Quick and Easy Skillet Garlic Chicken

Now I must admit, this garlic chicken is not only quick and easy, but it is delicious!  My family loved it and they keep asking when I'm going to make it again.  You have got to try this recipe.  Serve it with your favorite sides.  I think your family will add this to their list of favorites.

Quick and Easy Skillet Garlic Chicken

4 - 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon onion powder

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the chicken breasts and season with the garlic powder, seasoning salt and onion powder.  (I sprinkled half of the seasonings on one side and half on the other side.)  Saute over medium low heat, covered,  about 10 - 12 minutes on each side or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.   Then I took the chicken out and added a little bit of flour to the juices to make a gravy (you can add chicken broth to make more gravy) and put the chicken back in.  I continued to cook it for a few minutes, then removed it from stove and set it aside to keep it warm until ready to serve. 

Macaroni Salad

I have the best macaroni salad recipe.  It makes a lot, so make sure when you make it you are having friends over to share it with.  But then again, it is so good, you may not want to share it with anyone.

Macaroni Salad

16 oz. macaroni (can use rotini or ziti)
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons instant beef boullion granules
2 Tablespoons hot water
1 1/2 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
Several dashes black pepper
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 small green peppers, chopped
1/3 cup sweet pickle
2 teaspoons dry dill weed

Cook macaroni in salted water and drain.  Toss macaroni in 1/2 cup milk and cover and chill. 

In a medium bowl, dissolve boullion in hot water.  Add mayo, sour cream, salt, pepper.  Stir into macaroni.  Add tomato, onion, green pepper, pickle, and dill weed.  Makes about 16 servings.

Tuna Pasta Salad

Everyone loves my Tuna Pasta Salad.  The secret ingredient-------Apples.  Here is how I make it:

Boil 3 cups rotini pasta (or your favorite pasta) in salted water per package directions.  Drain, rinse and set aside.

Open 3 small cans of tuna (at least one can should be white tuna, but doesn't have to be).  Drain and then put some lemon juice in each can and let it sit for a couple of minutes.  Then drain again.  Put the tuna in a bowl and mix well.  Add 1 rib of celery, chopped.  Then add 1 tablespoon sweet chopped pickle and 1 tablespoon pickle juice.  Cut a large apple (I use Fuji or Pink Lady or both!)  into small pieces and add to mixture.  Sometimes I add more apple, because that's the best part!  Then add mayonaisse or vegenaise to desired consistency (about 3 tablespoons).  Finally add the pasta and a little more mayo if needed.  Add salt and pepper to taste and mix well.  Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

**This is a great dish to make during the summer when it's too hot to turn on the oven.  We serve it as a main dish with fresh raw veggies and fresh fruit.  It's delicious!

Easy Crock Pot Chicken and Rice

Here's an easy crock pot recipe with chicken and rice.  So I'll call it "Easy Crock Pot Chicken and Rice".  Good name, huh?  My daughter thought it was plain but was really good.  My granddaughter, Addy, said it tasted like my chicken pot pie.  I thought the rice was a little mushy.  But it was quick and easy and everyone ate it, so I won't complain.


Easy Crock Pot Chicken and Rice


4 - 5 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup long grain white rice


Cut chicken breasts into large chunks.  Put the soups  in the crock pot and mix together.  Add the rice and the chicken chunks and mix together.  Cook on high for 30 minutes then turn to low and cook for 4 hours.  (I did stir it after about 2 hours and then let it finish cooking.)

Guacamole

My daughter, Charen, makes the best guacamole.  All she does is peel an avocado and remove the seed.  Then she mashes the avocado in a bowl and adds salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.  I love to put it on my tacos.  Hey, did you know that if you save the avocado seed and put it in the middle of the guacamole, it will keep the guacamole from turning brown?  Of course, we eat it so fast it doesn't have time to turn brown!

Grandma Cleo's Pecan Cookies

We made a book for my mother-in-law about her life (she's 97 and will probably out-live us).  It included memories from her children and grandchildren, pictures, some of her funny jokes and her delicious cookie recipe.  I thought I would share this recipe with you.  It really is a delicious cookie--you can't eat just one! 

Grandma Cleo's Pecan Cookies

2 cups self-rising flour
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 cups finely chopped pecans
1 stick butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs, beaten

Melt butter and stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Add flour and pecans.  Mix well.  Drop cookie dough by teaspoons ontp a greased cookie pan.  Bake at 350 for 8 - 10 minutes.

Carrot Souffle

Every week Publix has a food demonstration and tasting, and they give out the recipes.  A few weeks ago they had this carrot souffle.  It was delicious, so I made it for my family.  My family loved it and I think your family will too.

Carrot Souffle

1 pound fresh carrots
1/3 cup butter (I used only 1/4 cup)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut carrots into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Combine with butter and cover.  Microwave on HIGH for 8 - 10 minutes or until tender.

Process carrots in food processor with remaining ingredients.  (I used my blender.)  Put into a baking dish sprayed with Pam.  Bake for 30 - 40 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Let stand 5 minutes and serve.

Chicken Tacos with Mango-Avocado Salsa

My friend, Stephanie, found a great recipe in Cooking Light magazine.  She told me that it is so good that she makes it at least once a week.  As a matter of fact, she loves it so much she made it for me and my family to eat.  Man, it was good!  This will definitely be on my list of favorites, too.

Chicken Tacos with Mango-Avocado Salsa

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 cup diced peeled mango

1/2 cup diced peeled avocado

1/2 cup chopped tomato

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper

tortillas

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. 

Combine first 4 ingredients; stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Rub over chicken.  Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add chicken; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done.  Remove chicken from pan; let stand 5 minutes.  Cut into 1/4 inch thick slices.

While chicken cooks, combine mango, avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and jalapeno; stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Heat tortillas according to package directions; top with chicken and mango avocado salsa. oon paprika

Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta

I'm always up for trying something new.  I found a lemon chicken orzo recipe and decided to try it.  My family enjoyed it.  I think the next time I make it, I will add more chicken and more peas.  If you're up for trying something new, you're going to like this one.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta

1 (16 oz.) box Orzo pasta

4  chicken breasts, cubed

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 (8 oz.) package frozen peas, thawed slightly

Lemon Pepper seasoning

Salt to taste

Cook orzo pasta al dente, rinse in cold water and set aside.  Cook cubed chicken breast in skillet with a little olive oil over medium heat with lemon pepper seasoning until partially cooked.  Add onion and celery to chicken and continue to cook until chicken is done and juices run clear.  In large bowl, add chicken mixture to orzo pasta.  Add peas and mix thoroughly.  Add more lemon pepper seasoning and salt to taste.  Can be eaten warm or chilled. 

**It makes a lot, but the recipe said you could freeze half of it.  I'll never know because there is no chance of leftovers in my house!

Easy Cucumber Salad

When I was growing up, my mom used to always make a quick, easy cucumber salad that we loved.  She just sliced the cucumbers into a bowl.  Then she sliced an onion (sometimes I use red onion to give is more color) and added fresh chopped tomatoes.  Finally she poured Italian salad dressing on top, tossed and served.  I make this quite often, especially when I don't have enough time to make my Cucumber Cooler.  My family loves cucumbers no matter how they are served.