Golden Potato Soup

3 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cube chicken bouillon
1 cup water
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1 pinch black pepper
2 tsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
1 cup ham

1.  In a large stock pot add potatoes, celery, onion, bouillon, water and parsley flakes.  Season with salt and pepper and simmer until vegetables become tender.

2.  In a separate bowl mix flour and milk.  Once it is well blended, add to soup mixture and cook until soup becomes thick.

3.  Stir in cheese, cooked ham and simmer until cheese is melted.

Navajo Flatbread

Makes 6

2 cups flour

1- 1 ¼ cup of lukewarm water

1 Tbsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

1 Tbsp oil/butter/shortening

Mix dry ingredients together and add most water, mix and add water until it has the consistency of tacky pizza dough. Knead for a few minutes. Let rest in a greased bowl for 30-60 minutes. Divide into 6 pieces and roll out on floured surface thin. (tortilla thickness) Heat griddle to 350 degrees. Cook until golden brown spots and flip, cooking until done. They can be made ahead and kept under a flour towel or frozen for later use.

Peach Dump Cake

2 29 oz. cans of sliced peaches in syrup

¾ tsp cinnamon

1 vanilla cake mix

¾ cup butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Dump one can of peaches into the baking dish. Drain the liquid from the other can and add the peaches to the baking dish.
3. Sprinkle cinnamon evenly over the peaches.
4. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over the peaches
5. Pour butter evenly over the cake mix. Do not stir.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes until the top is golden.

Carrot Cake

3 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp salt

1 cup applesauce

1 cup canned crushed pineapple, lightly drained

½ cup vegetable oil

5 large eggs

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

3 cups finely shredded carrots

2 cups chopped walnuts

2 cups golden raisins (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting

16 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup salted butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

3-4 cups powdered sugar

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease three 9 inch cake rounds. Dust with flour or line bottoms with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and salt.
3. Add aplesauce, crushed pineapple, vegetable oil eggs, and vanilla. Use a hand mixer to beat on medium speed until smooth.
4. Use a rubber spatula to stir in shredded carrots, walnuts, and raisins until just combined.
5. Divide batter among the three pans.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
7. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes and then turn out the cakes onto the racks and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

1. Use a hand mixer to beat cream cheese and butter together for 1 minute. Add in vanilla extract and mix until combined.
2. Slowly add in powdered sugar, one half cup at a time until smooth.

Easy Ranch Crock Pot Chicken

Chicken, 10 tenders or 4 breasts

Ranch Packet

stick of butter

Put frozen tenders in a crock pot. Shake the ranch packet on top and slice up the butter into pieces. Cook on low for 6 hours. Shred chicken and serve. You can use them in tortillas, taco shells, or on a bed of lettuce. Toppings: black beans, corn, sour cream, cheese, avocado, salsa, olives and lettuce.

Homemade Strawberry Jam

3 cups mashed strawberries

1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp pectin

½ cup maple syrup

1. Mash strawberries
2. Put mashed strawberries, lemon juice, and maple syrup in a pot.
3. Mix pectin and ¾ cup water. Boil for 1 minute stirring constantly
4. Stir pectin into fruit mixture. Stir constantly for about 3 minutes.
5. Pour into cans and leave space at the top for expansion.
6. Let cool and then put in refrigerator or freezer.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

¾ cup unsalted butter (melted)

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper or a silicone baking liner.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended.
4. Beat in vanilla, egg and egg yolk until light and creamy.
5. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Gently fold in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.
6. Drop cookie dough ¼ cup (yes, these are big cookies) at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart. They should be taller then wider. Shape them taller before baking.
7. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are just starting to turn a golden brown.
8. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Note: Can make smaller cookies just bake for 7-9 minutes.

