My kitchen or yours?

Chili Cheese Dip

2011-11-05T12:51:00.000-05:00

This dip is great for parties or for when you're feeling lazy and want chili.

Chili Cheese Dip
You will need:

1 8oz block of cream cheese, softened
1 can no bean chili
1 to 2 cups shredded cheese
nacho cheese doritos for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an 8x8 or 9x9 pan spread cream cheese all over the bottom. Layer the chili on top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle on desired amount of cheese. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and chili is bubbling. Serve hot with Doritos.

Grandma's Egg Noodles

2011-11-04T14:31:00.001-05:00

Just in time for Thanksgiving! One of the greatest foods I remember growing up is my Grandma Mather's noodles. They were always one of the things I most looked forward to eating.

Grandma's Egg Noodles
You will need:

1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 tsp water
2 cans chicken broth or chicken stock
dash of salt

In a large pot, start broth boiling. Whisk eggs, water and salt together. Mix in the flour. Roll flat on a lightly floured surface, about 1/4 of an inch to 1/8. Let rest (very important!). Roll flat again. Loosely roll dough up (like sushi or a cinnamon roll) and cut desired width of noodles. Add noodles to to boiling broth for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender. Season to taste with pepper. Enjoy!

Nacho Spuds

2011-11-04T13:18:00.001-05:00

A potato take on the always delicious nachos.

Nacho Spuds
Serves 4
You will need:

2 large baking potatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
2 T olive oil
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 can of black beans, drained
2 T taco seasoning
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
2 or 3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
sour cream for serving

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potato slices with the olive oil. Sprinkle with pepper and a little salt. Arrange potatoes in a single layer and bake until golden brown, around 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a skillet brown the ground beef. Once cooked through, add the black beans, taco seasoning and 2 Tablespoons of water. Stir well. Simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the potatoes to an oven safe baking dish. Sprinkle half of the cheese on top. Then spoon on the meat and bean mixture. Top with the remaining cheese, green onions and tomatoes. Return to the oven and turn off the heat. Let stand 3 or 4o minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream. If desired you can also serve with tortilla chips to scoop up the extra goodness.

Marbled Stuffed Potatoes

2011-08-30T11:38:00.001-05:00

I love to have a baked potato every now and then, but my husband dislikes potatoes. He does however love sweet potatoes. Enter compromise that is oh so delicious.

Marbled Stuffed Potatoes
Makes 4 servings
You will need:

4 large russet potatoes
1 large sweet potato
1/4 Cup sour cream
3 T butter
2 to 3 green onions
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
pinch of cinnamon
olive oil for brushing
salt
pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place all of the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake for 30 minutes. Pierce each potato a few times and then continue to bake for another 20 minutes. Let cool slightly (you'll probably have to handle the potatoes with oven mitts for the next part).

Peel the sweet potato and place in a bowl. Mash it lightly with a fork. Trim a thin slice off of the top of each russet potato lengthwise. Scoop out most of the flesh, leaving skins intact, into another bowl. Stir in the sour cream, butter, onions, cinnamon and 3/2 cup cheddar. Salt and pepper to taste.

Brush the skins with olive oil. If you want you can salt and pepper the skins. Generously stuff the the russet potato skins with the potato mixture. Top with the remaining cheese.

Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Place the stuffed potatoes on a baking sheet and cook until the cheese is melted. About 25 to 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

You can also add in some bacon bits if you wanted a more traditional baked potato.

Adapted from the October 2010 issue of Food Network Magazine

French Dip Sandwiches

2011-08-28T12:35:00.004-05:00

These sandwiches are so good that they got eaten before I could take a picture. They are so easy to make since you let it simmer in the crock pot all day.

French Dip Sandwiches with Au Jus
Makes enough for 6 to 8 sandwiches
You will need:

1 medium yellow onion
3/4 cup beef broth or stock (I use low sodium if I can find it)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
11/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
~3lb chuck roast
salt
pepper
6-8 sandwich rolls, split
~1/2 pound of sliced provolone or swiss cheese

Slice the onion into 1/4 to 1/2-inch rounds. Keeping the rounds intact, line the bottom of the crockpot with the onions. Add beef broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, Tabasco sauce, and garlic to the top of the onions. Salt and pepper both sides of the roast and place on top of the onions. Cook on low 6-7 hours until beef is fall-apart tender. Shred the roast using two forks (you can remove it from the crock pot to shred if it is easier for you, but I shred mine in the pot). You can keep the crockpot on warm until you are ready to eat.

Preheat the broiler. Place the split sandwich rolls on a baking sheet and toast for 1 minute or just until the bread begins to brown. I toss my buns in the toaster oven so I don't have to wait for the broiler to preheat.

Scoop out some of the beef and onion mixture onto the bottom bun. Top with Provolone cheese. You can place the sandwiches back in the oven after you have topped them with meat and cheese, but I find that the meat melts the cheese anyways. Serve with small bowls of jus.

Modified from this recipe.

Peanuty chocolate truffles

2011-08-17T14:21:00.002-05:00

A fun, simple dessert. I was surprised by how easy these were to make.

This recipe is from a delicious dessert cookbook I got awhile ago.

What you will need:
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp butter, divided
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
3 squares semi-sweet chocolate for baking (or 1/3 cup semi-sweet morsels)
1 1/4 cups dry-roasted peanuts (or almonds)

1. Add peanut butter and 1/4 cup butter to a microwave safe dish. Microwave on High for 1 minute or till melted, stir. Add powdered sugar and mix well. Refrigerate 30 minutes, till easy to handle

2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Roll 1 tsp of peanut butter mixture into a ball and place on prepared pan. Repeat with remaining mixture and refrigerate 15 minutes.

4. Place chocolate and remaining butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on Hogh for 1-1 1/2 minutes until melted and smooth, stirring after 1 minute.

5. Chop peanuts and place into a shallow dish for coating step.

6. Roll truffle in the melted chocolate then roll on peanuts and return to parchment-lined pan. Repeat with remaining truffles. Chill again, this time in an air-tight containertill ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Citrus Mojito

2011-08-17T14:11:00.002-05:00

This is a perfect summer drink. Slighty sweet yet refreshing. This is courtesy of Abby!

In a microwave safe container mix 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. Microwave for 2 minutes to dissolve.

In a large picture combine:
Simple syrup from above
1 package of fresh mint
Juice from 2 oranges
Juice from 2 lemons
Juice from 3 limes
2 cups of white rum
8 cans of squirt soda ( I decrease this to a 2 liter)

Serve chilled or on ice and be prepared to make a second batch :)

Soft Pretzels

2010-09-23T16:05:00.001-05:00

It's been a long time since I have done a post here. I am still trying new recipes and taking pictures of them. It is just hard to keep up with this blog on top of my others. I will try and make a greater effort to post :)

I LOVE soft pretzels! I will stop off and get pretzel bites when I am in the mall. I will sometimes buy a box of the frozen ones so I can have a pretzel whenever I want. They just aren't as good as a fresh out of the oven pretzel. I saw this recipe and enlisted the help of my husband to make this tasty treat (he has way more patience for dough than I do).

Soft Pretzels

Makes 16 small or 8 large pretzels

You will need:

1 envelope active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups very warm water (~110 degrees)
1 T sugar
2 tsp salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg yolk
1 T water
course salt if desired for topping

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water. Stir in the sugar and salt until completely dissolved. Add in the flour (I add half then stir and then the other half) and mix well. Turn onto a floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes. Divide dough into 8 or 16 equal pieces. Roll each section into a strip. You may need to let the dough rest for a little bit if the roll wants to shrink back up. Shape into pretzels and place on a well-greased baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Beat the egg yolk with 1T water and brush onto pretzels. Sprinkle with salt if desired. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm (and with cheese!).

To whip up a simple cheese, I heat 1/2 cup hard apple cider and one minced clove of garlic until simmering. Meanwhile I toss one to one and half cups shredded cheese (whatever I have on hand, this time it was Colby jack) with one Tablespoon flour. Stir into cider. Continue stirring until all the cheese is melted through. Add in 1 or 2 T diced jalapenos for more of a nacho cheese flavor. Season with pepper to taste.

Our kitty loves to watch us cook, especially if she can smell Crisco.

BBQ Bacon Wrapped Weenies

2010-05-16T12:16:00.000-05:00

This is a simple recipe that is great to take to a potluck or to serve as an appetizer. People love them so much that you won't have leftovers to take home (even if it is a group of women). They are so tasty!

BBQ Bacon wrapped weenies
You will need:

1 lb little weenies (I used Hormel lil smokies)
1 lb uncooked bacon
1 cup bbq sauce (I used something with a little spice since you add so much sweet)
1/2 cup brown sugar
honey
wooden toothpicks

Line a 9x13 pan with foil (it will make clean up much easier and the bacon get crisper). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the bacon strips into 1/4s. Wrap each weenie with bacon, secure with a toothpick. Be sure you use wooden toothpicks, plastic will melt in the oven.

Measure bbq sauce out and stir in the brown sugar in a bowl or measuring cup. Place wrapped smokies into the 9X13 pan, drizzle with BBQ sauce mixture. Next, drizzle honey in a zig zag pattern. No need to coat them in the honey. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until bacon is slightly crispy. Be careful not to over bake, the BBQ sauce will quickly darken and bacon can become rubbery.

If you do have left overs, refrigerate in a container making sure you have bbq sauce to keep them moist.

Natalie's Cheesy Potatoes

2010-02-05T16:20:00.007-06:00

Here is a recipe for some delicious and fairly easy cheesy potatoes.

Cheesy Potatoes

Serves 8

You will need:

1 bag of frozen Potatoes O'Brian (with peppers and onions)
1 Can of Cream of Chicken
16 oz sour cream (low fat)
10 oz Velveeta (cut into small cubes)
1/2 stick of butter, divided in half and melted
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of corn flakes

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2: Mix together potatoes, cream of chicken, sour cream, Velveeta, 1/4 cup butter. Pour into an ungreased 9x13 baking dish

Step 3: Bake mixture in a large baking dish for 30 minutes

Step 4: Mix corn flakes and remaining 1/4 stick of butter and use to cover the baked potato mixture.

Step 5: Return to oven for another 10 minutes. Watch to make certain the corn flakes don't get too browned.

Serve and enjoy!

Swiss Steak

2010-02-03T11:48:00.006-06:00

Another comfort food from my childhood that got the thumbs up from the boyfriend so I figured I would share it through this forum.

This is a crock-pot item which might be one of my top 5 kitchen items.

Serves 4
You will need:

1.5-2 lbs steak (sirloin and round steak work well)
3 - 10.5 oz cans of tomato soup (or one large, family size can)
3 green bell peppers, sliced into rings
3 onions, sliced into rings and separated
1 teaspoon of ground pepper
Mashed potatoes (optional)

Pour one can of soup into the bottom of the crock pot, add the ground pepper, and stir. Place steak in the pot and then cover with the green pepper and onion rings. Pour remaining two cans of soup over the top of the onions and peppers. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 or until the steak pulls apart when tested with a fork.

Serve with mashed potatoes and enjoy.

Simple Clam Chowder

2010-02-03T11:26:00.006-06:00

(Picture to Follow)

With a cold winter having settled in for 6 more weeks (at least) I've been looking for some good comfort foods. I remembered that growing up my parents always made a very flavorful and soothing clam chowder so I got the following recipe from my mom.

Simple Clam Chowder
Serves 4 to 6
You will need:

1 can Cream of Celery
1 can Cream of Potato
3 cans of Minced Clams (DO NOT strain)
10.5 oz heavy cream (refill one of the soup cans)
3 medium sized potatoes, diced and boiled
~1/2 cup imitation mashed potatoes

A: Peel and dice potatoes. Place in a medium sized pot and cover with water. Bring to boil and cook potatoes until they are slightly firm when tested with a fork (or till desired texture has been achieved). (Depending on the size of the diced potatoes, this should take between 5 and 12 minutes of steady boiling.)

B: At the same time, in a medium sized pot combine the cream of celery, cream of potato, minced clams with juice, and heavy cream. (You can add the boiled potatoes to this mix at any point as soon as they are ready.) Simmer over low heat until it becomes liquidy. Be sure to constantly stir the mixture so as not to scorch the cream. Once a liquidy state is reached, slowly stir in imitation potatoes until a desired thickness is reached.

