Whatcha Got Cookin'?

Easiest, Yummiest Dinner Crepes

2011-07-30T10:06:00.001-07:00

I love this recipe because you can make the crepe batter in the morning and let it chill in the fridge until dinner.

I buy a rotisserie chicken from Costco and take all the meat off, then I buy some provolone, tomatoes, and avocados... So yummy. We might need this tonight!

To make crepes:

2 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

6 tablespoons water

1 cup bleached all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon table salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for brushing pan.

1. Mix all ingredients (except melted butter) in food processor or blender (or by hand as noted above) until smooth batter is formed, 3 t0 4 seconds. Transfer batter to covered container; refrigerate at least 2 hours or, if desired, up to 2 days.

2. Gently stir batter if ingredients have separated. You are supposed to use a skillet to make each crepe individually, but they turn out just as yum if you do it on a griddle. I use a griddle, and can do two at a time! You just have to have a 1/4 measuring cup with a flat bottom so you can smooth out the crepe. Then flip when it starts to brown.

3. Place cooked crepe on a plate and do it again, and again. Believe me you will want to make millions of them. :)

Easy Cream Cheese Crockpot Chicken

2011-07-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

from The Larson Lingo

I love easy meals. I saw this recipe floating around Pinterest and had to give it a try. I was a little worried it'd taste too cream cheesy but it wasn't at all; it had a good flavor to it. I added a little salt to mine because I like everything with a little extra salt.

- Bag of frozen Chicken Breast Tenderloins (2.5-3lb bag)
- 8 oz block of cream cheese (don't use Fat Free! 1/3 less fat or regular is fine)
- Can of Black Beans, drained & rinsed.
- Can of Corn, drained.
- Can of Rotel

Directions:
Put frozen chicken in the crock pot.
Put Cream cheese on top of the chicken.
Dump in the Black Beans (make sure they are drained & rinsed!!!)
Dump in the drained corn.
Dump in the Rotel,

Cover & cook in your Crock Pot on low for 6-8 hours.
Every 2 hours, I stir the ingredients.
You can shred the chicken when it is done, or just leave it as tenderloins.

I turn the crock pot off & let it sit for about 30-45 minutes.
It is a little soupy, but letting it sit causes it to not be as soupy.

I serve this over rice. The rice soaks up some of the soupy-ness.

It makes a lot, so this is usually 2 dinners & a lunch.
I actually like it better on the 2nd day, when it isn't as soupy.
So, you could make this the day before & then keep it in your fridge overnight.
When we have it on a leftover day, sometimes I combine the rice & the cream cheese chicken mixture and use it for burritos. Add a tortilla, some lettuce, cheese & salsa.
Easy. Good. Healthy.

Woofums

2011-07-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

Our friends Jacob and Rachel have this seriously good camping treat they make called woofums. They invented these special poles that you wrap a biscuit around, cook your biscuit over the fire into a little cup, and then fill with pie filling and top with whipped cream. Yum! Well sometimes I want woofums but don't have the special poles to make them, so I invented a way to get something close at home.

I wrapped biscuits over a mini muffin tin and baked them in the oven at 400 for about 10 minutes.

They came out looking like this:

Then I loaded them up with cherry pie filling, whipped cream, and voila! You could also go with apple pie filling, strawberry...the options are endless!

Pineapple Ice Cream

2011-06-07T17:05:00.000-07:00

1 can Pineapple chunks (drained)

2 1/4 cups sugar

Juice of 3 lemons or 9 Tbsp lemon juice

1 can evaporated milk

2 quarts WHOLE milk

1/2 pint whipping cream

(of course you also need LOTS of ice and salt to add on top while machine is spinning)

Puree pineapple chunks (you can puree as much or as little as you like)
Combine first 3 ingredients and stir
Add the rest and put into ice cream maker
Continue according to ice cream maker instructions
Serve right away to enjoy super soft ice cream or put in freezer to harden up more

(this is the cheap walmart ice cream maker I have. Nothing fancy but it does the trick and is super delicious)

No Rise Pizza Dough

2011-06-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

This dough isn't quite as fluffy as the kind you let rise for an hour, but it's pretty good if you're impatient like me. I wanted to bookmark it for future use.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

Directions

Combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in oil and warm water. Spread out on a large pizza pan. Top as desired.
Bake at 375 degrees C (190 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

Fast Rolls

2011-05-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

Delicious smelling dinner rolls in an hour, start to finish? Yeah! These turned out fantastic (and I have had the worst luck with rolls!).

I know we've got another great dinner roll recipe already on this blog, but in case you need another really great one in your lives, you will be so happy with this one!

3 1/2 c. warm water
3/4 c. sugar or 1/2 c. honey
1 c. oil
6 T. yeast (9 packages)
1 T. salt
10 1/2 c. flour
3 eggs

Mix water, sugar, oil, and yeast. Let rest and get all for foamy for 15 minutes. Add salt, flour, and eggs. Mix ingredients thoroughly, then knead till dough shines (around 10-15 minutes).

Shape immediately into dinner rolls. Place on cookie sheet that has been lined with tin foil. Cover with a clean cloth and let rest 10 minutes.

Bake at 400 for 10 minutes.

Strawberry Pie

2011-05-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

I can't think of summer without thinking of this dessert!!

For the crust, crush 1 package of graham crackers. Combine with 1/4 c melted butter. Push down flat in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

For the second layer, whip up 1 pint whipping cream.
In separate bowl, mix:
8 oz. cream cheese, softenened
1 c powdered sugar
Combine with the whipped cream.

For the top layer, slice up 2 pounds of fresh strawberries. Combine with one container of strawberry glaze (the only brand I've ever found at the store is Marie's).

Refrigerate until ready to serve! This tastes especially good on a hot summer day during a big pool party! :)

Angel Food Raspberry Swirl Cupcakes

2011-03-31T13:53:00.001-07:00

I helped my mother-in-law make these awhile ago and have been thinking about them ever since, so I tracked down the recipe. I love this blog they're from, Get Off Your Butt and Bake

Click over there for more explanation. I'm putting it on here so that I can easily find the recipe again.

INGREDIENTS
FILLING
3 cups raspberries (3/4 pound)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 teaspoons of water
CUPCAKES (...or just use a box recipe)
1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
10 large egg whites (1 1/4 cups), at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 plump vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
GLAZE
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons water
Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS
MAKE THE FILLING: In a medium saucepan, combine 2 1/2 cups of the raspberries with the granulated sugar and cook over moderately high heat, crushing the berries, until very soft and broken down, about 5 minutes. Strain the raspberry puree into a small bowl and discard the seeds. Return the puree to the saucepan. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of raspberries and the dissolved cornstarch and bring to a boil. Cook, gently crushing the berries, until the filling is glossy and thickened, about 3 minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
MEANWHILE, MAKE THE CUPCAKES: Preheat the oven to 325°. Set 18 foil muffin cups on a rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine the cake flour with the confectioners’ sugar. In a large bowl, combine the egg whites with the salt, vanilla seeds and cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the whites are firm and glossy. Sift the flour mixture over the egg whites in 2 additions, folding gently until incorporated.
Spoon the batter into the muffin cups. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, shifting the pan from front to back, until the cupcakes are springy and golden. Transfer the cupcakes to a rack to cool.
Using a wooden skewer, poke a 1/4-inch-wide hole in the top of each of the cupcakes. Using a pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/4-inch tip, pipe about 1 tablespoon of the filling into each cupcake.
MAKE THE GLAZE: In a small bowl, stir together all of the ingredients. Spoon a small bit of the glaze over the raspberry hole and let set, about 5 minutes. Drizzle and spread the remaining glaze over the cupcakes and let set, about 10 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a platter and serve.

2011-02-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

This is the best enchilada recipe (courtesy of one of my favorite Food Network chefs, Tyler Florence). You can adjust the heat by changing the amount of chipotle peppers. I usually add 3 with the seeds and it is perfect for us. Serve with some Spanish rice and/or beans and you've got absolute yumminess!

Chicken Enchiladas

3 Tbls. cooking oil (I use canola)
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. cumin powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Mexican Spice Blend
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 small can diced green chiles
4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced (adjust to your taste preference)
1 28-oz. can stewed tomatoes (I substituted a 14-15 oz. can of tomato sauce)
1/2 tsp. all-purpose flour
Corn tortillas (the original recipe calls for 16, I get about 12 when I make them)
1 large can of enchilada sauce
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
Garnish: Chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, for about 7 minutes per side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder, and Mexican Spice before turning. Remove to a platter and allow to cool.

Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.

Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips and add to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds (I do 4 at a time for about 20 seconds, fill and then continue with another 4 tortillas). This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 13x9-inch pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large, shallow bowl, dip each tortilla into enchilada sauce to lightly coat (I sometimes skip this step to save time). Spoon 1/4 cutp of chicken mixture into each tortilla, roll up and place seam-side down into prepared pans. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes.

Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

Enjoy!

Overnight Caramel French Toast

2010-11-30T13:56:00.000-08:00

I'm storing this recipe here until I have time to try it. Looks yummy, right?
Found on Cooking Light

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

Ingredients

1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup light-colored corn syrup
1/4 cup butter
Cooking spray
10 (1-ounce) slices French bread (soft bread such as Pepperidge Farm)
2 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until mixture is bubbly, stirring constantly. Pour mixture evenly into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Arrange bread slices in a single layer over syrup in dish.

Combine milk and next 4 ingredients (through eggs) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Pour egg mixture over bread slices. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over bread.

Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until golden. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories:: 314 (21% from fat)
Fat:: 7.2g (sat 3.2g,mono 2.8g,poly 0.6g)
Protein:: 6.2g
Carbohydrate:: 57.4g
Fiber:: 1.1g
Cholesterol:: 57mg
Iron:: 1.6mg
Sodium:: 360mg
Calcium:: 128mg

Veggie Sandwich

2010-11-18T08:19:00.001-08:00

1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 sliced red bell peppers
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1 small yellow squash, sliced
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt & Pepper
1 French Baguette
1 pkg Sun Dried Tomato Feta (crumbled)

DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix mayo, garlic & lemon juice. Set aside in refrigerator.
Combine all veggies on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper. Toss to coat.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until tender.
Turn on broiler. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes. Remove from oven.

Slice baguette in half length-wise.

Spread mayo mixture on both sides of bread & top with feta.

Place in broiler for 2-4 minutes.

Top one side of baguette with grilled veggies.

Place other side of baguette on top.

Enjoy!!!

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

2010-11-06T22:58:00.000-07:00

from Our Best Bites

We had a RS activity about meal planning, and this one has been by far the favorite with my family above all the other recipes I've tried from that night.

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough (or make your own)

Marinara/pizza sauce

2 T grated Parmesan cheese

1 T olive oil or melted butter

1/2 t garlic powder
1 t dried Italian seasoning
Mozzarella cheese
Pizza toppings of your choice: ie, ham and pineapple, pepperoni slices, sausage, etc.