Baked Asparagus and Mushrooms

Asparagus

Mushrooms

Olive Oil

salt and pepper

rosemary

Place vegetables in a rimmed baking pan. Toss with seasonings and oil. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake

Prep Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Serves: 12

2 cups whole milk

2 cups water

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 tsp salt

1 ½ cups semolina flour

1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese

4 eggs

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

4 medium lemons, zested

2 tsp vanilla extract

Confectioners sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat 10-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In medium saucepan over medium heat, bring milk, water, butter and salt to a simmer. Gradually whisk in flour. Mixture will thicken instantly. Remove from heat.
3. In large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, eggs, granulated sugar, zest and vanilla; mix until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth, making sure there are no lumps.
4. Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake 1 hour, or until edges are lightly browned and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely before transferring to serving plate. Dust with confectioners sugar and serve, refrigerating any leftovers.

Pavlova with Strawberries

Prep Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 3 hours

Serves: 12

4 large egg whites, room temperature

1 cup + 4 Tbsp sugar, divided

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 lb strawberries, quartered

¼ cup strawberry jam

1 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Draw 9-inch circle on piece of parchment paper. Place paper ink-side down on baking sheet.
2. Place egg whites in bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whisk at high speed 1 minutes, until frothy. Slowly add 1 cup sugar and continue whisking until meringue reaches glossy, stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. Using rubber spatula, fold in vinegar, cornstarch and vanilla.
3. Mound meringue in center of parchment circle and use spatula to evenly spread out toward edges, forming a large disk. The top doesn't need to be smooth; waves and swirls are okay. Bake 90 minutes, then turn oven off and allow meringue to cool completely in oven, about 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, combine strawberries, jam and 2 Tbsp sugar in bowl. Then whip heavy cream with remaining 2 Tbsp sugar until firm peaks form. Gently transfer cooled meringue to serving plate, top with whipped cream, then strawberries. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container.

Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns

prep time: 30 minutes   Total Time: 8+ hours

Serves: 16

1 cup half and half

1 envelope instant yeast

½ cup sugar

2 large eggs

8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground cloves

¾ tsp salt

1 orange, zested

½ cup raisins

2 cups confectioners sugar

3 Tbsp water

1. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook, combine half and half, yeast, sugar, eggs, butter, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and zest. Mix at medium-low speed until dough starts to come together, about 1 minute. Add raisins and continue mixing another 5 minutes. Dough won't form a ball and will be slightly sticky.
2. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead by hand 1 minute. Shape into ball and place back in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until dough doubles in size, about 3 hours or more. Alternately, place bowl in refrigerator and let rise slowly overnight.
3. Turn dough out onto work surface and divide into 16 pieces. Shape into balls. Place dough balls in 4 rows of 4 in a 10-inch square cake pan lined with parchment paper and coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise another 2-3 hours until doubled in volume.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using scissors, snip a cross in the top of each roll, about ½ inch deep. Bake 45 minutes or until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center of roll comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from pan.
5. Make icing by whisking confectioners sugar and water in medium bowl. The consistency should be loose enough to drizzle but not watery, so adjust with more water or sugar accordingly. Use spoon or pastry bag fitted with small tip to ice crosses on tops of rolls. Enjoy, storing leftovers in an airtight container.

Mushroom Meatballs

4 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 lb cremini mushrooms, finely chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup walnuts, very finely chopped (by hand or food processor)

¾ cup breadcrumbs

1 oz romano cheese, finely grated

¼ cup (packed) chopped parsley

2 eggs, beaten

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

1. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion. Cook until mushrooms have given off liquid and browned, and onion is soft and translucent, about 12 minutes. Off heat, add garlic and walnuts. Cool to room temperature.
2. Add breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, eggs, salt and red pepper flakes to mushroom mixture. Mix well. Cover bowl, and refrigerate 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with 1 Tbsp oil. Shape mixture into balls, about 2 Tbsp each (about 22 total). Brush balls with remaining 1 Tbsp oil. Bake until golden brown, 18-20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Serve, refrigerating any leftovers.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas

2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing tortillas

1 onion, chopped

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped (about 2 ½ cups)

