Deviled Eggs

Nothing yells summer to me like a barbecue or picnic. Really, why is food always the highlight of every season and event and holiday?! Anyway, I almost always bring deviled eggs to functions and have even made them just because I felt like them. Every time I make them they are gone within minutes and I usually end up doubling the batch! Anyway, here is the recipe. Feel free to half it if you are entertaining just yourselves or even double it for a big barbecue! I get lots of compliments, and these are so easy and simple.

Deviled Eggs

12 eggs, hard boiled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp mustard (I always squeeze in a little more!)
2 tsp white vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika

Halve eggs lenghwise (obviously without the shells on!) and remove the yolks. In a bowl, mash the yolks with a fork. They won't be smooth. Add mayo, mustard and vinegar. Combine well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stuff egg whites with yolk mixture (I put mine in a gallon size Ziploc and cut the tip off so I can just squeeze the mixture easily into the egg whites). Garnish with paprika.

Tip: I read in a Kraft magazine that a great way to boil eggs without getting that green ring on the inside is to put the eggs in cold water, bring to a boil, cover the pot and then turn off the heat. Let stand covered for 15 minutes. Or you can do it your way :)

Southwestern Corn on the cob

This is corn on the cob with a twist! This sounds kinda weird but it is really good! Trust me and try it for your next BBQ!

1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
4 ears corn, husks and silk removed, cut in half
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon chili powder, preferably chipotle (I double that and it is still not too spicy!)


Directions
1. Heat grill to high. Place cheese on a plate or in a shallow bowl; set aside.
2. Brush corn with butter, and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until tender and slightly charred, 10 to 12 minutes; let cool 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Brush corn with mayonnaise, and roll in cheese to coat. Sprinkle with chili powder.

I place the mayo in a bowl and mix in the chili powder. Then I brush that onto the corn and roll in the parm. cheese. I also just boil my corn and don't use the butter or salt and pepper. I am sure the real way tastes better, but the lazy way taste good too!

Banana Bars

This recipe is really good - it's like banana brownies or a thick banana cake. And it's a great way to use up ripe bananas instead of banana bread.

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cup sugar
2-3 ripe bananas (I used three - it makes it more banana-ey)
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk then fill to the 3/4 cup mark with vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla
Chocolate Chips

Cream butter and sugar together. Mix in the other wet ingredients. Mix in the dry ingredients. Sprinkle with chocolate chips after putting the batter in a greased 9X13 pan (you decide how much chocolate you want). Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until light brown on top. **The recipe I have suggests frosting with cream cheese frosting, but I didn't do this because I thought it would be too rich and I like it without the frosting. But to each her own, right?? Frost away if you so desire!!!

Freezer meal- Chicken Pasta Casserole

This is really good and makes a great freezer meal or anytime meal. I think I made this for Christina when she had Kade. It makes alot. I usually half it for my family.


2 c. Chicken, cooked and shreaded
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
1/2 stick of butter, melted
1 small can of mushrooms (if desired)
13 oz. cooked spaghetti noodles (I like the thin ones)
Shreaded parmasian cheese
Paprika
Combine first 6 ingredients. Pour over spaghetti noodles in a 9x13 pan. Mix to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and paprika. Bake at 375 for 30 min.
*If you are making this as a freezer meal, put everthing in the pan, cover and freeze. Bake at 325 for 1 hour.

Another freezer meal

I am a planner (one of the "genes" my father passed on to me) and I am already planning on what I'm going to do when I have the baby at Christmas-time. Anyway, another thing about me- I love kraftfoods.com and I get way too excited when their "food & family" magazine comes once a quarter. I seriously mark at lieast 10-15 recipes in each issue! One of our fave recipes from there is Simply Lasagna. It makes a whole 13x9 pan, and you don't boil the noodles first. You add a cup of water to the sauce to help cook the noodles when it bakes. And the best part is you can freeze the entire lasagna before you cook it! You just assemble it per the directions, pop it in the freezer, and when you want to cook it, put it in the refrigerator that morning to thaw it out (or the night before is better if you remember) and just bake it like it says.

