Chicken and Pineapple Stir Fry

Two pineapples down--12 to go. :) Last night I made stir-fried chicken with fresh pineapple and green pepper. Cooking the chicken in sesame oil was amazing! I would love to re-make this one over and over.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/77524/stir-fried-chicken-with-pineapple-and-peppers/

Wild Salmon with Naval Orange-Cucumber Salsa

Trying to increase our frequency of meals from the Auto-Immune Paleo cookbook, I found this one in which the salsa tasted a lot like Ceviche. So we topped our salmon with it and then the next night added shrimp to the leftover salsa. The original recipe called for nectarine, but the naval orange was just as delicious. Might have to try it again when nectarines are in season.

http://autoimmune-paleo.com/wild-salmon-with-nectarine-cucumber-salsa/

Garlic Cauliflower Mash

This was a delicious find in the Sprouts circular this month. I served it as a side-dish with the Cranberry Chicken. I used the potato masher this time, but I think I will try to follow the instructions to the letter to see if I can it to come out smooth and creamy. The flavor was great, with the hubby saying "definitely make this one again." :)

https://www.sprouts.com/recipe/details/-/view/11469/garlic-cauliflower-mash

Cranberry-Glazed Chicken

Another wonderful recipe from the Autoimmune Paleo website. The turmeric was the winning ingredient. I served with with mashed cauliflower and salad. Another successful night to our good health. :)

http://autoimmune-paleo.com/cranberry-glazed-chicken/

Pina Colada Bread

Our local grocery store had pineapples 98c each, so the hubby (and his shopping addiction) bought 14! So, last night I looked through "The Best of Colorado" cookbook--a Christmas gift from the hubby a few years ago. I found Pina Colada Bread. I think it was delicious, but definitely needs the glaze to enjoy it. We tried it without the glaze and agreed it wasn't as good. I think I added too much baking powder and/or baking soda as it slightly affected the flavor. Next time I will make a couple of adjustments, but overall it was very good. It was fun to make a Colorado favorite. :)

Cream of Avocado Soup with Crab Meat

So the hubby is wanting to eat healthier--targeting his immune system. When we were shopping in the grocery store, I found a cookbook which is at this website:  www.autoimmune-paleo.com . After reading about it's purpose and recipes, I'm discovering that they are fun (and sometimes weird), healthy recipes even if you don't follow the plan. However, it's also a great way to find out if you have food allergies and health problems related to food over a 30-60 day period. We're not disciplined enough to go that far, but I am already finding I love these recipes, especially involving salmon or avocado since that's what my husband buys a lot of at the store.

For this recipe I actually served it hot by heating up the chicken broth before putting it in the blender. I served 2, maybe 3 people and I would recommend doubling the crab meat. The hubby was still raving about it today and even suggested freezing up batches of it, particularly when there's an avocado sale. :)

http://autoimmune-paleo.com/cream-of-avocado-soup-with-crab-meat/

Oreo Fudge (Easy!)

Christmas goodies having been appearing in my kitchen almost daily...now to blog about it!

To start, and so far my favorite, is oreo fudge or bark, I haven't decided yet; somewhere in between. There are many variations, but this is the easiest 3 ingredient recipe you could make. I used the microwave option, watching it very carefully. Sinfully addictive. :)

http://www.dessertnowdinnerlater.com/2014/11/oreo-fudge/

Cake Batter Fudge

My first Christmas candy and it's so fun and yummy not to mention easy!! If you have somewhere you need to be in a couple hours, this one takes 5 minutes to prepare and an hour to chill. This one will be repeated all year round :) It also helps that Safeway has Better Crocker cake mixes for $1 this week :)

http://chocolatechocolateandmore.com/cake-batter-fudge/

here's the link to the other candys I'll be making this Christmas---well at least half of them :)

http://chocolatechocolateandmore.com/50-christmas-candy-recipes/

High Altitude Spritz Cookies

My mother gave me a Pampered Chef cookie press several years ago before we moved to Colorado. I used it once since moving here (before I knew there high altitude adjustments that needed to be made)-that was about 3 years ago. I have since re-gained confidence as a baker thanks to Randi Levin's Baking At High Altitude cookbook. This year, for Christmas, I have been perusing the internet for other high altitude bakers. Specifically wanting to conquer my cookie press skills at 6100 feet, I found a wonderful blog from a baker in Utah. Below is the link to her site.

