Category Archives: Main Course

Creamy Potatoes

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 4 August, 2014 None comments

This past couple weeks has been so unbearably hot. So hot that the thought of cooking is not appealing whatsoever. I’ve decided to do as much on the grill as possible without having the same meals repeated. Not the easiest but can happen with creativity. These potatoes came from the grill and landed in my mouth with a great big smile upon my face.

I can’t express to you the great joy of hanging out with my family and sitting on the back porch enjoying so good food and even more, great family time. And this my friends, has been what our summer is all about.

Ingredients:

1 lb red potatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 bushels of green onions
Salt & Pepper
Garlic Salt
Parsley
EVOO
3/4 cup ranch

Like Father like son. They are twins in every aspect.

Dice potatoes and onions. Season with a generous amount of salt, pepper, garlic salt and parsley.

Add in green onions.

Top with EVOO and ranch dressing.

Mix together and compile onto a foil lined vegetable grill basket (or place foil directly onto grill).

Grill for about 15-20 minutes until tender but still has a bite.

This is great with any main dish. Tonight we had this with Applewood Sausage.

Grilled Romaine Hearts

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 3 August, 2014 None comments

This is a great twist on your typical salads. If you are like us, we tend to eat salad on a “too” regular basis. We love our greens and love salads, especially as my garden is growing really great toppings for a nice crisp summer salad. And though salad is great, we like to switch things up a bit now and again too.

Now this is a salad that made me very excited and was really easy to grill. I buy romaine from Costco for $3 for 6 romaines. I made this the other night for the family and my husband preferred to eat it as is, rather than add all the yummy goodness once grilled. Both ways are really good but my way was a little less healthy but too delicious to deny. :)

Ingredients:

1 Romaine heart, sliced in half
1/2 lemon
Fresh cracked pepper
Sea Salt
Garlic Salt
EVOO
Dressing of choice (optional)
Glazed praline nuts (optional)

Wash and slice romaine in half lengthwise.

On a plate, or grill basket, place romaine to keep from falling apart while seasoning.

Season with salt, pepper and garlic salt.

Cut lemon in half and squeeze throughout both romaines.

Now you are ready to grill.

Place face down on the grill for 2-3 minutes. Once lightly golden, remove with tongs.

Eat as is! My husband prefers it as is but tonight I wanted a smidgen of blue cheese dressing and glazed praline nuts. My way was less healthy, but DEFINITELY not worth arguing about. :)

Served with Bacon Wrapped Sausages.

Bacon Wrapped Sausage

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 29 July, 2014 None comments

These bacon wrapped sausage dogs are making my mouth water as I simply sit to write out this recipe for all of you gracious people. This recipe even first thing in the morning will bring satisfaction to my palette. It’s a great meal for the warm summer heat surrounding your backyard and your barbecue with good family conversation while the kiddos play.

Ingredients:

4 Italian Sausages
8 slices of bacon
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1/2 onion, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
4 hot dog buns
Garlic butter

Turn your barbecue on and allow the heat to begin to smell your backyard and all across town making a statement that it is barbecue season and we are making delicious grub.

Wrap each sausage with two slices of bacon. Hold together with a toothpick if needed.

Meanwhile, saute mushrooms, onions and garlic until nice and tender. Set aside.

Prepare to grill the goodness.

Allow the juices to run off and sizzle the grill. Ohhh the smell of barbecue, oh how I love it.

My bacon was a bit juicy as you can tell. :)

When sausage is done, butter your buns with garlic butter and lightly toast on the grill.

Top each sausage with a portion of the mushroom mixture.

Served with grilled romaine hearts.

Fish Tacos

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 28 July, 2014 None comments

Today was an absolutely beautiful day filled with church, relaxation and good eats. My husband and I had some great conversations while enjoying the sun. Typically we spend every weekend busy with chores or out traveling around. Today we sat and had great conversations with some yummy iced coffee and delicious food.

Fish tacos were not on the menu for tonight’s dinner, but as the night progressed it simply turned into that as we both decided we had been talking about fish tacos for awhile.

They were so incredible, we were thankful we succumbed to the desire. After eating dinner we went on a nice long walk through the forest as it’s basically in our backyard. Quiet and peaceful was the remainder of our day topped off with a Cherry Turnover from my Aunt’s berry store in Salem. Woo-hoo!

Ingredients:

4 fillets of Mahi (any kind works great)
¼ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp chipotle seasoning
½ tsp garlic salt
¼ tsp sea salt
2 tbsp garlic butter, melted

Toppings:

Grilled Corn
Kidney Beans
Cheese
Rice
Tomato
Avocado
Ranch

In a small bowl mix together chili powder, chipotle, garlic and sea salt together. Sprinkle over fish.

Grill the fish on the BBQ and while cooking, baste the fish with melted garlic butter.

Once cooked, allow to cool and shred fish.

Toast tortillas on the grill.

Grill the corn on the barbecue with garlic butter and salt.

