when I took this meal my kid’s were still at home on summer holidays… which means two things… I can make them work for me but I also have to put up with them… toss up… 
let us begin with the layered salad… in my mind it is the best salad to take out to the men because it keeps so well and resists the urge to get soggy… and it has bacon…
Layered Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
– 2 heads Romain Lettuce
– 1 small box of baby Spinach
– 12 whole hard boiled eggs, chopped
– kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
– 1 10 oz bag frozen peas
– 2 cans water chestnuts, sliced (227 mL cans)
– 4 whole tomatoes, chopped
– 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced (green and white parts)
– 1/2 block cheddar cheese, grated (300 g)
– 2 packages thick cut bacon, cooked and chopped
For the Dressing:
– 1 cup Mayonnaise
– 1 cup Sour Cream
– 2 tbsp sugar
– 1 tsp dried dill
Directions
– in each container you are doing, layer the ingredients in the order they appear, but put the dressing layer in the middle so it does not stick to the lid of the container
– put them in the fridge until ready to pack suppers up
next up is Homemade Naan Bread… and it is a bit time consuming to make up but if you have the time it is so much more delicious homemade than bought… and not a difficult dough to work with…
Naan Bread
Ingredients
– 2 tbsp sugar
– 1/2 cup hot water (not boiling)
– 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
– 4 cups all purpose flour
– 4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
– 1 tsp kosher salt
– 3 tsp baking powder
– 2 tsp baking soda
– 1 1/2 cups warm milk
– 2 cup greek yogurt, room temperature
– melted butter for brushing
– fresh cilantro for garnish
Directions
– dissolve the sugar in the water and add the yeast in a large measuring bowl… let sit for 10 minutes
– in a mixing bowl, add flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder
– add the warm milk and yogurt to the yeast mixture
– pour the wet ingredients into the dry and begin mixing together gently
– use your hands to finish mixing it together
– it should be sticky but should be able to form a ball
– cover with a damp tea towel and let rise 1 hour in a warm place
– when ready to use divide it into 2 and divide those two sections into 8 each… keep these balls covered with a damp tea towel
– roll the ball into an oval shape, about 6 inches long and 1/4 inch thick
– brush the dough with butter and place in a frying pan on med/high heat and cover with a lid for 1 minute or until you see bubbles begin to form
– flip and cook for 1-2 minutes more until it looks toasted
– brush with a little bit more butter and sprinkle with kosher salt and cilantro
– place in a 9×13 tea towel lined dish and cover with a tea towel until you have completed cooking all of them
the Teriyaki Chicken is shown with rice and no bean spouts because I live in the middle of no-where and sometimes can’t get the ingredients I envision for my meals… seriously in the middle of no-where… I’m nestled in between two towns and neither of them have a paved street… there was one summer where the kid’s and I got all excited because we thought they were paving main street in the one town… only to find out they were just ‘oiling’ it down to keep the dust at bay (and because there is so much oil around here we can afford to just spread oil over anything we feel like spreading it over)
Teriyaki Chicken with Peppers, Bok Choy, Green Onions & Bean Sprouts on Udon Noodles
Ingredients
– 12 Teriyaki Chicken Breast, unthawed and sliced
– 1/4 cup olive oil
– 2 Green Peppers, sliced
– 2 Red Peppers, sliced
– 2 Yellow or Orange Peppers, sliced
– 2 Red Onions, sliced
– 2 bags of Bok Choy, bottomed removed and sliced
– 1 bunch Green Onions, sliced (include white and green parts)
– 1 pound Bean Sprouts
– 2 jars VH Japanese Teriyaki Sauce (355 mL)
– 3 packages of Udon Noodles
– 4-6 limes
Directions
– in a large frying pan on med/high heat, fry up chicken in batches
– fry up the peppers, onions and bok choy
– combine chicken and veggies until they are coated together with sauce
– in boiling water, add Udon noodles and cook until just done
– in each dish place noodles, chicken/veggie mixture and then green onions and bean sprouts
– add a wedge of lime to each dish and serve
and here is the best birthday cake you will ever get on your birthday… ever… the farmer I feed has a Grandmother that is the best cook I have ever seen… live… not including on tv… and she would buy German Chocolate when she went to Phoenix because we can’t get it in Canada and freeze it just for when she would make this cake… American’s don’t know how sweet they have it being able to buy german chocolate any old day of the week they want to… I had to use milk chocolate just because I didn’t have any of the imported german chocolate in my freezer… but I am going to get my hands on some…
Grandma Swan's German Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
– 4 oz pkg Baker’s German chocolate
– 1/2 cup boiling water
– 1 cup butter
– 2 cups sugar
– 4 eggs, separated and at room temperature
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
– 1 tsp baking soda
– 1/2 tsp kosher salt
– 1 cup buttermilk
For the Coconut Pecan Frosting:
– 12 ounce can evaporated milk
– 1 1/2 cups sugar
– 4 slight beaten egg yolks, room temperature
– 3/4 cup butter
– 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
– 2 cups unsweetened coconut
– 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
Directions
– melt chocolate in water and cool
– beat butter and sugar, then add egg yolks
– stir in vanilla and chocolate
– mix the flour, baking soda and salt together
– add dry ingredients and buttermilk to the sugar mixture
– set aside
– whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into the batter
– pour into three 9 inch layer pans lined on the bottom with waxed paper
– bake at 350 degree oven for 30 minutes
– cool for 15 min on wire racks
– for the frosting, combine the evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter and vanilla in a saucepan on medium heat
– remove from the heat and stir in the coconut and pecans
– when cool spread between the cake layers and around the cake to serve
