Recipes From Hale

Fajita Seasoning Mix

2011-03-23T17:31:00.003-04:00

This is another recipe that I don't want to lose!
Last night I got everything ready to make fajitas for dinner (thawed frozen chicken, cut up onions and bell peppers, you know...EVERYTHING) when I realized that I didn't have any of the fajita seasoning packets from the grocery store. Not wanting to load all the kids in the van and then lug them to the store, I just did an internet search for a seasoning recipe. I found this one, and it was delicious!

FAJITA SEASONING MIX:
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (I used 1/4 tsp and Aaron thought it could use some more heat)
1/4 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. sugar
1 chicken bullion cube, crushed

To make the fajitas, heat 1 TBS oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 pound chicken or beef (I seasoned my chicken with garlic salt before cooking), and cook completely and drain excess fat. Add 1/2 cup water and 2-3 tsp. fajita seasoning mix (I used 3 tsp., plus some extra cumin- because I really like the flavor). Add one bell pepper, cut into strips, and one onion, cut into thin strips, cooking 2-3 minutes until veggies are crisp-tender. Serve with your family's favorite toppings!
If you want to visit the site that this recipe came from, the link is: http://cookingtipoftheday.blogspot.com/2009/05/recipe-fajita-seasoning.html
They suggest making it in large batches so it is always on hand, and I think I am going to do just that!

Orange Rolls (EASY)

2009-09-13T20:44:00.004-04:00

I kid you not these are super easy! Seriously, they taste just as good as the homemade stuff, actually I think I like these better. Go make them and find out for yourself. I promise you wont be disappointed.

12 Rhodes dinner rolls, thawed, but still cold.
1 orange rind, grated
½ c. sugar
¼ c. butter, melted

Citrus glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tbsp. butter, melted
3 tbsp. orange juice
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Mix grated orange rind with sugar. Roll each roll in melted butter and then in rind/sugar mixture. Place on baking sheet sprayed with non- stick cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and let double in size. Remove wrap. Bake at 350 , 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan and place on cooling rack. Brush with citrus glaze while still warm.

Pancakes From Scratch

2009-09-13T20:39:00.002-04:00

Megan had a pancake night at her house, and these pancakes are so fluffy. Kathy and janae make these for some boys at college and they'll be sure to come back for more:)!

1 1/2 cup white or whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 milk (I do Vanilla Soy Milk)
3 tbsp. butter

Sift flour, mix and sift all dry ingredients. Beat eggs, add milk and butter. Mix liquid with dry ingredients slowly so there will be no lumps.

Scooby Snacks

2009-09-13T20:34:00.004-04:00

My friend Megan just sent me a few of her recipes that I requested from her. Anything I taste of Megan's is always delicious, and the recipes are usually pretty simple. I am posting on here so, because it's such easy access, and to share with you ladies!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal or Kellogg's® Cocoa Krispies™ cereal
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup butterscotch chips

DIRECTIONS
Place corn syrup and sugar into 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter. Mix well. Add Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal. Stir until well coated. Press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside.
Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over cereal mixture. Let stand until firm. Cut into 2 x 1-inch bars when cool.

Watermelon Salsa

2009-09-11T15:44:00.005-04:00

I can not ever find this recipe when I want to make it. So, I will put it here so it can live on forever!

2 cups finely chopped, seeded watermelon
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno, minced
2 TBS minced red onion
2 TBS chopped cilantro
1 TBS chopped parsley
1/8 tsp gingerroot (I use the powdered stuff you can get in the spice section of your grocery store)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix gently. Let stand 30 minutes to blend flavors. (Adjust salt and pepper to taste.)

Cafe Rio Burritos

2009-09-04T10:29:00.003-04:00

Ingredients

1 lb. Long grain rice
1 bunch Cilantro, chopped
2 Limes (just the juice)
3 cloves Garlic
4 cups Water
1 Packet Hidden Valley Ranch
1 cup Buttermilk
3 Tomatillos (chopped up)
2 cloves Garlic
1 cup Fresh Cilantro
1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
Lime juice
5-6 pounds Pork tenderloin
1 16-oz Jar salsa
1 can Coke (regular, not diet)
2 c Brown sugar

Preparation:

These burritos have three main parts: the rice, the pork and the dressing.