Once tortillas are cooked, serve warm with all the toppings you enjoy.

Assemble with cheese, rice, beans, tomatoes, corn, ranch and avocado.

So delicious! Yummy!

Hope you enjoy as much as we did! :)

Cilantro Lemon Chicken

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 22 July, 2014 None comments

The other night I was in a rush to make dinner as the remainder of the week was a bit hectic for me. Trying to prep for visiting my aunt and picking berries on their farm as well as leaving town for a week the following day was a chore in and of itself. It becomes a bit chaotic when trying to plan for the week with a little one who has had medical needs as of recent. Hoping and praying he has a good trip without coming down with anything or being hospitalized is all I can ask for right now.

I’ve realized how much energy I’ve lacked since our hospital visits and extreme amount of doctors appointments and the stress that all brings. It’s been exhausting and really wearing on my body. I had no clue how tired I was until I finally got away from home. Leaving town can sometimes lift the burden as the house chores aren’t hanging over my head as well as cooking three meals a day for the fam.

So, the other night I decided to make Cilantro Lemon Chicken with rice and grilled romaine. I was in need of using the chicken in the fridge as I hate letting food go to waste while on vacation. This was a great 30 minute meal and is versatile for many different things. :)

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken, cooked
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp thyme
2 lemon slices, squeezed
1 handful fresh cilantro
1 handful fresh chives
Avocado (optional)
Rice (optional)

Cook chicken and shred into medium size pieces. (I used rotisserie chicken) Toss in a medium skillet with EVOO and begin to heat through.

Add in cumin, cayenne, garlic salt and thyme.

Squeeze in lemon juice and turn heat to low.

Chop a handful of chives and cilantro. I must admit this was my first picking of chives and cilantro for the year out of my beautiful garden. :)

Stir into chicken and turn the heat off.

Mix and serve.

Great for chicken burritos, on rice, or as is.

Tonight I served this on a bed of rice with some teriyaki sauce and grilled romaine hearts.

This meal was even great for leftovers. My sister enjoyed this the following night after a long day of driving and berry picking. I fed her and my niece while they avoided rush hour traffic. :)

Quick Sausage

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 21 July, 2014 1 comments

This is great for a snack, side dish or main course. My son, husband and I love sausage and often when I know he wont eat what I will be preparing for dinner, I think of other options that will be a hit and have a variety of protein and vegetables.

Ingredients:

Sausage
Mushrooms
Onion
EVOO
Garlic Salt
Salt & Pepper

In a skillet, saute all ingredients until heated through and cooked.

Serve over rice as a main dish or simply serve as is for a side dish.

My silly little goose wearing the colander as a hat.

Showing off his little modeling skills

Tonight we had Mahi with rice and salad. I decided to serve the sausage as a side dish as I know my son absolutely loves it.

My sweet little baby enjoying dinner with Leo the Lion.

We all love to eat dinner and hang out on our patio….boo hoo for when summer decides to leave us! :(

Corn Dogs

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 18 July, 2014 None comments

Easy-peasy yummy and easy. Who doesn’t love a corn dog, I know I would eat them all the time if they were as healthy as the blueberries we grow.

Anyway, this recipe developed through a long time pondering what to make for our annual movies in the park picnic. All week long I had thought and contemplated what delicious picnic to pack. It was opening night for movies in our neighborhood park this past weekend and my conclusion ended with these delicious homemade corn dogs.

With a busy day watching a girlfriends two kids and my son getting pictures all in the same afternoon, I was hoping to conquer my desire to make these corn dogs as well unsure how long it would actually take. Preparing early in the morning was my best friend. This enabled a helpful evening of simply frying them during Cooper’s nap so when we returned home, dinner would be DONE!

Waking my son up from a nap led me to believe pictures would be a challenge let alone, a long evening with a late bedtime. To my surprise, my little bundle exceed expectations and we returned home by 9:30 with a very happy baby. I love nights where my son is uber-snuggly and interacting with me on a level I didn’t realize he was old enough for. It was precious to play with his super-duper sweet attitude while we also laid on the blanket looking up at the sky. The trees that billowed out above us and a pink sky surpassing the quiet trees was absolutely astonishing. His little mind taking in the essence of a “pink” sunset was adorable. So much so we even talked about it the following morning.

We played on the blanket with toys and even played in the water feature the beautiful park holds. We left when the movie got going as my son wasn’t there for a quiet evening but rather, an active, loud adventure. We enjoyed our corn dog picnic and couldn’t have asked for a better night.

Ingredients:

Batter:

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup unbleached flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk

Hot Dog Prep:

1/3 cup flour
8-10 hot dogs
3 cups Vegetable Oil
4-5 wooden skewers, cut in half

Mix together all the dry ingredients for the batter into a small bowl or measuring cup and mix well.

In a separate bowl mix together egg and milk.

Add in dry ingredients. Place in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a fry pan, add your oil and heat on low heat. I use this pan specifically for frying only. It’s become that pan.

