1) Asian-Inspired Dinner

I was doing my weekly shopping and found a package of spring roll wrappers. I’ve never attempted making them and thought it would be a great way to get more veggies into my kids’ diet. It worked! The chopping is a bit time consuming, but the end result is pure yumminess. We made around 15 spring rolls. Some I made with 2 layers of wrappers, and some with 1 layer. Both methods worked! The 2 layered wrappers held together a bit better while wrapping. The salad was enough for all 6 of us and enough for my lunch the next day.

Spring rolls -Filling:
3 Tablespoons of cooking oil
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 lg chicken breast finely chopped
1 lb of veggies finely chopped (mushrooms, carrots, water chestnuts, green onions)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 package spring roll wrappers
Large handful of fresh cilantro leaves – add at time of wrapping

1. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok
2. In a mixing bowl mix 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and the cornstarch
3. Add chopped chicken and stir to coat
4. Sautée chicken until no longer pink and set aside.
5. Sautée veggies until soft
6. Mix chicken and 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce to veggies and simmer together for 2-3 minutes
7. Wrap the ingredients in the egg roll adding in the cilantro leaves now and fry in 1-1.5″ of vegetable oil. Fry until golden brown, turning once. We used a small cast iron skillet, but use whichever small pan you like and fry about 3 rolls at a time.

Here’s a Youtube tutorial on how to wrap the spring roll:

Fresh Asian-inspired Green Salad with Citrus Sesame Dressing

Salad:
1 Head of Butter lettuce
2-3 Carrots, chop any way you like
1-2 Cup chopped purple cabbage
3/4 Cup frozen edamame brought to room temperature
1 Small bag of slivered almonds
Optional ingredients: Cilantro, Green Onion

Dressing:
1/2 Lemon – juiced
4 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
Dash of Salt, Pepper and Sugar (about a 1/4 teaspoon of each)

2) Mushroom Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast

This one my husband made since we take turns in the kitchen. He’s actually way better at preparing the main course and I stick to the sides preparation. A lot of times we tag team it, but full credit goes to Mr. Wise on this one. For the artichoke, simply steam and serve with garlic/lemon butter.

4 large mushrooms, finely chopped
1 bag of fresh spinach
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 Cup Green Onions
6 Chicken breasts
6 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon Butter

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Melt butter in medium pan over medium heat.
3. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Cool slightly. Blend spinach, cream cheese and green onions in medium bowl.
5. Mix in mushrooms and add a small amount of salt and pepper.
6. Create pocket within the chicken breast and spread mixture within it.
7. Arrange chicken breasts on baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard over each chicken breast.
8. Bake chicken until golden brown & thoroughly cooked, about 20-25 minutes.

3) Baked Salmon with Lemon Caper Butter, Cannellini-Zucchini salad, and roasted potatoes

Our sweet neighbors recently returned from a fishing trip to Alaska and brought back 400 pounds of salmon and halibut. They so kindly shared it with us which was amazing because fish happens to be my kids’ favorite main course. My sister-in-law served the cannellini-zucchini salad for me the other day and I devoured it! I knew I had to share this recipe with all of you. You must try the potato recipe, we finally found a way to cook pan friend potatoes where they come out crispy!

Salmon Ingredients & Preparation
2 pounds salmon with skin on
6 – 8 lemon slices
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
4 Minced Garlic Cloves
4 Tablespoons Capers
1 Teaspoon lemon zest
juice of 1 lemon
non-stick spray
Kosher salt and pepper

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with non-stick spray.
3. Place salmon on the baking sheet with the skin side down.
4. Sprinkle salmon with kosher salt and pepper. Place lemon slices on top of the salmon.
5. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and tent with foil.
6. Bake for 10 – 15 more minutes or until it flakes easily.
7. While salmon is cooking, prepare the lemon caper butter by melting butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
8. Once butter has melted, add garlic, capers, lemon zest and lemon juice.
9. Cook for 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. When salmon is done, remove from oven and discard lemon slices. Slide a thin metal spatula between the skin and the flesh of the salmon to remove fish from the skin.
11. Move salmon to a serving platter and spoon lemon caper butter over the top. Serve immediately.

Cannellini-Zucchini Ingredients & Preparation
2 Medium Zucchini
1 Can Cannellini (white kidney beans)
1 Large Roma Tomato chopped
3 Tablespoons Prepared Pesto
1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1. Sauté chopped zucchini with garlic and olive oil on medium heat until softented, but still firm.
2. Add in can of rinsed and drained cannellini beans.
3. Spoon prepared pesto into the pan and mix well with other ingredients.
4. Remove from heat and place in bowl with tomato. Season with a little salt and pepper.

