Taste Every Season

Chicken Caesar Pasta

2011-05-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

With Memorial Day weekend coming up,
here is one of our families favorite BBQ side dishes.
The Chicken Caesar Pasta is a perfect side for any kind of BBQ.
I have also made this recipe with taking out the chicken and replacing it with broccoli.
This pasta salad is seen a lot in the summer months on our table. If you are making it for a large group I would double the recipe.
Yummy! Enjoy.

CHICKEN CAESAR PASTA

serves 6-8

What You Need:

16 oz. box rotini
2 boneless chicken breasts
1 bottle Cardini’s original Caesar dressing
1 Tbsp. crushed garlic
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash seasoning
1/3 red onion, chopped

How To Make:

1.Cook pasta and drain. Set aside.

2. Cut raw chicken into bite-size pieces and stir-fry in garlic & oil until done.

3. In a large mixing bowl mix chicken in with the pasta. Add dressing, onion, tomatoes, and Mrs. Dash.

4. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Quick Chicken and Rice Soup

2011-05-25T18:55:00.000-07:00

This is a delicious soup recipe!
It is a very simple recipe and simple soup,
but sometimes that is all you want for dinner or lunch.
This recipe is so easy to make, and cooks up very quickly.
You can use leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, or pre-cook your chicken to make the cooking time even quicker. You can also precook the rice too.
The fresh lemon juice and chives really make this soup stand out.
Serve with your favorite muffin or bread along side a green salad and you have a perfect meal.
Enjoy!

Quick Chicken and Rice Soup

What you Need:

8 C chicken broth

2 C chicken, shredded

2-3 stalks of celery, sliced

2-3 carrots, sliced

1 C instant rice or 1 – 2 C cooked rice

1/2 C chives, chopped

Juice of 1/2 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

How To Make:

Add together broth, celery and carrots. Bring to boil and simmer for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. If using minute rice, add in rice and simmer for 5 minutes. If using cooked rice just add along with chives and lemon juice. Enjoy!!

Recipe Source: Your Home Based Mom

Shrimp, Broccoli, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes with Pasta

2011-05-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

This is a perfect combination of Pasta, Shrimp, and Broccoli, all in a light cream sauce.
The sauce is made with light cream cheese and chicken broth instead of using heaving whipping cream.
That is what makes this meal guiltfree and So Good.
I found this tasty recipe in the Jillian Michaels book, 'Making the Cut'.
This meal was a hit at our house and I will make this recipe again for sure!
I served it with Breadsticks, and purple grapes.
Enjoy.

Shrimp, Broccoli, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes with Pasta
Serves 4

What You Need:
-1/2 cup Sun-Dried tomatoes, packed in oil
-4 cups uncooked farfalle (Bow tie pasta)
-2 cups of chopped fresh broccoli
-cooking spray
-1 garlic cloves, minced
-1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
-1/2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
-1/2 cup fat-free or low-fat cream cheese
-1/2 teaspoon dried basil
-1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
-1/2 lemon, juiced

How to Make:
1. Rinse really well the Sun-Dried tomatoes so all the oil is off, dice the tomatoes and then set aside.
2. Cook Pasta according to Package, do not add any salt or fat. When pasta is done, drain and then set aside.
3. Steam broccoli, covered for about 3 minutes or until tender crisp. Set aside.
4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add garlic and shrimp to the pan. Cook 4 minutes or until the shrimp is pink and done.
5. Add broth and cream cheese, stirring until combined, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 minutes.
6. Add tomatoes, broccoli, and basil; stir well. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated through. Stir Frequently.
7. Remove from heat. Stir in pasta, Parmesan, and lemon juice.
Serve Immediately!

Source: Jillian Michaels, Making the cut

Carmelitas

2011-04-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

Yummy Yummy. . .
These Carmelitas are so good!
Crispy oatmeal cookie base with a layer of chocolate,
then a layer of gooey carmel topped with the cookie base.
You can make these even more sinful. . .
with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce to top it off.
My boys LOVED these, and my oldest son declared that we open up our own restaurant and serve this dessert.
I do agree, this dessert is Restaurant quality!

Carmelitas

What you need:

-1 jar Mrs. Richardson's Caramel/Butterscotch topping
-12 oz package chocolate chips (a good brand like Guittards or Ghiradelli)
-2 cups flour
-2 cups oatmeal (I use the quick or Instant Oatmeal)
-1 1/2 Cups brown sugar
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 1/2 Cup butter, melted

How to make:

1. Combine flour, oatmeal, melted butter, brown sugar, baking soda, salt in mixing bowl. Press 1/2 mixture into the bottom of a greased 9 by 13 pan. Bake for 17 minutes at 325 degrees.

2. Take out and layer chocolate chips and then the jar of caramel/butterscotch topping. Crumble the remaining crumbs over the topping and return to oven to bake for another 17 minutes.

3. Remove from oven and let sit for at least 5 hours before serving. If you put it in the fridge you won't need to let it sit as long (1 or 2 hours).

4. Cut into bars and serve.

Option for serving: put a scoop of Vanilla ice cream on top of one Carmelita and drizzle chocolate sauce on top.

Yum! Enjoy.

Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

2011-04-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce you to our families new Favorite Chicken Enchilada.
These Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are so SO good.
I still really love the Honey Lime Enchiladas found here.
I have made these enchiladas several times now and every time my boys say that it was the best meal ever!
Serve with a green salad, tortilla chips and fresh salsa.

Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Serves 4-6

What you Need:

Filling:
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 (4 oz.) cans of green chiles, lightly drained
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
¼ cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 can (7 ounce) green chile enchilada sauce
½ cup sour cream

8 ounces (about 2 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
8 medium (soft taco size) flour tortillas
Handful of chopped fresh cilantro

How To Make:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chiles. Mix well. Add the chicken and black beans. Mix to combine. Set aside.

3. In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream.

4. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoonfuls for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 cup cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full (I can easily fit 8 enchiladas in one pan).

5. Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.

Source: Mels Kitchen Cafe

Chocolate Chip M & M Cookies

2011-04-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

These are one of my boys favorite cookies.
They love the M&M's in them.
We made them together over Spring break, and used Spring colored M&M's.
I usually make them with the regular colored M&M's but could not pass up the holiday M&M's.
These will be soft on the inside and a little crispy on the outside.
Yum.

Chocolate Chip M & M Cookies
makes 2 dozen

What you need:
-1 cup white sugar
-1 cup brown sugar
-2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
-2/3 cup butter flavored Crisco shortening
-2 eggs
-2 tsp. vanilla
-3 cups unbleached white flour
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1 tsp. salt
-6 oz. milk chocolate chips
-8 oz. M&M candies

How To Make:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugars, butter and shortening until light and fluffy.
2. Next add the eggs and vanilla until combined.
3. Slowly add the flour, baking soda and salt. Be careful not to over mix the dough.
4. Turn off the mixer and hand fold the chocolate chips and M&M candies until well combined.

5. Using a small ice cream scoop, drop the cookies onto ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cookies should have a slight golden on top, but also look slightly undone. You don't want to overcook these or they will be hard when cool.
7. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on the cookie sheet. I have found this to be the best way to guarantee perfectly soft cookies each and every time.
Enjoy!

Turkey Sliders

2011-04-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

This is a healthier way to make sliders.
I love the red onion, cilantro,and cumin mixed in the turkey. It makes the Sliders very flavorful and simply delicous!
This meal was also very easy to throw together.
I used a indoor grill pan, but when the weather is warmer I use our outdoor grill.
My boys loved the Sliders! Something about food being in mini form, makes it just that much better!

Turkey Sliders
makes 10-12 sliders

What you Need:
-1 egg white, beaten
-1/2 cup red onion, minced
-1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/4 teaspoon of salt
-1 pound of Ground Turkey
- 12 dinner rolls, whole wheat
-lettuce leaves, halved
-Plum Tomatoes, sliced
-1 avocado, sliced

How To Make:
1. Whisk together the egg white, onion, cilantro, cumin, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the turkey and mix until just blended. Shape into 10-12 burgers.

2. Heat a skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Cook the burgers, turning once, for 6 minutes or until done.

3. Place the bottoms of the dinner rolls on plates. Top with one 1 piece of lettuce and 1 tomato slice. Place 1 burger on each and top with the avocado and top of the roll.

Enjoy!

Source: Flat Belly Cookbook

Baja Style Shrimp Tacos

2011-04-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

These Tacos are Amazingly Good!
If you can't have the real California Baja style tacos, make your own.
We had our first day of 70 degree weather today, the warm weather made me crave something more light and healthy to eat.
These Baja Shrimp Tacos hit the spot.
As far as prep goes, these really don't take a whole lot of time to make. I started by getting the shrimp ready and then marinating them in the lime and oil while making the beans, quacamole, and pico de gallo. The shrimp cooks so quickly, so I did not cook them until right before I was ready to serve the dinner.

Baja Style Shrimp Tacos
serves 4 -6

2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons olive oil
the juice of one lime
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 dozen corn or whole wheat tortillas
pico de gallo (recipe below)
black beans (recipe below)
guacamole (recipe below)
lime wedges for serving
Cholula hot sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)
monterey jack cheese (optional)

1. Toss the shrimp together with the olive oil, lime juice and salt. Preheat your grill (outdoor or indoor) over high heat. Grill until cooked through, about 2 minutes a side.

2. To serve, heat the tortillas in a dry frying pan and wrap them in a towel to keep warm. Pile a few shrimp on top of each tortilla and serve with a bit of pico de gallo, back beans, guacamole, fresh lime juice, a few dashes of hot sauce and a little of the cheese if you’d like.

Yummy!

Pico de Gallo

Simple to prepare and about a thousand times fresher and more vibrant than any jar of salsa.

1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons finely chopped white onion
coarse salt
squeeze of lime
as many finely chopped red jalapeños as you’d like (optional)

Combine the tomatoes, cilantro and onion together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and lime. Reserve some of this mixture for the kids, and then add as much jalapeño as you like to the remaining mixture for the adults.

Black Beans

1 can of black beans
4 cilantro stems
1 garlic clove, crushed
pinch of salt

Combine everything together in a small pot and simmer over low heat for about 15-20 minutes (I do this while I’m preparing the rest of the meal). Be sure to simmer the beans long enough so that they’re not watery.

Guacamole

2 ripe avocados
2 tablespoons minced white onion
3 tablespoons cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 lime
coarse salt

Cut each avocado in half, remove and reserve the pits and score the flesh inside of the shells. Scoop the avocado into a mixing bowl and mash gently with a fork—you don’t want it to be completely smooth. Stir in the onion and cilantro. Cut the lime in half and squeeze in enough juice to taste. Season the guacamole with salt, and either serve immediately or stick the pits in to keep it from browning (remove the pits before serving).

Recipe Source: GOOP

Kansas City Chicken on Baked Brown Rice

2011-04-09T19:29:00.000-07:00

A simply tasty and healthy meal!
The chicken cooks to be very moist in the crock-pot or slow-cooker and will shred really easily when done.
The best I can describe the sauce is a sweet but yet light BBQ taste. Really yummy, my two picky little boys even loved it!
A slow-cooker meal is perfect for those busy days.
Serve on top of my 'Favorite way' to cook brown rice (Baked Brown Rice).
Then add a green salad or vegie to round out the meal. Yum!

Kansas City Chicken (slow cooker)
on Baked Brown Rice

What you Need:

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup low-sodium beef broth

How to make:

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook them for 1-2 minutes on each side, until nicely browned but not cooked all the way through. Remove the chicken to the slow cooker. In a large bowl, combine all the other ingredients. Whisk well. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve on top of Baked Brown Rice.

Baked Brown Rice:

Makes about 3 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water (if using water, add 1 teaspoon salt)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease an 8X8-inch or 9X9-inch baking pan. Place the rice in the prepared pan and pour in the liquid. Stir to equally distribute the rice. Cover tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for five minutes before removing the aluminum foil and fluffing with a fork. If your rice still has a bit of liquid on the bottom or conversely, if it is dried out, adjust the baking time up or down to make changes.

Recipe Source: adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

Apple Pudding Cake

2010-11-19T05:29:00.000-08:00

This apple cake is a yummy way to change up the pumpkin season.
I LOVE pumpkin desserts, but this apple cake is up there on my list as well.
The caramel sauce makes this cake So So good, you just can not skip the sauce on this one.
I had never made this before for my two little boys, so I was wasn't sure how they would like it. They LOVED it, and begged for the leftovers the next day.
The cake is very moist, and the warm caramel sauce makes it even moister. Don't forget to top it off with whipped cream.

Apple Pudding Cake

For Cake-

What You Need:

4 cups peeled, grated apples (you need to use granny smith apples )

2 eggs

1 1/2 C sugar

1/2 C oil

Mix together eggs, sugar and oil.

2 C flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp cinnamon

How To Make:

Add in dry ingredients and stir until well mixed. Pour into greased 9 x 13.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

For Caramel Sauce-

What You Need:

1 Cup butter

1 Cup evaporated milk or cream

1 Cup brown sugar

1 Cup white sugar

3 tsp. vanilla.

How To Make:

Cook in saucepan over medium heat until melted and thickened.

Serve over cake and top with whipped cream.

Three Cheese-Stuffed Shells with Meaty Tomato Sauce

2010-11-18T18:39:00.000-08:00

We love good Italian food at our house! This recipe is one of our favorites.
I found this recipe on The Pioneer Women's blog, and adapted it just a little.
This recipe does take a little bit of time to prepare, but it is well worth it.
I served the Stuffed shells with a fresh green salad and french bread.

Three Cheese-Stuffed Shells with Meaty Tomato Sauce

serves 8

What You Need:

8 ounces, Jumbo Pasta Shells
30 ounces, Ricotta Cheese
8 ounces, Parmesan Cheese, Grated
1 whole Egg
12 leaves Basil
2 Tablespoons Minced fresh Parsley
Salt And Pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ whole Medium Onion, Chopped
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
1/2 pound Italian Sausage
1 pound ground beef
½ cup Red Wine
1 whole 28 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
1 whole 15-ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Sugar
½ teaspoons Salt
2 Tablespoons Minced fresh Parsley

How To Make:

1. Cook pasta shells for half the cooking time; make sure not to overcook. Drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for a minute or two. Add Italian sausage and brown, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Pour in red wine and let it cook for a minute or two.

3. Pour in cans of crushed tomatoes and stir. Add sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, half the Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper, basil, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Stir until combined.

5. To assemble, coat the bottom of a baking dish with sauce. Fill each half-cooked shell with the cheese mixture. Place face down on the sauce. Repeat with shells until cheese mixture is gone. Top shells with remaining sauce. Sprinkle on extra Parmesan.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Source: Adapted from The Pioneer Women

Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole

2010-11-11T18:46:00.000-08:00

This has become one of our favorite casseroles.
When I had my second son, a sweet neighbor brought us this casserole.
After my family raved about it, I had to ask this neighbor for her recipe.
We have made it countless times since.
This casserole used to last us two meals,
but now that my boys are older and eat more then me it last us one meal.
I like to serve this with a fresh green salad and rolls.

Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole

What you need:

-1, 6.9 oz. package of Chicken Flavored Rice-a-Roni with chicken broth and herbs
-1 tbsp butter
-2 1/4 cups hot water
-1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
-1 cup sliced mushrooms
-1/2 tsp garlic powder
-3/4 cup sour cream
-1/4 tsp black pepper
-1 can lowfat cream of mushroom soup
-1 cup partly steamed broccoli

Topping:
-1 tbsp butter
-1/2 tsp poppy seeds
-1/4 cup crushed multigrain crackers (such as Ritz)

How To Make:

1. Cook Rice-a-Roni in a non-stick skillet according to package directions using 1 tbsp of butter and 2 1/4 cups of hat water. After cooked remove from Skillet and set aside. Wipe Skillet.

