Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches with Bleu Cheese Coleslaw

I really should stop posting our favorite easy recipes because then I won't have anything to feed you when you come to visit...We serve this meat with bleu cheese coleslaw on sandwich rolls or hamburger buns with sweet potato fries. We have also used the meat for buffalo chicken salad- another super easy tasty meal. Ya, I am OBSESSED with buffalo chicken anything.

Buffalo Chicken 

This can easily be double but this is how much I generally make for our family (Mike and I) with enough for leftovers for lunch the next day.

•  4 (frozen) chicken breasts
• 1/3 (or more) bottle Wing Sauce (we like Frank's best)
• 1/2 package Ranch Dressing Mix

Add all ingredients to crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours (more or less depending on how hot your crock pot cooks and whether your chicken is fresh or froze and tenders or breasts). Shred chicken and add back into sauce (I leave a bit out for the kids because adding it back to the sauce does add a bit of a kick). If you like really spicy, you can use a spicier hot sauce or closer to 1/2 bottle (or more). We generally are liking to please all taste buds so this is the way we do it.  Also, I have used regular ranch as opposed to the packet and it has worked fine and omitted the ranch altogether.  I still like the results best with the ingredients listed above. Serve with extra hot sauce/wing sauce on the side.

Bleu Cheese Coleslaw

• 1 (16 oz)package shredded coleslaw mix

•   4-6 stalks celery, thinly sliced (we don't love a ton of celery so we usually do 4)
  
•  4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 mayonaisse
• 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2-1 cup bleu cheese (sometimes we serve blue cheese separately so people can add as much or little as they want)
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix coleslaw mix, green onions and celery together. In a different bowl mix together mayo, lemon juice and salt and pepper together. Mix together, add bleu cheese (if desired). Taste and add more salt and pepper/lemon juice/etc. as desired.

Southwest Pasta Salad

Southwest Pasta Salad
Recipe by Our Best Bites (www.ourbestbites.com/2011/01/southwest-pasta-salad/) with some comments

Ingredients
1/2 lb bowtie pasta (I use Barilla Plus or whole wheat noodles so I can pretend I am being healthy)
1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 roma tomatoes, diced or about 3/4 C or halved cherry tomatoes (I usually take out seeds too since we are not huge tomato fans)
1 large red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 C sliced green onions
1/2 C frozen fresh corn
zest from 2 limes
optional: 8 oz diced cooked chicken (this is fantastic or even leftover rotisserie meat. We always add chicken to make it a meal.)
1/2 C Queso Fresco or Cotija Cheese (or you could sub grated jack, cheddar or pepperjack)
 
Dressing:
6 Tbs fresh lime juice (about 3 juicy limes)
1/4 C white wine or rice vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
2 tsp sugar (add a touch more if your limes are extra sour/bitter)
3/4 C canola oil (I used 1/2 cup and still felt like it was too much, could probably go with as little as a 1/4 cup depending on consistency)
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro


Directions

Place Boil pasta in salted water until cooked.  While it’s cooking, prepare dressing.

First zest your limes and place the zest in a large salad bowl.

Place the lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and sugar in a blender.  (Basically everything except the cilantro and oil)  Process until smooth.  With the motor running slowly, add the oil in a steady stream until incorporated.  Add the cilantro and pulse so it gets broken up, but some pieces still remain in tact.

When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse immediately with cold water to cool.  Place the pasta in the large salad bowl with the lime zest.  Add black beans, tomatoes, diced pepper, green onions, corn (no need to thaw the corn),  and chicken if desired.  Toss with dressing.  Taste, and add additional salt and pepper to taste.  For best results, chill for 1 hour before serving.  Right before serving, sprinkle cheese on top.  Serve with extra lime wedges if desired.

Makes about 4-6 dinner sized servings or 10-12 side servings. We serve this with quesadillas.