C: Serve with oyster crackers and enjoy!

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

2010-01-24T16:39:00.005-06:00

I love pumpkin desserts but am usually hesitant to make cheesecake because I do not own a springform pan so when a friend found this recipe I was a little hesitant to undertake it but it was very delicious and more importantly very easy (BONUS: no springform pan necessary!). It's from Kraft Foods but wanted to share it with those who enjoy this blog and the foods that experiment with.

Serves 16

You will need:

25 Ginger Snaps, finely crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)
1/2 cup finely chopped Pecans
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) 1/3 less fat Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash ground cloves

Step 1: Heat oven to 325°F

Step 2: Mix crumbs, nuts and butter; press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 13x9-inch pan.

Step 3: Beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each just until blended. Remove 1-1/2 cups batter. Stir remaining sugar, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter.

Step 4: Spoon half the pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half the plain batter. Repeat layers; swirl with knife.

Step 5: Bake 45 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours.

Easiest Fruit Cobbler

2010-01-24T15:52:00.006-06:00

This is the easiest berry cobbler recipe ever. The cake mix contains enough sugar to sweeten this dessert without adding any additional ingredients.

You will need:
1 Yellow Cake Mix
1 Stick of butter (1/2 cup)
6 cups of berries (fresh, canned, or frozen)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Pour the frozen berries in the bottom of a 9 x 13 Pyrex dish. Sprinkle the cake mix over the frozen berries. Cut the stick of butter into small tabs and distribute over the top of the dry cake mix. Bake for 45 minutes until the filling is bubbly and the topping is lightly brown.

Options for berries: blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, cherries, peaches, apples, any combination of these, or anything else that you feel like experimenting with :)

Parmesan Fondue

2010-01-24T12:06:00.000-06:00

This is a fondue recipe that I got from my sister. It is so fast and easy to make, not to mention quite delicious.

Parmesan Fondue
Serves 4 to 6
You will need:

1 1/2 cups cold milk
2 (8oz) cream cheese blocks, cubed
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder

In a large saucepan (or your fondue pot if it is stove-top safe), cook and stir the milk and cream cheese over low heat until cheese is melted. Stir in Parmesan cheese slowly. Add in the garlic powder, cook and stir until heated through. Transfer to a fondue pot or mini slow cooker, keep warm. Serve with bread cubes, apples, ham, pepperoni, etc.

3 bean salad

2010-01-18T20:53:00.005-06:00

An easy recipe that's a great side item. I got this from my new aunt.

You will need:
1 can green beans
1 can wax beans
1 can dark kidney beans
1/2 c thinly sliced onion
1/2 c olive oil
2/3 c wine vinegar
1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c sugar
1 clove garlic finely diced
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Thoroughly mix all ingredients except beans and onion. In a separate bowl combine beans and onions. Pour liquid mixture over beans, chill and enjoy.

Bruschetta

2010-01-18T20:30:00.006-06:00

This is one of my FAVORITE appetizers. It's pretty easy and very delicious!

You will need:
1 loaf French bread, slide
1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 large fresh tomatoes, diced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Step 2: Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. In a bowl, mix the onion, garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, oregano, basil, and parsley. Gently toss in the tomatoes. Top bread slices with the tomato mixture. Sprinkle with feta and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with olive oil.

Step 3: Bake 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is melted and bread is lightly toasted.

Lemon Snowflake cookies

2010-01-18T20:08:00.004-06:00

These cookies are from the Blue Owl Restaurant in Kimmswick, MO. This is one of the best dessert restaurants (and regular food) I've ever been to.

You will need:
1 box lemon cake mix
2 cups Cool Whip (thawed)
1 egg
Powdered Sugar

Mix first 3 ingredients together. The dough will be very runny. In a separate bowl with powdered sugar, drop in about a tablespoon of dough and shake the bowl around to coat the dough ball. Remove the coated dough from the powdered sugar and place on a cookie sheet. Space cookies about 3 inches apart. Bake for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

2010-01-18T19:48:00.003-06:00

This sauce is absolutely wonderful.

Times:
Prep: 30min Cook: 20min Ready in: 50min

Serves 8
You will need:

2 large red bell peppers
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh basil
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups half-and-half
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
4 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Preheat broiler. Lightly coat the red peppers with olive oil. Grill peppers under the broiler until the skin is blackened, and the flesh has softened slightly. Place peppers in a paper bag or resealable plastic bag and cool for approximately 45 minutes.

Step 2: Remove the seeds and skin from the peppers (the skin should come off the peppers easily now). Cut peppers into small pieces.

Step 3: In a skillet, cook and stir the garlic, basil, and red peppers in 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes, so that the flavors mix.

Step 4: Place the hot mixture in blender and puree to desired consistency. Return puree to skillet, and reheat to a boil. Stir in the half-and-half and the Romano cheese; cook and stir until cheese melts. Add the butter and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Step 5: Pour over your desired pasta noodle and enjoy!

Asian Beef and Noodles in the Crockpot

2010-01-15T15:15:00.000-06:00

I am trying to use my crockpot more to make easy delicious meals. I looked around and found a recipe I wanted to try on a blog my sister emailed me.

Asian Beef and Noodles
Serves 4
You will need:

2 - 16 oz packages frozen stir fry vegetables
1 - 1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin or other lean steak, cut into 1" cubes
1 (12 ounce) bottle stir-fry sauce**
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 packages ramen noodles, broken
3 or 4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup hot water

Coat a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray (this makes clean up a breeze!). Place one package frozen vegetables in the bottom and top with cubed meat. Pour on top stir-fry sauce, broth, and red pepper.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 4 -5 hours About 30 minutes before you are ready to eat, pour in the other vegetable package, the hot water and the ramen noodles(discard the spice packets). Stir noodles and green onions into meat mixture. Cover and let stand 20 to minutes. Stir before serving. This can be kept on warm for 1-2 hours.

**Note about sauce** I used General Tso sauce because it has far less sodium than your regular soy sauce based sauces. It was delicious and I highly recommend it as it lowers the sodium quite a lot!

Chicken Potpie Casserole

2010-01-15T12:10:00.005-06:00

This is a fast easy way to enjoy Chicken Potpie without a ton of calories. This recipe is adapted from Rachel Ray.

Chicken Potpie Casserole
Servings: 4 to 6
You will Need:

2 T olive oil, plus more for brushing
1/2 medium onion, chopped finely
2 stalks of celery, diced
12 or so baby carrots, sliced thin
salt and pepper
8oz mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 T flour
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 T finely chopped parsley, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 T for topping
6 to 8 slices of Italian bread, cut 1/2 inch thick

Arrange oven rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat for 400 degrees.

In a Dutch oven (or other skillet that can go from the stove top to the oven), heat 2 T olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until carrots are tender, but crisp. Increase the heat to medium high. Add in the chicken broth, mushrooms and peas. Cook about 6 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top and stir until well combined. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken parsley and Parmesan. Season with more pepper if desired.

Smooth the mixture into an even layer. Place bread slices on top in a single layer. Brush bread with olive oil and sprinkle with 2 T Parmesan and additional parsley. Bake until crispy, about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Spider Web Cookies

2009-11-20T13:27:00.005-06:00

When my original plan for dessert at our formal Halloween dinner party failed, I had to come up with a new plan and fast! Enter the Amazing Bakerella. I found these cute cookies on her blog and decided to make them, but with peanut M&Ms to make my spiders. They turned out adorable :)

Spider Web Cookies
Serves 6 to 12 If you make sure your husband doesn't eat them all ahead of time.
You will need:

1 package Betty Crocker Double Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix
1 can of chocolate ready-made frosting
1 can of vanilla ready-made frosting
orange and green peanut M&Ms found in the bags for Halloween
Toothpicks
Resealable plastic bags
icing dye to tint white icing for the legs
black gel icing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients for cookies as directed on the package. Use a medium sized cookie scoop or a large spoon to get similar sized cookies. You want to end up with about 12 cookies. Place the cookie dough on a baking sheet. Bake for about 7-8 minutes or until they are just set up in the middle. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

After the cookies have cooled, spread chocolate frosting on the top of each cookie. Fill a resealable plastic bag with about half the vanilla icing. Snip a tiny hole (about the size of a toothpick) out of the bottom of one corner. Pipe on three concentric circles of white frosting for each cookie. Start in the middle with the smallest circle and work your way out (this way you don't drag through the icing). Take a toothpick and beginning in the center, drag it lightly through each circle. Repeat all the way around the cookie until you have formed your "web".

Place a green or orange M&M on each web where you want your spider to be.

Take the remaining white frosting and separate it into two bowls. Tint one frosting with orange icing color and the other with green. This takes a bit of guessing to get the color you want. Just remember that a tiny bit of icing tint goes a LONG ways. :) Fill two resealable bags with the orange and green frosting and snip off a teeny tiny corner of each. Pipe eight small legs of the coordinating color around each M&M. Use black gel icing to add eyes to your spiders. Enjoy this spooky treat!

Cheese ball

2009-11-20T13:17:00.002-06:00

My mom is the queen of winging it and using what she has to make delicious foods. This cheese ball is her recipe and is very delicious. Some would say that my family is famous for making this for holidays and parties. It is very delicious!

Cheese ball
You will need:

1 - 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 an onion finely chopped (more or less depending on how strong of an onion it is)
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 to 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Assorted crackers

Using your hands or two spoons, mix together the cream cheese, garlic, onion and Worcestershire sauce. After it is thoroughly mixed slowly mix in the shredded cheese, about a 1/2 cup at a time. If you put it all in at once it will not distribute evenly. Form into a ball, cover and chill for at least an hour. The longer it sits (say overnight) the better married the flavors will be. Enjoy!

Chewy Pizza Bread

2009-11-20T13:03:00.005-06:00

This is a quick and easy pizza to make in the summer when you have loads of fresh basil on hand. It is also tasty in the cooler months, but the fresh basil is the best! This is modified from Betty Crocker.

Chewy Pizza Bread
Serves 4
You will need:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup beer (regular or non alcoholic)
1/2 cup tomato pasta sauce
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
chopped fresh basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray an 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in beer just until the flour is moistened. Spread the dough evenly in the pan.

Stir the Italian seasoning into the tomato pasta sauce. Spread the sauce over the dough. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out of the center clean. Sprinkle basil over the top. Slice and serve warm!

Apple Chipotle Pork Burritos with Chipotle Sauce

2009-11-12T16:38:00.008-06:00

These pictures SO don't do this meal justice because it is FABULOUS and my photography skills aren't so much...

Anyway these burritos are really good and really easy to make. The burrito recipe comes from Gourmet Sleuth. The proportions I'm giving are for a single batch that makes about 4 small burritos; I personally have only made a double or larger batch.

Makes 4 burritos.
You will need:

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1/4 pound pork loin, cut in small squares
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 apples, peeled
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
6 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Step 1: Adobo Sauce
To prepare sauce, in a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, mayonnaise, and chipotle peppers until smooth. You can add more adobo and peppers to taste. Chill until serving.
(I've included a picture of the can for the chipotle peppers since this isn't a standard item. This can be found in the Mexican Food section at most grocery stores.)

Step 2:
Heat oil* in a frying pan and fry pork until slightly golden . Remove pork and soak oil using paper towels. Add apple, onion and garlic to the frying pan and cook until glazed for 3 minutes.
*(You do not need additional oil if you increase the proportions of this recipe)

Step 3: In a bowl, combine pork mixture, add cilantro with 4 tablespoons of chipotle sauce so that it does not dry out.

Step 4: Heat tortillas on a flat griddle and fill each tortilla with one tablespoon of cooked pork at a time until the tortilla is half full. Fold both ends and roll the tortilla. You can serve these with the chipotle sauce on the side as well :)

This Adobo Sauce is also very good with other items like chicken, chili or other items that could benefit from a gentle spicy kick!

Michelle's Artichoke Dip

2009-10-26T22:02:00.003-05:00

It is really hard to find a good artichoke dip recipe. Several recipes that I have tried have been too thick or too bland. This recipe was given to me by my sister, Michelle. It is so delicious that you will have a hard time not eating the whole pan by yourself!

I served this up during cocktail hour at our recent Halloween dinner. Enjoy!

