Fast n Easy Thai Chicken Salad Meal

"If you are feeling bored with the same old meals, try this low-fat and super YUMMY recreation of a restaurant dish that I loved. For the dressing, of course if you have fresh ingredients on hand, use them, but let's be realistic here: when do you EVER have fresh limes, garlic cloves, hot peppers, and ginger root on hand???"

Dressing:
1/4 cup vinegar or lime juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ginger

Rice
Raw chicken breasts, cut in small peices

1/2 head lettuce, shredded
1 cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 carrot, thickly grated
1 red/yellow/orange bell pepper, finely sliced (I use a bell pepper if I don't have a carrot)
Chow Mein Noodles (optional garnish)

1. Put on enough rice to feed your family and let it cook while you cook the rest of the meal.
2. Put all ingredients for dressing together and stir till sugars dissolve. Set aside.
3. Wash and prepare all vegetables before you begin cooking chicken. Arrange on platter.
4. Get your pan piping hot. Add 2 Tablespoons oil. Then chicken pieces and remaining dressing and stir-fry for 4 minutes or till done. Put in serving dish.
5. How to assemble your own salad: Put hot rice in bottom of bowl. Add some chicken. Then your veggies and then drizzle on some dressing. Garnish with chow mein noodles.
   

Ranch Chicken

"This is the recipe I made over Christmas Break!"

1 c. Ranch Dressing

1 t. Paprika

1 t. Salt

1 t. Pepper

1 pkg. Saltines (Soda Crackers)

4 pieces of Chicken (I usually take 2 pieces from a package and slice them lengthwise so thatthere are 4 thin pieces to soak in the seasoning throughout better.)

Crush Saltines into a dish. Combine Ranch Dressing, Paprika, Salt, and Pepper in a different dish. Dip the chicken into Ranch mixture and then place in crackers and cover with the crackers. Cover a 8x8 pan with foil and place chicken in it at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked all the way through.

Grandma Beutler’s Granola

INGREDIENTS: 8 cups rolled oats                        Optional Additives 1½ cups wheat germ                   Sliced almonds, dried cranberries, & coconut flakes ½ cup oil                                     Dried cranberries, blueberries, and raspberries ½ -1cup honey                            Dried apples, cinnamon, pecans, and raisins ½-1½ cups brown sugar             Dried peaches, nutmeg, and chopped pecans 1 teaspoon almond extract          Sunflower seeds, and Sesame seeds can be 1 teaspoon vanilla extract           added to any of the above combinations.

DIRECTIONS:

1.Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 2.In a medium saucepan combine oil, honey, & brown sugar. Heat over medium-high heat until bubbly. 3.While heating, combine rolled oats and wheat germ in a very large bowl. Stir well. 4.Remove saucepan from heat and add vanilla and almond extract. Pour over dry oat mixtures and stir until thoroughly mixed. 5.Pour onto 2 greased cookie sheets and bake for 15-20 minutes (until SLIGHTLY browned) and then rotate trays. Stir if desired. Bake 7-15 minutes more. Let cool completely without stirring. Add desired additives.

*Note- sliced almonds are a good additive BEFORE cooking as they toast lovely. Add them to the wheat germ and oat mixture before adding the wet ingredients.
Recipe modified by Aneesa.

Morning Glory Muffins

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups whole wheat flour 3/4 cups white sugar 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups shredded carrots 1/2 cup raisins	1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1/2 cup coconut flakes 1 cup apple - peeled, cored and shredded 3 eggs 1 cup unsweetened applesauce 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners. 2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the carrot, raisins, nuts, coconut, and apple. 3. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into the carrot/flour mixture, just until moistened. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. 4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

This recipe came from allrecipes.com with some modifications.