Recipes

I like to make good food. Not often, but at least once a week! This category is just for that. Recipes that the Russ family likes to make, bake or cook (along w/helpful photos of the ingredients & process).

Eventually I’ll break it down into categories, like an online recipe box. Most will come from our parents or extended fam – the Bebb’s, Russ’s or Ebners, so it’s my desire to pass them on to the next generation.

Blackened Talapia

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This recipe was so good. We really enjoyed it tonight. Its not even that hot. It’d actually do more cayenne – like 3/4-1 tsp. I made the tarter sauce and served it with cous cous and creamed corn for the kids (their fish wasn’t blackened), and my side was a bunch of bell peppers & ranch.

For the future, I’d serve it w/something green: salad, sautéed whole green beans, roasted asparagus, fried okra… OR roasted baby carrots. That’d be good. And rice pilaf would be better instead of cous cous unless it’s the bigger pearly kind.

http://www.101cookingfortwo.com/oven-baked-blackened-tilapia/

Oven Blackened Tilapia from 101 Cooking For Two“Bursting with spicy goodness, everybody will love this easy recipe. This is now the current leader for recipe of the year and it is FISH.”

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Chicken Divan – my take on it

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Chicken Divan Recipe Collage

Basically, I thawed out 6 or 7 frozen chicken tenders in a bowl of cold water for 10min. in the sink. Then cut em up with scissors into a big pan – with heated olive oil, salt and pepper.  I boiled frozen broccoli in a saucepan for 6-8 minutes and drained well. – BOOM…1st 2 ingredients taken care of.

I preheated oven to 450, sprayed PAM into a 9×9 (you can use a 9″round pan) and spread the broccoli and then chicken chunks all over the dish.

For the cream sauce, I didn’t have cream of chicken, so I used what I had – Progresso Recipe Starters “Creamy Parmesan Basil” Cooking Sauce, and didn’t need to add the milk! I did however, add some mayo and of course, some curry. Perfecto – tangy, creamy and even a hint of basil.

I poured the sauce over the broccoli and chicken, & sprinkled Italian mix cheese over it all.

Lastly, I didn’t have bread crumbs! Soooo, I once heard you could make your own by blending up any bread. Yes, blending. So I took 2 hotdog buns, and plopped them into my blender til they were all crumby. Then put them in my toaster oven on the tray and let the crumbs get brown and toasty. Then in a bowl, I dumped the hotdog crumbs and added a little melted butter, salt and pepper. Bread Crumb mix was ready to sprinkle on top of it all.

Into the oven went the dish and because the oven was set so high, it only took 10 min.s before I checked on it and saw it was melted and bubbly. I let it cool for 5 minutes and served it up. The top had this thick crunchy, buttery yummness to it, that had Ricky and the kids going back for bite after bite…&  there was a little left for seconds for the hungry hubby. No left overs – which is GOOD in my snooty-booty family, cause as much as I try to not waste extra food and offer it later, they rarely agree to it. PFFFFTTTT!

Anyway, I’m lovin’ this because I got smiles and full tummies all the way around the table…and I think you will too.

Baked Potato Soup

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 Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients
  • 2   large baking potatoes (about 8 ounces each)
  • 6   tablespoons thinly sliced green onion (3)
  • 3   tablespoons butter
  • 3   tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2   teaspoons chives or 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1/4  teaspoon salt and black pepper
  • 4   cups milk
  • 1 1/4  cups shredded American cheese (5 ounces)
  • 4   slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled
1. Scrub potatoes with a vegetable brush; pat dry. Prick potatoes with a fork. Bake in a 425 degree F oven for 40 to 60 minutes or until tender; cool. Cut each potato lengthwise. Scoop out white portion of each potato. Break up any large pieces of potato. Discard potato skins.
2. In a large saucepan cook 3 tablespoons of the green onion in butter over medium heat until tender. Stir in flour, dill, salt, and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir for 12 to 15 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Add the potato and 1 cup of the cheese; stir until cheese melts.
3. Top each serving with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese, remaining 3 tablespoons green onion, and the bacon. Makes 5.5 cups.
nutrition information
Per Serving: cal. (kcal) 377, Fat, total (g) 23, chol. (mg) 67, sat. fat (g) 14, carb. (g) 26, fiber (g) 1, pro. (g) 17, vit. A (IU) 1020, vit. C (mg) 14, sodium (mg) 801, calcium (mg) 434, iron (mg) 1, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Chili-Peanut Pork Chops w/Baked Apples in <20min

