Quick Delicious and Easy Vinaigrette

So you've got your salad all made, you go to get your dressing and "oh no" you're all out!  Why are you still buying salad dressing, when in 2 - 3 minutes and for about 30 cents you can have wonderfully freshly made vinaigrette?   I have several different types of salad dressing on my blog, (poppy seed, ranch, Oriental Salad, etc.).  But here's one that I make a lot, and it's so delicious.

 You will need:
white balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt
pepper
Italian seasoning
onion powder
garlic powder
Dijon mustard (I like to use honey Dijon)

You don't need any fancy containers, just a clean leftover jar will do.  And the great thing about this recipe is you don't need an extra bowl.

First I pour 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar into the jar.  (You can use whatever kind of vinegar you like, but I find the white balsamic vinegar has a much milder taste for this salad dressing).  Sometimes I will switch out and use honey wine vinegar and regular honey mustard, (boy, is that flavor ever good).

Next I add my spices:
1/2 teas salt
1/4 teas pepper
1/2 teas Italian seasoning
1/2 teas onion powder
1/2 teas garlic powder

Now, add 1 teas of Dijon mustard.  (You can use whatever kind of mustard you like, but I find that the honey Dijon mustard has a much more smoother taste for this dressing, and the honey add another layer of flavor.)  The mustard is the emulsifier that will hold everything together.

 Now, add 1/2 cup of olive oil.

 Put the lid on and give it a good shake to mix it all up.

And now you have your vinaigrette ready for the salad.

Give it a little taste, does it need a touch more salt, pepper, vinegar, (bring it to your taste level?).  If so add it.  Depending on your salad and your taste, this is where you can make a few changes.  This dressing will cling nicely to your salad and add such a fresh taste.  I haven't purchased salad dressing in so long, and I have saved a bundle.  Need some ideas?  Look up my other recipes.
Oriental Salad Dressing
Poppy Seed Dressing
Thousand Island Dressing
Ranch Dressing Mix
Creamy Italian Dressing

Remember, you can always mix it up a little differently, (add different spices, add fresh chopped spices when they are in season), and make it your own version.  This is just the base for the good things to come out of your kitchen.  Watch for more of my dressings to be posted.
Enjoy !!

Chai at home

We love to get chai, but it can get pretty expensive at the local Starbucks.  So, with some trial and error, I have finally found a way to make it at home.  This recipe makes 2 large cups, (or 3 small cups), and only take 5 minutes.

You will need:
1/2 cup water
1 tea bag, (such as orange pekoe, English breakfast or Darjeeling - I use Lipton)
3 Tabs. granulated sugar
2 Tabs. cocoa
pinch of salt
2 cups milk
1 teas vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cardamom

First bring you water to a boil, pour over the tea bag, (in a small saucepan).  Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.  (I just use the microwave to boil my water, it's much faster).

Remove the tea bag, add the cocoa, sugar, and salt.  Stir well.

You will notice that the mixture looks like a nice rich cocoa drink.

 Bring to a full boil over medium heat.  Let boil for about 1 minute.  You want to make sure to cook the cocoa and sugar, (so it's not bitter).

Turn the heat to low, and slowly add the milk.

Add the vanilla

 Stir well

 Add the spices, and stir well to incorporate.  Continue heating, but do NOT allow to boil.  Once all the spices have dissolved and mixture is completely heated, pour into mugs.

Note:  Because cardamom is so expensive, I don't buy a whole bottle, I just buy a few tablespoons at the bulk section of the grocery store whenever I need it.  A couple of weeks ago, as I was buying some a lady ask what I was making.  When I said chai, she said "that definitely smells like chai".

My husband likes his with marshmallows or whipped cream.  I just like mine plain.

It a good way to warm up on a cold day.

Enjoy.

Teriyaki Chicken in the Crock Pot

Here is an easy way to make Teriyaki Chicken in your crock pot, and this recipe will easily feed 6 with very few ingredients.

You will need:
1 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast, (or you can use chicken thighs)
1 Tabs. honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 Tabs. apple cider vinegar
1 teas. ground ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teas. ground black pepper
2 teas. corn starch
2 teas chicken stock

In the crock pot, add the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper.  Give these a good whisk to mix them together.

Note:  if you want a deeper flavor to your sauce, you can use molasses instead of honey.

Next add the chicken breast

Turn the chicken over a couple of times to coat the soy sauce mixture on the chicken.  You want it to have a good coating.  Cover the crock pot, and cook on low, about 3 to 4 hours, (until the chicken is cooked).

Every hour, give the chicken a turn to ensure even cooking in the soy sauce mixture.

It's been 3 1/2 hours and the chicken is browning nicely and the sauce has a nice rich ginger/garlic smell.  This is when I start cooking my rice and vegetables to serve with the chicken.