I will say, I only needed the 2 cups of flour. I used green food coloring to make the trees, red for the ornaments (with green sugar sprinkles) and no dye for snowflakes (sprinkled with blue pareils).

http://highaltitudecooking.blogspot.com/2007/12/classic-spritz-christmas-cookies.html

Thanksgiving Menu

The hubby said he wanted a traditional Thanksgiving menu. In my family that includes Taste of Home. I was also browsing and decided that Ree Drummond the Pioneer Woman had the perfect list to add to my menu. I found a few other recipes to complete my collection and now I share with you the Colorado Welton 2015 Thanksgiving list. :)

1. Turkey (+brine) http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/my-favorite-turkey-brine/
2. Green Beans, Bacon and tomatoes http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/spanish_green_beans_a_yummy_thanksgiving_side_dish/
3. Peas and pearl onions http://allrecipes.com/recipe/66409/creamed-onions-and-peas/
4. Cream Corn Bake http://www.seededatthetable.com/2010/11/24/corn-casserole/
5. Roasted Carrots with Vinaigrette http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/roasted-carrots-with-vinaigrette/
6. Sauteed Mushrooms with Garlic and Lemon Pan Sauce http://veryculinary.com/2014/11/13/sauteed-mushrooms-recipe/
7. Stuffing http://www.kimshealthyeats.com/stuffing-in-a-bundt-pan/
8. Fresh cranberry sauce http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/cranberry-sauce-recipe.html
9. Mashed Potatoes http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/creamy-mashed-potatoes-recipe.html
10. Gravy http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/giblet-gravy/
11. Blue Berry Pie
12. Frozen Cranberry Salad http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/frozen-cranberry-salad

**The Blueberry Pie has been previously blogged from my most treasured cookbook: High Altitude Baking**

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Oh emm gee. I will likely never make tomato soup any other way. Let me first start by saying, I am still dealing with about a crisper full of tomatoes a week. I think I will be down to the last bit within the next 2 weeks. My husband found a (fancy) napkin in my pantry that had a recipe for roasted tomato soup and asked me to "please" make some. He knows I love adventure in the kitchen, so tonight is the night. As I said in the beginning, this is amazingly delicious. I added shredded chicken and used a hand mixer/food processor to puree it just a bit. It probably would have been just fine to skip the last step, but I think it blended the flavors well. If I were to serve it to guests, I would probably buy bread bowls.

I took a pic of the napkin but also found a Food Network version that is very similar. In the napkin version, the oil, garlic and onion are mixed in with the tomatoes and baked together at 375. I boiled chicken breasts and added bullion cubes, salt, pepper, oregano and fresh thyme as the base. Also added shredded parmesan  at the end.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-tomato-basil-soup-recipe.html

Pumpkin Spice Waffles

Yes, I'm a member of the pumpkin spice club. Here's Sunday morning brunch (with eggs). Easy to make, totally worth it!

http://www.justataste.com/pumpkin-spice-waffles-recipe/

Spartan Tri Tip Chili

As I continue my quest for tomato recipes, and in combination with the hubby's weekly manager's special finds in the meat department, I found this awesome tri tip chili recipe (also known as Texas chili). It has over 20 ingredients (plus I added black beans), but it was well worth it; onions and tomatoes were from our garden. Cut up the tri-tip into cubes and put everything in the crockpot  the night before. It was our first cold and rainy day of the fall season, so it really hit the spot when we came home from work. Topped with a little cheddar cheese, avocado and sour cream, this one gets a thumbs up and perfect for any party. Plus, I just like the name "Spartan chili"--a man's chili. :D

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/230778/spartan-tri-tip-chili/

Zucchini-Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm nearing the end of zucchini  recipes, but I found this one on Pinterest last week and have already made it twice in 3 days (by special request). :) These taste like oatmeal cookies...mostly. You want to eat more of them because you "know" they're so much healthier with the zucchini. ;) If I can't finish up the last of the zucchini this week, I'll probably do it again. [Also made the zucchini crust pizza a third time this weekend as well. I think I'm finally getting that one perfected.]

