Recipes to Keep

Chewy Lime and Coconut Sugar Cookies

2010-07-06T15:55:00.001-05:00

I got this recipe is from www.twopeasandtheirpod.com and it seems she got it from food blogs, Rock Recipes and My Baking Addiction. So this must be a popular recipe! And it should be b/c it's really good! The cookies also freeze well if you want to save some for another time.

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of one large lime
3 tbsp lime juice
½ cup toasted coconut
1/2 cup sugar for rolling cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Using a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and very fluffy. This will take a couple of minutes.
4. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, lime juice and lime zest. Mix until well combined.
5. Gradually add in the dry ingredients and toasted coconut. Mix until combined, don’t over mix.
6. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of cookie dough into balls. Put sugar in a small bowl and roll cookie dough balls in the sugar. Place on lined cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart.
7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. The cookies will start to crack a little bit.
8. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes. Move cookies to a cooling rack.

*Note-to toast the coconut-place coconut on lined baking sheet. Bake for 5-8 minutes at 350 degrees. Tossing a couple of times. Remove from oven when coconut is light brown.*
Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Grilled Pineapple & Chicken Quesadillas

2010-07-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

Flour tortillas
Fresh pineapple, sliced
2-3 chicken breasts
grated monterrey jack cheese
jalapeno, sliced (seeds & ribs removed if you don't want it spicy)
Cilantro
BBQ sauce

Adjust the ingredients according to how much you want to make & how much of each thing you want in your quesadillas - nothing complicated here.

Grill your pineapple slices and chicken breasts however you like to grill (outdoor, indoor grill pan, etc. I did mine on the George Foreman). A little s/p for the chicken is good & the pineapple doesn't need anything, just put it on the grill & let it get some golden grill marks. You could skewer it if you are afraid of it falling apart or down into the grill.

When the chicken is done, let it rest a couple of minutes then shred it or thinly slice it. Chop the pineapple into smaller, bite size pieces.

Now assemble your quesadillas: chicken, pineapple pieces, cheese. Then pour on some bbq sauce, add some cilantro and some jalapeno. Put the top tortilla on and bake in the oven, or in a skillet, however you usually make a quesadilla. We have a quesadilla maker.

Once the tortilla is browned and cheese melted, let it sit for a minute then cut into wedges (I use a pizza cutter). Serve with sour cream, pico de gallo, whatever you like.

These are so yummy! If you are in a pinch, you could use pineapple tidbits from a can, but drain them well. Also, even after sitting a few minutes these are so hot inside! The pineapples and cheese really hold the heat in, so don't burn your mouth!

Adapted from the Pioneer Woman's recipe

Beef Macaroni Casserole

2010-06-28T09:00:00.001-05:00

This is nothing fancy, just a quick, easy, basic recipe to get dinner on the table!

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 small onion chopped finely
8 oz tomato sauce
1 TB flour
1/2 cup water
s/p
1 cup macaroni noodles, cooked
1 cup shredded cheddar, or whatever you have

Brown the meat & drain off the fat.

Add the onion & saute for a couple of minutes. Then combine the flour & water in a bowl until there are no flour lumps & then add that to the pan. Let simmer about 5 minutes then add the cooked macaroni noodles. Stir it all together & pour into a casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese & bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Bran Muffins

2010-06-21T09:00:00.001-05:00

1/2 cup raisins
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups bran cereal (such as Kellogg's All-Bran® Original Cereal)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 apple, cored and shredded
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup honey

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper cupcake liners.
Beat the egg with milk in a bowl, and mix in the bran cereal and raisins. Let the mixture stand until the cereal absorbs the liquid, about 5 minutes. Gently mix in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, melted butter, shredded apple, mashed banana, and honey, and stir a few times to mix.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

What I did: I doubled the recipe and put them in the freezer. I pull out a couple at a time as needed and microwave them. This recipe is pretty flexible, so use what you have. I don't like raisins, so I used craisins. I used 2 bananas, and no apples. Used some brown sugar instead of honey. I think I also threw in a little plain yogurt. I think I will use honey next time though, b/c they needed some more sweetness - we've been putting honey on them.

Source: original recipe was "Roxie's Bran Muffins" from http://www.allrecipes.com/

Yogurt

2010-06-14T09:00:00.002-05:00

Have you ever made your own yogurt? Did you know you could make your own yogurt? I was curious about this b/c my kids like yogurt and its not exactly cheap and they put tons of sugar in it. I researched it a little online and there are tons of websites that will tell you how you can do it. I decided to experiment with the crockpot method b/c it seemed the simplest. It did not turn out perfectly the first time, but not bad. It was just a little runny which may have been my yogurt starter or may have been that it was not warm enough for the "incubating" period. Anyway, if you think I'm crazy and no way are you going to bother making your own yogurt, I understand and I'll see you with my next post. Otherwise, if you are curious or a little interested, read on.

The recipe/method I used came from a site called Nourishing Days. You can click on that link to read her actual post - and many of the comments that followed were helpful. This is basically how it goes:

1. Turn your crockpot on LOW and add 1/2 gallon milk (skim is fine)
2. Heat on LOW for 2 1/2 hours - you are looking for a temperature of 180 degrees before moving on to the next step...
3. Turn off the crockpot and unplug it. Let it cool with the lid on for 3 hours. The temperature you are now looking for is 110-115 before moving on to the next step...
4. Remove 1-2 cups milk and place in a bowl. To this add 1/2 cup plain yogurt w/live active cultures and mix very well (I think this is where I went wrong - I used Dannon, which the ingredients says has live cultures, but I guess not enough. After researching more, there should be a "live active cultures" seal stamped on the container. Stonyfield Farms seems to be a good starter that other people use, so that is what I will try next time.)
5. Pour yogurt/milk mixture back into crockpot and mix thoroughly with a whisk.
6. Put lid back on crock & wrap entire crock in 1-2 thick bath towels.
7. Let culture overnight 8-12 hours (or longer if you want it thicker)
8. Stir and store in containers of your choice. Reserve 1/2 cup to use for your starter for the next batch.
9. Refrigerate at least 8 hours before using.

I stored mine in small 4 or 6 oz containers (can't remember if they are Glad or Ziploc, but you know what I mean). That way the kids could still have their own personal yogurt. This is also where you can experiment with different flavors by adding mix ins. Some suggestions are vanilla extract, jam, powdered drink mixes (Nesquick or Crystal Light, etc), jello powder, pudding mix (this helped make it thicker too). Or just use it plain for smoothies, on top of fruit, with granola or as a substitute for sour cream on tacos, etc.

**After making it a few times now, I have found my kids don't like it unless it's thick like the kind from the store. So I add & whisk in 3/4 cup milk powder in the very beginning with the regular milk.

I'm curious if anyone else has tried this (or if they will try it), so please comment! If you are going to try it I would recommend reading a little more online , but don't overwhelm yourself. This seemed to be the simplest method.

Coconut Tres Leches

2010-06-11T14:53:00.003-05:00

I usually don't like this cake b/c often it has a little bit of an eggy taste, but this recipe does not have any eggs in it except in the baked cake. Plus it's coconut - yum!

I must also let you know that this cake is NOT soggy. I promise. When you are pouring your "tres leches" over the cake you will be thinking - "this is going to be so soggy!" and when you take it out of the fridge a couple of hours later and look at it, you are going to think, "this is going to be soggy and gross!" But it won't be. It will be moist, but not soggy at all, and so coconutty & yummy. I must also tell you that it won't be pretty. After you've stabbed it all over and doused it in the milk mixture, it's not pretty. So don't make this for a potluck, you have to plate it up with the whipped cream, toasted coconut and bananas to make it look pretty. I should have taken a picture... the original recipe has some pictures though if you want to see.

Cake: yellow cake, baked in 9x13 pan

Milk Syrup:
1 can (15 ounces) cream of coconut (not coconut milk or coconut water! Check in the Asian or Hispanic food aisles. They didn't have it at my Super Walmart)
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Garnishes:2 medium-size ripe bananas
Sweetened cream (see instructions below)
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted (bake it at 350 degrees on cookie sheet until golden brown - watch it closely and stir a few times)

In a blender, combine the cream of coconut, evaporated milk, cream, and vanilla and process until smooth.

Pierce the completely cooled cake all over the top with the tines of a fork or a thin wooden skewer. You need LOTS of holes in the cake for the milk to soak in, so poke it ALL over.

Gradually pour the milk mixture over the cake. Let the syrup soak in, then pour on some more until all of it has been used up. When you have finished, not all of the milk will be completely absorbed and might be pooling on the top but that’s ok because it will absorb as it refrigerates. Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until all of the milk is absorbed, 2 hours.

Cut the cake and plate it with sliced bananas, whipped cream and toasted coconut, if desired.

Whipped Cream:Pour 1 cup heavy whipping cream into a large (preferably chilled) bowl and beat it on high until thickened 1 ½ minutes. Add ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar and ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Makes 2 cups.

Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

2010-06-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1-2 limes)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (to lighten them up, I have substituted sour cream with good results)

Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (I tossed mine together in a ziploc bag in the morning and let it sit in the refrigerator all day).

Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Source: www.melskitchencafe.com

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

2010-05-31T09:00:00.001-05:00

This is a recipe we always had growing up and made often, but I don't know where it originally came from. The cookies are thin and chewy and taste kind of like brownies - just make sure you don't overbake them! The last time I made these, I had some mint chips leftover from the holidays and threw those in. The recipe calls for margarine, which I never buy, but would recommend for this recipe. They do seem to be better with margarine instead of butter.

1 1/4 cups margarine, room temp
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1. Cream together margarine and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well.
2. Combine in separate bowl flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture.
3. Add nuts if desired.
4. Drop by spoonfuls or use a scoop onto ungreased cookie sheet in preheated 350 oven for 8-9 minutes. They will seem like they aren't done, but take them out, you don't want to over bake them. They will continue to cook and flatten out on the pan after you take them out.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

2010-05-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (you don’t want the beef to be too high in fat because the fat will all pool at the bottom of the baking dish after baking
3/4 cup quick oats
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Form into about 12 balls, each about 2 inches in diameter. Place in a casserole dish. Cover with sauce (below). Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Sauce:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine ingredients and blend thoroughly. Heat in a small saucepan until combined and sugar is dissolved and pour over meatballs. (This dish is not overly abundant on sauce so if you enjoy things a bit saucier, double the sauce ingredients.)

To Freeze: After covering the meatballs with sauce, cover the pan with two layers of aluminum foil and freeze. To bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake covered without thawing for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 20-30 minutes more, until meatballs are cooked through.

Source: www.melskitchencafe.com

Baked Manicotti

2010-05-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

This is kind of a twist on regular manicotti - you roll up lasagna noodles instead of trying to tediously stuff manicotti noodles.

Tomato Sauce
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (in juice)
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dried basil

Cheese Filling and Pasta
3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)
2 large eggs , lightly beaten
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
16 no-boil lasagna noodles

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes (if using) in large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan chese, mozzarella cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs; set aside.

To assemble, pour 1 inch boiling water into 13 by 9-inch baking dish, then add noodles one at a time. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water in baking dish and dry baking dish.

Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Using soup spoon, spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto bottom three-quarters of each noodle (with short side facing you), leaving top quarter of noodle exposed. Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. (You should be able to fit 8 manicotti in each row, allowing all 16 to fit in the dish). Top evenly with remaining sauce, making certain that pasta is completely covered.

Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil.

Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan. Bake until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

The manicotti can be prepared right up until the baking step then covered with a sheet of parchment paper, wrapped in aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. (If frozen, thaw the manicotti in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.) To bake, remove the parchment, replace the aluminum foil, and increase baking time to 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

What I did: I did make it like the recipe says, but had a hard time with soaking the noodles. Next time I will just boil the noodles, but not completely cook them. Just enough that they are pliable though b/c they will continue to cook in the oven and I do not like mushy noodles.

