Easy Baked Home Fries

My kids love french fries, and let's be honest - don't we all? I've tried different home-made fries in the past. Usually fancy recipes calling for things like Parmesan cheese and garlic salt. But these always flopped. My little potato-haters just didn't fall for it. But then I decided to give it just one more try with nothing more fancy than oil and salt... And amazingly enough they were a big hit with the kids and The Honey!


Easy Baked Home Fries

3-4 medium potatoes, any type
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt

Peel and trim potatoes. Cut potatoes into fries.










Place in large bowl or ziplock bag and drizzle with olive oil. Mix until all potatoes are lightly covered with oil.









Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, you can use aluminum foil but you must spray with non-stick cooking spray. (If you forget to do this the fries will stick to the foil!) Place the potatoes on the parchment paper or foil and sprinkle lightly with salt.









Bake in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, turning fries and re-salting once during cooking. Serve with garlic chicken and steamed broccoli for a healthy meal!

Lemon Zucchini Bread

This snack was devoured by The Monkey. The lemon adds a great touch of citrus to this yummy bread, and it's lower in calories than many of the zucchini bread recipes I've seen. A definite keeper!


Lemon Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 c. shredded zucchini (about 1 medium)
2/3 c. honey (or 3/4 c. sugar)
1 egg
1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. applesauce
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. lemon zest (could substitute 1 tsp. ground corriander)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and lightly flour 8x4 loaf pan. In a bowl, mix together the zucchini, honey, egg, and oil. In a separate bowl mix together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Add flour mixture to the zucchini mixture and stir until just blended. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool about ten minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely.

Yellow Squash Patties

I seem to have squash on the mind today, but with good reason. I got a ton of yellow squash and zucchini in my produce co-op yesterday, and I'm generally the only one in my family that likes it. However, I discovered two very, very yummy recipes today on Allrecipes.com which I will post here with the changes that I made. This one didn't go over well with Horse Lover or The Monkey (one said it tasted like corn), but was a huge hit with Handsome Man. I gave him a couple bites and then went back into the kitchen to finish cooking them. He crawled into the kitchen after me and begged for more. I think he ate two whole patties all by himself! The Honey has yet to try them, but my neighbor also gave them a great review.


Yellow Squash Patties

4 medium yellow squash, shredded
1/2 onion, shredded
2 tsp salt
1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. cornmeal
1/2 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Black pepper to taste
Olive oil or cooking spray

Place squash and onion in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and mix lightly. Let drain about 30 minutes, squeezing the extra moisture out a couple of times. Place squash and onion in a bowl, and combine with flour, cornmeal, egg, cheese, and pepper. Heat skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle a small amount of oil in pan, or spray with cooking spray. Drop squash by heaping tablespoonfuls into the skillet, and flatten. Cook about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving. Makes about 15-20 patties.

A serving suggestion on allrecipes was to serve with sour cream and a dash of hot sauce. We ate them plain, but if your interested in "dressing them up" a bit, this sounds yummy.

Caesar Chicken & Veggies

One of our favorite things to do in the summer is grill. However, our grill didn't move with us when we came to Oklahoma, so I have now learned the joys of broiling. Although it doesn't taste as good, it sure is easier to cook! This recipe is one of our all-time favorites. The Honey (who does NOT like zucchini or yellow squash) will request this meal. Horse Lover and The Monkey like it better if they can eat off a "stick" so they prefer the grilled shish-ka-bobs. Either way, it's heaven!

Also, because the chicken has marinated, it is very tender. Handsome Man will gobble down the chicken and squash like there's no tomorrow!


Caesar Chicken & Veggies

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 3/4-inch chunks
Zucchini, sliced
Yellow squash, sliced
Mushrooms (if too large, cut in half)
Green or red bell pepper, cut into large squares
Ken's Lite Caesar salad dressing

Place chicken and veggies in a large ziplock bag. (If desired, can separate chicken from veggies.) Drizzle with enough salad dressing to lightly coat, and close bag. Shake/squeeze bag gently to completely coat veggies & chicken and distribute marinade evenly. Refrigerate for several hours, shaking the bag at least once. Cook according to directions below, and serve. We like to stuff it in homemade pitas when we broil it, or just eat it off the skewers if we grill it.

If grilling: Soak wooden skewers in water for about 30 minutes, then put on the veggies and chicken. (Tip: It works well to end each skewer with a piece of chicken to keep the veggies from sliding off during grilling.) Cook on pre-heated grill till chicken is thorougly cooked, turning regularly.

If broiling: Line 13x9 inch pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Place the chicken and veggies on pan in a single layer, and broil on high about 6 inches from heat, turning about every five minutes until chicken is done. (Generally done in about 10 minutes.)

Crock-pot Chicken Florentine

2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 12 oz)
3/4 cup light sour cream
1 pkg dry seasoning (I have used Lipton's Garlic & Herb and McCormick's Pesto)
2 handfuls fresh spinach
1 1/2 c. whole wheat pasta, cooked
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Cut chicken breasts in half and place in crock pot. Mix together sour cream and seasoning packet, and spread over chicken. Rinse spinach and chop/tear. Add to crock pot. Cook on low about 3 hours, or until chicken is almost done, stirring once about half-way through to get the spinach covered in sauce and to baste the chicken. Add pasta to crock pot, and mix in with the sauce. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top and cook anther 45-60 minutes. Cut up the chicken and mix with pasta and parmesan cheese just before serving.