Artichoke Dip
Serves 1 to 6 :)
You will need:

1 can (14 oz) Artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained*
3/4 c Parmesan cheese
3/4 c mayonnaise
1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 clove garlic, minced

*To thaw and drain the spinach - unwrap frozen spinach and place in a strainer. Run cold water over it until it completely thaws. Press on spinach to drain extra water. Place spinach on a towel or paper towels and roll in the towel to absorb excess water.

Preheat oven to 350. Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Spoon into 9 inch pie plate or an 8x8 baking dish. Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.

If you want the cheese to be golden on top, put under the broiler for a minute or two. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn!

Serve with crackers or tortilla chips. I love the blue corn tortilla chips we served it with!

Quick, Cheap & Easy Pad Thai

2009-09-10T15:43:00.004-05:00

This is a quick and cheap way to make a version of Pad Thai. I almost always have these items on hand which makes it even better!

No meal complete without meat? Stick around after the recipe.

Pad Thai
2 servings
You will need:

2 packages Maruchan ramen (doesn't matter what flavor, you won't be using the seasoning)
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 to 3 T creamy peanut butter (I use Jif reduced fat)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice.
Zest of one lime
1/4 tsp chili powder
dash of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tsp freshly chopped cilantro (optional)

In a 2 quart saucepan, boil 3 cups water. Add in the ramen noodles (don't add seasoning!). Cook for two minutes then drain. Set noodles aside. Return saucepan to stove. Over low heat, melt peanut butter, stirring constantly. You want to get it to this consistency:
Once you get it all melted and creamy stir in lime juice. Stir until well combined. Sauce will become thicker. Stir in garlic, chili powder, lime zest and red pepper flakes if desired. Add ramen back to the pan. Toss noodles until coated. Serve into bowls and top with green onion and cilantro if desired.

Need meat? grab one pound unbreaded chicken breast tenders and two eggs. Cut the tenders in half crosswise. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Cook the chicken in a bit of oil in a skillet preheated over medium-high heat, 4 or 5 minutes until browned. Stir in eggs. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until eggs are cooked. Serve in your Pad Thai!

Stove-Top Lasagna

2009-09-10T15:20:00.005-05:00

Love lasagna, but hate how long it takes? Tired of the same old boring spaghetti? Looking for a quick delicious way to get in your veggies? Look no more! This is a dish modified from good old Betty Crocker. If you don't have the Quick & Easy cookbook (30 minutes or less), you should run out and buy it. This dish is super fast and easy. What could be better than that you say? Well, I will tell you. It only takes one pan! Hooray.

For those of you interested in a vegetarian option, you can substitute Morning Stars' new Italian Sausages.

Stove-Top Lasagna

4 to 8 servings

You will need:

1 pound bulk sausage (I use hot and spicy, but you can also use Italian)
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 package (8 oz.) sliced mushrooms (I prefer baby bellas, they cook better)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups uncooked pasta (this time I used skinny lasagna noodles and broke them up. You just want something a little bit hearty. Things like elbows or shells will just break apart)
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 jar (26 to 30oz.) chunky tomato sauce
1 1/2 to 2 cups Italian blend cheese or Mozzarella

Cook sausage and onions in a DEEP 12 inch skillet or a 4 quart Dutch oven over medium high heat. Stir occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink. Stir in peppers and mushrooms. Let cook until peppers start to soften and mushrooms start to cook.

Stir in remaining ingredients, except cheese. Heat until boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Turn of heat. Stir in 1/2 cup to 1 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese.

Italian Stuffed Shells

2009-08-29T13:12:00.006-05:00

One of my friends made this for a dinner for a large group of is and it was fabulous. I've since made it on my own and am surprised at how easy and DELICIOUS it is :)

6-8 servings
You will need:

1 jar favorite spaghetti sauce (I recommend 2 but I LOVE sauce)
1 pkg jumbo shells
1 lb Italian sausage
1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning (this is what the recipe calls for but instead I like to chop up a couple leaves of fresh basil and parsley, then just add dried oregano)
15-16 oz ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella
½ cup grated Parmesan
2 eggs
Garlic salt & pepper (there is no measurement on the recipe I have, I usually just put probably about ½ tsp of pepper and use fresh or pre-chopped garlic instead of garlic salt)

Cook shells, set in cold water until ready to use. Drain and dry with a paper towel just before stuffing

Stuffing:
Cook the Italian sausage and try to break it into small crumbles. Mix in a large bowl Italian sausage, ricotta, ¾ of the mozzarella, Parmesan, eggs, seasonings, (other additional options: chopped onion, spinach, meat other than sausage, chicken does NOT work well unless you really season it, it can be pretty bland)

Coat the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish with a thin coat of spaghetti sauce to prevent sticking. Stuff shells with cheese mixture as full as you can get them and arrange in dish. After all the mixture is used (you usually don’t use all the shells) coat the shells with the remaining sauce. Top with remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until heated all the way through. Uncover and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Toasted Ravioli

2009-07-31T14:29:00.004-05:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to actually post this! First I had to decipher the notes my husband made after he had made these a third time. Then I got busy making invitations and programs for my sister's wedding. I should actually be packing for said wedding now, but I didn't want to leave you hanging any longer.
Toasted Ravioli is one of my favorite foods. I was rather bummed when I learned they are endemic to the St. Louis area and I can't find a good one in Austin. So I was very surprised, when I went away for a trip, to return to delicious homemade toasted ravioli made by my husband. Yum!

Toasted Ravioli
Serves 4 to 6
You will need:
For the Dough

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp salt
2 to 4 T water
1 T olive oil

For the filling:

1/2 pound pork sausage (we used spicy sausage)
2 T olive oil
1/2 small zucchini, finely diced
1/2 yellow squash, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 to 3 large cremini mushrooms, chopped
2 tsp Italian seasoning (more or less to taste)
4 oz cream cheese
2 T mozzarella

For the breading

2 eggs
milk
bread crumbs (plain or Italian)

To make the dough, mound flour and salt on a clean flat work space. Make a hole in the top of the mound (like a volcano). Add to the hole egg, egg white and 2 T of water. Mix dough together with hands. If the dough is not sticky enough to stay together, add more water a tablespoon at a time. Do not over work dough.

Roll dough out with a rolling pin (on a floured work surface) until desired, even thickness. Or use a pasta roller set on 6 :) Set dough aside while you make the filling.

To make the filling. Brown the sausage over medium heat in a large skillet, until no longer pink. Add in veggies and garlic and let simmer for 1 minute. Add in the mushrooms and Italian seasoning and let cook for 1 minute. Add in the cream cheese and mozzarella. Stir until all the cheese is melted and well blended. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Cut dough into desired sized rectangles. Place filling on one side on the rectangle, mounding so it is not near the edges. Using your finger, rub some water along the edges of the rectangle that filling is on. Fold the half of the rectangle that does not contain filling over the side with filling. Press the edges firmly to seal them shut. Do this to all remaining rectangles until you run out of dough or filling.

Next mix together 2 eggs and a splash of milk. Place bread crumbs in a clean shallow bowl. Dunk raviolis in the egg wash and then into the bread crumbs. Be sure to flip the raviolis over several times in the bread crumbs to make sure they are well coated. Place coated raviolis on a plate.

The final step can be done one of two ways, fry in oil or bake.

To fry - Fill a 12 inch skillet with 1/2 an inch of vegetable oil. Heat over medium high. Once the oil is hot enough, place a few raviolis at a time into the oil. Turn after 30 seconds or when golden brown. Remove to paper towels.

If frying isn't your thing - Preheat oven to 350. Spray a cookie sheet with Pam or other cooking spray. Place the raviolis on the cookie sheet in a single layer. Spray the raviolis with Pam as well. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip over raviolis. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until warmed through.

Both ways are tasty! Serve immediately with your favorite marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese. Leftovers can be refrigerated.

Toasted Ravioli

2009-06-29T16:44:00.000-05:00

Recipe coming soon...

Buffalo Chicken Nuggets

2009-06-23T16:58:00.003-05:00

This recipe is quite possibly one of my new favorites. I LOVE buffalo nuggets, but I hate that they are fried at restaurants and if you buy them frozen they usually are dark meat or really salty. This recipe is BAKED and oh so delicious! This is adapted from Betty Crocker.

Buffalo Chicken Nuggets
Serves 4
You will need:

1 1/2 cups corn Chex
1/2 cup Bisquick
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp seasoned salt (mix together equal parts salt, garlic powder and ground mustard)
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
1 T vegetable oil
1 tsp hot sauce (Tabasco)
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
Blue cheese dressing for serving
celery for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a one gallon storage bag, crush chex. A rolling pin, can, or your hands will work just fine. Add Bisquick, paprika, seasoned salt, and cayenne to cereal. Mix well.

In a small bowl, mix together oil and hot sauce. Coat chicken pieces with oil mixture.

Shake 5 or 6 pieces at a time in cereal bag, until well coated. Shake off any excess mixture. Place nuggets on an ungreased baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake about 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center. Serve with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks. YUM!

Shower Punch

2009-06-23T13:30:00.002-05:00

I made this super tasty punch for my sister's bridal shower. Yum!

Pink Punch
Serves 20 people who love punch
You will need:

4 cans peach nectar
2 - 2 liter bottles of ginger ale
grenadine
raspberries and blueberries for garnish
umbrellas for garnish

Chill peach nectar and ginger ale for a few hours before the shower. In a large punch bowl, add peach nectar. Add in grenadine until punch is a dark pink color. Stir well. Slowly pour in the ginger ale (don't go fast or you will lose your fizz). If the punch isn't pink enough for you, pour in more grenadine. Refrigerate punch until ready to serve. Garnish umbrellas with fruit to serve in the glasses. Yum!

Stuffed Taco Shells

2009-05-20T14:53:00.004-05:00

These stuffed taco shells are a nice way to change up how you eat tacos or pasta. They are super easy to make and leftovers keep well. I have even taken them to book club where they were a hit!

Stuffed Taco Shells
Makes 12 to 16 shells
You will need:

1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 package of taco seasoning
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
4 oz. regular cream cheese
12 to 16 large pasta shells (I often throw in a few more to boil in case some tear)
1 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup of shredded Monterey jack cheese
3 green onions thinly sliced
crushed tortilla chips (I use blue corn tortilla chips)
1 cup sour cream (optional)

In a skillet, brown ground beef (season beef as you would normally). Add in the taco seasoning and prepare as directed on the package. Add in the cream cheese and stir until melted. Stir in the black beans. Set aside to fully cool. While ground beef is browning, cook pasta shells according to directions. Drain and toss with butter. Allow to full cool.

After meat mixture and shells have cooled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking dish with foil. Pour salsa in the bottom of the dish, spreading evenly. Stuff each shell with meat mixture and place in the pan on top of the salsa. Top each stuffed shell with taco sauce.

Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes sprinkle with cheese, green onions, and chips. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is fully melted. Serve with sour cream.

Thin Mint Cookies

2009-05-18T16:41:00.003-05:00

Thin Mints are by far the best Girl Scout Cookie. Those little girls sure know how to make you crave a cookie. I mean you can only get them during a small window every year. Well I have found a recipe for thin mint cookies that comes close to the real thing.

Thin Mint Cookies
You will need:

1 box of Devil's Food Cake Mix
2 eggs
2 T of water
2 T of vegetable oil
1/2 cup of cocoa (powder)
1 package of chocolate chips
2 to 3 drops of Wilton's Candy Mint Flavoring

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, mix the eggs, water, cooking oil, cake mix, and cocoa powder. Mix until well blended. Cover and place aside for 20 minutes. On an ungreased cookie sheet make 1/2 inch small balls of the mixture. Place them on the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart from each other. Spray a large spoon with PAM or any kind of non-stick cooking spray. Use the spoon on the balls to make them flat. Place the cookie sheet in the oven for about 8 minutes. Set aside for them to cool down to room temperature.

Get another bowl and melt the chocolate chips in the microwave. You can also melt them in a double boiler over the range. Gently drop the mint flavoring into the melted chocolate. Be aware that the flavoring is powerful, so watch the amount of drops. Pour or spread the chocolate onto the cooled cookies. You can use a brush or the bottom of a spoon to help spread it evenly. If you want a different way to have thin mints, dip the cookies into the chocolate.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Strawberry BBQ Sauce

2009-04-26T17:56:00.002-05:00

This is a nice summery version of pulled pork sandwiches.

