'Ono Made Easy

My good friend Ann made this Greek Salad for me a few weeks ago, and I thought it was fantastic, so I had to make it myself! I got the recipe from http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/04/greek-salad/ Ingredients 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped 4 whole ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges 1 whole (large) cucumber, peeled and diced  1/2 red onion, sliced very thin ( I wanted to use up my leftovers, so I only used 1/4 of an onion) 30 whole pitted kalamata olives, cut in half lengthwise 6 ounces, crumbled feta cheese A couple pieces of fresh parsley, roughly chopped 1/4 cup olive oil 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar (more to taste) 1 clove garlic, minced 6 whole kalamata olives (extra), chopped fine 1/4 teaspoon salt freshly ground black pepper 1 whole lemon, for squeezing ( I used the juice from 1/2 of a lemon) Directions ( adapted from http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/04/greek-salad/ ) 1. (Salad) Mix chopped lettuce, tom...

I found this recipe on the Pioneer Woman website. My friend Ann told me about the website, and I decided to give one of their recipes a try! Ingredients 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed if possible; save the juiced orange halves) 2 whole lemons, juiced 2 whole limes, juiced 4 whole garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 2 whole onions, peeled and quartered 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 16 whole chicken legs flour or corn torillas, warmed pico de gallo (we bought some from Chipotle) guacamole ( look at Mom Z's guacamole recipe) cooked beans (pinto, black, refried)   Directions ( adapted from http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/06/pollo-asado/ )  1. In a medium bowl, combine olive oil, orange juice, lemons, limes, salt, pepper, and garlic cloves. Whisk together. (Set the juiced pieces of fruit aside.) 2. Place chicken legs, juiced pieces of fruit, and quartered onions in a large bowl. 3. Pour the marinade over the top, tossing to combine...

Ingredients 1 T finely chopped onion 3 avocados 1/2 t Lemon Juice 3 T salsa (Meijer – chunky mild) 1/4 t garlic powder 2 T hot sauce (Ortega- smooth) 2 small drops Tabasco sauce Directions Place all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to blend the ingredients together until you come up with a consistency you like for your guacamole.

I found this recipe on www.e-mealz.com . Ingredients • 8 oz. cream cheese • (2) 10 oz. cans of cooked chicken • salt & pepper to taste • 2 T melted butter • 2 T sesame seeds (or bread crumbs) • green onions (optional) • (2) 8 oz. cans crescent rolls Directions (adapted from www.e-mealz.com ).     1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with foil. 2. Open and drain the canned chicken. 3. Blend the cream cheese, salt & pepper, chicken and green onions (optional) and mix well. 4. Separate each can of crescent rolls into 4 rectangles. Put a large spoonful of chicken mixture into each rectangle of dough. 5. Pull the 4 corners of dough to top of center of chicken mixture to make a hut. Twist points to seal. 6. Brush top with melted butter, sprinkle with sesame seeds  (I used Italian bread crumbs). 7. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until brown and crispy on top. 

 I always thought that a breakfast cookie would be a good idea, so I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com . It's from Ellie Krieger. Adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/breakfast-cookies-recipe/index.html   Ingredients 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (I used whole-wheat flour) 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup canola oil 1/4 cup dark brown sugar 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 egg 1/4 cup (1 small jar) strained carrot baby food ( I used unsweetened apple sauce instead) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup bran cereal flakes 1/3 cup raisins 1/3 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted in a dry skillet for 2 minutes, until fragrant and chopped Directions    1. Place oven rack in the center of your oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Get out a non-sti...

My sister told me about this shrimp recipe from epicurious.com .  It's originally from Indian Home Cooking by Suvir Saran and Stephanie Lyness. Adapted from:   http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mangalore-Fried-Shrimp-230960 Ingredients 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined ( I bought frozen shrimp.) 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp turmeric 1/4 tsp mustard powder 2 tsp fresh lemon juice 4 tsp olive oil 1/2 tsp cumin seeds or black mustard seeds ( I used cumin seeds.) 6 fresh or 10 frozen curry leaves, torn into pieces (I didn't use these.) 3 Tbs finely chopped scallion ( I didn't use these either.) Salt to taste ( I didn't need to add any salt.) Directions   1. If you buy frozen shrimp, make sure they thaw out for a while in a bowl of cold water. Then rinse the shrimp and pat them dry on paper towels.  2. Put the shrimp in a bowl and add the cayenne, turmeric, mustard powder, and lemon juice. Stir to coat the shrimp evenly with ...

