Barbeque Chicken Pasta Salad

 I'm not a huge fan of pasta salad, but this one is worth it! It's also actually healthy for the most part! I love using wholewheat noodles! They are so much better for you, but you can use whatever kind you want. Of course I NEVER add cilantro, and I really don't like jalepeños, so I never add them. Also, rotisserie chicken makes this even easier! Yummmyyy!!! (got this one from allrecipes)

Zesty and sweet, this unique pasta salad melds the flavors of barbeque chicken, pasta, and freshly diced vegetables for a delicious summer meal. Can also be made without the chicken or with less, for a side dish.

Prep Time:

 

30 mins

Cook Time:

 

25 mins

Additional Time:

 

40 mins

Total Time:

 

1 hr 35 mins

Servings:

 

12

Yield:

 

12 servings

Ingredients

• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

• 1 cup barbeque sauce

• 1 (16 ounce) package small whole-wheat pasta shells

• 1 cup barbeque sauce

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 cup jicama, peeled and diced

• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced

• 2 orange bell peppers, seeded and diced

• 2 (15.25 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained

• ¾ cup minced fresh cilantro

• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped (wear gloves) (Optional)

• 1 red onion, chopped (Optional)

Directions

1. Place the chicken breasts into a saucepan over medium-low heat, and pour in 1 cup of barbeque sauce. Simmer the chicken until the meat is no longer pink inside, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool, and dice chicken meat.

2. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the shell pasta, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink. Rinse pasta with cold water until chilled, and drain again thoroughly.

3. In a large salad bowl, whisk 1 cup of barbeque sauce with mayonnaise until thoroughly combined. Mix in the cumin, then stir in cooked chicken. Place cooked pasta, jicama, red and orange bell peppers, corn, cilantro, black beans, jalapeno peppers, and red onion into the salad bowl, and gently fold to combine with the dressing. Serve warm or chilled.

Nutrition Facts

             

Calories435
Total Fat 16g
Saturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 24mg
Sodium 808mg
Total Carbohydrate 62g
Dietary Fiber 6g
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 15g
Vitamin C 67mg
Calcium 39mg
Iron 3mg
Potassium 476mg

French Toast --Pain perdu brioché au sucre vanillé

This is the BEST french toast!  As you will see, it is actually in french! I have translated it here. There is a lot of sugar in this recipe, I usually use half of what it calls for. I like to  put the milk and egg mixture in containers that are square so that it fits the bread well.

Ingredients:

6 Pers.

• 12 slices of Brioche
• 1 Heaping Cup of Milk
• 1/2 C Sugar
• 1 pkg. Vanilla Sugar (or Vanilla)
• 5 Eggs
• 1.11 C Butter
• Syrup

• Instructions :

• Prep time: 10 min

• 1.

  Mix the milk and sugar and warm milk to help dissolve the sugar,  then stir in the vanilla. 

• 2.

  In a separate bowl, beat the eggs

• 3.

  Dip the bread slices in the milk mixture and then in the egg mixture and cook on a medium heat griddle or pan. Serve with fresh fruit, whipped cream and or syrup.

Peanut Blossoms (Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies)

 

• So this is my go to PB cookie recipe. Disclaimer: I have not hunted high and low for the "PERFECT" PB cookie recipe. However, I haven't found any other PB cookie that has been astonishingly better than these, so I have kept this recipe. What makes these cookies so great is that you do not over bake them!!! Bake them just enough and no more! Then finish it with a kiss <3 

• 
  

• 1 (8 ounce) package HERSHEY®'S KISSES® Milk Chocolates

• ½ cup shortening

• ¾ cup REESE'S® Creamy or Crunchy Peanut Butter

• ⅓ cup white sugar

• ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar

• 1 egg

• 2 tablespoons milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ cup white sugar for decoration

Directions

Heat oven to 375 F. Remove wrappers from chocolate pieces.

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate piece into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. But don't actually cool completely! Eat them! Eat them hot and right away!!! Wait just one second. Long enough for the chocolate to melt and eat that delicious chocolatey peanut butter cookie!!! Amen.