Source: www.melskitchencafe.com

Meal Planning Services

2010-05-11T13:39:00.002-05:00

I'm wondering if anyone has ever used one of the many online menu planning services. I have looked at them in the past and thought they were too expensive to be worth it and that judging by their sample menus, we might not like the meals they plan for you. They seemed to include a lot of soup, for example, and my husband does not believe soup is a meal.

One of the blogs I subscribe to, Money Saving Mom, had a post today on one of these services. This one is E-Mealz and is very inexpensive and does not have soup on any of the sample menus I looked at. You can also cancel at any time. I'm considering trying it for a coupld of reasons. Lately I feel like I make meals that are too complicated or "fancy." We've been trying to cut our grocery budget and I feel like making simpler meals would help with that as well as actually being easier and faster to prepare. "30-minute meals" always take me longer than 30 minutes! So I have been keeping my eye out for simple, more basic meals. The recipes here seem to be very simple and quick - they can type the instructions in one little box on their meal planning sheet...

I don't think this particular service will really cut my grocery budget though. They claim to keep it around $75/week for their meals. But by the time I add in breakfast & lunch groceries, milk, etc. I don't think my total will be much different. So I wouldn't be trying it for that reason. I think I would try it b/c I have 2 kids and a newborn and don't want to have to plan meals right now! And because I want some new simple & quick recipes. And then I would probably cancel it after a few months.

What do you think? Have you tried this or other menu/meal planning services?

Creamy Lemon Crumb Squares

2010-05-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

If you like traditional lemon squares, you will like these. I like lemon squares - sometimes. I do not like things that taste eggy, which most of the time lemon squares do. When I saw this and saw that there were no eggs, I had to try it b/c it's so rare to find a lemon square that is not eggy! And this has a crumb topping, so it's even better! It is also very easy to make.

Ingredients
1-⅓ cup All-purpose Flour
½ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 stick (1/2 Cup) Butter, Slightly Softened
1 cup Brown Sugar (lightly Packed)
1 cup Oats
1 can (14 Ounce) Sweetened Condensed Milk
½ cups Lemon Juice
Zest Of 1 Lemon

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Mix butter and brown sugar until well combined.
3. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.
4. Add oats and flour to butter/sugar mixture and mix to combine.
5. Press half of crumb mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 11 inch pan. (you can use a 9x13, but your layers will be pretty thin. I used an oval shaped, shallow casserole.)
5. Mix together condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Spread onto the bottom layer of the crumb mixture. Top with the other half of the crumb mixture, but don’t press.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. Allow pan to sit on counter for 30 minutes after baking. Cut into squares and refrigerate for a couple of hours or until cool.
Serve cool.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

BBQ Chicken Pasta

2010-05-03T09:00:00.001-05:00

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
1 red onion, diced
3 cups water
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces penne pasta
2/3 cup barbecue sauce
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat (you could also use a large pot if you don’t have a skillet this big). When hot, add the chicken and onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken and onions to a plate and set aside.

2. In the same skillet, add the water, chicken broth, penne and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the liquid is almost absorbed, the pasta is tender and the mixture is thick and syrupy. Stir in the barbecue sauce and sour cream. Once mixed, add in the reserved chicken, onions and shredded cheese. Stir to combine and cook until everything is heated through.

Serve immediately and garnish with additional red or green onions and shredded cheese.

Recipe Source: My Kitchen Cafe

Teriyaki Chicken Legs

2010-04-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

8 chicken legs/drumsticks
1 1/2 cups (12 oz) teriyaki sauce
pepper
3 TB sesame seeds
1 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup water
vegetable oil
1 cup rice
1 bunch broccoli, trimmed and cut into pieces
salt
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 bunch scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, grated or minced (I used about 1-2 tsp ground ginger)

1. Place chicken in resealable bag with teriyaki sauce & let marinate 4 hours or overnight.
2. preheat oven to 400
3. Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet (you may want to line your baking sheet with foil for easier cleanup). Arrange chicken on cooling rack. Season liberally with pepper.
4. Cover with foil and roast 20 minutes. Turn legs and roast 10 minutes more. Remove foil and roast 5-8 more to darken & crisp. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
5. While chicken cooks, cook the rice in the stock with 1 TB veg oil, simmering covered about 18 minutes. Fluff with fork.
6. Original recipe suggested to blanch the broccoli, so you can if you want, but I like mine crisp.
7. Heat 2 TB oil in large skillet, add broccoli and cook about 5 min then add red pepper and scallions. Stir fry a minute or two then add garlic & ginger, cooking 1 minute more.
Serve chicken legs with rice & stir fry

Original recipe: www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-04-19T09:00:00.002-05:00

Everyone has their favorite, stand-by chocolate chip cookie recipe. I like chewy cookies, not crunchy and this is my new favorite recipe. Yes, it's shortening instead of butter, but it's so good and freezes really well and stays chewy after freezing/thawing.

1. Cream together:
1 cup shortening (I used butter flavored)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar

2. Add 3 extra large eggs and mix for 5-7 min (if you dont have XL eggs beat a 4th large egg in a separate bowl and add about half of it to the mix. and yes 5-7 minutes! just set a timer)

3. Add & mix in 1 TB hot water

4. Add & mix in:
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

5. Add & mix just until combined:
3 1/2 cups flour
chocolate chips

Bake in preheated 350 degreee oven for 10-11 minutes until barely browned on the edges. Don't overbake! They won't be chewy if you overbake them and the chewiness of these is what makes them so good!

Source: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/ Aunt Alecia's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Baked Greek Chicken

2010-04-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

1 whole broiler/fryer chicken about 5 lbs (I just bought one in a pkg already cut up)
3/4 tsp salt
2 lemons
3 cloves minced garlic
1 TB fresh oregano (I used dried)
pepper
olive oil
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored & sliced (no fennel at my store! I used a couple stalks of celery)
1 cup dry orzo
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425. Pat chicken dry. Loosen skin & sprinkle some salt under skin.
2. Grate zest of 1 lemon, then cut lemon in half and juice. In small bowl stir together 2 tsp of zest, 2 TB of the lemon juice and 1/2 tsp salt, the garlic, oregano & pepper. Tuck half of this mixture under skin of chicken.
3. Cut the peel off the 2nd lemon and chop the fruit into pieces.
4. Add 1 TB olive oil to remaining herb mixture in bowl. Toss with sliced fennel and chopped lemon. Transfer to large baking dish and top with chicken pieces. Bake at 425 for 40 min. or until chicken is done.
5. Meanwhile, cook orzo according to pkg. Drain & transfer to bowl.
6. When chicken is done transfer the pieces to a platter. Spoon the fennel into the bowl with the cooked orzo along with 1 TB of pan drippings, the olives and feta. Stir to combine and serve alongside the chicken.

Source: Family Circle magazine, March 2010 page 181

BBQ Chicken Braid

2010-04-07T09:00:00.001-05:00

Don't let all the dough rising and braiding scare you! This isn't hard and it's so yummy!

*Note: the amounts of chicken, onions, barbecue sauce, and cheese in the recipe can be altered based on your preference – simply add more or less to your liking.

*Makes 2 large braids

1 recipe French Bread Rolls
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 red onion, sliced into thin half moons
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
After the french bread roll recipe has gone through the first rise, split the dough into two parts. Lightly cover one portion and set aside. Roll the other portion into about an 11X17-inch rectangle (I roll mine out directly on a silpat liner to make for easy transfer to the baking sheet and oven). Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut 1-inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides. There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side.

Spread half of the barbecue sauce down the center strip. Top with the chicken, onions and cheese. Fold the side strips over filling, alternating strips from each side and pressing them into the dough on the opposite side, forming a braid. Pinch or twist to seal.

Place the braid on a lined baking sheet (or simply transfer the silpat liner to a baking sheet) and let rest for 15 minutes. While it is resting, follow the same steps above for the second portion of dough.

Bake the first braid for 15-20 minutes (while the second braid is resting), until golden brown and bread is baked through. Remove from oven and bake the second braid.

Let the braids rest for 5 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut braid into sections and serve warm.
Braid How-To With one half of the french bread roll recipe, flatten or roll the dough out to about 11X17 inches. I roll it out directly on my silpat baking mat for easy measuring and then transferring to a rimmed baking sheet. If you don’t have a silpat liner, use parchment paper or press the dough directly onto a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet.
After the dough is rolled out, start cutting strips along each side, leaving a wide strip, about 3-inches across, in the middle. I use my pizza cutter to speed through this step.

After the strips have been cut, layer all of the ingredients down the center strip and start braiding by folding alternate strips across and pressing them down to stick.As you get to the end, you’ll likely be wondering how to finish this whole thing up.
Keep braiding like normal until you have two final strips extending one from each side.
Fold one side over and press it into the other strip.Grab the final extending strip and bring it over to lay across the bottom of the braid and gently press it into the dough on the other side. It won’t look perfect, but that’s ok.Then, using your fingers, pinch the dough together to seal the long seam at the bottom of the braid and any other small seams you may see. It may look a bit lumpy but I promise you won’t care once it is baked to golden perfection.Finally, pick up the silpat or parchment paper and transfer it to the baking sheet. Ready to bake!

What I did: Two braids was plenty for my family! (2 adults & 2 toddlers) Although, I was suprised that it reheated well in the oven the next day- I was afraid the bread would be soggy. But if you also have a small family, maybe make 1 braid and then make the rest of the dough into rolls then bake them and freeze them for another day.

Source (including photos): www.melskitchencafe.com

French Bread Rolls

2010-04-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

This is not my favorite roll recipe, BUT it is very simple and seems to be pretty foolproof, so it would be good practice if you haven't made bread or rolls very much. It's also great b/c there are no eggs, milk, or honey - so you can have fresh rolls even when you are out of those things or are allergic to them.

My next post is going to be a recipe that uses this dough also.

French Bread Rolls
adapted from allrecipes.com
*Makes about one dozen rolls

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 12-14 equal pieces, and form into round balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth (or greased saran wrap), and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Bake for 12-13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

*Can freeze the rolls after baking – microwave on high for 2 minutes before serving.

What I did: I used about 1/2 whole wheat flour and half white flour. This makes 12 very large rolls - like for sandwiches. So if you want them more for dinner rolls, just make them smaller - maybe 18 rolls instead of 12?

Source: www.melskitchencafe.com

Recipes to Come!

2010-03-31T13:30:00.002-05:00

Sorry I have been so MIA lately and have not been posting! I am having a baby on Friday and don't want to abandon you another several weeks w/o recipes while I settle in and adjust to another baby and probably won't be cooking much. I have a bunch of recipes I am typing up today and will schedule to post periodically over the next several weeks, so keep checking back or add me to your Google Reader, there are recipes coming!

Sweet Success

2010-02-28T20:22:00.002-06:00

People seem to think that since I majored in culinary arts in college and enjoy cooking and still regularly cook, that we always have wonderful fabulous dinners. We don't. That's why I don't have a post every day! Unfortunately not all of the meals I plan, shop for and prepare are wonderful. Some turn out fine, but just aren't that great. Others sound good and should be good, but I mess up and have disasters once in a while too!

I used to make homemade pizza a lot, but hadn't made it in a while, so I thought I'd try it again with a new recipe. I also thought I would try and use my neglected pizza stone. So I made the dough and preheated my pizza stone. I even made the sauce grated the cheese myself. I stretched out my dough on a board with cornmeal underneath so it wouldn't stick and was ready to slide it into the super hot oven onto the pizza stone. Well it stuck. So all the dough, sauce and cheese mushed into a pile half on the pizza stone and quite a bit on the bottom of my 500 degree oven. Not success!

