Strawberry Chicken Salad

Ingredients for the Chicken:

• Boneless Chicken Breasts
• Sugar
• Salt
• Pepper
• Red Wine Vinegar
• Honey
• Sliced Strawberries

Directions for the Chicken:

1. Lightly grease a skillet and turn heat to medium.
2. In the meantime, rub small amount of sugar, salt, and pepper on chicken breasts.
3. Sear chicken in skillet with the rubbed side down. Rub the top and flip after 3 minutes.
4. Continue searing until chicken has browned on the outside, briefly searing any exposed areas that are still raw.
5. Add just enough red wine vinegar to surround the bottoms of the chicken.
6. Drizzle honey in a grid pattern over the chicken.
7. Layer strawberry slices on top of each breast, placing a couple in the vinegar.
8. Cover the skillet and reduce heat to low for 10 minutes.
9. Check the chicken, if it's cooked through, slice or dice as preferred. Otherwise, cover and keep cooking until finished.
10. Once the chicken is cooked and sliced or diced, return to the vinegar and strawberries, lightly tossing to coat.
11. Serve as a salad topping (you won't even need dressing!) 

Ingredients for the Salad:

• Spinach Leaves
• Arugula
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Slivered Almonds
• Sliced Strawberries
• Dried Cranberries
• Strawberry Chicken

Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 Boneless Chicken Breasts Cubed
• 1 Cup Corn Starch
• 2 Eggs Beaten
• 1 Large Orange
• 1 1/2 Cups Orange Juice
• 1/8 Cup Soy Sauce
• 1/8 Cups Honey
• 1/8 Cup Corn Starch Dissolved in Water
• Paprika
• Garlic Powder
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Dredge the cubed chicken pieces in corn starch and then in beaten eggs.
3. Add to a hot skillet and cook 2-3 minutes before flipping.
4. Allow the chicken to cook just until the egg on the outside is cooked through. 
5. In the meantime, whisk together orange juice, soy sauce, honey, dissolved corn starch, and seasonings. Squeeze fresh orange over mixture as well until mostly juiced.
6. Add the chicken to a baking dish and pour orange juice mixture over.
7. Place remaining slices of fresh orange (not the skin!) in the baking dish.
8. Put the dish in the oven uncovered and cook 10 minutes.
9. Stir the mixture, flipping the meat to ensure it is evenly coated in the sauce.
10. Cook another ten minutes.
11. Raise the oven temp to 425 degrees and cook an additional 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has bubbled and thickened.
12. Serve over jasmine rice.

Ham and Broccoli Mac N' Cheese

Servings: 3
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 Cup Uncooked Pasta (Shell, Penne, or Elbow)
• Water for Boiling
• 2 Tbsps Unsalted Butter
• 2 Tbsps Flour
• 1 Cup Milk
• 2 Cups Cheese (Mexican blend with cheddar, asadero, whatever else you like)
• Paprika
• Chili Powder
• Pepper
• Salt
• Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Cup Diced Ham
• 1/2 Cup Diced Broccoli

Directions:

1. Boil water for pasta. Pasta should be finished cooking by the time the rest of the meal is prepared.
2. In the meantime, melt butter in a saucepan on the stove and dice up ham and broccoli if you have not already done so.
3. When the butter is melted, stir in the flour over medium heat to create a roux.
4. Allow the roux to simmer over low heat two minutes. 
5. In a separate pan, season and steam the ham and broccoli.
6. Return to your roux, slowly adding milk and whisking to create a slightly thickened sauce.
7. Slowly add cheese into the sauce, altering milk and cheese portions to taste.
8. Season to taste.
9. Combine the ham, broccoli, cheese sauce, and pasta, mixing gently.

Chicken Wrapped Veggies

Ingredients:

• Flour
• Egg
• Seasoned Bread Crumbs
• 2 Large Boneless Chicken Breasts
• Red Bell Pepper
• Asparagus
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:

• Place flour, a beaten egg, and seasoned bread crumbs in 3 separate bowls. You will need enough to lightly coat chicken breasts, so portion accordingly. Sprinkle some salt and pepper in the flour as well.
• Trim chicken breasts and pound until very thin.
• Dice up about a cup's worth of asparagus and red bell pepper. 
• Sprinkle veggies over a half of each chicken breast and then fold the meat over, wrapping the vegetables up.
• Dip each stuffed breast into flour, pressing to coat.
• Then, dip the coated chicken into the beaten egg and then the bread crumbs.
• Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and continue baking ten minutes or until juices run clear.