Preheat the oven to package directions. Roll out your dough to about 12x8". Cut dough with a pizza slicer to 24 squares. Place desired toppings on each square. (Note that you're not placing the sauce in the dough, it's for dipping afterward.)

Wrap the dough up around the toppings, sealing it so it is all enclosed. Place seam side down in a lightly sprayed pan. Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil or melted butter and then sprinkle with the garlic and Italian seasoning and top with Parmesan cheese.

Cook them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Keep an eye on them! Doughs vary, so I'd check them after even 10 minutes.

Serve warm with warmed marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

These were sooo delicious!

Gooey Caramel Popcorn

2010-11-02T13:33:00.000-07:00

1 c. light Karo syrup
5 T. Butter
8 quarts popped popcorn (approx. 4 bags)
2 1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 can Eagle Brand condensed milk
1/2 tsp. Vanilla

Pop your popcorn and pick out the un-popped kernels. Set aside.

In medium sauce pan combine syrup, butter, brown sugar and condensed milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer a full ten minutes stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Pour over prepared popcorn.

This makes a lot of popcorn, so I divide the popcorn up into a couple different bowls so that I don't make such a big mess when mixing the caramel in. I also use a silicone spatula to mix.

It's delicious!

2010-10-06T20:43:00.001-07:00

Lemon Cream-Sauced Pasta with Asparagus and Squash

2010-10-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

from Better Homes and Gardens

8 ounces dried mafalda or rotini (i used wheat noodles in case you're wondering about the picture)

2 cups asparagus cut into 2 inch pieces

8 baby sunburst squash and/or pattypan squash, halved (4 ounces), or one medium zucchini or yellow summer squash cut into pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon butter or margarine (i used olive oil)

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel

(i also added chicken)

1. cook pasta according to package directions. drain, keep warm.

2 meanwhile, in a large skillet cook asparagus, squash, and garlic in hot butter for 2-3 min or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. remove vegetables from skillet with a slotted spoon; add to pasta.

3. combine whipping cream and lemon peel in skillet; bring to boiling. boil for 2-3 min. or until reduced to 1/3 cup. to serve, pour cream mixture over pasta mixture; stir gently to coat.

makes 4 servings: 256 calories per serving

Sweet and Sour Salad Dressing

2010-09-07T13:42:00.000-07:00

Yum! This dressing is good on green salads with pears, grapes, strawberries, kiwi, pomegranate seed, pecans, blue cheese crumbled on top (or my Grandma and I prefer Feta cheese)

Dressing:
Mix together the following and put in fridge:

2/3 cup oil
6 Tb sugar
2 TB sour cream
2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1/4 C. Rice vinegar

This salad has grapes, strawberries, apples and feta cheese with a little bit of dressing.

Grape Jelly Meatballs

2010-08-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

These are a really easy, yummy appetizer. The best part is they can feed a lot of people with little effort. The ingredients seem weird but taste good together.

2 12 oz jars Heinz chili sauce
1 32 oz jar grape jelly
1 bag meatballs (about 80 in a bag)- I just buy the Costco frozen meatballs

Heat ingredients in a crockpot on low for 6-8 hours, or simmer in a pot on the stove for 3 hours. Serve warm and enjoy!

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

2010-08-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

It has to be a year since I last posted... sorry Jenny!

These are so yummy! I couldn't wait to eat them. They have all my favorite things in them!

1/3 C Cream Cheese
1/4 C salsa verde
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions

2 C shredded cooked chicken
2 C grated pepper jack cheese

small corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add salsa verde, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 tbsp of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place plan in oven and back for 15- 20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

This recipe is from OurBestBites.com

Oreo Truffle Balls

2010-08-25T20:27:00.000-07:00

My friend Sandi gave me one of these the other day to try, and I liked it so much I ran out and bought some Oreos to make my own. We had the missionaries over tonight and they really liked them too. I just made some cake balls a few weeks ago and these were much easier I thought.

1 package Oreo cookies

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

Chocolate chips or melting chocolate

Crush up Oreos in a food processor (or crush them up in a plastic bag with a rolling pin). Mix with cream cheese until its mixed through evenly. Roll into little balls and refrigerate for an hour.

Melt chocolate chips and dip. The way I do it is put chocolate chips in a microwave safe mug (that way it's deep enough for dipping), and microwave on 30% power for 1 1/2 minutes, stir, and repeat until melted. Sometimes I add a teaspoon of shortening to thin out the chocolate some.

To dip I used toothpicks and that worked pretty well.

Place dipped Oreo balls on wax paper and refrigerate. They taste great right out of the fridge.

Oven Fries

2010-06-28T22:01:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe from my friend's cooking blog. I looove this recipe because I love french fries (don't most people?) but I hate buying them and eating so much grease and junk. These are a great alternative!

(I'm posting her recipe, with a couple of my modifications.)

3 russet potatoes (8 oz each), peeled, each potato cut lengthwise into 10-12 evenly sized wedges (I always cut more than 3 potatoes. We really like to eat in my house! :) And I never worry too much about getting them the same size.)
5 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil (don’t substitute olive oil)
Salt and ground black pepper

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat to 475. Place potatoes in large bowl and cover with hot tap water; soak 10 minutes. (Don't be tempted to skip soaking, as this is what will give you the crisp crust and soft innards.) (I usually soak them longer, like 20 minutes, and find them to be even softer this way.) Meanwhile, coat 18 x 12 heavy-duty baking sheet with 4 T oil and sprinkle evening with ¾ t. salt and ¼ t. pepper.

Drain potatoes and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Toss potatoes in dry bowl with 1 T oil. Arrange potatoes in single layer on baking sheet, cover tightly with foil (I just use a cookie sheet) and bake 5 minutes.

Remove foil and continue to bake until bottoms of potatoes are spotty golden brown (15-20 min), rotating the pan in the oven after 10 minutes. Using metal spatula and tongs, flip potatoes to other side, keeping in single layer. Continue baking another 5-15 minutes until fries are golden and crisp, rotating pan as needed for even browning.

Yum yum!

Spinach-Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken

2010-06-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

I volunteered to make dinner again tonight. I love cooking for my family, although sometimes we end up calling for take out! I guess that's part of the wonderful life of experimental cooking!
(I didn't take this picture but it gives you an idea of the final product. Except, my chicken was swimming in bright, delicious tomato sauce.)

Spinach-Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken
Servings: 8

Serve with rice, noodles, or, my personal favorite, sourdough bread!

Ingredients:
18 ounces packaged prewashed fresh spinach
2 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
Ground nutmeg
8 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 family-sized can garlic and herb spaghetti sauce
1 14-15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450°.

To prepare chicken, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add spinach to pan; cook 5 minutes or until spinach begins to wilt, stirring frequently. Drain any excess liquid and finely chop spinach. Place spinach, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and a dash nutmeg; stir well to combine.

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Place 1/4 cup mozzarella mixture in the center of each chicken breast, fold over, and secure with 1-2 toothpicks. Place rolls in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish (I used a slightly larger dish). Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over rolls. Combine spaghetti sause, diced tomatoes, and onion. Pour sauce over chicken and sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Bake at 450° for 25-30 minutes, or until chicken is done (gage with meat thermometer. Poultry is thoroughly cooked once the meat reaches 180° F).

Don't forget to remove toothpicks before you dig in! That would be a nasty surprise..

Fresher Fish Tacos

2010-06-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

What to do when there is a sale on tilapia and you buy 10 pounds of fish? Have a FIESTA!

Fresher Fish Tacos:
4 servings (serving size: 2 tacos)

Fish:
1 1/2 pounds white fish (I prefer tilapia)
Cooking spray
ground cumin
smoked paprika
ground red pepper
chili powder
cajun seasoning
dash of salt and garlic powder

Lime-Cilantro Crema:
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped FRESH cilantro
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced

(If you're looking for a little bit lighter version, use reduced-fat sour cream and mayonnaise!)

Additional Fix-ins!:
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 bag pre-shredded cabbage
Lime wedges
Avocado
Your favorite tomatoe salsa (My favorite can be found at Ridley's. Their fresh made salsa is absolutely devine!!)

Preperation:

To prepare crema, combine ingredients in a small bowl and store in fridge.

To prepare tortillas, heat a large, dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast tortillas one at a time until crisp and slightly charred on each side. Wrap in a cloth napkin to keep warm.

To prepare fish, preheat large skillet. Sprinkle both sides of fish with seasonings. (I never pre-measure the seasoning for my meat or protein, just go with my instinct. If you don't want super spicy fish, ease up on the chili powder, red pepper, and cajun seasoning. Or, make your own mixture!) Coat skillet with cooking spray. Cook fish about 4 minutes on each side until it flakes easily with a fork. Break fish into chunks and place in a bowl. Keep warm.

Top tortillas with golden fish, crunchy cabbage, a dash of crema, zesty salsa, a slice of avocado, and a spritz of lime!

Frosted Banana Cookies

2010-05-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

Yum. These turned out great. Gotta sway from the traditional chocolate chip cookie every once in a while. Recipe from the Land O Lakes website.

Preparation time: 30 min Baking time: 8 min

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Cookie Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 medium (1 cup) ripe bananas, mashed
1 egg
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest (I just used 1 T OJ, but couldn't even taste it)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Glaze Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons half & half or milk
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Grated orange zest, if desired

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine 3/4 cup butter and 3/4 cup brown sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add bananas, egg, orange zest and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat until well mixed.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons brown sugar and half & half. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil (1 to 2 minutes). Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; beat until well mixed; cool slightly.
Frost cooled cookies. Garnish with grated orange zest, if desired.

Cinnamon Rolls

2010-04-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for a really good staple cinn roll recipe for a while - I think I've found it. So far I've had success each time!

3 ½ cups warm water

1 cup oil

¾ cup sugar

5 TBSP yeast

Combine above in large bowl and let rest 15 minutes.

10 ½ cups flour

3 eggs

1 TBSP salt

Mix into yeast mixture 5 cups flour, eggs, and salt with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in by hand the remaining flour. Pour out onto floured board and knead till smooth. Let rest about 15 minutes.

Divide dough in half and roll each half out approximately to 12x30 inches. Melt ½ cup butter and evenly spread out onto rolled out dough (1/4 cup each).

Sprinkle each with a generous amount of cinnamon and about ½ cup sugar. Roll up each half and slice into 20 rolls (40 rolls total).

Place on large cookie sheet (a little larger than a jelly roll pan). Let rise about 20 minutes.

Bake for 10 minutes (or until desired doneness) at 400. Cool for about 5 minutes, then frost with buttercream frosting.

For orange rolls, omit cinnamon and use some grated orange rind instead. When making the frosting, use orange juice instead of milk and add a little orange rind.