As the smoke detectors went off all over the house and my children covered their ears in fear, I fanned out the smoke and tried again. Luckily the dough was enough for 2 pizzas and luckily the 2nd one did not stick (but tasted a little smoky). My husband came home later and didn't even recognize the pizza had been made from scratch. He thought it was the kind from the grocery store wrapped in the plastic... But that's alright, I will try it again another week!

Bean Burritos

2010-02-23T09:00:00.002-06:00

This makes almost 20 burritos - so you will have some to freeze for lunches or snacks or whatever. Way healthier than the frozen ones from the store!

1 cup brown or white rice (or 2 cups already cooked rice)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced (can substitute 1 can of green chiles)

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 cans (15 oz. each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups water

1 (10 oz) package frozen corn or 1 can whole kernel corn, drained

6 green onions, white and green parts finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

16 burrito-sized (10-inch) flour tortillas

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. Cook rice; set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and golden, being careful not to let the garlic burn.

2. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute.Add one can of beans and mash gently in the pan (a potato masher or fork works great here). Add the second can of beans and the water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10-12 minutes, being careful not to let the mixture stick to the bottom of the pot.

3. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2-3 minutes. Stir in onion and garlic powders. Remove from heat; stir in green onions and cooked rice.

4. Heat tortillas in microwave for about 30-45 seconds or until all are warmed through.Fill each tortilla with about 2/3 cup bean and rice mixture and 1/4 cup cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold, and hold in sides. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down, and prepare remaining burritos.

5. Serve warm immediately, with salsa and sour cream if desired -- or, to freeze for later consumption, put the baking sheet of burritos into the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until very cold so that they don't come apart in the wrapping process. Remove them from the freezer and wrap each burrito individually in plastic wrap and place all the wrapped burritos in a freezer-safe resealable bag and freeze up to three months.

To reheat from frozen:Remove plastic wrap from the burrito. Poke holes in the top several times with a fork. Microwave on high for two minutes. Gently poke a few more holes in the burrito and microwave for another minute. Be careful as the burrito will be piping hot!

What I did: First of all, I used whole wheat tortillas. These usually are not as good as white ones, but at Sam's they sell some really good ones in a large package that is perfect for this recipe. They are Santa Fe Tortilla Company and they are whole wheat, but they are still soft and chewy like a white tortilla and pliable enought that I didn't have to preheat them for wrapping. So I recommend those if you can find them.

We had them for dinner and each made our own burritos with lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, cilantro, hot sauce, whatever you want. Then I wrapped the leftovers with just the bean mixture and cheese and wrapped them up in plastic right away instead of putting them in the freezer for a while.

My husband was a little skeptical, but they do reheat really well and put a little sour cream & salsa on the side. I think next time I will definitely add a can of green chiles though.

Original recipe: www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

2010-02-21T09:00:00.000-06:00

My kids always want pancakes, but pancake mix is expensive for a little box and not very healthy. You can buy whole wheat mixes, but they cost even more. I've tried home-made mixes before and not been all that impressed, but this one is good and healthy (and is a great way to rotate through your food storage if you have it). My husband likes it better than Krusteaz, so I think that says a lot!

You do have to keep it in the fridge or freezer though b/c it has oil in it and to keep the nutritional value of the wheat flour if you are grinding it yourself.

*Makes 10 cups of dry mix

3 1/2 cups rolled (quick) oats
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle (or by hand). With mixer on slow speed (or gently by hand), drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of mix in your hand. If it stays together, it is just right. If it is still crumbly, add another tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct (I've never had to add additional oil).

Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.

To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup buttermilk (a combination of half plain yogurt and half milk will also work), and 1 egg. The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats.

Heat a griddle and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don't break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side. As a sidenote, buttermilk can be frozen indefinitely for future batches of pancakes, so it's worth keeping it around!*

1 cup of mix will make about 6-7 4-inch pancakes.

What I do: Another way to make buttermilk is to put about 1 1/2 tsp of white or cider vinegar in a 1 cup measure, then fill it up with milk. Let it sit a couple of minutes and it'll be ready. I also always end up adding more than 1 cup mix (an extra 1/4 - 1/2 cup), otherwise its a bit too runny even if you give the oats time to soak up some of the liquid like she says.

Original recipe from www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com (can you tell this is my new favorite food blog??)

Kalua Pork

2010-02-19T08:44:00.002-06:00

This is super easy and smelled so good cooking all day that I was pretty much counting down the hours till it was done.

10-12 pounds pork shoulder butt roast (don't substitute a leaner cut of pork or it will be dry)
1 bottle liquid smoke (4oz)
2 tablespoons sea salt (or hula salt if you can find it)
1 1/2 cups water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Trim roast of large pockets of fat (but leave some fat on there to help the pork stay tender while cooking). Place pork in large roasting pan (the aluminum, deep roasting pans you can buy at the grocery store work great if you don't own a heavy-duty roasting pan).

Rub 2-3 tablespoons of sea salt into pork. Pour the bottle of liquid smoke over and around the pork. Pour the water around the pork.

Cover roasting pan TIGHTLY with two layers of aluminum foil.Bake for 5-7 hours (don't uncover while baking - let the steam and heat work it's magic!).

Shred with two forks and serve with rice.

What I did: I used a 4 lb roast and still had tons left over for freezing. I got a covered stoneware baker for Christmas so I cooked it in there. I used the stoneware lid, but still covered the seal with foil, just to be sure the steam stayed inside since that is the key to cooking this. Since my roast was smaller, I used only 3/4 cup water but I still ended up using almost the whole bottle of liquid smoke, and I cooked it at 325 for 5 hours instead of at 375. The recipe is going to be really forgiving, so don't stress about it too much if your roast is a different size. You could cook in in a crockpot too. I served it on rice with fresh pineapple on the side. My husband ate it on a sandwich with bbq sauce and took leftovers to work for lunch in a tortilla. Leftovers will freeze well for use later in pork tacos, sandwiches, enchiladas, whatever you like.

Original recipe: http://www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com/search?q=kalua+pork

Easiest Dinner Ever.

2010-02-12T08:44:00.003-06:00

This is so easy. You don't have defrost anything, chop anything, saute anything or even stir anything to get it going.

2 cups frozen corn
2 frozen, boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 1/2 cups salsa

Layer ingredients in lightly greased slow cooker in order listed. Cook on low 6 hours. Take chicken out & shred it. Return to slow cooker & stir. Serve taco salad style on tortilla chips with lettuce, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, chopped tomatoes, green onions, whatever you feel like. Or serve on a taco shell or in a burrito.

from: www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com

Mac n' Jack Salad

2010-01-23T08:00:00.001-06:00

1 lb elbow macaroni
10 oz frozen corn, defrosted
1 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
1 red onion, chopped
4 celery ribs, chopped
1 - 8 oz brick pepper jack cheese, diced
s/p
3 TB red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups tomatillo salsa (salsa verde) or chipotle salsa
chopped cilantro or parsley

1. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain & rinse with cold water to cool it down. Drain well.
2. While pasta cooks combine corn, red pepper, onion and celery in large bowl with cheese. Season with s/p.
3. Add cooled pasta to vegetable mixture.
4. Whisk together vinegar and oil. Stir in salsa. Pour over pasta & vegetables. Toss to coat evenly. Garnish with cilantro

This makes a lot and I think it was too much pasta, so unless you are making it for a large crowd or potluck or something, just use 1/2 lb or 3/4 lb of pasta. I also only used half a red onion and cut back the oil. Not a bad idea to make ahead and let it chill in the fridge.

Source: Rachael Ray's Book of 10, page 40

Ooey Gooey Crunchy Chewy Brownies

2010-01-21T08:00:00.001-06:00

These brownies don't seem to have an official name, but the title describes them well I think. I found them on some old friends' new food blog and put off making them as long as I could, but eventually I caved. I love anything with marshmallows!

1 box brownie mix

1 Tablespoon butter

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter

3 cups rice krispies

1- 10 oz bag of mini marshmallows

Directions:1. Prepare brownies as directed on box.

2. When brownies are done, spread marshmallows evenly on top of brownies. Put back in oven for 3 minutes.

3. While brownies are in the oven, begin melting the butter, chocolate, and peanut butter in pan over low heat. Once this mixture is melted, stir in the rice krispies.

4. After the marshmallows have been in the oven for 3 minutes, take the pan out of the oven and spread the melted chocolate mixture on top of the marshmallows.

5. Cool in the refrigerator for about 45-60 minutes.

Source: http://www.ftko.blogspot.com/

Smoked Paprika Chicken with Egg Noodles

2010-01-19T08:00:00.001-06:00

8 oz extra wide egg noodles
2 TB olive oil
1 1/2 lbs chicken, cut in bite-sized pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tsp smoked sweet paprika (I used regular paprika)
pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 TB butter
1/2 cup sour cream or lite sour cream
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (I used dried)

1. Begin cooking the noodles in salted boiling water until tender, but with a little bite left to them.
2. Heat oil in skillet, add chicken. Lightly brown on all sides. Add onions and garlic and cook a few minutes more. Add paprika then season with s/p. Stir in chicken stock and reduce heat to low.
3. Stir in sour cream then remove from heat. When noodles are done, drain them and return them to the warm pot. Add butter and toss to coat. Add half the parsley. Serve noodles with chicken and sauce on top. Garnish with remaining parsley.

Source: Rachael Ray's Book of 10 page 72

Enchilada Suizas and Green Rice

2010-01-17T08:00:00.001-06:00

This is a little bit of work, but really good! And don't let all the peppers scare you if you don't like spicy food, just make sure you take all the seeds & ribs out and it will just be a mild spice.

ENCHILADAS:

2 large poblano peppers

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked & shredded

2 TB olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

s/p

8 tomatillos peeled, rinsed, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro

juice of 1 lime

2 tsp honey

8 6-inch flour tortillas

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

1. Heat broiler to high. Place poblanos under broiler and char until blackened on all sides, 10-12 minutes. Leave oven door cracked to allow steam to escape. Place peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to cool to handle, then peel off the charred skin. Chop off the top, slice open and remove seeds. Then coarsely chop what's left.

2. Place tomatillos, cilantro, lime juice and poblanos in food processor. Process about 1 minute until almost smooth.

3. Heat oil in skillet. Add onions, jalapeno and garlic. Cook to soften about 5 minutes. Add smooth mixture from food processor. Stir to combine. Add honey, season with s/p and simmer 10 minutes.

4. Pour a little sauce into the bottom of medium baking dish. Fill tortillas with shredded chicken, roll u and place in baking pan side-by-side. Top with remaining sauce. Dot with sour cream and top with Swiss and jack cheeses. Bake 25-30 minutes at 375 until bubbly and brown on top.

RICE:

Bring 1 1/2 cups chicken stock and 1 TB butter to a boil. Stir in 1 cup white rice, cover and simmer 15 minutes. While rice is cooking, in food processor process about 1/4 cup chicken stock, 1 cup spinach leaves, 1/2 cup cilantro, 1 jalapeno seeded & roughly chopped, and 3-4 scallions roughly chopped. Process until a thick paste.

After rice has cooked about 15 minutes, stir in spinach mixture, cover and cook 2-3 minutes more. Turn off the heat and let stand 5 minutes.

**I made the rice w/o the spinach since I didn't have any, and I also left out the butter & it was still good

**I keep shredded chicken in the freezer in bags containing 2 cups of shredded chicken. This only got me 6 enchiladas - so you will need 3 or 4 cups of shredded chicken if you want to get 8 enchiladas

Source: from Rachael Ray Show, December 17, 2009

Zesty Ravioli Skillet

2010-01-15T08:00:00.001-06:00

1/3 cup whipping cream
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
6 oz provolone cheese, grated
1 TB olive oil
1 small jalapeno, seeded & chopped (optional)
3 garlic cloves, pressed
2 cans diced tomatoes with onions, undrained
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
24 oz package frozen cheese ravioli, thawed
halved grape tomatoes (optional)

1. Heat oil in skillet, add jalapeno and cook about 1 minute. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
2. add tomatoes, salt & pepper and heat to a simmer. Add ravioli and cook 4-5 minutes or until tender. Stir in the cream and cook again until simmering.
3. Sprinkle spinach over ravioli and cook, covered, 1 minute or until spinach is wilted.
4. Remove from heat, top with cheese, cover and let stand until cheese is melted. Garnish with grape tomatoes if desired.

