Author: Claire
Picnicking Pinwheel Sandwiches
These are great as an appetizer or snack! Simply mix, spread, top, roll, and slice, and you’ve got a bunch of tasty little sandwich morsels. Not to mention, they look fantastic on the plate!
PICKNICKING PINWHEEL SANDWICHES
What you’ll need:
7-10 whole wheat flour tortillas
1 package (8 oz.) reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 0.04 oz. packet of Ranch salad dressing mix
Sliced ham
Black olives, sliced
Cheddar cheese slices
Directions:
Mix together cream cheese and salad dressing mix. Spread a thin layer on each tortilla with a knife. Top each tortilla with a few black olives and two slices of ham. Add two slices of cheese. Roll tightly (see picture above) and chill for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, cut each roll-up into thin, bite-sized slices. Garnish with fruit or serve with salsa or Dijon mustard for dipping.
Mexican Chicken
Chicken Curry Divan
I found myself wanting to play around a bit with the traditional Chicken Divan- broccoli, chicken, cream of mushroom soup, etc. etc. Instead, I added cauliflower, made the sauce out of light mayo and sour cream, and threw in some mild curry powder. It turned out well! I think next time, however, I will mix the sauce into the chicken mixture before baking in order to have more of a uniform flavor in each bite. This is definitely an easy way to use up leftover rice, chicken, and veggies!
Ingredients:
2 cups broccoli/cauliflower florets, cooked and drained
2 chicken breasts
1 tsp seasoned salt
3/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp chicken bullion powder
1/2 tsp curry powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
2 tbsp bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups rice, cooked
In a medium saucepan, steam or boil broccoli and cauliflower until almost tender, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, saute mushrooms in butter with garlic powder until almost tender. Defrost chicken breasts (if needed) and sprinkle both sides with seasoned salt. Microwave on high for 4 minutes or until center is no longer pink. Dice into ~1/2″ cubes.
Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, curry powder, chicken bullion, and pepper. Add lemon juice and stir into mixture.
In a greased 9×9 baking dish, layer rice, broccoli, chicken and mushrooms. Spoon sauce on top. Spread evenly, or mix into vegetables. Top with cheese and bread crumbs.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes, until cheese gets bubbly and delicious-looking!
Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 lb butter (2 sticks)
1 cup water
4 tbsp cocoa powder
Frosting:
6 tbsp milk
5 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 12-cupcake pans, or line with cupcake liners.
Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat in sour cream and eggs. Set aside for later.
Melt the butter on low in a saucepan. Add water and cocoa. Bring mixture to a boil, then remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly, then stir butter and cocoa mixture into the flour mixture. Mix until blended.
Pour batter into prepared pan, filling about three-quarters of the way full. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cupcake comes out clean.
For icing: In a large saucepan, combine milk, 5 tablespoons cocoa and 1/2 cup butter. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, then the nuts. Mix until blended. Spread frosting over warm cake.
Makes 20-24 cupcakes.
Spicy Five-Ring Stew
Named in honor of the upcoming Summer Olympics, this is a pretty spicy stew I invented that has flavors from five different continents represented in the five Olympic rings- the Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa, and “Oceania.” Yes, I looked up the meaning of “Oceania” and discovered that it includes the islands of the Pacific Ocean and Australia.
So in this stew, we’ve got the following ingredients representing these nations:
Pinto beans- Americas
Tofu- Asia
Spinach- Europe
Sweet Potatoes- Africa
Rice- Oceania (…OK cut me a little slack on this one! Who knows what ‘Oceanian’ food is like anyway?)
Ingredients:
1 cube low sodium vegetable bullion
1 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 tsp corn starch
~1 tbsp teriyaki sauce
~1 tbsp honey
~ 1/8 tsp dried, crushed red pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 sweet potato, diced
1/8 cup raw onion, chopped
1 cup raw broccoli/cauliflower, chopped
1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup baby carrots, chopped
1/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup diced, firm tofu (1/2″ cubes)
1/4 cup cooked pinto beans
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp olive oil
Parmesan cheese, for serving
1/4 cup white or brown rice, cooked
Directions:
In a medium bowl, add water and bullion cube and stir until dissolved. Stir in corn starch, teriyaki sauce, honey, and crushed red pepper. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a baking dish, add chopped onion, sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil. Add garlic powder, garlic, and ginger. Mix together until evenly distributed throughout pan. Stick in the oven for 20 minutes or until broccoli and potatoes begin to brown.
Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in saucepan on high. Add tofu and cook on high for about 4 minutes, or until browned. Add broth mixture to saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add spinach and pinto beans and reduce heat to medium.
When vegetables in the oven are browned, add to saucepan and reduce heat to low. Continue to cook for three minutes to allow flavors of broth and vegetables to meld.
Remove from heat. Serve over rice and garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Claire Tastes 