Pulled Pork with Strawberry BBQ Sauce
Serves 6
You will need:

a 2 to 2 1/2 pound boneless pork shoulder roast
2 cups strawberries, halved
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 T honey
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt
pepper
Rolls or buns

Trim fat from pork. Place roast in a crock pot. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Add half the strawberries, ketchup, vinegar, garlic and rosemary to the crock pot. Add half the red pepper flakes. Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or until pork is tender and shreds apart. Remove roast from crock pot. Shred pork apart using two forks, discarding fat.

To make the BBQ sauce: Skim fat off of cooking liquid. Add liquid to a medium skillet. Bring liquid to a boil and simmer for 8 minutes or until thickened. Stir half of the liquid back into the shredded pork. In the remaining half in the skillet and the remaining strawberries and pepper flakes. Stir in the honey.

Serve the pork on buns. Top with additional sauce and cheese if desired.

Parmesan-Stuffed Chicken and Melted Strawberries

2009-04-26T17:22:00.002-05:00

Another wonderful strawberry recipe modified from Better Homes and Gardens.

Parmesan-Stuffed Chicken and Melted Strawberries
Makes 2 servings
You will need:

2 chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries (halve large berries)
1 T white balsamic vinegar
1/4 strawberry jam **
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 large basil leaves
1 T olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
snipped basil for topping
pepper
salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a baking dish combine strawberries, vinegar, and jam. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Cut a horizontal pocket into each chicken breast. Do so by cutting from one side almost, but not through, to the other side. Place a basil leaf into each pocket. Stuff pockets with Parmesan cheese. Secure pockets closed with wooden toothpicks. Sprinkle with pepper.

In a 12 inch oven-safe grill pan or skillet, cook garlic in oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add chicken and cook five minutes or until golden, turning once. Transfer to the oven. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes. Add baking dish with the strawberries to the oven. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and the berries have softened. Serve chicken with melted strawberries. Sprinkle with basil.

Stawberry & Cheese Bruschetta

2009-04-26T17:11:00.002-05:00

Strawberries are in season right now. You know what that means, tons of strawberries to cook with! Better Homes and Gardens May 2009 issue has lots of ideas. Of course I can never let a recipe be, so the strawberry posts will all be my rendition.

Strawberry & Cheese Bruschetta
Makes 6 slices
You will need:

1 baguette
1 T olive oil
4 oz. Sage Derby cheese
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup arugula
Basil finely sliced
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Heat the broiler. Cut baguette in half lengthwise, then into thirds crosswise. Place cut sides up on a large cookie sheet. Brush bread with the 1 T of olive oil. Broil for 1 1/2 to minutes 3 to 4 inches from heat or until lightly toasted. Slice and divide the cheese among the bread slices. Top with sliced strawberries. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted and berries have softened. Remove from broiler, top with arugula and basil. Drizzle additional oil if desired. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Corn and Avocado Salad

2009-04-25T21:31:00.002-05:00

Google Reader started suggesting blogs for me to read. I find this a little bit creepy, but when bored I will wander. It led me to http://ashleescooking.blogspot.com She has lots of great stuff posted and what is really creepy, she is from my hometown area. How does Google know!? Any who, I thought I would try out this tasty side with a few changes.

Corn and Avocado Salad
You will need:

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 ripe avocado diced (I made my pieces fairly large so they don't mush completely when you mix it)
1/4 red onion, minced
1 T minced cilantro (Stephanie I think you could skip this and add more lime)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
Juice of one fresh lime (two limes if they are tiny)
salt
pepper

Add corn, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, salt and pepper into a bowl. Mix well. Add avocado by folding in gently. Again bigger pieces are good for keeping shape. Chill until ready to serve. For storing leftovers, place saran wrap flush with salad.

Grandma Mather's Potato Salad

2009-04-25T21:15:00.003-05:00

My grandma made one of the BEST potato salads! I was fortunate enough to make this with her and have the recipe before she passed away. Nothing says summer like a good potato salad.

Grandma Mather's Potato Salad
Serves 6
You will need:

5 to 8 red potatoes
1 hard boiled egg
1/2 yellow onion
1 T sweet relish
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 cup mayonnaise**
1 T yellow mustard
1/4 tsp celery seed
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dash of garlic powder
Pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes unpeeled for 30 minutes, covered, or until jackets crack open. (see photo)
Drain potatoes and rinse in cold water. Once potatoes have cooled, peel off jackets and cube potatoes to desired size. Put potato cubes into serving bowl. Peel and cut hard boiled egg. Add egg and chopped celery to the bowl with potatoes. In a separate bowl, mix mustard into mayo. Add Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, pepper, and celery seed to the mustard/mayo mix. Stir mixture into potatoes. Add more garlic powder and pepper to taste. Chill before serving.

**Last time I made this I only had Miracle Whip on hand. If you are going to substitute Miracle Whip for mayo you need to add more relish to counteract the tangy zip of the miracle whip.

Wordle

2009-04-03T17:29:00.003-05:00

There is this really cool website called www.wordle.net You can enter a bunch of words or copy in a website or blog and it makes this word cloud. I thought it was really cool so I tried it out with the food blog! Try making yours :)

Parmesan-Crusted Broiled Scallops with Roasted Tomatoes

2009-03-21T12:34:00.008-05:00

Since I finally had an evening at home I decided to indulge myself and cook a really fun meal. This ended up being so much easier than I had expected. And it was delicious...but I'm probably partial because I love scallops :)

You will need

For the Scallops:

1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds sea scallops
1 tablespoon margarine, melted
Cooking spray

For the Tomatoes:

3 cups grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Steps:

1) Preheat broiler.

2) Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl; set aside. Brush scallops with margarine. Add scallops to bowl and toss to coat.

3) Place scallops on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray.

4) Place tomatoes in a bowl and add olive oil, salt and pepper; toss well to coat.

5) Place tomatoes on other half of broiler pan also coated with cooking spray.

6) Broil together for 10 minutes. For the scallops, broil until done (slightly firm). For the tomatoes, broil until they begin to brown, stirring occasionally.

Mexican Chocolate Souffles

2009-03-21T12:16:00.006-05:00

When cooking with some of my friends from work we decided to attempt to tackle making our own souffle. Believe it our not (I still have a hard time) it turned out REALLY well. This was the first time I'd ever tried a souffle so I don't know how it was in comparison to others but I thought it was wonderful; light, fluffy, yet still satisfying my ever present chocolate craving ;)

Yields 8 ramekins. (We obviously did not have the correct number of ramekins but we made due ;)

You will need:

Cooking spray
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
3/4 cup fat-free milk
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coffee-flavored liqueur (such as Kahlúa)
1 large egg yolk 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 large egg whites
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Powdered sugar (optional)

Steps:

1) Preheat oven to 375°.
2) Coat 8 (6-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray; sprinkle with 3 tablespoons granulated sugar.
3) Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, cocoa, flour, cinnamon, salt, and pepper, if desired, in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add chocolate, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Place chocolate mixture in a large bowl; stir in vanilla, liqueur, and egg yolk.
4) Place the cream of tartar and egg whites in another large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Add 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Gently stir one-third of egg white mixture into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Spoon evenly into ramekins; sharply tap ramekins 2 or 3 times on counter to level. Place ramekins on a baking sheet.

5) Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until puffy and set. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve immediately.

Avocado Salsa

2009-03-21T11:56:00.006-05:00

This is a really simple recipe that is absolutely fabulous (Sorry that the picture isn't the best)! Especially when served with Lime flavored chips :) I forgot how much I missed avocado until a recent trip to Mexico. When I got home I HAD to make this :) Bonus, it's from Cooking Light...ENJOY!

You will need:

2 cups finely chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper (1 small)
3 tablespoons finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
3 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups chopped peeled avocado (about 2)
1/2 cups chopped seeded plum tomato (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

(I recommend adding a little more vinegar ~1 Tablespoon or so and possibly a little more hot pepper sauce.)

Steps:

1) Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl; toss mixture gently. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours.

2) Stir in avocado and remaining ingredients just before serving.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

2009-03-06T09:40:00.005-06:00

Mmm, stuffed green bell peppers. They are a perfect food regardless of season. They are a meal all by themselves. So why in the world have I not made them before? The answer is simple, my husband. He is very specific requirements when it comes to stuffed peppers. The beef can not be the majority of ingredient. The pepper still needs to be a bit crispy. There needs to be mushrooms in them...and so on and so on. So I took a recipe from my friend A and modified it. I liked that her peppers were not boiled first and that she used tomato sauce instead of spaghetti sauce. So here goes...

Stuffed Green Bell Peppers
Makes 4 peppers
You will need:

4 medium to large green bell peppers, tops and seeds removed
1/2 lb of ground beef
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 to 2 T minced garlic
1 cup plus 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
2 cups cooked rice (I use one "boil in the bag" bag of rice)
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
6 large cremini mushrooms, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare rice as directed on package. Meanwhile, in a large skillet add onion and ground beef. Cook over medium until the beef is browned and the onions are translucent. Add in the mushrooms. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mushrooms release their moisture. Remove from heat. Drain the rice and add to the filling mixture. Stir in 2oz of the tomato sauce and 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Place the bell peppers in an 8X8 baking dish, it is the perfect size for four peppers. Make sure that tops, seeds and white flesh are removed. fill each pepper with the meat mixture. Pour remaining tomato sauce over the filled peppers. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove baking dish and top peppers with remaining mozzarella. Bake for 15 more minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

Next time I am going to try A's suggestion of adding some Italian sausage to the mixture. I think it will taste fabulous.

Taco Cups

2009-03-02T15:39:00.002-06:00

While I was visiting my family for Christmas we had Rachel Ray's tasty BBQ beef cups. I decided to try and do something similar, but with a taco twist. They are so easy to make and a nice break from regular ol' tacos.

Taco Cups
Makes 5 cups
You will Need:

1/4 lb. ground beef
4T taco seasoning
1/4 cup water
1 short tube of refrigerated biscuits (5 in a tube)
1/2 to 1 cup cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend
Sour cream
Taco sauce

Preheat the oven as directed on the tube of biscuits. In a medium skillet season your beef as normal and cook until no longer pink. I season my meat with some pepper, onion flakes, garlic powder and crushed red pepper flakes. After the meat is completely cooked, add in taco seasoning and water (you can add more taco seasoning to taste). Stir well and let simmer until the liquid is cooked off. Remove from heat.

For the next step grease 5 muffin cups of your muffin pan (no need to grease if you are using silicone). Place a biscuit into each greased muffin cup. Make sure the biscuit touches the bottom and stretch the dough up the sides. Then fill each cup with the beef mixture and top with the desired amount of cheese. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until biscuits are golden. Let cool for 2 minutes. Slide biscuits out of muffin cups. Top with taco sauce and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!

Pulled Pork Tacos

2009-02-23T17:11:00.006-06:00

Pulled pork tacos are so tender and tasty. This recipe is so simple to make because you throw all the stuff in the crock pot and a couple hours later you have moist pork for tasty tacos. This meal goes great with a hard cider. I personally love Hornsbys.

Pulled Pork Tacos
Serves 6 to 8
You will need:

2 cups salsa
2 T chili powder
2 T dried oregano
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 to 2 pounds of boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat

For serving:

salsa
fresh cilantro
green onion
lime wedges
sour cream
cheddar cheese

In a 4 to 6 quart crock pot, combine the salsa, chili powder, oregano, cocoa and salt. Add the pork and turn to coat. Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and shreds with a fork, high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 7 to 8 hours. Warm tortillas before serving. Shred apart the pork and stir into the cooking liquid. Serve with salsa, cilantro, green onion, lime wedges, sour cream and cheddar cheese. Enjoy!

Cranberry Chocolate Oat Bars

2009-02-23T15:25:00.002-06:00

These bars are so delicious that they are guaranteed to not last more then two days around your house. They make a great dessert and a sweet breakfast treat. Yum!

Cranberry Chocolate Oat Bars
You will need:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups quick baking oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup margarine, softened
1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
2/3 cup craisens, divided
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Beat margarine and sugar until creamy and smooth in a large bowl. Add eggs one at a time and beat until well blended. Slowly stir in the flour mixture, 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and 1/3 cup of craisens. Continue stirring until well blended. Spread dough into prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with remaining craisens, chocolate chips and nuts (if desired). Bake for 28 to 32 minutes or until a deep golden brown.

