Making Dinner More Delightful
Here you will find a mixed smattering of recipes and ideas shared among several ladies…..most of whom are living a crazy life with babies, city to city house moves, AND active medical training occurring simultaneously within their households. Such an indescribable fog of distractions…..and yet they continue to change diapers, fold laundry, finger paint, and hunt up fabulous meals for their families.
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First, from Nancy (who is in the throws of packing to move from Michigan to Missouri with her husband and three kids the -oldest-of-whom-is-three):
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And here is a link to an article which I saw over at Nancy Wilson’s blog. It sets forth some really excellent reasons for us to persevere in training the kids to have more lovely table manners, as it is in those dinner hour courtesies that they gain a good foundation for all sorts of gracious behavior.
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Also, another good recommendation from Nancy, the Green Rice recipe in the May issue of Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food. Here is another blog at which the recipe is printed up, for the benefit of anyone who doesn’t receive that magazine: Just click here.
And, even better, Nancy then told us what she did with the leftover rice. She made THIS:
Baked Chicken Fajitas
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1 can (14.5 oz) Ro-tel, drained (or 2 10-oz. cans)
1 medium onion, cut into thin strips
1 medium green pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into thin strips
2 Tb. Canola oil
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. salt
flour or whole wheat tortillas, warmed
In a 13×9 pan, combine the chicken, tomatoes, onion and peppers.
Combine the oil, chili powder, cumin and salt. Drizzle over chicken mixture.
Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.
Spoon onto tortillas.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
This is quoted from an e-mail from Nancy the chef:
A dinner in St. Louis! You are all invited to our house, wherever it will be!
I like your website, Missy. Way to go!
A friend from our local MOPS group brought the following grape salad to one of our meetings. (Peter called it a dessert
Grape Salad
4 lbs grapes. You can do all one or mix the colors
1) 8 oz cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
1/2 cup – 1 cup chopped pecans depending on your preference for pecans
brown sugar
Mix cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla together. Toss in the grapes and coat them. Sprinkle lots of brown sugar on top and add the pecans.
(Next time, I will blend in 1/4 cup brown sugar with the mixer before adding the grapes and pecans. Or maybe even try it without the brown sugar.)
Nancy
Herbed Lentils & Rice
I make a half recipe for our family of 4 and made 1 1/2 recipe for 12 people when I should have doubled or tripled it. Also, I’ve only used chicken broth and not wine and only mozzarella cheese if I have it and sometimes no cheese at all and each time it tastes great.
2 2/3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
¼ cup dry white wine or additional broth
¾ cups dried lentils, rinsed
¾ cup chopped onion
½ cup uncooked brown rice
½ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp pepper
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
In a bowl, combine all ingredients and only 1/2 cup cheese. Transfer to a 1-1/2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and bake at 350° for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until lentils and rice are tender and liquid is absorbed, stirring twice. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 2-3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
RE: the Herbed Lentils and Rice -
We’ve used this recipe in our family for decades, with constant success. But here’s a trick I’ve employed that makes this recipe even dandier – make several individual batches at once, placing the ingredients in ziplock baggies (substituting dried chopped onion for fresh) and store them in the freezer or pantry. When Lentil Rice Casserole (our name for the dish) is on the menu, I simply dump out the contents of a baggie into a casserole and add chicken broth to it – cover and bake, etc.
Over the years I have given batches of this as gifts or to the occasional invalid friend several times, and include bullion cubes or cans of broth with the mix.