Grilled Chicken Pineapple Salad and Balsamic Dijon Dressing

Salad Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 4 tbsp olive oil
  
• 4 slices of fresh pineapple
  
• Baby spinach
  
• Cherry tomatoes
  
• Strawberries
  
• Blackberries
  
• Red onion
• Red pepper
• Olives, Optional

Method:

Toss all the above ingredients together in a Ziploc bag and marinate chicken for about a half hour before cooking completely on the grill. At the same time you can grill pineapple. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving along with the grilled pineapple on a salad made from baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, strawberries, blackberries, red onion, red pepper and olives.

Dressing Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  
• Salt and pepper to season

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a container with a tight sealing lid and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Lattice-Top Ham and Swiss Quiche

Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked 9" deep dish pie shell
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided
  
• 1 cup finely chopped, cooked ham
  
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
• 3 large eggs
  
• ¼ cup flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 ready-made frozen pie crust, thawed

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle ½ of the cheese, ham and green onions into the pie shell. Whisk together evaporated milk, eggs, flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Pour mixture into pie shell and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cut pastry into ½ inch wide strips. Lay pastry strips over filling in lattice fashion, turning pastry over outside edge of dish. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

April Fools Day Food...

Since it's April Fools day, why not make a main dish for dessert, and have a dessert for a main dish?

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Spaghetti and Meatball Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 Yellow or White Cake Mix
• 4 Large eggs
  
• Oil called for on cake mix box
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1-2 Tubs White frosting
• Yellow Food Coloring
• 15 oz. jar low-sugar strawberry jam (better color in low-sugar jam)
• 1 bar white chocolate (3 oz. or so)
• 12 - 24 pieces Ferrero Rocher candy
• 2 zip-lock bags (large, freezer-quality)

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, water and buttermilk. Beat with a hand mixer 2 minutes. Prepare cupcake pan by lining with yellow or white cupcake paper liners. Pour batter into cupcake liners until 2/3 way full. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and completely cool. Tint white frosting a "pasta" color by adding 2-3 drops of yellow food coloring. Spoon frosting into freezer bags, seal and snip a VERY small corner off and push frosting through snipped hole. When cupcakes are cool, drizzle frosting in a random pattern to resemble pasta. Place 1 chocolate candy on each cupcake to look like a meat ball and spoon a little strawberry jam over the meatball to mimic spaghetti sauce. Keep cool until ready to serve.

"Fauxberry" Meat Pie

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon dark, molasses
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2/3 cup bread crumbs
• 1 1/4 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 egg, lightly beaten (Large AA 18 ct. $1.89)
• 2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
  
• Salt
• 1/4 cup canned sliced beets (not pickled)
• 1/4 cup (or more) warm milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces (
• Piecrust

Method:

Heat the oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, combine the barbecue sauce, milk, molasses, cocoa, and chili powder. Set the pan over medium heat and whisk the mixture until it is lukewarm and the cocoa is completely dissolved. Set it aside to cool. Sauté the onions in the tablespoon of canola oil until they are transparent, about 7 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the salt, celery salt, pepper, and bread crumbs. Then add the beef, egg, sauce mixture, and onion. Thoroughly mix the ingredients using your hands or a wooden spoon. Remove the pie shell from the freezer. Transfer the meat to the shell, spreading it evenly with a spoon. Bake it until the meat is cooked through, about 60 minutes. While the pie is baking, prepare the mashed potato topping. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough water to completely submerge them. Salt the water lightly, cover the pot, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook the potatoes at a low boil until they are tender, about 12 minutes. While the potatoes cook, puree the beets and 1/4 cup warm milk in a blender until only small bits of beet are left in the mixture. Set aside. Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and pureed beets and, using an electric mixer, whip the mixture until it's smooth and fluffy. Add more milk if needed and salt to taste. Spread the whipped potatoes over the top of the cooked meat pie with a spatula, as you would whipped cream, mounding it slightly in the center. Slice and serve the pie while the potatoes are still hot. Makes 8 servings.

Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle

Ingredients:

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tub (12 oz) Cool Whip, thawed
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 angel food cake, torn into bite-size pieces
• 2 bags frozen strawberries
• fresh strawberries, sliced
  

Method:

1. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until fluffy; add sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and the almond extract; set aside.

2. Fold the cool whip into the cream cheese mixture.

3. Gently stir in cake pieces; set aside.

4. Combine strawberries and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

5. Layer in a large glass bowl, starting with 1/4 of the strawberries, then adding 1/3 of the cake mixture.

6. Continue layering; finish with strawberries.

7. Cover with plastic wrap; and chill several hours.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Chicken Tarragon with Cheese Sauce

If you fast forward to the 3 minutes 50 seconds mark on this video, it will be me making the recipe below. That first part of the video is me talking about sale items at Macey's grocery store (in Utah) this week. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 4 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  
• ¼ cup finely chopped green onions
• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
  
• ½ cup whipped cream cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons coarse black pepper
• 1 package (9 oz.) refrigerated Linguine noodles
  

Method:

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm. Add onions to skillet and stir, scraping to get the brown chicken bits off the bottom of the pan. Whisk in evaporated milk, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, tarragon, salt and pepper. Cook, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens. Stir in chicken and heat through. Prepare pasta according to package directions, pour sauce over pasta and serve immediately

Cafe Rio Copy-Cat Recipes

Sweet Pork

Ingredients:

• 1 (3-5 lb.) sirloin or boneless pork loin roast
• 1 cup medium or hot salsa (don't use mild--not enough flavor)
  
• 1 cup packed brown sugar

Method:

Place ingredients in a greased 3 ½ - 5 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat 8-10 hours. Shred pork with a fork or potato masher before serving. Use meat in salads, burritos, or tacos.

Cilantro-Lime Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked converted white rice
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated lime peel (zest)
  
• 1 can (15 ounces) chicken broth
• ¼ cup water
• 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 Tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro

Method:

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, lime zest, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, combine lime juice, sugar, and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice. Serve warm.

Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sour cream
  
• 1 envelope Ranch Salad Dressing
• ½ envelope Fiesta Ranch Salad Dressing
• 6 tomatillos, husked and cut in half
  
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Juice from 2 freshly squeezed limes
• ¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour over pork and rice in a salad, or use as a dip for tortilla chips. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week.

Yummy Valentines Day Goodies...

Mini - Strawberry Ribbon Cakes

Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25-ounce) white cake mix
  
• 1 1/4 cups white cran-strawberry juice
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 egg whites

Glaze:

• 6 tablespoons strawberry preserves
  
• 1/8 teaspoon red food color
• 1/2 cup strawberry preserves
  
• 1 tablespoon white cran-strawberry juice
• 1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract

• Cool Whip, if desired
• Fresh Mint Leaves, as a garnish if desired

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray mini bundt pan with cooking spray and set aside. Using a rubber spatula gently combine cake mix, juice, oil, and egg whites in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Remove 1 cup of batter and transfer to a small bowl. In the removed batter bowl, stir in raspberry preserves and food color and mix until well combined. Pour half of white cake batter into prepared mini bundt pans. Top with raspberry cake batter. Pour over the remaining half of white cake batter. Bake in preheated oven for 38 to 40 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Remove and cool completely.

Combine all glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and heat through over medium heat until syrupy. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Strawberry Fruit Salsa

Ingredients:

• 2 kiwis, peeled and diced
• 2 apples - peeled, cored and diced
  
• 8 ounces raspberries
• 1 pound strawberries
  
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons strawberry preserves
  
• 10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• Butter flavored cooking spray
• 2 cups cinnamon sugar

Method:

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray. Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

Cinnamon Cherry Buns

Ingredients:

• 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
  
• 1 tube refrigerated cinnamon rolls
  

Method:

Spread pie filling into a greased 8-in. square baking dish. set aside icing from cinnamon rolls. Arrange rolls around edge of baking dish. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Cover and bake 10 minutes longer or until golden. Spread icing over rolls. Serve warm. Makes 8 servings.