Blackened Corn Salsa

from prudence pennywise

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups corn fresh or thawed, if frozen
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
juice of one lime
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add corn and onion and cook, stirring from time to time, until corn and onion are blackened in places. Combine with other ingredients in a medium bowl and serve with quesadillas.

Homemade Toaster Strudel

found on baking bites

1-lb Puff pastry
1/2 cup jam (any flavor)
2 tsp cornstarch

Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out puff pastry on a very lightly floured surface until it is thin - maybe 1/3 of its original starting thickness. Use a pizza cutter or a very sharp knife to cut the pastry in half lengthwise, then divide those two pieces into fourths, creating 8 rectangles of dough. (Some puff pastry is packaged in smaller sheets, in this case cut each piece of dough into quarters or sixths.)
In a small bowl, whisk together jam and cornstarch. Spread 3 tsp of jam in half of each rectangle, making sure to leave about 1/4 inch gap around the edges, then fold it over to create a jam-filled pocket. Seal the pastry by cutting about 1/8-inch of excess pastry with a knife (the “real” toaster strudels have no crimped edges, but you can certainly just press the edges together with a fork if the look doesn’t bother you). Place pastries on prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack before freezing. Freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to an airtight bag and store together until ready to heat and serve.

To reheat, place pastries on a baking sheet in a preheated 400F oven for 4 minutes, or until hot.
Top with simple glaze (recipe below) before serving.

Makes 8 pastries.

Vanilla Glaze
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 tbsp cream/half n’ half
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth and thick, but pourable. If necessary, add a few more drops of cream until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over hot toaster pastries.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

from real mom kitchen via pionear woman

I opted for a store bought Oreo crust but you can make your own. Either way, you’re gonna love it.

Crust:
25 Oreos
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Crush the Oreos until they’re fine crumbs. Pour melted butter over the top and stir with a fork to combine. Press into pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes, or until set.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Filling:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 (8-ounce) package softened cream cheese
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 (8-ounce) package Cool Whip, thawed
(My additions: chocolate syrup and whipped cream)

Beat the peanut butter with the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add in the thawed Cool Whip and beat mixture until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.
Pour filling into crust, evening out the top with a knife or spatula. Chill for at least an hour before serving. (It’s better the longer it sits in the fridge). Then I topped mine with a drizzle of chocolate syrup and a little whipped cream.

Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad

from your homebased mom

Dressing: (serves 4)

6 Tbsp. honey

3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup mayo

2 tsp dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. sesame oil

Salad:

1 frozen, breaded chicken tenderloin per person

2 cups green cabbage, chopped

2 cups red cabbage, chopped

6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

1 carrot, shredded

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup toasted, sliced almonds or just throw a handful in like I do.

2/3 cup chow mein noodles

Costa Vida Chicken

from your homebased mom

1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp cumin

3 cloves garlic, minced

5 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breast (this recipe can be easily halved but make a full batch and freeze the leftovers for another meal! Good menu planning!)

Cook all together in a crock pot for 4 hours, shred meat and cook 1 additional hour.

Cilantro Salad Dressing

from your homebased mom

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (dry mix)

1 cup buttermilk

1/2- 1/3 bunch of cilantro, chopped

1/2 – 1 small jalapeno (remove seed)

1 cup mayo

1 tsp. lime juice

1-2 tomatillos (remove outer papery skin)

1 garlic clove

Blend all ingredients in blender!

Bajio Chicken

from Real mom kitchen

5 chicken breasts
1/2 cup salsa
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 cup brown sugar (more to taste, I added at least an extra 1/8 cup)
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
6 oz. Sprite (1/2 can)

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Return to crock pot and cook 1 more hour. Thicken the juices with a little cornstarch mixed in water.
Serve with flour tortillas, lettuce, cheese, black beans and any other taco fixings.
If you want it spicier rather than sweeter add a hotter salsa and more green chilies