5/15/2014

This is so good! I made it last week and was shocked at how much it resembles deli meat from the store. HOMEMADE DELI MEAT- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or approx. 1 pound of total meat) (450 g) 4 teaspoons pure maple syrup (20 ml) 1 tablespoon kosher salt (15 ml) 1 tablespoon dried herbs or spices (optional) (15 ml) Instructions: Put the syrup, salt and any seasonings that you like in a sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken breasts and rub the syrup and salt into the meat. Release as much air as possible, seal the bag and refrigerate for 48 hours, turning the chicken breasts occasionally. Rinse the chicken off with water then soak in a bowl of cold water for 1 hour. This removes excessive saltiness. Preheat the oven to 250 ºF (120 ºC) Pat the chicken dry. Pound the breasts into thin even slabs. Roll each slab up and tie it with twine. (Pounding and rolling the meat isn’t entirely necessary but it helps the meat cook evenly and allows you to slice the meat in even rounds after it’s cooked.) Place the rolled breasts on a parchment lined or well-oiled baking pan. Bake for 1 hour or until the meat temperature is 165 ºF. (74 ºC) Remove the twine and let the meat cool completely in the refrigerator before slicing

Crockpot Beef Soup: at least 1lb of beef cubes (depending on how many you are feeding), 2 cans of beef broth, zucchini, mushrooms, cabbage, carrots; throw it all in the crock pot and cook 5-6 hours. I don't measure the amount of veggies...just chop them up and throw it in :)

Crockpot Mexican two bean Chicken chili- (I know- but we still eat beans in our house) We love this because Ben and I eat it as a chili and the kids like to eat it on a tortilla- In a large crockpot I put about 4 large frozen chicken breasts, 1 med. zuccini chopped, 1 can of black beans drained, 1 can of pinto beans drained, 1 can of corn, 2 can of chicken broth (14.5 oz. each) 1 jar of chunky salsa, 1 can of 8 oz. tomato sauce, 1 garlic clove pressed and 1.5-2 tbsp. chili powder. Cook in crockpot on low for 5-6 hrs and then shred chicken. YUMMERS!

Spaghetti Sauce 1 1/2C chopped onion, 1/4c olive oil, 2(1lb 12oz) cans whole tomatoes, 3 (6oz) cans tomato paste, 2tbasil, 1tsugar, salt and pepper to taste, 3 or 4 lbs of Italian Sausage (Casings off, crumbled) 1lb of gr turkey or beef. In a pot heat onions and garlic till clear. Brown the meat in another pan then add to the pot with the onion and garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for 2 or 3 hours. It makes a big batch so I freeze some. Jeff and I eat it over spaghetti squash and the kids like good old fashioned pasta.

CREAMLESS CAULIFLOWER CLAM CHOWDER WITH BACON AND LEEKS Serves 6-8 INGREDIENTS Four 6.5 oz cans of chopped or baby clams packed in clam juice (not packed in water) 16 oz bottled clam juice 1.5 cups chopped leeks 1 head cauliflower (about 1.25 lbs), cut into florets Four slices thick-cut bacon, chopped into 1/4" pieces 1 cup water 1/4 tsp dried thyme 2 Tbs fresh minced parsley leaves Salt and pepper to taste DIRECTIONS In a large soup pot, cook the bacon over medium-low heat until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain all but a teaspoon of grease. Increase heat to medium and add the leeks. Saute for a couple of minutes or until soft. Remove about 2/3 of the leeks and reserve for later, leaving the remaining third in the pot. Stir in the cauliflower, then add the clam juice, juice from the canned clams (but not the clams themselves), water, and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until the cauliflower is quite soft, about 30 minutes. The cauliflower should be soft enough to mash with a fork. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. You can alternately transfer everything to a blender in batches but an immersion blender is much easier! Stir in the clams, leeks, bacon, and parsley. Simmer for a couple minutes to let flavors meld. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I like LOTS of pepper but very little salt since the clams, clam juice, and bacon are quite salty). Serve!

Mrgarita chicken salad is so good! marinated grilled chicken, corn, black bean ( to who is not too strict), black bean salsa,fresh field green, chopped cilantro, avocado sliced and drizzle of margarita sauce. enjoy it!