Cheese Fondue (fancy swiss)

2009-02-16T18:29:00.004-06:00

This fondue is a very Delicious Swiss based fondue. It is a recipe I came up with after finding that several just weren't quite right. This fondue takes about ten to 15 minutes to make, but requires slightly nicer cheese than is found in a bag of Kraft. Most grocery stores should have these types of cheeses. If not, move to a bigger city ;)

Fancy Swiss Cheese Fondue
Serves 4
You will need:

1 clove of garlic, halved
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
¼ cup Sherry
1 cup whole milk
3 ounces Emmenthaler cheese or any type of Swiss, cubed
3 ounces Gruyère cheese, cubed
3 ounces Raclette cheese, cubed
3 ounces Fontina cheese, cubed

For Dippers:

1 loaf French or sourdough bread, cut into bite-size pieces
broccoli florets
cauliflower
carrots
apples
mushrooms
yellow squash
zucchini
cucumber
green onions

Rub the halved garlic on the sides if the fondue pot, set aside garlic and chop for addition later. Melt the butter in fondue pot over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour. Constantly whisk for 1 minute or until the mixture is smooth and begins to bubble. Slowly whisk in the Sherry. Whisk in the milk. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.

Slowly add the cheese, stirring until all the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth (you may need to add a little more milk if the mixture becomes too thick). Season the fondue to taste with the garlic.Transfer the fondue pot over a canned heat burner to keep it warm. Enjoy!

Cheese Fondue (simple cheddar)

2009-02-16T17:50:00.003-06:00

Again, my kitchen lighting stinks. No real photos to give, but that is the type of fondue pot I own. This cheddar cheese fondue is one of the cheaper versions to make and really easy. It takes about 5 minutes to make and doesn't take fancy cheese. This is also from the Melting Pot cookbook, with some changes.

Cheddar Fondue
Serves 4
You will need:

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (plus more if needed)
3 T all-purpose flour
1 cup hard cider (Strongbow brand recommended)
2 tsp finely chopped shallots
2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 T craisens (optional)
2 tsp crushed walnuts (optional)

Recommended dippers :

1 loaf French or sourdough bread, cut into bite-size pieces
broccoli florets
cauliflower
carrots
apples
mushrooms
yellow squash
zucchini
cucumber
green onions

Toss the cheese with the flour in a bowl. Set aside. Heat fondue pot over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and pour in the hard cider. Stir in the shallots, mustard and craisens (if using). Stir with a fork or whisk, constantly for 30 seconds.

Add in half of the cheese and cook until the cheese is melted, stirring constantly. Add the remaining cheese a small amount at a time, stirring constantly. After all the cheese is melted add in the pepper. Keep fondue warm over low heat and garnish with nuts if desired.

Chocolate Fondue

2009-02-16T17:39:00.003-06:00

I love love love all things fondue! If I have had you over for dinner, you have probably had fondue. This lovely recipe comes from the Melting Pot cookbook. It is a very basic recipe for chocolate fondue, but very yummy. An aside, I hate the lighting in my kitchen at night, so the photo is borrowed until I can get a better photo.

Original Chocolate Fondue
Serves 4
You will need:

8 oz milk chocolate finely chopped
2T heavy cream (plus more if needed)
2T chunky peanut butter

Combine the chocolate and cream in your fondue pot (or double boiler if your pot can't go on the stove) Heat until the chocolate is melted, stirring constantly. Be careful not to let the chocolate burn. Add in the peanut butter and stir until blended. Add in more cream as needed if it is too thick. Keep fondue warm over medium heat.

Chocolate Panini

2009-02-12T16:54:00.004-06:00

I am always looking for a quick easy dessert to make after dinner to satiate my husband's need for chocolate. These paninis might seem a bit strange, but they are actually quite tasty and very quick to make.

Chocolate Panini
Serves 2 to 4
You will need:

4 slices of whole grain white bread
2 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Form two sandwiches with the bread and the chocolate. Transfer to a hot panini press or a George Forman type grill and cook until the bread is golden and the chocolate has melted. It will take about 2 to 3 minutes. You could also make these in on a hot skillet and flip once, pressing down frequently.

*The first time I made these, I made just one sandwich and we split it.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

2009-02-12T16:05:00.002-06:00

In the pie class we took for Thanksgiving we also made this delicious Chocolate Pecan Pie. I am a huge fan of pecan pie and an even bigger fan of chocolate, when the two are combined it is quite the delicious treat.

Chocolate Pecan Pie
Yields 6 servings
You will need:

For the pie crust -

1 cup plus 2T of all-purpose flour
1/2tsp kosher salt
1tsp sugar
1/2 cup (one stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
~3 T ice water

For the filling -

1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1T Bourbon
1tsp vanilla bean paste
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

For the crust - Combine flour, salt, and sugar in the container of a food processor. Pulse once or twice to mix. Add the butter, pulse until the butter and flour are blended and the mixture looks like cornmeal, about 10 to 15 seconds. If you don't have a food processor, we did this all by hand. Just mix the butter in with your hands until you reach the desired consistency.

Sprinkle 3T COLD water over the dough and pulse just until the dough comes together. If the mixture seems too dry, add more water a tsp at a time. Wrap in plastic, flatten into a small disk, and freeze for 10 minutes (or refrigerate for 30 minutes), this will ease the rolling.

Roll out, with a little extra flour to prevent sticking, until almost 10 inches in diameter. It will need to be equal or less then 1/4 inch thickness. Transfer to a pie plate, form edges, and then freeze for about 10 minutes. Prick the crust all over with a fork when you are ready to fill it.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place a baking sheet in the oven.

For the filling - Stir butter and chocolate in a heavy saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.

Whisk sugar and eggs in a medium bowl to blend. Whisk in the chocolate mixture, then Bourbon, vanilla, and salt. Stir in the pecans (filling will be very thick). Spoon filling into crust. Place pie on baking sheet in the oven.

Bake until edges of filling puff and begin to crack and center is set. About 30 to 45 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely.

***NOTE: Pie is not done until the pie looks dry and caramelized. If the pie still looks wet it is not done.***

Apple Pie with Tart Cherries and an Apple Cider Crust.

2009-02-12T15:26:00.005-06:00

For Thanksgiving we decided to take a pie baking class at Whole Foods. What fun it is to make a pie from scratch and have it taste great. This particular recipe was created by our instructor, Chef Allison Heaton, for a pie contest. She won a $25,000 prize to the culinary school in New York! I have to say it is one of the best apple pies I have ever had. I think the Makers Mark makes a big flavor difference.

Apple Pie with Tart Cherries and an Apple Cider Crust

by Chef Allison Heaton

Yields 8 servings

You Will Need:

For the Filling -

4 Granny Smith or Fuji apples
4 Braeburn Apples
1T fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1T cinnamon
1tsp ground nutmeg
1/2tsp allspice
1 tsp salt
2T all-purpose baking flour
2T cornstarch
1/2 cup Makers Mark (apple cider can be used in place of)
6oz dried tart cherries unsweetened (optional)

For the Dough -

3/4 cup apple cider, chilled
3/4tsp Kosher salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole grain pastry flour
1T sugar
1T ground cinnamon
3/4 cup lard or shortening, chilled
3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled

For Pie Assembly -

1T unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 egg white, mixed with 1T water
2T coarse sugar

Pastry Dough - Place a medium bowl into the freezer to chill. In another bowl, stir salt into the apple cider until dissolved. Chill.

In the chilled empty mixing bowl, combine flours, sugar and cinnamon. Using your hands, break up lard and butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. **This must be done quickly so that the shortening and butter do not warm too much from your hands. ** Stir in the apple cider mixture until combined. **Be careful not to overwork the dough.** Divide the dough in half. From one half remove another portion to be made into decoration. Flatten all three portions into 1-inch thick disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Filling - Peel, core, quarter and slice apples into 1/4 inch thick pieces. In a saute pan, combine apples, lemon juice, sugars, spices and salt. Cook over medium heat until the apples have released their juices and are slightly softened.

In a small bowl, whisk flour and cornstarch into bourbon (Makers Mark), creating a slurry. Raise the heat on the apples to bring the mixture to a boil. While stirring, slowly pour in the Bourbon slurry. Continue to stir until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool. Stir in dried cherries.

Assembly - Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Roll out the first piece of dough on a lightly floured surface until 13-inches wide. Transfer to a 9-inch diameter pie dish. Spoon filling into bottom crust, mounding in the middle. Dot with pieces of butter. Roll out the second piece of dough on a lightly floured surface until 11-inches wide. Transfer to pie by rolling the dough onto a rolling pin, position pin on top of pie, and unroll dough over the top. Trim the edges of both crusts to 3/4 inch overhang. Fold under dough and crimp decoratively. Roll out the third, smaller, piece of dough. Cut out shapes using a knife or cookie cutter dipped in flour. Brush the bottom of each shape egg white mixture and place on pie. Make four slits in the crust to allow steam to escape.

Brush entire pie surface with egg white mixture and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Chill finished pie in freezer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Place pie in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Bake until the apples are tender and the juices are thick, approximately 50-55 minutes. Transfer pie to a rack and let cool for 1 hour. Enjoy!

Baked sweet potato fries

2009-02-09T14:07:00.002-06:00

I strongly dislike sweet potatoes. Unless they are these delicious oven baked sweet potato fries. I think it is because the texture and flavor are different.

Sweet Potato Fries
You will need:

1 large sweet potato, peeled
cooking spray
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cumin

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Slice the sweet potato into the desired size fries. I think that smaller ones cook better than larger wedge fries. Combine the cinnamon and cumin in a bowl. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Lay the potatoes on the sheet in a single layer. Spray the potatoes with cooking spray. Sprinkle mixture on top of the potatoes, toss to coat evenly. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until baked through, turning every 5 to 10 minutes.

Chicken and Basil Calzones

2009-02-09T13:10:00.005-06:00

This is a nice and simple recipe for a quick lunch. The leftover calzones save well and can be reheated in the oven in about 10 minutes. This is a modified recipe from Cooking Light.

Chicken and Basil Calzones
4 servings
You will need:

2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 to 2 cooked chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
3/4 cup pizza sauce
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 can refrigerated pizza dough
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 to 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken and saute until the chicken is warm. Stir in the pizza sauce and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in basil. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Unroll the dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut the dough into quarters. Pat each square into an 8x6 rectangle. Divide chicken mixture among squares. Top eack with 2 to 4 T of cheese. Fold dough in half over filing, pinch edges to make a seal. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden. Reheat leftovers at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes.

Vegetable Pakora

2009-02-08T13:11:00.010-06:00

I'm not big on fried things but these battered and fried veggies are SOOOOO good! They go wonderfully with chutneys (two are listed in separate posts below). We actually liked these pakora so much that we have made them on two separate nights...that means a lot. Sacrificing something new so that we can have these again!

Just a note: The chickpea flour is much easier to find that expected. Look for Besan or Garbanzo bean flour in your grocery store near the specialty flours. Most places carry this because it's gluten free. If we can find it at the grocery store in my SMALL town anyone should be able to find it ;) Unless you are masochistic, I would STRONGLY discourage making your own flour by grinding dried chickpeas!

You will need:

1 C chickpea flour
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 C water
1 quart oil for deep frying
1/2 head cauliflower florets
2 onions, sliced into ~1/4 inch square pieces

Experiment with other vegetables. We've also done broccoli, zucchini, and yams.

Steps:

1) Sift the chickpea flour into a medium bowl. Mix in the coriander, salt, turmeric, chili powder,garam masala, and garlic.

2) Make a well in the center of the flower. Gradually pour the water into the well and mix to form a thick, smooth batter.

3) Over medium high head in a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil to 375 degrees F (190 deg C).

4) Coat the vegetables in the batter* and fry them in small batches until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels before serving.

*We've found that dicing all of the vegetable into small pieces and mixing them together into the batter and forming them into balls about 1 - 1.5 inch diameter works out the best; this isn't really the cleanest or easiest batter to work with but it's VERY delicious.

Onion Chutney (Restaurant Style)

2009-02-08T13:07:00.002-06:00

This chutney goes very well with the Pakora but you need to like raw red onions for this one.

