Creamy Avocado Pasta Sauce

This is a great sauce and it's full of healthy fat and flavor.  I served it with some cubed, cooked chicken and rice vermicelli noodles (since I'm avoiding wheat).  But you could serve it with any noodle you wish and have it as a main dish or as a pasta side dish.

Ingredients:
1 ripe medium or large avocado (pitted and scooped out of the skin)
1/2 lemon
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh basil
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

(Begin cooking your pasta before you start the sauce.  By the time it's al dente, your sauce will be all ready to go!)

In a food processor blend the garlic, the juice from the half lemon, and the olive oil.   Add the avocado, basil, and salt.  Process until smooth.  If too thick, add water a couple of Tbsp. at a time through the feed chute until it reaches the consistency you want.

Garnish your pasta and sauce with zest from the lemon half and with extra chopped basil if desired.  You may also want to add some salt and pepper.

Mine was pretty thick even after about a third cup of water added, but once it was mixed in with the pasta it was perfect!

Source:  greatist.com

Tin Foil Dinner

This is easy to make several of (I usually make enough for 5 zip lock bags), and cooks up really fast for when you are in a pinch!

All you need is:

Hamburger
Veggies of choice (I use Zucchini, Carrots, Onions, Potatoes, and Green Beans)
Ketchup
Mustard
Salt
Pepper

Precook the veggies until soft then mix them in with the raw hamburger and add ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper to your liking.  Once combined put it into your frying pan to shape it to fit, then slide into a 1 gallon zip lock bag and lay flat to freeze (as you can see in the picture above it is still frozen but fits nicely in my pan).  When you need it just take it out, pop it in the frying pan you measured it in. Cover and cook until the hamburger is cooked through.  The reason I have not given amounts is you can make it more meaty or veggie depending on your preference.  We usually serve it with a big salad.  Enjoy!

Freezer Meal: Cafe Rio Chicken

A little confession.  I know the food is good at Cafe Rio.  I ate there once or twice on a trip to southern Utah a few years back.  But I don't go ballistic nuts over it.  Just sayin'.  Maybe because I have had so much authentic Mexican food that I never feel like I have been deprived, you know? (Not sure if this is a copycat recipe or what, but my source is noted at the end of this post). This was really tasty.  I used it in a salad, but there was plenty left over to do burritos or fajitas, tacos...OMGoodness, this would be amazing in Sopa de Pollo!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

8 oz.  zesty Italian dressing

1/2 T. minced garlic

1 packet ranch dressing mix, combined with 1/2 cup water

1/2 T. chili powder

1/2 T. ground cumin

1.  Place all ingredients in a zippered freezer bag (gallon size). Close bag and smoosh all the ingredients together.  Place bag in freezer until ready to use.

2. Take out of freezer one hour prior to prep time--this is also a slow cooker recipe--OR run room temperature water over the bag for about 30 seconds.  Then, empty ingredients into a slow cooker.

3.  Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.  Remove from slow cooker and shred with forks.

NOTE:  Great in tacos, salads, burritos, etc.

TIPS:  You might want to put this in two quart-size bags, depending on the size of your slow cooker.  What I have found with these recipes is that however you place them in the freezer is the shape and size you are going to have of your frozen meal.  Hopefully, that fits in your cooker.  Mine barely did on this.  But I tried a different recipe the other day (yuck!!) that I laid out flat to freeze and it wouldn't fit my smaller cooker and even with my larger oval one I had to chop away at the corners of the food to get them down in order to get the lid on securely.  Good things to know before you start.

Source:  Chef In Training.

Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells

This is a recipe you can make and freeze and cook at a later time.  These were yummy but I think I would cover them with foil when baking and/or add some sauce to make them juicier.

Ingredients:

12-16 jumbo pasta shells
water for boiling pasta
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. freshly grated parmesan or asiago cheese + 1/4 c. for topping
3 T. prepared pesto (homemade or store bought)
2 c. shredded cooked chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.  In a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package, cook pasta shells only until al dente.  The pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked.  Drain the pasta shells and set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the 1/4 c. of cheese for the topping.  Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a baking dish.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 c. of cheese over filled shells.

3.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts.

To make ahead/freezer meals:

1.  Prepare as directed but place filled shells in an oven and freezer proof baking dish.  Top with remaining 1/4 c. of cheese over filled shells.  Cover and freeze.

2.  When ready to prepare, defrost, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese is melted.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

I know that there have been a few different versions of enchiladas posted on the Mormon Mavens blog, but this is my version and it is also one of my favorite freezer meals. I usually make 3 or 4 pans at a time and freeze a couple.
This recipe is a take on my mom's enchiladas that I LOVED eating as a kid. I simplified the recipe to make it fit my lifestyle more. I do not cook the sauce and I do not combine the sauce and the chicken like my mom does.