Click here for the recipe: Simply Lasagna

A little note: I ALWAYS read the comments before I make anything from a website. You don't have to use fresh parsley although I do. You also DO NOT add a whole jar of water like some idiots did. You add the ONE CUP of water to the jar, shake it up to get the excess sauce out, and add the water and extra sauce to the sauce in the pan (not saying you all are idiots, but the directions do kind of make it sound like you add a whole jar of water)

Enjoy! And be prepared!

Summer Idea

Kelli recently asked for ideas for summer that didn't leave her in the kitchen forever and didn't require her to be at stove or have the oven on. I guess it's warm in Ohio??? Right? Anyway, my idea is really simple - it's not even a recipe, it's an idea. Take a large roast and cook it on high for 6-8 hours (a three pound roast goes for around 6-7, a five pound roast takes 8). Season the roast with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Rub it in the roast. Pour beef broth (you can add some water, I use 2 can broth and the rest water) until it covers the roast 3/4 of the way - don't pour it on the roast or the seasoning will wash away. Cook in slow cooker and when done you can shred it. You can use this for BBQ sandwiches (the perfect summer food) or beef enchiladas. I used a three pound roast and it made sandwiches for 2 dinners and 2 pans of enchiladas. The enchilada recipe is below:

1 -2 lbs. Shredded beef
1-2 onions (depending on how much beef)
1-2 Taco Seasoning packets
1-2 cans mashed black beans, drained first

Cook together until onions are tender and the meat is heated through. Place in corn tortillas and roll up (I heat 3 to 4 tortillas on a plate in the microwave for 30 seconds so they bend easier and don't tear). Place each enchilada in a 9x13 pan and cover with enchilada sauce (green or red) and sprinkle with cheese. Cook at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and everything is heated through. You can also freeze these (hello - perfect for those pregos out there!!) but don't put enchilada sauce or cheese on until you are ready to cook them. They cook for about an hour when frozen. I like these for summer because the sandwiches are easy and assembling the enchiladas takes 20 minutes max plus it makes enough for at least another dinner or two, depending on how much beef you use.

Oriental Chicken Salad

Stina, this one is for you since you so nicely requested the recipe!

Mom’s Chinese Chicken Salad

1 head cabbage, finely chopped (I've seen it shredded too)
4 chicken breast halves, cooked and cubed (I also flavor my chicken with garlic powder, salt and pepper)
1 package ramen noodles, chicken flavor
1/3 cup slivered almonds
2 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 tsp salt

Mix cabbage and chicken in large bowl. Set aside.

Toast broken ramen noodles and almonds on the stove on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown. Add to cabbage.

For the dressing, mix in ramen noodle seasoning packet, sugar, vinegar, oil, and salt. Pour over cabbage and toss to coat. Serve cold.

Penne with Beef and Arugula

I made this for Jeremiah for Father's Day. His sister Sophie made it for us back in December and he's been begging for it since then. It's actually really good, I'm not sure why I didn't cave earlier to his demands, but I'm glad I finally did. This is especially good if you like balsamic vinegar, I'm not a huge fan but I still love the dish. I didn't make too many changes, except on the steak I couldn't find herbes de Provence so I just used an Italian herb blend, and I didn't feel like mincing garlic so I used garlic powder. The steak cost me about $10, you can wait til it goes on sale or use a less expensive meat, I'm not sure how it will change the dish. You can eat it warm, room temperature, or cold. I prefer it warm or room temperature.

1 (1-pound) New York strip steak
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for steak and pasta water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for steak
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 cups chopped arugula

Season the steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper, herbs de Provence, and minced garlic. In a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Cook steak about 7 minutes per side. Remove the meat from pan and let it rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water. In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, fresh herbs, and 3/4 cup olive oil. In a large bowl toss the pasta with half of the salad dressing and the reserved pasta water. Add the arugula and steak, more dressing, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed.