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I'm very fortunate to have a life that affords me the opportunity to be a stay-at-home Dad, as I am able to raise my daughters with a zest for life and the flavors it brings. This doesn't end with play time, or reading, but translates well into the kitchen where we enjoy nights preparing dinner for Mommy when she comes home from her 9-5 job. Recently, we kicked our culinary delights into Thai food, and learned three recipes that are deliciously simple.

Quick and Easy Thai Food Recipes

Som Tam: Spicy Papaya Salad with Peanuts

Start with:
1/2 of a fresh green papaya
1/4 cup dried shrimp
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar
Juice of 3 limes
4 bird's eye chillies
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts
3 Tablespoons coriander

In a bowl, blend fish sauce and lime juice. Dissolve in sugar. Mix in the chillies. Let it stand on the counter for 30 minutes or more. While waiting, grate papaya into thin strips, then toss in a bowl. Add dried shrimp and coriander, toss well. Add dressing and toss, covering everything. Toast peanuts lightly in toaster oven until fragrant crush, and sprinkle on top.

Curry Coconut Thai Soup with Tofu

Start With:
2 tsp green curry paste
1/2 cup diced tofu, firm and drained
2 scallions, finely sliced1/4 cup finely diced zucchini
1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
13 oz can coconut milk
Dash of red pepper flakes
1 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp brown …

Sandwiches have always been a quick and simple lunch for school, work or home. Two slices of bread, some sort of filling – peanut butter and jelly among the long-standing favourites – and you have lunch. Well, with a little creativity and some other ingredients and you can elevate your sandwiches to something a little special.

Here are three quick to make sandwich recipes for great tasting sandwiches. They offer an alternative to peanut butter and jelly or grabbing something quick at a local fast food outlet. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Mix things up. Use these recipes as a starting point; add other ingredients, try different kinds of bread or wraps, and enjoy.After all, sandwiches are only limited by the foods you like to eat.

Pesto, Goat Cheese, and Roasted Red Peppers on Naan

Ingredients

• 1 Naan (flat bread)
• Goat cheese
• Bottled basil pesto
• Roasted red peppers (from a jar)
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Spread pesto on the Naan
2. Crumble goat cheese over the bread
3. Add roasted red pepper slices
4. Cut the Naan in half and fold over
5. Grill the sandwich for two minutes on each size in a frying pan with 1 tbsp olive oil.

Note: If you don’t want to fry the sandwich, you can warm it in an oven or microwave. This sandwich also tastes terrific cold; just eliminate the tablespoon of olive oil. Additionally, use good white bread and sprinkle dried basil in the olive oil before frying the sandwich.

 

Rice Wrap

Ingredients…

These sweets are really easy and quick to make. They are suitable for older children to assemble under sensible adult supervision and because they are ready quickly, the cooking will not take all day. These make cute seasonal gifts if bundled in a cellophane food bag and tied with ribbon.

Preparation

Before starting, take a large sheet of baking parchment and grease lightly with a spray on oil. Place this on a heat resistant flat surface such as the kitchen counter top or table. If this is not heat resistant then use a baking sheet under the paper.

 

Fudge Nugget Ingredients

• 400g caster sugar
• 30g butter
• 150ml evaporated milk
• 200g good quality white chocolate, chopped
• 100g whole almonds
• 100g dried juicy cranberries

Method

1. Toast the almonds carefully by placing them on a baking sheet in a low oven. Nuts will toast and burn quickly becoming bitter and inedible so take care to watch them. The baking tray can be shaken around a couple of times during cooking to encourage the almonds to toast evenly. This whole process should only take 5 – 10 minutes depending on the oven in question and whether it has been pre-heated. When the almonds smell fragrant and have colored a little, remove them from the oven and set aside.
2. Place the sugar, butter and evaporated milk in a large saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over a low heat.
3. Keep stirring the mixture until it starts to caramelize. This takes about 10-15 minutes

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Just recently my husband and I decided to have dinner at Applebee‘s. While there, I ordered the four cheese macaroni with chicken dinner. By far, it has become one of my favorite Applebee’s dishes.

Since it was such a delicious meal, and relatively easy to make, I decided to attempt to recreate the four cheese macaroni with chicken meal.

Ingredients

Noodles – any style of noodles will work. I used a box of elbow noodles.

Chicken strips – I used Tyson Chicken Strips.

Honey

Ragu Four Cheese Sauce – 2 jars for a whole box of noodles.

Prep and Cook time: About 20 minutes.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to desired temperature. Depending on whether or not you are doing ready-made chicken or cooking your own the time and temperature will vary. Cover your chicken in honey and place in the oven.

Step 2: Prepare you noodles according to the directions on the box.

Step 3: Drain noodles and add sauce. (I also added some honey directly into the noodles).

Step 4: Add noodles to plate and serve with Chicken on top.

Result:

Not as good as Applebee’s but still made for a great meal. The honey in the chicken gives it a desirable flavor, and the more you use will seep into the macaroni giving the noodles added flavor.

With 2 jars of sauce the flavor of the noodles appeared a bit weak. I would recommended adding Velveeta to the sauce to thicken it up and give it …

Since my wife had to work this evening, I decided to make chicken for dinner. However, I wanted something different so I wound up digging through our spice cupboard and put together a recipe that I wouldn’t quite describe as Buffalo-style (which is what I was aiming for when I first started) but definitely had a kick from the added flavor without being too spicy.

The recipe takes about an hour from start to finish and makes roughly 6-8 servings depending on how much chicken you are using.

Ingredients:

1 whole cut up chicken (the one I used was roughly 3 pounds).

1 cup of vegetable oil.

4 tablespoons of sugar (you probably could use brown sugar too; I just didn’t have any handy and didn’t feel like getting my kids bundled up just so I could run to the store).

3 tablespoons of dark red chili pepper.

2 tablespoons of ground cayenne pepper.

1 tablespoon of garlic powder.

1 tablespoon of sea salt.

1 tablespoon of paprika.

1 tablespoon of onion salt.

Directions: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. While the oven is pre-heating, mix the sugar, chili pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, sea salt, paprika and onion salt in a large mixing bowl, making sure to whisk the seasonings together thoroughly.

Put the vegetable oil in another large bowl. Dip each piece of chicken in the oil until they are completely coated and then put the pieces in the bowl with the seasonings, moving the chicken around so …

Meatloaf has to have the right consistency and flavor and here in the South, cornbread is commonly used rather than ordinary bread crumbs, which gives meatloaf the perfect consistency.

Of course, there are a number of variations when it comes to meatloaf as far as flavor and style. Some prefer gravy style, some prefer tomato sauce, while others like just plain old meatloaf.

Onion & Mushroom Meatloaf With Gravy:

– 3 pounds ground beef 
– 1 medium size onion and finely chopped 
– 11/2 cups of crumbled cornbread 
– 1 teaspoon salt 
– 1 pack of onion soup mix 
– 1 egg

Using your hands, fold everything together and blend well. Mold mixture into a loaf and put in into a loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

For those who prefer their meatloaf plain, you’re finished. Take the meatloaf out, slice and serve. If you like gravy with your meatloaf, bake for 40 minutes, take the meatloaf out, pour off the fat, and pour the gravy over it. Put the meatloaf back into the oven and bake another five minutes.

How to make the gravy:

Canned gravy is actually pretty good as the meatloaf has so much flavor that it blends with it. It’s also mush faster. But if you want to make your own, heat about 1/4 cup ofcanola , or whatever kind of oil you prefer, in a skillet. Add 1/4 cup finely chopped onions and and saute about a minute or so then add …

BBQ Hot Dogs on a Stick

What you will need. 

• Hot dogs probably 1-2 packages
• KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce about a 4ounce glass full
• Parents to cut the hot dog sticks

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Parents or an adult supervisor needs to go outside and turn on the grill, while you are doing that the kids could be gathering the sticks for the hot dogs, so you can sharpen them up to stick the hot dog on. (which by the way I have rarely ever seen any kid turn down hot dogs, so we might have a winner here.) Anyways you will put the hot dogs on the grill for about 5-10 minutes depending on how high your setting are on for BBQ grill. After the hot dogs are done the adult supervisor over the kids will put the hot dogs on a stick for the kids. You will the get your KC masterpiece BBQ sauce in about an 4 ounce cup and fill it full and depending on how many kids there are you might need more than one cup too. Best thing to is to do it out side , the kids will then dunk their hot dog in the cup of KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce. Also great for adults too! It really is a great summer BBQ recipe for kids. Hope you enjoy!…

Ingredients:

2 cups of salted pretzels 
1/2 peanuts 
1 cup M&Ms; 
2 cups of chex mix 
1/2 cup of raisins 
1 bag of white chocolate chips

First Step:

Measure out all ingredients and place everything but the white chocolate chips onto a flat cookie sheet.

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Second Step:

Take your white chocolate chips and melt them slowly and on low heat in a double boiler until melted. After pour warm melted white chocolate over trail mix ingredients thats laying on your cookie sheet!

Third Step:

Let cool for about an hour in refrigerate or at room temperature until the white chocolate has harden onto your trail mix!

Fourth Step: Break up trail mix and Eat Up! Yummy in the Tummy! Now how easy is that!…