2. Coat skillet with cooking spray, place over high heat until hot. Add chicken and cook until just about done, then add the mushrooms and garlic powder. Saute until chicken and mushrooms are cooked.

3. In a large bowl combine the cooked rice, cooked chicken mixture, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, barely steamed broccoli, and black pepper.

4. Prepare a 2 qt casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray, then spoon the mixture into the dish.

5. For the topping combine cracker crumbs, melted butter, and poppy seeds. sprinkle over top.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, uncovered.

enjoy!

Twice Baked Potatoes

2010-11-11T18:32:00.000-08:00

My mom made these yummy twist on mashed potatoes when I was growing up.
I loved them then, and I love them now.
My little family also enjoys them, especially my husband.
This is a very easy side to make, and can be made apart of any meal.
Enjoy!

Twice Baked Potatoes

What you Need:

-4 large-ish russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
-2 tablespoons butter, melted
-2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 or 2 green onions, white and green parts thinly chopped
-1/2 cup sour cream
-1/4 cup milk
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

How To Make:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce each potato three or four times with a fork and place in the oven (or on a baking sheet). Bake for about an hour, until a fork can easily be inserted into the potato. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Let them cool for about 5-10 minutes.

2. Carefully cut each potato in half lengthwise, so you get two “boat” shapes from each potato. Using an oven mitt or potholder, hold the potato in one hand and with a spoon scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Leave a thin border (a little less than 1/4-inch) of potato innards around the skin so that it isn’t too fragile to hold the pumped up potato mixture.

3. Mash the potato flesh with a potato masher or fork until mostly smooth. Stir in the melted butter, 1 cup cheese, green onions, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper. Mix well.

4. Preheat the broiler and move an oven rack about 3-4 inches away from the broiler heating element.

5. Scoop the potato filling into the shells, mounding each potato shell full of the good stuff. Sprinkle the potatoes with the remaining 1 cup cheese and broil the potatoes until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 5 minutes.

Recipe Source: Adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

Steak Bites

2010-11-11T18:08:00.000-08:00

The three boys in our house LOVE steak, and are always asking for it!
I don't cook it often because of the cost, and my lack of love for steak.
However, when I cook this recipe the Steak bites are gone very quickly.
Having steak cooked in bite sizes is a a fun and different way to serve steak, and also makes dinner cooking time quicker.
Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!

Steak Bites

What You Need:

-1 sirloin steak

-1 pkg. pre-cut beef tips

-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

-Butter

How To Make:

1. Trim off the large obvious pieces of fat that run along the side of the meat. Cut strips less than 1 inch wide. Cut into small bite-sized pieces. If you see anymore large chunks of fat, gristle or long silvery membranes cut them off.

2. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss the meat around a bit to thoroughly coat with the seasonings.

3. Heat the skillet over medium high to high heat. As the pan heats, add about 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Allow the butter to melt, then brown, before you add the meat.

4. Place some of the meat in the pan in a single layer. It should sizzle loudly when it hits the pan – if it doesn’t, the pan isn’t hot enough. Don’t stir or disrupt the meat for 30 to 45 seconds. You want it to sizzle and brown on one side. Now scoop as many steak bites as you can with your spatula and flip them over. Repeat until all the meat is turned. Cook for an additional 30 seconds or so – just long enough to sear the outside of the meat but NOT completley cook the inside, or in will be over-done.

5. Remove the meat to a clean plate. Add a little more butter to the pan and repeat the cooking process with the next batch just as before. Lastly when all the meat is nicely browned and removed to the plate pour all that browned/blackened butter and drippings all over the meat.

Serve with Vegies, potatoes, or any other side.

Enjoy!

Italian Chicken, Mushrooms, Spinach and Linguine

2010-10-01T08:22:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite Italian dishes!
It is very easy to make and tastes like you ordered a dish from a good Italian restaurant.
My husband loves it, and asks for it regularly. My two boys like it after they pick out the mushrooms and give them to my husband and I.
I like to serve the dish with fresh french bread.
So good.
Enjoy!

Italian Chicken, Mushrooms, Spinach and Linguine
serves 6

What You Need:
-1 1/2 cups of sliced mushrooms (any variety)
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1/4 cup finely minced shallots
-1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-6 chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
-salt and ground pepper
-3/4 cups purchased pesto or homemade
-6 sliced of Mozzarella cheese
-1 10 oz. package fresh spinach
-1 box of Linguine pasta

How to Make:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a medium skillet cook mushrooms in hot oil over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add shallots, thyme, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook and stir for 1 minute more. Remove form heat.
3. Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Place in a baking pan. Spread chicken with pesto; top with mushroom mixture.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Top with cheese. Bake for 3 -5 minutes more until cheese is melted.
5. To serve, arrange chicken and mushrooms on a bed of spinach and a side of cooked linguine. Drizzle left- over sauce onto linguine.

Source: Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens
-

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

2010-09-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

With soccer practices, homework, and many other activities going on during the week
I have been loving my slow cooker.
Fix it in the morning, and it is ready in time for dinner.
This is a very yummy slow cooker meal.
The cream cheese and salsa mixed together with the beans, corn, and shredded chicken is so good.
Serve in a crispy shell or soft shell tortilla, with what ever tacos toppings you like.
Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

What You Need:
-1 can (7.5) black beans, drained and rinsed
-1 clove of garlic, minced
-1 cup chunky salsa, divided in half
-1 cup frozen corn
-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
-4 oz. cream cheese
-4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

How To Make:
1. Combine beans, corn, garlic, cumin and half of salsa in slow cooker. Arrange chicken breasts on top; pour remaining salsa over chicken. Cover and cook on high 2 - 3 hours or 4 -6 hours on low, until chicken is tender and cooked through.
2. Remove chicken and shred. Add back to slow cooker. Stir in cream cheese to slow cooker. Cook on high until cream cheese melts and blends into the mixture.
3. Serve with tortillas, lettuce, shredded cheese, and tomatoes.

Shepherd's Pie

2010-09-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

In the fall I like to make more 'comfort food' dinners.
Something about the cool crisp air, I want warm and comforting meals to serve my family.
Shepherd's pie is a perfect comfort food along side a fresh green salad and bread.
This is my favorite Shepherds pie recipe!
The recipe has a few steps, but it does not take to long to put together. This recipe makes enough for our family of 4 to have leftovers the night night.
Enjoy!

Shepherd's Pie

What you need:

For Mashed Potatoes:

2 1/2 lbs peeled diced potatoes

3 Tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1 Cup milk

______

For Beef Mixture:

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic

1 lb ground beef or ground Turkey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 Cups green beans

_______

For Beef Sauce:

3 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 Cup chicken broth

_____

Topping:

1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

How to make:

1. Place peeled and diced potatoes into a large pot of water. Bring to boil and boil for 13-15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to the bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix in butter, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Slowly add milk until nice and creamy. Keep tasting potatoes to see if you need more seasonings. When done to your liking, set aside for a few minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, beef, salt and pepper; cook until browned. Stir in green beans then reduce heat to low.

3. To prepare sauce, melt butter into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper then slowly add in chicken broth until thick and creamy. Add sauce to meat mixture then transfer to bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Pour mashed potatoes over meat mixture then top with shredded cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted through.

8 servings

French Bread Rolls

2010-09-19T16:44:00.000-07:00

I love these Rolls!
They are so easy to make and always turn out.
I use the dough to make dinner rolls, hamburger buns, sub rolls, and pizza dough.
They are my 'go to' easy roll recipe.
Using the bread flour makes them a little more chewy and soft, however I have used all-purpose four and they turn out yummy as well.
My family LOVES when I make these yummy rolls,
they don't last long in our home.
Enjoy!

French Bread Rolls

Makes about 1 dozen rolls

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

How to make:

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

2. To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl.

3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
(I use my Kitchen Aid mixer with the bread hook for 8 minutes to knead)

4. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

5. Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 12-14 equal pieces, and form into round balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. (I like to brush on with a pastry brush an egg white and water mixture on the top of the dough, 1 egg white and 2 tablespoons of water mixed)
Cover the rolls with a damp cloth (or greased saran wrap), and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

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

Source: Adapted from allrecipes.com & My Kitchen Cafe

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

2010-09-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

I have been away from my recipe blog over the summer.
The early stages of my pregnancy prevented me to cook much. I am feeling so much better now and have many yummy recipe's to share with you!

This is one of our families favorite soup recipes.
With the cool fall air settling in up here in Michigan I get really excited for warm soups and yummy breads.
This is a also a great company pleaser, I always get complements when I serve it.
I like to serve it with homemade rolls and a fresh green salad.

Tip: To make the prep time faster, I always precook my chicken and Rice-A-Roni earlier in the day keep it in the fridge until ready to make dinner.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

What You Need:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 3 celery sticks, chopped
- 1/2 c. butter
- 2/3 c. flour
- 6 c. water
- 4 Chicken bouillon cubes
- 2 pkg. Rice-A-Roni long grain and wild rice
- 2 to 4 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into pieces
- 2 c. half & half
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper

How To Make:
1. Chop vegetables and place in large soup pot.
2. Melt butter and saute vegetables until tender.
3. Add flour and stir until vegetables are coated.
4. Slowly add water; stir vigorously until flour dissolves.
5. In a different saucepan, Prepare Rice-A-Roni as directed on box, then add to the soup.
6. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer on low until well blended.
Serve hot! Enjoy.

Source: Friend Amie H.

Island Chicken

2010-06-27T18:45:00.000-07:00

This is a very healthy and refreshing marinade for chicken.
You can either cook the chicken in the oven or grill depending on how you feel. Either way, the chicken is delicious!
This has become a staple marinade at our house and perfect for a summer meal.
You can serve it with what ever sides your family likes!
Enjoy.

Island Chicken

Ingredients:
½ cup vegetable oil
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1½ tbsp. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
½ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2-4 chicken breasts

How to Make:
1. Combine all ingredients except chicken in a mixing bowl or large airtight plastic bag. Whisk or shake well until the marinade is well mixed. Add the chicken breasts to the bowl or plastic bag so that they are covered by the marinade. If using a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap. If using a plastic bag, press out all the excess air and seal the bag tightly. Refrigerate and marinate up to 10 hours.

2. When ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish and pour the excess marinade over them. Bake in the oven until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165° F, about 45 minutes (exact baking time will depend on the size of your chicken pieces.) Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

OR Preheat a outdoor or indoor grill. When heated cook chicken for about 7 minutes on each side until done.

Recipe Adapted From Annie's Eats

Caribbean Passion Fruit Smoothie

2010-06-13T17:43:00.000-07:00

A cold fresh smoothie tastes like summer to me!
This is a favorite smoothie recipe in our home. I usually make two batches of this recipe to feed the four of us. I wouldn't double it in your blender, unless you have a huge blender that can handle that much blending. I find that it mixes better and faster if I just do one batch at a time.
If you live in the west you will know the name Jamba Juice, a smoothie making establishment. This recipe is a copy cat recipe from one of their smoothies.
I hope you are all enjoying your summer and keeping cool in the summer heat!

Caribbean Passion Fruit Smoothie
makes 2 tall cups

What You Need:
-1 cup mango juice
-1/2 cup frozen peaches
-1 cup frozen strawberries
-1/2 cup crushed ice
-1 cup orange sherbet

Add all ingredients to bender and blend. If too thick, add more mango juice.
Serve and Enjoy!

Zesty Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

2010-06-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

Chicken, Broccoli, and Pasta,
three of my favorite ingredients and they are all in this dish.
This is another family classic weeknight meal at our house.
This meal requires no oven baking, perfect for the warm summer months.
The Zesty Italian dressing gives this dish just the perfect blend of spices.
Serve with fresh fruit and French Bread, and you have a satisfying and tasty meal!

Zesty Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
serves 6

What You Need:

-1 cup Zesty Italian dressing
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-2 cups broccoli florets
-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
-8 oz. bow tie pasta or Penne Pasta (1/2 of a 1lb box of pasta)
-1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
-1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, shredded
-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

How To Make:

1. Cook pasta as directed on package.
2. Meanwhile, heat dressing and garlic in a large non-stick skillet on medium heat for about 2 minutes.
3. Add chicken and cook in dressing for 7 minutes. Add broccoli and cook another 4 minutes, or until chicken is completely cooked.
4. Add tomatoes and half of the mozzarella cheese to skillet; stir to mix lightly. Cook until heated through.
5. Add pasta to skillet, and stir to combine. Sprinkle with remaining Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

Serve and enjoy!

Monster Cookies

2010-06-09T05:33:00.000-07:00

My kids absolutely LOVE these cookies!
This is a great recipe to have your kiddos help you make.
They are very easy to make and pretty much fail-proof.
A few things, I have used both creamy and crunchy Peanut butter for this recipe and both turned out great. The Crunchy is going to give you more of a chunky and crunchy cookie. Also, I always use the quick rolled oats when baking cookies, they will be more chewy this way.
The cookies might look slightly underdone when you take out and press the M&M's in them, but as they cool they will be perfectly soft and chewy.
I have made these for church bake sales, and they are always a huge it!
These Monster cookies are Super fun to make and eat.

Monster Cookies

What you Need:

1/2 c butter, softened

1 3/4 C peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)

1 1/3 C brown sugar

1 C sugar

1 Tbsp corn syrup

1/2 Tbsp vanilla

2 tsp baking soda

3 eggs

1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

4 1/2 C quick rolled oats

M & M’s

How To Make:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet pan with Parchment paper or lightly grease with non-stick spray.

2. Mix all ingredients together until well combined, don't put the M&M's in yet they will be used after the cookies are baked.

3. For bigger cookies use a 1/4 cup measuring scoop, for smaller cookies use a cookie scoop and roll the dough into a ball and place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes Be careful not to over bake.

4. As soon as the cookies come out of oven, press M & M’s into the top of the cookies.

5. Before serving or eating wait for the cookies to cool.

Enjoy!

Sloppy Joes

2010-06-07T18:49:00.001-07:00

A classic Weeknight meal
that the whole family enjoys!
This is very quick to make and I almost always have the ingredients on hand.
I always use ground turkey in this recipe and love the results.
Napkins are always good to serve with this meal, as it can get messy!

Sloppy Joes

What you Need:
-1 lb. ground beef OR ground turkey
-1 small onion, chopped
-1/2 cup celery
-12 oz tomato sauce
-1/2 cup ketchup
-1 Tbsp brown sugar
-1 teaspoon dry mustard
-1/4 tsp. salt
-1/8 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
-1 Tbsp. vinegar

How to Make:
1. Brown Beef OR Turkey with onion and celery.
2. Add remaining ingredients.
3. Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes or until most liquid is gone.
4. Serve on toasted buns.

Enjoy!

Honey BBQ Boneless Ribs

2010-06-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

These Honey BBQ Boneless Ribs are Delicious!

My Husbands all-time Favorite.
I have used pork ribs and beef boneless ribs, both turned out very good.
This is a very easy recipe, broil meat then just throw all of the ingredients in the crockpot and let it cook.
I made this meal the other night when we had company over for a Sunday dinner, and it was a perfect crowd pleaser!
I served the ribs with this simple and delicious side dish recipe for Grilled Vegetables.