Tip: Sometimes when I make this it ends up seeming a little dry once I've mixed in the pasta and it's been in the sauce for a while. If this is the case, just add a little milk and stir to moisten.

Sunday Morning Pancakes

This recipe was originally given to me by a friend, Melissa Coombs, and it is absolutely the BEST pancakes we have ever made! I've tweaked it a little (of course) and it makes a large batch, so if you don't want leftovers you may want to half the recipe.


Sunday Morning Pancakes (aka Great Pancakes)

2 cups flour, white or whole wheat
3 Tbsp sugar or 2 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 c. milk
1/3 c. oil

Mix dry ingredients together first, then add wet ingredients and stir. Let sit for a few minutes (the batter will thicken some). Pour onto hot griddle and enjoy!


*Tip: When I had sweet potato or butternut squash puree around the house for Handsome Man, I would toss 1/2 cup or so into the batter. I don't know why, but it makes them better! And no one ever knew it was in there except me.


Apple Cinnamon Pancakes (Variation)

2 cups flour, white or whole wheat
3 Tbsp sugar or 2 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1/4 cup oil
1/2 c applesauce

Mix dry ingredients together first, then add wet ingredients and stir. Let sit for a few minutes (batter will thicken some). Pour onto hot griddle and enjoy!

A quick word about whole wheat flour...

I love to cook with whole wheat flour. It's more nutritious and more filling that white flour, and I think it tastes better. I happen to have a good friend with a great wheat grinder, and I can easily purchase whole wheat grain through my church. The flour that I can grind with a good grinder at home is superior in both quality and texture than what I can purchase at my grocery store. (Once grain is ground into flour the nutrients start to break down if kept at room temperature.)

For a while I did not have access to a wheat grinder, and would simply purchase my whole wheat flour at the store. When I did that, I found it much coarser than what I was used to, and it was necessary for me to use equal parts whole wheat flour and white flour in my usual recipes. However, the great thing about most of my recipes is that it doesn't really matter what kind of flour you use. Just be aware that it doesn't usually take quite as much whole wheat flour to thicken a dough as it would white flour, so be prepared to give or take a little flour as needed.

Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce

When I started making my own spaghetti sauce, I was amazed at how easy it really is. And I was an instant convert - no more store-bought spaghetti sauce for me! The only thing you need to know about this recipe is that it is best when made in advance. If we're having it for Sunday dinner, I cook the meat, then throw it all in the crock pot in the morning so it can simmer all day for the flavors to blend. It also freezes wonderfully and makes great leftovers!


Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 12-oz can of tomato paste
2 15-oz cans of Italian style diced tomatoes
1 15-oz can of regular diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 large bay leaves or 1 tsp crushed bay leaves

Brown meat and onion in large frying pan. Drain and rinse with hot water to remove the extra grease. Place in large crock pot and add remaining ingredients. Mix well.

(Tip: If your kids aren't big on tomato chunks in their pasta sauce, run the tomatoes through the blender before adding them to the sauce.)

Simmer on low all day, stirring occasionally. If using whole bay leaves, remove before serving.

Quick and Easy Chicken Quesadillas

Imagine. It's Friday night and you don't feel like cooking. What's a good alternative to eating out? How about chicken quesadillas? Sure, you don't get the complimentary sopapillas or chips and salsa like you do at the restaurant, but they sure are yummy! Serve with a side of refried beans, boxed spanish rice, or guacamole salad. Or, if your kids are like mine, just slice up some cucumbers and put them on the plate.


Quick & Easy Chicken Quesadillas

1 large bnls, sknls chicken breast (about 12 oz.)
1/2 to 3/4 c. salsa
cumin
1-1/3 c. shredded cheese
4 large flour torillas (white or whole wheat)

Cut chicken breast into several large pieces. Place in saucepan and spoon salsa over top. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Shred and return to saucepan and mix with the salsa left in pan. Generously sprinkle with cumin (maybe 1/8 tsp.?) Mix well. Into each tortilla, spoon 1/4 of mixture on half and top with 1/3 c. cheese. Place in frying pan over medium heat. Cook until tortilla is lightly browned on bottom, then flip and cook other side. Remove from pan, cut and serve.

Spinach Balls

This is a variation on a spinach ball recipe given to me by my sister. These are easy to make and can be frozen after baking - not that they ever last long enough at my house. I like to make them with the milled flax seed for the extra fiber and Omega 3 oils. When already made and in the fridge, they can be reheated in the microwave in just a few seconds. I dice them up for Handsome Man so he can feed himself and they are practically mess-free!


Spinach Balls

1 bag fresh spinach, cooked, drained, and chopped
(can use frozen spinach if desired - 1 pkg)
4 oz. chive and onion cream cheese spread
1 whole egg
1 egg white
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
bread crumbs
1/3 c. milled flax seed (optional)
1/4 tsp. salt (optional)

Mix together cream cheese spread with warm spinach, and mix until cream cheese is melted. Add eggs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and salt (if desired). Stir in milled flax seed (if desired) and mix well. Add enough bread crumbs to make the mixture thick enough to roll into balls by hand. I have never measured the exact amount, but I usually start by putting in about 3/4 c. and mixing it in, then adding a little at a time until it's just right. Mixture should still be sticky. Roll into balls and placed on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until done. Spinach balls should be lightly browned on the bottom. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before eating to make sure inside is completely done. Makes about 2 dozen spinach balls.