What's For Dinner?- July

So what's for dinner in July?   Here's what's on my plan to give you some ideas:
1. Salisbury Steaks  (this is one of my husband's favorite meals)

2. Oven Shrimp Scampi/ Roasted Potatoes  (SO easy and so delicious!)

3. Thai Coconut Curry over Rice

4. Oh, Baby Sandwiches (use those garden tomatoes!)  This sandwich is affectionately known around here as BELTCH_ Bacon, Egg, Lettuce, Tomato,  Cheese.  Other options we've tried are onion and sliced avocado.

5.Mad Hatter Meatballs over Mashed Potatoes/ Carrots

6. Creamy Zucchini Soup/ Muffins

7. Nectar of the Gods/ Grilled Cheese Sandwiches  (If you haven't tried this soup- it's time, people!)

8.  4th of July Barbecue: Lemon Italian Marinated Barbecued Chicken  / Grilled Squash/  Baked Beans

Lemon Custard Ice Cream

9. Curried Chicken Salad (I just made this today for tonight's dinner.  LOVE this salad!)

10. Tomato Sandwiches/ Potato Salad

11. Barbecups

12. Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken over Rice

Recipe to Try:

Monterey Chicken

Kalua Pork/ Coconut Rice

Treats:

1. Sugar Cookie Bars with Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

2. Maple Walnut Blondies 

3. Salted Caramel Butter Bars

Tasty Lentil Tacos

I tried a new recipe today that was recommended to me by a friend.  I would highly recommend this yummy, healthy, fun taco dish.  My husband's comment when he ate this was "I had no idea there wasn't meat in this. It's delicious!" The original source is allrecipes.com, where it has a 4.5 rating which means that me and my family aren't the only ones who love this awesome dish.  As a meat eater, I'm usually a bit wary of meat replacements, but I really think this one was just as tasty as ground beef.  I have been looking for ways to cook lentils. They are healthy, inexpensive, and make great food storage since they store for thirty years or more.  Lentils are low in calories and high in nutrition.  They lower cholesterol, are a great source of folate and magnesium (which contribute to heart health), improve digestive health, stabilize blood sugar, are a good protein, increase energy, and can help with weight loss since they have virtually no fat.  Try it, you won't regret it.

Prep:  10 minutes

Cook: 40 minutes

Servings:  About 6

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 2/3 cup dried lentils, rinsed
• 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning, or to taste
• 1 2/3 cups chicken broth
• 2/3 cups salsa
• 12 taco shells

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic until tender, about five minutes.  Mix lentils and taco seasoning into onion mixture; cook and stir for one minute.
2. Cover lentils with chicken broth and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Uncover and cook until mixture is slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.  Mash lentils slightly; stir in salsa.
4. Serve about 1/4 cup lentil mixture in each taco shell; top with lettuce, tomatoes, Cheddar cheese, and sour cream.  

 For the taco shells, I tried a method that was new to me:  baking corn tortillas on the reverse side of a muffin tin.  I will do this again. They turned out very pretty, it was easier than frying them, and definitely healthier than frying.  The trick is to get the malleable by adding moisture.  Layer them on a plate between wet paper towels and heat in the microwave for about thirty seconds.  That way they will be less likely to crack when you fold them in half and place them between the muffin tin rows.  I sprayed mine with olive oil and sprinkled a bit of garlic salt before tossing it into the oven.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 5 to 7 minutes or until a bit brown around the edges.  Click here for another method for baking taco shells.  This one drapes them right on the oven rack.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!  Any recommendations for other tasty ways to use lentils?

Baby Squash Medley

If you have a garden, you probably grow squash.  But you probably don't pick them this little.  But you should.  They are so tender and delicious.  This is a mixture of patty pan squash, zuchinni, and scallopini.  You can boil them whole when they're this little, too and they're delicious.

In a saute pan, heat some olive oil.  Add a diced onion.  Put the squash in and saute  the squash and onion together until tender.  It doesn't take very long- just 5-10 minutes.  Add some dried basil (maybe a teaspoon or two) OR  basil pesto (can be store bought.  I freeze it in ziplock bags, then break off a chunk and put in with the squash) and a handful of parmesan cheese.  Stir well and serve when cheese is melted. This is a yummy and healthy sidedish.

