Ranch Snack Mix

Ranch Snack Mix
Modified from Lick The Bowl Good

3 cups cheddar crackers
3 cups pretzels
2 cups oyster (soup) crackers
1 cup unsalted peanuts
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 envelope (3 Tbsp) Ranch dressing mix.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Combine crackers, pretzels, and peanuts in a large bowl. Combine melted butter, Worcestershire and ranch dressing mix. Pour over cracker mixture, tossing to coat.

Place all crackers in a shallow roasting dish. Bake 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool before serving. Store in an airtight container.

My Notes:
Regarding the choice of crackers: I remember seeing a recipe a while ago in which you toss oyster crackers in oil and some seasoning, and they supposedly are like crack. So I bought them do basically do that. Then I stumbled across this recipe, and decided to give it a shot. It's similar to Chex mix, but with different cracker base and ranch flavoring. Still, you can really use whatever you want. The original recipe focuses on goldfish crackers. I went with more of a Cheez-it cracker. Mix and match to meet your preferences.

It's really good. You won't regret it.

Chipotle Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Chipotle Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Modified from Bev Cooks

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken
1 can sweet corn, drained and rinsed
1/2 bell pepper, diced
2-3 Tbsp chipotle en adobo** (depending on your desired spice)
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 Tbsp Lime juice
1 Tbsp cumin
1 head Bibb lettuce, rinsed with leaves separated.

Dice chicken into fine pieces. Heat a small amount of oil in a large skillet, then add chicken. Season with salt and pepper and cook through. Add in corn and bell pepper. Heat through.

In a small bowl, combine the chicken stock, chipotle sauce, lime juice, and cumin. Stir to combine. Pour over chicken mixture. Toss to combine and heat through.

Serve a few tablespoons of the chicken mixture in each lettuce leaf.

My Notes:
**So when I buy a can of chipotles en adobo sauce, I always puree everything, the peppers and sauce, to create a thin paste. I then use this in my recipes. The original recipe calls for 2-3 peppers with a tablespoon of the sauce.

I used a combination of chicken breast and thigh, because I didn't have enough breast to make the recipe. I also used orange and yellow bell peppers, because I happened to have some left over in my freezer from when they were on sale a while back.

Overall, this recipe is a keeper. The sweetness of the corn offsets the spiciness of the dish, and the lettuce offers a fresh bite. It was delicious.

Peanut Butter Dip

I'm not dead, I promise. I've just been a bit busy the past couple months... and pretty much without a kitchen. It's on the more difficult side to cook without a kitchen. First, I went to Europe and visited my mom. And while she does have a kitchen, we spent much of that time either eating out or eating at friend's houses, so I didn't get much of a chance to actually use the kitchen there. Then I was with my dad, and I just feel bad using his kitchen for experimentation. Especially since he sleeps during the day. One of these days, I'll actually make dinner for them, but for now, I just make quick snacks for lunch.

Then, I went away for my Surgery rotation, and stayed in a dorm room. Which wasn't bad, because they gave us $22.50 per diem in the cafeteria. Which was bad because I ate cafeteria food every day for a month. Bleh.

Now, I'm finally back home in my own kitchen, though I'm still on Surgery, so the time I have available for cooking is rather limited. So this month's recipes will likely be very basic. Except for maybe some Spinach-Artichoke Pasta, which I've been dying to try for ages. We'll see how that works out.

Without further ado... the recipe.



Peanut Butter Dip
Originally found at FitSugar.com

1 5.3 oz container vanilla greek yogurt
2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp honey

Mix all ingredients until well combined. Enjoy with apples or other fruits. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

My Notes:
I found this recipe on Pinterest, of course, and it seemed like a really good idea to add some additional nutrients to peanut butter. I was a bit hesitant to try it, because I don't really like Greek Yogurt on its own, but it was absolutely amazing. As in, I basically ate the whole batch in one sitting. With apples, of course. I have a couple more recipes to try with greek yogurt, so I think I'm going to buy a big container of it, just to have handy for this recipe. That's how obsessed I am with it. I bet it'd make a great frozen yogurt treat too!