Blueberry Pie

Courtesy of Pioneer Woman's mom.....

2 Pie Crusts
2-3 Pints Blueberries
Sugar
A dash or two of nutmeg
2-3 Tbsps Flour

In a large bowl place 2-3 pints of fresh blueberries. Coat them with regular white sugar, not too much, just enough to bring out the natural sweetness. Throw in a dash or two of nutmeg and a few Tablespoons of all purpose flour. If you would prefer a pie that is more juicy you can leave out the flour.

Pour the blueberries into a pie crust and top with 8-10 small pats of butter. Cover with a second pie crust. Press both edges together, tucking the dough under as needed, working all the way around the edge of the pie. While pinching the top and bottom crusts together, form the edge into a sort of lip, Then pinch the dough between your thumb and index finger all the way around the edge of the pie for a fluted look. Cut three or four slits in the top of the pie for ventilation.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for approximately 35-40 minutes.

Smothered Chicken

Absolutely scrumptious, pretty easy, and quick to pull together. Super Yum!!!! Stole it from my other food blog, Delectable Edibles

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 t oregano
1/2 t salt
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t red pepper
1 T butter (or olive oil)
1 medium green pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 c sliced mushrooms
1/2 c shredded mozzarella
1/2 c shredded cheddar

Spray skillet with cooking spray; heat over med. heat. Sprinkle chicken with seasonings. Cook in skillet until done. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
Heat oil in skillet. Cook pepper, and onion about 5 minutes, until crisp-tender. Stir in mushrooms and continue cooking until veggies are all done. Return chicken to skillet, spooning veggies over it. Sprinkle cheese over mixture and remove from heat. Cover and let stand until cheeses are melted. Mmmm... cheesy goodness!

Maple-Glazed Chicken Breasts with Pears

This sounds a little odd, but the combination of flavors is delicious

2 Tbs butter
1-2 onions, coarsely chopped
salt
ground black pepper
2 Bartlett pears (or other firm pears) peeled cored, and thickly sliced (I've also used canned in a pinch)
2 Tbs chopped fresh sage (or some dry to sprinkle)
4 chicken breast halves, skinless & boneless (about 3 lbs)
2 Tbs mustard (preferably grainy)
2 Tbs maple syrup (real maple syrup if you have it)

Set oven to 450 degrees

In a large skillet with an oven-proof handle (cast-iron works well), heat 1 Tbs of the butter. Cook the onion with a pinch of salt and pepper over medium heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes, or until softened. Add the pears and cook for 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with the sage.

Meanwhile, sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Remove the onion and pears from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining 1 Tbs butter and set the breasts in the pan top down. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until browned.

In a small bowl, combine the mustard and maple syrup. Turn the breasts skin side up. With the back of a spoon, spread the mustard mixture onto the top of the chicken. Return the onion and pears to the pan, tucking them under the breasts.

Place the skillet in the oven and roast for 15 minutes, or until the chicken breasts are cooked through and glazed on top. You can also cook pear mixture and brown the breasts in advance, then roast them together just before serving.

Ham & Garden Vegetable Stir-Fry

Sauce:
4 Tbs cold water
1 Tbs cornstarch
¼ cup soy sauce
2 Tbs orange juice
4 tsp sugar
Pepper
(Or just use Yoshida sauce (sp?...I've always just called it Yoshi sauce) that you can thicken a little with cornstarch which is super yummy!)

1-2 cups chopped ham (or it would also be good with cooked, chopped chicken)
Fresh or frozen vegetables (ie: carrots, onion, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash)

Combine water and cornstarch. Stir in soy sauce, orange juice, sugar and dash pepper; set aside).

If fresh beans, steam for 2 minutes. Add cauliflower and broccoli and steam for additional 2 minutes.

Pour oil into a wok or large skillet (add more oil as necessary during cooking). Preheat over medium-high heat. Add onion, ham and carrot; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add beans, cauliflower, broccoli, squash and zucchini. Stir fry 3-4 minutes or till vegetables are crisp-tender. Push vegetables from center of wok (or large pan). Stir sauce and add to the center of wok. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Stir to coat vegetables with sauce. Cook and stir 1 minute or till heated through. Serve over rice (I prefer the brown rice)

This meal is my personal favorite!

Quesadillas

Sadly, I think I may have experienced my 1st "real" Quesadilla this year and I am hooked! I crave them, well, a lot, and have loved experimenting with them. Especially using things from the garden. So although this is a no-brainer to most (except me who always thought a Quesadilla was a tortilla with sliced cheese, rolled up and popped in the microwave....hmmm), here is just a reminder of something yummy, easy, and different to try for a meal.

For this Quesadilla, I used the fresh tortillas that you brown yourself, topped with pre-shredded mexican cheese (gotta love those Smith's cheese specials), and then with pre-sauted zucchini and onion in a little bit of butter, and then a little more cheese to stick them together. Grill until a little crisp. Yum, yum, YUM.

I also just had one with some leftover grilled and seasoned chicken. Also supper yummy. Be creative. I actually like them plain, but most recommend serving them with salsa and sour cream and the like.

Check out some other fun ideas from the beloved Pioneer Woman.

Enjoy!