While the oil is heating, prep your hot dogs….

Cut skewers in half and slide hot dog onto skewer.

On a small plate with flour, coat your hot dog. This helps the cornmeal stick to the dog.

After cornmeal has been refrigerated, dip the dog into the batter. This will take some manuvering to get the batter to stick. I basically dump the batter on top. Let it rest, than flip the dog and do the same on the other side.

Quickly transfer dog to oil and slightly turn up the heat.

Use tongs to help hold the batter close to the hot dog.

After the batter begins to cook, flip the hot dog with tongs to keep from burning yourself with the oil.

Once fully cooled, place on a foil lined baking pan to catch the oil.

Serve with a delicious honey mustard or spicy mustard. Mmmm so good!

Adapted from Carlsbadcravings.com

Shrimp & Mushroom Cream Sauce

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 14 July, 2014 None comments

WHATS FOR DINNER TONIGHT??? Shrimp and mushrooms in a tomato bisque cream sauce. Oh-My-Goodness!!!!

This 30 minute meal is filled with sweet, spicy and everything nice. It’s beyond incredible that I can’t even begin to explain the awesomeness of this recipe. Something about the slightly tender mushrooms, perfect shrimp and the flavors of the sauce combined gives this dish something to rant and rave about.

This is in my favorites section as I personally rate this meal a 5 star! No words can describe this meal until tasted on your lips.

Ingredients:

1 onion
1 tbsp sugar
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1-16 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 palm-full fresh basil, chopped
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup cream cheese
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp Sriracha sauce
1 lb shrimp, deveined and peeled
Rice or Pasta

Chop onions and begin to cook on med-low heat with 1 tsp sugar and EVOO to start caramelize the onions.

Once onions begin to cook and start to caramelize, add in mushrooms, minced garlic, tomatoes and basil.

Once mushrooms are tender, add in raw shrimp and turn heat to low. Allow the shrimp to cook slowly until fully pink.

Turn off heat and add in sour cream and cream cheese.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and sriracha sauce. Pour into skillet.

Give it a good stir.

Serve over rice….

Or pasta.

This meal has by far the best flavor known to man! :) It’s so scrumptious. I literally can’t get enough of this meal!

Chicken Avocado Spring Rolls

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 12 July, 2014 None comments

Vietnamese rice paper rolls are healthy and oh so delicious. They will forever remind me of visiting my sister when she worked in the seminary building at Multnomah University. I used to go visit her all the time and we would go get these Rice Paper Wraps for lunch dates and we absolutely loved them. The great thing with Vietnamese food is it also fills you up. Long gone are the days of visiting my sister at work but new are the days for lunch dates with homemade Chicken avocado spring rolls. :)

Ingredients:

Rice Paper
Chicken, shredded
Rice, cooked
Avocado
Carrots
Cucumbers
Fresh Basil
Lettuce
Soy, teriyaki or sweet chili sauce

Fully submerge rice paper in lukewarm water for a good 30 seconds or until soft, sticky and pliable. Using a plate works just great. Transfer to a dry surface.

I used my cutting board and stretched out the rice paper to compile vegetables on.

Layer rice, chicken, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, basil and avocado.

Fold up the short ends as you would a burrito and than roll tightly from one end to the next.

Dip your spring rolls in teriyaki sauce, soy sauce or sweet chili sauce.

Serve with Roasted Cabbage as a side. Yummy yum yum! This meal is one of my favorites.

Creamy Chicken Rolls

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 8 July, 2014 None comments

Tuesdays Comfort food recipe goes to Creamy chicken rolls. I haven’t forgot it is summer and especially haven’t forgot to enjoy it to the fullest and trust me I have! But sometimes you want something not so healthy, not so “right” and not so crunchy from the mass amounts of vegetables you pile on your salad in hopes to fill you up longer than 30 minutes.

This recipe came to our table on an overcast evening when I was craving something not-so-healthy. My mom was in town watching my niece last month while my sister worked and her daddy was out of town. They came over for dinner and were able to enjoy this comfort food while my mom enjoyed her grand-kids.

Creamy chicken rolls are the best on a cozy day when you want some delicious comfort food and do not want to prepare all day long; delightfully doable. My sister also brought over garlic cheesy bread from Papa Murphey’s as she received a bunch of coupons for them for free. It was delicious and full of calories that fit right in with this dinner.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey
½ onion, diced
1 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp minced garlic
4 ounces cream cheese
1 can olives, chopped (optional)
3/4 tsp paprika or chili powder (I prefer spice, add less if you so desire)
1/4 tsp red pepper chili flakes (optional)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp garlic salt
2 packages crescent rolls
1 cup shredded cheese

Cook turkey with onion, parsley and minced garlic until no longer pink.

Add in 4 ounces of cream cheese.

Stir in slowly.

Once melted, add chopped olives and paprika.

In a separate bowl combine cream of chicken, sour cream and garlic salt. Use 1/3 of the mixture and spread on the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish; reserve the remainder.