This is a Pampered Chef recipe we made at a Pampered Chef party.

Skillet Chili Mac with Corn and Green Chiles

2010-01-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

Don't let the title scare you away! It sounds a bit Hamburger Helper-ish, but this is waaay better!

1 TB veg oil

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, minced

3/4 TB chili powder

1/2 TB ground coriander (or ground cumin)

1/2 tsp salt

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 TB brown sugar

2 8oz cans tomato sauce

2 cups water

2 cups elbow macaroni

1 cup frozen corn

1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles

fresh cilantro, chopped

2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar jack or mexican blend, whatever)

1. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over med heat. Add ground beef, onion, chili powder, coriander or cumin, and salt. Cook until ground beef is no longer pink. Drain off grease.

2. Stir in garlic and brown sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, water and macaroni. Cover and cook, stirring often and keeping at a steady simmer until macaroni is tender, about 10-12 minutes.

3. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, frozen corn, green chiles and cilantro. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top. Cover and let sit off the heat until the cheese melts.

So yummy!

Source: http://www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com/

Tortellini Spinach Soup

2010-01-11T08:00:00.001-06:00

Heat 6-8 cups of a tomato-based vegetable soup in a large saucepan. Add about 2 cups spinach & cheese tortellini and 4 cups chopped baby spinach. Top with parmesan.

Source: Parenting magazine, October 2009, p. 67 (you'd think I could have thought of this myself)

Open-faced Chicken Parm Sandwich

2010-01-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

Slice a loaf of whole grain Italian bread in half, then in half lengthwise. Lay 4 pieces of cooked chicken breast on the 4 slices of bread and top with baby spinach leaves. Pour some jarred marinara on top, then sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan. Broil until cheese is bubbly.

Source: Parenting magazine, October 2009, p. 67

Chicken and Corn-Tomato Salad

2010-01-07T19:26:00.002-06:00

I chose to make this recipe b/c it sounded healthy and advertised that it was "ready in minutes." I didn't expect much, but we really liked it!

1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
sliced scallions
minced garlic
2 pints halved cherry tomatoes
2 cups corn kernels
lime juice
cilantro
avocado wedges

1. Cook the chicken breasts in a large skillet. (I cut mine into bite-sized pieces instead of leaving whole).
2. Remove the chicken then add sliced scallions and minced garlic, stirring about a minute. Add 2 pints cherry tomatoes and corn kernels and cook a few more minutes. Season with S/P.
3. Serve the chicken on top of the salad with a squeeze of lime, cilantro and avocado wedges.

This was good, but not as quick as I imagined. I did not cook the cherry tomatoes, I just stirred them in at the end b/c I prefer them not to be mushy. Justin added some hot sauce and I served them with potato pancakes made from leftover funeral potatoes (yeah, as if funeral potatoes were not unhealthy enough I added eggs and pan fried them...)

Source: Parenting Magazine, October 2009, p.67

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

2009-10-29T09:00:00.001-05:00

This is super fast and easy and much healthier than regular alfredo - esp. if you use the low-fat cream of mushroom.

1/2 of 16 oz pkg linguine
1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli florets
2 TB butter
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup parmesan
s/p

1. Prepare linguine according to package directions. Add broccoli during last 4 min. of cooking time. Drain well.

2. Heat butter in 10" skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until well browned, stirring often.

3. Stir soup, milk, cheese, s/p and linguine & broccoli into skillet. Cook until mixture is hot and bubbling. Serve with additional parmesan cheese.

Source: CampbellsKitchen.com

Chicken Roll-ups

2009-10-27T11:43:00.002-05:00

It's good b/c its butter, but its not like you are eating this every week, so give it a try.

Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
2 eggs
4 ounces smoked mozzarella, cut into 6 pieces about 2 inches long
6 boneless, skinless, thin-sliced chicken breasts (about 4 ounces each), pounded out to 1/4-inch thickness
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon dried parsley
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used apple juice)
3/4 pound dried angel hair pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°. Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place flour and bread crumbs in separate shallow plates. Beat eggs in a medium-size bowl.
3. Place a piece of mozzarella on one short end of each chicken breast and roll up tightly. Tuck loose ends in.
4. Coat each chicken roll with flour, dip in the egg and roll in the bread crumbs. Place seam-side down in prepared dish. (I had to use toothpicks to hold it together)
5. Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in parsley, thyme and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Pour mixture over the chicken rolls. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Pour wine over the chicken and bake for an additional 25 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare angel hair pasta following package directions. Drain and place in large serving bowl.
7. Remove chicken from baking dish and place on serving platter. Season with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Pour butter-and-wine mixture from baking dish over pasta and toss with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Source: Family Circle November 2009, page 182

Double-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2009-10-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

1/2 cup small shell pasta
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup breadcrumbs
Four 8- to 10-ounce chicken breasts
3 cups store-bought marinara sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta for 4 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water. Transfer to a bowl and add the mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan and 1/4 cup parsley; season with salt.

2. In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Place the breadcrumbs in another shallow bowl.

3.Stuff the pasta-cheese mixture under the skin of each chicken breast. Dip the stuffed chicken breasts in the eggs, roll in the breadcrumbs, then place skin side up on the prepared pan.

4.Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the breast registers 165°, about 50 minutes.

5.Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the marinara sauce. Serve each breast on a bed of sauce, topped with 1 tablespoon parsley.

I used skinless chicken. I think next time I would leave out the pasta, didn't really add much since it didn't really taste like anything, just filler.

Source: Every Day with Rachael Ray October 2009 page 110

Chicken Tacos with Spicy Grape Salsa

2009-10-20T18:58:00.003-05:00

I wasn't sure about this one, but I tried it anyway and even the kids ate it. Justin added hot sauce and we added some sour cream between the chicken and the salsa to hold it all together and give it some extra moisture.

3 cups seedless red grapes (about 1 1/2 pounds), chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 to 2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper
One 12-count package taco shells
One 2 1/2-pound rotisserie chicken, skin discarded and meat shredded

Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine the grapes, onion, jalapeño, cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.

2.Place the taco shells on a baking sheet and heat in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes. Place the chicken in a medium bowl and microwave at high power until warmed through, about 30 seconds; stir in 1/2 cup grape salsa.

3. Divide the chicken mixture among the 12 taco shells and top with more grape salsa.

Chicken Tips

2009-10-16T12:37:00.003-05:00

My little brother, who went to a (real) culinary school and works in a fancy restaurant, gave me an excellent tip when I was complaining about how I hate shredding chicken one day. So that is where this post comes from and I'll get to the tip later...

I wanted to use his tip and save myself some time/effort when its time to make dinner b/c 5:00 is the worst time to be making dinner b/c the kids are whiny and hungry and you're trying to get dinner on the table. It seems like I'm always defrosting chicken and chopping it up last minute or boiling it and tediously shredding it.

So I went to Sam's Club, and bought two 6 lb packages of fresh, boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $1.97/lb which is pretty good. I'll be honest, it did sit in my fridge for 3 days before I got to it, but now that its done I feel so accomplished and domestic and prepared for about 15 dinners!

I trimmed and cubed the chicken from one package and put it in Ziploc freezer bags - 1 lb per bag since most recipes seem to call for 1 lb of chicken. Label it, date it, and put it in the freezer. Even though the package said 6 lbs, I only got five 1 lb bags out of it...so either my scale is off or theirs is. ? Oh well, that's chicken ready to go in the skillet for 5 meals!

While I was doing that, I had the chicken from the other package boiling in some water on the stove. I also trimmed the extra fat off those breasts before throwing them in. Once they were cooked through I took them out of the water with tongs (don't pour the water down the drain!) and let them cool on a plate for about 10 minutes. And here is my brother's tip: Instead of shredding them with a fork or your fingers, which takes FOREVER, put them in your Kitchen Aid with the paddle attachment and turn it on low speed! So much easier! I hate shredding chicken! I wish I had known this a long time ago or been taught it at my (not quite real) culinary school. Anyway, so then I packaged the shredded chicken in freezer bags - 2 cups per bag. And now I have shredded chicken ready to go for another 5 meals!

Those cans and boxes of chicken stock/broth aren't very cheap - so don't throw out the water from boiling your chicken! I supplemented mine with a couple tsp. of chicken bouillion powder, let it cool, then strained it into a pitcher. Once it was cool enough, I measured put 2 cups for each freezer bag and put those in the freezer too. So now I have chicken broth for 5 meals!

Yes, this was a little time consuming, but it will save me time and mess later when the kids are whining and hungry. Flatten out the contents of the bags before freezing them so they will defrost faster (and fit better in your freezer). And if you can find chicken for a really good price, this is a great way to stock up!

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

2009-10-15T14:53:00.002-05:00

I thought I posted about this last year, but I guess I didn't b/c I can't find the post! Spaghetti squash is in season this time of year and that means its cheap! And its easy too. And healthier than regular noodles. And if you've never tried it, you should. The hardest part is cutting the squash in half, so be careful and use a good, sharp knife!

Cut your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and stringy stuff. Place face-down on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. (I overbaked this time and the squash was more like mush than spaghetti noodles, so watch it) It will be soft and pull apart like spaghetti noodles when its done.

Take it out of the oven and let it cool a little bit, then scrape out the insides with a fork. It should look like spaghetti noodles... Place in a bowl and season with a little s/p.

Serve with your favorite spaghetti sauce - homemade or out of a jar, whatever you like!

I get mine out of a jar, but I brown about a pound of ground beef along with some chopped green peppers, then drain off the fat and stir in the sauce.

Carrot Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

2009-10-12T14:52:00.001-05:00

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 package (14 ounces) pumpkin quick bread and muffin mix (such as Pillsbury)
1 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup raisins (no thanks, I left these out...)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons butter, softened

1. Heat oven to 350°. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a medium-size bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 egg, sugar and lemon juice until smooth.

3. Set aside 1/2 cup of muffin mix for topping. Place rest of mix in large bowl. Add remaining egg, carrots, milk, raisins and oil. Stir until well blended.

4. Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 cup of batter. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of cream cheese mixture over top of each muffin.

5. In a small bowl, combine reserved muffin mix, pecans and butter. Mix with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the cream cheese in each muffin cup.

6. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool muffins in pan for 15 minutes. Gently lift muffins out of pan and cool completely.

Source: Family Circle June 2009 page 228

Inside-out Stuffed Cabbage Meatballs

2009-10-10T14:39:00.001-05:00

The original recipe said to stuff some of the cabbage inside the meatballs, but that seemed like an unnecessary hassle, so here's the recipe with that step taken out and modified:

3 tablespoons butter
2 pounds green cabbage, shredded
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds meatloaf mix (ground beef, pork and veal)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
One 16-ounce can whole-berry cranberry sauce

1. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and 1/4 cup water and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the maple syrup and 1 teaspoon caraway seeds; season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer cabbage to a bowl.

2. Meanwhile, in another bowl, combine the meatloaf mix, breadcrumbs, egg, allspice and remaining 2 teaspoons caraway seeds. Form into meatballs, ping-pong ball or golf ball size, and place in skillet you cooked the cabbage in over med-high heat. Brown meatballs on all sides.