The first 5 ingredients are for the rice. To prepare add teaspoon of oil in skillet. Add rice and cilantro and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes. Put mixture into rice cooker and add 4 cups of water and lime juice. Turn on rice cooker!

From the ranch packet to the lime juice is the dressing. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend.

Place the pork tenderloin(s) in a crock pot. Fill with water just until the top of the pork is covered. Cook on high, 5 1/2 hours. Carefully remove the pork from the pot and empty the water, then rinse and dry the pot. Shred the pork and put it back into the crock pot. Add all the other ingredients and cook another 3 1/2 hours on high.

Add black beans, monterey jack cheese, and La Victoria Green taco sauce and large tortillas (uncooked tortillas from costco are the best with it) and you're set!

Chicken Pasta Salad

2009-07-20T18:53:00.005-04:00

Fun in the Sun
(Chicken Pasta Salad)

Ingredients
• One box tri-colored rotini
• One 16 oz bottle Ken's Lite Northern Italian with Basil and Romano salad dressing
• 1 pound grilled chicken strips
• 2 carrots chopped
• 1 fresh tomato, cut up
• fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup black olives
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Few shakes Parmesan cheese

Instructions
Cook rotini until done. Rinse pasta in cold water. Mix pasta in a big bowl with salad dressing, grilled chicken strips, carrots, fresh tomatoes, fresh parsley, black olives, salt and pepper. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Notes: This recipe is extra quick and easy! You can easily cut up the vegetables in the amount of time it takes the pasta to cook, and once everything is mixed, you're ready to munch!

Number of Servings: 6-10

Taco Pie

2009-07-14T18:27:00.004-04:00

I am having one of those days (you know what I am talking about if you are the person in charge of making dinner). I need to go to the grocery store. I don't have anything planned for tonight. I am missing at least one major ingredient for all my good ole' stand by recipes. So, I went to allrecipes.com and found this recipe for taco pie. I changed mine quite a bit from the original recipe, so I will put my changes in parenthesis.

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls
1 pound ground beef (I used chicken)
1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream (since we only had about 10 ounces of sour cream, I just used 8 ounces so I would have some to garnish my plate)
( 1 {7 3/4 ounce} can El Pato Jalapeno Salsa)
8 ounces shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
1 (14.5 ounce) package crushed tortilla chips (I didn't really measure this. I just threw some on the top. Lots of people who reviewed the recipe on the web site said it was too salty, so I cut back here. I think I used 1-2 cups total.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Lay crescent dough flat on the bottom of a square cake pan (I used a glass 13x9 inch pan-some reviewers said to spray a little cooking spray before putting the crescent rolls down) and bake according to package directions. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the taco seasoning and stir together well. When dough is done, remove from oven. ( I layered in this order: rolls, some of the cheese, the meat, sour cream mixed with salsa, crushed chips, then cheese.) Return to oven and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

This was a really good recipe. The El Pato is pretty spicy, so you could sub 8 ounces of your favorite salsa (or none at all) for that. I topped mine with some shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and more sour cream. Overall, it was a pretty yummy dish!

This recipe is also not very diet friendly. It has a lot of calories and sodium. If you want to lighten it up, you could use reduced fat crescent rolls, light sour cream, and low fat cheese.

Broccoli Chicken Casserole

2009-07-10T11:13:00.002-04:00

I made this one night while Ammon, Jillian and their kids were visiting. We all ate, were full, and had a few leftovers for lunch the next day.

Ingredients:
6-8 cooked chicken breasts, cubed or shredded
2 cups cooked rice
1 bunch steamed broccoli or 1 box frozen (I bought a bag of broccoli florets, steamed them and chopped them up a little since I don't like huge pieces of broccoli)
2 cans cream of something soup (chicken, mushroom, celery)
1 8 ounce container sour cream
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. (Everything is already cooked so it doesn't have to bake long, unless it has been frozen.)