Honey BBQ Boneless Ribs

-4 lbs extra lean country style Boneless Ribs
-3 cups water
-4 tsp. beef bouillon granules (or Shirley J Beef Bouillon)
-4 Tablespoons maple syrup
-4 Tablespoons honey
-4 Tablespoon soy sauce
-1 tsp. dry mustard
-18 oz bottle of favorite BBQ sauce (OR made up Shirley J BBQ Seasoning)

How to Make:

1. Turn oven on to Broil. Place ribs on a broil pan or cookie sheet. Broil the ribs in the oven for 15-20 minutes, to broil off excess fat.

2. Combine all ingredients in a crockpot, except for bottle of BBQ sauce(save that for the end). Mix until all combined. Place ribs on top, you can also sprinkle on some salt and pepper.

3. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. The ribs should fall apart when done.

4. When done, drain off most of the liquid (leaving maybe 1/2 cup of liquid left in the crockpot with the ribs). Now, pour your favorite BBQ sauce on top of the ribs. Turn the ribs around until all covered with the BBQ sauce.

5. Eat and Enjoy!!

Best EVER Banana Bread

2010-06-02T18:04:00.001-07:00

When are little family lived in Columbus, OH during our medical school years.
We made many life long friends.
We all made a Columbus Friends Cookbook.
Many of my favorite recipes are from this cook book, this Banana Bread recipe is one of them.
I have tried many other Banana Bread recipes none compare to this one.
It is by far the BEST EVER Banana Bread recipe.
And it also reminds me of my sweet friend Margo who is a great cook!

*Tip-the bread will be much sweeter if the Bananas you use are very ripe, like almost all brown ripe.*

Best EVER Banana Bread
Makes 2 loaves

What you Need:
-1 cup butter
-2 cups sugar
-4 large eggs
-2 tsp. vanilla
-2 tsp. lemon juice
-1 cup sour cream
-2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 really ripe bananas)
-3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
-1 tsp. baking soda
-2 tsp. baking powder

Topping:
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

How To Make:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two bread pans.

2. Mix butter and sugar together until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla until well combined. Blend in lemon juice, sour cream, and mashed bananas.

3. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix in with other ingredients until just combined, do not over mix.

4. Pour batter into the two greased bread pans.

5. Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon for the topping. Sprinkle on top of batter.

6. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until knife inserted come out with just a few wet crumbs.

Recipe Source: My good friend Margo :-)

Tacos Supreme

2010-05-24T18:38:00.000-07:00

Tacos are a staple weeknight meal at our home, we have them at least 2 times a month.
I used to buy the Taco seasoning packets at the grocery, but then came across this recipe over on My Kitchen Cafe.
I will never buy the packets again. This recipe is just as easy, taste's so much better, and save's a little bit of money!
We also like to serve the Tacos with Cilantro Mexican Rice.
Enjoy!

Tacos Supreme

Heat in a medium skillet over medium heat:
2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Add:
3/4 cup chopped onion

Cook, stirring often, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add:

1 pound ground beef OR ground turkey

Cook, breaking up the meat, until it is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in:
1 to 3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt to taste ( about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon)

Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add:
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
Optional: add a few dashes of hot pepper sauce to taste or canned jalapenos OR just leave out the heat altogether.

Cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat for 10 minutes or until there is no more liquid left in the meat mixture.

Serve meat in taco shells (hard or soft) and your choice of toppings.

Source: Adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

Mexican Cilantro Rice

2010-05-23T16:11:00.000-07:00

This is our Family's Favorite side to accompany any Mexican dish.
The cilantro gives it that extra something and makes it taste so fresh.
I love it because it is so easy to make and tastes like you are out at a Mexican restaurant.
For our family of four, we always finish the rice off. When I have company over I always double it.

Mexican Cilantro Rice

Serves 4 as a side dish

2 Tbsp Olive oil or vegetable oil
1 C long grain white rice
2 C chicken broth

1/2 cup of cilantro, minced

1 small can tomato juice
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the rice. Stir frequently and slightly brown the rice (more like, make it tan) over a medium high heat. Add the chicken broth. Add the tomato juice. Add some salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly. Reduce heat to simmer and cover tightly with a lid. Stir’ the mixture several times while it’s cooking by just shaking/moving the skillet back and forth so that I don’t take the lid off.) Simmer/cook for about 20 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed. Once the liquid has been absorbed, turn off the heat and stir in minced cilantro, leave mixture alone with the lid on it for another 10-15 minutes or so.

Serve and Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Cacciatore

2010-05-19T05:41:00.000-07:00

Classic Chicken Cacciatore recipes are usually a all day-long stewed affair, and usually call for the whole chicken.
This recipe is a quick, weeknight dish that gets plenty of flavor from garlic, fresh basil, mushrooms, red pepper, and chicken breasts. But yet still has the yummy flavor of a stewed all day Cacciatore.
We like to serve this dish a long side pasta, or mashed potatoes, and a green salad.
So good!

Easy Chicken Cacciatore

Serves 4

Ingredients:

-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)

-salt and pepper

-2 Tablespoons olive oil

-1/2 cup onion, chopped fine

-1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

-9 small mushrooms, quartered

-2 garlic cloves, minced

-1 14.5 oz diced tomatoes

-1/4 cup cooking red wine

-1/4 cup minced fresh basil

How To Make:

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side(the chicken will NOT be cooked through yet). Transfer to plate.

2. Add onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms to skillet and cook until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, wine, and browned chicken along with any accumulated juices and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes.

3. Transfer chicken to serving platter and tent with foil. Simmer sauce, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in basil and season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken. Serve.

Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Source: Adapted from Cook's Country

Tender Pork Chops with Caramelized Apples and Onions

2010-05-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

I love when I find a new way to cook Pork Chops, I get so bored with the recipes I have. This recipe is so very good, and makes a pork chops look kind of pretty!
We have now made it a few times and will continue to make it.
This is a great make-ahead meal, which is great for us busy mom's and dad's. I will usually make it in the early afternoon then it cooks for 3 hours. All I have to do is make the potatoes and steam some fresh broccoli, and then maybe cut up some fresh fruit to go along with it.
Thank you Melanie over at My Kitchen Cafe for yet another delicious meal!

Tender Pork Chops with Caramelized Apples and Onions
serves 4

Ingredients / how to make the Pork:

4 bone-in pork loin chops (at least 1/2-inch thick)
2-3 granny smith apples, peeled and sliced about 1/4-inch thick
1-2 yellow onions, sliced
1/3 cup brown sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Place the onion slices in an even layer over the bottom of the dish. Top the onion slices with the apples. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the apples and onions. Season the pork chops generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange the pork chops in a single layer on top of the apples and onions. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake in the preheated oven for three hours. Do not open the oven and lift the foil – the pork chops, apples and onions need to be tightly covered the whole time to not dry out.

Serve each pork chop with Parmesan smashed potatoes and topped with the apples and onions.

Ingredients / how to make the Potatoes:

Parmesan and Garlic Smashed Potatoes

5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, rinsed and diced
2 teaspoons salt

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons butter
¾ cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
4-5 cloves roasted garlic (trim the pointy end off a head of garlic, place sprout-side down on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil, fold sides of foil up to enclose the garlic completely and cook in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the garlic is tender; the cloves squeeze right out of their skins when they are ready)

In a large pot, place the potatoes and cover with water (by at least two inches). Add the salt. Bring to a boil, and cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and return to the hot pot. Begin mashing the potatoes. Add the butter and mash in to the potatoes. Add the milk, cheese, roasted garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Mash until the potatoes are smooth. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Source: Melanie's recipe over on My Kitchen Cafe

East Hampton Clam Chowder

2010-05-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

It has been cold and rainy the last few days here, a nice warm chowder is a great meal to warm up my family.
This Clam chowder is more like a clam stew with vegetables.
Instead of the usual heavy cream texture, this is a bit lighter and more flavorful. But yet it will definitely take care of your clam chowder craving.
Serve with fresh bread and a green salad and you have a filling simply delicious meal.

East Hampton Clam Chowder
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
-12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
-2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
-2 cups medium -diced celery, (4 stalks)
-2 cups medium-diced carrots, (6 carrots)

-4 cups peeled medium-diced boiling potatoes (8 medium sized potatoes)

-1 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
-1 teaspoon kosher salt

-1/2 teaspoon pepper
-3 cups clam juice

-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
-2 cups milk
-3 cups chopped clams (3 cans)

How To Make:
1. Melt 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of the butter in a large heavy-bottomed stock-pot. Add the onions and cook over medium -low heat for 10 minutes, or until translucent. Add the celery, carrots, potatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper and saute' for 10 more minutes. Add the clam juice, bring to a boil, and simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

2. In a small pot, melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter and whisk in the flour. Cook over very low heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in a cup of the hot broth and then pour this mixture back into the cooked vegetables. Simmer for a few minutes until the broth is thickened.

3. Add the milk and clams and heat gently for a few minutes to cook the clams. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Source: 'Barefoot Contessa Family Style' cookbook

Lemon Chicken Stir-fry wth Pasta

2010-05-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

This is a delicious quick week night meal,
that requires no Oven baking for those warm days ahead.
I loved how this stir-fry is served on top of Angel Hair Pasta instead of the typical rice. If you do not have the pasta you can still serve this on top of rice for great results.
The lemon sauce is very refreshing and light without being over powerful, a perfect complement to the chicken and vegies.
This meal was a hit at our house and will be made many times this summer.

Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry with Pasta
4 servings

Ingredients:
-8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
-1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
-1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into 1 inch pieces
-1 medium onion, cut into 8 wedges
-2 cups of broccoli flowerets
-1/2 cup sugar snap peas
-1 cup chicken broth
-1 Tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves
-1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
-1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
-4 teaspoons cornstarch
-1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
-1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half

How to Make:
1-Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

2-While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a skillet over medium high-heat. Add chicken and onion; stir-fry 6-8 minutes or until chicken is slightly browned and cooked through.

3-Add broccoli and pea pods to chicken mixture. Cook over medium -high heat for 4 -5 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegies are crisp-tender.

4-In a mixing bowl combine, chicken broth, thyme, lemon peel, lemon juice, cornstarch, and lemon pepper. Stir suace into the chicken and vegie mixture in the skillet. Cook over medium heat for 1 -2 minutes or until suace is thickened and vegies are coated.

5-Stir in tomatoes: cook until thoroughly heated. Serve over pasta.

Enjoy!

Lemon - Butter Salmon & Broccoli Penne

2010-05-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite ways to cook Salmon.
It is very easy and quick and with the pasta and broccoli combined with the Salmon, you have a complete meal that is Healthy and light.
I found this recipe a few years ago in Fitness Magazine.
Serve this dish along with some fresh fruit and you have a very refreshing and healthy meal.

Lemon-Butter Salmon & Broccoli Penne

Ingredients:

2-3 Salmon Fillets (salt and peppered)
3 cups of dry whole-wheat pasta or multi-grain
2-3 cups of cup up Broccoli
1 tbsp of butter
1/2 cup low-sodium Vegie broth
1 lemon juiced and zested
2 tbsp of corn starch mixed with 1/4 cup of the Vegie Broth
2 garlic cloves, minced

How to Make:
1. Broil or Grill Salmon for about 8 minutes or until done.
2. Cook Pasta according to package directions. When pasta is almost done add broccoli and cook another 2-3 minutes.
3. Whisk together melted butter, broth, lemon zest and juice, and garlic in a saucepan. When slightly boiling add the cornstarch mixture. Cook until thick. Toss the sauce with the drained pasta and broccoli. Serve pasta and add Salmon to the side or on top.
4. I also like to add some Parmesan Cheese on top of all.

Enjoy!

Source: Adapted slightly from Fitness Magazine

Orange Broccoli Beef

2010-05-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

This is a yummy Chinese meal that is very close to what you would get by going out to a Chinese Restaurant.
Crispy strips of beef coated with a delicious orange sauce served with steamed fresh Broccoli and served over Steamed rice.
Probably the biggest challenge of this dish is getting the strips of beef crispy. The best way is to cook the beef in batches and not all at one time. Also before you cook the beef make sure it has been sitting with the cornstarch on it for a good 30 minutes.
The sauce is simple to make and you could be putting it together as the beef and cornstarch sit.
Our family really enjoyed this meal the orange sauce is very good and makes the Beef and Broccoli taste so Yummy!

Orange Broccoli Beef
4-5 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2lbs beef top sirloin (sliced into thin strips)
¼ cup cornstarch
3/4 cup oil (for frying beef)
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons orange zest
3 tablespoons fresh ginger (grated) or 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 ½ tablespoons garlic (minced)
1 bunch green onions (sliced)
Broccoli florets (steamed crisp)
1 cup long grain rice (cooked)

How To Make:
1: Coat beef strips with cornstarch and allow to sit for 30 minutes. In a small bowl mix sugar, rice vinegar, orange juice, salt, and soy sauce. Set aside.
2: Heat oil in a deep fry pan (or wok) to 375 degrees. Fry beef strips in batches until crispy and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.
3: Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a wok, add orange zest, ginger and garlic, stir fry for 20 seconds. Add the soy sauce mixture to the wok, bring to a boil, and cook until the mixture has thickened. Coat the beef strips with the sauce, top with green onions. Serve with broccoli florets and on top of rice.

Enjoy!

Source: Adapted From BlogChef

Lemon Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-04-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

This Lemon cake is Very Easy and Quick to make.
It is also so Yummy!
The Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting makes this cake irresistible.
The Cake is very soft and moist, just how you would want a lemon cake to be.
A perfect Spring or Summer dessert. This recipe makes a lot, so perfect for sharing with others or taking to a fun event.

Lemon Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
makes one cookie sheet pan

Cake Ingredients:
-1 lemon cake mix
-4 eggs
-1 can lemon pie filling

Mix the cake mix and the eggs together in a electric mixer. Mix on Medium speed for four minutes. With a spatula hand mix in pie filling until well combined. This dough is very sticky. Spread onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
-1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese
-1/4 butter, softened
-1 juice of one lemon
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-3-4 cups confectioners' sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter until completely combined. Then add lemon juice, and vanilla extract together until smooth and fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time until you get the consistency you like. It should be very creamy.

Frost the Lemon Sheet cake with the Cream Cheese Frosting. Garnish with fresh berries.
Enjoy!

Shrimp, Feta and Fresh Herb Mac and Cheese

2010-04-26T05:18:00.000-07:00

My oldest son Loves Shrimp and pasta, and is always asking for it.
When I can across this recipe, I knew that it would be a hit at our house. It sure was! Everyone had seconds and my oldest son had thirds.
The original recipe calls for Gruyere cheese, I ended up using shredded Provolone cheese instead. You can also substitute Gruyere cheese for Swiss cheese.
This dish was very flavorful and a perfect Spring or Summer meal. I served it with a green salad, sliced strawberries, fresh french bread, and Lemonade.

Shrimp, Feta and Fresh Herb Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:
1 lb. pasta shapes
1 lb. raw shrimp (31-40 ct.), peeled and deveined, cut in half (if desired)
7 oz. feta cheese, crumbled and divided
Zest of 1 lemon, divided
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped, divided
5 tbsp. butter, divided
4 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
2 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
8 oz. Gruyere or Provolone, or Swiss cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to the package directions. Drain well; set aside. Add the raw shrimp to the warm pasta and toss together. The heat from the pasta will partially cook the shrimp.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400˚ F.

