Barley Salad with Chicken and Corn

I was talking with my sister in law about finding more recipes with barley, and a few days later I found this...

Yum!

The perfect summer time dish - light and delicious.

Barley Salad with Chicken and Corn

recipe modified from Martha Stewart

1 c. barley

1 tsp. chicken bouillon

6 scallions, cut in 1/2" pieces

2 cans corn (or 3 cups)

3-6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (I used 3 romas)

1 Tbsp. dried parsley

1 chicken breast, shredded

1 tsp. lemon juice

5 oz. spinach

salt and pepper to taste

avocado (optional but recommended)

Cook barley according to package directions.

Drain and let cool.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450.

Place scallions and corn in a bowl and toss with 1 Tbsp. oil.

Season with salt and pepper.

Place on a foil lined baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

In a large bowl, combine barley, roasted vegetables, tomatoes, parsley, chicken, spinach, 2 Tbsp. oil and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.  Add remaining oil if salad is too sticky.

Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature (room temp is my preference).

Garnish with avocado chunks.

**My photo doesn't include the avocado, but I added one the second day when I had it as a leftover.  It made a world of difference!  It was WAY better!

Steak Fajita's

I love fajita's.

It is a regular go to when we have left over meat.

Steak, chicken, roast, pork... we've used it all, and it is always delicious!

Steak Fajitas

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. cooked steak meat (or other leftover meat), sliced thin

1 green bell pepper, sliced thin and cut in half

1 red/orange/yellow bell pepper, sliced thin and cut in half

1 small yellow or red onion, sliced thin

1 pkg. fajita seasoning mix (or you can make your own using the recipe below).

1-2 Tbsp. water

Heat oil over medium heat.

Add onions and cook for 2 minutes.

Add peppers and meat, cooking until peppers are crisp and meat is heated through.

Sprinkle with seasoning mix.

Add water and stir to combine.

Cook a few more minutes until sauce thickens.

Serve with tortillas, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, etc.

Fajita Seasoning Mix

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. hili powder

1 tsp. sugar

1 chicken or beef bouillon cube, crushed

Mix all ingredients.

Store in an airtight container until needed.

2 Tbsp. = 1 regular seasoning packet

Lime Cabbage Jello

This is a perfect way to sneak some veggies into an unexpecting dish.

The cabbage gives it a nice crunchy texture.

And my kids loved every bite!

Lime Cabbage Jello

1 large pkg. lime jello

2 c. boiling water

1 1/2 c. mini marshmallows

1 1/2 c. finely shredded cabbage

3/4 c. crushed pineapple

1 c. whipped cream

Combine all ingredients except whipped cream.

Set half way and then fold in the cream.

Chill and serve.

Roasted Asparagus Bundles

Did I mention that I love asparagus?

By far one of my favorite vegetables.

Another favorite is onions, so I knew I had to try this.

Roasted Asparagus Bundles

Recipe from Robin Miller

1 bunch asparagus

4 green onions

olive oil

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with tin foil and layer asparagus over onions.

Drizzle evenly with olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Divide asparagus into 4 bundles.

Tie each bundle in a knot with a green onion.

Beef and Leaf

This is more of an idea than an actual recipe.

I saw someone eating one of these at Chadders, and thought it was a cool idea.

We tried it at home and it was delicious.

Perfect for nights when you don't have hamburger buns!

Beef and Leaf

4 hamburger patties

toppings of choice: tomato, lettuce, pickle, bacon, cheese, etc.

8 green leaf lettuce leaves

Cook patties and pile with toppings.  

Wrap in 2 lettuce leafs and enjoy!

Italian Herbed Oatmeal Focaccia Bread

This is a great focaccia bread for sandwiches, as a side to soups and salads, or just eaten plain.  Super delicious!

Italian Herbed Oatmeal Focaccia Bread

2 Tbsp. cornmeal

1 1/2 - 2 1/4 c. flour

1 c. Oats

2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning, divided

1 pkg. (2 1/4 tsp.) quick-rising yeast

2 tsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt, divided

1 c. water

1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

4-6 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (optional)

Lightly spray a 9x13" baking dish, and coat with cornmeal.

In a large bowl combine 1 c. flour, oats, 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning, yeast, sugar and 1 tsp. garlic salt; mix well.

In a small saucepan, heat water and 1/4 c. olive oil to 120-130 degrees.

Add to flour mixture; mix well.

Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic (I used a kneading blade and did it in my mixer).

Cover; let rest for 10 minutes.

Pat dough into pan, pressing dough out to edges.

Using fingertips, poke indentations in surface of dough.

Brush dough with remaining oil.

Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning and 1/2 tsp. garlic salt.

Arrange dried tomatoes across top, and sprinkle with cheese.

Cover; let rise in warm place 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Cut into strips or squares.

Serve warm.

Yields 12 servings.

Asian BBQ Chicken

This was such a wonderful recipe.

It smells good, looks good, and tastes even better!

Definitely going to be using this over and over again!

Asian BBQ Chicken

Recipe from Bishop's Kitchen

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp. curry powder (I used Cajun seasoning)

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 chicken breasts (or chicken of choice)

Put ingredients into quart or gallon ziplock bag.

Marinate in fridge for 4 hours, turning occasionally.

Put chicken on grill.

Put remaining marinade in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Boil for 1 minute.

Baste chicken with marinade while cooking.