries intact but if you want a smoother syrup you can blend it after you finish.

A family favorite that we call strueberry is made with ½ strawberries and ½ blueberries.

Easy grilled chicken

Two chicken breasts
Salt
Basil

Cut chicken breasts into strips (at least make sure they’re not too thick so the seasoning can go all the way through). Salt generously and sprinkle basil flakes. Turn the chicken over and season the second side likewise. Grill until the chicken is cooked through.

I did this with basil and it was wonderful but I suspect that you could use other seasonings such as oregano, thyme, etc. with good success.

Post Thanksgiving Stew

Ingredients

  • 10 cups water
  • 1 cup turkey
  • ½ cup chopped carrots
  • 1½ cups macoroni (optional)
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • 1½ tbsp chicken bullion
  • 2 tsp salt
  • ¼ cup chopped celery (optional)
  • 4 cups potatoes (cubed)

Instructions
Bring water to a boil and add bullion, carrots, celery, potatoes salt and pepper. After 20 minutes (10 minutes if using previously cooked potatoes) add macoroni and boil for another 8 minutes before adding turkey for a final 2 minutes.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

This makes a huge amount of food and the pasta gets soggy if you try serving it a day or more after making it. Think very carefully about how much you need before you decide to double this recipe. If you expect to have leftovers you should probably not include the macoroni.

David’s Hawaiian Haystacks

Ingredients
4 cups uncooked rice
2 cups uncooked chicken
2 cans cream soup base
20 oz can pineapple tidbits
Chow mein noodles
Salt
Garlic powder

Directions
Cook the rice. Chop the chicken into very small pieces then grill it. Season with modest amounts of salt and garlic powder. Warm the soup base and stir in the grilled chicken.

If you aren’t familiar with Hawaiian Haystacks they are served as rice covered in soup mix topped with pineapple bits and chow mein noodles.

Black Beans and Quinoa

  • 1 tsp. vegetable oil or butter
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
  • ¾ c. uncooked quinoa
  • 1 ½ c. vegetable broth
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (I don’t add this; I sprinkle it on the adult’s servings)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 c. corn kernels, frozen or canned
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • ½ c. chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and saute until lightly browned; add the garlic the last minute or two. Throw the quinoa into the saucepan with the onions and add the vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper (or hold till later), salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Stir the corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans. Sprinkle cilantro on each plate – my kids won’t eat cilantro (I don’t know what’s wrong with them). The grown-ups at my house like to sprinkle ours with cayenne.

 

Another option with black beans from storage is at: http://honeyvillefarms.blogspot.com/2015/02/quinoa-black-beans.html

Raspberry Chicken & Green Rice

6 chicken breasts
¼ cup raspberries
½ cup raspberry jan
½ pineapple concentrate
½ cup soy sauce
2 TB vinegar
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp garlic powder

MARINATE OVERNIGHT
350
30m

Prep time 5m
Marinate time overnight
Cook time 30m
Total time 35m overnight marinate

OR /OR IOr

Honey Lime Enchiladas
1.5 lbs pork or chicken, cooked and shredded
Sauce:
⅓ c honey
¼ c lime juice
1 Tb chili powder
½ tsp garlic powder
2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce
equal parts mixed together of:
mozzarella cheese, shredded
cheddar cheese, shredded
flour tortillas
Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.
Lightly spray 2 pans with non-stick baking spray. (I usually use one 9×13 and one 9×9 but it may vary with how thick you stuff your enchiladas) Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.
Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top – don’t be stingy! (I sometimes use more like 1½ cans- you can freeze left over enchilada sauce in a baggy.) Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer the top of oven. Let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy. It is now time to WOW your family!!

Green Rice

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups rice
  • 3 cups Water
  • 1 tbsp Oil
  • Juice of 1 Lime
  • 4 tsp Bullion
  • 2-3 cloves Garlic
  • ½ bunch Cilantro
  • 1 can Green Chilies
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • 1 medium Onion

Directions

Fry all but rice and water in the oil. Add rice to mixture and fry. Add water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.