Honey Mustard Dressing + Salad

Soooo good that even my son that hates salad dressing likes this one! 

2/3 cup honey
1/3 cup whole grain Dijon mustard 
1/4 cup smooth dijon mustard 
1/4 cup avocado oil 
2 TBS Apple cider vinegar 
2 -3 garlic cloves, minced 

Mix it all together in a small bowl. 

I like to store this in a 12 oz tall mason jar with a mason jar salad dressing lid! 

Highly delicious on a salad with these ingredients: 
Romaine Lettuce and/or spinach 
Chicken 
Bacon 
Avocado 
Sliced red onions 
Diced fresh tomatoes 

Creamed Corn with Crusty Parmeson

Favorite creamed corn!  We used to only do this for thanksgiving, then wondered why limit yourself?   

2-1/2 cups frozen corn (20 oz) 
1 cup cream 
1 cup whole milk 
2 TBS sugar (can sub monkfruit for sugar free) 
1 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 
2 TBS butter 
2 TBS cornstarch 
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan (not kraft)  

In a saucepan, mix together corn, cream, milk, sugar, salt and cayenne.  Heat on medium on the stove until it comes to a simmer.  (This takes a while since the corn is frozen.)  Simmer 5 minutes.  

Pour into an 8x8 glass pan.  (At this point, you can cover and put in the refrigerator if you are serving later.) 
Sprinkle parmesan on top, evenly coating.  Broil on high 2-3 minutes, until bubbly and cheese is browned a bit.  Serve immediately. 

(If you refrigerated it, then heat for 10-12 minutes at 350 degress, then add the cheese and broil.)    

Double for a  9x13 pan.  

Crunchy Coleslaw

Fun for a potluck! Make this gluten free by omitting the ramen noodles.  

1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp better than bouillon - beef
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds
2 green onions, sliced
package of ramen noodles, crushed (optional for GF)

Blend together oil, bouillon and garlic salt.  Mix together cabbage, almonds, onions and then mix in dressing.  Add ramen noodles right before serving.

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce on Thai Chicken Wraps

Our Costco carried an amazing bottle of Thai sweet chili sauce over the winter.  It cost about $5 for a huge bottle.  During the summer, however, I haven't been able to find it there.  I looked around town, but the best I found was a tiny bottle at the health foods store for $4 and it was like 6 oz.  As if that would be enough for my family.  And it just wasn't the same.  I finally called Costco and they tell me that it's a seasonal thing.  Whaaa??  Alright, then, let's make our own!  I combined a few recipes to get this: 

1 cup water
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/3 to 1/2 cup white sugar (evaporated cane juice)
2 tsp fresh minced ginger
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 to 1 tsp red pepper flakes, depending on how hot you like it
2 tsp ketchup
1 TBS cornstarch
2 TBS water

Bring the water and vinegar to a boil.  Add the sugar, ginger, garlic, red pepper and ketchup and let boil for 5 minutes.  Mix cornstarch and water, then drizzle into boiling mixture while whisking until thickened.  

Now, you may ask, what would I eat this with?  

THIS:   Thai Chicken Wraps

"Mom, it's like a burst of flavors mingling in my mouth" --- 14 year old son upon tasting this recipe

Trust me, you will love these.  Rave reviews all around.  We do serve these buffet style so picky eaters can choose what they like.  We also add cilantro and thai sweet chili sauce to everything already include in the recipe, and they are delicious!  

Alternatively, you can make these GF by simply skipping the wrap (or using a GF or lettuce wrap) and eating the filling or putting it on a salad.  You can also skip the chicken and go vegetarian easily, it's super flavorful.  

Super Simple Coleslaw

Super tasty with shredded pork! 

1/4 head cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1/2 c mayo
3 TBS apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 TBS sugar or evaporated cane juice.
1 T minced onion (optional)
Salt/Pepper

Shred cabbage and carrot, put in bowl big enough to toss.  Mix mayo, vinegar, sugar and onion to make dressing.  Add to cabbage mix and toss.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Simple Chicken Caesar Salad

My daughter told me we were all out of salad dressing, except 3 bottles of Caesar dressing that no one wanted to eat.  I discovered that Caesar dressing on lettuce isn't that tasty.  But caesar salad done the right way is!  No measurements are really needed, you just mix it up.

Romaine lettuce, washed and torn into salad size pieces
Leftover cooked chicken pieces (rotisserie, cubed, grilled, etc)
Shredded parmesan cheese
Bread, any kind (can use GF)
Olive oil
Sea salt
Caesar dressing (Make your own, or use a bottle.)

Preheat oven to 425.  Cut bread into cubes.  Put in a bowl and drizzle olive oil over the top of the cubes.  Sprinkle salt, stir and repeat until the pieces are all drizzled, but not completely sopping with the oil.  Be generous but don't overdo.  Spread on a cookie sheet covered in foil and toast in the oven for about 7 minutes.  Stir, and then cook for 3-8 more minutes until crisp.  Let cool.

