This recipe came from my sister-in-law. My family loves it and my kids love to help make it. I have most of the ingredients on hand in my pantry. It's works well for potlucks too!
I have cut down on the sugar quite a bit. My sister-in-law uses a whole cup, we are happy with 1/3 cup. So if my way is too sour, feel free to add more sugar. I have also used broccoli slaw instead of cabbage and it is just as good!
Ramen Coleslaw
1 bag of coleslaw cabbage mix or broccoli slaw
2 packages of Ramen noodles (we like chicken or oriental flavors)
1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup of sugar (or more to taste)
1/2 to 3/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
Crush the ramen noodles, reserving the seasoning packets, and mix well with the coleslaw and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Separately, mix together the oil, vinegar, sugar, and the reserved seasoning packets. Pour the dressing over the coleslaw mixture and stir until well coated.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
An easy favorite side dish
I'm not quite sure where I originally found this recipe. I have changed it a little to suit our tastes. It is a family favorite and I usually have everything on hand. I don't measure out the ingredients, so this is a guesstimate on my part, so add to your taste!
Fruity Rice Pilaf
1 box Rice Pilaf
8oz crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 to 1/2 cup dried cranberries (or raisins)
2 to 4 Tbsp Italian dressing
Prepare rice pilaf according to the box. When it's finished, add the drained pineapple, dried cranberries (or raisins), and Italian dressing. Mix well and serve!
Fruity Rice Pilaf
1 box Rice Pilaf
8oz crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 to 1/2 cup dried cranberries (or raisins)
2 to 4 Tbsp Italian dressing
Prepare rice pilaf according to the box. When it's finished, add the drained pineapple, dried cranberries (or raisins), and Italian dressing. Mix well and serve!
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Buffalo Ranch Chicken
Original recipe
This was pretty easy and very tasty! Around 11am, I put several frozen boneless chicken thighs* and a few frozen chicken tenderloins in the crockpot with 12oz of buffalo sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's) and a packet of Hidden Valley ranch mix. I set it on high for about 4 hours and turned it down to low for about another hour.
After it was done cooking, I put Shaun to work shredding the chicken while I fried some potatoes and made coleslaw. I didn't add all of the sauce back into the shredded chicken, I didn't want to overheat my kids' mouths, but added enough so it was moist and flavorful.
We made sandwiches out of the chicken and this recipe is another keeper! It was 5 out of 5 thumbs up. I think it would be good in a wrap too. My only complaint was that I couldn't taste the ranch at all. Next time, I won't add the packet and will just put a little ranch salad dressing on my sandwich.
*I always end up with dry chicken when I use breasts in the crockpot. That's why I prefer using dark meat, it stays moist even if I leave it in there a little too long.
This was pretty easy and very tasty! Around 11am, I put several frozen boneless chicken thighs* and a few frozen chicken tenderloins in the crockpot with 12oz of buffalo sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's) and a packet of Hidden Valley ranch mix. I set it on high for about 4 hours and turned it down to low for about another hour.
After it was done cooking, I put Shaun to work shredding the chicken while I fried some potatoes and made coleslaw. I didn't add all of the sauce back into the shredded chicken, I didn't want to overheat my kids' mouths, but added enough so it was moist and flavorful.
We made sandwiches out of the chicken and this recipe is another keeper! It was 5 out of 5 thumbs up. I think it would be good in a wrap too. My only complaint was that I couldn't taste the ranch at all. Next time, I won't add the packet and will just put a little ranch salad dressing on my sandwich.
*I always end up with dry chicken when I use breasts in the crockpot. That's why I prefer using dark meat, it stays moist even if I leave it in there a little too long.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Lasagna Soup
I found this recipe at Live Love Pasta. It sounded good to me and since most of my family likes lasagna, I added it to my list. I made a few minor changes to suit our tastes and simply out of my own laziness.
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Lasagna Soup
Soup:
1 pounds bulk sausage
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock
8 ounces mini lasagna noodles (or noodles of your choice)
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
½ cup fresh baby spinach
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cheese topping:
8 ounces ricotta cheese
2 cups Italian cheese
In a large pot, brown sausage over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, cook for an additional minute. Add the tomato paste and stir well to incorporate.Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock; stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for a bit. Next, add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Remove from heat and stir in basil and spinach and season with salt and pepper to taste.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese mixture. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta and Italian cheeses; set aside. To serve, pour the soup into bowls and add a tablespoon or so of the cheese mixture to each bowl.
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I accidentally added too much pasta and it became Lasagna Stew instead of soup, but that's ok, it was still delicious! Easy 5 out of 5 thumbs up! Even my lasagna haters enjoyed it. This is definitely going to become a regular meal in my house. My kids didn't mind the spinach (they usually don't) and I can easily see adding some chopped carrots or zucchini for extra nutritional value.
**********
Lasagna Soup
Soup:
1 pounds bulk sausage
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock
8 ounces mini lasagna noodles (or noodles of your choice)
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
½ cup fresh baby spinach
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cheese topping:
8 ounces ricotta cheese
2 cups Italian cheese
In a large pot, brown sausage over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces. Add the onions and cook until softened. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, cook for an additional minute. Add the tomato paste and stir well to incorporate.Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock; stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for a bit. Next, add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Remove from heat and stir in basil and spinach and season with salt and pepper to taste.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese mixture. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta and Italian cheeses; set aside. To serve, pour the soup into bowls and add a tablespoon or so of the cheese mixture to each bowl.
**********
I accidentally added too much pasta and it became Lasagna Stew instead of soup, but that's ok, it was still delicious! Easy 5 out of 5 thumbs up! Even my lasagna haters enjoyed it. This is definitely going to become a regular meal in my house. My kids didn't mind the spinach (they usually don't) and I can easily see adding some chopped carrots or zucchini for extra nutritional value.
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