You will need:

1 C red onions (finely chopped)
1/2 C tomato paste
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp sugar
salt to taste ( ~1/2 tsp)

Optional:

1/2 tsp garlic paste
Cilantro for garnish

Steps:

1) Heat the oil for few seconds.

2) Put everything except onion (and cilantro) in oil. Simmer sauce for few minutes and let it cool.

3) Mix sauce with onion (and garnish with cilantro). Serve chilled.

Red Onion Chutney

2009-02-08T13:01:00.003-06:00

This Chutney also goes well with the Pakora. It's also not as strong because the onions are cooked.

You will need:

2 Cups finely chopped red onion
1/2 C red wine vinegar
1/3 C packed brown sugar
1 tsp mustard seeds
1Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves

Steps:

1) Bring all ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan.

2) Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

3) Uncover and cook 10 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.

4) Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

2009-02-08T12:50:00.008-06:00

A couple friends from work and I have decided to enhance our cooking repertoire so we've started getting together about once a week and having "cooking night". It's really been a lot of fun and we are making things that I probably wouldn't have ventured to make on my own. Cooking and learning with friends makes the experience SO enjoyable and food seems to taste even more amazing as well ;)

This recipe has to be one of my favorites that we have made thus far! SOOOOO delicious!

You will need:

3 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, freshly chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
Peanut Sauce (below)

Step One:

Mix all ingredients except chicken and Peanut Sauce. Place chicken in resealable plastic food-storage bag or shallow glass or plastic dish. Pour lime juice mixture over chicken; stir chicken to coat with lime juice mixture. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Step Two:

If using bamboo skewers, soak in water at least 30 minutes before using to prevent burning.

Step Three:

Make Peanut Sauce.

Step Four:

Set oven control to broil. Spray rack in broiler pan with cooking spray. Remove chicken from marinade; reserve marinade. Thread chicken on eight 8-inch skewers, leaving space between eachpiece. Place skewers on rack in broiler pan.

Step Five:

Broil with tops about 3 inches from head 4 minutes. Turn; bruch with marinade. Broil 4-5 minuteslonger or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Discard any remaining marinade. Serve chicken with sauce.

Peanut Sauce

You will Need:

2/3 C vanilla yogurt
1/4 C creamy peanut putter
1/4 C coconut milk (not cream of coconut)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper sauce (you can use more and hotter sauce per your taste.)

Beat all ingredients with wire whisk.

Spiced Coconut-Red Lentil Soup

2009-02-08T12:46:00.002-06:00

The weekend after New Years I decided to attempt a new soup recipe and this turned out to be the PERFECT one. I found this recipe in the Oct 2008 edition of Cooking Light. It is really easy and really good.

You will need:

2 tsp olive oil
2 C chopped onion
1 Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 C fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 C dried small red lentils
1/2 C water
1 C light coconut milk
3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Step One:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 12 minutes or until golden. Stir in ginger and next 4 ingredients (through garlic); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth, lentils, and 1/2 cup water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until lentils are tender.

Step Two:

Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Place half of lentil mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour pureed mixture into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining lentil mixture. Return pureed mixture to pan. Stir in milk and remaining ingredients; cook over medium heat 2 minutes.

Moroccan Country Bread

2009-02-08T12:36:00.009-06:00

To accompany the lentil soup recipe above I decided to make this bread. I had NO idea how easy AND delicious this would be. I ended up cutting the ingredients to make only 2 loaves instead of the full 3...I just can't eat that much bread on my own. The measurements you need make this recipe for two loaves are included in brackets at the end.

You will need:

1 1/2 packages dry yeast (about 1 Tbsp)
2 1/2 C warm water (100 - 110 deg)
31.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 7 cups) plus 2 tsp, divided
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Cooking Spray
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Step One:

Dissolve yeast in 2 1/2 cups warm water in a large bowl. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Stir salt into yeast mixture. Gradually stir in 7 cups flour, one cup at a time; beat with a mixer at medium speed until dough forms a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; shape dough into a 12-inch log. Divide dough into 3 pieces; shape each piece into a (4-inch) dome-shaped loaf. Place loaves on a baking sheet lightly covered with flour; dust tops lightly with 2 teaspoons flour, and lightly coat with cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)

Step Two:

Position oven rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 350°.

Step Three:

Uncover loaves, and brush each with 1 teaspoon oil. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until sounds hollow when tapped (bread doesn't brown). Remove from oven; cool on wire racks.

[Ingredients to make 2 loaves:
1 package dry yeast
1 2/3 C warm water (100 - 110 deg)
21 ounces all-purpose flour (about 4 2/3 cups) plus 2 tsp, divided
1 1/3 teaspoons kosher salt
Cooking Spray
2/3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil]

Spicy Black Bean Hummus

2009-02-02T19:04:00.002-06:00

I love black bean hummus! Want to know why it is better than regular hummus? There are no chick peas/garbanzo beans. So when I saw this recipe I decided it needed some modifying and it would be delicious.

Spicy Black Bean Hummus (modified from Cooking Light)
Serves 4
You will need:

1 garlic clove, peeled
2 T fresh lime juice
1 T tahini (you can find it with the peanut butter)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small jalapeno, quartered
Dash of red pepper flakes
Box of Peppridge Farm wheat crisps of tortilla chips with no salt

Place the garlic in a food processor or tall cup of the magic bullet. Process until finely chopped. Add remaining ingredients (except wheat crisps or tortilla chips) and process until smooth. Serve with the crisps or tortilla chips.

Hawaiian Mini Burgers

2009-01-21T20:57:00.010-06:00

All of the mini burger commercials on TV really got me craving mini burgers. Then one night in my sleep I came up with this sweet gem. This is often how my foods come about. What can I say? I think about food 24/7. The main problem with mini burgers is finding a suitable bun. The King's Hawaiian, Hawaiian Sweet Rolls was just the thing I needed to make the mouth-watering burgers.

Hawaiian Mini Burgers

Serves 4

You will need:

1/2 to 3/4 pound ground beef
1 package Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
1 can of pineapple slices
onion flakes
garlic powder
Worcestershire sauce
pepper
barbecue sauce (sweet)
red pepper flakes (optional)

Place a grill pan or a skillet on the stove and heat to medium. Meanwhile, section out the ground beef into 10 to 12 equal sections. Form sections into balls and press into patties. Season with garlic powder, pepper, onion flakes, Worcestershire sauce and red pepper flakes (optional, but gives it a sweet and spicy flavor). Place the patties into the preheated skillet. Cook for two minutes and flip. Add the pineapple slices. Continue cooking patties until desired doneness. Remove from pan and place on bun. Spoon bbq sauce on top of the burgers. Continue cooking pineapple until it starts to turn light brown. Cut pineapple slices into quarters. Place on burgers. Close buns. Serve. Leftovers can be saved off of the buns.

Brown Butter Gnocchi with Spinach and Pine Nuts

2009-01-21T20:25:00.003-06:00

January has brought on lots of cooking. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, we are trying to eat healthier and subsequently, eat out less. Secondly, my BFF Stephanie got us a subscription to Cooking Light! This is one of many recipies tried out so far. I was drawn to this recipe because it uses premade gnocchi, making gnocchi from scratch is hard tedious work!

Brown Butter Gnocchi with Spinach and Pine Nuts (modified from Cooking Light)
Serves 2 as main course or 4 as a side
You will need:

1 - 16oz package gnocchi
2 T of butter
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 10oz package of fresh spinach, torn
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese**

**Note** I thought that the Parmesan made it too salty. In the future I will use an Italian blend of cheese.

Cook gnocchi according to package directions, omitting the salt. Drain and set aside. While gnocchi is cooking, heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts to pan and cook for three minutes or until butter and nuts are lightly browned. Stir constantly. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add gnocchi and spinach to pan and cook until spinach wilts, stirring constantly. Stir in pepper. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve.

Theresa's Acorn Squash

2009-01-21T20:04:00.004-06:00

While I was visiting family over Christmas, my sister in-law made THE best squash I have ever had. I normally am not a very big fan of squash, but this was tasty. So of course I had to call her up when I got home to find out how to make such a wonderful squash. Turns out it isn't really a recipe, but more of you put these things together. Needless to say I was a bit wary of making it myself.

Theresa's Acorn Squash

Serves 2 to 12 (depends on size and other dishes being served)

You will need:

1 Acorn squash
cinnamon
chili powder
olive oil
salt
pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the squash into slices. Cutting along the natural grooves works best and makes good sized slices. Remove all seeds and stringy pulp. Place wedges on their side in a baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl mix together (this is where my guessing came into play) 4 tsp of cinnamon and 1 tsp of chili powder. Stir in 3 or 4 T of olive oil or until you have a good sauce consistancy. Spoon this mixture over the wedges. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until squash is soft.

*Note* Eating the skin is not bad for you, just not that tasty. :)

Grandma's Rocky Road bars

2008-12-19T09:13:00.010-06:00

This is one of my favorite holiday recipes. It comes from my grandmother; every year when she would send us our Christmas gifts she would include a package of these wonderful bars :). The recipe is very simple but the bars are rich and delicious!

You will need:

1 pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 pkg butterscotch chips
1/2 pkg mini-marshmallows
1/2 canister of peanuts

Step one:

In a double boiler, combine and gently melt down the chocolate and butterscotch chips

Step two:

Remove the mixture from heat and stir in the marshmallows and peanuts. (This must be done quickly as the chocolate mix will begin to cool.)

Step three:

Pour mixture into a 9x13 pan and let cool. Cut into small bars and serve.

Cranberry-Oatmeal Bars

2008-11-16T18:43:00.007-06:00

If you haven't been able to tell yet, I'm completely in love with Cooking Light magazine! I know that the majority of my post have originated from there...this is no exception. Today I made the MOST DELICIOUS Cranberry-Oatmeal bars and I couldn't wait to share the recipe with you! :) Here it goes.

Makes ~24 servings.
You will need:
Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup oats (quick-cooking or old fashion)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons orange juice
Cooking spray

Filling:

1 1/3 cups dried cranberries (~ 6 oz)
3/4 cup sour cream (I used fat free)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Step one:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Zest orange. To prepare crust, combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle butter and juice over flour mixture, stirring until moistened (mixture will be crumbly). Reserve 1/2 cup oat mixture. Press remaining oat mixture into the bottom of an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Step two:

To prepare filling, combine cranberries, sour cream, granulated sugar, and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well. Spread cranberry mixture over prepared crust; sprinkle reserved oat mixture evenly over filling. Bake at 325° for 40 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
(For Cherry-Oatmeal Bars: Substitute dried cherries for the cranberries and lemon rind for the orange rind in filling.)

Curried Chicken Salad with Fruit

2008-11-14T21:49:00.006-06:00

I just love this chicken salad recipe. What's not to love: chicken, dried cranberries, curry, apples...what else could you ask for?

Makes 4-6 servings

You will need:

2 cups diced cooked chicken (Or 2 cans of cooked chicken)
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts, almonds or cashews
1/4 cup dried cranberries or golden raisins
3/4 cup grapes (optional)
3 scallions, chopped
1 apple, cored, peeled, and coarsely chopped
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
~1 cup Curry Mayonnaise (see directions below for Mayo)

Steam chicken to cook and dice. Combine with remaining ingredients.

For the Curry Mayo you will need:

2 tablespoon curry powder
2 tablespoon mild vegetable oil
1 cup fat free mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt

To prepare curry mayo, in a small skillet over low heat, stir together the curry powder and vegetable oil for 30 - 60 seconds, until fragrant. Let cool and whisk into the mayo then add lime juice, honey, and salt.

You can serve this rolled up in lettuce leaves or on buns or bread.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cookie Dip

2008-11-10T21:53:00.004-06:00

This Pumpkin Cookie Dip was a huge hit at our Halloween party. And since I know at least one person will be asked to make this for their husband, I thought I would share this tasty treat.

Pumpkin Cookie Dip
Makes 4 cups
You will need:

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 jars (7 oz each) of marshmallow creme
1 can (15 oz) of solid pack pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp grated orange peel
Nilla Wafers

*Note* make sure you buy canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix. The ingredients will only say pumpkin if you have the right can.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and marshmallow creme until smooth. Mix in the pumpkin, cinnamon, and orange peel. Transfer to serving dish. Serve with Nilla Wafers. Store in the refrigerator.

Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

2008-10-02T17:34:00.008-05:00

This recipes is one of my favorite. It's really easy and REALLY good. I've finally managed to get the proportions down to an appropriate level so now I'm sharing the recipe with you!

What you will need:

1 Med onion, chopped
2T. margarine
2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded (approx 3 c.)
1 (~24+ oz) jar picante sauce
1 can Rotel tomatoes (medium or mild)
4 oz. cream cheese
2-3 tsp. ground cumin
18 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
8-10 flour tortillas

Step 1:

Place chicken breasts in crock-pot and cover with Rotel and cook on med heat until chicken shreds apart with fork (approx 3 hours).

Step 2:

Once chicken is ready, cook onions in margarine until tender. Drain off approximately half of liquid in chicken mixture and place mixture in large skillet with cooked onions.

Step 3:

Stir in cream cheese and cumin (can add more cumin to taste). Cook until heated. Stir in 2 cups cheese.

Step 4:

Lightly cover bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan with picante sauce. Spoon about 1/3 cup mixture in center of each shell. Roll up.

Step 5:

Place seam side down in baking dish on thin layer of picante. Cover with remaining picante and cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes.

Fresh Fruit Pizza

2008-10-02T17:26:00.006-05:00

The picture isn't that great but the dessert is AMAZING!!

I made this for a Grey's Anatomy premier party and it was a HUGE hit! It's really easy and tastes great.

You will need:

1 (17 oz) package sugar cookie dough
1 (8-ounce) package 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon almond, lemon or orange extract
3 cups fruit, fresh bananas, pineapple chunks, maraschino cherries, fresh oranges cut into rounds and peeled, blueberries, strawberries and peaches
1/2 cup orange marmalade

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out cookie dough large enough to cover a round pizza pan. Bake 8 to 15 minutes or until firm. Cool completely. Mix together cream cheese and extract. Spread cream cheese mixture over cooled cookie dough crust. Arrange fruit in circles (like a bulls eye pattern). Slightly warm marmalade in a pan or in the microwave and brush over fruit. Serve immediately

Cool, Creamy Chocolate Dessert

2008-09-10T18:54:00.009-05:00

I made this dessert for a Labor Day get together and it was more than a hit. The dish was practically licked clean once I served the first piece!

This is, again, another recipe from Cooking Light (May 2008) but it is SO delicious that NO ONE would guess it. This isn't the fastest or easiest recipe to make but it is definitely worth the time and effort.

Cool, Creamy Chocolate Dessert

Yields 15 servings

You will need:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 5 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
Cooking spray
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (4 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) carton frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed and divided
3 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 (3.9-ounce) packages chocolate instant pudding mix
Unsweetened cocoa (optional)

Step one:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor; pulse 2 times or until combined. Add butter; pulse 10 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in pecans. Firmly press mixture into bottom of a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 20 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cool completely.

Step two:

To prepare filling, place 1 cup sugar and cream cheeses in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Fold in half of whipped topping. Spread cream cheese mixture on cooled crust. Cover loosely; refrigerate 1 hour. (Immediately proceed to Step three)

Step three:

Combine milk and pudding mix in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until pudding is set. Spread the pudding mixture over cream cheese layer.

Step four:

Spread remaining half of thawed whipped topping over pudding layer. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cocoa, if desired. Cut into 15 pieces.

Warm Sourdough Crouton Salad with Chicken and Pine Nuts

2008-08-20T17:26:00.004-05:00

This is one of my favorite salads. I honestly was surprised that I had yet to blog about it. I know several of the blog readers who have eaten this at my place have been requesting this for awhile. At long last here it is!

Warm Sourdough Crouton Salad with Chicken and Pine Nuts (modified from Sara Foster)
Makes Four Servings
You will need:

4 cups sourdough bread, cut in bite size chunks
3T olive oil
4 cups shredded chicken
2T golden raisins (or more if you like)
3T pine nuts, toasted
2 cloves of minced garlic
4 cups of arugula
2 green onions thinly sliced
pepper & salt
roasted lemon garlic vinaigrette (recipe to follow)

Tip: If you don't have time to prepare chicken ahead of time use a roasted chicken from the grocery store. Just shred off the white meat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss bread chunks with the olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Spread the bread out on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn.

Combine croutons, chicken, raisins, pine nuts and garlic in a large bowl. Drizzle half of he prepared vinaigrette over the mixture, add pepper to taste. Toss to coat evenly. Spread the mix out over a baking sheet and place in the oven for 5 minutes to warm through. Remove and place in a large salad bowl. Toss with the arugula and green onions. Add remaining vinaigrette. Toss and serve while still warm.

Roasted lemon garlic vinaigrette

You will need:

2 lemons, halved
4 cloves of garlic, skin still on
2T of olive oil plus 5T olive oil
3T white wine vinegar
1T balsamic vinegar
1T fresh Parsley, chopped
pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Places lemons, cut side down, and whole garlic cloves in a baking dish. Drizzle with 2T of olive oil. Roast for about 30 minutes or until soft and golden. Let cool to the touch. Juice the lemon into a small bowl. Peel garlic cloves, add to bowl with juiced lemons and smash with a fork. Add in the white wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar. Gradually whisk in the 5T of olive oil. Stir in the parsley and season to taste with pepper.

Jell-O Poke Cake

2008-08-20T16:33:00.007-05:00

This is a family favorite at my house. It is one of the most simple creations. I always find it a little bit odd when no one else has ever had it let alone heard of it. I recently made this to take to my book club meeting and I think people were really hesitant with the red Jell-O and not knowing what it was. Those who did try it out though had more than one piece. It is just too delicious to stay away from. :)

Jell-O Poke Cake
Makes 24 servings
You will need:

One 9X13 cake or 24 cupcakes (It can be any flavor you choose)
One large box of Jell-O gelatin or two small boxes (please no sugar free)
One container of Cool Whip

Prepare cake as directed. If you make them as cupcakes you MUST use silicone baking cups. If you use paper then the cups will get soggy and the Jell-O will leak out! For this cake I made a basic white cake and paired a strawberry Jell-O with it. Let the cake cool COMPLETELY! This step is crucial, don't get hasty. After the cake has cooled, poke holes about a half inch to an inch apart all over the cake. You can use the handle of a wooden spoon, chopstick, finger, etc.

Mix the Jell-O powder with two cups boiling water. Be sure to whisk well to get all lumps dissolved. Pour slowly all over the cake (or use a spoon if you are doing cupcakes) trying to cover the whole cake surface with the gelatin. Cover the cake and refrigerate at least one hour (Jell-O won't be fully set up for a couple hours, but can be eaten before completely set-up).

Top with Cool-whip. Cut into slices. Enjoy! Leftovers should be covered and refrigerated.

Other good flavor combos are chocolate cake/black cherry Jell-O and white cake/strawberry banana Jell-O.

Perfect Pancakes

2008-08-04T12:40:00.004-05:00

Pancakes are quite possibly one of the best breakfast foods. They can be eaten any time of day, topped with any sort of fruit or syrup, or slathered in butter. They are simple enough that you can just whip them up on a moments notice. I can't claim the above photo, I forgot to take pictures so early in the morning, but I will replace it the next time I make them. I also can't take credit for the actual making of the pancakes. C always makes them as I am to impatient to make them, I always try and flip too soon. Sigh.

I hope you enjoy my grandmother's perfect pancake recipe. It makes just the right amount of cakes for two people.

Perfect Pancakes
You will need:

2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder (not soda!)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 T vegetable oil
1 egg

Preheat your griddle or fry pan over medium heat. Stir all dry ingredients together. Whisk all wet ingredients together. Combine the liquid into the dry. Pour out desired size pancakes onto your griddle. Heat until bubbles stop or stay dry looking upon popping. Flip. Cook until golden brown. Top with syrup.

Skillet Peach Pie

2008-08-04T11:34:00.010-05:00

This skillet peach pie is a new spin on a summery treat. Now that peaches are in season in Texas and berries are still fresh you should try out this delicious dessert. I apologize for the pictures, my white dishes seem to be much harder to photograph and I didn't use my fancy camera. This is my variation of a Better Homes and Garden recipe.

Skillet Peach Pie
Makes 2 to four servings
You will need:

1 Sugared Pastry (recipe to follow)
1/3 cup butter
4 to 6 peaches
1/4 cup peach nectar
2 T packed brown sugar
1 cup fresh raspberries and blueberries
Vanilla Ice Cream
mint leaves (optional)

Sugared Pastry

You Will Need:

1 15oz. rolled refrigerated pie crust
1 T melted butter
1/4 tsp cinnamon
flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the rolled pie crust stand at room temperature (still rolled up) for 15 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Unroll pie crust onto a lightly floured surface. Brush with 1 Tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon. Cut pastry in half and then into strips. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Cool on the cookie sheet. (if you have more strips then you use you can freeze them for up to 3 months)

Melt butter in a 12 inch skillet over medium high heat. Cut peaches into quarters, remove pits. Add, peaches skin side up to the skillet. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes turning once. Remove peaches to bowls. (When I make this again I will probably take the skins off first, they ended up sliding off anyways)

Reduce heat to medium. Add the nectar and the brown sugar to the skillet. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. It is done when all the sugar is dissolved and a syrup forms.

Spoon syrup over the peaches. Top with the berries, mint (optional), and sugared pastry.

Top with ice cream. Enjoy!!

For those of you who were wondering...

2008-07-23T12:14:00.002-05:00

I have a guest writer. I convinced my BFF Stephanie to share her cooking triumphs on my blog as well. Since we are so far apart it is an excellent way of sharing recipes.

Cherry-Berry Jam

2008-07-11T13:49:00.006-05:00

I went berry picking yesterday and could not resist making homemade jam and putting it on some fresh, hot biscuits. It's amazing to me how naturally sweet berries are and how little sugar is required to help turn them in to a delicious jam.

What you will need:

2 cups pitted fresh cherries, halved (about 12 ounces)
1 1/2 cups blackberries
1 1/2 cups blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

To make this jam simply combine all ingredients in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until reduced to 2 cups (about 1 1/2 hours), stirring occasionally. Spoon into a bowl. Cover and chill. The jam should stay fresh for up to three weeks in the refrigerator.

(The biscuits are simply Bisquick :)

Garlic and Cumin-Seasoned Potato Wedges with Chipotle Ketchup

2008-07-11T08:10:00.006-05:00

These seasoned potatoes are delicious. I have a very difficult time stopping myself from devouring them all...but that's not such a bad thing since this recipe is an adaptation from one found in Cooking Light. I would probably recommend these for the fall because you have to turn the oven up so high but you may be able to adapt this to the grill somehow (I don't have a grill or I would have tried it by now ;).

Here is what you will need:

1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder
1/2 teaspoon grown cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 pounds small red potatoes, cut into quarters or wedges
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
cooking spray

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place the baking sheet in the oven.

Step 2:

To prepare the sauce combine ketchup, sugar, lime juice, and chile powder in a small bowl and place in refrigerator while preparing the remaining items. In a separate small bowl combine cumin, salt, and garlic powder (do not worry that the cumin mixture seems very small, it will sufficiently coat the potatoes).

Step 3:

Toss potatoes with oil. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on preheated baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, turn potatoes, and bake an additional 5 minutes or until golden and crisp. Place potatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle 1/2 of the cumin mixture and gently toss; sprinkle potatoes with the remaining cumin mixture and gently toss again to coat. Serve immediately with ketchup mixture.

This recipe makes 6 servings (sizes are 1 cup of potatoes and 1 tablespoon of ketchup mixture).

Chicken-Orzo Salad with Feta

2008-07-11T07:51:00.006-05:00

This salad is very delicious. It is a nice refreshing summer meal. I would actually be happy with leaving the arugula out and just making the Chicken and Orzo as a pasta salad...but that's probably because I LOVE orzo :)

This recipe is an adaptation from Cooking Light's recipe with Goat Cheese one bonus though is that this recipe is fairly good for you.

What you will need:

1 1/4 cups uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
3 cups chopped grilled chicken breast strips (I used the frozen Tyson ones)
1 1/2 cups trimmed arugula
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup prechopped red onion (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled low fat feta cheese

Start by cooking the the pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well.
Combine pasta, chicken, arugula, tomatoes, red bell pepper, red onion, basil and oregano in a large bowl and toss well.
Combine vinegar, oil, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle vinegar mixture over past and toss well to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

This makes about 6 (1 1/3 cup) servings.