Buttercream Frosting:

3 ½ cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup butter

1 TSP vanilla

3-4 TBSP milk (enough to make it spreading consistency)

Beat together with electric mixer until smooth.

Cranberry Chicken

2010-02-05T18:55:00.000-08:00

This is really similar to the Apricot Chicken recipe I posted before, but worth a try if you feel like mixing it up a bit. There are lots of variations to this recipe, but here's the one I used from Favorite Family Recipes:

3-4 chicken breasts
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 pkg. chopped pecans
1 bottle Catalina dressing
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

Place chicken in baking pan. Generously spread cranberry sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle pecans and onion soup mix over chicken. Pour catalina dressing over top. Bake lightly covered with foil at 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes.

I couldn't find whole berry cranberry sauce, so i just used the jellied kind and it was fine. I've seen variations that use French dressing instead of Catalina, and raisins instead of chopped pecans.

S'more Brownies

2010-02-02T10:35:00.000-08:00

from the Food Network.

I went the lazy route and used a brownie mix but they still turned out fine. Just make sure you don't overcook them.

Crust:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch fine salt

Brownie:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
4 large cold eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
Topping:
4 cups large marshmallows
Directions
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.

For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the brownie. Put the butter and chocolate in a medium microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on 75 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir, and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. Alternatively, put the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted. Stir the light brown and white sugars, vanilla and salt into the melted chocolate. Add the eggs and beat vigorously to make a thick and glossy batter. Add the flour and stir until just incorporated.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes. Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.

Layered Mexican Bake

2010-02-02T10:15:00.000-08:00

from Kraft

I found this recipe in their 500 calories or less dinners. I tried a few of them and this was the only one good enough to share.

3/4 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tsp. chili powder
1-1/4 cups TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen corn
3 high-fiber whole wheat tortillas (8 inch)
1/2 cup BREAKSTONE'S Reduced Fat or KNUDSEN Light Sour Cream
3/4 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided
make it!
HEAT oven to 375ºF.

BROWN meat with onions and peppers in large skillet on medium-high heat. Stir in chili powder; cook 1 min. Add salsa and corn; mix well. Simmer 5 min.

SPREAD 1 cup meat sauce onto bottom of 8- or 9-inch square baking dish; top with layers of 1 tortilla, 1/2 cup meat sauce, sour cream and 1/4 cup cheese. Cover with 1 tortilla, 1 cup of remaining meat sauce and 1/4 cup of remaining cheese; top with remaining tortilla and meat sauce. Cover with foil.

BAKE 25 min. or until casserole is heated through. Top with remaining cheese; bake, uncovered, 5 min. or melted.

Pear Walnut Salad

2010-01-17T19:41:00.000-08:00

1 medium bunch arugula or spinach

1 Bosc pear

1/4 c sherry or white wine vinegar

1/3 c olive oil

2 heaping tsp whole grain Dijon mustard

1 shallot, minced

pepper

3/4 c walnuts, halved and toasted

Toss all together and enjoy!!

Mango Chicken

2010-01-17T19:31:00.000-08:00

Wish I had a photo, but trust me that this was delish. If you like mango salsa, then you'll love this!

2-3 T oil

3 mangoes

1 large red bell pepper (or 2 small ones)

1 garlic clove

1" ginger root (or use ground ginger)

1/2 c apple cider vinegar

1/4 c white cooking wine or water

bunch of cilantro, chopped

Saute garlic in oil till lightly browned. Add ginger and cook a little longer. Add mangoes, saute till mashable. Add red pepper. Saute till soft. Reduce heat. Add vinegar and cooking wine/water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add cilantro at end. Serve over grilled chicken and rice.

Southwest Chicken and Sweet Potato Fries

2009-11-10T08:23:00.000-08:00

Grilled Southwest Chicken
Not really a recipe, but I thought I would share I love this marinade for chicken. Just follow the directions on the back of the packet and grill or bake.

Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Supposedly sweet potatoes are better for you than regular potatoes, so I gave this recipe a try last night by Cat Cora. I don't even like sweet potatoes usually but these were good. You just have to get them crispy enough and eat them while they're hot.

Ingredients:Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. dried Italian herb seasoning
Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray.

Spread the sweet potato strips out onto the baking sheet in a single layer, coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and spices, turning them over to evenly coat on all sides with oil and spices.

Bake for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes with spatula. Serve warm.

Crock Pot Sweet Pork

2009-11-05T12:45:00.001-08:00

This recipe is a family favorite...and come to find out (looking in the blog archives)it's a lot like Chelsea's Crock Pot Chicken Tacos, except using Pork

1 pork tenderloin

1 jar Pace Picante (24oz)(mild or medium)

1 cup brown sugar

We usually get our pork at Costco, they come in a 4 pack
While we're at Costco we also grab these tortillas

1) Put pork in crock pot

2) In another bowl mix brown sugar and Picante together

3) Pour mixture over pork

4) turn on high for 4-5 hours

5) Once done shred

We like to do ours Cafe Rio style. We will put the sweet pork in a big flour tortilla, add black beans, cilantro/lime rice, and cheese (we like jalepeno jack, but is good with any kind really). Then roll that sucker up and enjoy!!!

To make cilantro lime rice, just add chopped cilantro and lime juice once the rice is done cooking. Easy peasy!!!

Taco Soup

2009-11-03T13:15:00.001-08:00

This recipe is SO easy because it is mostly canned! ;) And it makes a TON

1 lb ground beef

1 large onion chopped

1 can pinto beans (undrained)

1 can black beans (undrained)

1 can red beans (undrained)

1 can corn (undrained)

1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)

1 can Rotel spicy tomatoes

2 small cans chopped green chili

1 package taco seasoning mix

1 1/2 cup water

1 bag Fritos

Shredded cheddar cheese

Cook meat & onions in large pot, drain fat. Stir in everything except Fritos and cheese. Bring to boil and let simmer for 15 minutes uncovered. Serve in bowl and top with Frito's and cheese.

Funi Salad

2009-11-03T12:49:00.001-08:00

I know this sounds a bit weird, but I promise....it is SO good!!

(i usually half the recipe and it still makes a lot)

2 small heads cabbage (1 purple and 1 green)

8 green onions

8 Tbs sesame seeds - toasted

8 Tbs sliced almonds - toasted

2 packages top ramen noodles - broken up a wee bit

1 bell pepper - chopped

Dressing:

4 Tbs sugar

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1 cup oil

6 Tbs rice vinegar

Pour dressing on right before serving

okay, okay....here are some dang recipes :)

2009-10-22T14:07:00.001-07:00

So...this is for you Robyn...I'm actually really embarrassed that I am putting these on this blog because I don't really consider them recipes when they are soooo easy and only have a few ingredients....anyway, here they are for what they are worth.

Sorry...no pictures...I wasn't even going to attempt it!

Cheese Enchiladas

Green enchilada sauce
Lots of shredded cheddar cheese
Flour tortillas (as many as you need for however many enchiladas you are going to make)
Preheat oven to about 300 degrees

So.....completely immerse the tortillas in the green enchilada sauce (I usually pour the sauce into a pie pan for an easier dipping process) and then roll up a whole lot of cheese inside the now dripping tortilla and then place in glass Pyrex cooking dish. Complete this process again and again until you are satisfied with how many enchiladas you want. I usually cram a whole bunch in there. Then, take remaining cheese and spread on top of enchiladas and pour more enchilada sauce on top. Cover with tinfoil and bake on low for about an hour and then remove tinfoil and continue baking (you can turn the oven higher at this point if you want to speed up the process) until it gets a bit crusty on top (maybe 30 more minutes or so). Enjoy!!!

Easy Crock pot Chicken (found this recipe at AllRecipes.com)

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
8 chicken breasts (uncooked and lightly seasoned with a bit of garlic salt and onion salt)
Sour cream (if so desired)

Just FYI, I lighten this meal up by using the low fat or fat-free soup and sour cream.

So.....put the chicken in the crock pot, add the three different cans of soup (try to mix the soup together a bit) and cook on low pretty much all day (6-8 hours). At the end you can mix in 1 cup of sour cream (still really good without it and probably better for you). Eat this over rice, veggies, or pasta. Sometimes I will also saute a few mushrooms at the very end and add them at the same time as the sour cream.

Oh and sometimes, I use the left over chicken and sauce and add them to the aforementioned enchiladas just to spice it up a bit. It is very delicious!

Brownies (with carrot & spinach)

2009-10-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from the "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook

***Dont' serve the brownies warm - it's not until they're completely cool that the spinach flavor totally disappears***

Nonstick cooking spray

3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate

1/2 cup carrot puree (can use baby food)

1/2 cup spinach puree (can use baby food)

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tbs trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large egg whites

3/4 cup oat flour; or all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray

2) Melt the chocolate in a double broiler or over a very low flame

3) In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate, vegetable purees, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.

4) Whisk in egg whites. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon.

5) Pour the batter into the pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 bars.

***These brownies are low in calories (only 133 per brownie) and saturated fat. They're also packed with 3 grams of fiber, while spinach and carrots provide two powerful antioxidants that help your kids' eyes stay healthy!***

Here are some tips on how to prepare and puree the spinach and carrots. You could also use baby food.

Potato & Onion Chowder

2009-10-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

Its soup season!! My favorite!! I made this twice last week and each time forgot to take a pic. I'm sure I'll be making it again soon and will upload a pic then.

1 cup diced onions

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

2 Tbsp butter

1 can (about 14oz) condensed chicken broth

1 tsp. salt

Dash of pepper

2 cups cubed potatoes (i usually put in a little more, whatever 2 large potatoes give me)

1 1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup light cream

1 tsp. chopped parsley (I will use dry parsley sometimes, still tastes good)

Saute onions & celery in butter until transparent, but not browned. Add chicken broth, salt, pepper, and potatoes. Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and boil gently until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add milk, light cream, and parsley. Heat thoroughly. Makes about 4-5 servings.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-10-04T15:42:00.001-07:00

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

3 Cups Flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

3/4 tsp Salt

3/4 tsp Nutmeg

3/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp Ginger

(1) 15oz can of Pumpkin

1/2 Cup Oil

1 Egg

2 1/2 Cups Chocolate Chips

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl

2. Combine all wet ingredients in a different bowl

3. Combine all

4. Add Chocolate Chips

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes; makes a lot!! over 3 doz.

6. ENJOY!!

Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie

2009-09-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

I just made the best smoothie and I have to write down what I put in it before I forget. Give it a try!

(all of the measurements are very approximate...)

8 ice cubes
1 Yoplait lemon burst yogurt
4-5 large frozen Costco strawberries
1/8 cup Country Time pink lemonade mix
1 cup water

Blend and enjoy. Mmmm.

