Pass the Couscous!

I got this recipe from a filipino classmate. It is delish.

1 (5.8-ounce) box instant couscous
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 orange, juiced
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 lemon, juiced
3/4 cup almonds, toasted
Freshly ground pepper

Stir the couscous, cranberries, curry powder, salt, and sugar together in a heatproof bowl. Bring water (amount will be listed on package directions) to a boil and pour it over the couscous. Add the orange juice. Give it a big stir, cover the bowl tightly and let it stand, giving it a big stir once or twice, until the water is absorbed and the couscous is tender, about 5 minutes.

Fluff up the couscous with a fork. Add the olive oil, parsley, lemon juice, and almonds. Stir around until everything is distributed evenly throughout the couscous. Make up to 2 hours ahead of time and keep at room temperature until you're ready to serve. Check the seasonings just before you serve the salad and add salt and pepper, to taste.

Note: To toast the almonds, spread them out on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree F oven until they turn a shade darker, about 8 minutes or put in a dry pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes-watch closely to avoid burning...I have burned my nuts several times...rugh!

new potato salad and healthy(ish) onion rings

for our labor day celebration today, we tried out a couple new sides with our hamburgers. i liked them both. so now i am sharing them!

dijon potato salad

i usually dislike traditional potato salad. probably because i strongly dislike pickles (how un-american, i know!) so i'm always on the look-out for a decent alternative. i think i found it. i REALLY liked this one. it comes from everyday food magazine.

1 1/2 lbs red new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 C chopped fresh flat-leaved parsley

steam the potatoes. in a serving bowl, combine vinegar and dijon and season with the salt and pepper. add the hot potatoes, toss and then let cool. after it's at room temperature add the oil and parsley and toss. yum.

baked onion rings (also from everyday food magazine)

1 1/2 C cornflakes
1/2 C breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1/2 C low-fat buttermilk
1/4 C flour
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
1 sweet onion
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. preheat oven to 450. in a food processor, pulse cornflakes and breadcrumbs until fine crumbs form, then transfer to a medium bowl. in another medium bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, flour and cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper.

2. dip onion rings in egg mixture, then in the dry mixture. pour oil onto a rimmed baking sheet and stick it in the oven for 2 min to warm it up. then place the onion rings on the baking sheet. cook for 16 minutes, turning once.

Healthy Chicken Nuggets

I saw this on a blog ages ago and finally decided to try it now that the hubs is back in school and not home to tell me what he wants for dinner. Now I'm mad I waited so long! Baby girl ate 5 nuggets and was begging for more. Hubs came home and ate the entire rest of the batch. They really are good! I thought it was weird to use rice crispies, but it works! For some reason they don't let any of the juice out of the nugget so the inside is super tender while the outside is nice and crispy. Don't be afraid to use the fat free sour cream, it actually tastes great in the dipping sauce! Enjoy!

Healthy Chicken Nuggets with Creamy Dijon Dipping Sauce

1 ½ pounds chopped chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins

½ c flour

1 – 2 eggs slightly beaten

4 c crisp rice cereal

2 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

½ c reduced fat sour cream

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp honey

carrot and cucumber sticks for dipping

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the rice cereal in a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Pulse in the olive oil, salt and pepper. Place crumbs in a shallow bowl. In a second shallow bowl add the flour and in a third beat the eggs. Coat each piece of chicken in the flour first, shake off the excess, dredge the chicken in the egg next, and then press the chicken in the crumbs to help them stick. Place each piece on a baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until light golden brown and cooked through (turn once halfway through). Meanwhile, mix the sour cream, mustard, and honey. Serve the chicken nuggets with carrot and cucumber sticks with the sauce for dipping.

Delicious Pot Roast

Ingredients:
1. pot roast, pork or beef variety
2. dijon mustard.


Smear the mustard (about 4 tablespoons) across the top and bottom of the pot roast. Place the pot roast in a pan that does not lose moisture. Put tin foil across the pan under the lid if necessary. Place in oven and cook for 5 hours at 250 degrees. If desired add vegetables for last 2 and 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and let stand 20 minutes. Serve.

(I made this today and just left the oven on while we went to church. It turned out great and was ready to eat as soon as we got home. Wondeful.)

Best Chocolate Fondue Ever

This is a recipe I found here, after panicking when I realized I was out of chocolate chips and therefore couldn't do my usual shortcut method. It is delish.


1 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa
1/3 cup of water
1 cup of milk
1 can of condensed milk
1/4 cup of butter
1 teaspoon vanilla


Combine the sugar and cocoa in a medium saucepan. Add in the water and stir until completely blended. Turn to medium heat. Stir in both types of milk and the butter. Stir constantly until it begins to boil, and then stir while it lightly boils for about 10 minutes. (When I made this it took the full 10 minutes to thicken). Remove from heat. Add the vanilla.

Pour into a fondue pot to serve, or be awesome like us and dunk everything straight into the saucepan. This makes 3-4 cups!

A Different Sort of Salad...

We had this for lunch today. It's different, refreshing, and fun! Logan and Sophie ate so much I had to take it away. I think it's the corn chips.

Some of the ingredients look weird, I know, but trust me...it's fabulous!

Mexican Salad
1 large head lettuce chopped, romaine or iceberg
2 or 3 tomatoes chopped
1 bell pepper chopped
1 onion chopped
1 can kidney beans, rinsed well
1 bottle Catalina French dressing
1 ½ lbs grated cheddar cheese
1 large bag Frito Lay Corn Chips

Toss together the first 5 ingredients, cover and refrigerate until needed. Mix in the remaining ingredients when ready to serve.

Enjoy!

-Em

Funeral Potatoes

Here's a funeral potato recipe that we really like. I hope it works for you, Amy, and that you start feeling better soon!

Funeral Potatoes
32 oz pkg hashed browns
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 c sour cream
1 ½ Tbsp chopped green onions
1 c cheddar cheese

Put potatoes in a greased pan. Add soup, sour cream, onions, and cheese; mix well. Thin out with milk if needed. Bake covered in oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with Corn Flakes and 4 Tbsp butter if desired.