Sweet Lentil Stew

This was another really, really good dish.  It's from the Saving Dinner Cookbook.  Every recipe I've had from this cookbook has been excellent, and relatively easy.  I really need to go buy it for myself!

Sweet Lentil Stew

1 3/4 cups dried lentils, washed
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 small red pepper, diced
1 large potato, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
3 cups water
1 TBSP olive oil

Mix all ingredients in crock pot, except for olive oil.

Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours, or until the vegetables and lentils are tender.  Stir in the olive oil just before serving.  Serves 6.

Since my crock pot met an untimely death, and I can't bear to replace her yet, I cooked mine on the stove top.  It took about an hour to cook, but I had to add at least 3 more cups of water.  Even in the crockpot, I would check it about halfway through the cooking to make sure it wasn't getting too dry.  Lentils take a fair amount of water to cook, as do the potatoes.

I eliminated the regular potato, and used 2 sweet potatoes instead.  Instead of the jar of spaghetti sauce, I used a can of diced tomatoes (I avoid using canned spaghetti sauce at all costs).  It came out delightful and oh so healthy.  There are 26 grams of fiber per serving!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

These were so different from the enchiladas that I usually make, but they were very good.  You do have to marinate the chicken, but because you're usually precooked chicken, you can either use the leftover chicken from the Chicken Posole, or you can use some precooked chicken you already have in the freezer.  I got the recipe here.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

6 TBSP honey
5 TBSP lime juice (2-3 limes)
1 TBSP chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded

Combine above ingredients, and marinate at least 30 minutes.

8-10 tortillas
1 pound monterrey jack cheese, shredded, reserve 1 cup
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup cream (I used sour cream, and it was perfect, I don't think I would like it with cream, too heavy)

Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of 9x13 pan.  Fill tortillas with the shredded meat and cheese, roll like burritos, and place in the pan.  (I used a fork to get the meat out, so that I could use the rest of the marinade in the next step.)

Mix the rest of the marinade, green enchilada sauce, and sour cream.  Pour on top of the enchiladas, and top with the shredded cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and brown on top.

I cut this recipe in half, but I did not cut the marinade in half, if that makes sense.  I used an 8x8 pan.  I would use a little less sour cream, so that you could taste the enchilada sauce better, and they were a little too saucy and soupy.  But the flavor was absolutely wonderful.  I was very pleased with this recipe, and it will definitely go into my list of recipes to make again.

Chicken Posole

This was a fabulous recipe.  Very, very simple, but oh so tasty.  I could eat it every day until it was gone, and then I want to make it again!  I originally got the recipe here, but I changed it up a bit.

Chicken Posole

1 TBSP olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
32 ounces chicken broth (I make mine with bouillon cubes and 4 cups water)
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, with the juice
chili oil
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken meat
1 can great northern beans

Heat the oil in a pan, and cook the onion until soft.  Add the rest of the ingredients, and heat through.  Add chili oil to desired heat.  I only put a couple drops into our soup, just enough to give it a little flavor, because the kids don't like spicy food.

This is so very simple, but oh so delightful.   I did use a rotisserie chicken (the first time I've ever bought one!) It was so easy and very delicious.  Tomorrow I'll post a recipe for what you can do with the rest of the chicken from the rotisserie chicken.  Another yummy recipe.

German Pancake

I had never made a German pancake until a couple weeks ago when I didn't want to make dinner, and I had some fresh farm eggs sitting around, so I decided to make this for dinner!  The kids loved it and so did I.  I have never made this before, so I don't know if the fresh eggs made it puffier than it would have been with store eggs, but it was GINORMOUS.  We've made the switch to farm fresh eggs, and they are so much better than eggs from the store, and I know exactly where they came from (my friend!)  This was yummy, and I'll have to make it again.  We served it with fresh strawberries, and it was very yummy.  And oh so simple.  I got the recipe here.

German Pancake

6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSP butter, melted

Put all ingredients except butter in the blender, and mix until smooth.  Pout the butter into a 9x13 pan, then pour the batter in to the pan.  Bake, at 400 degrees, for 20 minutes, until puffy, golden on top, and set in the middle.

Dust with powdered sugar, and serve immediately.  It is best hot.

Baked Oatmeal

This is a great winter breakfast recipe I had forgotten about.  It's summer now, but I figured I should post it before I forgot again.  The recipe originally came from here, but I made it quite differently.

Baked Oatmeal

6 cups quick cooking oatmeal
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups milk
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, slightly beaten

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together.  Pour into a 9x13 pan.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until set.  Serve with milk, berries, honey, whatever oatmeal toppings you like.

I cut the recipe in half, and made it in an 8x8 pan, because 6 cups is WAY too much oatmeal for us.  I also cut down on the sugar, and put only a splash of oil in.  I wanted it to be more oatmealish, and this recipe is more like a giant oatmeal cookie.  I also put raisins in, and it was very good.