Note:  since I only need 2 teas of chicken stock later on to thicken my sauce, I set that amount aside in a small bowl, and use the rest of the stock, (with enough water), to cook my rice.  It adds nice flavor to the rice, but it's not necessary.

 Once your chicken is cooked completely, remove and set aside on a cutting board.  Notice the nice brown teriyaki coloring on the chicken.

When it has cooled a little, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.

Pour your teriyaki sauce from the crock pot into a small saucepan, and over medium heat, bring to a boil.

Into the small bowl that has your 2 teaspoons of chicken stock, add the 2 teaspoons of cornstarch and whisk together until combined.

Note:  If you want, you can substitute water for the chicken stock - then you don't have to open a new box or can.

Once the sauce is boiling, slowing add the cornstarch mixture, and stir in.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the sauce to thicken, (stirring occasionally), for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the chicken back to the empty crock pot.

Pour the thickened soy sauce over the chicken and stir to coat the chicken.

 Your chicken is now ready to serve over your cooked rice and vegetables.

And here is your meal, teriyaki chicken over rice with vegetables.  I chopped a couple of green onions and sprinkled them over the top and my supper is all ready to serve.  Very easy!

ENJOY !

Creamy Asparagus Soup

Spring is just around the corner, and that means fresh asparagus.  One of our local vendors has been selling asparagus for 99 cents a pound.

These were some real beauties.  It was quite a temptation not to fill my shopping cart to the brim.

I brought home 2 pounds, enough to have bacon wrapped asparagus for dinner one night and creamy asparagus soup another night.  Let's make some soup!  This recipe will make enough to feed 4 - 6 people, and takes about 30 minutes to make.   If you want to make it vegetarian it's an easy swap out with the broth.

You will need:
1 onion, chopped
2 Tabs. butter
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 pound of asparagus , (ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces)
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 teas dried thyme
1 cup water
1/2 teas white pepper, (or regular pepper if fine)
1 cup milk

In a dutch oven pot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the chopped onion and cook until it starts to wilt, (about 2 minutes).

Add the chopped garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the chicken stock   (NOTE:  if you want to make this vegetarian, just substitute vegetable stock for chicken stock).  Add 1 cup water.

Add the chopped asparagus.

Add the dried thyme and pepper, (I use white pepper, just so I don't have the black pepper flakes in my soup, but it's OK to use regular pepper).  Stir well, cover and cook until asparagus is tender, (about 15 minutes).

Remove from heat and using your immersion blender, puree until smooth.  (NOTE:  you can do this in a blender, but be very careful not to get burned, do it in small batches, then return soup back to the pot).

Your soup will be very thick and rich.

 Now add your milk.  (Note:  if you want to use canned evaporated milk, or cream for more richness you can, or you can even use skim milk to cut calories.)

Stir over low heat until thoroughly heated. Taste your soup for seasoning.  Does it need a little salt or more pepper.  And now your done!

 I like to serve a little dollop of sour cream on top, and I have some fresh homemade bread to go with my soup.

Give this a try, and let me know what you think.  It's a quick and easy soup to warm you on a cold night.

Enjoy!

Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookies

February is "Heart Healthy Month"!  And Oatmeal is a heart healthy food.  Oatmeal cookies are a long time favorite of kids and adults alike.  But, when they are filled with fats, they're not so heart healthy.  I have taken the ordinary oatmeal cookie and remade it more heart friendly, without losing the flavor.  This recipe will make 3 1/2 dozen good size cookies and you can make them in about 1 hour, (start to finish).
First preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  I like to line my cookie sheets with parchment paper, but it's not necessary, (this just helps with cleanup).

You will need:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 teas cinnamon
1/4 teas nutmeg
1/4 teas ginger
2 ripe bananas
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.  Whisk together.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the mashed bananas, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.  (I like to use a fork to break apart and mash up my brown sugar and get all the lumps out).

Beat the banana and sugars together for about 30 seconds on medium speed.

 Add the vanilla and eggs.  Beat just until combined.

Add in 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined.  Add in another 1/3 of flour mixture, and continue until combine, then add in final flour mixture and beat until all flour mixture is combined.

 Stir in the oats.

Stir in the dried cranberries.

NOTE:  if you want to add nuts at this point they will give your cookies an extra protein boost and taste yummy.  Try pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons unto NON greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.

Bake for 11 minutes, until cookies edges are golden.

 Let cool on wire rack for a couple of minutes.

 Once you can handle the cookies, remove from the cookie sheet and let the cookies cool on a wire rack.

OK - now for the "quality control check".  YUP - YUMMY, YUMMY, YUMMY !!  A nice soft cookie with good texture.

And of course you have to have a glass of ice cold milk with your cookies.

Give these a try, and you won't feel guilty about treating your family to an old fashion "good for you treat".

Enjoy.

Don't forget to check out the peanut butter- oatmeal cookies.