Author: Nicole

Hi thank you for stopping by. I am very excited to have you here. Pull up a chair and have a seat, this is the view from my side of the table.
Recipes

Colie’s Chef Salads

Nicole
One of my big pet peeves during the summer is heating up the entire house to make dinner. A Texas summer is just one you don’t want to tackle and you surely don’t want to heat up the house while doing so. Besides using old faithful or the Crockpot whatever you want to call it my other fall back in a nice chef salad. I tend to have a ton of stuff to go in the salads to make everyone happy. I set everything up so that everyone can make the salad the way they want it. It’s your salad do whatever makes you happy. Here’s what I add… soooo good!!

Ingredients:
  • Lettuce mix of romaine and iceberg
  • Mushrooms
  • Carrot shavings
  • Avocado
  • Tomatoes
  • Cucumber
  • Celery
  • Green olives
  • Black olives
  • Boiled eggs
  • Chicken chunks
  • Ham chunks
  • Cheddar cheese chunks
  • Mozzarella cheese chunks
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Croutons
  • Bacon bits
  • Dressings 

Recipes

Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells

Nicole
Thinking about dinner this night makes me laugh because this recipe is a tongue tricker. Your tongue is literally confused. Is it tasting nachos, tacos, pasta, Italian, Mexican… what the heck is it. The answer is “yes” to all of the above. The verdict from the family came back as surprisingly good. I don’t think anyone had any confidence in this dish, including me. Tacos in pasta shells? How could your tongue not be confused my brain is confused thinking about it. It really is good. You can use a traditional quick and easy taco meat like 1lb of cooked ground beef with a packet of taco seasoning, or you can do what I did, and take some frozen taco meat out of the freezer and use that. Excellent! You have you cheesy crunchy topping, you yummy flavorful shell, and a true delight to your pallet.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef  (I used Family Tradition Taco’s )
  • 1 envelope taco seasoning 
  • 4 ounce cottage cheese or cream cheese (I used cottage)
  • 12 large pasta shells
  • 1 cup salsa (I used Pace Mild)
  • 1 cup enchilada sauce (I used old El Paso Mild)
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips

Directions

  • Cook Beeff
  • Add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions
  • Add cottage cheese
  • Pour salsa on the bottom of a greased 9x13inch pan
  • While the meat is cooking cook the pasta according to the directions on the box
  • Fill each shell 
  • Place in the bottom of the pan and top with taco sauce
  • Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
  • Uncover and sprinkle with chips then cheese
  • Back 15 additional minutes
  • Serve hot


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Recipes

Very Sloppy Joe’s

Nicole
(Pleae disregard the Sponge Bob Square Pants plate :-))

Sloppy Joes has to be my least favorite meal. I loved them when I was a kid and requested them every chance I got. Then suddenly the idea of eating on was just the worst thing you could ask of me. I never really got over that. 

My family on the other hand just loves them. I decided to think outside of the can and make them from scratch. To be honest with you they turned out really good. My family raved about them, and said they were far superior to anything out of a can. This will be on our keeper list. Thank you Jude for this great recipe. 
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar

Directions:

  1. In a large skillet brown ground beef until it’s no longer pink, then drain the grease. 
  2. Add celery and onion and cook until these vegetables are tender.
  3. Stir in remaining ingredients, simmer covered, 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Cook until it’s the consistency you like for serving on toasted buns

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Recipes

Kung Pao Chicken

Nicole
I could not be any happier with the way this recipe turned out. The flavor is simply wonderful. It was a very easy recipe to make, but better yet, this recipe exceeds the work you put into it. It taste like you worked much harder than you did. Another thing I like is that most of the prep work can be done the night before, then everything can be thrown together the next day for a good, but quick meal. If you have a recipe you would like to have tried and featured email me at colie@colieskitchen.com

Sevings: 3-4
Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 1/2  tablespoon cornstarch
  • 6 teaspoons light sesame oil or vegetable oil
  • 9 tablespoons green onions, chopped with tops
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (to your own taste)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger (can use fresh grated if preferred)
  • 6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 6 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 6 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
  • 4 cups cooked sticky rice, hot
  1. Combine chicken and cornstarch in small bowl.
  2. Toss to coat.
  3. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet or wok on medium heat.
  4. Add chicken.
  5. Cook 5- 7 minutes or until no longer pink in center.
  6. Remove from heat.
  7. Add onions, garlic, red pepper and ginger to skillet.
  8. Cook 5 minutes.
  9. Remove from heat.
  10. Combine vinegar, soy sauce and sugar in small bowl.
  11. Stir well and add to skillet and return to heat.
  12. Stir until chicken is well coated.
  13. Stir in nuts and heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally.
  14. Serve over hot sticky rice.


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Recipes

Lazy mans Beef Barbeque (Crockpot)

Nicole
This is the lazy mans

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Add water and barbeque sauce to your crockpot and stir together
  2. Turn crockpot on low
  3. Add boneless ribs and stir all together
  4. Cook for 7-9 hours
  5. Remove meat from the sauce and slice. The meat should be tender enough to fall off the bone
  6. Add enough of the remaining sauce to coat the meat
  7. Serve
  8. Re-heat over the stove if necessary


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