¼ cup water

1 can black beans, drained

½ cup corn kernels

1 can (4 oz) green chiles

¼ cup fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, minced (optional)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

12 corn tortillas

1 cup red enchilada sauce, divided

2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, and cook until just softened, about 5 minutes. Add sweet potato and water; cover. Cook until sweet potato is tender, 10-15 minutes. Continue cooking, uncovered, until water has evaporated, 1 minute. Off heat, stir in beans, corn, chiles, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, cumin and salt.
2. Brush both sides of tortillas lightly with oil. Arrange on baking sheet, and bake until warm and pliable, about 2 minutes. Pour ¼ cup enchilada sauce in bottom of 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Spoon about ¼ cup sweet potato mixture into each warm tortilla. Roll up; place seam-side down in baking dish. Top with remaining ¾ cup enchilada sauce and cheese. Cover with foil; bake until enchiladas are hot and bubbling , about 20 minutes.

Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage and Vegetables

4-8 apple chicken sausage, already precooked, sliced (by the hot dogs)

1 onion, chopped

6 red potatoes, diced with skin on (or sweet potatoes)

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

asparagus (or broccoli, zucchini, green beans)

salt and pepper

poultry seasoning

garlic salt

2 Tbsp olive oil

Place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Mix all together coating all vegetables in an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Vegetables and sausage should be crisp.

Oven Baked BBQ Chicken

chicken pieces, legs, thighs, breasts

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup water

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp paprika

1 cup ketchup

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp butter

Put a little oil in pan and cook onion until soft add garlic. Then add water, chili powder, paprika, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar and butter.

Salt and Pepper both sides of chicken pieces in a baking pan skin side down first. Pour sauce over chicken. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes at 400 degrees. Half way through (at 20 minutes) turn chicken to other side and remove foil.

8 Can Taco Soup

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 (15 oz) can sweet corn, drained

1 (12.5 oz) can chicken breast, drained

1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup

1 10 oz) can green enchilada sauce

1 (14 oz) can chicken broth

1 (1 oz) packet taco seasoning mix

1. Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray
2. Pour all the ingredients into slow cooker and stir together.
3. Cook on low heat for 2-3 hours.
4. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and tortilla chips (optional)

Note:

To make this a quick and easy freezer meal, pour all ingredients into a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Lay bag flat in the freezer. When ready to use remove bag from the freezer and place in the fridge and let it thaw for 24 hours. Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Dump all the ingredients fron the bag into slow cooker and stir together. Cook on low heat for 2-3 hours. Serve with shredded cheese and tortilla chips. Makes 6 servings.

BBQ Chicken stuffed Sweet Potatoes

6 sweet potatoes

3 cups cooked chicken (or cut up Rotiserre chicken)

2 cups BBQ sauce (Stubbs brand)

1 cup mozzarella cheese

½ cup red onion, finely minced

Bake sweet potatoes in a 425 degrees oven for 45-55 minutes until fork soft. Cut open sweet potatoes to make a boat (so filling stays inside). Set aside. Mix together chicken and BBQ sauce. Fill sweet potatoes with chicken mixture. Top with cheese and onion. Broil on high for 2-3 minutes to melt cheese. Serve.

Fresh Strawberry Pound Cake

For the Cake:

1 pint fresh strawberries (this is for glaze below as well)

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups granulated sugar

5 large eggs, room temperature

3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp strawberry extract, optional

½ tsp red food coloring. Optional

For the Glaze:

2 Tbsp strawberry puree, reserved from cake

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp pure lemon juice, or lime juice

For the Cake:

1. Remove the stems and wash strawberries thoroughly. Next add strawberries to food processor or heavy duty blender and puree until sooth. Remove 2 Tbsp of puree and set aside for glaze later on.
2. Then add strawberry puree to a small pot over medium heat and reduce the puree for 15-20 minutes or until you have ½ cup left. It should be pretty thick. Cool puree down to room temperature and set aside.
3. Next preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare a 12 cup Bundt pan with nonstick method of your choosing
4. In your mixer bowl, add butter and beat for 2 minute on high speed. Slowly add in sugar and beat on high speed for an additional 4 minutes until very pale yellow and fluffy, might be a bit crumbly.
5. Next, add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides of your bowl as needed.
6. Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour in two increments, then add salt and baking soda. Be careful not to overbeat.
7. Lastly, add buttermilk, the cooled strawberry puree, vanilla and strawberry extracts (and red food coloring if desired) and mix until just combined then stop.
8. Pour cake batter into the Bundt pan and bake for 70 to 80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then invert cake on serving plate.