Here's a great recipe that I found on foodnetwork.com from Barefoot Contessa. It's very simple! Adapted from:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/parmesan-chicken-recipe/index.html Ingredients 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp salt  1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2 extra-large eggs 1 Tbs water 1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesean, plus extra for serving Unsalted butter Olive Oil  Salad greens for 6, washed and dry 1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows nocoupons Directions   1. Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick with a meat mallet or a rolling pin. 2. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 Tbs of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. 3. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip bo...

I love a good homemade soup, especially chicken noodle soup! This chicken noodle soup hits the spot on a cold winter day. If you don't like dill, just omit it, or add less. I found it on foodnetwork.com from the Neelys. It yields 6-8 servings. I doubled the recipe so we could have leftovers. Adapted from:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/mama-jeans-chicken-noodle-soup-recipe/index.html Ingredients   2 Tbs butter 1 Tbs olive oil 1 large Vidalia onion, chopped 2 celery stalks, halved lengthwise and cut into 3/4-inch pieces 2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 3/4-inch pieces Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 cloves garlic, chopped 3 Tbs all-purpose flour 6 cups chicken stock  1 bay leaf  Dash of hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco) Dash of Worchestershire sauce  2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed into bite-size pieces 4 oz egg noodles, about 1 cup 8 oz frozen peas 1/4 cup freshly c...

My favorite fish is salmon, so I thought this would be a great recipe to add to my collection! I found it on epicurious.com and it's originally from Bon Appetit. You could also make this with just the salmon and pistachio pistou. Adapted from:  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Salmon-with-Snap-Peas-Yellow-Peppers-and-Dill-Pistachio-Pistou-354297 ) Ingredients   1/3 cup chopped fresh dill 1/3 cup finely chopped green onions (approximately 2) 1/2 cup shelled natural pistachios or almonds, toasted in the oven, finely chopped 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 Tbs pistachio oil or extra-virgin olive oil 2 yellow bell peppers or orange bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch strips 1 lb  sugar snap peas, trimmed, strings removed (I usually get these in the frozen food section.) 1 garlic clove, minced 1/4 cup water 4, 6-ounce salmon fillets Directions   1. Mix dill, green onions, pistachios, and 1/4 cup of oil in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt an...

This is a little twist on the original chicken pot pie. I adapted this recipe from Alton Brown on the Food Network website.  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/curry-chicken-pot-pie-recipe/index.html Ingredients 4 cups frozen vegetable mix (peas, carrots, corn) 1 to 2 Tbs olive oil 3 Tbs butter 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped celery 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth 1/2 cup milk 3 Tbs flour 1 tsp curry power (sometimes I omit this) 2 Tbs dried parsley 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper 2 cups cubed cooked chicken 1 package puff pastry (you can find this in the frozen food section) Directions   * Make sure you have cooked chicken before you start. * 1. First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. 2. Toss some frozen vegetables with vegetable oil and spread them evenly onto a cookie sheet. Place them into the oven and cook until they are golden brown. 3. In a saute pan, heat 1 Tbs of butter then add the onion and celery. Heat until the on...

I love fudge! It makes me think about getting fudge on Macinac Island from Ryba's! (Mine wasn't as good as theirs, but it was still yummy!) I found this Peanut Butter Fudge recipe from Alton Brown on the Food Network website. Yes, I know that fudge isn't healthy, but it's sooo tasty! Adapted from:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/peanut-butter-fudge-recipe/index.html Ingredients 8 ounces unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan 1 cup smooth peanut butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pound powdered sugar Directions  1. Combine butter and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. 2. Microwave the bowl on high for 2 minutes. 3. Stir the mixture and microwave it again on high for 2 more minutes. 4. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar to the mixture and stir with a wooden spoon. 5. After the mixture becomes hard to stir, spread the mixture into a buttered 8 by 8-inch pan lined with parchment paper. 6....

I made this Fruit Gobbler for Thanksgiving a few years ago. I adapted the recipe from familyfun.com. Ingredients Bosc pear (head) Melon (body) Cheese cubes (beak and tail feathers) Fruit Roll-ups (snood and feet) Raisins (eyes) Grapes (tail feathers) Bamboo skewers Toothpicks Directions (adapted from http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/fruit-gobbler-688370/ )   Cut a small slice off the bottom of the melon to form the base of the turkey. Using part of a bamboo skewer, attach a Bosc pear to the melon for the turkey's head. Cut a cheese cube, diagonally, to make a triangle beak and use part of a Fruit Roll-up to make the snood. Attach the beak, snood and raisin eyes to the head with parts of a toothpick. Cut two pieces from a Fruit-Roll-up so they look like turkey feet and place them under the melon.  Alternate skewering cheese cubes and red grapes, then place the skewers around the back section of the melon so they look like feathers.