What's For Dinner? - June

Here's what's for dinner at our house this month:
1. Kristen's Beef Enchiladas (If you haven't tried these, you need to.  They are so yummy.  They would be good with chicken, too)

2.  Michelle's Sauteed Vegetable Tuscan Orzo (Again, it's time to try this if you haven't!)

3.
The Pasta Factory's Copycat Alfredo Sauce, Pasta, Topped with Seasoned Chicken Breast, Italian Vegetables, and Sauteed Mushrooms / Garlic Bread

4.  Kristen's Enchilada Soup/ Muffins (try it with green enchilada sauce instead of red.  Man, it's good!)

5. Roast Beef/ Carrots/ Potatoes, Homemade Rolls

6. Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes, Orange Julius

7.  Cheesy Enchilada Casserole (Taste of Home's #1 Casserole)

8.  Ragu Bolognese

Treats:

Pazookies

Chocolate Eclairs

Enjoy June!

Peach Malt

A Hinton family tradition from WAAAAAAYYY back is Peach Malt.  That's what all the Hinton family calls it, but it's not really a malt.  It's a  . . . smoothie?  milkshake?   I don't know, but it's good.  It's kind of evolved over the years.  When I first joined the family ( that's a long time ago!) it was made with just frozen peaches, sugar and milk blended in the blender.  But now Ken adds vanilla ice cream.  So I guess it's a smoothie changed to milkshake.  Ya, that's what it is.  I know others of the Hintons add lemon juice, or bananas,  and I don't know what all else.  I guess we all have our own version.  Ken's family had an orchard with many peach trees.  They would always freeze peaches and then make these throughout the year- usually on Sunday evenings.  We continued the tradition as we have three peach trees.  Many Sunday nights and family home evening nights we have this for a treat.  My husband always makes it.  I watched him make it, and this is what he did:

Peach Malt
Fill the blender about 1/3-1/2 full of frozen peaches (about two cups)
Add 1/4-1/3 cup sugar
Add several scoops of vanilla ice cream, then fill the blender container with milk.  Blend til it's all well blended and smooth.  Enjoy!

Banana Bread Bars with Browned Butter Frosting

Like banana bread?  Then you'll LOVE these banana bread bars.  They are moist and yummy and the frosting is just delicious.  I feel I need to apologize for giving you this recipe.  These bars are addictive.

Banana Bread Bars

Cream together:

1/2 cup butter, very soft 

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups sugar

Add:

2 eggs

Beat until creamy and smooth.  Add:

*About 2 cups mashed banana ( 3-4 ripe bananas)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix well.  Turn off the mixer and add:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Turn on the mixer and mix for about a minute.  Stir in:

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Spread into a well greased jelly roll pan(sided cookie sheet.)  Bake at 375 for about 20- 25 minutes or until they're just pulling away from the edges of the pan.

While the bars are baking, make the frosting:

Browned Butter Frosting

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt:

1/2 cup butter

Cook and stir until the butter turns brown.  Brown will start to come up from the bottom of the pan and it will smell really buttery and nutty.  Watch carefully as you don't want it to burn.  When golden brown remove from heat and add:

4 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

About 3 Tablespoons milk

Beat together until smooth and silky. It shouldn't be too thick like a set frosting, but more like a thick glaze.   

When the bars are done, let cool a minute or two, then put the frosting on.  The easiest way is put dabs all over the top and then gently spread with a spatula.  

*When bananas get too ripe, I break them in half and put them in a quart freezer zip lock bag.  I keep them in the freezer and add to the bag as I get more.  When I have enough, I make these bars (or banana bread, banana cake, smoothies, etc.)  Just let them thaw a bit( you can even thaw them in the microwave) and then while the bag is still closed, mash them right in the bag.  Then you can cut a corner off the bag and squeeze the banana mash right into the measuring cup.  

Patty's Baked Beans

 Here's an easy baked beans recipe that you can do in the crockpot- perfect for your summer barbecues.  Everyone loves these baked beans.  I got the recipe from my sister, Patty.

Patty's Baked Beans
 3 cans pork and beans, drain some of the liquid

1 can dark kidney beans, drained

1 can butter beans, drained

1 large onion, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 kilbasa sausage (can use light), cut in chunks Or 6-8 slices thick cut bacon, cut in chunks OR a small package of little smokies, cut up

1/2 cup molasses

1/2- 3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

2-3 T. chili sauce (opt.)

Few splashes rice vinegar

Mix in crock pot and cook all day on low.