Greek Salad (Traditional Horiatiki Recipe)

This is from Rob's sister who got it from her mother-in-law. I don't usually like these salads. The vegetables are too big, the dressing is too bitter. It's just an all around not that pleasant salad.... I got this when she made it at Thanksgiving. I got it as a vegetable requirement (and you always need to try stuff to make sure you don't like it!). I was so surprised! It was really good! It wasn't bitter! It was actually good and the vegetables were yummy and I was so happy to be able enjoyably meet my veggie requirement :D Really easy to make, just a lot of chopping like every other salad :p 

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Mix together well

Mix together:

1 sliced cucumber, cut slices in half

1 cubed red pepper

1 cubed yellow pepper

Grape or cherry tomatoes cut in half or a couple of chopped tomatoes (I use one or two cups of tomatoes)

1/2 red onion, slice and then cut up the slices

1/2 lb. feta cheese, cubed (I have also used mozzarella balls)

Olives

When I finished mixing everything together, I wanted more salt and pepper. I also added some garlic parmesan seasoning that I have. it helped a ton. 

This is not my specialty recipe. I found this site with great tips and information (especially shocking the onion cause I hate eating raw onions)!

https://www.themediterraneandish.com/traditional-greek-salad-recipe/

Texas Sheet Cake

This is a longstanding family favorite! For a while there, we would have it at every family gathering! This is a very moist chocolate cake. You frost it while it's warm and then some of the frosting melts into the cake and makes it sooooo yummy! The original recipe calls for 2 C of regular sugar, but I find using half brown sugar gives the cake some extra depth of flavor (my secret trick!).

Mix in Bowl:

1 C Sugar

2 C flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

In separate bowl, Mix:

1 tsp. Vanilla

3/4 C Buttermilk

2 Eggs

1 C Brown Sugar

Melt together in pan:

2 sticks butter

4 Tbls Cocoa

1 Cup Water

Combine the first two mixtures then slowly mix in the pan mixture and pour into a greased (I like using coconut oil, but you can also spray it.) cookie sheet pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25? minutes until done.

Frost cake while still warm (I frost it right out of the oven.)

Frosting:

1 Stick of Butter

2 Tbls. Coco

6 Tbls. Milk

16 oz. Powdered Sugar 

Beat and Frost while cake is hot! It makes it ooey gooey!

Chinese Chicken Salad

2 Packages Raman Noodles

1/2 Head of Cabbage

Teryaki Chicken

Green Onions

Sunflower Seeds

Smash noodles, slice cabbage, chop green onions and chicken. Toss all in a bowl with dressing and sprinkle sunflower seeds on top. Marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours (if you don't want crunchy cabbage. But I don't mind crunchy cabbage.)

Dressing:

Mix-

1/2 C Vinegar

4 Tbls. Sugar 

1 tsp. Salt

Ramen Noodle Seasoning Packets

Then add and mix-

1/2 C Oil

This is a very basic recipe. Sometimes I like to add other things to it to dress it up- 

Almonds (toasted mmmm!)

Mandarin Oranges

Sugar Snap or Snow Peas

Wontons

Cashews

Julienne Carrots

Chinese Noodles

Pistachio Cream Dessert

 

1 C Flour

1 Cube Butter

1/2 C Chopped Nuts

2 pkg. instant Pistachio Pudding

9oz Cool Whip

8 oz Cream Cheese

1 C Powdered Sugar

2 1/2 Cups Milk

Heat oven to 325 degree F. Grease a 13X9-inch baking pan.

Reserve 1 tablespoon nuts. Combine the remaining nuts with butter, flour and sugar with a pastry blender.

Press flour mixture onto bottom of the 9x12 pan. Bake until it is barely beginning to brown on the top and then set aside to cool completely.

In a medium bowl, combine together cream cheese and powdered sugar; use a hand mixer to mix until well combined. Mix in 2 cups of Cool Whip. Spread cream cheese mixture over the cooled crust.

Mix 2 pkgs pudding mixes and milk with whisk on low speed for 3 minutes. Spread over cream cheese layer and let set in the fridge for about 5-10 minutes until thickened. Cover with the remaining Cool Whip. Refrigerate for 4 hours. 

Slice and sprinkle with remaining nuts just before serving.
Note: I bring coolwhip and cream cheese to room temperature          Best if refridgerated 8 hours before serving

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 273mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 459IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 1mg