Michelle Cooks Everyday» 30 minute meals

Rachael Ray: Sundance Beef Pot Pie

Michelle — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:00:10 +0000

This Rachael Ray recipe cooked up quick, and the corn bread toppers are a favorite of the little one. He loves cornbread, go figure, I don’t think I liked that until I was way older then him. This is a great meal with the cooler weather upon us, so if it’s cooler where you live cook this up and enjoy. It almost taste like a steak chili, well, basically it is a steak chili.

Rachael Ray: Sundance Beef Pot Pie

Sundance Beef Pot Pie

Cookbook: 30 Minute Meals

Total Time: 25 minutes

Notes:I used beef steak for stir fry, I could’ve probably cut it smaller but I didn’t. I thought it worked perfectly!

Rachael Ray: Barbecued Beef and Bean Burgers

Michelle — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:00:02 +0000

I thought that this Rachael Ray burger recipe would either be really good or really bad. I thought it was okay. It was not the best burger I have ever had, but it wasn’t horrible either. I still can’t decide if I liked the beans or not. I think ours needed a little more salt. Also, my burgers did not stay together to well. I think the meat was too lean. I haven’t had that problem in a long time, so that was disappointing. Another disappointing thing, I made these burgers before I left for a photo job, took pictures, and now they aren’t on my card. I take that back, there are 2 pictures from this recipe on my card, but the others are no where to be found. Guess I better get this card fixed up. So, sorry there are no pictures.

Recipe: Barbecued Beef and Bean Burgers

Cookbook: 30 Minute Meals

Total Time: 20 minutes

Husband Says: “I was a little skeptical about the beans in the burgers, but they were good.”

Notes: The only thing I’d do differently is add more salt, I just felt even with everything in them, they lacked a little flavor. I also finely chopped the onion, it never works out for me to grate an onion.

Rachael Ray: Dilly of a Quesadilla

Michelle — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:00:12 +0000

This Rachael Ray recipe is a different take on quesadilla. I think you’re going to be surprised by the ingredients and then pleasantly surprised by how great everything works together. If you know me, you know I love Mexican Food! I could eat it everyday! I usually like quesadillas with peppers, onions, you know the works. I liked these without all of that. So try them out, and let me know what you think!

Recipe: Dilly of a Quesadilla

Dilly of a Quesadilla

Cookbook: 30 minute meals

Total Time: 20 minutes

Notes: The chorizo below is the only chorizo I can find in my store. It’s already ground or something, but it’s not bad, just a little spice. I don’t think that this is the same chorizo that Rachael Ray talks about. I should look it up, see what it is supposed to look like. Also, I didn’t buy things for the salsa, so I just added a chopped tomato and a little bit of onion to some of my favorite salsa. I grilled this up on the panini maker, rembember, if you don’t have one, you should get one! I also didn’t have any barbecue sauce on hand, so I made my own, a little ketchup, worchestershire sauce, brown sugar, and honey.

Rachael Ray: Chicken Club

Michelle — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:00:23 +0000

You’ll notice these Rachael Ray recipes are pretty simple this week. If you’re just joining us, it’s just the baby and myself temporarily during the week, so to cut cost on our grocery bill, you won’t see real extravagant recipes until our little family is happily back together living in the country. I really love chicken sandwiches, and this really isn’t anything special or profound, but it was good!

Recipe: Chicken Club (no recipe to link, so see the pictures and the notes!)

Chicken Club

Cookbook: 30 minute meals

Total Time: 20 minutes

Notes: I added some Swiss cheese to my clubs, just because I had it! I also used 4 chicken tenders that I had leftover instead of chicken breast. Top this sandwich with what you want. I’m surprised that there isn’t any dressing in the recipe! The one thing besides cheese I would have like to have added was some avocado, that would make this sandwich complete!

Rachael Ray: Margarita Melon Salad

Michelle — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:00:31 +0000

I thought this Rachael Ray recipe would be so refreshing on these hot days we’ve been having here in Oklahoma. This isn’t dinner, but you could serve it along side a sandwich, or something else lighter. With Fall just around the corner, this may be the perfect end to your hot summer nights!

Recipe: Margarita Melon Salad

Margarita Melon Salad

Cookbook: 30 minute Meals

Total Time: 10 minutes

Husband Says: “It’s good.”

Notes: I only used cantaloupe in this salad, and I used Strawberry Margarita mix. Don’t worry, it’s non-alcoholic so its safe for your kids. It just sweetens up the cantaloupe and the mint adds such a fresh taste!

Rachael Ray: Pot Sticker Pockets

Michelle — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:00:20 +0000

This take from Rachael Ray on pot stickers was a winner in my book. I’ll admit I was a little hesitant to try ti out. But one bite and you will be a believer. These are great because there is a lot of flavors and the ingredients are so inexpensive. Rachael Ray suggest using them for a party, cutting them into 4 triangles. I didn’t make my patties or buy tortillas large enough to do that, but cut in half and serve these up for a light tasty dinner one night!

Recipe: Pot Sticker Pockets

Pot Sticker Pockets

Cookbook: Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals

Total Time: 25 minutes

Husband Says: “It is good, sweet.”

