Stuffed French Toast

1/2 cup cream cheese (about 5 ounces)
2 tablespoons strawberry or apricot spreadable fruit
8 1-inch slices french bread (or texas toast)
2 egg whites
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon apple pie spice (or you could just use cinnamon)
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 cup strawberry or apricot spreadable fruit (I just bought the pie filling fruit)

1. In small bowl combine cream cheese and 2 tablespoons spreadable fruit. Using a serrated knife, form a pocket in each bread slice by making a horizontal cut halfway between the top and bottom of the crust edge, slicing not quite all the way through. Fill each pocket with about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture.

2. In a small bowl beat together egg whites, egg, milk, vanilla and apple pie spice. Lightly coat an unheated nonstick griddle with cooking spray. Heat griddle over medium heat.

3. Dip stuffed bread slices into egg mixture, turning to coat both sides. Place bread slices on hot griddle cooking about 3 minutes or until golden brown on both sides, turning once.

4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan heat the 1/2 cup spreadable fruit until melted, stirring frequently. Serve over french toast.

This was simple and tasty!!! And I topped it with powdered sugar.

Pasta with Ham-Mushroom Sauce

2 cups sliced fresh shiitake or button mushrooms
1 small red or green sweet pepper, cut into thin strips (I didn't use this)
1 medium onion, chopped (again I didn't use this)
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic (1 clove)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk (1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 ounces cooked ham, cut into thin bite-size strips
1 9 ounce package refrigerated fettuccine ( I just bought fetuccine noodles and made them regularly)
Finely shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

1. For sauce, in a large skillet cook mushrooms, sweet pepper, onion, and garlic in hot butter until tender. In a medium bowl combine evaporated milk, basil, cornstarch, and black pepper. Stir into vegetable mixture in skillet. Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Stir in ham. Remove from heat. (I made sure to heat enough for ham to be heated through)

2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Serve sauce over pasta. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

* I take all the pictures so you know what the meal really looks like and sometimes I don't think they look that great... But trust me it's delicious! I wouldn't post the recipe if I didn't think so!!

Poulet D' Artichoke

2 can artichoke hearts, drained
2 2/3 cups diced chicken breasts (about 4 chicken breasts; boiled)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise (when I made this it tasted really potent of mayo so I would use 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon curry
1 1/4 cup grated cheese (enough to cover)
1 1/4 cups bread crumbs, tossed with 2 tablespoons melted butter

Arrange artichoke hearts and chicken in 9 x 13 inch pan. Combine other ingredients, except the bread crumbs and cheese. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle cheese on top and then bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serves 8.

Beef and Cabbage Wraps

8 8-inch flour tortillas
12 ounces lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped red or green onion (again I don't eat onion so I don't use this)
2 cups packaged shredded cabbage with carrot (coleslaw mix)
1 cup loose-pack frozen whole kernel corn
1/4 cup bottled barbecue or hoisin sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1. Stack tortillas and wrap in foil. Heat in a 350*F oven for 10 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, for filling, in a large skillet cook ground beef and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Stir coleslaw mix and corn into meat mixture in skillet. Cover and cook about 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring once. Stir in the 1/4 cup barbecue or hoisin sauce and the sesame oil. Cook and stir until heated through.

2. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the filling below center of each tortilla. Fold bottom edge up and over filling. Fold opposite sides in, just until they meet. Roll up from the bottom. If desired, serve with additional barbecue or hoisin sauce.

* I love cheese on most things so I added some cheese on top of these as well.

Lemon Chicken with Asparagus

Okay so I had never had asparagus until I got married and tried a recipe that called for it and honestly I didn't like it... however, I tried the frozen boil in bag asparagus for this recipe and I definitely liked it alot better. If you know how to pick out fresh asparagus then props to you and you sure can use that but for those of you like me that had never tried it before I suggest the frozen ones!

Nonstick cooking spray
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 pound fresh asparagus (frozen boil in bag)
1 cup water (don't need with frozen asparagus)
1 10 3/4 ounce can condensed cream of chicken or cream of asparagus soup
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Hot cooked couscous (this is pretty similar to rice so if you don't want to try this you can just use rice)

1. Lightly coat an unheated large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Preheat over medium heat. Add chicken; cook in hot skillet for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender and no longer pink (170*F), turning once. Meanwhile, snap off and discard woody bases from asparagus. If desired, scrape off scales (with frozen skip to step 3.)

2. Remove chicken from skillet; cover and keep warm. In same skillet combine asparagus and the water. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer 3 to 5 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Drain.

3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine cream of chicken or asparagus soup, broth, and lemon juice. Cook and stir until heated through. Serve sauce with chicken, asparagus, and hot cooked couscous.

Cafe Rio Salad

So now that you've made tons of leftover meat from your Cafe Rio burrito's. Take it and make a delicious salad.

Flour Tortillas
leftover shredded pork/beef
lettuce or a bag of salad
tortilla strips
leftover rice and black/pinto beans
cheese (I used mozzarella)
cilantro dressing (recipe below)

Heat up flour tortillas they are best if they are crunchy so either put them in a skillet with some butter for a few minutes on each side or place in oven until they start to brown. Put all ingredients on top as if you were making the burrito (rice, beans, meat) then cover with lettuce or bag of salad, top with tortilla strips then cover with dressing and cheese as desired.

Cilantro Dressing

1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced (they look like green tomatoes, look by the peppers)
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (if you like it spicy keep the seeds in it, if you like it mild remove the seeds)
blend all ingredients together... and voila! The picture doesn't make it look that great, but trust me it's scrumptious!

Crock Pot Ham

This is delicious and the easiest thing in the world.

8 lb (or whatever size you can find) picnic ham (bone-in)
2 cups brown sugar

Place 1 1/2 cups brown sugar at the bottom of the crock pot, then place ham flat side down in crock pot covering with the other 1/2 cup brown sugar rubbing into meat. (No need to add water). Cover and cook for 6-8 hours depending on size. I served mine with a side salad. But would be great with any other dishes.

* If you have never tried ham with mustard try it. My husband loves dijion.

Cafe Rio Style Burrito

6 pounds pork butt/shoulder (I just use a Roast)
1 19 oz. can Red Enchilada Sauce
8 burrito style tortillas
1 can Dr. Pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tbsp. cilantro (I used the dried, but you can use fresh as well)
*toppings for burrito - black or pinto beans, rice, and any other wanted toppings. 

Put pork in crock pot with 1/2 cup water bake for 5 hours or until tender enough to shred. Pull the meat out and let cool for 30 minutes then shred. In separate bowl, mix the enchilada sauce, dr. pepper, salt, garlic salt, brown sugar and cilantro. Pour 1/2 of the mixture over the meat and mix. Put your toppings rice, beans, etc into tortillas and top with meat mixture fold burrito and place in casserole dish. Pour the remaining mixture plus about 1 lb of cheese over top and bake at 350 for 10 minutes or longer if desired. (until cheese is melted).

Balsamic & Garlic Pork Chops

4 boneless pork loin chops, cut 1/2 inch thick
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons bottled minced roasted garlic (or 2 cloves fresh)
1/2 cup bottled balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
1 tablespoon honey mustard

Trim fat from chops, sprinkle both sides with rosemary and salt pressing into surface of meat.

In large nonstick skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add chops; cook for 8 to 12 minutes or until done and juices run clear, turning once. Transfer chops to a serving platter. Cover and keep warm.

For sauce, in same skillet cook garlic in hot drippings for 30 seconds. Stir in balsamic salad dressing and honey mustard. Bring to boiling. Serve sauce over chops.

*I made white rice and used the sauce on top of both rice and chops.