Cafe Rio Pork Salad...

We had this for dinner last night and I am enjoying it for lunch as I type! It's really not a lot of work, especially since you can do it in stages.
First: Make Best Bites Sweet Pork... it goes in the crock pot for all day, easy peasy!!
While that is cooking away, make Best Bites Creamy Cilantro-Lime Ranch and let it set up in the fridge all day.
Assembly: Cut up Romaine lettuce as your bed, add some canned, rinsed off black beans, (rice if you like, I was too lazy), add the shredded pork, a simple pico (tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper), make the crunchy tortilla strips (I made these right before serving), also in Best Bites (right next to the pork recipe) top it off with your creamy ranch and yummo!  Store everything separate and make individual salads the next day for lunch, it's so good and I say healthy! 

Roasted Veggies...

So I finally joined the bandwagon of Amber and Misti with roasting vegetables, and O MY GOODNESS... It is our new fave.  One of the few ways to get my kids to eat their veggies (and me, lets be honest) besides carrots and ranch...  Just cute up your vegges into bite sized pieces on an aluminum covered sheet tray,

Drizzle EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and then sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss to coat.  Bake at 425 degrees for about 10-15 mins. They will be dark and roasted and fragrant. Then sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan.  I do this with carrots, whatever veggies I have on hand.  Thank you girls for the suggestion, sorry I was so slow to join the party!!! I don't have an after pic because we ate them too fast before I remembered to take a picture :)

Pasta Salad...

1/2 lb spiral pasta (I use the multi colored ones) cooked, drained and cooled
Grape or Cherry tomatoes, halved (Add just enough to where it looks like it's enough)
1/2 cucumber, peeled and sliced into thick slices then quarter every slice
1/2 red onion, finely diced
banana peppers, chopped (if have)
1 small can sliced olives


Mix all together with about a half bottle of Italian dressing.  Mix well, and chill for at least 2 hours.  Right before serving, add fresh grated Parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper.

Martha Stewart Pineapple Salsa

I love this Salsa!!!

Everyday Food, March 2005
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Yield Makes 2 cups


Ingredients
1/2 small pineapple, cored for wedges, chopped, and juices reserved
1 small jalapeno chile (ribs and seeds removed for less heat, if desired), minced
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper
Directions
In a medium bowl, toss together all ingredients. Serve as a side dish.

Lisa's Chicken and Dumplings!!!

Chicken and Dumplings

1 can chicken broth
2 cups flour
4 heaping TBSP Crisco
1 tsp salt
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken)

· In a large saucepan, pour chicken broth and 2 ½ cans of water. Heat on high…you want it boiling.

· Mix flour, Crisco, and salt together. I use 2 knifes to smooth the crisco out some…you can use a pastry cutter if you’re fancy and have one! Add small amounts of water and mix together until just doughy. You want it to stick together, but not be super sticky.

· I put wax paper on the counter and cover it in flour (because that’s what my MIL does), and roll out the dough. Roll it really thin.

· Use a pizza cutter to cut into about 1.5 inch squares/rectangles. It really doesn’t matter the size….

· Once you’ve got the dough all cut, this is my boys favorite part, put the dough into the boiling broth one dumpling at a time. They love to peel them off and put them in. Turn the heat down a little.

· After all the dumplings are it, stir in chicken.

· Turn heat to low and cover. At this point you can cook it as long as you need, or at least 20 min. Before serving I add some milk to make it more creamy. The longer you cook it the thicker it will get.

This is so easy, cheap, and ymmy!!!

Banana Bars

Lisa posted these on Pinterest last night and oh my goodness, they are delicious!!!!! Melissa at 320 Sycamore put them on her blog and they are easy as can be!!! Here is the recipe as she put it.

Copyright of Content and Pictures 2008-2011 by Melissa at 320 Sycamore. http://www.320sycamoreblog.com/2012/03/banana-bars-winner.html


Combine :
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs.
Add & stir until well mixed:
1 ½ cups mashed very ripe bananas (abt. 2 large)
2 tsp vanilla
Sift together and add to above mixture:
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Spread batter in greased and floured 9X13 pan. Bake at 375° for 20-35 minutes or until light brown.
**I spread in a 10 X 15 X 1 sprayed pan, and cook at 375 degrees for 17-20 minutes or until light brown. This makes more for a big group.**
Cool, frost with glaze:
Melt ¼ cup butter or margarine in glass bowl or on stovetop in a pan.
Whisk in 2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbs. milk
1 tsp vanilla

Fried Chicken...

I have tried many a fried chicken recipes and this honestly is THE BEST I have come across.

Chicken- I use either drumsticks or chicken breasts cut into big hunks (cooks easier without drying out the chicken)

1 cup buttermilk- put chicken in a ziplock bag and add butter milk. Let set at least an hour (really moistens up the chicken)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 TBSP salt

2 tsp pepper

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp onion powder

mix all together and place in a shallow dish

Veggie oil- for frying

Take chicken out of bag and dredge in flour mixture. Coat it well, but allow access flour to shake off.

Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet, and bring to 350 to 375 degrees (use a thermometer, it's really the only way to get the oil just right!) and cook chicken until done, 6-8 mins. Yummy!!!