3. For the Crumb Topping: In a small bowl, combine a handful of the feta, a pinch of the lemon zest, the panko, 2 teaspoons of the parsley and 1 tablespoon of the butter, melted. Toss with a fork to combine; set aside.

4. In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour to form a paste. Cook 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly, until light golden brown. Whisk in the milk. Continue to heat the mixture, stirring frequently, until it bubbles and thickens, about 5 minutes. As soon as the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and stir in the remaining feta, 2 cups of shredded cheese, remaining parsley, remaining lemon zest, dill, salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the pasta and shrimp; toss well to coat.

5. Transfer the mixture to a 2½-3 quart baking dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumb-feta mixture evenly over the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Source: adapted from Annie"s Eats

Homemade Oreo Cookies

2010-04-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

Homemade Oreo's are always a Big hit at our house!
With three boys in the house, they eat these yummy cookies up fast. Let's be honest, I have a few myself.
Two soft chocolate cookies with rich cream cheese frosting sandwiched between.
What's not to love?
This recipe is easy enough to let your kiddos help, if you choose.
A glass of milk will be perfect to go a long side these Oreo's.
Yum.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

Chocolate Cookie:
-2 devils food cake mixes
-4 beaten eggs
-1 cup of oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees. Prepare a cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper or grease with non-stick spray.
2. In a medium mixing bowl mix all three above ingredients until well combined. Roll into about 1 1/2 inch balls. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 6-9 minutes.
3. Take out and cool completely before adding filling.

Cream Cheese Frosting Filling:
1 - stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 - 8oz package cream cheese
3-4 cups - confectioner's sugar (depending on desired consistency)
1 - tsp vanilla extract

1. Cream butter and cream cheese add vanilla and mix well. Add confectioner's sugar slowly until you reach your desired consistency.
2. Spread 2-3 Tablespoons of frosting in between each cookie.

Store cookie's in an air tight container to keep moist.

Enjoy!

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2010-04-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

This chicken is Delicious!
The creamy spinach and cheese filling is very good and so easy to make.
This is also a very Healthy meal when you use low-fat or fat-free feta and ricotta cheese. I also used Italian seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs that made the Chicken taste even better.
I served this chicken with steamed broccoli and rolls.

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

makes 4-6 servings

What you need:
-10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and juice squeezed out OR 4 cups of fresh chopped spinach
-1 tsp olive oil
-1/2 cup (2.5 oz) low fat Feta cheese
-1/3 cup low fat ricotta cheese
-1/4 cup chopped parsley
-1/4 cup chopped scallions
-1/2 onion, chopped
-2 cloves garlic
-salt and pepper
-3 (1.25 lbs) chicken breast halves
-1 egg
-1 tbsp water
-1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (I used whole grain Italian seasoned breadcrumbs)
-spray oil

How to Make:
1. In a small sauté pan, heat oil. Add onions, garlic and scallions and sauté about 1 minute. Add spinach and parsley, salt and pepper and cook another minute. Remove from heat, add feta and ricotta cheese.

2. Preheat oven to 350°.

3. Slice chicken breast halves in half length wise so they will be thin cutlets. Pound them to make them thinner. This helps when you wrap the cutlets. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

4. Place just under 1/4 cup of spinach mixture in the center of the chicken. Roll it and secure the ends with toothpicks to prevent filling from coming out ( I actually did not use toothpicks, I just rolled the chicken and let the sides of the roll stay open, and it turned out great). It's ok if it's not perfect. The egg wash and breadcrumbs keep everything in place.

5. Dip chicken into egg wash, then breadcrumbs.

6. Spray cookie sheet with oil and place chicken on cookie sheet. Lightly spray chicken with oil and bake about 25- 30 minutes, until cooked through. Remove toothpicks and serve.

ENJOY!

Source: Adapted from Gina's WW Recipes

Blondies

2010-04-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am blond
and I love me some Blondies!
These little bars are so very good.
Butterscotch chips are usually used in blondies, this recipe uses White chocolate chips.
I think it gives the blondies a deeper and richer flavor and really brings out the brown sugar from the cookie base.
These are so very easy to make, hand mixes up in 10 minutes bakes in 25.
A great recipe to have your little kiddos help you with, if you choose.
Don't forget to eat these with a glass of cold milk, YUMMY!

Blondies
makes 24 in a 13 by 9 baking pan

What You Need:
-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 teaspoon salt

-1 teaspoon Baking Powder
-12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
-1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
-2 large eggs
-4 teaspoons vanilla extract
-1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
-1/2 cup white chocolate chips
-1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

How to make:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13 by 9 inch baking pan with foil or Parchment paper, and then grease the foil or parchment paper with Pam spray.

2. In a medium bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the butter and brown sugar together. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until combined. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Stir in the chips and nuts.

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the blondies until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 22-25 minutes.

5. Let the Blondies cool completely in the pan for about 2 hours. Remove the blondies from the pan, cut into squares and Enjoy!

Source: America's Test Kitchen

Chicken Artichoke Pesto Calzones

2010-04-13T05:20:00.000-07:00

These Calzones are Amazingly Good!

The pizza dough recipe that I used to make these Calzones made the meal as good as if we were eating at a pizzeria.
I served the Calzones with warm (pre-made) Alfredo sauce for dipping, and a green salad.
For my two little boys I made them their own mini cheese pizzas, they are not into Artichoke and Pesto yet.
Once you get your pizza dough made, they really do not take long at all to make. I do have to say though making your own pizza dough from scratch is well worth with effort.

Chicken Artichoke Pesto Calzones
Serves 8

2½ pounds pizza dough (you can use your favorite pizza dough OR the recipe I use I have at the bottom of this post)

1 cup pesto
1 cup frozen artichokes, defrosted and roughly chopped
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella or fontina cheese
olive oil for brushing

1. Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Turn the risen dough out onto an unfloured work surface. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces. Gently reshape each piece of dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel, and let the dough rest at least 15 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.

2. Working with one piece of dough at a time and keeping the other pieces covered, stretch and pull the dough into a 7- to 8-inch round. Set it aside while you stretch out the remaining rounds of dough. You’ll want to form and fill just four at a time, and then work on the other four while the first set bakes. (Cooks Illustrated stacks the rounds with squares of parchment paper)

3. Spread 2 tablespoons pesto onto each round of dough, leaving about a 1-inch border around the edge. Divide the toppings evenly between the eight dough rounds, forming a pile in the center of the bottom half of each dough round and leaving a 1-inch border uncovered.

4. Fold the top half of the dough over the filling-covered bottom half, leaving ½-inch border uncovered. With your fingertips, lightly press around the silhouette of the filling and out to the edge to lightly seal the dough shut.

5. Beginning at one end of the seam, place your index finger diagonally across the edge and gently pull the bottom layer of the dough over the tip of your index finger; press into the dough to seal. Repeat the process until the calzone is fully sealed.

6. With a pastry brush, brush the tops and sides of the calzones with olive oil. Carefully transfer the calzones to parchment paper; Bake on a cookie sheet or baking stone. Bake until the calzones are golden brown, about 11 minutes; Remove the calzones from the parchment, cool 5 minutes, and serve. While the first batch of calzones bakes, form the second batch and bake them after removing the first batch from the oven.

Basic Pizza Dough Recipe:

-4 cups of Bread flour

-2 1/4 teaspoons instant or rapid rise yeast

-1 1/2 teaspoons salt

-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

-1 1/2 cups of warm water (110 degrees)

1.With a stand mixer combine flour, yeast, and salt together.

2. With the mixer running, pour the oil, then the water slowly into the flour mixture until a rough ball forms 30 to 40 seconds. Stop the mixer and let dough rest for 2 minutes. Turn back on the mixer for 30 seconds to 1 minute longer. The dough should be sticky and cling to the blade, add 1/4 cup more flour if needed to make a smooth dough. Form dough into a round ball place in a large oiled bowl (I spray it with Pam). Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (1 to 1 1/2 hours).

**Note** Using bread flour is what gives the crust a more Pizzeria taste, it is chewy once baked and spreads more thinly while forming it into a pizza round. You can substitute all-purpose flour or whole wheat four but it will not taste as good.

ENJOY!

Big Beautiful Blueberry Muffins

2010-04-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in a baking book my mother- in- law gave me called,
The America's Test Kitchen- Family Baking Book.
They turned out so good, my family loved them. A yummy addition to our dinner, and then the leftovers for the next morning's breakfast.
These muffins do turn out very BIG, moist, and really smooth and chewy texture.
You can also substitute the blueberries for poppy seeds for a lemon poppy seed muffin.
Enjoy!

Big Beautiful Blueberry Muffins

What You Need:

-3 cups of all-purpose flour
-1 cup sugar
-1 Tablespoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 1/2 cups low-fat or fat-free plain yogurt (I used Stonyfield Organic)
-2 large eggs
-8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
-1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries
-1 tablespoon flour
-1 tablespoon grated fresh lemon zest (optional)

How to Make:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin(I use Pam non-stick spray).

2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In another bowl whisk the yogurt,eggs, and fresh lemon zest together until smooth. Gently fold the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture, until just combined, then fold in the melted butter.

3. In a seperete bowl mix the 1 Tablespoon of flour with the blueberries. (if using frozen blueberries DO NOT thaw). Mix just until the blue berries are covered with the flour.
Gently stir in the blueberries into the batter.

4. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, portion the batter into each muffin cup. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes.

5. Let the muffins cool for at least 5 minutes in the pan, before flip out. Let cool at least 10 more minutes then serve.

Honey Roasted Chicken

2010-04-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

This is a very nice Spring meal.
It has a simple glaze that makes the chicken really moist and flavorful.
The 'passing sauce' that is made after the chicken is done finishes off the chicken amazingly.
I served this chicken with mashed potatoes, vegie medley, and Big Beautiful blueberry muffins.
Enjoy!

Honey Roasted Chicken

What you Need:

1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
2 whole chickens (3 1/2 to 4 pounds each), giblets discarded
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup honey
5 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces and chilled

How To Make:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and make sure the oven rack is in the middle of the oven. In a small bowl combine the salt, pepper and paprika. Pat the chickens dry with paper towels and rub the spice mixture under the skin and over the outside of each chicken. Tuck the wings behind the back and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

2. Stir the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl until no lumps remain; set aside. In a small saucepan bring the honey and 4 tablespoons vinegar to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until the mixture is reduced to about 1/2 cup, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly whisk the cornstarch mixture into the glaze. Return to a simmer and cook for one minute.

3. Arrange the chickens, breast side down, on a V-rack set inside a roasting pan. Roast until the chickens are golden, about 35 minutes. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and carefully with a wad of paper towels, flip the chickens so that they are breast side up. Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Pour 1 cup water and the broth into the roasting pan. Return the roasting pan to the oven and roast until the thigh meat registers 165 to 170 degrees, about 35-45 minutes. Brush the chickens evenly with a thick layer of the glaze (you’ll have some remaining to brush on later) and continue to roast until the glaze is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and brush with the remaining glaze and let it rest for 15 minutes (this is important – if the chicken is cut too quickly, all the delicious juices will escape and the meat will be dry).

4. While the chicken is resting, pour pan juices and any accumulated chicken juices into a saucepan and skim any fat. Stir in the thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened and reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Off the heat whisk in the butter and remaining vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Carve the chickens and serve, passing the sauce at the table.

Recipe Source: My Kitchen Cafe

Monkey Bread Mini's

2010-03-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

This recipe is a very Easy way to make the
all-famous Monkey Bread.
So easy that I usually have my two kiddos help me do it. They love to help and EAT these really tasty treats.
They are sweet, gooey, cinnamon-y, and a little crispy on the outside very
Yummy!

Monkey Bread Mini's
Makes 12 muffins OR 6 Jumbo Muffins

2 tubes of Pillsbury Refrigerated french bread dough
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup brown sugar

1. Spray your muffin tin with non-stick spray. Cut in small cubes so in total you should have around 80 little pieces of dough. In a bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Dip each piece of dough into the cinnamon-sugar mixture until totally covered. Divide evenly between the muffin cups. In a saucepan boil the butter and brown sugar. Spoon about a teaspoon of the brown sugar/butter mixture over each muffin cup. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes or until baked through.

Option: You can drizzle icing over the tops of the muffins after they get out of the oven. (mix 1 cup of powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of milk)

These taste the best when hot and fresh out of the oven!

Enjoy!

Shrimp Fried Rice

2010-03-26T17:58:00.000-07:00

I always love eating out at Japanese Steak house's where they cook the food in front of you on a huge grill. The fried rice is always so yummy.
To make this home made fried rice I use my biggest skillet pan and it works just fine.
The recipe calls for Shrimp, however, I have used chicken, beef and pork before. Just make sure you cut the meat very thin before cooking.
This is a fun meal to make, and eat!
Enjoy!

Shrimp Fried Rice

What you need:
1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil, divided
3 eggs, beaten
2 stalks green onions, minced
4 cups steamed white or brown rice
¾ cup frozen peas and carrots, defrosted
1 tbsp. soy sauce
Few drops sesame oil

How To Make:
1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the shrimp, salt, pepper and cornstarch, and toss well to coat the shrimp. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. When a drop of water immediately sizzles and evaporates, the pan is hot enough to add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Swirl to coat the pan well.

2. Add the shrimp to the hot pan and quickly spread them out so that they are in a single layer, and all touching the pan surface. (You may need to do this in two batches to ensure even cooking.) Let them cook untouched for 30 seconds, then flip over (tongs work well for this) and let cook for 30 more seconds, so that the shrimp are about 80% cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside.

3. Lower the heat on the pan to medium. Add the eggs to the pan and stir quickly, to break up and scramble the eggs. When the eggs are almost cooked through but still slightly runny in the middle, remove from the pan to the same plate as the shrimp.

3. Use paper towels to wipe the pan clean and return the pan to high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, swirling to coat. Once the oil is very hot, add the green onions to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the rice to the pan and mix well to combine with the green onions. Spread the rice out evenly over the pan and let cook without stirring, until you hear the rice grains sizzle, about 1 to 2 minutes. Toss the rice a bit with your spatula, and again spread it out over the cooking surface.

4. Drizzle the soy sauce all over the rice, and toss again. Add the peas and carrots, the cooked shrimp and eggs, and the sesame oil to the pan. Toss to combine all the ingredients well with the rice. Let everything heat back up again until the rice grains are sizzling again. Add additional soy sauce to taste, if needed. Serve.

Source: adapted from Simply Recipes

Simple Chicken Tortilla Soup

2010-03-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

I love this recipe!
It is so easy to throw together, it is very healthy, and it is so very delicious.
I like getting the MILD green enchilada sauce, but if you like more of a 'zing' in your Tortilla soup you can go for Medium.
A Perfectly Simple week night meal for any time of the year.
Enjoy!

Simple Chicken Tortilla Soup

What you Need:

-4 cups of Cooked Chicken
-2 cans of great Northern Beans
-5 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
-1 large can OR 2 small cans of MILD GREEN enchilada sauce
-1 1/2 cups of frozen sweet white corn
-1/2 cup chopped cilantro

How to Make:

1. I cook my chicken by boiling 3-4 chicken breasts in water. When cooked, I wash the chicken and chop it up.

2. Put all of the ingredients (except cilantro) into a pot and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in Cilantro.