Horseshoes

2008-07-05T18:45:00.008-05:00

The horseshoe sandwich is infamous in central Illinois. By far the best horseshoe around is made at Darcy's Pint. However, not even the cooks there know the secret to their delicious cheese sauce. It is a very well kept Irish family secret. C's mom makes a pretty good horseshoe sauce as well. C is always bugging me to make horseshoes since we are 900+ miles from the horseshoe's native home. A local restaurant, Hyde Park bar & Grill has one on their menu, and while it is good, it just doesn't measure up to Darcy's or C's mom. So I looked and looked for a recipe and had no luck finding one I wanted, so I did what I do best, I made my own!

I give you the horseshoe, not for the light at heart or the artery clogged. It is something you should try though, even if Illinois is not a place you call home.

Horseshoe Sandwich
You will need:

Fries (country style, unseasoned)
Meat of your choice (hamburger patty, chicken, ham, roast beef, etc)
Toast

For cheese sauce you will need:

1 stick of butter
1 small yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
flour
milk
1/4 cup beer (Guinness is preferred)
1 T. mustard
1 T. Worecestershire sauce
2 cups sharp cheddar
2 cups Monterey jack cheese
paprika
pepper
chili powder
cumin

Start baking the French fries and making your meat. I made a hamburger for myself and C had Roast beef lunch meat.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet with the onion and garlic. Once the butter is melted and the onions have softened at flour one Tablespoon at a time stirring vigorously. You will have added enough flour when it becomes a sticky paste and balls up on itself. Add milk, while stirring constantly. You have added enough milk when the mixture is rather thin (~3 cups). Add in the beer, mustard and Worecestershire sauce. Slowly stir in the cheeses. If the sauce becomes too thick to stir, add more milk. add in paprika (~1/4 tsp), pepper, and chili powder to taste. Add a dash of cumin. Let the sauce thicken.

Toast your bread and then put meat on top. You will have two pieces of bread for a true horseshoe and one for a pony shoe (I always have a pony because it is pretty filling).

Top all that withFrench fries. Add as many as desired.

Top all of that with cheese sauce, the more the better!! Makes about 6 horseshoes. If it is just you and the hubby you can use the remaining cheese sauce to make mac and cheese or broccoli and cheese soup etc. Hope you enjoyed this IL classic! :)

Friendship Bread

2008-07-05T18:26:00.004-05:00

This is one of my favorite summer-time meals. It is just so fresh and tasty. It is best eaten with you closest friends and at the peak of tomato freshness. If you have the extra few minutes you should make the Balsamic dressing yourself (recipe to follow) and the focaccia bread as well. This time I did not have time to make my own bread so Central Market's focaccia had to do.

Friendship Bread
You will need:

1 loaf of focaccia bread, preferably something with sundried tomatoes or basil or both
1 large tomato
crumbled feta cheese
fresh basil leaves
balsamic dressing

Place the focaccia loaf on a serving plate. Slice tomato and then cut slices in half. Tear or cut basil leaves into small pieces. Place the basil on top of the focaccia and top with tomato slices. Sprinkle the desired amount of feta on top of that. Slices the bread into the number of wedges desired. Drizzle with balsamic dressing. Serve up the slices and eat immediately (sitting too long will make the bread soggy). Add more balsamic if desired. Makes eight to ten wedges.

Balsamic vinaigrette dressing recipe
You will need:

2/3 cup olive oil
2 T. balsamic vinegar
2 T. White wine vinegar
1 shallot minced
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together all ingredients until creamy. Do not refrigerate leftover dressing. Yum!

Grilled Salmon and BLT Sandwiches with goddess dressing

2008-06-06T13:53:00.008-05:00

This sandwich is delicious. Sometimes I am not a huge fan of salmon, but this marinade makes all the difference. I highly recommend that you use a grill pan to make these. I got one from "Santa" for Christmas and I love love love it. I use it for all sorts of things now, it really does make a difference in cooking. Dressing recipe to follow.

Grilled salmon BLT sandwiches (modified from Sara Foster)
Makes two sandwiches
You will need:

2 Salmon fillets ~4-6 oz. ea., skin on (I recommend wild salmon)
2 T Olive Oil
2 T Soy Sauce
Juice of half an Orange
6 - 8 basil leaves, thinly sliced
4 slices of bread
4 strips of bacon
1 tomato, sliced
Arugula

Rinse slamon under cool water, pat dry with a paper towel. Place skin side down in a shallow dish. Rub with olive oil, drizzle with soy sauce and orange juice, sprinkle with basil. Turn fillets over in the marinade (skin side up). Cover and refrigerate one hour to overnight.

Heat grill pan over medium heat, almost smoking. Remove salmon from marinade (reserve marinade). Season with salt and pepper. Lay fillets, skin side down, on grill pan for four minutes. Brush flesh with reserved marinade. Meanwhile cook bacon. Turn fillets over and grill for four more minutes. Spoon marinade over them as they cook. Fish is cooked through when opaque and flakey.
Toast bread, spread two pieces with goddess dressing, top with tomato slices, salmon, and bacon. Top with arugula, close sandiwch, and cut in half, enjoy!!
Goddess Dressing
You will need:

1/2 cup of mayo
1/2 cup of sour cream
2 T white vinegar
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
20 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper

Add all ingredients, except salt and pepper, to a blender/food processor. Blend until dressing is smooth with green specks. Add salt and pepper. Stir. Refrigerate to thicken. Yummy!

Lemon Lush

2008-06-06T13:12:00.007-05:00

This is a recipe from my grandma (paternal). She made this last year for dessert after Christmas dinner. It had been so long since she had made it, that I had forgotten how delicious it was. I set my sister up with the mission to get the recipe from my grandma (my experience getting them from her has not gone well). Wallah! She got the recipe and I decided to make it as my dish for a scrapbooking get together. It is a very light and airy dish, perfect for summer (or if you don't give a hoot, Christmas).

Lemon Lush
Yields about 24 servings
You will need:

1 stick oleo (that's margarine for you modern folk)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans (you could also use walnuts)
1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 large container of cool whip
2 SMALL packages of lemon instant pudding
3 cups milk

Step one

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the stick of oleo and the cup of flour together until smooth and well mixed. Add in the 1/2 cup chopped pecans and mix well. Press into the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan. Use the inside of the oleo wrapper with your fingers to make spreading it easier. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool.

Step two

Cream package of softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar. Fold in one cup of the cool whip. Spread onto crust. (I forgot to take a picture of this step, use your imagination)

Step three

Mix 2 small packages of lemon instant pudding with the three cups milk. Let it thicken for a minute or two, but DON'T let it set up completely. Pour on top of the cream cheese mixture. Let it firm up for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. (You can let it set up for only 5, but it makes the next step harder).

Step Four

Top with cool whip. If desired you can add chopped nuts, cherries or chocolate chips to the top. Refrigerate until ready to serve. YUM!

Shrimp, Feta and Orzo Salad

2008-04-28T16:44:00.004-05:00

This is a nice spring recipe after all the heaviness of winter. I absolutely LOVE orzo, so any recipe that has it I love to try out. Dressing recipe to follow salad recipe.

Shrimp, feta, and orzo salad.
Yields 2 to 3 servings
You will need:

1 garlic clove (minced)
3/4 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh oregano
salt and pepper
1/2 pound medium shrimp (about 16 to 18) shelled and deveined
3/4 cup uncooked orzo
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1 medium tomato
3 scallions (sliced)
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 cup baby arugula

In a bowl, whisk together garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Add shrimp to marinade, stirring to coat well. Cover and marinate at least one hour in the refrigerator.

After marinating shrimp prepare grill pan by heating to medium high. Meanwhile cook the orzo according to the package directions. Drain and let cool completely.

When orzo is cool, stir in feta, tomato, scallions, and parsley leaves. Add dressing to taste and toss well. Season with salt and pepper.

By now your grill pan should be heated. Remove shrimp from marinade and (discard marinade) grill shrimp until just cooked through. This will be about two minutes on each side (they will change color to an orangish pink when cooked).

Remove shrimp and toss with the orzo mixture. Line salad bowls with the arugula and fill with the orzo salad.

*note* I used whole wheat orzo because that is what I had on hand. I also used green onions instead of scallions because that is what I had, you just have to use more onion.

Lemon dressing

1/2 garlic clove, chopped
2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
1/4 fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp. minced fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender (I use the magic bullet) until emulsified. I thought that this dressing was actually quite lacking in flavor. I think that it needed more acid so when I make it again I will probably add more lemon juice and/or balsamic vinegar.

Rocky Road Bars

2008-04-28T13:45:00.000-05:00

I will start with a new treat I tried out. I will warn you that a lot of my recipes will be sweets, some would say it is my forte. I can't help it I love sweets, and if anyone loves them more it is my hubby. Please do try them out, just spaced out a little so you don't gain all that weight from a stick of butter.

I happened along this little dandy in a murder mystery I was reading, Carrot Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke. They sounded sounded so good I had to try them out.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Yields 2.5 to 3 dozen bars

You will need:

24 graham crackers (12 double ones)
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (I used mini chips)
1 cup lightly salted cashews
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar (packed firmly)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Spray a 9 x 13-inch cake pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with the graham crackers. There will be some overlapping. Sprinkle the graham crackers with the marshmallows, then sprinkle with chocolate chips, then cashews.

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the butter and the brown sugar. Stir constantly until the butter is all melted and the brown sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla.

Drizzle the contents of the saucepan evenly over the contents of the cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes or until the marshmallows are golden brown. Cool the baking pan on a wire rack.

When the bars are cool, cut them and serve.

If there are leftovers, cover and refrigerate.

Introducing...

2008-04-28T11:02:00.000-05:00

My new food blog!

I hope to add some of my most recent forays into the cooking world. I hope you find these recipies delicious. Please let me know if you try any of them out.

My kitchen or yours?

Chili Cheese Dip

Grandma's Egg Noodles

Nacho Spuds

Marbled Stuffed Potatoes

French Dip Sandwiches

Peanuty chocolate truffles

Citrus Mojito

Soft Pretzels

BBQ Bacon Wrapped Weenies

Natalie's Cheesy Potatoes

Swiss Steak

Simple Clam Chowder

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Easiest Fruit Cobbler

Parmesan Fondue

3 bean salad

Bruschetta

Lemon Snowflake cookies

Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

Asian Beef and Noodles in the Crockpot

Chicken Potpie Casserole

Menu

Spider Web Cookies

Cheese ball

Chewy Pizza Bread

Apple Chipotle Pork Burritos with Chipotle Sauce

Michelle's Artichoke Dip

Quick, Cheap & Easy Pad Thai

Stove-Top Lasagna

Italian Stuffed Shells

Toasted Ravioli

Toasted Ravioli

Buffalo Chicken Nuggets

Shower Punch

Stuffed Taco Shells

Thin Mint Cookies

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Strawberry BBQ Sauce

Parmesan-Stuffed Chicken and Melted Strawberries

Stawberry & Cheese Bruschetta

Corn and Avocado Salad

Grandma Mather's Potato Salad

Wordle

Parmesan-Crusted Broiled Scallops with Roasted Tomatoes

Mexican Chocolate Souffles

Avocado Salsa

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Taco Cups

Pulled Pork Tacos

Cranberry Chocolate Oat Bars

Cheese Fondue (fancy swiss)

Cheese Fondue (simple cheddar)

Chocolate Fondue

Chocolate Panini

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Apple Pie with Tart Cherries and an Apple Cider Crust.

Baked sweet potato fries

Chicken and Basil Calzones

Vegetable Pakora

Onion Chutney (Restaurant Style)

Red Onion Chutney

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Spiced Coconut-Red Lentil Soup

Moroccan Country Bread

Spicy Black Bean Hummus

Hawaiian Mini Burgers

Brown Butter Gnocchi with Spinach and Pine Nuts

Theresa's Acorn Squash

Grandma's Rocky Road bars

Cranberry-Oatmeal Bars

Curried Chicken Salad with Fruit

Pumpkin Cookie Dip

Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

Fresh Fruit Pizza

Cool, Creamy Chocolate Dessert

Warm Sourdough Crouton Salad with Chicken and Pine Nuts

Jell-O Poke Cake

Perfect Pancakes

Skillet Peach Pie

For those of you who were wondering...