Wheat Berry and Arugula Salad

OK, OK I know I"m kind of on a roll here with salads but I had my left over Arugula so I thought I would make this. This is definitely one of the better things I've made in our marriage. A tad laborious but definitely worth the mix of flavors and textures. The recipe I made did not call for feta like what's pictured here but I bet it would have been great with some feta or bleu cheese crumbles in it. I hadn't planned on Beau eating any because he doesn't like a lot of the stuff in the salad but he had some and loved it!

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 1 cup orange juice (from about 2-3 oranges) - I used pulpy orange juice
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp. water
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp. agave nectar (or honey or sugar)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

For the salad:

• 1 cup wheat berries, uncooked
• 1/2 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
• 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained, patted dry, and chopped
• 2 oz. kalamata olives, sliced
• black pepper, to taste
• 8 oz. baby arugula
• garnish with green onions if desired

Instructions

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot with a 1/2 tsp. salt. Once the water is boiling, stir in wheat berries and partially cover. Cook for one hour, stirring often, until wheat berries are tender but chewy.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the dressing by simmering the orange juice in a small sauce pan until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 15 minutes. Pour reduced orange juice into a small bowl and cool in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes. Whisk together the cooled orange juice reduction with the cilantro, lime juice, water, oil, agave nectar, cumin, garlic, salt, paprika and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
3. To assemble the salad, toss the chickpeas, red peppers, olives, and wheat berries in a medium bowl with half of the dressing. Salt and pepper to taste. In a separate bowl, toss arugula with remaining dressing. Divide among 4 plates and top each with 1 cup of the wheat berry mixture. If you are making it ahead of time or plan on having leftovers the next day, do not toss the arugula with the dressing ahead of time. Simply pour the dressing on top of arugula right before serving.

Asparagus, White bean, Arugula Salad

Vegan Recipe I"m posting for my own records since I know the the Jewkes' are picky picky eaters! Fast, really yummy, worth a try if you're trying to get all you vitamins and nutrients and cut the processed stuff out.

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium red onion, sliced 1/8 inch thick (about 1 cup)
• 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed of tough ends and cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
• 1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar, plus 2 tsp.
• 14 oz. arugula (1 large bunch), washed, dried, and stemmed (about 6 cups lightly packed)

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in nonstick skillet over high heat until it just begins to smoke; stir in onion and cook until beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add asparagus, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper; cook until asparagus is browned and tender-crisp, about 4 minutes, stirring often. Off heat, stir in beans; transfer to large plate and let cool 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk remaining 3 tbsp. oil, vinegar, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper in medium bowl until combined. In large bowl, toss arugula with 2 tbsp. dressing and divide among salad plates. Toss asparagus mixture with remaining dressing, place a portion over arugula, and serve.

Enchilada Casserole

pic and recipe courtesy of jamiecooksitup.net

This sounded so good to me and it was DELICIOUS! I was surprised at how yummy it was. I am DEFINITELY making it again. Even my husband asked for seconds and my three year old ate it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion, chopped (I used minced dried onions)
1 T minced garlic
salt and pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can Mexican stewed tomatoes
3 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 1/2 T taco seasoning
1 t lime juice
1/2 C sour cream
1 T butter
9 flour tortillas
3-4 C cheddar cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS:
Brown beef with onions and garlic. Season with S&P. Add tomatoes and chilies and beans. Then add seasoning. Incorporate. Then add butter and sour cream and lime juice. Bring to a low boil. Spray the bottom of a 9x13. Spoon 1/3 of meat sauce into pan. Layer three tortillas, slightly overlapping. Add another layer of meat then top with cheddar cheese. Then tortillas, then meat, then cheese. Cook at 350, covered for about 45 minutes. (I accidentally cooked mine uncovered and it was done in 30 minutes and it was slightly crispy and DELICIOUS!). I topped mine with tortilla chips.





Ham and Cheese Pretzel Bites

pic and recipe from seededatthetable.com

This recipe is a MAJOR crowd pleaser and MAJOR man food. This has taken me forever to post and I apologize but it really says something about this recipe becaise I am still thinking about these babies! YUM! They were a little labor-intense but SO worth it. I made these for New Years Eve, where traditionally we just eat heavy appetizers for dinner.

Ham and Cheese Pretzel Bites

INGREDIENTS:

1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast (or instant yeast)

2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar, divided

1/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees F)

1 cup warm milk (110-115 degrees F)

2 1/2 to 3 cups flour

1/2 cup finely chopped ham (about 3 ounces)

1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice (I used cheddar)

6 cups water

4 teaspoons baking soda

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1-2 Tablespoons coarse salt

DIRECTIONS: Combine the yeast, 1 tsp brown sugar, and warm water in a large bowl. Set aside until foamy, 5-8 minutes. (If using the instant yeast, you can skip this step and just add it to the flour.) In another bowl, stir together the remaining 2 Tbsp brown sugar and warm milk until dissolved.