3. Serve with desired topping: shredded cheese, tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream. . .what ever you like. (I like to keep mine simple with just tortilla chips crushed over the top)

Baja Tilapia Tacos

2010-03-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

Summer is just around the corner and I am starting to think of warm summer evenings and healthy and refreshing meals.
This is a very easy and very good fish taco recipe.
You can always adjust the toppings to your liking.
I really like the Tilapia in this recipe, it is very healthy and I can almost always find it on sale at our local grocery store.

The sauce gives the tacos the Baja flavor, very good.

Baja Tilapia Tacos

Sauce:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 package Taco Seasoning Mix
COMBINE sour cream, mayonnaise, cilantro and 2 tablespoons seasoning mix in small bowl.

Fish:
1 pound Tilapia -- cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 package taco seasoning
2 tablespoons lemon juice
COMBINE Tilapia, olive oil, lemon juice and remaining seasoning mix in medium bowl; pour into large skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with fork.

Toppings:
1 pkg taco size four tortillas
shredded cabbage
chopped tomato
lime juice
Taco Sauce

Fill taco shells with fish mixture. Top with cabbage, tomato and sour cream mixture, lime juice and taco sauce.

Enjoy!

Colored Velvet Cup Cakes

2010-03-17T17:51:00.000-07:00

These are Very Yummy Mini Cup Cakes!
You can use whatever colored decorating paste you want depending on the color you are after. I think it would be very cute to make little pink or blue ones for a baby shower or orange for Halloween, Yellow for Easter, the possibilities are endless :-).
I use Wilton brand Decorating paste you can buy at Micheals, Hobby Lobby, or any store that carries the Wilton baking line.
You could also make regular sized cupcakes with this recipe.
Have fun!

Colored Velvet Cup Cakes

Makes 36 mini cup-cakes

What you Need:

1 Box yellow cake mix

4 eggs

1/2 Cup water

1/2 Cup vegetable oil

1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix

1/2 Cup plain yogurt or sour cream

5-8 drops of your color of decorating paste (Pink, Green, Orange, Yellow, Blue. . . )

Frosting:

8 oz softened cream cheese

1 stick softened butter

1 lb powdered sugar

Colored Sugar Sprinkles if desired

How To Make:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, add cake mix, eggs, water, oil, pudding, and yogurt. Beat on medium for 1 1/2 minutes. Slowly beat in 5-8 drops of green decorating paste until you get desired color of green. Scoop batter into paper lined mini cupcake tins. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool completely.

2. To prepare frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Slowly add powdered sugar until creamy and thick.

3. Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with colored sugar if desired.

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: Adapted from Picky Palate

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

2010-03-10T19:03:00.000-08:00

This meal is a simple and nice change from the classic layered Lasagna.
A low-fat vegetarian dish, but yet is very filling and hearty.
As a family we all really enjoy these rolls, they are very delish!
Serve with garlic bread and a fresh green salad.
Very Yummy.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls
Makes 9 rolls

Ingredients:

-9 lasagna noodles, cooked
-10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained
-4 teaspoons olive oil
-1/2 cup finely chopped, onion
-4 garlic cloves, minced
-15 oz container of ricotta cheese
-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
-1 egg
-salt and pepper
-24 oz Marinara Sauce (I like to use the brand Classico- Tomato Basil)

How To Make:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spread about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish.

2. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, Mozzarella, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.

3. In a small sauce pan heat the oil and cook onion for about 5 minutes, add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Mix the cooked onions and garlic with the spinach and cheese mixture.

4. Place a piece of wax paper or foil on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over all the noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

5. Spread marinara sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with remaining mozzarella cheese. Tightly place foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Makes 9 rolls.

ENJOY!

Molten Chocolate Cake

2010-03-07T18:34:00.000-08:00

This cake is pretty much perfect!
Our family absolutely loves this recipe.
If you have ever had a molten Chocolate Cake at a restaurant, this recipe is just as good if not better.
It is also very simple to make, and cooks in only 13 minutes.
You can easily double the recipe for 8 servings, this is a great crowd pleaser.

Enjoy!

Molten Chocolate Cake
Makes 4 servings

For this Amazing Dessert you will need 4 (3/4 cup) custard cups or souffle' dishes. Like these:

Ingredients:

-4 squares Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
-1/2 cup butter (one stick)
-1 cup of powder sugar
-2 eggs
-egg yolks
-6 Tbsp. flour
-cool whip or Vanilla Ice Cream

How To Make:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter 4 (3/4 cup) custard or souffle' dishes. Place on a baking sheet.

2. In a medium size microwavable bowl, Microwave the chocolate and 1/2 cup butter ON high for 1 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir with a wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour just until mixed through. Divide batter between prepared custard cups.

3. Bake 13-14 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand 1 minute. Carefully run a small knife around the cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto desert dishes. Top with Vanilla Ice cream or whipped cream.

** NOTE ** Batter can be made a day ahead. Pour into prepared custard cups, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bake as directed.

Pork Carnitas

2010-03-04T17:42:00.000-08:00

I really love crock-pot meals!
This recipe is super easy to put together, and slow cooking the meat through out the day with the cumin and fresh citrus smells so good.
The meat turns out very moist and flavorful.
Makes very yummy tacos!

Pork Carnitas
6 servings

Ingredients:

2 - 4 pounds pork roast
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
7 cloves garlic (whole intact)
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 cup beef broth
corn tortillas
sour cream, salsa, cheese, lettuce

How To Make:

1. In a small bowl, combine the salt and cumin. Rub mixture all over the pork, then plop into a crock-pot OR slow cooker. Add whole garlic cloves. Squeeze on the citrus, and pour the beef broth evenly over the top.

2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the pork shreds quite easily with a fork.

3. Shred meat fully and serve on warmed corn tortillas with desired toppings.

Enjoy!

Simple Corn Muffins

2010-03-03T05:47:00.000-08:00

These corn muffins are a perfect addition to any meal!
They are very moist, light, and simply delicious.
Best served warm, with honey and butter. YUM!

Simple Corn Muffins
makes 12 muffins

What you need:
-2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 cup yellow cornmeal
-1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-3/4 cup sour cream
-3/4 cup sugar
-1/2 cup whole milk
-8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
-2 large eggs

How To Make:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin.

2. In a large bowl whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.

3. In a medium bowl whisk together the sour cream, sugar, milk, melted butter, and eggs until smooth.

4. Gently fold the sour cream mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.

5. Portion the batter into each muffin tin. Bake until golden brown about 15 - 20 minutes. Let muffins cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Chili Skillet

2010-02-25T19:29:00.000-08:00

This is one of our favorite weeknight meals for a few reasons.
It is very easy and quick to make.
Everything is cooked in one skillet pan, so that makes for a easy cleanup!
It will fill you up, and it is healthy.
I like to serve it with corn bread muffins,
a very yummy meal.

Chili Skillet
6 servings

Ingredients:
-1 pound ground beef, extra lean
-1/2 cup onion, chopped
-1 green pepper, chopped
-1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
-1 cup of water
-3 teaspoons of chili powder
-1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
-1/3 teaspoon black pepper
-2 cups of uncooked macaroni, (I like to use Barilla Plus brand)
-1 cup frozen corn

How To Make:
1. In a large skillet brown meat with onion, drain off fat.
2. Add green pepper, canned tomatoes with liquid, water, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then stir in macaroni noodles.
3. Simmer 25 minutes or until the macaroni noodles are cooked. Stir in corn; warm through.
ENJOY!

Cherry Turnovers

2010-02-23T15:43:00.000-08:00

We just celebrated my husbands 32nd Birthday!
His all time favorite dessert is Cherry pie.
So with a little creativity I made these yummy Turnovers instead of the traditional Cherry Pie.
The result was VERY Yummy!
You can also substitute the cherry pie filling for apple or blueberry filling.
The cream cheese crust really gives these turnovers a sweater taste.
We topped ours off with a scoop of vanilla Ice cream, yum.

Cherry Turnovers
Makes about 8 turnovers

FILLING:
-2 to 3 cans of cherry pie filling (Store bought or Homemade)

CREAM CHEESE CRUST:

-1½ cups (7½ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
-3 tsp granulated white sugar
-pinch of salt
-1 stick (4 ounces) cold, unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
-8 ounce package of cold cream cheese, roughly cut into tablespoons

EGG WASH:
-1 large egg yolk
-2 Tbs milk

(whisk together)

TOPPING:
-Cinnamon Sugar mix

TO MAKE:

1. Prepare crust: Place the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for 10 seconds to blend. Add the cold butter pieces and process for just a few seconds, until the mixture looks like crumbs. Add the cream cheese and pulse quickly about 25 times (or until a clump of dough has formed). If you do not have a food processor you can use a pastry cutter or large fork. Turn the clump of dough onto waxed paper and knead gently 2 to 3 times to bring dough together. Flatten into a 7-inch square. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 days).

2. Place the dough on wax paper. Roll into a square that is roughly 15×15. At this point, you can decide if you’d like to make round or square-shaped turnovers. If you make round (half-moon shape) turnovers, you can simply use the top of a 6-inch diameter bowl as your cutter. If you’d rather make square (triangle-shape) turnovers, use a chef’s knife to trim a 15-inch square. Mark 5-inch increments along all sides of the dough & with the ruler as a guide, cut the dough into nine 5-inch squares. Re-roll scraps as necessary.

3. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

4. Assemble Turnovers: Place cut-out dough onto prepared baking sheets. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the cherry pie filling onto each half- keeping it on one side and leaving about a ¼-inch border along the edge. Brush edges on the fruit side of the turnover with egg wash (egg & milk whisked together). Carefully fold the other side over the fruit and use a fork to press the edges together and seal them. Move baking sheets to refrigerator and chill for about 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F.

6. Bake Turnovers: Brush the tops of the turnovers with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Use the tip of a knife to carefully cut three slits in the top of each turnover to allow steam to escape during baking. Bake Turnovers for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

ENJOY!

Seasoned Thyme Pork Roast

2010-02-22T11:31:00.000-08:00

This pork roast has a really nice BBQ flavor to it.
We like to eat it with rolls, and make little sandwiches with the meat.
When cooked in the crockpot the meat is a lot more moist and falls apart easily. When cooked in the oven it is still yummy but is not as moist.
Very Good.

Seasoned Thyme Pork Roast

Ingredients:
-1 pork loin roast (around 3 lbs)
-2 onions, sliced
-3 Tablespoons olive oil
-1/2 cup Brown Sugar BBQ sauce
-1/2 cup apple juice
-2 Tablespoons of dried Thyme leaves

How to Make:

1. Preheat Oven to 350 OR prepare crockpot.

2. Brown Pork and onions in hot oil in a large ovenproof pot on medium-high heat 5 min. on each side.

3. In a bowl, combine BBQ sauce, apple juice, and thyme. Pour over pork in pot. Cover with a oven-proof lid. Simmer an additional 10 min. Then place in oven OR empty all in the crockpot.

4. Cook in Oven for 2 hours or until done. Crockpot cook on high for 4 hours.

Enjoy!

Linguine With Shrimp Scampi

2010-02-21T18:09:00.000-08:00

This is a very Light and Fresh tasting Meal.
I ripped this out of a Martha Stewart Magazines a few years ago, and have been making it ever since.
Serve with a green salad and fresh fruit.
We all love this meal at our house, it is very yummy!

Linguine With Shrimp Scampi
Adapted from a Martha Stewart Magazine

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 pounds linguine
-6 Tablespoons, unsalted butter
-5 Tablespoons, good olive oil
-3 Tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
-2 pounds large shrimp (about 32 shrimp), peeled and deveined
-1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
-3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
-grated zest of 1 lemon
-1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
-1/4 teaspoon, hot red pepper flakes
-grated Parmesan Cheese

How To Make:
1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the linguine noodles for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.

2. Meanwhile in another large skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Add the shrimp, 1 Tablespoon of salt, and the pepper. Saute shrimp until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

3. When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Garnish with Grated Parmesan Cheese.
Enjoy!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2010-02-19T18:27:00.000-08:00

My husband said that these were the BEST bar cookies he had EVER had!
Needless to say these are really very good bar cookies.
This recipe makes a lot, a yummy crowd pleaser.
If you want to make less, you can half the recipe and bake it in a 9 by 13 pan.
Enjoy!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

Makes a cookie sheet pan of bars

4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 sticks butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 large milk chocolate bar, chopped up
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.

3. Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, 45-50 minutes. DO NOT OVER COOK. They may seem undercooked, however when they cool they will be perfectly chewy. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

7- Layer Dip

2010-02-09T19:31:00.000-08:00

7 - Layer dip is so good!
A great appetizer to make for parties, or fun get-togethers with family and friends.
One thing that I don't like about the traditional 7 layer dip is the way you just plop the can of beans into the pan and them spread them around. That process just grosses me out. :-)
So I heat them in a pan and add a few yummy ingredients to make the beans a bit tastier.
The Pico De Gallo also makes this dip just that much tastier. You can see my Pico De Gallo recipe here.
This dip should be eaten with in 24 hours of making, it does not keep well after that.
I have never had many leftover past 24 hours anyways. This dip is eaten up fast!
ENJOY!

7 - Layer Dip

1st Layer-
-1 can of refried Beans
-1 small can of diced green chilies
-1/2 to 1 teaspoon of Tabasco (or other hot sauce)
-1/2 teaspoon of cumin
*Begin by putting the refried beans into a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the chilies, Tabasco, and cumin. Mix well.
*Spread into a glass pan, or larger plate.

2nd Layer-
-1 cup of Shredded Sharp cheddar cheese
*Layer on top of beans

3rd Layer-
-1 cup of sour cream (or enough to spread a complete layer)
*Layer on top of Cheese

4th Layer-
-2 avocados (mashes)
-3 spoon fulls of sour cream
-1 cup of pico de gallo
*Combine all together and make guacamole, add on top of sour cream layer.

5th Layer-
-1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese
*Layer on top of guacamole

6th Layer-
-chopped black olives

7th Layer-
- 1/2 cup of pico de gallo

Serve with Tortilla Chips and ENJOY!

Pico de Gallo

2010-02-09T18:02:00.001-08:00

I love Pico de Gallo!
It is fresh, healthy, and so easy to make.
You can serve it with Tortilla chips, add it to Guacamole, or 7-layer dip.
Yummy.

Pico de Gallo

-5 plum OR Roma tomatoes (firm, not soft)
- 1/2 large or 1 small onion
- 2 jalapeno peppers
- 1 medium bunch of cilantro
- 1/2 of a lime
- salt

How To Make:

1. Dice tomatoes and onions put in a bowl.

2. Cut the ends off of the jalapenos, scrape the seeds from the jalapenos and discard them. Dice the jalapenos, and to the tomato and onion mixture.

3. Now chop up the bunch of cilantro. You can cut off the long stems before you start, but there’s no need to peel the leaves from the stems. Add to the bowl

4. Squeeze half of the small lime into the bowl. Season with salt (to taste).

*Serve with Tortilla Chips.

*You can also add this mixture to 2 mashed avocados with one or two scoops of sour cream for a yummy Guacamole!

Empanadas From Luis

2010-02-07T18:24:00.001-08:00

A couple of years ago my oldest son loved watching Noggin, a television program for kids. One of his favorite shows was 'Cooking with Luis'.

Luis would go grocery shopping for his ingredients with his mom, then also with the help from his mom would make a dish following a recipe. This program got my oldest son so excited to cook. We went online and printed off all of his recipes from Noggin.com and started to make them together.