3. Add the cabbage back to the skillet; nestle the meatballs in the cabbage. Add 1 cup water to the to the skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover and cook, turning the meatballs once, until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the meatballs on the cabbage, along with the cranberry sauce. (I also served with mashed potatoes)

Source: original recipe from Everyday with Rachael Ray October 2009 page 112

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

2009-10-07T14:18:00.003-05:00

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs

s/p

3 carrots, sliced crosswise

1/2 cup long grain rice, rinsed

16 oz pkg frozen black-eyed peas, thawed

32 oz (4 cups) chicken broth

9 oz pkg frozen creamed spinach, thawed

1. In large pot heat the olive oil over med-high heat. Season the chicken with s/p. Add to the pot and cook, stirring, until golden 6-8 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add carrots, rice and beans, scraping up any browned bits, for 1 minute, then stir in chicken broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer until rice and beans are tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, shred the chicken. Add to the soup along with the creamed spinach and cook for 5 minutes; season with s/p. Serve with baguette, rolls, or bread.

Cut calories by using chicken breasts instead of thighs and plain frozen spinach instead of creamed.

Source: Everyday with Rachael Ray October 2009

What I did: I did use chicken breasts and I grilled them on the George Foreman instead of cooking them in the pan and then shredded them. So you can use whatever shredded chicken - however you like to do it, and just start out with the carrots and beans and rice in the pot. It seems like anytime I try to cook it in a pan like that it just gets burned on the outside and still raw in the middle, so for me this was simpler. Justin is not really a fan of soups, but he complimented me on this one. And it's pretty hearty, not too soup-y.

Cauliflower Mac n' Cheese

2009-09-24T13:36:00.003-05:00

No, you don't have to steam and puree any cauliflower for this recipe. It's really easy. And its from Hungry Girl (www.hungry-girl.com), who takes unhealthy recipes and makes them healthier.

Ingredients:
1 package Green Giant Family Size Cauliflower & Three Cheese Sauce (freezer aisle)
2 cups uncooked Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend Rotini Pasta (or another whole-wheat or whole-wheat-blend pasta)
3 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese
Optional: salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions: Prepare pasta according to the instructions on the box, and then drain well and set aside. While pasta is cooking, place contents of the cauliflower & sauce package in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 12 - 16 minutes, until sauce has melted and cauliflower is hot.
Once the bowl is cool enough to handle, remove it from the microwave and add cooked pasta. Set aside. Unwrap cheese wedges and place in a small microwave-safe dish. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth, and then add to the bowl.
Mix thoroughly, ensuring that the Laughing Cow cheese is evenly distributed and the pasta and cauliflower are coated in cheese sauce. If you like, season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Serving Size: 1 cup Calories: 202 Fat: 4.5g Sodium: 825mg Carbs: 36g Fiber: 5g Sugars: 6g Protein: 8.5g
POINTS® value 4*

Meals for the week

2009-04-10T12:42:00.003-05:00

Here are the new recipes for this week

Grilled Mexican Chicken Burgers (recipe here)
Spinach Pasta Caesar Salad & breadsticks (recipe here)
Edamame & Mushroom Risotto (recipe below)
Spaghetti

Edamame and Mushroom Risotto

2 TB olive oil
8 oz button mushrooms, trimmed & sliced
1 pound frozen edamame
3 cups vegetable broth mixed with 1 1/2 cups water
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 1/3 cups arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine (or veg broth)
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup shredded parmesan

1. Heat 1 TB olive oil in large nonstick skillet over med-hi heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside

2. Cook edamame, following package directions. Drain, cool and remove beans from shells. Add beans to mushrooms in skillet, discard shells.

3. Place broth and water in med-size saucepan and bring to a simmer

4. In large saucepan, heat remaining TB oil over med heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add rice and stir until rice is coated with oil. Cook for 1 minutes, stirring.
Add wine and cook until wine is absorbed - about 1 minute.

5. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth mixture. Cook over med-low heat, stirring until broth is absorbed. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time., cooking in the same manner. This should take about 30 minutes.

6.Gently heat mushroooms and edamame. Stir into rice and remove from heat. Stir in the pepper and 1/4 cup of the cheese.

7. Divide among 4 bowls and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese

Source: Family Circle Magazine, 4/1/09, pg 105

April 3-10

2009-04-03T15:31:00.003-05:00

Sorry about last week, here are the new recipes I used last week:

Fish Topped Au Gratin Potatoes (not bad, but not that great, so I'm not posting recipe)
Stromboli Recipe here
Chicken Tetrazzini (made with leftovers from storebought rotisserie chicken) Recipe below

The plan for this week:

We still haven't gotten to the frozen lasagna and the pork tacos, so they are still on the list, new items are

Barbecue chicken with mashed potatoes and corn
Creamy chicken and Vegetables with Noodles Recipe here
Chicken Ranch Tacos Recipe here
Honey-sesame Chicken and fried Rice (use Sun Bird brand seasoning packet, look for it near the Asian foods and follow directions)
Spaghetti Sandwiches (recipe below)

I guess we are all about chicken this week!

Chicken Tetrazzini
7 oz spaghetti or linguine noodles
2 cups chicken or turkey broth
2 cups milk
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
2 cups cut up or shredded chicken or turkey
1 cup sliced olives or mushrooms
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oven to 350. Cook and drain noodles - undercook them a little so they aren't mushy (they will cook in the oven too)
2. Mix broth, milk, flour, butter, S & P, in 3 qt sauce pan. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
3. Stir in cooked noodles, chicken, olives/mushrooms. Spread in ungreased 2 qt casserole. Sprinkle with cheese.
4. Bake uncovered 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Spaghetti Sandwiches
my mom used to make these with leftover spaghetti sauce. They sound a little weird, but they're good!

Bread
Mozzarella cheese (sliced or shredded)
eggs
milk
spaghetti sauce

1. Mix up eggs and milk just like you would for french toast, but without the cinnamon & vanilla, etc.

2. Dip one side of a piece of bread in the egg mixture, place on hot griddle egg-side down. Top with mozzarella. Dip another piece of bread and place it on top of the mozzarella, egg-side up. Flip the sandwich when one side is cooked and cheese is starting to melt. Cook other side until golden brown and cheese is melted.

3. Serve with hot spaghetti sauce on top.

Dinners March 21-28

2009-03-20T16:49:00.002-05:00

Last week I did not get to the frozen lasagna and the lasagna skillet, so those are up again for this week.

New meals:
-Pork Tacos from my freezer (recipe)
-Sausage, Broccoli & Noodles (recipe below)
-Rotisserie Chicken (from the store) and potatoes
-Wanchai Ferry Sweet and Sour Chicken ($1.10 off coupon at www.coupons.com) I suggest adding an extra 1/2 cup of rice and 1 cup of water. Also, pick up some green pepper to add in)

Sausage, Broccoli & Noodles

3 pkgs ramen noodles, chicken flavor
1/4 cup lite sour cream
1 TB cornstarch
3 links Italian turkey sausage, casings removed (I think I will just get regular bulk sausage instead of removing casings)
3 cups broccoli flowerets (thawed, if from freezer)

1. Bring pot of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles 2 minutes, reserving seasoning packets for later. Drain and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream and cornstarch. Set aside

2. Cook sausage in larget skillet over med. heat, breaking up with a spoon, for 5 minutes or until cooked through.

3. Add broccoli, 1 cup water and 1 1/2 tsp of the ramen seasoning to skillet. Cover and simmer over med heat for 3 minutes or until broccoli is cooked through.

4. Remove cover and stir sour cream mixture into skillet. Cook for 1 minute or until sauce has thickened. Add noodles to skillet and toss to coat with sauce. Serve immediately

Sourece: Family Circle Magazine April 17, 2009 page 101

Dinners for March 14-20

2009-03-13T12:16:00.003-05:00

I'm trying a new approach at this. Check it out over on the right "About this Blog"

Vegetable Lasagna - frozen from Costco
South of the Border Enchiladas - get recipe here from BettyCrocker.com
Chicken Tamale Casserole - get recipe here from CookingLight.com
Reuben Sandwich Slices - recipe from Pillsbury.com (I might just make regular reubens, depending on price of the Pillsbury dough - you print a coupon here too)
Lasagna Skillet - recipe from Pillsbury.com
Weeknight Stroganoff - recipe from Pillsbury.com

Good luck! I should also mention that I'm not very good about planning sides and I just make those last minute. So you're on your own there. I usually just do salad or some veggies from the freezer: dump in a bowl, put a plate upside-down on top and microwave for a couple of minutes to steam them. Or like, with the vegetable lasagna I might do garlic bread - we save those garlic-butter packets that come with pizza and just brush them on some leftover hot dog or hamburger buns out of the freezer and then toast them in the oven. And I just realized I have 2 lasagna-type things, maybe I'll save the frozen one for another week b/c we will probably have leftovers of other stuff anyway.

Shortcut Chicken Cordon Bleu

2009-02-05T15:50:00.002-06:00

This definitely is not fancy, but its quick & easy & my kids eat it.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup ham, small cubes
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup or more milk
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
egg noodles, cooked & drained

1. cut chicken breasts in small chunks and cook in a skillet. Remove from pan & set aside.
2. Put cream of chicken soup in skillet over med-high heat and whisk in milk until desired consistency. Simmer 5 min. Stir in cheese, chicken breasts & ham.
3. Serve over egg noodles

What I do: you can use leftover ham or I get 2 slices from the deli, cut thick and then I chop it up. I also add some peas.

Crunchy Asian-style Pasta Salad

2009-01-22T21:23:00.003-06:00

1 box Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad classic pasta mix
1 package oriental ramen
3 TB sugar
3 TB vegetable oil
2 TB white vinegar
2 TB water
1 TB soy sauce
3 cups cole slaw mix
1 cup snow pea pods, strings removed
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 15 oz can mandarin orange slices, drained

1. Cook pasta from pasta mix (w/o the seasoning packet). Drain, rinse, set aside

2. In large bowl, stir together seasoning mixes from pasta salad mix and ramen, sugar, oil, vinegar, water & soy sauce. Add pasta, coleslaw mix, pea pods, almonds and oranges; toss to combine.

3. Just before serving, coarsely crush dry noodles from ramen package and stir into pasta mixture. Serve immediately or refrigerate

What I did: you could probably use a little less oil. I used snap peas instead of snow peas and left out the almonds. I also added some shredded chicken.

Source: http://www.bettycrocker.com/

Turkey Meatball Subs

2009-01-14T21:42:00.002-06:00

This is another of my old stand-bys

Prep: 40 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

whole-grain sub rolls
1 pound extra-lean ground white turkey breast
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 egg
1 egg white
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 14.5 ounce can Italian Style tomatoes
1/4 cup shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese
**1 jar spaghetti sauce

Using a food processor, process one sub roll into fine bread crumbs. Measure out one cup of crumbs. (or just use 1 cup prepared breadcrumbs, like Progresso)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, garlic, eggs, oregano and crumbs. Shape into meatballs. Add meatballs to a skillet and brown on all sides. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until slices are limp and just starting to turn brown.

Add tomatoes and stir to coat.( ** I felt like it needed more sauce so I added about half a jar of spaghetti sauce)

Allow mixture to come to a slight boil, then reduce heat and cook for twenty minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

Split remaining rolls in half lengthwise and fill with meatballs and sauce. Top with shredded cheese.

Chicken and Dumplings

2009-01-12T19:57:00.003-06:00

The dumplings in this chicken soup are rolled out and cut in strips like noodles instead of shaped like a ball. Don't be intimidated though, it's really easy and sooo good!

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut in pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 quarts chicken stock
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Dumplings:
1 1/2 cups flour
pinch of salt
2 TB canola oil
1 cup plus 2 TB water
salt & pepper
chopped parsley for garnish

1. Place chicken, onion, celery and carrots in 5 quart pot. Add chicken stock, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam.