For the Roasted Potatoes, we used this recipe and absolutely loved how the potatoes came out crispy and perfectly seasoned!

Crisp Pan-Fried Potatoes (Home Fries)

Enjoy!! If you prepare any of these meals, please post to Instagram and hashtag #tanglewoodmoms and tag our IG account: @tanglewoodmoms

The post 3 Light Summer Dinner Recipes first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

We all love the crock pot, right? We all love it for the fact that it’s a set-it-and-forget-it meal prep method; it’s easy. Let’s face it though, the crock pot just feels like a winter thing because we mostly use it to make chili and stew; both considered winter foods. When it’s 8000 degrees outside eating a big bowl of chili is not tops on your list. That’s not to say the crock pot isn’t great for summer too, for the simple fact it puts off less heat than the oven or cook-top. I hate generating a bunch of extra heat that our air conditioner has to combat. So I’ve compiled a list of five easy summertime crock pot recipes that are super yummy and will help you save time and help you keep your cool!

Coca-Cola Pulled Pork Sandwiches: This recipe is about as easy as it gets and it’s a delicious crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:

5- 6 pounds boneless pork shoulder

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 cup Coca-Cola

Hamburger buns, pickle, potato chips and barbecue sauce

Directions:

1. Rub the pork shoulder with the chile powder. Place in a large slow cooker. Pour the cola around the pork. Cover and cook on low heat until the meat is fork-tender and cooked through, about 8 hours.

2. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Using two large forks, shred the meat.

3. Pour the cooking liquid into a large bowl or 1-qt. measuring cup and let stand for 10 minutes. Skim the fat from the surface and discard.

4. Return the meat to the cooker and warm over low heat, mixing in some of the cooking liquid to moisten.

5. To serve, pile the pulled pork onto the bun and top with cole slaw or pickles or both. Drizzle with your favorite barbecue sauce

Shredded Chicken Tacos: This one is always a winner at our house and it just doesn’t get easier.

Ingredients:

4 – 5 chicken breasts

2 cans of Ro-tel

1 package taco seasoning

Taco shells or tortillas

Directions:

1. Place chicken breasts in crock pot

2. Mix the Ro-tel and taco seasoning together and pour over the chicken breasts

3. Cook on low for 6 – 8 hours.

4. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Using two large forks shred

the meat.

5. To serve, pile the shredded chicken into taco shells or tortillas and top with your favorite

taco toppers.

Crock Pot Whole Chicken: Even better than the roast chickens from the grocery store that your family devours. Original post: Here

Ingredients:

1 (4lb) whole chicken, insides removed and washed/patted dry

1/2  TB of paprika

2 TB all purpose seasoning (I like Frontier brand)

1/2 TB garlic powder

1 tsp salt

2 large potatoes

1/2 pound of carrots

Directions:

1. Mix together all of your dry ingredients in a bowl

2. Rub the chicken inside and out with your seasoning mix

3. Slice your potatoes in thick slices and

4. Line the bottom of the crock pot with carrots and potato slices

5. Place the whole chicken on top of the carrots and potatoes

6. Cover crock pot and cook on HIGH for 4 – 4.5 hours or on LOW for 6.5 to 8 hours

Mississippi Pot Roast: I don’t know why this is called Mississippi Pot Roast but around our house you can call it gone. This is my hubby’s favorite and the kids hammer it. Serve atop some mashed potatoes for full effect. Original post: Here

Ingredients:

4 – 6 pound beef roast

1 Package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix

1 Package McCormick

1/2 TB garlic powder au jus mix

1 stick butter

5 – 6 pepperoncini peppers

Directions:

1. Place roast in crock pot

2. Sprinkle Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix and McCormick Au jus mix on top of roast

3. Place stick of butter and pepperoncini peppers on top of roast

4. Cook on LOW 7 – 8 hours ( Do Not Add Water)

Scalloped Peaches: You knew there had to be a dessert recipe in here, right? And summer is peach time round here. This is really the perfect summer fruit dessert. It’s not heavy like a pie or cobbler, but it still ahs all the yummy flavors. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to this and you are golden.

Ingredients:

8 peaches, sliced

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 cup butter, sliced

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions:

1. In a bowl combine the peaches, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and butter

2. Toss lightly to coat peaches

3. Cover and cook on low for 1 1/2 to 2 hours

4. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

If you usually don’t see your crock pot between April and October, you have my permission to dust it off and set it and forget it! These easy recipes are all delicious and won’t make your kitchen tiles melt. If you have any easy summertime crock pot recipes, please share them with us in the comments section. And if you make any of the above recipes be sure tag us in your Instagram pics! @TanglewoodMoms

xo, Victoria

The post 5 Summertime Crock-Pot Recipes first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.