Tomato and Spinach Pasta Toss

2009-09-09T18:18:00.001-07:00

from Kraft Foods

This was really good and easy so I had to share! To make it a little healthier I used whole wheat pasta, and instead of italian sausage I used those Jimmy Deans turkey sausage links that are pre-cooked. I just heated them up on the skillet then chopped them up in little pieces.

2 cups rotini or penne pasta, uncooked
1/2 lb. hot or mild Italian sausage, casing removed
1 pkg. (6 oz.) baby spinach leaves (7 cups)
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

COOK pasta as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, crumble meat into large deep skillet. Cook on medium-high heat 10 to 12 min. or until cooked through, stirring occasionally; drain. Add spinach and tomatoes; cook 2 min. or until spinach is wilted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.

DRAIN pasta. Add to skillet along with the cheeses; toss lightly.

Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cookies

2009-09-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

This was my grandmother's recipe and the cookies are a huge hit in my family. For more of a turtle cookie, add some chopped pecans to the dough batter. Yummy!

CARAMEL-FILLED CHOCOLATE COOKIES
1 c. sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. butter
2 t. vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 t. baking soda
48 Rolos
1 T. sugar

Combine 1 c. sugar, brown sugar and butter. Add vanilla and eggs, mix well. Combine in small bowl, flour, cocoa and baking soda, mix well. Add to sugar mixture, mix well. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Heat oven to 375. With floured hands shape 1 T. of dough around 1 Rolo candy, covering the candy completely. Roll in sugar. Bake 7-10 minutes or until slightly cracked.

Cafe Rio Lime Rice

2009-09-03T06:46:00.000-07:00

I found this online. I tried it. I was taken back to Provo.

Seriously almost an exact recipe, and SO yummy and easy!

4 T butter

2 1/2 C rice

4 1/2 C chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp salt

juice from for limes or 4 T lime juice

4 T chopped cilantro

1/2 tsp cumin

Dump in rice cooker until done.

Petite Watermelons

2009-07-30T14:28:00.001-07:00

Petite Watermelons

2 limes

1 small box of red Jello

mini chocolate chips

Cut both limes in half lengthwise. Scoop out all the fruit with a spoon. Place the limes in a muffin tin to keep them from tipping over. Make the box of Jello according to the Jiggler directions. Carefully spoon Jello into the limes halves. Chill until almost firm. Using a skewer push the mini chocolate chips into the Jello for "watermelon seeds." Chill until until firm, then cut into slices.
(Got this cute idea from: Chocolate on My Cranium)

Fast Easy Artichoke Dip

2009-07-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

Artichoke Dip

by Monette Magleby

1/2 cup Mayo

1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese

1 can chopped green chillies (4 oz.)

1 can artichoke hearts (not marinated) quartered, drained

Mix, cook for 20 minutes at 350 deg. I double this recipe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Artichoke Dip

by Mimi Chipman

2 (8oz.) pkgs. cream cheese

1/2 cup mayo

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 T. garlic powder

1 T. white pepper or pinch of black

1 T. dill weed

salt to taste

2 cans artichoke hearts, quartered, drained

Let cream cheese come to room temperature. Combine all ingredients. Bake in shallow dish @400 deg. until golden brown on top.

~serve with pita chips or tortilla chips, both are good, just depends on what mood your in!

bread tips

2009-07-30T11:53:00.000-07:00

Click on Pictures to Enlarge - These are from 'The America's Test Kitchen' cook book also

hmm, that was too easy. maybe i will just start scanning in my recipe's, then it wont take as long and there will be better pictures

American Sandwich Bread

2009-07-28T17:53:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from 'The America's Test Kitchen' cookbook (this a condensed version)

1) Mix dry ingredients together in bowl:
3 1/2 c flour (substitute 1 c wheat flour if desire)
2 t salt
1 pkg dry active yeast

2) Heat liquids to about 110 degrees F: (using warm milk and water is key for proper rising time. If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast, and it is too cold, the dough will take much longer to rise)
1 c milk
1/4 c water
3 T melted butter
3 T honey

3) Pour liquids into dry ingredients and mix on low for about 1 minute and then on medium-low for about 10 minutes (I mix for a bit less if using wheat flour).

4) Remove dough and knead by hand for 1 minute and then put dough into a greased bowl (make sure you cover bowl with saran wrap) and let rise about
1 1/2 hours (or until doubled in size).

5) Remove dough and knead by hand for 1 minute. Form dough into desired shape and place in bread pan to let rise for another 45 min - 1 hr. Again, keep covered in saran wrap. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place small pan of boiling water in oven and keep it there while bread is baking.

6) Spread top of dough with 1 T melted butter and then place in oven to bake for about 40 min. or until golden brown on top (sometimes I take it out a bit earlier).

7) Wait for it to cool to cut (or not) and enjoy!

Pizza Possibilities

2009-07-20T15:49:00.001-07:00

We have an obsession with making pizza at our house. It's just so quick and easy - and a classic, everyone-loves-it dish! But, even classics need a little shake up. My friend gave me a list from a ward cookbook of some uncommon, but appealing toppings that I wanted to share. Here are the ones that sounded the best to me:

Ham, pineapple, dried cherries, Mozzarella

Asparagus, broccoli, summer squash, peas, Mozzarella, white Cheddar, tomatoes

Avocado, Parmesan, tomato, sweet onion

Barbecued chicken, Mozzarella, smoked Gouda, sweet red onion, cilantro

Bacon, tomato, lettuce

Refried beans, shredded or ground beef, green chilies, salsa, cilantro, olives

Onions, cheese

Ham, peas, tomatoes, Mozzarella

Chicken, sweet onions, mushrooms, walnuts, Gorgonzola cheese

Artichoke hearts, cooled spinach, mild onion, tomatoes, Ricotta cheese, Mozzarella

Smoked salmon, sour cream, dill, onion

Bratwurst, onion, apple, Cheddar, Mozzarella (no sauce)

Foil Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner

2009-07-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

From Kraft Foods

Super easy meal you can throw together ahead of time and refrigerate.

1-1/2 cups instant white rice, uncooked
1-1/2 cups hot water
1 Tbsp. TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1 each green and red pepper, cut into strips
1/2 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
1/2 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Finely Shredded Taco Cheese

HEAT oven to 400ºF.

FOLD up all sides of each of 4 large sheets of heavy-duty foil to form 1-inch rim; spray with cooking spray. Combine rice, water and taco seasoning; spoon onto foil. Top with remaining ingredients.

BRING up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal each packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Place in 15x10x1-inch pan.

BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Let stand 5 min. Cut slits in foil to release steam before opening packets.

Rice with Summer Squash

2009-07-13T12:12:00.000-07:00

from Healthy Cooking

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/3 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium yellow summer squash, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped

Directions:

In a saucepan coated with cooking spray, cook carrots and onion in butter until tender. Stir in the broth, rice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 13 minutes.

Stir in the yellow squash and zucchini. Cover and simmer 6-10 minutes longer or until rice and vegetables are tender. Yield: 4 servings.

Chicken Fried Rice

2009-07-08T19:24:00.000-07:00

1 cup diced cooked chicken

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 cup uncooked rice

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup oil

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1/4 cup thinly sliced celery

2 slightly beaten eggs

1 cup finely shredded lettuce

Combine chicken, soy sauce and salt. Cook rice in hot oil over medium heat until golden brown. Reduce heat, add chicken mixture to rice and add broth. Simmer, covered for 20-25 minutes. Remove cover the last few minutes and stir in onion, green pepper and celery. Cook uncovered over medium heat until liquid is absorbed. Push rice mixture to sides, add eggs in middle and cook until almost set, then blend into rice. Stir in lettuce and serve with soy sauce.

Star Spangled Fruit Tart

2009-07-03T21:18:00.000-07:00

From Taste of Home

Here's what I am going to make for our BBQs tomorrow. I might make them individual sized though, I haven't decided. Anyways it looks like a pretty easy yummy idea so I thought I'd share. Have a happy 4th!

Ingredients:
1 tube (18 ounces) refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup halved fresh strawberries

Directions:
Press cookie dough onto an ungreased 12-in. pizza pan. Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and extract until smooth. Spread over crust. In center of tart, arrange berries in the shape of a star; add a berry border. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 16 servings.

Lettuce Wraps

2009-06-23T12:14:00.000-07:00

1/2 lb. ground chicken or turkey (I have always used ground turkey and it is fabulous!)

1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce (found in the Asian aisle)

2 tsp. brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. soy sauce

5 - 10 drops red pepper sauce (Tabasco)

2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

1 head iceberg lettuce, separated into lettuce cups

In a large skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, saute chicken/turkey over medium heat until no longer pink. Pour into dish; set aside. Rinse pan; spray with nonstick cooking spray. Saute bell pepper, onion, garlic and ginger for 2 minutes. Add meat. In a bowl, blend lemon juice, hoisin sauce, sugar, oil, soy sauce and pepper sauce. Pour into pan; stir to coat chicken/turkey. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring until sauce is absorbed, about 4 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Serve with lettuce cups. (optional, rice)

Chinese Chicken Salad

2009-06-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

There's nothing really special about this, but its really easy and delicious.

1 head romaine lettuce

1 can chicken (i get mine from costco)

1 can mandarin oranges

1 package top roman noodles

green onion (i use about 4-5)

Chinese chicken salad dressing (my favorite is Girards)
Wash and cut up the romaine lettuce, dump the can of drained shredded chicken in, dump the can of drained mandarine oranges in, cut up the green onions, smash the noodles then toast on the stove top (wait till they are cool to dump in), mix all together and add dressing. Voila! Your done!

Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

2009-05-30T18:33:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 cups elbow pasta, cooked until almost al dente (it should still be a little hard, because it'll soften up when it's baked and you don't want to end up with mushy noodles)
16 ounces Cheddar cheese, 1/2 cubed, 1/2 shredded
8 ounces Monterey pepper jack cheese, cubed
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you want it)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
4 slices bread
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss together pasta with the cheese cubes and pour into the baking dish.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, nutmeg and sour cream, egg, heavy cream and half-and-half. Pour over the pasta and cover with shredded Cheddar. Bake uncovered until top is just beginning to brown, about 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the bread into crouton-sized squares. In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter, add cubes and toast until golden.

Sprinkle the bread cubes on top of the macaroni and cheese and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes more.

Garlic Butter

2009-05-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

I saw the 'go-to' question and will try to answer it, but in the meantime I wanted to post this recipe.

Last night we had a BBQ with some friends, we grilled Lemon-Rosemary Chicken and corn in their husks, then slathered this garlic butter on top of the corn. Soooo good.

Garlic Butter

2 sticks butter

8 cloves garlic

1/4 serrano chile, deseeded and finely chopped (if you're not familiar with these, like I was, they're in the produce section, and cost like nothing)

1/4 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped

salt and pepper

dash chili powder

Combine all in food processor or blender. Tastes great on corn or garlic bread. It makes a lot so I cut it in half.