2. Reduce heat to low and cover tightly. Simmer, occasionally skimming the broth, until chicken is tender, about 50 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Place flour, salt, and oil in a medium bowl and gradually stir in the water to make a stiff dough (I only ended up using about 1/2 the water, so add it slowly!). Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick and cut into 1x3 inch strips.

4. Skim off any fat from the surface of the soup. Season with s & p.

5. Add the dough strips into the simmering soup without stacking or crowding them. (you will also need to increase the heat for a few minutes to keep it simmering). Cover tightly and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the dumplings are cooked through and tender, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve from the pot, breaking up the dumplings as needed.

What I did: I used about half chicken thighs & half breasts. Trim off as much fat as possible and cut the meat in large chunks b/c it will shrink and larger chunks will hold more moisture = tastes better. I also used chicken broth from a can instead of actual stock. 3 cans & 2 cups water. The dumplings don't take very long to make, so you can wait till toward the end of the soup cooking. I used some wheat flour for the dumplings and added dried parsley about halfway through cooking instead of fresh parsley at the end. We had it with a loaf of Rhodes bread. So good!

Source: Art Smith, O at Home Winter 2008

Rigatoni

2008-12-01T20:12:00.002-06:00

I think this is an official menu item at every western Pennsylvanian graduation party - at least that was the experience Justin and I had back home. Anyway, I was surprisingly unable to find a recipe, so this is how I made it tonight.

12 oz rigatoni noodles, cooked & drained
4-6 slices bacon
1 lb ground beef
1 can Hunts stewed tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1 regular size jar Ragu Parmesan & Romano spaghetti sauce
handful of shredded mozzarella
3-5 slices provolone

1. Cook the noodles, but undercook them a little b/c they will cook more in the oven & you won't want them mushy & overcooked.

2. Cook the bacon & remove from the pan, then cook the ground beef in the bacon fat. Once the ground beef is cooked, drain off all the fat (we are just going for the underlying bacon flavor here, not the actual bacon...)

3. Add the stewed tomatoes to the pan & break up with a potato masher. Stir in the oregano and Ragu. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes.

4. Combine the sauce & noodles. Stir in a handful of mozzarella and put in 2-quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 about 30 minutes. Top with slices of provolone and bake for 10 more minutes.

Thanksgiving Recipes

2008-11-20T22:10:00.003-06:00

Everyone has certain recipes of the standard Thanksgiving dinner foods that are their favorites. I have yet to have to make Thanksgiving all on my own, but the 3 following recipes are ones I always volunteer to bring b/c they are my favorites & it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without them!

Sweet Potato Casserole

2008-11-20T21:59:00.003-06:00

One tall, 40 oz can of yams or sweet potatoes, drained
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup softened or melted butter

Combine all ingredients, mix & put in greased 9x13 pan or glass baking dish. Cover with topping mixture and bake @350 for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Topping:
1 cup coconut
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup flour

Combine in medium bowl with pastry blender or a couple of forks

What I do: Sometimes I can't find a 40 oz can of sweet potatoes, so I use 2 of the large cans ( once I actually do my shopping for Thanksgiving I will update with the actual size of the can)

Source: This is definitely my favorite thing for Thanksgiving (not counting dessert, but this is almost dessert anyway). I even eat the leftovers cold the next day. Again, the recipe my mom always uses that I think she got from her old friend, Shirley.

Banana Cream Pie

2008-11-20T21:38:00.003-06:00

5 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
3 TB cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups milk
4 TB butter, cut in pieces
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 bananas
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 pie crust, baked & cooled
whipped cream

Prepare ice bath & set aside
To make the custard:
1. In medium bowl whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch & salt
2. In medium saucepan, bring milk just to a boil. Remove from heat and temper the egg mixture(whisk in about 1/2 cup of hot milk into egg mixture to warm it up, then gradually add the egg & milk mixture to the milk in the pan - this just prevents the hot milk from "scrambling" the eggs)
3. Place over medium high heat & bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until thick. Once it starts boiling, use a whisk and stir constantly for about 1 minute.
4. Remove from heat and whisk in butter pieces one at a time until melted. Add vanilla & whisk until smooth.
5. Strain through a fine sieve into medium bowl, put over ice bath to cool. Stir occasionally. At this point you can cover it and save it for the next day - place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard to preven a film from forming on the surface.
6. Slice 2 bananas 1/4 inch thick. Add lemon juice & toss to coat. Arrange in the bottom of pie crust. Spread cooled custard over bananas & smooth the surface.
7. Cover, with plastic wrap touching the surface of the custard and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
8. Top with whipped cream just before serving. Serve with slices of remaining banana.

Source: My Aunt Kathy used to make banana cream pie every year for Thanksgiving, this recipe is the closest to my memory of it that I have tried, and I think it was either from a baking class at school or found on the internet. Its more work than a boxed-pudding mix "banana cream pie," but its worth it

90 Minute Rolls

2008-11-20T21:18:00.002-06:00

4-5 cups flour
3 TB sugar
1 tsp salt
2 pkg yeast ( 1 pkg = 2 1/4 tsp)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter

1. Combine 3 1/2 cups flour, sugar and salt in mixer bowl.
2. In another bowl dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.
3. Combine milk and butter, warm to 120 degrees. Add milk & butter mixture to yeast.
4. Gradually add liquid mixture to flour mixture in mixer bowl 1/2 cup at a time. Then add remaining 1/2 - 1 1/2 cups of flour as needed.
5. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth & elastic.
6. Put in greased bowl and grease top, then cover with warm, damp towel. Place bowl in a sink of warm water and let rise 15 minutes.
7. Punch down & shape dough into 24 rolls (about the size of a golf ball), place in a greased 9x13 pan, cover and let rise in 90 degree oven 15 minutes until double.
8. Bake 12 minutes at 425. Turn out onto cooling rack after removing from oven.

What I do: I use about 1 1/2 cups wheat flour and the rest white. I have never actually made these in 90 minutes. I can't set my oven to 90 degrees, so they just rise on the counter and that takes more than 15 minutes to get them to double, depending on how warm the kitchen is.

Source: this is the recipe my mom always used. I'm not sure where she got it.

S'more Cookie Bars

2008-11-16T22:26:00.003-06:00

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs*

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)

1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.

2.In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.

3.Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan.Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).

4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars

*Note: 3/4 cup crumbs is approx 7 full-sized graham cracker sheets, whizzed in the food processor until fine.

What I did: These are as good as they look....I didn't change anything, but if you have a 9x9 pan instead of an 8x8, that might be better, b/c the crusts did seem a little thick, but then you would need more chocolate too... either way I guess.

Source: In my blogsurfing I came across this excellent site http://www.bakingbites.com/ (the picture is from there also). There are lots more things I want to make from here, but I will have to hold off.

Layered Turkey Enchiladas

2008-11-16T22:17:00.002-06:00

1 lb. turkey breast tenderloin, cut in bite-size strips
1 16-oz. pkg. frozen sweet peppers and onions stir-fry vegetables
1 10-oz. can enchilada sauce
1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
9 6-inch corn tortillas, halved
1 8 oz. pkg. Mexican blend shredded cheese (2 cups)
lime wedges (optional)
cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 375. In extra-large skillet cook turkey in 1 tablespoon hot cooking oil over medium heat 4 minutes or until no longer pink. Add frozen vegetables, enchilada sauce, and cranberry sauce. Bring to boiling. Sprinkle salt and pepper.

2. In 2-quart baking dish layer one-third of the tortillas, then one-third of the cheese. Use a slotted spoon to layer half the turkey-vegetable mixture. Layer one-third tortillas, one-third cheese, remaining turkey-vegetables (with slotted spoon), and remaining tortillas. Spoon on remaining sauce from skillet; sprinkle remaining cheese. Bake 15 - 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let sit a few minutes before serving. Serve with lime and cilantro.

What I did: I used chicken instead of turkey and flour tortillas instead of corn. I also didn't halve the tortillas? I hate fruit chunks, so I used cranberry sauce with no chunks. The stir-fry mix was a little hard to find, but I ended up using a mix that came in a clear bag (can't remember the brand) that had the peppers & onions, but celery too. you could just chop up a bunch of peppers and onions...

Source: www.bhg.com Layered Turkey Enchiladas

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken

2008-10-27T20:51:00.003-05:00

12 mulitgrain saltine crackers
1/4 cup parmesan
2 TB fresh parsley (or 1 TB dried)
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp each salt & pepper
1/4 cup buttermilk
4 bonelesss skinless chicken breasts

1. Crush crackers in a resealable bag, add parmesan and spices. Shake to combine. Pour into shallow pie plate.
2. Place buttermilk in another shallow pie plate. Pat the chicken dry, dip in buttermilk, then coat both sides of chicken in cracker mixture.
3. Place chicken on rack on baking sheet and bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes. Serve immediately

What I did: make the buttermilk, instead of buying it. (to make 1 cup buttermilk you put 1 tsp vinegar in measuring cup and fill with milk to 1 cup. let stand a few minutes) so for 1/4 cup buttermilk use 1/4 tsp vinegar & fill to 1/4 cup with milk. If you didn't have saltines you could probably use any other cracker

Source: Family Circle magazine nov.1.08

Roasted Broccoli

2008-10-27T20:42:00.002-05:00

This is the best way to have broccoli! Even Logan says, "I want more blocky"

Get a full head of fresh broccoli. Wash it & cut off only an inch or 2 of the stem. Then cut it longways so it looks like a bunch of tall trees. Spread them out on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes. So good, the florets get all crispy and nutty-flavored.

Microwave Brownies

2008-10-27T20:30:00.003-05:00

(This is another dangerously quick and easy microwave recipe)

2/3 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
- melt the butter, mix in the sugar and let it cool a little

Add:
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Sift together and add:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup instant hot chocolate mix
1/2 tsp baking powder

Stir in chopped nuts, if desired
Put in a greased 9 inch glass or stone pie plate

Microwave on high 4 1/2 - 5 minutes

What I do: its a lot of butter - you can cut down on it...and if your microwave doesn't have a turntable, you will need to rotate the pan a couple of times. we don't usually have hot chocolate mix, so i use the Nesquick chocolate milk mix

Source: my mom had a microwave cooking cookbook - this was a regular at FHE growing up

Microwave Caramel Popcorn

2008-10-27T20:19:00.002-05:00

2 bags microwave popcorn (3.5 oz bags)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda

1. Pop the popcorn, dump into a bowl, then transfer the popcorn by hand to a second, large bowl. (this leaves all the unpopped kernels behind in the first bowl)
2. Combine the sugar, butter & corn syrup - microwave on high for 2 minutes, stir and microwave again for 2 minutes.
3. Whisk in baking soda, keep whisking until its all mixed well.
4. Pour over popcorn and stir to coat evenly

**Two bags of popcorn is too much, but one is not enough - so set aside about half of one of the bags for anyone who doesn't want caramel on their popcorn

Source: We had the Young Women make this super-easy recipe for personal progress and Angela provided the recipe

Chicken Won-ton Salad

2008-10-27T20:11:00.002-05:00

1/4 cup oil
4 tsp vinegar
4 TB sugar
1 tsp salt
2-3 chicken breast cooked and cubed or shredded
1/2 head of iceberg, chopped
1/2 head of romaine, chopped
10-15 fried won ton wrappers
1 can Water Chestnuts
1 bunch of green onion
chopped peanuts

1. To make the dressing, whisk together the oil, vinegar, sugar and salt.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in large bowl.
3. Pour dressing over and mix well, serve immediately after adding dressing.

What I did: Instead of frying the won ton wrappers, I sprayed them with Pam, and baked them on a cookie sheet at 350 until they were crispy. Just keep an eye on them b/c they will look fine one second and be burned the next. I also just used a bag of chopped romaine from the store and left out the water chestnuts.