One of the recipes was this one, Empanadas. I have to be honest with you I was a little hesitant when I saw the list of ingredients. However, we made them together my son and I, and they turned out far better than I ever thought they would. These Empanadas are Delicious! My kids LOVE them and eat two each. We have now made them many times since and love them each time. They never get old.
I hope you give them a try, you will love them.

Empanadas from Luis
Makes 8

What you need:

1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 White Onion, chopped
1 pound of ground meat (Beef, Turkey, Pork, or Chicken)
4 Hardboiled Eggs, chopped
1 cup Spanish Olives OR Manzanilla Olives stuffed with Pimentos, minced
Salt & Pepper
1 teaspoon Cumin
Pastry Dough (I used Pillsbury Refrigerator)
1 Egg Yolk (raw)

How to Make:

1. Heat oil in a pan, when the oil is hot, add the red peppers and onions. Stir them around for 5 minutes. Now, slowly add the meat, and mix it all together. Make sure you don’t overcook the meat.

2. Now chop 4 eggs into bits. Stir the eggs into the meat. Pour it all into a big bowl.

3. Chop up the olives and add them to the mixture. Sprinkle a bit of pepper and a pinch of salt. Now add Cumin. Cumin gives the empanadas their special taste.

Pastry
On a dry table, with dry hands, roll out your pie crust. If using Pillsbury refrigerator dough, unroll both pie rounds from package. Now I used a regular table bowl for my 'dough cutter' to get the perfect round circle. You should be able to get 8 small circles out of the dough. You will have to re-roll the dough out a few times just like you would cookie dough.

Filling
Add some of the warm filling to the middle of a pastry circle. Fold it over all the way so the edges touch. For a perfect empanada, use a fork to make marks around the edges. Do the same for all the empanadas and put them on a baking sheet.

Bake

To make them golden brown, paint them with an egg yolk.
Cook at 350º F (180º C) and cook for 35 minutes.

We like to eat ours with Salsa on top.

Yummy! :-)

Chicken Tortellinni Soup

2010-01-30T19:58:00.000-08:00

This soup is very simple, healthy, and very easy to prepare.
But most of all it is very good!
The tortellini noodles make this soup.
You can use leftover chicken or Rotisserie Chicken in this recipe with great results.
My kids loved this soup and ate their whole bowl with out me pestering and saying, "eat you dinner!"

Chicken Tortellini Soup
Makes about 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 cup of frozen peas
1 teaspoon dill weed
6 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups of dried OR frozen cheese filled tortellini
2 cooked chicken breasts (chopped in small pieces)
Salt and pepper to taste

How To Make:

1. Cook onion, carrot and garlic in olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.

2. Add 6 cups of stock and bring to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook about 5-10 minutes (until done). Add the cooked chicken, frozen peas and dill at the last minute of simmering.

3. Serve and ENJOY!

Quick Turkey Enchiladas

2010-01-24T19:04:00.000-08:00

These Enchiladas are So GOOD!
My whole family (even my little boys) loved them.
I love that you add cheese to the meat mixture, when the cheese melts in the skillet it binds the Turkey together and makes for a great filling.
This is very easy to make and cooks very quickly. I love a quick GOOD meal!
I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Quick Turkey Enchiladas
adapted from America's Test Kitchen

-1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
-1 onion, chopped
-2 garlic cloves, chopped
-1 pound ground turkey
-3 cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese
-2 10 ounce cans of Red enchilada suace
-1 small can of diced green chilies
-1/2 cup fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper
-10 (6 inch) corn tortillas

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 by 13 pan with Pam spray.

2. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Cook onion until lightly browned, add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds more. Stir in turkey and cook until no longer pink. Add 2 cups of the cheese, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, green chilies, cilantro, season with salt and pepper to cooked turkey. Heat together on medium heat until all combined.

3. Stack Tortillas on plate, wrap with plastic, and microwave until pliable, about 1 minute. In the middle of each tortilla put about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture then roll tightly. Place seam-side down in pan. After all are rolled, cover with remaining Enchilada sauce and the 1 cup of cheese.

4. Cover with foil and cook for 10 minutes. Remove foil, and cook another 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Sugar Cookie Bouquet

2010-01-24T18:23:00.000-08:00

This sugar cookie recipe makes firmer cookies which make great cookies for frosting and decorating, also good for Cookie Bouquets.
One thing I really like about this recipe is that when you cook the shaped cookie dough they retain their shape. It does not puff out or flatten out.
They also taste very good, the vanilla and almond extract make this cookie yummy.
They are also firm, but soft, very good.

Sugar Cookies

6 c unbleached, all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 c sugar
4 sticks butter
2 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp pure almond extract
**Powdered sugar for rolling out**

Preheat oven to 350.

1. Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom.

2. Do not refrigerate, right away roll onto a floured surface (USE POWDERED SUGAR for rolling out) and cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

IF MAKING A COOKIE BOUQUET: you will need to stick wood skewers in the cookie, right after you take them out of the oven, the cookie still needs to be hot when you stick it in. Then let completely cool before you frost.

Icing
(This will cover 2-3 dozen)

4 TBSP meringue powder
1/2 c. water
1 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon of Almond Extract

1. Combine the meringue powder and water. With the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat until combined and foamy.

2.Sift in the powdered sugar and beat on low to combine. (Do NOT skip the sifting!)

3.Add in the corn syrup and extract.

Increase speed to high and beat for about 5 minutes, just until the icing is glossy and stiff peaks form.

4. The frosting will be white, if you want to add color use food coloring.

Teriyaki Chicken

2010-01-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

This is one of my 'what am I going to make for dinner tonight recipes'.
I almost always have these ingredients on hand.
Not only does the meal have very few ingredients, it is easy to make, and tastes SO good!
With steamed rice and steamed fresh snap peas you have a healthy weeknight meal.

Teriyaki Chicken

-1-2 lbs of chicken breasts OR chicken thighs
-1 cup sugar
-1 cup soy sauce
-2 tsp. ground ginger
-1 tsp. garlic powder

1. Mix all ingredients (except chicken). Bring to a boil in a saucepan.

2. Marinate chicken and sauce together in a casserole pan at least 1 hour before hand in the refrigerator.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour until chicken is cooked, turning chicken over once while cooking.

4. Serve over hot cooked rice.

Turkey Sausage Pasta

2010-01-24T17:39:00.000-08:00

When I found this recipe I knew that it had all of the makings of a 'winner' meal with my family,
and it did!
Pasta and turkey sausage in a Tomato Italian sauce lightly topped with cheese. This meal is quick to prepare and makes a great weeknight meal.
With the lean Turkey Sausage and 'Healthy Pasta' (I like to use Barilla Plus pasta) this makes a Healthy meal as well.

Turkey Sausage Pasta

adapted slightly from Good Things Catered

Ingredients:
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 lb. smoked lean turkey sausage, sliced
1/4 tsp chile flakes
3 cloves fresh garlic, diced finely
1/4 c. low sodium chicken stock
1- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes in juice
1- 14.5 oz can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves, torn
3 c. fresh spinach
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3/4 lb penne, or pasta of choice
1/2 c. flat leaf parsley, for garnish
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, for garnish

Directions:
-In large stock pot over high heat, bring water to boil and cook pasta according to instructions.
-Meanwhile, in large pan over medium heat, add oil and bring up to almost smoking.
-Add chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
-Add thyme and sliced sausage and cook, stirring occasionally until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
-Add chili flakes and garlic and cook, while stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
-Deglaze the pan with chicken stock, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan.
-Add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, stirring to combine well.
-Add oregano, spinach, and balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil.
-When pasta is finished cooking, drain well and place into pan with tomato sauce.
-Toss and remove from heat.
-Let cool slightly, mix well, plate and garnish.
-Serve immediately.

Pork POT Roast

2010-01-17T19:23:00.000-08:00

This is a delicious way to cook a Pork Roast.
The Pork cooks in a slow cooker and when finished the meat is so flavorful, moist, and tender.
I am always on the look out for a new way to cook Roasts. I found this recipe on Cooks Country and adapted it a bit.
This will make a perfect Sunday Lunch or Dinner!

Pork POT Roast
adapted from Cook's Country
serves 6

Ingredients:

2	(2 1/2- to 3-pound) boneless pork roast , netting or baking twine removed
	Salt and pepper
2	tablespoons vegetable oil
2	onions , chopped
6	garlic cloves , minced
1	tablespoon tomato paste
1/2	cup white wine
3	tablespoons Minute Tapioca
1	28-ounce can diced tomatoes , drained
2	teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1	pound carrots , peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 2-inch pieces
6-8	red potatoes , peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 2-inch pieces

1. Pat roast dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown roasts all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker /crockpot.

2. Add onions and additional 2 teaspoons oil to empty skillet and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in wine and simmer, scraping up any browned bits with wooden spoon, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in tapioca, tomatoes, and thyme; transfer to slow cooker.

3. Toss carrots, red potatoes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and remaining oil in bowl until vegetables are well coated. Scatter vegetable mixture over pork. Cover and cook on low until meat is tender, 9 to 10 hours (or cook on high 4 to 5 hours).

4. Transfer roast to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes. Cut meat into 1/2-inch-thick slices; transfer to serving platter. Using slotted spoon, transfer carrots and parsnips to platter with pork. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Serve, ENJOY!!

Shrimp and Broccoli Stir-fry

2010-01-12T18:17:00.000-08:00

Light, Healthy, Zesty, and Delicous!
This stir-fry is a favorite at our house.
I have been making this recipe for years, I don't remember where I got the recipe from but it has never failed me.
If you are not a shrimp fan, you can also substitute the shrimp for chicken.

Shrimp and Broccoli Stir-fry

-1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
-2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
-2 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
-2 teaspoons cornstarch
-1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil (optional, if you have it use it!)
-1/4 teaspoon of crushed pepper
-2 Tablespoon of olive oil
-1 Tablespoon of peeled and minced fresh ginger OR 2 teaspoons of ground ginger
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-1 pound of peeled and deveined large shrimp
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-4 cups of cut-up broccoli
-1 cup of sliced onion

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, mix together with a wisk.

2. Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic to pan, stir-fry for 30 seconds. Sprinkle shrimp with salt, add shrimp to pan and stir-fry 3 minutes or until done. Remove shrimp mixture from pan.

3. Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add broccoli and onion to pan, stir-fry 4 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Add shrimp mixture and broth mixture to pan. Cook for 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Serve over steamed brown or white rice.

Enjoy!

Hearty Beef Stew

2010-01-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

For the past three years we have made this
Fabulously Hearty Beef Stew
either on Christmas Eve or New Years Eve for our little family.
This is HANDS DOWN the best Beef Stew Ever!
The seasonings in this Stew are just perfect.
I love the flavor that the Red cooking wine adds to stew.
This Stew is great for warming up on a cold fall or winter night.
Add these perfect rolls and a fresh green salad, and you have a hearty meal.

Hearty Beef Stew

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients:

-3 lbs. beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 in. cubes
-salt and ground pepper
-3 Tbsp vegetable oil
-2 medium onions, chopped coarse (about 2 c.)
-3 medium garlic cloves, minced
-3 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
-1 c. red cooking wine
-5 c. low-sodium chicken broth
-2 bay leaves
-1 tsp dried thyme
-4 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-in. cubes
-4 large carrots (about 1 lb.), peeled and sliced 1/4 in. thick
-1 c. frozen peas
-1/4 c. minced parsley

Directions:
1-Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

2-Dry beef thoroughly and season generously with salt and pepper.

3-Heat 1 Tbsp oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat.

4-Add the meat cook until all the pieces are browned. About 5-10 minutes. Remove the browned meat and set aside to a different bowl.

5-Reduce heat to medium and add additional 1 Tbsp oil to now empty pan and swirl to coat bottom.
Add onions and 1/4 tsp salt and cook, scraping bottom of pan for brown bits until softened (about 5 mins).
Add garlic and continue to cook for 30 sec.
stir in the flour and cook until lightly colored (1-2 min.)
Add wine, scraping the bottom and stirring until thick and flour is dissolved.
Gradually add the chicken stock, stirring constantly scraping up the remaining browned bits on bottom of pan.
Add bay leaves and thyme and return to simmer.

6-Add beef, return to simmer, and place the pot in the oven.
Cook for 1 hour.

7-Add potatoes and carrots cover and return to the oven to cook for additional hour.
Remove the pot from oven
Add the peas, cover and allow to stand for 5 min.
Stir in the parsley, discard bay leaves, adjust seasoning and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Perfect Dinner Rolls

2010-01-07T17:00:00.000-08:00

Since Thanksgiving, I have made these delicious rolls at least 5 times.
They are simply the BEST rolls I have ever tasted and made!
They are soft and chewy, and the potato flakes gives them such a yummy flavor.
My Husband and kids ask (beg) for them every Sunday.
This is my new Go-To Recipe for Rolls!
Thanks to Melanie over at My Kitchen Cafe for this Perfect Roll Recipe.

Perfect Dinner Rolls
Adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup instant potato flakes (no flavor added)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg, lightly beaten

1. Whisk water, oil, sugar, and yeast together in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup until the yeast dissolves. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix flour, potato flakes, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt until well combined. Add water mixture in a steady stream with the mixer on low (or stir in by hand) until the dough comes together, about one minute. Knead the dough until it is smooth and comes away from the sides of the bowl, about 6 minutes (add additional flour or warm water if absolutely necessary to make a soft dough that doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl while kneading). Knead the dough briefly until it forms a smooth ball.

2.Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about an hour and a half. (For a quicker rising method, before you start making the dough, preheat the oven to 200 degrees. When the oven has reached 200 degrees, turn the oven off. Place the covered bowl in the oven and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.)

3. Punch down the dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces (divide into quarters and cut each quarter into thirds). Form each piece of dough into a ball by lightly cupping the dough in the palm of your hand and rolling it on an unfloured or ungreased surface in a circular motion until it forms a smooth ball.

4. Transfer to a parchment-lined or lightly greased rimmed baking sheet. Cover lightly with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled (about an hour). (Again, you can return to the warm oven and let rise for 20 minutes for a quicker method.) If you are making them the night before, do not let them go through this rise, instead transfer to the refrigerator. Take the rolls out 2 hours before baking to allow them to come to room temperature and rise.

5. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush rolls with lightly beaten egg and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy! :-)

*Makes 12 rolls - if doubling the recipe, only increase the yeast to 1 tablespoon*

Chicken Noodle Casserole

2010-01-04T17:05:00.000-08:00

If you like chicken, egg noodles, and casseroles. . .
you will love this recipe.
This is one of our families all-time Favorite casseroles.
It makes enough for our family of four to have leftovers the next night.
Serve with a fresh green salad and some bread and you have a yummy dinner. :-)

CHICKEN NOODLE CASSEROLE

You need:

4 chicken breasts, cooked (boiled) & cubed
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
3 Tbsp. Butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1 1/4 c. milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 sm. jar of pimentos
2 cans (8 oz. total) sliced mushroom pieces (juice drained)
stuffing mix (NOT cubed, I prefer Peppridge Farm brand)
egg noodles (about 12 oz. dry)

1. Cook chicken first (boil) and allow to cool. Cut into pieces and set aside. Cook egg noodles according to directions on package.

2. In a saucepan, saute onion and green pepper in butter. Make a white sauce of 3 Tbsp. butter, flour and milk. Combine sauce with onion and green pepper mixture and bring to a boil. Add cream of chicken soup, pimentos, mushrooms and chicken. Combine this with the noodles.

3. Place in casserole pan and sprinkle with stuffing mix. Dot with butter. Bake (covered with tin foil) for 30 minutes at 350, until bubbly and lightly brown on top.