Ribbon Ice Cream Pie

2009-05-26T15:43:00.000-07:00

from Woman's Day.

The combinations you could try are endless. Yum.

Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 ready-to-fill chocolate cookie crust
1 pint reduced-fat Dutch chocolate ice cream
1 pint strawberry ice cream
1/4 cup fudge sauce
Garnish: strawberries

PREPARATION

Place 1 pint vanilla ice cream in large bowl; stir until smooth but not melted. Spread into bottom of a ready-to-fill chocolate cookie crust. Freeze 30 minutes until just firm. Repeat as above with 1 pint reduced-fat Dutch chocolate ice cream, then 1 pint strawberry ice cream. Cover and freeze until firm. Before serving, slightly warm 1/4 cup fudge sauce in microwave. Drizzle over pie; garnish with strawberries.

Lewis Family 'go to' Meal

2009-05-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

Speedy Asian Stir Fry

1 cup Kraft Asian Sesame dressing
Angel hair pasta
2 chicken breast, chopped or sliced
1 cup broccoli
1/2 tsp of each: Red pepper flakes, ginger, garlic powder
1 Tbs soy sauce

Cook Angel hair pasta according to package directions, add chopped broccoli for the last 3 min of cooking time.

Meanwhile in a saucepan use cooking spray and cook chicken through. Then add remaining ingredients. Let simmer for a minuet, then toss in pasta and broccoli mixture.... YUMMO and oh so easy PEAsy! You could add other veggi's if they cook quickly like broccoli, I have also made with sliced beef. You can add more or less red pepper flakes depending on how spicy you like your food!

Cheesy Beef Stroganoff

2009-05-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

A cheap, easy dinner from Kraft Foods.

I didn't actually do the Velveeta cheese; I just threw in a little bit of shredded cheese I had in the fridge.

1 lb. ground beef
2 cups water
3 cups medium egg noodles, uncooked
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 tsp. black pepper

BROWN meat in large skillet; drain.

STIR in water; bring to boil. Stir in noodles; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 8 min. or until noodles are tender.

ADD VELVEETA, soup and pepper; cook until VELVEETA is melted, stirring frequently.

Your "Go To" Meal

2009-05-12T15:06:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd throw a question out there today:

What is your "go to" meal when you are taking in dinner to someone?

-and/or-

What is your "go to" meal when you are busy and don't have much time to cook?

Please share. I'm looking for some new ideas.

Sicilian Pizza

2009-05-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

Tim makes fun of me a lot for having an authentic Sicilian family and never actually cooking Italian food, so for his last birthday I folded and made my dad's pizza. I'll do my best to give his cooking instructions, which often sound like, "Just a little of this, not too much" with never giving an exact amount.

Ingredients

Refrigerated pizza dough (you can get this from any quality Italian market - it comes in a bag with just the right amount for one pizza, or you can use frozen bread dough, but you need to let the dough thaw out on your counter overnight after you rub it with some olive oil and cover it with saran wrap, one loaf = one pizza)
1 Italian sausage link (since you can use such a small amount, I recommend you go for the good stuff and get a link from the deli, or an Italian market)
Pizza sauce (again, quality is key here, don't go cheap)
Grated Romano cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese
mushrooms, bell peppers, olives, whatever else you like on your pizza
sliced green onions, sounds weird, but it's good
dried oregano

Directions

If you're using the refrigerated dough, you need to set the dough out and let it rise and get to room temperature. It won't rise a ton, but it will rise. As my dad says, "You want it to get warm, but not too warm." Basically, you want it at room temp. Leave it out for an hour or so.
I make pizza on the Silpat, which I highly recommend. Some people use the pizza stone. The nice thing about the Silpat is it's non-stick, so you'll have to figure out a way to make whatever you're using a non-stick surface. Some olive oil and cornstarch should do the trick on a cookie sheet.
Put about a teaspoon of olive oil on the dough to help work it out. I don't roll mine, I just push it out with my fingers. Dad says, "Not too thin, not too thick." If you're using a cookie sheet it will probably go to just about the edges of the sheet. You can make the crust as thick or thin as you want.
Sprinkle oregano on dough, then press it in. Dad says this is the most important part.
Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce over the dough.
Cut the skin off of the sausage and put very small pieces of sausage all over the dough. Make sure the pieces are small so they'll cook through.
Add your toppings however you want. The cheeses are probably the most important, you can just do parmesan but I like the Romano as well.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

I probably made it sound more complicated then necessary, but once you get it down it's super quick and tasty. One pizza serves about 3 people, if we're being realistic.

Australian Pavlova

2009-05-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

4 egg whites
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pint heavy cream
6 kiwi, peeled and sliced

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw a 9 inch circle on the parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gradually add in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until thick and glossy. Overbeaten egg whites lose volume and deflate when folded into other ingredients. Be absolutely sure not a particle of grease or egg yolk gets into the whites. Gently fold in vanilla extract, lemon juice and cornstarch.
Spoon mixture inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper. Working from the center, spread mixture toward the outside edge, building edge slightly. This should leave a slight depression in the center.
Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack.
Remove the paper, and place meringue on a flat serving plate. Fill the center of the meringue with whipped cream, sweetened if desired. Top whipped cream with kiwifruit slices.

Tim made this for me for Mother's Day, and it was amazing. He used less kiwi and food processed some strawberries and kiwi (lightly so they didn't turn into soup) and added raspberries. We have one of these amazing things called a Silpat - we love them, they're $25 from Williams-Sonoma but worth it. He eyeballed the circle and baked the meringue on the Silpat with a little cornstarch underneath.

coconut Buttermilk syrup

2009-05-07T20:51:00.000-07:00

I don't have the recipe yet... but I tried it last night and about died! It was SO yummy on waffles with whipped cream and strawberries! Mmmm... dreaming about it!

I will bless you with this recipe when I get it. :)

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins

2009-04-29T21:03:00.000-07:00

I loooove recipes that are easy and taste great the first time around. These were just that, and my husband and I loved how they turned out.

Recipe taken from thegoodapple.blogspot.com.

2 cups oats
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup melted butter or oil
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

In a bowl, soak the oats in buttermilk for 15 minutes. Stir in eggs, sugars, and butter (or oil). In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into oat mixture just until moistened. (don't over mix) Fill paper lined muffin cups 1/2 to 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

I used all white whole wheat flour instead of half white/half wheat, and they were great. I also used the substitution for buttermilk of adding lemon juice to the milk.

Annie's Eats

2009-04-28T15:40:00.001-07:00

I stumbled across this cute little blog, Annie's Eats, that has some delicious looking desserts. I didn't even check out the other recipes because I was too busy drooling over these yummy looking creations. Let me know if you try any of the recipes out (or better yet, bring some over to share)!

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Recipe Here

Oatmeal Raisin Sandwich Cookies

Recipe Here

Peanut Butter Cup Surprise Cookies

Recipe Here

Black and White Rice Krispies

Recipe Here

Veggie Stuffed Twice Baked Potato Boats

2009-04-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

Here's a little bit healthier take on twice baked potatoes. i simplified it down some and just used frozen veggies and they were still pretty yummy. I think you are probably supposed to cut them the other direction, but I was feeling creative. I think they look like cute little potato cupcakes :)

Recipe by Cat Cora

found on Oprah.com/recipe/food
Ingredients:Serves 4

4 well-cleaned potatoes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup grated low-fat cheese , such as sharp cheddar or Parmesan
1 tsp. Italian herb seasoning
1/2 cup frozen broccoli florets
1/2 cup shelled frozen peas , thawed
1/2 cup sliced frozen carrots , thawed
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
2 Tbsp. chopped olives
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 slices turkey bacon , cooked until crispy and crumbled
Preheat oven to 350°. Bake the potatoes for 1 hour. Remove and let cool until able to handle. Cut each in half and scoop out the insides to create "boats."

In a large bowl, mix the insides of the potatoes with the butter or olive oil, grated cheese and herbs, and stir until combined. Stir in all veggies, season to taste with salt and pepper and scoop mixture back into each potato half.

Pop back into oven and cook for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is fully melted. Top with salsa or crumbled turkey bacon if desired, or enjoy straight from oven, serving 2 potato boats per person.

BBQ Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

2009-04-22T22:03:00.001-07:00

I think this one came from favorite family recipes (link on side) but i can't remember for sure. Next time I would add some of those thin tortilla chip strips to make it more like CPK's version.

3 cups thinly sliced green leaf lettuce
1 cup corn
1 cup black beans
8 grape tomatoes, halved
1 cooked grilled chicken breast
1 cup favorite BBQ sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup prepared ranch dressing
1 heaping tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro leaves

Place lettuce into a salad bowl. Layer with corn, black beans, and tomatoes. Dice cooked chicken breast and mix with BBQ sauce. Top over salad and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Place ranch dressing and cilantro leaves into a small bowl to combine. Drizzle over salad and serve.

**This recipe is for 1 large serving, double accordingly**

Argentine Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

2009-04-22T21:54:00.000-07:00

from Viking Home Chefs

Serves 4

1 (packed) cup fresh cilantro
1/4 (packed) cup fresh oregano
1 (packed) cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup red wine vinegar, or to taste
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 (1 1/4 pound) skirt steak

1. Combine the herbs, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in the work bowl of a food processor; pulse to combine. With the motor running, add the vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil, and process to make a thick, pureed sauce with some texture. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed with salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and vinegar. The chimichurri should be highly seasoned.*

2. Place the skirt steak in a large, plastic ziplock bag, and pour in about one-third cup of the chimichurri. (Note: reserve the remaining chimichurri to use as sauce). Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight, turning occasionally.
3. Remove the steak from the marinade, and discard. Shake off the excess, then pat dry with paper towel; allow to come to room temperature for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the grill to medium-high. Clean the grates with a stiff brush, then oil liberally to prevent sticking. (Note: to use a grill pan, preheat an oiled grill pan to medium high heat).

5. Using tongs, place the steak onto the hot oiled grill and cook for about 2 minutes. Without turning the steak, rotate it 90 degrees and continue cooking until the meat is seared and crusty on the outside, about 1 to 2 minutes more; this will produce beautiful cross-hatch grill marks. Flip the steak over and repeat the process for the second side. For best results, cook to medium-rare (knternal temperature 130 to 135 degrees)

6. Transfer the steak to a clean cutting board, and tent loosely with aluminum foil; set aside to rest for at least 5 to 10 minutes. when ready to serve, slice the steak across the grain on the diagonal into thin slices. Spoon some of the reserved Chimichurri sauce across the middle of the steak slices, and serve immediately.

Argentine Empanada Dough

2009-04-22T21:45:00.000-07:00

from Viking Home Chefs

This recipe makes 12 (5 inch) shells. The empanada filling makes enough for 24 shells so plan accordingly.