Source: another yummy salad from Angela

Chicken & Sweet Potato Bake

2008-09-30T20:12:00.003-05:00

2-3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 TB olive oil
1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
S/P
1 TB butter
1 TB flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup orange or pineapple juice
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1 box cornbread mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk

1. Boil the sweet potatoes until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, cook the chicken in the olive oil with the salt & pepper.
3. Remove the chicken from the pan and add the butter, melt. Add the flour with a whisk and cook for about a minute. Whisk in the stock and juice, cooking until thick, about a minute. Add bbq sauce, scallions, peas, chicken and sweet potatoes. Stir gently until combined.
4. Transfer to casserole dish and mix cornbread mix according to directions on box. Spread over mixture in casserole dish.
5. Bake at 400 (or suggested temp on cornbread mix) about 12-15 minutes until cornbread is baked and golden brown.

What I did/Source: This was originally Rachael Rays "chicken thigh pie" but that doesn't sound very good, so I changed the name and the chicken. I did make it with chicken thighs, but they just seemed greasy so in the recipe above I changed it to chicken breasts. I used Jiffy cornbread mix. Justin said it needed more chicken, less sweet potato, so that is also reflected in the recipe above. And I just used the juice from a can of fruit cocktail instead of orange or pineapple juice.

Pumpkin Bread

2008-09-30T20:03:00.002-05:00

Combine:
15 oz pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups sugar

In separate bowl, combine:
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ginger

1. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just blended.
2. Pour into 2 greased & floured bread pans.
3. Bake 60-70 minutes at 350 until toothpick comes out clean

What I did: I used a little less than 1 cup of oil and I used canola instead of vegetable. I like to have enough flavor in pumpkin stuff, so the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves & ginger were rounded measuring spoonfuls, I just didn't level them off. I also sprinkled chocolate chips on the top which made it look pretty, but ended up being kind of messy to eat. Next time I would just stir a few in before pouring in the pans, but not too many.

Taco Burgers

2008-09-30T19:52:00.003-05:00

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 jalapeno seeded & chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 TB chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 scallions, chopped
salt & pepper
large white or wheat tortillas
taco sauce
shredded cheese
shredded lettuce
1 tomato, chopped

1. Combine meat, jalapeno, garlic, spices, scallions, s/p. Shape into hamburger patties (4-5).
2. Cook patties in a pan or on the grill until done.
3. warm the tortillas, place lettuce, tomato, taco sauce & cheese in center of tortilla. Top with burger. Fold the tortilla around the burger. To serve, cut on a diagonal.

What I did: I only used about 1 lb of meat and cutting them on the diagonal kind of made them fall apart, so you might just want to wrap it up in the tortilla and eat it. I mixed up the meat and formed the patties before church, then after church we just had to grill them and dinner was ready really quickly.

Source: original recipe Rachael Ray's "taco pockets"

Mexican Polenta Pie

2008-09-22T14:17:00.003-05:00

Justin didn't really like this b/c, apparently, he doesn't like polenta. But I really liked this, so I'm posting it.

1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 TB olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
3 TB chili powder
1 TB cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
15 oz can black beans rinsed & drained
14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup salsa
2 16oz tubes refrigerated cooked polenta
2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese
2/3 cup fresh chopped tomato
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 375. In a large skillet cook onion, garlic, green pepper in the oil. Add turkey, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne. Cook until turkey is no longer pink. Add beans, undrained tomatoes, and salsa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer 15 minutes.

2. In a greased 9x13 baking dish cut 1 tube of polenta into 1/2 inch slices, laying out into the pan. Halve remaining polenta lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices; set aside. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese over polenta in the dish. Top with meat mixture. Arrange sliced polenta on top, sprinkle with remaining cheese & chopped tomatoes. Bake for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with cilantro. Let stand 15-20 minutes before serving.

What I did: This recipe makes a lot, so you might want to make it in 2 pans and freeze one. I saved a few bucks & made the polenta myself (bring 3 cups salted water to a boil. Stir in 1 cup yellow cornmeal with a whisk. Remove from heat & stir until thick & no lumps. Spread in greased 9x13 pan. Cover and let cool in the fridge until firm. Cut into squares to use in the recipe. This comes out about an inch thick in the pan so I cut some of the pieces in half for the top. Or you could just spread the polenta in a sheet cake pan instead of a 9x13 then it wouldn't be so thick).

Source: www.bhg.com

Potato & Ham Casserole

2008-09-22T14:00:00.003-05:00

1 medium onion, chopped
2 TB butter
2 TB flour
2 TB dijon mustard
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 of an 8 oz cream cheese, cut up
1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded (4 oz)
1 TB chives or green onions
1 1/2 lbs Yukon gold or red potatoes, cut in thin wedges
8 oz sliced Black Forest Ham or country ham, coarsley chopped
1/2 cup crushed bagel chips

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 2 qt baking dish

2. For the sauce: in medium saucepan cook onion in the butter over med. heat about 5 min, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour & mustard. Add milk all at once, stirring. Cook & stir over medium heat until slightly thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low. Whisk in cream cheese until melted. Gradually add Gruyere, stirring till melted. Add green onions or chives.

3. In a bowl, combine potatoes, ham & sauce; toss gently to combine. Transfer to baking dish.

4. Bake, covered, 1 hour or until potatoes are tender. Uncover & stir gently. Sprinkle with crushed chips and remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered 10-15 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with herbs.

What I did: I used a cheddar-jack blend instead of Gruyere and I don't think I remembered to add the chives or green onions. My mom used to make something like this, but with peas. So I added some frozen peas at the end, instead of the extra cheese & bagel chips, but I'm sure they would be good. And I don't think I cut my potatoes small enough b/c I baked it at 375 and it took like an hour and a half before the potatoes were soft.

Source: www.bhg.com

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

2008-09-10T11:38:00.003-05:00

2 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 TB olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 TB chili powder
16 oz salsa
1/2 tsp ground cumin
10-inch flour tortillas (about 6) warm before filling if they are stiff
1 can refried beans
olive oil, for basting
sour cream
guacamole

1. In large saucepan, saute onion & garlic until tender. Add chili powder, salsa & cumin. Remove from heat, add chicken and let cool.

2. Heat oven to 450. Grease rimmed 15x10x1 baking pan.

3. Working with one tortilla at a time, spoon a heaping tablespoon of beans down the middle. Top with about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture. Fold up bottom, top and sides of tortilla and roll up. Hold together with toothpicks if necessary. Place chimichangas in pan seam side down, spaced a couple of inches apart. Brush all sides of chimichangas with oil.

4. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crisp, turning every 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream and guacamole.

What I did: The recipe originally called for a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to be added with the cumin & chili powder. Justin and I have never met a savory food with cinnamon in it that we liked. We believe it should be reserved for sweets. But add it if you like. I also used canola oil instead of olive oil b/c I wasn't sure how the flavor of olive oil would go with this. I used fat free refried beans & lite sour cream. Next time I will serve it with some shredded lettuce along with the sour cream. Leftovers are great reheated in the oven so they are crispy. I also bought small tortillas by mistake, so it made a bunch of small chimichangas instead of six big ones. Although they were a little harder to roll up, this might be better if you have kids who will want their own instead of part of a big one.

Source: Insider's Recipes Master Edition

Pepperoni Pizza Burgers

2008-09-09T21:45:00.002-05:00

I had this one on my list of things to make and it kept getting put off b/c I wasn't all that excited about it, but it turned out being pretty good.

1 lb lean ground beef
2 oz pepperoni, chopped (I used the less-fat turkey pepperoni)
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 8 oz jar pizza sauce
1/2 tsp dried basil or oregano, crushed
salt & pepper
hamburger buns, split & toasted
shredded mozzarella cheese

1. In a medium mixing bowl combine ground beef, pepperoni, egg, bread crumbs, 2 TB of the pizza sauce, basil or oregano, S & P. Mix well. Shape into 6 patties

2. Grill burgers directly over medium coals for 14-18 minutes or until center reaches 160, turning once halfway through grilling.

3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining pizza sauce. Place burgers on bottom half of buns, top with sauce and some mozzarella cheese.

Source: www.bhg.com

Bowties with Lemon, Sun-dried Tomatoes & Spinach

2008-09-04T20:55:00.006-05:00

1/3 cup sun-dried tomato halves (not oil-packed)
1/2 cup boiling water
8 oz farfalle pasta (bowties), cooked according to pkg
1 tsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 TB lemon juice
2 TB butter
6 oz fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup parmesan
1 TB fresh oregano

1. Place tomatoes in small bowl, soak in boiling water 10-15 min. until soft. Remove tomatoes, reserving liquid. Slice tomatoes into thin strips.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over med. heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. cook 2-3 minutes.
3. Increase heat to high. Add broth, lemon juice and reserved soaking liquid. Bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup.
4. Reduce heat to low & add butter. Stir in tomatoes and spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted. Add pasta, stir to coat. Sprinkle with cheese & oregano.

What I do: This is one of my old stand-bys, but I add chicken (cook in step 2 with garlic & remove from the pan after its cooked. Add to pan again with the pasta) Also, instead of sun-dried tomatoes I usually use the roasted red peppers that come in a jar. Slice them into strips and use the liquid out of the jar). I haven't made this in a while, but I think I usually end up adding some extra broth.

Pumpkin Pie Crunch

2008-09-04T20:37:00.004-05:00

1 16 oz can solid pack pumpkin
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1 pkg yellow or butter flavored cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butter, melted
whipped topping

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 pan.
2. Combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt in large bowl or mixer. Pour into pan.
3. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture. Top with pecans. Drizzle with melted butter.
4. Bake for 50-55 min or until golden and toothpick comes out clean.
5. Cool completely and serve with whipped topping. Refrigerate leftovers.

What I did: The only thing different from how I wrote out the recipe is the butter. I did melt a whole cup of butter, but as I was drizzling it over the top I couldn't help thinking it was a LOT of butter and didn't end up using the whole cup. So if you want to cut back you could probably even use only 1/2 cup. I have made and tasted several similar recipes, but always thought it could be better. This one is my favorite and the one I'll stick with.

Source: The Shook Family Cookbook, but I made some changes

Stromboli

2008-08-28T10:58:00.002-05:00

No, its not healthy, but its easy to put together and get on the table and everyone likes it.

Refrigerated pizza dough (the kind that comes rolled up in the tube that pops open)
ham
salami
pepperoni
provolone cheese slices
Italian seasoning
spaghetti sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Unroll the pizza dough into a rectangle. Place about 3 slices of ham on the dough, spaced out across the dough, then 2 or 3 slices of salami, then some pepperoni and then the cheese. Sprinkle on some Italian seasoning.
3. Roll up the dough, kind of like making cinnamon rolls, and pinch the seam and ends together. Place on greased cookie sheet, seam side down, and bake about 30 minutes, until golden brown.
3. Let stand a few minutes before slicing. Use the spaghetti sauce as dip.

What I do: Sometimes I have used turkey and you can basically put whatever in it depending on what you like, this is just what we usually do. I've used mozzarella, but provolone is better. It seems that making one isn't quite enough for our family, but 2 is plenty, enough for lunch the next day too. Don't let it burn, but you'll want to leave it in long enough that the dough in the middle will be cooked.

Chicken Pineapple Fajitas

2008-08-08T15:37:00.003-05:00

8 6-inch flour tortillas
4 1-inch slices pineapple
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 small, red or orange peppers, seeded, cut in strips
2 tsp Jamaican Jerk seasoning
1/8 tsp pepper
1 TB cooking oil
fresh cilantro
fresh lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap tortillas in foil
and heat in oven. Meanwhile, coat a 12-inch nonstick
skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high. Add
pineapple slices; cook 4 to 6 minutes, until browned,
turning once. Remove. Cut pineapple into bite sized pieces.