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Chili-Peanut Pork Chops

credit to Better Homes and Gardens

Pork

 

Ingredients

1 cup dry-roasted peanuts
2 teaspoons chili powder
4  1/2 inch thick pork chops
2 tablespoons olive oil
*I added lime slices or wedges as a yummy interesting flavor that always pairs well with chili.
..Instead of the suggested cucumber and carrot salad side dish, I baked apples for 18 minutes in a 350 oven & then drizzled caramel dessert topping over them. Next time, I’d slice em up thin, then bake them.
  1. In food processor or by hand chop 3/4 cup of the peanuts. In shallow dish combine chopped nuts and chili powder. Press pork chops into nut mixture to coat.
  2. In 12-inch skillet cook pork in hot olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side of until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F.

*I had trouble with the temp reaching that high without waiting too long for fear of the outside edges burning, so I just took each chop and cut it in half lengthwise and there was plenty of peanut-y coating in the pan to coat all sides. To my giddy surprise, each piece was still tender – not tough or chewy…but it took a total of about 18 minutes instead of 10.

Still…Yay! Everyone loved this protein & flavor-packed dinner.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

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Chicken Enchilada Soup

(credit to: RealMomKitchen.com)

Ingredients

  • 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 14.5-ounce can diced (Rotel) tomatoes
  • 1 10-ounce package frozen whole kernel corn
  • ½ cup chopped sweet onion
  • ½ cup chopped red bell pepper (I used red, which is my favorite pepper)
  • 1 10-ounce can mild enchilada sauce
  • 1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
  • 1½ cups milk
  • 1 cup shredded Pepper jack cheese
  • 2 chicken breasts
  1. In a 3½ to 5 quart slow cooker, combine drained beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, and bell pepper. Place 2 chicken breasts on top of mixture.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together enchilada sauce and soup. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker.
  3. Cover; cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
  4. Remove chicken and cut or shred into bite sized pieces. Add chicken back into soup.
  5. Top with pepper jack cheese and serve. *Can also be topped with avocado, sour cream, or crushed tortilla chips.

Note:  if the soup is too thick for you, just add a little more milk after it’s all cooked.

Chelan’s Texas Toast Parfait

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So it’s not really a “parfait”-parfait and it’s not really French toast. But it’s yummy and has protein and the kids like it.

1 pc. Texas Toast (I lightly butter toast)
Reduced-sugar Apple Sauce (cover toast generously)
Cottage Cheese (or yogurt if prefer)
1/2 banana, thinly sliced
Top w/a light sprinkling of cinnamon sugar and a pillowy whipped cream hat.

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Tilapia Parmesan (from Mama’s Supper Club)

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This is a healthy, yummy meal!

Ingredients:

2 lbs tilapia fillets (or orange roughy, cod, red snapper)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (or lime)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
black pepper
1 dash hot pepper sauce (optional)

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish or jellyroll pan, lay fillets in single layer. Do not stack.
  • Brush top with juice.

photo (6)

  • In bowl combine cheese, butter, mayonnaise, onions and seasonings.

photo (7)

  • Mix well with fork
  • Bake fish in preheated oven 10 to 20 minutes or until fish just starts to flake.
  • Spread with cheese mixture and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutesphoto (8)
  • Baking time will depend on the thickness of the fish you use.
  • Watch fish closely so that it does not overcook. This dish was a BIG hit with my picky family, and can be served with rice pilaf, garlic sour dough bread if you like, and either sauteed asparagus or whole green beans.

photo (9)

photo (8) Talapia

  • Makes 4 servings. Note: This fish can also be made in a broiler. Broil 4 minutes or until almost done. Add cheese and broil another 2 to 3 minutes or until browned.

(from: http://www.food.com/recipe/mamas-supper-club-tilapia-parmesan-53914?oc=linkback)