Simply Fancy


Balsamic chicken and asparagus...mmm.

This is a store bought meal...I wish my kung pao looked and tasted this good, I haven't got it quite right yet. I love these meals!! They come in a box with everything you need to cook a full dinner, this one came with the sauce, peanuts, chilies and the rice..just add chicken! I steamed veggies for Nate.

"Fiesta Lime Chicken"

This is my copycat recipe for Appleb**'s. I just had black bean and corn salsa, but I made rice with cilantro and lime for Nate

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Not as good as my dad's recipe, but he roasts his own peppers, something I have not enough time for!

Macaroni and Cheese with Crunchy Topping

A traditional favorite.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Salsa Mayo

If you live in Utah you know, there is a restaurant that is famous for their fried green tomatoes, and their special salsa mayo. After much trial and error, I finally came up with a recipe that rivals this village based establishment's.

These are my favorite!

I make my own salsa mayo, but I have seen a "Creamy Salsa" that Tost*tos makes, I have yet to try it but it looks very similar.

Beer or Near Beer Battered Onion Rings

Sliced yellow onions, battered in an airey beer batter. These onion rings have the perfect amount of crunch and sweetness.

This recipe uses DARK beer, if you prefer to use a non-alcoholic beer, I use O'douls Amber.

Sweet Pork Salad with Tomatillo Ranch

Tastes just like your favorite restaurants version! This recipe is a tad complicated, but if you love this salad, its totally worth it!

This recipe uses Tomatillos which I was skeptical of using at first, I only knew how to peel and wash them because of the food channel...

Here is what you need to know:

1- You can find them in any grocers produce section, very easy to find.

2- They have been called the "Mexican green tomato" but do not belong to the tomato family, they belong to the gooseberry family.

3- They have a casing, similar to a head of garlic, or the husk of a corn cob, that needs to be removed.

4- They need to be washed THOROUGHLY they are very "milky" and sticky on the outside.

5- They can last up to two weeks in the fridge unhusked, longer if cleaned, husked and stored in plastic bags, they can also be frozen.

This recipe also calls for Cotija cheese, this can be found next to the cream cheese in the cold case, I found mine at Smith's (where I find/buy all of my specialty cheeses)

You can also buy the crispy tortilla strips in the bakery part of your grocery store, once again I find mine at Smith's or make my own. (recipe below)

2-3 corn tortillas ( I prefer white corn)

Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil

sprinkled salt optional

stack tortillas, cut into 1/2in wide strips then cut into thirds

brush with oil, opt. salt

place under broiler set to low, watch carefully about 4 min, or until they start to get golden, NOT BROWN these will be burnt! Let cool, they will harden upon standing.