Shelly's Chicken Fajitas

Mom here. Shelly made these fajitas last time I visited. They are so good and very easy. I made them for the missionaries, and they loved them, too. Shelly cuts her chicken up before marinating it, and that's the way I did it too. Easy, tasty, healthy--I rate them a 5/5.

INGREDIENTS

Marinade:
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 3-4 limes) (I often just use bottled lime juice)
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons apple cider or red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• ½ teaspoons chili powder
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
Fajitas:
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts (about 3 large chicken breasts)
• 1 yellow onion, cut into thin strips
• 1 green pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 red (or orange) pepper, cut into thin strips
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, quartered
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• ½ teaspoon fresh lime juice (a quick squeeze of a cut lime)(again I sometimes use bottled)
• dash of salt and pepper
• Soft-shell tacos, warmed. I used the raw ones from Costco and cooked them on a grill. They were delicious.

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Place chicken in a ziploc bag and pour the marinade ingredients over the top. Seal the bag and place in the refrigerator and let marinate for 2-3 hours.
2. After marinating, take chicken out of the bag and discard the marinade. Grill or broil the chicken 5-7 minutes per side . Remove from grill or pan and tent with foil to keep warm.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat and add the onion, mushrooms and peppers. Stir fry until softened but still crisp tender. Add soy sauce, water, lime juice and salt and pepper. Cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Slice chicken thinly on the diagonal and toss with the vegetables in the skillet. Serve immediately with flour tortillas and top with tomatoes, lettuce, guacamole, cheese, sour cream…the options are endless!

Thai Chicken Crunch Wrap

Thai Chicken Crunch Wrap

Submitted by: Ash

4/5 star

Makes: 2-3 wraps (We were able to make 6 smaller ones total so we could have leftovers for lunch and we still felt like each wrap was well loaded.)

The cucumbers (i.e. quick pickles) can be made several days in advance. All the other ingredients can be prepped ahead of time, too, making this a super easy throw-together lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 english cucumber, halved and cut into thin ribbons
• 1/3 cup light mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce
• 2-3 burrito-sized tortillas (white, wheat, spinach, or whatever you prefer. We love the unbaked tortillas so that's what we used)
• 4 leaves romaine or green lettuce
• 1-2 cups cooked, sliced chicken or turkey
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced or julienned carrots (1-2 large carrots)
• 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves

Directions

1. In a pie plate or other shallow dish, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and salt. Add the cucumbers, tossing to cover with the liquid. Let them stand for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients (they can be made several days in advance and covered in the refrigerator).
2. In a small bowl, combine the mayo and chili sauce. Spread a couple tablespoons evenly on the tortillas. Top with lettuce, chicken, cucumbers (lightly patting dry, if needed), carrots and cilantro (just eyeball the amounts for each tortilla depending on how many wraps you are making). Roll the tortilla up tightly like a burrito so the ends are enclosed. Serve immediately.

Creamy Beety Pasta

I had some extra beets left over from making our favorite beet pizza, so I thought I'd search out a new recipe.  This is what we ended up with, and it is quite tasty, healthy, and pretty!

4/5 Stars
Submitted by: Kelsey
Serving Size - Makes two large pasta bowls.
Cooking time - 15 minutes if the beets are cooked!

Ingredients:
2 cooked beets
1/2 chopped sweet onion (or white onion)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup Greek Yogurt (or plain yogurt.  Sour cream might work, too?)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp. agave syrup (if your balsamic is sweet, no need to add this.  A bit of sugar does the job, too.  Just get the bite out of the balsamic.)
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar


1 1/2 to 2 cups of pasta (rotini is good)
Handful of chopped spinach
Salt to taste
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
For the Sauce:
sauté onions, olive oil, tarragon, thyme, and garlic until onions are translucent; about 7 minutes.  Add the white wine vinegar and remove from heat.  Transfer to blender and add the remaining ingredients - cooked beets, Greek yogurt, balsamic vinegar, and agave syrup.  Blend until smooth.

While the onions are sautéing, heat the water for the pasta and cook the pasta per directions. 

Once pasta is done and the sauce is well blended, put the sauce and pasta into the sauté pan and mix together.  Let the mixture cook for a couple of minutes until the spinach wilts and season with salt to taste.  Add parmesan cheese as a topping when it is plated up.

Buttermilk Syrup

I got this recipe from my mother-in-law. And it's like trying homemade jam. Once you've tried homemade it's hard going back! It was hard to get a good picture. This is right after I made it. Hence the foam. (It makes more than this, just so you know : ))

5/5 Stars

Submitted by: Ashley

Melt 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter in saucepan

Add:

1 1/2 cups sugar (we usually add 3/4 to 1 cup instead and it's great!)

3/4 cups buttermilk

2 Tablespoons corn syrup (we use light. not that that probably does much : ))

1 teaspoon baking soda

Bring to a boil for 5 mins on medium. Remove from heat.

Add:

2 teaspoons Vanilla

We put leftovers in a container and place in freezer. It never completely freezes. I was distracted (imagine that!) while making it today and added the correct amount of sugar in. This was the first time having it with all the sugar it says to use. And I don't know if it's cause I'm use to the sugar cut in half but I like it better with less sugar.

Mom's Whole Wheat Waffles

My absolute favorite Waffle recipe! Mom makes this on Christmas morning topped with fruit and whipped cream. Or you can top it with McKay's Mom's awesome Buttermilk Syrup (post above). I also love making enough to freeze then grab them out when needed. When they have been frozen we microwave them for like 15-20 sec then pop them into the toaster. Brin loves them as snacks!
It makes about 8 waffles.
 5/5 Stars
Submitted by: Ashley

Put 1 cup + 1 tablespoon whole wheat (the actual whole wheat berry right out of the food storage bucket, not yet ground into flour) and 1 1/2 cups milk into blender and blend for 4-6 minutes.
Add:
2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1 tsp soda
1/2 cup oil (or can sub apple sauce in)
1 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
1/2 tea salt

mix well, cook in waffle iron or as pancakes (makes very thin batter).

Maple Salmon

 

Here's the recipe for our family favorite Maple Salmon
It's from allrecipes.com
It's definitely 5 stars
Submitted by Chris

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

1/4 cup maple syrup                                                         

2 tablespoons soy sauce                                                    

1 clove garlic, minced                                                    

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt                                                    

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper                                                    

1 pound salmon                                                                     

        

     

Preheat over to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.

Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish, and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once.

Place the baking dish in the preheated oven, and bake salmon uncovered 20 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork

Pecan Crunch Salmon

Submitted by Chris
5 stars
Ashley pointed out that neither of her favorite salmon recipes is on this website so I told her I'd make them and take a picture. This recipe is from allrecipes.com and is one of my favorites. It definitely tastes better than if photographs!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons butter, melted 5 teaspoons honey 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

3 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley 6 (4 ounce) fillets salmon salt and pepper to taste 6 lemon wedges

Directions:

1.	Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small bowl, mix together the mustard, butter, and honey. In another bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, pecans, and parsley.
2.	Season each salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with mustard-honey mixture. Cover the top of each fillet with bread crumb mixture.
3.	Bake for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at thickest part, or until salmon just flakes when tested with a fork. Serve garnished with lemon wedges.