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/07/zucchini-oat-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Creamy Tomato Bisque

Prepare!! Tomato recipes are here. :)  I used the food processor to make about 6-8 cups of pureed tomatoes for this AMAZING soup. The cloves really made it unique and delicious. I added basil...next time I will add dill which is my favorite version. I also added onion from our garden (as were the tomatoes). We also had ham and cheddar paninis (aka "Grilled Cheese"). The whole meal felt like we went out to a deli for dinner. Definitely will be making this one again. :)

http://www.food.com/recipe/creamy-tomato-soup-from-scratch-74263

Greek Tzatziki Sauce

Well, it's the end of the week, so that means leftovers. This has been a fun week for cooking. Yesterday was Greek night...I'll be posting 3 separate recipes-1. Greek Lamb Gyros, 2. Tzatziki 3. Tabouleh

Super easy to make! I used fat free regular yogurt. I only wish I had used fresh dill--that's what makes it *pop!*. I used up the cucumbers and tomatoes from garden in both the Tzatziki and the Tabouleh. 

http://greek.food.com/recipe/tzatziki-59336

Greek Lamb Gyros

Well, it's the end of the week, so that means leftovers. This has been a fun week for cooking. Yesterday was Greek night...I'll be posting 3 separate recipes-1. Greek Lamb Gyros, 2. Tzatziki 3. Tabouleh

The lamb was one of our famous manager's specials. The hubby bought chops, so I cut the meat off the fat and bones and cubed it. This particular choice of meat made the gyros incredible. We also had cucumbers and tomatoes from the garden that needed to be used up. Perfect. :)

http://www.browneyedbaker.com/greek-gyro-recipe/

(Mostly) Quick and Easy Zucchini Pie

As we transition from zucchini to tomato recipes, I managed to find another combination of the two. This was tonight's dinner and can we say-Yum! I ended up adding tomatoes, mushrooms, pepper, and a little oregano and put it in my 14x9 baking dish. I also used mozerella instead of parmesan (because that's what I had) and shredded fiesta cheese. I love my food processor's slicer/shredder attachment; I had sliced zucchini in minutes.  Of course the boys had to add Frank's Hot sauce, cuz you know they "put that stuff on everything". :)  I think if you added a little ground beef or sausage, this would make a great breakfast casserole dish that was fairly healthy (I replaced the canola with olive oil). Definitely a nice recipe to have on hand for visitors. :)

http://myrecipemagic.com/recipe/recipedetail/quick-and-easy-zucchini-pie

Fresh Spaghetti Sauce

Are you tired of posts about zucchini yet? Well, I can't say I'm quite done with that, but I can promise a plethora of tomato recipes next because hubby's garden exploded. Here is the first one--and I was absolutely delicious, and, well, technically a zucchini recipe too because I chopped it up real fine in the food processor (with onions and mushrooms) and added it to the sauce. No one seemed to notice. :) This was an absolutely amazing flavor. I left out the sugar-maybe the onions helped to sweeten it, but my boys don't really care for a sweet sauce anyway. I also added oregano and pepper. Served it with sliced, spicy brats and ground turkey and regular spaghetti. Definitely a keeper. :)  Next up tomato soup and pizza sauce.

http://www.food.com/recipe/fresh-tomato-spaghetti-sauce-10837

Zucchini Fritters with Dill Avocado Dip

Last night we had a delicious salmon stuffed with lobster and cream cheese. I paired it up with a different version of zucchini fritters with a dill avocado dollops---oh so good. The teenager was not with us so it was a nice "stay-date" (stay at home date--similar to a stay-cation). Not much to add to this one, the recipe and meat selection really speak for themselves. :)

http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/zucchini-fritters-recipe.html?t=MEL

**Mine was not dairy free--I added Helmans and a little bit of lemon juice and salt. I also included the dill as suggested by the first recipe webpage. **

http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/avocado-onion-dip.html

Baked Swiss Steak

The hubby went to the store this weekend and it looks like another week of "manager's special surprise" (meats).  Tonight it is going to be tenderized steaks (pre-seasoned) and the lucky winner is---Taste of Home for their baked Swiss Steak recipe. I think the teenager is just happy it's a zucchini free night, although he managed to wolf down the zucchini disguised as brownies. :)  This one would be an easy slow cooker meal; if I ever get this surprise meat again, I will probably try other variations. *The onions and tomatoes came straight from our garden--yum!
[The hubby doesn't like green peppers which is traditionally what I associate with swiss steak, so I have to think outside of the box.]