Tastes great with roasted veggies and potato cakes or homefries!

Soft Strawberry-Banana Muffins

Tasty, rich, and super soft and moist! Add in chocolate chips or a bit of peanut butter for extra yumminess!

What You'll Need:

• 1 1/2 Cups of Flour
• 1 Tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp. Baking Powder
• Pinch of Salt
• 1/4 Tsp. Cinnamon
• 3 Very Ripe Smashed Bananas
• 1/2 Cup Melted Butter
• 3/4 Cup of Sugar 
• 1/4 Cup Honey
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 Cup Sliced Strawberries

What To Do:

1. Combine the dry ingredients.
2. Combine the wet ingredients, beating on medium with a mixer until fluffy.
3. Shake the strawberry slices in the dry ingredients.
4. Gently add the dry ingredients to the wet.
5. Mix the wet and dry ingredients until JUST combined.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes.

Orange Balsamic Chicken Thighs

For the Thighs:

5 Chicken Thighs

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Rosemary

Sage

Garlic

Pecans

For the Sauce:

1/8 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/8 Cup Honey

1/8 Cup Soy Sauce

1 Cup Orange Juice

1 Orange, Wedged

2 Tbsps. Dissolved Corn Starch

Directions:

1. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Remove fat if desired.

2. Season generously with salt, pepper, rosemary, sage, and garlic.

3. Lightly grease a large skillet, let it get warm over med-high heat. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees at the same time.

4. When the skillet is hot, brown the seasoned chicken on both sides with the pecans in the pan as well. Roughly 8-10 minutes.

5. While the chicken is browning, combine all of the sauce ingredients.

6. Place browned thighs into a lightly greased baking pan.

7. Pour the sauce over the thighs and place the baking pan in the oven.

8. Bake for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked (juices run clear, no red near the bone, or over 165 Fahrenheit.)

9. Serve over rice or noodles. Yum!

Sesame Beef Stir Fry

For the Beef:

1.3 lbs Stew Beef Chunks

2 Heaping Tbsps. Flour

1 Tsp. Sugar

Salt

Pepper

For the Sauce:

1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

1/3 Cup Honey

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

2 Tbsps. Sesame Oil

1/2 Cup Soy Sauce

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

2 Tbsps. Dissolved Corn Starch

For the Stir Fry:

Chopped Snap Peas

Chopped Bok Choy

Sesame Seeds for Garnish

Cooked Jasmine Rice

Directions:

1. Pat beef cubes dry with paper towels.

2. Shake or pat with a mixture of the flour, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Lightly grease a large skillet, let it get warm over med-high heat. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees at the same time.

4. When the skillet is hot, brown the beef on both sides.

5. While the beef is browning, combine all of the sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch.

6. Dump browned beef into a lightly greased baking pan. Set skillet aside for later.

7. Pour the sauce over the beef and place the baking pan in the oven.

8. Set your timer for 30 minutes. Shake or flip the beef. Return to oven for 30 more minutes.

9. After that first hour of cooking is up, heat your rice and chop your vegetables.

10. Check the beef, if the cubes are cooked through (they should be after about 1 hour 15 minutes) pour the beef and sauce back into the skillet.

11. Crank up the heat and stir in the dissolved corn starch.

12. When the sauce bubbles, reduce the heat to low and stir in the vegetables.

13. Allow to simmer over low heat 3-5 minutes as sauce thickens and vegetables cook.

14. Garnish with sesame seeds.

15. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Ultimate Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich

What You'll Need:

-Favorite Brownie Mix or Recipe

-2 Cups Creamy Peanut Butter

-1/4 Cup Sugar

-1/4 Cup Shortening

For the Sauce:

-1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips

12 Tbsps Butter

How To Do It:

• Mix up your favorite box of brownies or brownie recipe. Add an extra egg in. 
• Reduce the cooking temperature you usually use by 25 degrees. 
• Grease 6 ramekins thoroughly and coat with sugar. 
• Fill each ramekin 2/3 full with brownie batter. 
• Bake for approximately 10 minutes less than usual, checking for doneness with a toothpick. 
• In the meantime, whip peanut butter, sugar, and shortening together until fluffy.
• Once your brownies are cool enough, remove from ramekins and divide in half.
• Spread peanut butter filling on the bottom halves, then replace top halves. 
• Melt chocolate chips and butter together in microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring thoroughly.
• Once the chocolate is smooth, pour over chocolate peanut butter sandwiches.

Warning: These are super decadent! Alter as needed. And serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for a little "balance"...or an extra treat...depends on your perspective...