Add 2 1/2 cups flour and milk mixture to the yeast. Stir with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms. Add the remaining flour as needed. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times, forming a smooth ball.

Brush the inside of a large clean bowl with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm, draft free area for about 2 hours, until dough has doubled in size and bubbles appear on the surface.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Lightly dust your hands and rolling pin with flour. Roll one of the four sections into a 12×4-inch rectangle. With the long side facing you, gently press 1/4 of the ham and cheese into the bottom third of the dough, and roll as tightly as possible, starting with the end that has the filling. Cut into 12 1-inch pieces and transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining 3 portions of the dough.

Let rest, uncovered, at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400?F.

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the baking soda and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Boil pretzels in batches, cooking about 20 seconds each, turning once. They should be slightly puffed. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them back to the baking sheets.


Bake until puffed and golden-brown, about 15 minutes.

Brush warm pretzel bites with melted butter and sprinkle with salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.



White Chocolate Strawberry Pie

recipe and pic courtesy of Jamiecooksitup.net

Made this when I bought four pounds of strawberries from Costco. Needed to use them up and this was delicious! Its similar to a recipe we already have on here but its got a little twist with the white chocolate IN the mix and on top.

White Chocolate Strawberry Pie



CRUST:


1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs

5 T butter, melted

dash salt



FILLING:

12 ounces cream cheese, softened (1 1/2 packages)

2 C powdered sugar

1/2 C white chocolate chips (melted)

1 1/2 T orange juice (I used lemon juice)
2 C cool whip

dash of salt



TOPPING:

1 pound strawberries, sliced

3 T white chocolate chips


Directions: Make your graham cracker crust using a measuring cup to press to the edges of the pie pan. No need to cook it. In your mixer, place 12 oz of softened cream cheese and mix til smooth. Add powdered sugar and mix til combined. Add two cups of cool whip and juice (I used lemon juice) and melted white chocolate. Add a dash of salt and mix well.Pour over crust and smooth. Add on sliced strawberries.Melt three more tablespoons of white chocolate and drizzle over strawberries. ENJOY!

Bourbon Street Chicken

I'm making this for the second time! Its delicious!!! And easy! We add green beans at the end to get our vegetables in!

2 poundsboneless chicken breasts; cut into bite-size pieces

1 tablespoonolive oil; (1-2)

1 garlic clove; crushed

1/4 teaspoonginger

3/4 teaspooncrushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cupapple juice

1/3 cuplight brown sugar

2 tablespoonsketchup

1 tablespooncider vinegar

1/2 cupwater

1/3 cupsoy sauce

1 tablespooncornstarch; (if thick sauce desired)

Bourbon Chicken Preparation

Heat oil in a large skillet.

Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned.

Remove chicken.

Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium heat until well blended and dissolved.

Add chicken and bring to a hard boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered.

Serve over hot rice.

Notes

I also like to mix about 1 teaspoon of Sriracha sauce (found in the asian food section of the grocery store) in with the ketchup for additional heat. Do it if you like it spicey!

Slow-Cooker Coconut Ginger Chicken and Vegetables

Pic courtesy Simple Bites

I made this for dinner on Sunday. It was risky b/c we had the sister missionaries to dinner, but man oh man, it was worth it. It was SO yummy. Christian even loved it! It'll definitely be a repeat.

Slow-Cooker Coconut Ginger Chicken and Vegetables
adapted from Simple Bites 

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 inch cube of ginger (about 30 grams), roughly chopped
• 1 small sweet onion, peeled, quartered
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into four
• 2 cans coconut milk, not shaken
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup fresh or frozen vegetables of your choice (I used red pepper and carrots)

For the spice blend

• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander (I subbed caraway seed)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder (I added a little more than this.)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients from the spice blend together and set aside.
2. In a mini food processor, combine garlic, ginger and onion and pulse until it forms a paste.
3. In a saute pan, heat olive oil and melt butter. Add pureed aromatics and stir well. Cook for a few minutes, then add spice blend. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Move aromatics to one side of the pot and add chicken pieces to the pan. Cook chicken slightly on all sides, using a sturdy wooden spoon to move it around the pot. It should get thoroughly coated with the spice mixture. Transfer chicken and spices to slow cooker.
5. Open the cans of coconut milk and remove the cream from the top using a soup spoon. You should have about 1 cup. Pour the coconut milk over the chicken and with both cans, it should just barely cover the chicken.
6. Cook on low for 4 hours.
7. Whisk cornstarch with coconut cream until smooth and add to the chicken. Stir well. Add frozen or fresh vegetables of your choice. Cook for another half an hour or until you deem the chicken cooked and the vegetables hot.
8. Serve over hot rice.