Dijon Mustard Chicken Marinade

Warning - if you don't like mustard, this recipe is not for you! It was pretty tasty and the chicken turned out so moist, even though I was the one grilling it... I am trying to conquer my grilling fears - usually I pull out those recipes when I know that the hubs will be home, but lately I have been working it on my own. Not too shabby tonight, if I do say so myself...

The kids chowed down, but they probably aren't my toughest critics - so I guess I will go with my own opinion on this recipe and say that it was easy enough to make, I usually have all the ingredients on hand and I could throw it together quickly to dress up chicken... This was another Nourishing Hearts meal, so I just popped it out of the freezer this morning and only had to heat up some sides before we ran out the door tonight! I love that!!



Dijon Mustard Chicken Marinade
(recipe from Nourishing Hearts)

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup oil

Mix mustard, pepper, vinegar and oil together in gallon size freezer bag. Add chicken and massage into the meat to cover. Freeze at this point if desired.

To serve: let thaw completely. Grill until done.

Poppy Chow

I found this tasty little treat over at The Tasty Kitchen... This is a website that one of my friends turned me on too and I have it bookmarked as a favorite now. I love that it is a collection from so many different people and you can find so many different ideas there!!

I made this for the boys' teachers for the last day of school to say thanks for putting up, I mean teaching my kids for this past year! They are truly special people who helped the boys have a great and wonderful year...

As I was making it, I realized that I really needed to double the recipe. Not because it didn't make enough for them... because I was eating it as fast as I was making it! It is so good. I love puppy chow, but never have chex cereal on hand. Popcorn is a staple at our house, as well as the rest of the ingredients. Super easy to make and ready in no time! :) ENJOY...



Poppy Chow
(recipe found at thepioneerwoman.com)

9 cups air popped popcorn - (I used my stir crazy)
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cups peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In microwave or double boil, melt chocolate, peanut butter and butter until melted. Stir in vanilla. Place the popped popcorn in a large bowl and pour the chocolate mixture over popcorn. Stir gently until evenly coated. Add powdered sugar and stir until each piece is covered. Spread out on cookie sheets to set chocolate. Store in airtight container.

Salmon Grilled in Foil

I believe, as far as I can remember, that this is the first time that I have ever had salmon. It had a slightly more fishy taste then I like, but once I got past that, this recipe was pretty good. My brother was over for supper and he went back for seconds on everything and was pretty impressed with the salmon especially! 2 thumbs up from him and the hubs!!



Salmon Grilled in Foil
(recipe found in Taste of Home Healthy Cooking)

4 salmon fillets (4 ounces each)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small onion, cut into rings
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Place salmon, skin side down, on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Combine the garlic powder, lemon pepper, curry and salt; sprinkle over salmon. Top with onion and tomatoes. Fold foil over fish and seal tightly. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 10-15 minutes ro until fish flakes easily with a fork. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape.

Refried Bean Roll Ups

This was a quick and easy meal that I made for lunch one Sunday before we headed out to the ball field. It was delicious and a twist on the normal tacos... This definitely made more then I was expecting, as it said that it served only 4. So, I doubled it and I now have refried bean mix coming out my ears! :)

Refried Bean Roll Ups
(recipe found at http://www.bettycrocker.com/)

1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 package flour tortillas for burritos
1 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Mix beans, salsa and chili powder in 1 quart saucepan. Heat over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warm. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the bean mixture onto center of each tortilla; spread slightly. Top with lettuce and cheese. Fold over sides and ends of tortillas. Serve with additional salsa if desired.

Weekly Line Up - 6/4-6/10

Last week was a little crazy and we ended up in different places that I expected, so this week has a lot of roll over from last week. Can't wait to try these recipes so hopefully this week nothing comes up! :)

Friday - *Fantasy Chicken
Saturday - Eggs and Toast
Sunday - *Hubby's Favorite Crepes
Monday - *Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Tuesday - *Refried Bean Roll Ups
Wednesday - Tacos
Thursday - *Classic Cashew Beef
Friday - *Ham It Up Primavera

* New Recipes

Chocolate Revel Bars

Holy Shamoley!! These are some chocolatey goodness that you just better not pass up! They looked delish in the recipe that I found so I had to make them up... We had a wrestling banquet the other afternoon and that was the perfect excuse to bake and not eat the whole pan! :) They were everything that I hoped they would be and I was glad that I had other people helping me finish off the pan...

Sorry, no picture - the camera was in the car and by the time that I busted it out, the bars were gone!!

Chocolate Revel Bars
(recipe found at Baking Bites)

1/2 cup butter, room temperature, divided
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1/2 can) - no wonder mine were so delish, I just realized I used a whole can! :)
1 1/2 cups dark or bittersweet chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup toasted and salted pecans, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x9" square baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and oatmeal. In a large bowl, cream together 7 tablespoons butter (reserve remaining tablespoon) with brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Blend in flour mixture until well incorporated.

In a small, microwave safe bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk with 1 cup chocolate chips and reserved 1 tablespoon butter. Melt on high heat in 40 second intervals, stirring frequently, until mixture is smooth. Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Take 1 1/2 cups of the cookie dough mixture and press it into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Spread the chocolate mixture evenly on top of the cookie layer. Stir remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips and toasted pecans into remaining cookie dough. Break dough into small chunks and sprinkle evenly over entire chocolate layer. Chocolate layer will be partially exposed. Bake for 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Cool completely in the pan before cutting.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

This is a quick and simple meal that is easy to pull together on a week night! We were headed out of the house right away and I wanted to feed everyone a healthy meal before we left. I threw most of this together during naps and just got the chicken ready right before serving! I also seperated out the chicken before I added the hot sauce. I wasn't sure if this would be too spicy for the kids, so I took out some of the chicken before adding the hot sauce... Delicious and simple!! The bread on the side is a whole wheat bread that is super yummy... Click here for the recipe!



Buffalo Chicken Salad
(recipe found in Taste of Home Healthy Cooking)

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons louisiana style hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bunch romaine, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup fat free ranch salad dressing

In a large nonstick skillet, saute chicken in oil until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the hot sauce, salt and pepper. In large bowl, combine the romaine, celery and carrots. Divide among four plates. Top with chicken. Serve with ranch dressing.