Flax seed crackers

1 part flax seeds

2 parts water

optional: herbs and/or salt

Let soak then stir. It will be glue-like. Pour onto baking sheet covered with parchment. Sprinkle herbs/salt if desired. Bake as low as possible until crisp (2-3 hours). These are great with the bean salsa I just posted. 

Delicious Bean Salsa

1 32 oz. jar salsa (or diced tomatoes)

3 cans (16 oz. each) beans (blackeyed peas, black beans, great northern, pinto, white hominy - whatever you like)

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 C chopped white onion

4-5 large tomatoes, diced (seeded if desired)

1 T dry cilantro or 1 C fresh

1 bunch green onions

1/2 – 1 T sugar

1/2 – 1 T salt

2-3 T ground black pepper

2-3 T ground cumin

Substitute, add, or delete whatever you want. Mix together and refrigerate overnight. 

Spinach & Feta Pasta

Spinach & Feta Pasta

8 oz. Penne pasta

1  28 oz. can diced tomatoes

3 c. fresh spinach

1 onion, finely chopped 

5-6 cloves garlic (or 3 tsp. minced garlic)

Handful of mushrooms, chopped (we left these out) 

4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled 

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to directions on package.  While pasta is cooking, heat a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms and cook until tender.  Add spinach (you don't need to cut it up but Brody thought the full spinach leaves were a little gross.  So if you have a  spinach hater in your home, chop it up a little) and cook until wilted.  Add canned tomatoes and heat all the way through.  Add in drained pasta and season with salt and pepper, top with feta.  We made this as a side dish with Italian paninis (just in case you're looking for a meal idea)

I made this last night for my young women and they loved it.  Once you make this recipe, you'll never buy hummus from the store again!  Serve it with Stacey's pita chips or fresh veggies.

Hummus

In a vitamix, pulverize:

1 can garbanzo beans (drained)

½ C water

1 T olive oil

2-3 T tahini paste (sesame seed butter)

½- ¾  tsp salt (I also add garlic salt but I love me some salt)

½ tsp cumin

4 T lemon juice

2 small cloves crushed garlic

*for variations, add jalapeño & cilantro, roasted red pepper, sundried tomatoes or artichoke hearts.  For creamier or thinner texture, add more water or oil.

Here is one of my favorite salad/ dips of the summer!  You can bet I make it once a week... healthy, spunky and colorful.  Adapt it depending on what is in season. 

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

adapted from melskitchencafe

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups cooked quinoa (boil 2 C broth or water and 1 C dry quinoa, reduce heat to low, simmer 15 min or until liquid is absorbed)- cool to room temperature

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium mango, peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper, diced or 2-3 roma tomatoes diced (I use both)
4 green onions, diced OR ¼ cup diced purple onion

Frozen sweet corn (take a handful and run it under hot water to thaw)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1-2  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ packet of Italian dressing mix (dry seasoning, not the prepared dressing)

1 ripe but not squishy avocado, diced

Salt and pepper to taste and chili powder for desired spice

Put everything in a large bowl after quinoa is cooled, in the order listed; avocado is added last so it doesn’t make things mushy.  Stir and put in the fridge for 30 min to bring out the flavors!

Wedge Salad

If you've ever been to Johnny Carino's I hope you tried their Wedge Salad.  It is amazing.  Here is my adaptation of it.

1/4 wedge of crisp iceberg lettuce

Top with:
bacon crumbles
gorgonzola cheese
diced apples
diced roma tomatoes
diced red onions
candied pecans
ranch dressing

Fresh Broccoli Salad

Salad Dressing Ingredients (allow dressing to set three to four hours before mixing the salad)

         ½ Cup Mayonnaise

         ¼ Cup Sugar

         1Tablespoon Vinegar

Salad Ingredients

         1 Bunch of Broccoli (buds and tender stalks)

         ½ Sweet Onion (red – chopped)

         ½ Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese (or to taste)

         1 lb. Bacon (fried and broken into small pieces)

Chop broccoli into bite-size pieces.  Add onions, bacon, and cheese.  Toss with salad dressing.