Enjoy!

Chicken Kabobs With Lemon & Oregano

2009-12-13T19:39:00.000-08:00

Chicken Kabobs With Lemon & Oregano

-1/2 cup lemon juice
-1/4 cup dry white wine
-2 Tablespoons pure olive oil
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
-grated zest of 1/2 lemon
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 1/2 lb of skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
-2 small zuccinni's, cut into 1/2 inch slices
-1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1 inch squares
-1 yellow onion, cut into 1 inch squares

1. In a large bowl, combine the lemon juice, wine, oil, garlic, oregano, lemon zest, and salt and pepper. Stir in chicken, zuccinni, red bell pepper, and onion. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, prepare a grill pan by spraying it with Pam or Prepare outdoor grill. Place 8 wooden skewers in fully covered in water for 15 minutes. (this is so your skewers will not burn)

3. Prepare the skewers by pushing the chicken, zuccinni, red pepper, and onion through the skewer sticks alternating the pieces and dividing them equally. Place on hot grill pan or outdoor grill. Grill, turning the skewers once or twice. Cook until chicken is done and vegies are tender.

4. Serve on top of Rice Pilaf (recipe follows)

Rice Pilaf:

-1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
-2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter
-1/2 cup chopped yellow onion or shallot
-3 cups of Chicken stock, heated
-salt and pepper
-1 Tablespoon of Fresh flat-leafed parsley or 1 teaspoon of dried parlsey

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a shallow 2 qt baking dish.

2. In a frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion or shallot and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and saute for about 2 minutes. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Add the heated chicken stock, season with salt and pepper and stir to mix.

3. Cover and bake until all the liquid is absorbed, 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover, and fluff with fork. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

2009-12-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

These beauties are by far the BEST Gingerbread cookies I have ever made.
Not only are they soft and delicious, they are so simple to make!
There is no need to be afraid or intimidated in making these cookies, they are easier to make then sugar cookies!
The dough is very easy to work with too.
My 6 year old son helped me cut them all out into shapes, and then we all enjoyed eating them.
So very yummy!
I found this recipe on My Kitchen Cafe's 'Sugar Rush- 12 recipe's in 12 days'.

Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

Recipe From My Kitchen Cafe

*Makes about 2 dozen gingerbread men*

3 cups flour
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons butter softened to room temperature (but not warm!), cut into 12 pieces
¾ cup light or dark molasses
2 tablespoons milk

1. With an electric mixer, stir together the flour, brown sugar, soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt at low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and add the butter pieces. Mix at medium-low speed until the mixture is sandy and resembles fine meal, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and with the mixer running, gradually add the molasses and milk; mix until the dough is evenly moistened about 20 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and mix until thoroughly combined, about 10 seconds.

2. Scrape the dough onto a work surface and divide it in half. Working with one portion at a time, roll the dough ¼ inch thick between 2 large sheets of parchment or wax paper. Leaving the dough sandwiched between the parchment or wax paper, stack the dough on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners.

4. Remove one dough sheet from the freezer and place on the counter. Peel off the top parchment or wax paper sheet. Gently cut the dough into 5-inch gingerbread people or 3-inch gingerbread cookies, transferring the shapes to the prepared baking sheets with a wide metal spatula and spacing them ¾ inch apart. Set the scraps aside. Repeat with the remaining dough until the baking sheets are full. Because flour is not added during rolling, dough scraps can be rolled and cut as many times as necessary.

5. Bake the cookies until set in the centers and the dough barely retains and imprint when touched very gently with fingertip, 8 to 9 minutes. Do not overbake!! Cool the cookies on the sheets 2 minutes, then remove the cookies with a wide metal spatula to a wire rack; cool to room temperature. Gather the scraps; repeat the rolling, cutting and baking. Frost as desired (You can use a ziploc bag filled with simple white icing).

6. Store soft gingerbread in a wide, shallow airtight container or tin with a sheet of parchment paper between the cookie layers. These cookies are best eaten within one week.

ENJOY!!

Perfect Pork (meat) Marinade

2009-12-06T18:01:00.000-08:00

Who says you can't grill in the cold winter time?
Time to pull out the grill pan, or electric grill.
(for those of you lucky ones who live in year round warm states you can just get out the outdoor grill)
This marinade is very good!
You can also use it on Chicken and Salmon.
enjoy!

Perfect Pork (meat) Marinade

1/2 C. Worcestershire Sauce
2 T. Olive Oil
1/4 C. Fresh Parsley (or 1/8 C. dried)
1 tsp. Dried Minced Garlic
1/4 C. Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/4 C. Soy Sauce
4 Boneless Pork Loin Chops, 1" thick OR pork loin

In a large, re-resealable plastic bag or container, combine the first 8 ingredients. Using a fork, poke holes in both sides of pork; add to marinade. Seal bag or container and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 8 hours (the longer the better), turning every 2-3 hours. When ready to grill, drain and discard marinade. Grill pork chops in a preheated grill, covered, over medium heat for 10-15 minutes on each side or until juices run clear and a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F.

Mom's Divine Chicken Divan (or turkey)

2009-11-29T17:46:00.000-08:00

This is one of our families favorite casseroles.
This recipe originates from my mom,
I only added the breadcrumb mixture for the top.
A great meal for a weeknight or a yummy way to use up that leftover turkey from the holidays.

Mom’s Divine Chicken Divan

1 pkg. frozen broccoli pieces OR 2-3 cups of chopped fresh broccoli
3-4 cooked chicken breasts, shredded OR 3 cups of leftover Turkey, shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 C. mayonnaise
1-2 T. lemon juice
1 C. bread crumbs (yummy with Italian flavored)
2 T. butter
1 1/2 C. grated mild cheddar cheese

Layer broccoli in a casserole dish and semi cook in the microwave.
Layer cooked & shredded chicken on top of broccoli.
Mix soup, mayo & lemon juice in a seperate bowl, then spread over chicken.
Sprinkle cheese on top.
In a small bowl melt butter in the microwave and mix with breadcrumbs. Spread bread crumb mixture over all.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.
Serve on top of steamed rice.

Pork Tenderloin With Gingered Apples

2009-11-22T18:36:00.000-08:00

Sauteed apples with a hint of sweetness and ginger, complement the natural juicy pork tenderloin.
A perfect meal for a cozy fall evening.
This meal is a favorite of ours and always graces our table in the cold fall months.
The ingredients are simple, the meal is easy to prepare, and the taste is phenomenal!
In hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Pork Tenderloin with Gingered Apples

Ingredients:

-4 tart apples such as Granny Smith
-4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
-3 Tablespoons of light brown sugar
-1 teaspoon of peeled and grated fresh ginger OR 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
-2 -4 Tablespoons of water
-4 slices of pork tenderloin, about 2 inches thick

-salt and pepper
-1 Tablespoon of Extra-virgin olive oil

How To Make:
1. Peel, core, and slice the apples thinly lengthwise. In a saucepan over medium heat 3 Tablespoons of the butter. When melted and hot add the sliced apples and saute', stirring and tossing, for 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar and ginger and continue to saute' for another 5 minutes. Add 2 Tablespoons of the water, cook until the apples are almost tender, 6-8 minutes; watch carefully so they do not burn. Transfer apples and drippings into a bowl or plate, set aside.

2. Trim all excess fat from the pork slices. Place each pork slice, cut side up, between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and, using a rolling pin, flatten to about 1 inch or so thickness. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

3. In the same saucepan you cooked the apples in, melt the remaining 1 Tablespoon butter with the 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. When hot, add the pork slices and saute'. Cook on each side about 5-6 minutes on each side or until browned and no longer pink inside.

4. Add the apples and their juices from the bowl back into the pan with the cooked pork. Add 1-2 Tablespoons of water(more if you want more sauce). Heat and mix the apples in with the pork.

5. Serve right away, and Enjoy!

(I made this with a side of mashed potatoes, and snap peas)

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2009-11-18T17:07:00.000-08:00

This soup is AMAZING!
The taste and texture is fabulous.
Huge bonus is that it is super fast and easy to make.
By the end of dinner, Andy and my two kiddos were bargaining on who got to have what was left in the pot.
Next time, I think I better double the recipe.
Once again, a big thank you to Melanie over at My Kitchen Cafe for this yummy soup.

Broccoli Cheese Soup
adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

What you Need:

1 can chicken broth (you can use 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of Shirley J Chicken Bullion)
1 small onion, diced

1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. butter
1/2 teaspoon of pepper

2 c. milk (whatever kind you have)
1 1/2 c. shredded of extra Sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 c. shredded swiss cheese
3-4 cups of steamed chopped broccoli

How to Make:

Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15-20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes. In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour and pepper. Cook together for a couple of minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium-high heat until soup starts to thicken. Next add chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended. Add cheeses and steamed broccoli. Serve immediately.

Makes 3-4 servings

Braciole- A Traditional Italian Meal

2009-11-17T17:26:00.000-08:00

For a delicious Italian meal,
this one is very easy to to prepare.
Funny thing is, Andy and I got the idea to make this meal from an episode on the sitcom 'Everybody Loves Raymond'.
On the show they are always talking about Marie (Ray's Mother)'s all-Famous Braciole.
So we set out to find the best Brociole recipe.
We found a few recipes and kind of took ideas from each of them, and did our own version.
The result was fantastic, and turned into a wonderful Sunday dinner.

Braciole

A traditional Italian meal

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, minced
2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1/3 cup grated provolone
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak or Round steak(I prefer the Flank Steak)
1 cup dry white wine
3 1/4 store-bought marinara sauce

Directions:

1. Stir the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Lay the flank steak flat on the work surface. Cover steak with plastic wrap, and then pound the steak with a kitchen mallet or a hammer until is is about 1/4 of a inch thick. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the steak to cover the top evenly. Starting at 1 short end, roll up the steak as for a jelly roll to enclose the filling completely. Using butcher's twine, tie the steak roll to secure. Sprinkle the braciole with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

3. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the braciole and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the marinara sauce. Cover partially with foil and bake until the meat is almost tender, turning the braciole and basting with the sauce every 30 minutes. After 1 hour, uncover and continue baking until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer. The total cooking time should be about 1 1/2 hours.

4. Remove the braciole from the sauce. Using a large sharp knife, cut the braciole crosswise and diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Transfer the slices to plates. Spoon the sauce over and serve with pasta.

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

2009-11-10T17:49:00.000-08:00

This soup is amazingly close to the Olive Garden's Minestrone soup!
It is so delicious and very healthy.
Packed full of vegetables in a tomato soup base and then topped with Parmesan cheese.
This soup would also be really good if you wanted to add turkey sausage.
I usually serve it with bread sticks or french bread and a green salad.
I also love that it is made in a crock pot, that makes dinner time prep a bit more smoothly.

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

serves 6 - 8

What you need:

1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 oz) can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained, rinsed (cannellini or navy)
4 cups fat free chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarians)
1/2 cup of good shredded Parmesan cheese
1 fresh rosemary sprig
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
salt and fresh pepper
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 cups cooked small pasta like shells or elbows (al dente)
extra shredded Parmesan cheese to top

How to Make:

1. Rinse and drain beans. Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender.

2. In a crock pot, combine broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours OR on high for 4 hours.

3. Forty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Add cooked pasta, cook 10 minutes more. Remove bay leaves, rosemary sprig, and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

4. Serve soup into bowls and top with extra Parmesan cheese.

ENJOY!

Apple Streusel Bars

2009-11-08T19:03:00.000-08:00

This is the Second dessert that I Made for the Teachers dinner.
They are very similar to my recipe for Pie Bars found here.
The apple filling is so good and the Almond extract in the icing makes it even better.
I received such nice complements from all the teachers. They really enjoyed these bars and the other food that I prepared and brought to the school.
You can easily double this recipe, and make it in a cookie sheet pan.

Apple Streusel Bars
adapted from Our Best Bites

STEP 1
SWEET PASTRY:
2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. real butter, softened (no substitutions!)
1 egg, beaten

To prepare crust, mix flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two forks until you have pea-sized crumbles.
Gently mix in beaten egg.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Gently pat about 2/3 of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the dish. Preheat oven to 350 and set aside.

STEP 2
APPLE FILLING:
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 c. (about 3 medium) sliced, peeled baking apples ( Granny Smith or Gala)
To prepare apple filling, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon and toss with apples.

Spread apples out on prepared crust. Sprinkle reserved crust mixture over apples evenly and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

When finished, allow to cool completely.

STEP 3
GLAZE:
2 c. powdered sugar
About 3 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. almond extract

To prepare glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, almond extract, and enough milk to achieve desired consistency.

Place glaze in a Ziploc bag and cut off a very small portion of one of the corners. (Or just use a fork(Drizzle glaze over cooled pastry and allow to harden (you can place it in the refrigerator to hurry things along). Cut into bars and serve.

Enjoy!

Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup

2009-11-07T18:14:00.000-08:00

The Rotisserie chicken really makes this soup so much better then boiling a few chicken breasts, it also adds so much to the flavor of the soup.
When I know that I am making this soup, I will pick up a cooked Rotisserie chicken at the grocery store, or Costco. I have no idea how long Rotisserie chicken's keep, I would not store the chicken in the refrigerator for more then 2 days before you use it.
My family loves this soup, it is not watered down, and not to thick. A perfect consistency!
Add some French bread or rolls and you have a warm dinner perfect for a chilly night.

Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup

makes about 8 cups

Step One:

In a large pot, add all the following ingredients:

-1 whole cooked Rotisserie Chicken (the kind you find at the grocery store or Costco)
-5 cups cold water
-1 1/2 teaspoons salt
-1/2 teaspoon pepper
-1 stalk of celery, cut up
-1 medium carrot, cut up
-1 sprig of fresh parsley
-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Heat to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes.
Remove chicken from the pot and broth, cool on a plate for about 10 minutes. Strain broth and throw away vegetables. Remove chicken from the bones and cut up.

Step 2:

To the above broth add:

-an additional, 4 cans or 6 cups of chicken broth
-1 1/2 cups carrots, sliced
-1 1/2 cups celery, sliced
-3/4 cup chopped onions
-1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
-1/2 teaspoon OF garlic, salt, pepper
-1 can of cream of Chicken soup
-1/2 cup of whole milk OR heavy cream
-chopped up chicken
-1 cup of egg noddles (uncooked)

Cook until noodles are done.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-11-05T18:02:00.000-08:00

I am just simply going to say it,
"This is seriously a Really GOOD cupcake!"
If you love pumpkin flavor and have a thing for cream cheese frosting (as I do) you will love this recipe.
I made these heavenly cupcakes for all of the teachers at my 1st grade son's Elementary school.
Today was teacher conference's at our school,
and yours truly was in charge of bringing/making a lot of food to feed all of the wonderful teachers their dinner/dessert.
These pretty little cupcakes were choice 1 of the desserts.
I will post the choice 2 dessert soon, and the yummy Chicken soup that I also made and served to the teachers.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 20 cupcakes and about 2 cups of frosting.

Making the Cupcakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.

3. In a another large bowl, whisk together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, oil and eggs. Add dry ingredients, and whisk (hand mix) until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree until just mixed in.

3. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about 1/2 to 3/4 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Making the Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cup confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Place softened cream cheese and softened butter in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Using a hand mixer, blend them together until smooth.

3. Sift in confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar) , and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine.

(frosting can be stored in an air tight container the refridgerator up to 3 days)

Makes 20 cupcakes and about 2 cups of frosting.

