Fresh Glazed Strawberry Pie

Fresh Glazed Strawberry Pie

Crust:
1 c lightly toasted walnuts (or pecans)
1 c graham cracker crumbs (about 8 crackers)
2 T brown sugar
.25 t salt
3 T butter
5 t sugar
1 t water
Pie Filling:
3 lb strawberries, hulled and separated
2/3 c sugar
1/2 c water
3 T cornstarch
1 T lemon juice
2 T butter

1. Preheat oven to 375*.
2. Process walnuts, graham crackers, brown sugar, and salt in food processor until walnuts are finely ground. Heat butter, sugar, and water in a small pan (or microwave); pour over crumbs and process until evenly coated.
3. Press crumb mixture evenly into a 9” pie dish; bake until just set and golden brown (about 10 minutes). Cool completely.
4. Cut 2 lb strawberries into small pieces; of those, measure 1.5 cups into blender and place the others in a large bowl.
5. Add sugar, water, and cornstarch to blender and puree until smooth; transfer to medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until thick and boiling (about 8 minutes); remove from heat.
6. Stir in lemon juice, then butter. Mix well. Pour glaze over strawberries in bowl; fold gently to coat. Transfer mixture to crust, mounding evenly in the center. Cut remaining pound of strawberries and arrange on top of pie. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.

Cafe Rio Chicken Salads

If you've ever been to Cafe Rio, you know how yummy it is. And you crave it. Especially when you don't live near it. Here's a recipe for their chicken salads that I adapted from my friend Aubrey's recipe.

Cafe Rio Chicken Salads
Chicken:
1 sm bottle Kraft Zesty Italian dressing
1 T cumin
1 T chili powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 lb chicken breast (about 12 breasts)
Rice:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 T butter
5 3/4 c water
3 cubes chicken bouillon
3 c rice
1 jalapeno, diced
3/4 t salt
2 t sugar
1/2 c cilantro
2 T lime juice
Dressing:
2 envelopes Ranch dressing
1 c buttermilk*
1/2 jalapeno, seeded
1 lime, juiced
1 1/2 c mayo
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 tomatillos
2 cloves garlic
Extras:
tortillas (preferably large, corn)
Cheddar cheese
beans, black or pinto
shredded lettuce, romaine
crushed tortilla chips
tomatoes, diced
Parmesan cheese
cilantro
pico de gallo
guacamole
*If you don't have buttermilk, combine 1 c milk with 1 T vinegar, stir well and let sit for a minute.

Chicken:
1. Put all ingredients into slow cooker on low for 4-5 hours; shred chicken 1 hour before serving and keep cooking.
Rice:
1. Saute garlic and onion in butter.
2. In a separate pot, boil water and stir in bouillon cubes until fully dissolved. Add butter mixture, rice, jalapeno, salt, and sugar. Cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes, or until rice is cooked.
3. Add lime juice and cilantro just before serving.
Dressing:
1. Combine all ingredients in blender; let sit to thicken.
*Dressing continues to get hotter over time when stored in the fridge.
Salads:
1. Place some Cheddar cheese on a large frying pan; lay tortilla on top just until cheese is melted onto the tortilla.
2. Lay tortilla, cheese side up, on a plate. Pile chicken, beans, rice, lettuce, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, cilantro, pico de gallo, and guacamole on tortilla; pour dressing on top.
3. Eat open-faced with a fork.

Rice:

Whole finished salad:

Broccoli Salad

I got this yummy recipe from a coworker and it is fabulous!

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli Mixture-
3 crowns broccoli, cut short
1 lb. bacon, fried crispy and crumbled
.5 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1- 11 oz. can of mandarin oranges
.5 cup craisins
Dressing-
.5 cup Miracle Whip
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar

1. Gently combine ingredients of broccoli mixture.
2. In a separate bowl, mix dressing ingredients; pour over broccoli mixture and toss together.

Not-So-Hard Boiled Eggs

Most people boil their eggs (hence the name) to get them "hard boiled", but that is the reason they get that gray layer between the yolk and the white. I recently learned a technique to cook eggs that will eliminate that gray layer.

Not-So-Hard Boiled Eggs
Eggs
1-2 t salt
4 qt cold water, divided

1. Put 2 quarts of water in a sauce pan. Add eggs and salt.
2. Place pan on stove and turn stove on medium heat.
3. Once the water starts to simmer, cover for 10 minutes.
4. Drain pan and place eggs in 2 quarts of ice water. This will shock the eggs and stop the internal cooking process.
5. Leave them in the ice water for about 5 minutes.

See? No gray ring!