2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, frozen, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 stick chilled unsalted butter (8 tablespoons), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/3 to 1/2 cup ice water*

1. place the flour and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade attachment. Pulse a few times to combine. Remove the top of the processor and scatter the pieces of shortening and butter over the flour mixture. Being very careful to avoid the blade of the processor, use a fork to toss the cubes to coat them lightly with the flour mixture. Replace the top of the processor and pulse 12 to 15 times, holding each pulse for one second. The mixture should resemble a coarse meal with some pea-size butter lumps.

2. Add 1/3 cup water and pulse 2 to 3 times. Pinch a small amount of the dough with your fingers to see that it holds together. If the dough does not hold together, add more water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until incorporated; then test the mixture again. (Note: the mixture will be in particles and will not hold together without being pressed together)

3. Turn the dough out onto a silicone mat, and divide into two equal portions. Place half of the dough mixture on a large square of plastic wrap; pull up the sides of the plastic wrap and twist, forcing the dough together. With the heels of your hands press the mixture together until the dough forms one piece. Flatten into a disk and wrap well in plastic wrap; repeat with the remaining dough. Refrigerate the dough disks until firm, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

4. Before rolling out, remove the disks from the refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes to soften.

* Add ice to a measuring cup of water, and set aside. When you are ready to add water to the recipe, strain and measure the amount needed.

Make It Ahead: The dough can be tightly covered with plastic wrap, placed in a freezer ziplock bag, and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough completely in the fridge overnight. Never defrost pie dough in a microwave.

Argentine Empanada Filling

2009-04-22T21:27:00.001-07:00

This is from a Viking Home Chef class we went to. I am posting this mainly for myself so I don't lose the recipe. It's a lot of work but quite tasty!

1/2 pound ground chuck (no less than 20 percent fat)
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium white or yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, stem, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 3/4 tsp. each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup currants (or raisins), rehydrated*
1 1/2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 green onions, green tops only, very finely sliced
1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, finely chopped
3 hard boiled eggs, finely chopped
1 recipe Empanada Dough (or purchase pre-made empanada shells)**

1. In a large saute pan, cook the beef over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a bowl and set aside until needed. (Note: do not remove the drippings from the pan!)

2. Place the same pan with the beef drippings back over medium-high heat; add the oil, and heat through. Stir in the onions, cook until soft and translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the bell pepper and cook until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and cook 1 minute more.

3. Add the water, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the beef back to the pain; stir in the currants, vinegar, parsley, green onions, olives, and boiled eggs. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed with salt and pepper (Note: the filling should be extremely flavorful- almost over the top, as the pastry will minimize the filling flavors). Set aside to cool completely before stuffing the empanadas.

4. On a silicone mat, roll one dough disk into a circle that is about 1/8 inch thick. Using a 5-inch round cutter, cut out as many circles as is possible without overlapping. Place a couple of sheets of parchment paper on your work surface, and transfer the dough circles to the parchment in a single even layer; do not allow the circles to touch, or they might stick. Re-roll the scrap dough, and cut out more circles- placing on the parchment as you make them. Repeat with the remaining dough until all of the empanada shells are formed. (Note: if not using immediately, cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to stuff. If using pre-made empanada shells, skip step 4 and move on to step 5).

5. Place a heaping tablespoonful of filling in the center of each circle, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the filling. Moisten the border with a finger dipped in warm water. Fold the empanada in half to make a turnover, then firmly press the edges together to seal. Crimp in 1/4 inch sections with your thumb and forefinger, folding the dough back over itself each time to form a rope-like pattern around the edges. Preheat oven to 400.

6. Place the empanadas on an oiled baking sheet at least 2 inches apart, and cook until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately. (Note: these are delicious served with chimichurri sauce!)

*Cover the currants (or raisins) with simmering water; allow to stand until plump and moist, about 10 to 20 minutes. Drain well, then proceed with recipe.

**Purchase empanada shells at your local Spanish or South American market. The preferred brand is Blancaflor Empanada Shells/Flaky Oven Dough, which provides an incredibly flaky, tender product. Some other brands we tested baked to a hard, dry consistency.

Make it ahead: The filling may be made up to 3 days in advance and stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator until needed. Or, the filling may be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and drain well before using.

Cake Batter Cookies- So Many Options!

2009-04-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

So these aren't anything fancy, but when it's 8 or 9:00 and I'm ready to watch American Idol with a yummy treat this is a quick option that hits the spot. And if you stock up on cake mixes when they are on sale for 88 cents at the store it's a cheap way to go. Although this might be where the extra pregnancy pounds are coming from...

So you can use any cake batter to make a cookie using the general recipe of

1 cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil

Then pop 'em in the oven at 350 for about 9 minutes.

I mainly use devils food cake mix but I've also tried yellow cake mix and funfetti. Then I like to get creative with marshmallows on top, different frostings, roll them in sugar or powdered sugar, candy rolled inside (this is the base recipe for Rolo cookies), or last week I threw some extra chocolate chip cookie dough in.

Yum Yum Banana Bread

2009-04-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

This one comes from Chris's side of the family. I was never a big banana bread person until I tried my mother-in-law's, it's so moist and tasty!

1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 ripe bananas

Stir flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Beat the sugar and shortening. Add eggs one at a time. Add milk. Add flour and banana alternately. Grease pan. Bake at 350 for 60-65 minutes (mine usually is done after 45 minutes).

Chicken Pizzettes With Vegetables

2009-04-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't say these are like, the best things I've ever had in my life, but they were pretty good for a really quick and easy, semi-nutritious, kid friendly lunch or dinner. The husband thought they'd be better with salsa or a different sauce...you could play around with it.

Recipe created by Robin Miller
Found on Oprah.com

Ingredients:Serves 4

1 package chicken nuggets or tenders
4 whole wheat flour tortillas , taco size
3/4 cup prepared pizza sauce or pasta sauce , regular or reduced sodium
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups mixed, chopped vegetables, such as broccoli florets and mushrooms and bell peppers and onions and zucchini and pitted olives and baby spinach leaves
4 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried oregano , optional
Preheat the oven to 400º. Arrange chicken nuggets on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes.

Remove chicken nuggets from the oven and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.

Arrange tortillas on a flat surface. Top each tortilla with 3 tablespoons of the pizza sauce.

Top the sauce with mozzarella cheese (1/4 cup per tortilla). Top the cheese with the chicken nugget pieces and any combination of vegetables.

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and oregano (if using) over top.

Transfer pizzettes to baking sheets and bake 5 to 7 minutes, until cheese melts and tortilla is golden brown.

Poppyseed Bundt Cake

2009-03-28T00:00:00.001-07:00

My roommate would make this all the time, and I would eat like half of it each time. I'm sure she loved that. I'm so glad to finally get the recipe so I can make it myself now.

Mix together:
4 eggs
1 c plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 small box instant vanilla pudding

Add:
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 c water
1/3 c poppyseeds

Pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until top is golden. Cool completely before removing from the pan. Recommended that you then allow it to sit 15 minutes before cutting.

Toasted Marshmallow Shake

2009-03-16T14:38:00.001-07:00

i have been having fun browsing around the recipes on Oprah.com (link below). As luck would have it i have all these ingredients handy today...

Recipe created by chef Spike Mendelsohn, owner of Good Stuff Eatery in Washington, D.C.
Found on Oprah.com

Photo: Good Stuff Eatery

End your night on a sweet note with chef Spike Mendelsohn's creamy marshmallow milkshake. As the owner of Good Stuff Eatery in Washington, D.C., Spike created this dessert in celebration of the 2009 inauguration.

Ingredients:Serves 4

1 bag jumbo marshmallows
2 cups milk
1 Tbsp. sour cream
2 cups creamy vanilla ice cream

On a medium-size cookie sheet, place 1/2 bag of marshmallows in a row.
Place under your burner in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, until completely charred.
Take out of oven and let cool.
Repeat this step but only let the marshmallows toast, so they are slightly burnt.
Take out of oven and let cool.

In a blender, pour milk, sour cream, ice cream and charred marshmallows.
Mix for 5 minutes.

Pour in a large glass and top with 2 to 3 toasted marshmallows.

French Dip Sandwiches with Au Jus

2009-02-16T14:14:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on Favorite Family Recipes.

Her picture's prettier but I like to show you what an average cook's version looks like, complete with ghetto paper plate.

I should warn you there is nothing healthy about this recipe, but I've been having crazy meat cravings lately and this did the trick.

2-3 Lbs. oven roast
2 cans beef broth (about 4 cups)
2 pkgs Lipton Onion Soup mix
French hoagie or sub rolls (whatever bread you like to do)
Swiss cheese slices

Put oven roast in a crock pot. Add beef broth and soup mix. Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours. Shred roast with a fork, then return the shredded beef to the crock pot for a few more minutes (to absorb more of that juicy goodness). Slice open the bread and place a good amount of beef on one side (scoop out some of the bread first if you don't like it really bread-y). Place a slice or two of Swiss cheese over the shredded beef and broil for a minute or so until cheese starts to bubble and brown a little. Remove from broiler and serve. Use a ladle to scoop out some of the juice from the crock pot and serve as au jus.

Apple Crisp

2009-02-16T14:12:00.001-08:00

Another variation to the apple pie is an apple crisp. This is quicker and easier, or if you have leftover apples from your apple pie you can make one of these for someone.

4 cups sliced apples

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

7 Tbsp. butter or margarine

3/4 cup flour

Combine apples, water and cinnamon in baking dish, 8x8x2.'' Mix flour, sugar, and butter to crumble stage. Cover apples with the mixture. Press down with hand until flat.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 50-60 minutes.

Mom's Apple Pie with Crumb Crust

2009-02-16T14:02:00.003-08:00

6 to 8 tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced

3/4 to 1 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon

dash ground nutmeg

Pie crust (store bought works fine, or there's a recipe below if you want to be an over-achiever)

If apples lack tartness, sprinkle with about 1 Tablespoon lemon juice. Combine sugar, flour, spices, and a dash of salt. Mix with apples. Line 9 inch pie plate with pastry crust. Fill with apple mixture. Sprinkle crumb crust (recipe below) over filling and place on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake in oven at 400 degrees for 50 minutes or until done.

Pie crust: (although I'd actually recommend just buying one at the store...)

2 1/2-3 cups flour

1 cup shortening

1/2 tsp. salt

Mix first three ingredients with pastry blender (I use a fork) Beat 1 egg, add 1 Tbsp. vinegar and 1/4 cup cold water. Makes one crust plus some extra (I used the extra to make my little heart decorations).

Crumb crust:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup firm butter or margarine

1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix three ingredients together with a pastry cutter (I just use a fork) until crumbly. Sprinkle over apple mixture in crust. Cover topping with aluminum foil the last 10 minutes of baking to avoid crust browning too quickly.