Enjoy!

Simple Bolognese Sauce

2009-11-03T09:21:00.000-08:00

I ask my husband when I am planning my menu and shopping trip every week,
what he might want me to make for dinner?
His answer usually always is, Spaghetti and sauce.
Unfortunate for him, I am not very big on 'Spaghetti and sauce'.
I just find it so boring and blah.
So in order to compromise I do try to make spaghetti and sauce for him now and then.
A few weeks ago I found this homemade sauce for Bolognese.
Let me tell you, there is nothing boring about this sauce.
I am now a fan!
My whole family loved it, even the little boys who grace the presence of our dinner table before rushing off to play Star Wars. :-)

Simple Bolognese Sauce

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
1 carrot, peeled and minced
1 lb. ground Turkey or ground beef
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. When almost smoking, add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is very tender, about 8 minutes. Add the celery and carrot and saute for 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the ground beef, and saute until the meat is no longer pink, breaking up any large lumps, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, parsley, basil, and salt and pepper, and cook over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens,about 30 minutes. Stir in the cheese, then season with more salt and pepper to taste.

3. Serve over your choice of noodles. I prefer Fettuccine or Linguine.

Enjoy!

Perfect Cornbread & Honey Butter

2009-11-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

I always like to make a Halloween home-made dinner before we go out
Trick-or-Treating with the kids.
I figure the kids will be getting enough junk food, so I want to make sure they get something healthy in their stomachs before they head out the door.
This year I made my all -time favorite Turkey Chili recipe found here.
To go with the chili I made this Perfect Cornbread and Honey butter.
My family loved this cornbread. I am picky about cornbread. I do not care for cornbread that is dry or crumbly. This cornbread is very moist and flavorful. This is my new go-to cornbread recipe.
And the honey butter is to die for! The best honey Butter I have ever made. We had a lot of the honey butter left over, and are now using it in place of butter on our toast. So good!
Thanks to Melanie over at My Kitchen Cafe for her delicious recipes.

Perfect Cornbread & Honey Butter
from My Kitchen Cafe

Cornbread:
½ cup cornmeal
1 ½ cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ cup milk

Add dry ingredients, make a well and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk into the center. Stir until just mixed (batter will be runny - don't be alarmed!). Bake in an 8” square pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
(You can double in a 9 by 13 pan)

Honey Butter:
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Whip all together with an electric mixer and serve at room temperature (can be refrigerated and softened).

Honey Chicken Stir-Fry

2009-10-28T19:08:00.000-07:00

This is a perfect weeknight dish!
Quick, healthy, and very tasty.
To make it even quicker you can pre-cut the chicken and use frozen vegies.
My kids really like this dinner and that is a pretty great thing, my kids are not wild about dinners with vegies involved.
The honey makes this stir-fry have a touch of sweetness. The crushed red pepper is totally optional, it adds just a little something to it and does not make it spicy at all.
These flavors all combined and placed on top of steamed rice,
make one delicious stir-fry!

Honey Chicken Stir-Fry

What you need:

1 pound or 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 garlic clove, minced
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided

Sauce:

5 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon of crushed red- pepper (optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Vegies:

1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups cup up broccoli
2 carrots sliced
2 stalks of celery sliced
1/2 cup red pepper chopped (optional)

OR you can use,

1 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli stir-fry vegetable blend

Finishing:

2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
Hot cooked rice

How to Make:

In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken and garlic in 2 teaspoons oil cook until done.
Add the honey, soy sauce, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for about 5 more minutes. Remove from pan.
In the same pan, stir-fry the vegetables in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes or until heated through and barley crisp. Return chicken to the pan; mix well. Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bars

2009-10-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

This is a classic Pumpkin bar recipe.
I mixed it up a little bit by adding a teaspoon of cinnamon in the frosting.
I also added below the recipe, ways you can make this pumpkin dessert lower in fat.
This recipe makes a whole cookie sheet worth of yummy pumpkin bars, so it is a great party dessert! It is always a crowd pleaser.
Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bars
adapted from Paula Dean

Bars:

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:

8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 1cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

3. To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and cinnamon mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

4. Cut into bars and serve!

LOW-FAT Options:
-replace half the oil with applesauce
-replaced 2 eggs with fat-free egg substitute
-use splenda sugar blend in place of part of the sugar
- use neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese
-or instead of frosting use 1/2 cup of Dark Chocolate chips add a spoonfull of fat-free whipped topping

Mummy Hot Dogs

2009-10-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

This is a Halloween family tradition in our house.
My kids love these Mummy Hot Dogs, and look forward to me making them.
They are so super easy to make and only have 3 ingredients!
This is a fun treat to make your Halloween a little it scarier.
Don't forget to dot the eyes with mustard and dip them in bloody ketchup!
Yummy.

Mummy Hot Dogs

-2 tubs of Pillsbury Refrigerated Bread sticks
-Jumbo Hot dogs

-Non-stick cooking spray (Pam spray)
-Mustard, Ketchup

To Make:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet.

2. Pop open the cans of bread sticks. Unroll the bread stick dough. Cut each bread stick in half length ways.

3. Work one on one with each hot dog, wrap dough around hot dog to look like a mummy.

4. Place on greased pan. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until the dough is lightly browned.

5. Finish with dotting the eyes with two drops of mustard.

Enjoy!

Candy Corn Kiss Cookies

2009-10-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

I knew as soon as I saw these cookies on
The Idea Door,
that I had to make them!
If you have never been over to her blog you have to check it out.
She has some of the best IDEAS.
Our family loves the regular Kiss cookies made this same way but with a chocolate kiss.
The candy corn kiss just looks so fun.
I found the candy corn kisses at Target in the seasonal area.
My kids love to help me unwrap the kisses, and put them in the cookie, then of course eat them!

Candy Corn Kiss Cookies
adapted from the Idea Door

What you need:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar (for rolling cookie dough in)
48 Hershey® Kisses® chocolate candies, unwrapped

How to Make:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add 1/2 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beating until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla extract; beat well. Add flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into creamed mixture until well mixed.

3. Roll cookie dough into 1-inch balls. Optional - you can lightly roll cookie dough balls in the 1/4 of sugar before you bake.

4. Place balls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets.

5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and immediately press a chocolate kiss or candy corn kiss into the center of each cookie (cookie will crack around edges). Remove from cookie sheet and let cookies cool on wire racks or tin foil.

Yields 4 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

Five Hour Stew

2009-10-21T18:20:00.000-07:00

When I want a good,
hearty
and easy to make
beef stew, I go to this recipe.
The only prep is cutting up the carrots and potatoes and mixing everything together.
After cooking for five hours you will have a perfect beef stew for a chilly night.

When I have the extra time, I will make my all time favorite beef stew recipe. This stew has many steps and takes longer to make but it is very worth it! You can find that recipe here:
Hearty Beef Stew

Five Hour Stew

-2 1/2 lbs. stew meat/beef cubes
-8 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
-8 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
-2 bay leaves
-1 pkg. dry onion soup mix OR 1/2 cup of Shirley J Onion Soup mix
-1 can cream of mushroom soup
-1 can cream of celery soup
-1 can tomato sauce

1. For cooking stew in oven- preheat to 250 degrees - bake for 5 hours.
For cooking in crock pot -set to cook on high for 4 to 6 hours.

2. Mix onion soup, cream of mushroom soup, cream of celery soup, can of tomato sauce. Add stew meat, vegetable, and bay leaves. Mix until all combined.

3. Stir occasionally while cooking.

enjoy!

Caramel Apple Crisp

2009-10-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

Please excuse my lack of posting this last week,
our family took a little Fall Vacation to the Windy City of Chicago.
You can check out what we did on our family blog.

Now on to this delicious apple dessert.
This is a great twist on the traditional Apple Crisp.
Adding the caramel topping gives this dessert an extra Yummy flavor!
I do not remember where I found this recipe, but I have used it many times since.
This is a must make dessert for fall!

Caramel Apple Crisp

-1/2 cup caramel topping (the kind you would put on top of ice cream)
-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-6 baking apples (I like to use Golden Delicious), peeled, and cup into 1/2 inch slices about 6 cups
-2/3 cup all-purpose flour
-1/2 cup packed brown sugar
-1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
-2/3 cups quick-cooking oats

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, stir together caramel topping and the cinnamon until well mixed. Add peeled and sliced apples; toss until evening coated. Spread in ungreased 8-inch square (2 quart) glass baking dish.

3. In same bowl, mix 2/3 cup flour and the brown sugar. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or fork, until the mixture looks coarse crumbs. Stir in oats. Crumble mixture over apples in baking dish.

4. Bake 45-50 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown.

5. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped topping, then drizzle extra caramel topping over all.

ENJOY!

Bajio's Green Chicken Chile Salad

2009-10-10T19:22:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons I LOVE my home town of Orem, Utah.
You really never know what you have and how much you love it, until you move away.
That is how I feel about this salad,
the Green Chicken Chile Salad from

There are days I still crave it, and I have lived outside of Utah for over 6 years!
I was so excited to stumble into this recipe.
It is very VERY close to the original.
It does take a little time to prepare. When I make it, I usually will do a few of the steps the day before or earlier in the day.
The work and preparation is totally worth it in the end!

Makes 4 -5 servings

STEP 1:
INGREDIENTS for Green Chili Chutney:
3 large annaheim peppers, halved, seeds removed

1 - 2 jalapeno peppers, halved, seeds removed
4 oz. can diced green chiles

5-7 tomatillos, husks removed

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

dash of chili powder

dash of cumin

dash of salt

1 large sweet onion, halved
DIRECTIONS
1. Place peppers, tomatillos, and onion on baking sheet/rack. Roast in 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes, or until nicely browned.
2. Place tomatillos and about 1/4 cup onion in blender and process until mostly smooth.
3. Dice peppers.
4. Add all ingredients except the remaining onion into a large pot. Cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes or until thickened and reduced. Add more sugar/peppers to adjust the spiciness/sweetness to taste.

STEP 2:
Grilled Chicken INGREDIENTS

4 Grilled Chicken Breasts

1 cup of lime juice
1 cup of oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Directions:

1. Marinate chicken breasts in 1 cup of lime juice and 1 cup oil, let stand for at least two hours in the refrigerator.
2. On a hot grill, grill the chicken with a bit of balsamic vinegar, until done and set aside to rest. Once the chicken has had time to cool, shred into small pieces.

STEP 3:

For onion:

1. Slice 1 whole white onion into slices. In a medium saute pan, add 2 TBL spoons of oil and saute the onions until they are translucent.
2. Once the onions are done, add the shredded chicken and a cup of Green Chile Chutney, and saute all together until well heated.

STEP 4:
Cilantro Lime Dressing INGREDIENTS:
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (dry mix)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 small jalapeno (remove seed)
1 cup mayo
1 tsp. lime juice
1-2 tomatillos (remove outer papery skin)
1 garlic clove
Directions:
1. Blend all ingredients together in a blender. Chill.

Step 4:
Assembly:

On individual plates:
-pile with mixed greens,
-add a cup of Fresh Pico De Gallo or store bought,
-add the warm chicken mixture,
- top with cheese,
-tortilla strips
- and cilantro lime dressing

ENJOY!

Low-Fat Pumpkin Muffins

2009-10-09T13:33:00.000-07:00

I have plenty of fat and sugar filled pumpkin recipes that are so good, but not so great for the waistline.
When I am feeling like serving a guilt-free muffin I go to this recipe!
These muffins are very good and satisfy any pumpkin craving you might be having.
They also bake up really pretty,
and feel your house with a yummy pumpkin spice aroma.

Low-Fat Pumpkin Muffins

-Non-stick Cooking Spray (I like to use Pam Spray)
-2 cups flour (all-purpose OR White-Wheat four I wouldn't use whole wheat flour that would make the muffins to dense)
-Tablespoon baking powder
-1 tsp table salt
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp ground cloves
-1 tsp ground cinnamon
-1 tsp ground nutmeg
-2/3 cup unsweetened OR natural applesauce
-1 cup canned pumpkin
-2/3 cup sugar
-1/2 cup fat-free egg substitute
-2/3 cup fat-free milk
-powdered sugar, for making the tops look pretty

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 12 hole muffin tin with cooking spray. If you are using cupcake liners, do not spray the pan but pray very lightly the insides of the cupcake liner.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl.

3. In a mixer combine applesauce, pumpkin, sugar, egg substitute, and milk in a medium bowl; mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

4. Stir the flour mixture into the applesauce mixer until it is all completely incorporated-do not over mix!

5. Pour batter into muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

6. Let cool for about 10 minutes. sprinkle on the Powdered sugar (I used a flour sifter).

Enjoy!
-

Slow Cooked Pork Roast

2009-10-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

This roast is very Flavorful and Moist!
With the Pork Roast being 98% fat-free, it makes for a very healthy meat option.
One of my all time favorite ways to cook a pork roast,
I like to serve it with garlic red potatoes, green beans, and rolls.
A very healthy and delicious meal, and with only two ingredients very easy to throw together!
A perfect meal.

Slow Cooked Pork Roast

-Pork Sirloin Tip Roast (about 2 lbs)
(I like to buy a four pack at Costco, they are 98% Fat Free)

- 1/2 of a Dry Ranch dressing Mix

1. Put the roast in the crockpot or slow cooker. Fill the crockpot about 1/3 of water. Sprinkle on about 1/2 of the ranch dressing packet.

2. Cook on low for about 5-8 hours. The roast is done when you can easily shred it up with your fork.

Enjoy!

Baked Manicotti

2009-10-05T18:12:00.000-07:00

I love Manicotti!
I have tried many recipes that were good, but let me tell you. . .
this is BY FAR the BEST Manicotti that I have ever made.
It does have a few steps and took me about 45 minutes to put together, but it was so worth it.
I love that this recipe uses the NO-BOIL lasagna noodles to roll up the cheese. It is so much easier than trying to stuff the cheese into the Manicotti tube noodles. I also think that it adds great texture and tastes so good.
This recipe makes enough for our family of four to have it for two meals.

Baked Manicotti
adapted from: My Kitchen Cafe

*Serves 6 to 8

Tomato Sauce
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (in juice)
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 18 -ounce tomato sauce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dried basil OR Shirley J Pizza and Pasta Seasoning

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil. Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan. Bake until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

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

ENJOY!

Pumpkin Crisp

2009-10-04T17:12:00.000-07:00

This is a delicious combination of
slightly spiced Pumpkin,
with a sweet, buttery, and crispy topping!
A warming fall desert that makes a lot.
Great for a treat when company is over,
or you can save the leftovers in the refrigerator to heat up at a later time.
Top with a dollop of cool whip or vanilla ice cream. Yummy!

Pumpkin Crisp

-1 can solid pack pumpkin (29 oz)
-1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar
-1 cup of granulated sugar
-3 eggs
-1 Tablespoon of vanilla
-1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)
-2 tsp of ground cinnamon
-1 tsp ground allspice
-1 box yellow cake mix
-1/2 cup butter, melted
-3/4- 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1. In the bowl of a electric mixer, combine the pumpkin, sugars, eggs, vanilla, evaporated milk and spices, mix well.

2. Pour into a 9 by 13 inch pan. Sprinkle the dry cake mix on top and pat down gently. Drizzle the melted butter evenly on top. Sprinkle with nuts.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 45- 60 minutes or until lightly brown and the cake is set.

4. Let cool. Serve with a dollop of cool whip, or vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!