2. Cut chicken in strips; toss with sweet peppers; jerk
seasoning, and pepper. Heat oil in skillet; add chicken and
peppers. Cook and stir over medium-high 4 to 6 minutes,
until chicken is no longer pink.

3. Remove from heat. Combine with pineapple and serve on warmed tortillas with chopped cilantro and lime juice.

What I did: I used pineapple tidbits, from a can instead of fresh. I couldn't find the Jamaican jerk seasoning, so I just made it w/o. It probably would have been even better with it. Justin requested sour cream, so you could add that too.

Source: Better Homes & Gardens Dinnertime

Spinach-Pasta Caesar Salad

2008-07-30T14:42:00.006-05:00

Salad:
3-4 grilled chicken breasts (marinated in Newmans Own Low-fat Sesame Ginger dressing)
1 lb pasta, cooked
6 oz bag fresh spinach
1 cup craisins
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 can artichoke hearts, drained

Combine for the dressing:
1/2 cup Newmans Own Low-fat Sesame Ginger dressing
1/2 cup Ken's Light & Creamy Caesar dressing

Chop the grilled chicken breasts before adding to the salad and you'll probably want to let your pasta cool after cooking it so it doesn't wilt the spinach. I used whole wheat rotini, but you could use bow-ties or penne, whatever kind of pasta.

We decided it needed something crunchy, so you could add croutons, bacon crumbles, or slivered almonds

Source: Angela made this probably about a year ago for a lunch... not sure why it took me so long to actually get the recipe from her. Thanks!

Cincinnati Chili

2008-07-22T12:33:00.002-05:00

Sorry its been so long since I posted a recipe. We were on vacation and then none of the new recipes I tried since have been worth sharing. So here's one of my old stand-by's.

1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 TB chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans tomato soup
1 15 oz can kidney beans, undrained
1 TB vinegar
cooked spaghetti
shredded cheddar

1. In a 4 qt sauceapan over med-high heat cook beef, green peppers, onions, chili powder and garlic until beef is browned and vegetables are tender. Spoon off the fat.
2. add soup, undrained kidney beans, & vinegar. Heat to boiling, reduce heat to low & simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Serve over cooked spaghetti and sprinkle shredded cheddar on top.

Not being big fans of spaghetti or chili, Justin was not so much excited about this the first time I made it, but after trying it he really liked it and it got the approval to be made again. The recipe comes from a roommate I had in college.

Ziti Mexi-Cali

2008-06-20T15:24:00.003-05:00

Today is the 15th day of 100+ temperatures and its only June! So here's a good recipe for one of those days. All you have to cook is the pasta.

8 oz ziti or other short pasta
14.5 oz can Mexican-style diced tomatoes with/jalapenos or chiles
1 can yellow corn, drained or 1 cup frozen kernels
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 bunch scallions, chopped
fresh cilantro (optional)
1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese

1. Cook and drain the pasta.
2. Combine pasta and all other ingredients in a large bowl. Toss to mix well.

note: if using frozen corn, rinse them under warm water to defrost them before adding to bowl.

What I did: I added a little spoonful of lite sour cream on top of each dish.

Source: Cheap. Fast. Good! by B. Mills & A. Ross

Granola

2008-06-20T14:53:00.004-05:00

I eat this every morning with skim milk, like regular cereal. Justin & Logan like it with yogurt. And here's my disclaimer - I make this differently every time. I've tried many recipes, each one swearing its the best granola recipe out there. Well everyone has a different idea of how a granola cereal should be. So this is a granola "formula." I can't find the website I got it from...and I've added some things to it anyway. I'll give you the basic formula then I'll tell you what I use out of the formula and you can do what you want with it.

7 cups dry ingredients including:
at least 2-3 cups oats (I prefer quick, but you could use regular)
plus the following, as desired:
wheat germ
whole wheat flour
wheat bran
wheat grits
cornmeal
soy flour or grits
Grape Nuts cereal
sunflower seeds
pumpkin seeds, roasted
fresh grated or dried coconut
dry milk solids
chopped nuts
spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc) to taste
brown sugar

1 cup liquids, including as desired:
honey
syrup
molasses (a little bit of this will make the whole batch tast like molasses, so be careful!)
oil
melted butter
peanut butter
milk
applesauce

Preheat oven to 300
1. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl
2. Combine liquid ingredients & pour over dry ingredients. stir until thoroughly combined
3. Spread in large greased baking sheet and bake 30-60 minutes, stirring often. Dont over-brown
4. When cool, add dried fruits, if desired.

What I do: I put 3 cups quick oats in a large bowl. Then in a 4 cup Pyrex I add the rest of the dry ingredients until it fills up to 4 cups, with roughly the following:
1 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup grits
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts or coconut

Then I dump it in the bowl with the oatmeal & mix it all together.
Then I get 1 cup Pyrex and add roughly the following until its a half inch or so over the 1 cup line:
2 TB canola oil
4 TB water
1 TB vanilla
1/4 - 1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup skim milk
(if I still have some space to fill I'll add some peanut butter or applesauce, or usually just some more water)

I'm still experimenting, but I think it needs more than 1 cup of liquid to get it to make little clumps of granola instead of a bunch of loose oats, etc. So I've been increasing the liquid amount a little each time. I don't like mine very sweet, so add more sugar or honey if you do. I stir it about every 10-15 minutes and I think it takes about an hour to cook to a golden color. I keep it in a plastic container in the fridge.

Pineapple-Black Bean Enchiladas

2008-06-20T14:38:00.004-05:00

2 tsp veg oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 20 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained
1/3 cup pineapple juice, reserved
1 15 oz can black beans drained & rinsed
1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups (12 oz) shredded low-fat cheddar
1 10oz can enchilada sauce
8 whole wheat flour tortillas
reduced fat sour cream
chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet. Add onion & red pepper, cook 4-5 minutes until softened. Stir in pineapple, beans, green chiles & salt. Cook and stir until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro adn 2 cups of the cheese.

2. Spread 1 TB enchilada sauce on each tortilla. Spoon about 3/4 cup vegetable mixture over sauce. Roll up & place seam side down in baking dish.

3. In small bowl, mix reserved 1/3 cup pineapple juice & remaining enchilada sauce; pour over entire surface of enchiladas in baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Spray sheet of foil w/cooking spray & place over enchiladas (sprayed side down). Seal tightly & bake 35-40 min. at 350. Remove foil during last 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted & sauce is bubbly. Top each enchilada with small spoonful of sour cream and sprinkle on some cilantro.

What I did: I used dried cilantro, so I added it in with the pineapple, beans, etc. I don't think I added the salt, and I used more than 8 tortillas. I made it in 2 small pans & froze one for another day and I can't remember if I put 5 or 6 enchiladas in each pan, but I definitely got more than 8 out of the recipe. Also, not a big deal, but if you have the time, let the veggie mixture cool off before adding the cheese - it might be easier to fill the enchiladas w/o melted cheese stringing everywhere

Source: Thanks Mindy! And if I remember correctly, you said this was a Weight Watchers recipe.

Macaroni & Cheese

2008-06-12T13:43:00.003-05:00

3 cups macaroni noodles, cooked

Sauce:
2-4 TB butter
4 TB flour
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1. melt the butter and add the flour, stirring constantly with a whisk until it thickens, just a minute or two
2. Add the milk & salt and stir with a whisk over med/high heat frequently until it thickens
3. pour the sauce over the noodles, add the cheese. Stir to combine until all the cheese is melted. Serve.

This is my mom's recipe (probably her mom's too) and although not especially healthy, is one of my favorites. She made it a lot on busy nights that we had to go to the church for scouts & mutual. We always had it with peas & grape juice. My husband does not consider mac & cheese a "meal" so I always made it on nights he had class until 10 and wasn't eating with us anyway.

I always use skim milk. Sometimes I use whole wheat flour. Also, mild cheddar cheese doesn't have a whole lot of flavor, so I like to use medium or sharp cheddar. You may also want to add more salt & pepper.

Tomato, Basil & Cheese Pasta

2008-06-12T13:22:00.003-05:00

A friend gave me some fresh basil from her garden & I made this. I think the fresh basil made a big difference, but you could probably still use dried basil. I put half in an 8x8 pan for that night and put the other half in a foil pan in the freezer for another day.

1 lb. medium shell pasta
extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 15oz cans Italian diced tomatoes
10-12 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped or torn
salt & pepper
1 cup store-bought pesto
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 c. shredded mozzarella

1. Cook and drain the pasta, keep warm. Preheat the broiler.
2. saute the onion & garlic in a little olive oil until soft. Add the tomatoes & simmer a few minutes. Stir in the basil and the S/P to taste.
3. Combine the pasta, tomato sauce, pesto, ricotta and parmesan in a large bowl. Mix well and transfer to baking dish.
4. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Place under broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheeses.

Notes: I use the lower fat, skim ricotta. You can find the pesto in a jar near the spaghetti sauces at the store.

Adapted from Rachael Ray's original recipe

Smoky-Sweet Pork

2008-06-04T14:28:00.003-05:00

We are surrounded by BBQ places here in Texas & my husband said he would buy this. We had it on little mini slider-sized wheat buns & my 2 1/2 year old ate 2 of them!

Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 1 1/2 hours

1 1/2 lbs boneless pork top loin roast or boneless pork blade roast
2 tsp cooking oil
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup snipped pitted dates
2 TB finely chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp bottled minced garlic or 2 cloves garlic, minced
bread or buns
lettuce

1. Trim fat from roast. In a large saucepan brown roast on all sides in the oil. Drain off fat. Add water, ketchup, bbq sauce, red onion, celery, brown sugar, dates, peppers, mustard and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until meat is tender stirring sauce occaisonally.

2. Remove meat from sauce. Pull meat apart into shreds with 2 forks. Skim fat from sauce. Combine meat with enough sauce to your desired consistency.

3. Serve on top of bread slices, or in buns, with lettuce (if desired).

What I did: I left out the dates. My roast was 1.8 lbs and was done before an hour and a half, so make sure you check it around an hour b/c you won't want it overcooked. I also pureed the sauce in a food processor after cooking it b/c I didn't want onion & celery chunks in my sauce.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Dieter's Cookbook

Salmon with Feta & Pasta

2008-06-03T14:48:00.002-05:00

25 minutes, start to finish

12 oz fresh or frozen skinless salmon fillet
8 oz rotini pasta
2 cloves garlic
4 large roma tomatoes, chopped (2 cups)
1 cup sliced green onions
1/3 cup sliced pitted ripe olives
3 TB chopped fresh basil
ground pepper
2 tsp olive oil
4 oz crumbled feta cheese

1. Thaw the fish, rinse, pat dry. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Cook pasta, drain & keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, lightly coat large nonstick skillet w/cooking spray. Heat over med-high. Add garlic, cook & stir 15 seconds. Add fish to skillet & cook 4-6 minutes until fish flakes easily w/fork. Stir in tomatoes, olives basil, and pepper. Heat through.

3. Toss salmon mixture in large bowl with pasta & green onions, and feta. Serve

Notes: I used diced tomatoes out of a can and dried basil. I also used reduced fat feta. Don't bother salting the salmon or the pasta's cooking water - the feta has plenty of saltiness to go around. This was good with the salmon, but it would probably be good with chicken if you don't have the salmon.

Source: Better Homes & Gardens New Dieters Cookbook

Chilaquiles

2008-06-03T14:40:00.004-05:00

This recipe is kind of long to type out, and actually, a little more complicated than I usually bother with, but it's a good one. So here's the link:

Chilaquiles

Everyone's spice tolerance is different, but I didn't think this was too spicy. If you are worried about it, you can pick out the seeds from the peppers.

Don't substitute anything else for the fire roasted tomatoes or the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - they add important flavors. The sour cream & green onions are also a must. You could skip making the tortilla strips and use regular tortilla chips though. We loved this!

Source: Rachael Ray