For the Glaze:

1. Once cake has cooled to room temperature, whisk together 2 Tbsp of the strawberry puree, powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon or lime juice until smooth and thick, but pourable.
2. Use your spoon to test this by seeing how it runs down the side of the spoon. If too thin, adjust with powdered sugar and if too thick, add a bit more juice until consistency is perfect. Glaze top of cooled cake and let set for 10 minutes then serve.

Notes:

Make sure to slow down your mixer when adding in your dry ingredients to not overactivate gluten in the cake.

Grilled Huli Huli Chicken

½ cup pineapple juice

½ cup brown sugar

1/3 cup ketchup

1/3 cup soy sauce

¼ tsp ground ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

1. In a small bowl, mix the first six ingredients.
2. Pour marinade in a large resealable plastic bag and add chicken. Seal bag and place in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight.
3. Remove bag from fridge, drain and discard marinade from chicken.
4. Grill chicken over medium high heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees.
5. Serve with grilled pineapple on the side!

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Prep Tine: 2 hrs Cook Time: 14 Mins Total Time: 2 hrs 14 mins

Serving: 12 cinnamon rolls

Dough:

1 cup warm milk

1 Tbsp instant dry yeast

2 Tbsp white granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

3 Tbsp salted butter, softened

1 large egg

3 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

½ cup salted butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Glaze:

4 oz cream cheese, softened

¼ cup salted butter, softened

1 to 1 ½ cups powdered sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 to 2 tbsp milk

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm milk, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, and eggs. Add in flour. Using a dough hook, turn the mixer on to a low speed.
2. Once the flour starts to incorporate into the dough, increase the speed to a medium range. Add more flour as necessary so that the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough mixture should be tacky, but not stick to your hands. It should be soft. Add more or less flour until the dough reaches the desired consistency. The amount of flour you add in bread making is always an approximation and you should go by feel.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
4. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Punch down the dough and roll into a 12 inch by 18 inch rectangle.
5. Brush the dough with ½ cup melted butter. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of the melted butter. Roll up tightly lengthwise so you have one long roll. Use plain dental floss or a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 one-inch slices.
6. Place the slices onto a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Cover an let rise 30 to 45 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake the rolls for about 14 minutes, until just kissed with brown on top.
8. While the cinnamon rolls are baking, make the cream cheese glaze by using a hand mixer to whip together cream cheese and butter in a bowl until light and fluffy. Whip in powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Add enough milk to achieve a drizzle-like consistency.
9. Frost the rolls while still warm. Serve immediately or cool and store. Stays good for 4 to 5 days.

Notes:

Some have reported under cooked rolls. Cooking time is dependent on the size of your rolls. You should cook the rolls until they have just a kiss of brown on the top. If they don't have a kiss of brown, they probably aren't done. Cooking time may be upwards of 18-20 minutes.

Make Ahead instructions:

These cinnamon rolls can easily be make ahead. For best results, choose one of the following two methods.

Overnight Instructions: After you've rolled and cut your cinnamon rolls and placed them into your lightly greased baking pan, cover with plastic wrap and place in your refrigerator. The next day, remove them from the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature (about 45 minutes to an hour depending on the temperature of your house) before baking.

Freezer Instructions: Roll and cut your cinnamon rolls and place several inches apart on a baking sheet to freeze rolls individually. Once frozen, transfer to a resealable plastic freezer bag. When ready to bake, place in a lightly greased baking dish and allow to come to room temperature before baking.