Notes: I really didn’t do much different then what the recipe says except use some ice berg lettuce from last night. I did use garlic powder instead of garlic cloves. Whether you make these for dinner for your family or friends, or serve them at your next finger food party, they are sure to be a hit!

Rachael Ray: Meatza Pizza Balls

Michelle — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:00:21 +0000

We haven’t had a Rachael Ray pizza in a while, well Italian style pizza, so I saw this recipe and thought I’d try it. I know there are pepperonis in it, which will probably earn a not great review from the husband because he doesn’t like them. But I don’t like eggs or seafood and I still cook a little of each for him. Alls fair in love and war! I did like the flavor of these, and it is a great meatball to make with kids. No chopping, easy ingredients, and you can let them get their hands messy!

Recipe:Meatza Pizza Balls

Meatza Pizza Balls

Cookbook: Classic 30 Minute Meals

Total Time: 20 minutes

Husband Says: “It was okay, the bread was hard, it was okay.”

Notes: I didn’t do anything differently here, just used what she said to use! I did have some bread out, so if you wanted to make it into a meatball sub, you could. But it was a frozen bread that I heated up in the oven, French Bread, so I know it was more crusty then the husband would like. You win some you lose some, tonight I think I lost.

Ingredients

mix meat, cheese, breadcrumbs, and spices together

after scooping out meatballs, bake for 15 minutes

sizzling and ready to eat

Rachael Ray: Lemon Pepper Chicken

Michelle — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:00:13 +0000

This Rachael Ray recipe took me back to my junior year of college. One of my roommates and I would always make Lemon Pepper Chicken. I don’t think that I have made or wanted Lemon Pepper Chicken since that time. We seriously ate it all the time for lunch; with some broccoli cheese rice. Not that it wasn’t good, I might have over done it. Well, it has been long enough, and making this fresh marinade is nothing like the spice we used to sprinkle on our chicken. This is a great fresh tasting summer recipe.
Recipe: Lemon Pepper Chicken

Lemon Pepper Chicken

Cookbook: Classic 30 Minute Meals

Total Time: 20 minutes

Husband Says: “Good with good flavors.”

Notes: The recipe in the book calls for chicken tenderloins, and the recipe linked calls for garlic. I didn’t use garlic and I couldn’t find chicken tenderloins at the store; plus since there is only 3 of us, I just made 3 breast. Everything else I did the same, it was wonderful! I served this up with my grandmother’s recipe for broccoli and cheese.

Ingredients

Lemon Zest

juice of 2 lemons

add EVOO

soak chicken in marinade

grill over medium high heat

flip after 5 minutes and eat!

Rachael Ray: Vegetable Lo Mein

Michelle — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:00:27 +0000

Lo Mein is one of my husband’s favorite Oriental dishes, so I saw this Rachael Ray recipe and I thought I’d give it a try for him. I’m sure it didn’t live up to his standards, but I thought it wasn’t half bad. I never was a big fan of Oriental dishes until I got married; I was forced to eat Chinese food every now and then, and I have always loved stir fry. Now I’m coming around, and really overall it’s pretty tasty, and it isn’t all that bad for you either.
Recipe: Vegetable Lo Mein

Vegetable Lo Mein

Cookbook: Classic 30 Minute Meals

Total Time: 20 Minutes

Husband Says: “Good. Tasted like good chinese place.”

Notes:I used green onions, snow snap peas, and red peppers for our vegetables, I couldn’t find anything else at the store. Overall I thought the flavors worked really well together. I also can not ever find dark soy, or tamari, so I just use regular soy sauce. The recipe linked has mushrooms as well, the book doesn’t have that, so I didn’t buy those. I didn’t use fresh ginger or galic either, I had to run to a photo-shoot, so it was easier to use the already prepared stuff!

Ingredients

saute vegetables

add soy sauce

add the vegetables to the pasta

mix it all together

Rachael Ray: Chicken Not Pot Pie

Michelle — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:00:18 +0000

We are big fans of chicken pot pie at our house, so when I saw Rachael Ray’s chicken Not Pot Pie I was intrigued. This was a good one, almost like a chicken sub, that’s the non-fancy way to describe this. Overall, I changed a lot about this recipe, but I’m sure it is good the way it is written, just not for us! So make it Rachael’s way, change it up, or try it my way! Like they say: Have it your way!

Recipe: Chicken Not Pot Pie- no recipe really needed….see pics below and make up your own!

Chicken Not Pot Pie

Cookbook: Rachael Ray Classic 30 minute meals

Total Time: 25 minutes

Husband Says: “It was good. Tasty! Flavorful.”

Notes: I left out the artichoke hearts and pepper salad. I also threw the whole thing in the oven to melt the cheese and heat up the roasted peppers. I also grilled up the onions with the chicken, the thought of eating raw onions and cold roasted peppers, just didn’t sit with me to well. The recipe does say to use what you like, so I did, and I like it! (The ingredient picture didn’t make it….it is lost.)

grill the chicken

onions, tomatoes, and roasted peppers

place chicken in the bread

add red peppers

add onions

add tomatoes

add spinach

add cheese

put the cover on and bake if you like

Chicken Not Pot Pie