BBQ Chicken Salad Puff Stackers

I have been haunting recipe blogs the last little while. Always on the look out for yummy and easy meals. This is one I found and I really thought it was yummy.

2 sheets thawed puff pastry, each sheet cut into 16 squares (I'm sure this is very delicious. For Health reasons I used Cibata rolls. These would also be delicious in croisants.)

Homemade BBQ Sauce
1 ¼ Cups ketchup
3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
4 Tablespoons worstershire sauce (I didn't have enough of this so I put some jarred BBQ sauce in)
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper (used to taste, this is a lot of pepper)
1 teaspoon honey
Pinch of salt

1 Rotisserie Chicken, shredded (I don't like how much fat a rotisseries chicken has so I roasted some chicken breasts. Pour a little olive oil over the chicken, salt and pepper to taste and bake in oven at 350 degrees. Only takes 15-20 minutes and the chicken is so tender. I prefer this method over boiling.)

4 Cups Baby Arugula, or salad of choice
4 Tablespoons prepared Ranch Dressing

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place squares 1 inch apart on a large baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until puffed and slightly golden.
2. Combine all BBQ Sauce ingredients into a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and stir in shredded chicken. Let simmer.
3. In a medium bowl, toss salad with ranch dressing. Spoon a bit of salad onto a puff pastry square then top with a spoonful of chicken. Top with another puff square and repeat layering. Serve warm. (You could also add some provolone and avocados if you want, that what I did.)
10 stackers

Southwest Corn and Chicken Soup

I tried this recipe the other day and I thought it was really yummy. It even got a 2 helping approvoal from John (that's how I know he really likes it).

3 fresh cobs of corn (I used a 2 bags of frozen corn, store didn't have fresh)
1 chicken breast
3 green onions, spring onions, shallots
1 banana pepper or red pepper
2 cloves garlic
3 T. Semolina Flour (used regular flour it worked just fine)
1 cup chicken stock (I'm not sure exact proportions I used but I used more to make it stretch)
1/2 cup half & half (I used 3 cups to make it stretch for my family)
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1 avocado, cut into small chunks
chips
cheese

Roast the chicken in a little olive oil and salt in a hot oven.Meanwhile shuck the corn and then slice the corn from the husks. Cut the pepper and green onions into a few pieces. Place all into a food processor. Add the garlic and flour. Blend altogether for a minute or two, until ground to a nice paste.Pour into a saucepan and add the stock and cream. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-20 minutes.At some point the chicken should have been done. Cut or shred it and add it to the soup at any point. Add the cilantro. In the mean time, lay some corn chips out onto a cookie sheet. Top with cheese and broil in the oven until toasted and melted -being careful not to burn.Place some chips in the bottom of the bowls. Top with soup and avocado and a few more chips and serve, garnished with more cilantro. Enjoy!

Aunt Mashelle's Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the cookies I took to our Girl's Night Out the other night. I halved the recipe.

Cream Together:

2 cups butter
2 cups Brown Sugar
2 cups White Sugar

Add eggs and vanilla. Mix

4 Eggs
2 tsps. Vanilla

In a separate bowl mix together:

6 Cups Flour
2 tsps. Baking Soda
2 tsps. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
(I also sometimes add 1/2 cup. coconut and 1/2 c. oats)

Add to other ingredients and mix. Stir in:
4 Cups Chocolate chips or 2 Large sympony bars cut unto chunks.

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until barely brown (in my oven it takes about 10 mins). They still look doughy on the inside.

Oven-Barbecued Pork Chops and Sautéed Kale

I got these recipes from Good Things Utah. This is a really easy, inexpensive, and healthy meal.

When I saw the recipe for Kale I wasn't so sure about it, but I thought I'd give it a try. It is a dark leafy green that when cooked doesn't loose it's bite. I want to say it tastes smiliar to spinach. Also like spinach, it has lots of good vitamins it it. Jared and I both liked the way it tasted. It's a great alternative if you're getting sick of the usual veggies you cook.

I also made some brown rice to go along with this meal.

OVEN-BARBECUED PORK CHOPS

Ingredients
6 Pork loin chops

Kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
olive oil
1 lg onion, diced
2 clove garlic, minced
2/3 cup orange juice
1 cup barbecue sauce

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Head a large ovenrproof skillet over high heat. Drizzle both sides of pork chops with olive oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Add the pork chops and cook until beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

3. Add about 1 teaspoon oil to the pan. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add orange juice and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in barbecue sauce. Return the pork chops to the pan, turning several times to coat with the sauce.

4. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Serve the sauce over the pork chops.

SAUTEED KALE

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 bunch Kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped (see Tip)

½ cup water

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 teaspoons balsamic, sherry, or red-wine vinegar

2 tablespoons bacon bits (make your own or store bought)

Salt and Pepper

Instructions
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add kale and cook, tossing with two large spoons, until bright green, about 1 minute. Add water, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Push kale to one side, pour out any remaining water. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Toss with vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste and top with bacon bits.

Tips
When preparing kale for these recipes, remove the tough ribs, chop or tear the kale as directed, then wash it--allowing some water to cling to the leaves. The moisture helps steam the kale during the first stages of cooking.