Easy Fried Cabbage

5-6 thick bacon strips, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup onion, finely chopped

½ head green cabbage, shredded or roughly chopped

1 Tbsp brown sugar (optional)

salt to taste

pepper to taste

¼ tsp smoked paprika

1. Cook bacon in a non-stick pan over medium heat until crisp. Use a slotted spatula to remove the bacon and place it on plate with a paper towel. Do not discard the bacon grease and drippings.
2. In the same pan, add onion and cook until translucent.
3. Add cabbage, salt, pepper, paprika and mix everything together. Cook for about 7 minutes or until cabbage is tender.
4. Add bacon back into the pan and mix it together with the cabbage and serve warm.

Crescent Roll Veggie Pizza

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time 30 minutes

Yield: 12-15 slices

2 tubes of refrigerator crescent rolls

1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened

3 Tbsp sour cream

1 envelope of dry ranch salad dressing mix

¼ cup of fresh dill, chopped small

1 small head of broccoli

3 large carrots

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 English cucumber

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees as directed on the crescent roll package instructions.
2. Spread crescent rolls across the cookie sheet, covering the cookie sheet and sealing the cuts between each of the rolls.
3. Bake according to crescent roll package instructions.
4. Cool completely before adding toppings (you can also cool it and lightly cover it with a paper towel and leave on the countertop overnight).
5. In a medium-sized bowl, add softened cream cheese, sour cream, ranch dip and fresh dill; stir until fully mixed.
6. Chop all veggies very small and toss them all together in a bowl.

To assemble the pizza:

1. Spread the ranch dill dip all over the baked and cooled crescent roll pizza base.
2. Add chopped mixed veggies.
3. Cut into equal squares and serve.

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 4 hours Total Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes

Serves: 6-8

1 (24 oz) package precooked frozen turkey meatballs

1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks, (drain and reserve juice)

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup brown sugar

3 Tbsp cornstarch

2/3 cup white vinegar

2 Tbsp soy sauce

6 cups cooked rice

1. Spray a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray
2. Place frozen meatballs in the slow cooker and top with drained pineapple (reserve the juice and set aside), green pepper and red pepper.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and soy sauce.
4. Pour sauce in slow cooker an mix everything to combine. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through.
5. Serve over cooked rice.

Ramen Noodle Oriental Chicken Salad

Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 35 Minutes

Serves: 6

Dressing:

¾ cup vegetable oil

4 ½ Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

4 ½ Tbsp sugar

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Salad:

2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 head cabbage,chopped

1 bunch green onions, finely chopped

¼ cup sunflower seeds

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 (2.5 oz) package slivered almonds

2 package Top Ramen noodles, crushed into small pieces

1. In a small bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, rice vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Cover and store in fridge until just before serving.
2. In a large bowl, combine cooked chicken, cabbage and sunflower seeds; set aside. In a pan over medium heat, warm up vegetable oil. Add Top Ramen noodles (without flavor packets) and cook until slightly brown. Add slivered almonds to the ramen and continue stirring over heat until golden brown. Once cool, add ramen mixture to the chicken/cabbage mixture and stir to combine.
3. Add dressing that you set aside and toss to coat before serving to avoid the noodles getting soggy.

Pistachio Muffins

½ cup salted butter, melted

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3.4 oz package instant pistachio pudding mix

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ cup milk

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar for topping (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together melted butter with sugar, about 1 minute. Add in eggs and vanilla extract and beat until just combined.
3. Add in pistachio pudding mix, baking powder, salt, and milk. Mix to combine. Add in all-purpose flour and mix until flour has been incorporated
4. Divide batter amongst each muffin cup, filling ¾ full. Sprinkle tops with sugar crystals (optional).
5. Bake in the preheated 425 degree oven for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, reduce the heat in the oven to 350 degrees and continue baking 10 minutes, until muffin is cooked all the way through. Remove from muffin tin and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.