EASY Tortilla Soup

2009-01-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

We made this last night and aside from being terribly easy, it was delicious! I got this recipe from another recipe blog.

Tortilla Soup by Linda Smith Ingredients:

1 lb. cooked chicken or browned hamburger meat (Or one can of canned chicken)
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can chicken broth
1 can corn
1 can Ranch Style Beans
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can Ro-Tel

Combine all of the above ingredients and simmer on medium heat to a boil. Pour over chips and sprinkle cheese on top.
Try to get the low sodium versions of all the canned stuff. There is enough salt on the chips. Also, thinner restaurant style chips get too soggy. Tostitos are the best. You can "customize" this recipe. For example, you can add chunks of avocado, or even a dollop of guac on top after you serve it, or add cilantro or let it chill and use it as a dip. It also doesn't matter if you like more corn, or more beans, although if you take any of the ingredients out, it will change the flavor. It also keeps really well in the fridge.

It's good! Try it!

Nacho Chicken

2009-01-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

4 Boneless skinless chicken breast
1/3 Bag of nacho cheese Doritos (I like using the buffalo ranch ones in the blue bag it makes it more spicy, but really you could use any flavor)
2 TBS Mayo
1/2 Package Italian dressing seasoning
2 TBS Melted butter (I use cooking spray)

Crush your Doritos so they are somewhat small, pour them onto a plate and set aside. In a small bowl combine mayo and Italian dressing seasonings. Coat Chicken in mayo mixture then cover it in crushed Doritos. Place in greased baking dish then pour melted butter on top of chicken (I just spray the tops of mine with cooking spray for 5 seconds instead) Bake at 350 for 20-30 min. I serve it with Spanish rice and sour cream. This recipie is easy to cut in half if you have a smaller family!

Chocolate Covered Popcorn Mix

2008-12-19T15:01:00.000-08:00

If I were your visiting teacher, you would get a big bag full of this today.

12 c popped popcorn

3 c Rice Chex

2 c dry roasted peanuts

Mix above together in really big bowl.

Melt together 24 oz white chocolate and 2 T creamy peanut butter.

Pour chocolate/PB over popcorn and mix till evenly coated. Put on wax paper or tin foil to harden. Leave in small mounds.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

2008-12-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

Got this recipe from Better Homes than Yours, oh I mean Better Homes & Gardens

2 cups all -purpose flour

2 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1-oz. bottle red food coloring (2 Tbs.)

1 recipe Whoopie Pie filling, below

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment; set aside. In medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high 30 seconds. Beat in brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, beating after each addition just until combined. Stir in food coloring.

3. Spoon batter in 1- or 2-inch diameter rounds about 1/2 inch high on prepared baking sheets, allowing 1 inch between each round.
(I would make them smaller)
4. Bake 7 to 9 minutes for 1-inch cookies or 9 to 11 minutes for 2-inch cookies, or until tops are set. Cool completely on baking sheets on racks. Remove cooled cookies from baking sheets.

5. To fill, dollop Whoopie Pie Filling on flat sides on half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies, flat side down.

Whoopie Pie Filling

In medium mixing bowl beat 1/4 cup softened butter and half an 8-ounce package softened cream cheese until smooth. Fold in one 7-ounce jar marshmallow creme.

To store, refrigerate in airtight container up to 4 days. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

Strawberry "Mock"shake Smoothie

2008-12-04T11:01:00.000-08:00

My whole family loves this smoothie. It's healthy and delicious, and the kids think they're getting a milkshake for breakfast.

5 oz tofu
2 cups frozen strawberries
1 tbs cocnut milk
6 oz pineapple juice
honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend all in blender until smooth. Enjoy

Mexi-Chicken Soup

2008-12-03T15:44:00.000-08:00

I fell in love with this soup last night. I only wish I had taken a photo, sorry.
1 32-oz. box reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz. can golden hominy, rinsed and drained
1 cup bottled salsa
1 green sweet pepper, cut in strips
1 4-oz. can diced green chiles
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
2-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
Snipped fresh herbs (optional)

directions

1. In 4-quart Dutch oven combine chicken broth, black beans, hominy, salsa, nopalitos, undrained green chiles, chili powder, and cumin. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add chicken; heat through. To serve, sprinkle with fresh herbs. Makes 6 servings.

Grilled Brushetta Chicken

2008-11-23T19:34:00.000-08:00

1/4 Cup KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing, divided

4 Small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (filleted)

1 Medium tomato, finely chopped

1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil leaves

PLACE large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of grill grate; preheat grill to medium heat. Pour 2 tbsp. of the dressing over chicken in resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with the dressing. Refrigerate 10 minutes to marinate. Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade.

GRILL chicken on uncovered side of grill 6 min. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, cheese, basil and remaining 2 tbsp dressing.

TURN chicken over; place, cooked-side up, on foil on grill. Top evenly with tomato mixture. Close lid. Grill and additional 8 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

**We don't have a grill right now, so I used the stove top grill pan. It worked great!**

***Serve with buttered egg noodles and grilled or steamed vegetables.***

Curry Pumpkin Soup

2008-11-17T14:03:00.000-08:00

I'm always on the lookout for low-fat recipes, and so this one caught my eye, and it's perfect for Fall, so it's a double plus. My husband and I loved it, but it only got okay reviews, so I'm curious to see what others think. Be sure to rate it if you get a chance to make it. Taken from Better Homes and Gardens Oct 08.

1 recipe Orange-Cranberry Topper (see below)
2 Tbsp. butter
2 medium onions, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium carrot, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 stalk celery, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 15-oz cans pumpkin
2 14-oz cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup water
1 cup half-and-half or light cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1. Prepare Orange-Cranberry Topper. (We had lots leftover, a little goes a long way.)

.
2. In 4-qt. Dutch oven melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, carrot, and celery. Cook, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add curry powder and pumpkin pie spice. Cook and stir 1 minute. Add pumpkin, broth, and water. Increase heat to medium-high; bring to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
.

3. In food processor or blender, add one-third of the pumpkin mixture at a time, cover, and process or blend until smooth. Return all pumpkin mixture to Dutch oven.

.
4. Stir half-and-half, salt, and pepper into pumpkin mixture; heat through. Sprinkle each serving with Orange-Cranberry Topper.

.
5. Orange-Cranberry Topper: In small bowl combine 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1 tablespoon finely shredded orange peel, and 2 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley. Serves 8.

Farmer's Casserole

2008-11-11T18:48:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite breakfast dishes. Sorry I dont have any pics.

Layer the ingredients in a baking dish the night before. then cover and refrigerate. In the morning, pop the casserole into the oven about an hour before serving.

3 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes

3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers or shredded cheddar cheese (3 oz)

1 cup dived fully cooked ham or canadian bacon

1/4 cup sliced green onion

4 beaten eggs

1 12-oz. can evaporated milk (1 1/2 cups)

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. salt

Grease a 2-quart square baking dish. Arrange potatoes evenly in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with cheese, ham, and green onion.

In a medium mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, pepper, and salt. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture in dish. (the dish may be covered and refrigerated at this point for several hours or overnight) Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes to 45 minutes (or 55 to 60 minutes if made ahead and chilled) or till center appears set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings

Bow Ties with Salmon and Peas

2008-11-03T16:40:00.000-08:00

Tim found this recipe and we tried it tonight. It was really delicious and not too difficult - a nice change from the usual meat and potatoes. Don't mind the wine in the picture...

Ingredients

Salt
1 (16 ounces) package(s) bow-tie or corkscrew pasta
2 lemons
2 tablespoon(s) butter or margarine
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
1 pound(s) skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon(s) ground black pepper
1 (10 ounces) package(s) frozen peas
1/2 (loosely packed) cup(s) fresh dill, chopped
Fresh dill sprigs for garnish

1. Heat large saucepot of salted water to boiling over high heat. Add pasta and cook as label directs.
2. Meanwhile, from lemons, grate 2 teaspoons peel and squeeze 3 tablespoons juice; set aside.
3. In nonstick 12-inch skillet, melt margarine over medium heat. Add shallots and cook 2 minutes or until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium-high. Add salmon, pepper, lemon peel, and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook 5 minutes or until salmon turns opaque throughout, gently stirring occasionally.
4. When pasta has cooked to desired doneness, remove 1/3 cup pasta cooking water; add to salmon mixture, stirring gently to combine. Place frozen peas in colander; drain pasta over peas. Return pasta and peas to saucepot. Add salmon mixture, chopped dill, and lemon juice; toss gently to combine. Garnish each serving with dill sprigs.

Chicken Yakisoba

2008-11-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

SO YUMMY....

From food

And not to hard to make!

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp canola oil

2 tbsp chile paste (rooster brand)

2 cloves garlic

4 skinless chicken breasts cut in 1 inch cubes

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 onion sliced length wise in 8ths

1/2 medium head of cabbage

2 carrots cute roughly

8 oz soba noodles cooked

In a large skillet combine sesame oil, canola oil and chili paste. Stir fry 30 seconds. Add garlic and stir fry and additional 30 seconds. Add chicken and 1/4 cup of the soy sauce and stir fry until chicken is no longer pink. Remove mixture from pan, set aside and keep warm.

In the emptied pan combine the onion, cabbage and carrots. Stir fry until cabbage begins to wilt. Stir in the remaining soy sauce, cooked noodles and the chicken mixture to pan and mix to blend. Serve and enjoy!

** soba noodles and chili paste are found in the asian section of the grocery store.**

***Great sides are edamame (sp?) and fortune cookies.***

2008-11-03T12:33:00.000-08:00

Jenny was curious about the Dinner in a Pumpkin... so that is why I am posting it.

It was not my favorite meal, you know, honestly speaking, but we will have it once a year around Halloween, cause it is a unique experience...

Dinner in a Pumpkin

2008-11-03T11:28:00.000-08:00

This was a fun recipe to make and really easy. My husband's mom used to make it for dinner on Halloween night, lots of fun!!!

You need:

1 small to medium sized pumpkin

1 onion, chopped

1 Tablespoon Olive or Canola oil

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 pound ground beef if doing small pumpkin (2 pounds ground beef for medium pumpkin)

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained (optional)

1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained (optional)

To cook rice - bring 2 cups water to boiling, add 1 cup rice and 1 teaspoon salt, put lid

on pot and turn down heat to low, simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut off the top of pumpkin and thoroughly clean out seeds and pulp. Paint an

appropriate face on the front of the pumpkin with a permanent marking pen or

acrylic paint.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
In a large skillet, saute onions in oil until tender. Add meat, cook until well browned.(about 5 minutes) Drain drippings from skillet. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms, and soup. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add cooked rice and water chestnuts.
Spoon mixture into the cleaned out pumpkin shell. Replace pumpkin top and place entire pumpkin, with filling, on a baking sheet.
Put in oven. Bake for 1 hour or until inside meat of the pumpkin is

tender.
When done put pumpkin on a serving plate. Remove pumpkin top and serve. For your vegetable you can scoop out the cooked pumpkin and serve.