Also note-almost everything in this recipe is APPROXIMATIONS. I know that is horrible for a food blog, but, I have never used a measuring cup or spoon when I make this. Just tweak it to your liking!

2 Chicken breasts cooked and chopped (I broil mine sprinkled with garlic salt, cumin, chili powder, lime juice and oil.)
2-3 Cups shredded cheese (mont jack, colby jack, mexican blend, whatever you prefer.)Flour tortillas-soft taco size

Sauce:
Saute  in a pan til soft, 1 onion-chopped and one garlic clove minced
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 to 2 C. sour cream
1/2 to 1 C. salsa
1 can diced green chilies
1/4 to 1/2 C. green salsa (I only add this if I have it on hand)

A couple or a few shakes of hot sauce

A few shakes of chili powder

A few shakes of cumin

Just mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a big bowl.

Lay out a 9x13in. pan, your tortillas, your chopped chicken, your sauce and your cheese . You can add the shredded cheese to the sauce (reserving a bit to sprinkle over the top) if you want to skip a step.

Put a blob of sauce in the bottom of your pan and spread around. Then get to filling and rolling your tortillas. NOTE: Make sure you do NOT use all your sauce on the inside of the tortillas, you want some left to spread over the top of all the rolled enchiladas.

Sprinkle a small handful of chicken in the middle of the tortilla, put a blob of sauce on there and a sprinkle of cheese, then roll up. Place in the pan, seam side down. Continue this step until your pan is full (I can normally get about 10 in there) I squeeze them in there.

Place the rest of the sauce on the top of the enchiladas and spread around, making sure to get all the tortillas covered. Then sprinkle a little more cheese on top. You can cover and freeze them like this or you can just bake them right away.

Cover with foil and bake for about 20-30 mins in a 350 degree oven. Remove the foil and bake another 10 mins or so, til the edges are bubbly.

If you freeze them, just cook them at about 350, covered, for a couple hours until the center is warm and the edges are bubbly.

Serve with Rice, beans, shredded lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, chopped olives, and whatever else you like.

Itty Bitty Pancake Muffins

It's time for us to share some freezer meals on Mormon Mavens in the Kitchen!  I mean, it's back-to-school season and we are all pressed for time with all the added stresses that entails.  So how about we take the next couple o' weeks and share some of our favorite freezer-friendly recipes with you?

I chose to share a breakfast freezer recipe.   Pancakes?  Well, not exactly.  These are pancakes disguised as muffins!  Make a big batch ahead of time, cool, freeze, and take them out the night before to thaw.   Serve with warmed maple syrup and you've got a great breakfast treat without having to get up early!

Itty Bitty Pancake Muffins

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups milk

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

2 eggs

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

4 Tbsp. butter, melted

blueberries or chocolate chips, optional

warmed maple syrup for serving

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Combine dry ingredients and whisk well to combine.

2.  Combine milk and vinegar and allow to sit for one minute.  Then whisk in the eggs and the vanilla.  

3.  Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and mix by hand until just combined.  Then added the melted butter adn stir to combine.  (Add more milk if batter is too thick, more flour if it is too runny.)

4.  Spray a mini-muffin tin with baking spray and fill cups only 2/3 full.  Then top with 3 blueberries or a few chocolate chips (I use maxi chips, so I only need 3 chips).

5.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Tops don't really brown much, but the sides do.  Let them sit in the pan for a minute or two and then take them out of the pan.  I use a plain ol' cereal spoon for this.  I run it around the edge and then the muffin scoops out easily!

To freeze, just let them cool completely and then place them into a freezer bag in one layer, flat.  Seal the bag almost all the way and then use a drinking straw to suck out as much air as you can.  Seal, date, and freeze.  Use within a few weeks to avoid freezer burn.

Source:  very slightly adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Yummy Stir-Fried Zucchini

In an effort to eat healthy-fresh more often and because zucchini is so prolific right now, I have concocted this little number.  The Mediterranean Seasoning is from the 21-day Fix Eating Plan.  Yes, she is trying yet another weight-loss plan--it's a journey.

Ingredients:
Fresh zucchini, cut into bite-size cubes (about 3 or 4 medium to large)
Mediterranean Seasoning, to taste (about a teaspoon or so)
Olive oil, about a tablespoon

Seasoning:
4 T. dried parsley, crushed
4 t. dried onion flakes
2 t. dried basil, crushed
1 t. ground oregano
1 t. ground thyme
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. sea salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper

1.  In a medium or large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.

2.  Add zucchini and stir to coat with oil.  Add desired amount of seasoning.  Stir-fry for about 3 or 4 minutes.

3.  That's it!  Enjoy!  Goes well with many things.  I have had it with grilled chicken breast, a veggie burger, or just as part of a veggie plate.  Last night we had it with sliced garden tomatoes, boiled potatoes, and I just had to have some fried green tomatoes.  I know--fried.  It's a Southern thing.