Put lettuce in a large bowl.  Add some chicken, parmesan and croutons to the bowl.  Pour some salad dressing on the top and toss until the salad is all covered with dressing.  Serve immediately and eat it up.  Try not to omit the homemade croutons, that's what makes it taste REALLY good.

Kale Chips the Lazy Way

Yeah, kale chips are are actually really tasty.  They smell disgusting while cooking, but they taste terrific and are quite addicting.  All the kids like them (or at least those that have tried them.)  I found my four year old walking upstairs with a handful of them - after I'd put him to bed!  My 10 year old had been begging me to make them but I'd dreaded it because the recipe I had used previously was a bit work-intensive.  This is the simple way to make them.  

1 bunch kale
olive oil, sprayer or liquid
sea salt
1/8 cup shredded parmesan (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.  Wash and thoroughly dry the kale.  Prep a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment paper (or tin foil.)   Rip the kale from the thick stem into 2" pieces (or so, obviously this won't come out perfect, but as you rip it from the thick stem, you'll see what I mean. Put those pieces on the cookie sheet. When done ripping, spread out the kale evenly.  Spray with olive oil or drizzle thin stream of olive oil onto the kale, then sprinkle with salt.  Toss with your hands and spread out evenly again.  Repeat 1 or 2 more times until it is to your liking.  The last time, sprinkle parmesan and toss.  Don't worry if some of the parmesan falls to the bottom of the pan, it'll still stick to the kale.

Bake for 10 minutes, then keep checking it every minute until kale is crispy, but not brown and burnt!  Every oven is different, so this is the hardest part about it.

Store in a bowl or plastic bag, but it might all get eaten first.

Quinoa Salad for Beginners

I HATE the smell of quinoa when it's cooking.  It smells terrible.  I can rarely ever eat something made of quinoa right after cooking.  That's why I usually cook it, then refrigerate it, then make something out of it.  

Anyway, this is one delicious salad!  My 1, 3, 11 &16 year old kids all love it.  The 6, 8 & 18 yo didn't dare try it.  This recipe is very forgiving, you can pretty much just throw in what you have. 


4 cups cooked, refrigerated quinoa
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup chopped celery, carrots, cucumbers, sprouts, peppers, cilantro, parsley (all or any combination)
1/4 c. chopped green onions (or other onions)
1/2 c. chopped cooked chicken (or omit, it's good either way)

Dressing:
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. olive or sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt

Mix dressing.  Mix quinoa & veggies.   Pour dressing over salad and stir.  Add extra salt if needed. 

Fresh beets!!!

Fresh beets are so delicious, yet most people have never had them. If you've only ever had canned beets, you have no idea what you're missing out on.

To cook them:

Cut off the tops of the beets so you leave about 3" of stems on the beet. Save the beet tops for greens in your salad or you can cook them like spinach (but personally I think that's disgusting.)

Scrub the beets with a dish scrubber (I have one that I use only on veggies.) Put in a pot of water, bring to a boil with a lid on the pot. Set the timer for about 25 minutes. Check to see if they are done by poking with a fork. It should pierce easily. Bigger beets can take 45 minutes or more.

When they are done, put them in a bowl of cold water. The skins should slip off easily. Cut up into slices or chunks and serve. You can also put butter, salt, pepper, etc, but they're quite tasty as is. If you have kids, show them how to apply beet lipstick. That's one of my favorite memories from childhood dinners!

Brussels Sprouts - no, really!

No one in their right might likes Brussels sprouts, or so I thought... Mushy overcooked disgusting mini cabbages, haven't had one since I was a kid! Well, my 8 year old son saw Brussels sprouts at the store and really wanted me to buy some. Since it was his birthday and they were on sale, I indulged and bought 6. 6 whole sprouts! ha! Anyway, I searched for a way to cook 'em up, and this is what we came up with:

butter
olive oil
Brussels sprouts
real salt
pepper

Wash sprouts, then cut in half lengthwise. Heat some butter & olive oil in non stick frying pan. Put sprouts cut-side down and let cook for about 4-5 minutes, or until cut side is browned. Don't stir them until that is accomplished. Then sprinkle with real salt and ground pepper while stirring to coat. Chopped or sliced almonds would be yummy to add too.

I usually only post recipes that everyone (or nearly everyone) likes. This recipe was one that both mom and dad liked, as well as 2 of 6 kids. Only 3 kids actually tried them, and of course the baby can't eat them yet. One child like them so much that they are now one of her new favorite veggies. I thought that 50% (higher if I don't count the baby) enjoying this was an impressive statistic for Brussels sprouts.