Serves 6

Butter Chicken

2008-11-03T09:38:00.001-08:00

2 Tbsp butter
1 medium chopped onion
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp Indian chili powder (use less if you don't like spicy)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 can chopped tomatoes (including juice)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 whole rotisserie chicken, skin and bones removed and cut into bite-size pieces
1/3 c half-and-half
1/4 c sour cream
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1. Saute onion and garlic in butter until onion is tender (about 5 minutes).
2. Add ginger, chili powder, turmeric and cinnamon. Cook and stir for one minute.
3. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
4. Add chicken, half-and-half and sour cream. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes more.
5. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro. Serve over basmati rice or Indian Fried Rice.

Indian Fried Rice (Bhagharay Chawal)

2008-11-03T08:55:00.000-08:00

This rice is easy to make in a rice cooker and has a wonderful fragrance. I love to smell it cooking. It goes great with any Indian recipes that are served over rice. I always double this recipe because my family loves it so much.

3 c. basmati rice (you can use brown basmati rice, too)
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
½ tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. whole cumin seeds
4 whole cloves
4 whole cardamom pods
2 inch cinnamon stick, broken into a few pieces
5 c. water or the right amount for your rice cooker

1. Wash rice and leave to soak in fresh water for 20 minutes or longer. Drain.
2. In a heavy saucepan, on medium heat, saute the onion in the oil until translucent.
3. Add the garlic and stir well.
4. Add the salt, cumin, cloves, cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks. Fry well for 1 minute.
5. Add the rice and stir until the water evaporates (about 10 minutes)
6. If you're using a rice cooker, transfer the rice and spices to the rice cooker. Add the water and cook until absorbed. Water amounts may vary if you're cooking the rice on the stove top depending on the type of rice. Use the amount of water called for in the package directions.
7. Remove the whole spices before serving.

Curried Peas and Tomatoes

2008-11-03T08:31:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com a few years ago. My kids are iffy on it, but it's one of my favorites. It's pretty spicy, so if that's a problem, use less chili powder.

4 teaspoons coconut milk
1 teaspoon Indian chili powder (use less if you don't like spicy)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander seed
1 pinch ground turmeric
salt to taste
2 teaspoons oil
1 onion, chopped
1 small cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
2 cans chopped tomatoes with juice
1 pound bag of petite peas

1. In a small bowl, mix together coconut milk, chili powder, coriander, turmeric, and salt.
2. In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, cinnamon stick, and cumin seeds; saute until onions are soft.
3. Stir in ginger, tomatoes, peas, and coconut milk mixture. Reduce heat, and simmer until hot. I like this barely cooked so the peas still have a firm texture and sort of pop in your mouth.
4. Can be served over rice (basmati rice is best), and is really good served over Indian Fried Rice

Tips: You can use spices that are pre-ground, but the flavor and scent is better if you use whole seeds that you grind fresh yourself. I grind my spices with a coffee grinder which makes it really easy. Also, Indian chili powder is much more spicy than Mexican chili powder, so start with a small amount; you can always add more if you want more heat.

Corn with Sour Cream and Coconut

2008-11-03T08:01:00.000-08:00

I made this for the first time last night with an all Indian dinner, and it was SO GOOD. It's my new favorite corn recipe. And of course, I forgot to take pictures. Next time.

2 c. frozen corn
3 T oil (I used coconut oil)
1 tsp cumin seed
1 med onion, chopped
1 Serrano pepper, finely diced (use 1/2 if you don't like much spice)
1 tsp salt
1 pinch turmeric
¾ c. sour cream or plain yogurt
1/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut (you can get this in a health food store)

1. Saute onion and cumin seed in oil until onion is clear.
2. Add serrano pepper, corn, sour cream (or yogurt), salt, turmeric, ½ - 1 cup water.
3. Cover and cook over medium until simmering. Remove lid and cook until sauce thickens.
4. Add coconut.

Next time, I'm going to try it with yogurt instead of sour cream so it will be healthier.

Gooey Caramel Popcorn

2008-11-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

It is a tradition for us to make this on Halloween and hand it out to neighbors. It makes a TON of popcorn, so if you're wanting to just eat it yourself I would highly recommend cutting the recipe in half. Yum!

5 T. butter

2 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup Light Corn Syrup

1 can Eagle Brand condensed milk

8 quarts popped popcorn (approx 5 bags microwave popcorn)

1. Prepare your popcorn. I go through and pick out the kernels.

2. In medium saucepan combine syrup, brown sugar, and butter. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer a full ten minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and condensed milk.

3. Pour over prepared popcorn.

Some tips: Because this makes a lot, I usually have a big bowl with half the popcorn that I pour half the caramel over. Then I mix it together. Then I add the other popcorn and caramel and mix them all together. Also, if you wait a couple of minutes for the caramel to cool a bit it wont burn your hands.

The best CORNBREAD ever!

2008-10-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

1 yellow cake mix
1 box jiffy corn muffin mix
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk

Mix Well and pour in 9x13 dish. Bake at 350 for 25 min.

Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2008-10-22T15:08:00.001-07:00

This is my new favorite cookie for the week.

You can also see a demo of them being made here. (I think I want their new cookbook now.)

1 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, softened, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter
6 ounces good milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside

Beat the butter and sugars together until fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. The mixture will look light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and peanut butter and beat until just incorporated.

Add half of the flour mixture and mix for 15 seconds. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.

Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or grease the pan like I did).

Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons (or use an ice cream scoop) onto the prepared baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart. With the palm of your hand, very gently press each cookie down so it forms a very tall disk shape. Do not press too hard and do not press it flat.

Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with granulated sugar and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops of the cookies just begin to brown.

Chicken Pot Pie

2008-10-10T20:40:00.000-07:00

This recipe was extremely tasty and easy to make. I made it for the first time last night for the missionaries and I couldn't have been happier with how it turned out.

1/3 cup margarine/butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
¼ teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cup chicken broth (about 1 can)
2 cups cooked chicken
Pie crust (I just bought the pre-made kind in the store - so much easier!)
Any cooked vegetables (carrots, peas, potatoes)

1.) Cook chicken and any veggies that you are using (carrots, potatoes, etc.)
2.) Melt butter and sauté onions on medium heat.
3.) Mix flour, salt, and pepper and add to butter and onions. It makes a paste-looking substance. 4.) Remove from heat. Stir in broth and milk.
5.) Put on heat again and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minutes. Sauce will start to thicken.
6.) Stir in chicken and vegetables.
7.) In a pie pan, place crust on bottom and pour chicken mixture in. Place a second crust over the top. Seal around the edges and cut several slits in the top. Cover edges of crust with foil. Cook at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, removing the tin foil after 15 minutes. Cook with a cookie sheet under pie pan in case pie boils over.

I like pot pies really huge and billowy, like you would find in a restaurant, so I used about 4 carrots, 5 potatoes, and about 1.75 pounds of chicken. It looked fantastic! This also doubles really well.

Baked Potato Soup

2008-10-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

from Delectable Edibles

This was really good but would be so much better when it's actually cold outside. I planned all my meals for this week thinking it would start to get cold, but we are still waiting here! I was surprised how little time this took, and if you keep the two canned ingredients + potatoes stocked it could be a good backup recipe. I served it with cooked broccoli which we ended up also throwing into the soup for more variety.

2 large or 3 medium baking potatoes, baked or microwaved
Cooked and crumbled bacon (optional)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (14.5 fl. oz.) chicken broth
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Sliced green onions (optional)
I always add some dill, too...

MELT butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in broth and evaporated milk. Scoop potato pulp from 1 potato (reserve potato skin); mash. Add pulp to broth mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes just to a boil. Dice remaining potato skin and potato(es); add to soup. Heat through. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Top each serving with bacon, cheese and green onions, if desired.

VARIATION: For a different twist to this recipe, omit the bacon, cheddar cheese and green onions. Cook 2 tablespoons shredded carrot with the onion and add 1/4 teaspoon dried dill to the soup when adding the broth. Proceed as above.

Lemon Crusted Chicken

2008-10-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

from This Week For Dinner

i tried this out last night and the chicken was great. very moist and yummy. i liked that it had a different taste to it. It's not good as leftovers though so don't make too much, oh and I had to cook it in the oven for about 13 minutes instead of 8.

LEMON CRUSTED CHICKEN
2 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Dipping Mixture:
Blend: 2 egg whites
2 tsp cornstarch
Juice of 1⁄2 lemon

For the Crusting Mixture:
Combine:
1 cup course bread crumbs
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 t. kosher salt
1⁄4 t. ground black pepper
Zest of one lemon, minced

Saute chicken in:
3 T olive oil

Preheat oven to 450˚. Prepare chicken breasts by slicing each piece in 1⁄2 lengthwise. Place chicken in ziplock bag with small amount of water, and lightly pound till uniform in thickness. Blend egg whites, cornstarch, and lemon juice with a fork in a shallow dish; set aside. Combine bread crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, and zest in another wide, shallow dish. Dip both sides of the chicken breasts in the dipping mixture, and transfer to the crumb dish. Pat crumbs on both sides of chicken –its ok if some crumbs fall off. (Here, the recipe says to air dry on a rack for 20-30 minutes, but for the sake of time, I never do this. But feel free to do so if you wish). Saute chicken in oil in a large, nonstick, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Carefully turn with a spatula, and transfer the skillet to the oven to finish cooking. Roast chicken just until done, about 8 more minutes.

This makes a very moist and flavorful chicken.

Homemade Rolls

2008-09-29T11:23:00.001-07:00

This picture isn't the best because I didn't let them rise enough but when you do it right these are delish. The recipe comes from my madre.

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 package active dry yeast

1 1/4 cups milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup margarine

1 tsp. salt

1 egg

In mixing bowl combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour and yeast. Heat milk, sugar, margarine, and salt just till warm, stirring constantly till margarine almost melts (I do it in the microwave sometimes and stop every 30 seconds to stir). Add to dry mixture; add egg. Beat at low speed of mixer for 1/2 minute, scraping bowl. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. By hand, stir in remaining flour to make a soft dough. Shape into ball.

Place in lightly greased bowl; turn once to grease surface. Cover; let rise in warm place till double*, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Punch down; turn out on floured surface. Cover; let rest 10 minutes (i never do that but it probably helps). Shape into desired rolls. Cover, let rise in warm place till double, 30 to 45 minutes. Bake on greased baking sheets or in greased muffin pans in hot oven (400 degrees) for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 2 dozen rolls.

*to make things go faster, I usually let the rolls rise in a warm oven. You can also make the dough at night and let it rise in the refrigerator for the next day.