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/baked-swiss-steak

Creamy Chicken, Broccoli and Quinoa Bake

My husband managed to buy 9 lbs of chicken as well as bring home more vegetables from the garden. I was browsing baked chicken recipes and came across this one....I ended up doubling the recipe and making a pan with chicken breasts and one with thighs so that we'd have enough for lunches and leftovers. I did add shredded zucchini and feel that the recipe could have used more salt and pepper. Great casserole for a chilly fall night. [The rest of the chicken was used for fajitas and sandwich meat the next night.]

http://pinchofyum.com/creamy-chicken-quinoa-broccoli-casserole

Summer Squash Sloppy Joes

This was pretty good and I realized that when we added the buns, cheese, a glass of milk we had almost a complete meal...technically hitting all 4 food groups if you include tomato as a fruit. :) I ended up adding a little bit of vinegar and brown sugar for some extra kick. The great news is that kids wouldn't likely realize that vegetables are in it if you shred the vegetables like I did. It became a great series of leftovers for the week for the teenager too. :)

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/summer-squash-sloppy-joes-239165

Summer Squash and Corn Chowder

Another weekend of "what the heck to do with all this squash and zucchini" and more Pinterest browsing. So I chose another soup that I cooked in a stockpot over an hour or 2 and added chicken (and zucchini) since my boys "need" meat. :)  Good recipe for a chilly Sunday night.

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/07/summer-squash-corn-chowder/

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Coconut Bread

I'm pulling double zucchini duty today. The first is a corn zucchini chowder (see other blog) and for dessert, this super delicious bread is more like a cake loaf; chocolate chips make everything irresistible. And--it turned out beautifully even in high altitude here in Colorado.

http://flavorthemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/dark-chocolate-coconut-zucchini-bread1-flavorthemoments.com_-500x668.jpg

Slow Cooker Apple Butter Pulled Pork

Last year, my hubby brought home 350+ apples that he and the teenager picked. After freezing some, creating many, many apple dishes, making applesauce, apple bbq sauce and apple butter, I'm finally down to a handful of jars of apple butter and bbq sauce. So I began to peruse Pinterest and came across this recipe. The hubby and I both agreed, it is possibly the best bbq pulled pork we've ever tasted. If you try any recipe that I have tried, this one is a MUST! So grateful to those cooks who are creative and post to the internet for people like me to try. :)

http://backtoherroots.com/2015/02/13/slow-cooker-apple-butter-pulled-pork/

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Snickerdoodles

Not quite sure why I picked a Monday night for decadent treats, but hey--it was Monday, need I say more? lol  Oh, and, I had cream cheese that I needed to use. Well, these sinfully delicious cookies got packaged up and sent to hubby's office asap this morning because I have been making certain members of our household "too fat". Haha. And, I did just make an amazing pan of zucchini brownies...at least I think I did...I know I put the zucchini in the batter...sure couldn't find it when it came out of the oven. ;)  I will say, these giant cookies (or mini-pies) were just a tiny bit more effort than I wanted to put into baking. So, as yummy as they were, I probably will keep it for a special occasion and not just because it's Monday. :)

http://therecipecritic.com/2013/09/pumpkin-cheesecake-snickerdoodles/

Sweet Potatoes Mashed

I know fall isn't until September 23rd, but I had sweet potatoes that I needed to use, so I decided to make this recipe from an insert in one of my Food Network Magazines. I've eaten mashed sweet potatoes many times, but this was my first time making it for myself (and my hubby). The Teenager, however, does not like sweet potatoes, so he's getting his own pan of mashed red potatoes. Tonight, the main dish is grilled ribs--a manager's special that was already pre-marinated with a honey chipotle sauce and grilled corn on the cob. I would say Sunday nights are our awesome dinner night, but since cooking is our hobby, every night seems to present itself with delicious treats. :)

White Chicken Chili with Zucchini

So, the day before I raised the white flag on our plethora of zucchini, I made this wonderful dish from Eating Well.  I ended up using chicken thighs (instead of ground tukey) and added yellow squash. It was a deliciously different flavor. I think I would love to make something like it again, only next time I would add taco seasoning (which would make it off-white?). :) Anyway, big thumbs up from my boys. :)

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/white_turkey_chili.html?socsrc=ewfb0810154

How to Freeze Zucchini

Saturday's harvest was so big, I finally gave up on recipes and cut to the chase....for now...and according to my hubby, I may end up having to do again next weekend. But, at least we have a great start on soup veggies for the winter :)

http://thinking-outside-the-pot.com/?p=805

Zucchini Brownies

After today's zucchini harvest, I'm raising the white flag. I ended up blanching 6 bags of yellow squash and zucchini for this winter's soups. However, I did end up making zucchini boats for the grill and these zucchini brownies first. Pretty straightforward and easy to hide if you have family who won't eat their vegetables. :)

http://www.crazyforcrust.com/2011/09/zucchini-brownies/

Zucchini Pizza Crust

I really went out on a limb for dinner last night, but, since we seem to have an endless supply of zucchini right now, 8 cups didn't seem to be too much for this zucchini pizza crust. It was easy to make, but I recommend drying it out even more if you can. It took about twice as long to bake as was recommended, but maybe I made the crust too thick and it could also have been the altitude. It still turned out amazing. I used leftover london broil cut up into small bits as well as broccoli (from our garden), mushrooms, tomatoes and red onions. I will likely make this one again if we still have too much zucchini in a couple of weeks.

http://www.myhumblekitchen.com/2013/09/best-zucchini-recipe-ever-zucchini-crust-pizza/#sthash.hL00a5br.dpbs

Molasses Zucchini Bread

Holy moly! Jason keeps bringing in more and more zucchini, so it looks like I'm going to be busy blogger for the next couple of weeks. Yesterday, I used my "Baking at High Altitude" cookbook and made Zucchini Bread. I have to say, it's probably the best sweet bread I have ever made. Even Jason says he can't get enough. I will probably end up making more and freezing it for holiday gifts. Every recipe in this book is amazing--the Muffin Lady wins again. :)

One Pot Zucchini Mushroom Pasta

I'm going to just copy the text from the London Broil post....both were delicious but can be summed up in one paragraph. :) 

Food Network had a great marinated london broil and needed a great side dish. And, since we have SO much zucchini, (if I don't end up freezing some), I've been using Pinterest to try to get creative. It was amazing. Tasted like we went out to a 5 star restaurant but managed to keep our money in our pockets. smile emoticon We also added my favorite merlot and his favorite craft IPA beer. Tonight it's pizza with a zucchini crust and I have zucchini bread (with molasses) in the oven....more blogs to come. :)

http://www.myhumblekitchen.com/2013/09/best-zucchini-recipe-ever-zucchini-crust-pizza/#sthash.hL00a5br.dpbhttp://damndelicious.net/2014/06/13/one-pot-zucchini-mushroom-pasta/?utm_source=feedly&utm_reader=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=one-pot-zucchini-mushroom-pasta

le emoticon

Marinated London Broil

So yesterday's random choice meat brought to you by "hubby surprises" was london broil. Food Network had a great marinade and I ended up broiling (rather than grilling). And, since we have SO much zucchini, (if I don't end up freezing some), I will use Pinterest and try to get creative. Last night I paired the London Broil with One Pot Zucchini Mushroom Pasta (see next blog). Tasted like we went out to a 5 star restaurant but managed to keep our money in our pockets. :)  We also added my favorite merlot and his favorite craft IPA beer. Tonight it's pizza with a zucchini crust and I have zucchini bread (with molasses) in the oven....more blogs to come. :)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/grilled-marinated-london-broil0.html

Kale Lasagna

I almost forgot to post this amazing dish! The boy ate it up as if he didn't even realize it had kale in it. But, really, kale makes a great substitute for spinach. Also, this recipe originally called for sausage, but I used a random manager's special selection of ground chicken meatballs and bacon. :) I did make this the night before and was a great treat to just toss it in the oven. Looking back, I think this recipe would be great to put in the crockpot for a few hours and call it good (and without heating up the house). Overall, this was a great recipe to sneak some greens in your child's dinner and have him coming back for more. :)

http://www.marthastewart.com/313468/lasagna-with-sausage-and-kale

Chicken Zucchini Fritters

"Oh wow--delicious!" That's what I kept hearing in between bites from my boys. Thanks to a Facebook share by my mother-in-law (who lives in North Carolina), we had a great dinner. I shredded a couple of leftover chicken breasts and added to the mix. It only took one zucchini (shredded with my food processor accessories)--of course the zucchini (from our garden) was 14 inches long. :)  After it was done, the boys decided to douse the fritters with Frank's Hot sauce and ranch. I prefer mine plain. Yummy! Thanks Judy!

http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/13938/connies-zucchini-crab-cakes/?mxt=t06rda