Mrs Sac's Purple Kitchen

Homemade Brownie Bliss

2009-10-10T09:48:00.001-04:00

While out grocery shopping, I walked a little to slowly through the baking section, giving me the opportunity to spot some walnut brownies with cream cheese frosting. They miraculously jumped into my cart! They were just too addicting, and a few days later, I found myself craving them again. So instead of buying more, I decided to try a homemade version...and they were even better.

I combined a couple of recipes, and ended up with with a fudgy-textured brownie topped with a smooth cream cheese frosting. I prepared this for a tailgate at a friend's house, at which we enjoyed plenty of delicious food, including Broccoli Slaw. This was a unique & healthy side dish that is a wonderful alternative to the regular old potato or pasta salad. I'll definitely be making this dish around my house, and be sure to browse the rest of Erin's blog for more delicious dishes!

Cocoa Brownies
Food Network/Alton Brown

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 16 brownies

Ingredients

Soft butter, for greasing the pan
Flour, for dusting the buttered pan
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar, sifted
1 cup brown sugar, sifted
8 ounces melted butter
11/4 cups cocoa, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean. My brownies were not even close being done at this point - they needed about 55-60 minutes. When it's done, remove to a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut into it until it's mostly cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Cooking Light

1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, chilled
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts, toasted

To prepare the frosting, beat the powdered sugar, chilled cream cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla at medium speed of a mixer just until blended (do not overbeat). Spread frosting over cupcakes, and sprinkle with toasted walnuts.

Got Pumpkin?

2009-10-07T12:33:00.006-04:00

For many across the country...the answer could very well be "no". There is an unfortunate pumpkin shortage in some places...it took me three stores to find some...but it was worth it! I've made more than a couple of trips to Starbucks to enjoy a pumpkin latte & pumpkin loaf - but that can get a "little" costly. So I've improvised and made an awesome pumpkin bread and bought some pumpkin creamer...not the same, but it'll do :)

This recipe is not exactly healthy, but it is one of the better pumpkin baked goods that I've made. The recipe makes two loaves, which is perfect considering the hubby and I practically devoured the first one.

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread
Allrecipes

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 50 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 5 Minutes
Servings: 24

"Spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, this bread improves with age, so plan to make it a day ahead if possible."

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.

3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cottage Cheese - It's Worth Another Look

2009-09-28T14:08:00.005-04:00

I just love making baked pasta - it takes only a little effort and the oven does all the work. I often make these types of dishes for when we have company, it makes cooking for a small crowd much easier and less stressful. Even when it's just the hubby and I, we love the ease of cooking once and eating many times.

This particular recipe was delicious, rich and cheesy. I have been reluctant to try recipes with cottage cheese until now, as it is not one of my favorite foods - but it is a healthy addition to my diet while pregnant. So I was pleasantly surprised with the flavor, texture and added creaminess (and nutrition too!). I hope to continue to broaden my horizons and try new recipes with cottage cheese - if you have a favorite, leave me a comment on any suggestions!

Baked Ziti
Seen on Annie's Eats; adapted from Cook's Illustrated March & April 2009

Ingredients:

1 lb. whole milk or 1% cottage cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 oz. grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups),divided
Table salt
1 lb. ziti
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
20 oz. turkey Italian sausage I used ground sirloin
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
5 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves, divided
1 tsp. sugar
Ground black pepper
3/4 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)
8 oz. low-moisture mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in a medium bowl; set aside. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta; cook until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Drain the pasta and leave in colander.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Crumble in the turkey sausage and cook until nearly browned. Add in the onion and garlic and continue to cook until the onion is softened and the sausage is completely browned. Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off the heat, stir in 1/2 cup basil and the sugar, and season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl stir together the cornstarch and heavy cream. Transfer the mixture to the now-empty stockpot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add the cottage cheese mixture, 1 1/2 cups of the tomato sauce and 3/4 cup mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly with the sauce.

Transfer the pasta to a 9×13″ baking dish and spread the remaining tomato sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over the top. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil from the pan and continue to cook until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.

My AM Kickstart

2009-09-03T14:00:00.014-04:00

Since becoming pregnant, I've been eating much more fruit, including dried fruit. I usually have dried cranberries on hand, as well as oranges, and I absolutely loved the flavor of the lemon accent in my Lemon-Blueberry Muffins. So after a brief search, I settled on these muffins - the cranberry & orange flavors were great together, and they were pretty light too - a lot of the sweetness comes from the cranberries - making them perfect for breakfast. I've also really limited my caffeine, so these muffins add a great burst to my mornings when coffee isn't an option :)

Cranberry- Orange Muffins
Bakespace

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temp
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for topping muffins, if desired I left this out
2 large eggs, at room temp
1/2 cup milk

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the cranberries and orange juice in a small saucepan, bring just to a simmer over med. heat. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool and plump.

Line 12-muffin tin with paper liners or lightly brush with butter. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside.

In a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or with a hand-held mixer in a large bowl, cream butter, orange zest, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer.

Fold the flour in 3 parts into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk in 2 parts, until just combined. Fold in the cranberries. Do not over mix. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tins and sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool muffins in the pan on a rack.

Is This Really Light Mexican?

2009-09-03T12:47:00.011-04:00

It sure didn't taste light...this was a creamy & cheesy casserole that tasted sinful, but really wasn't. I find casseroles are difficult to get a great photograph of, so excuse the less than flattering picture. But it was a delicious, easy weeknight meal that also tasted great the next day.

Mexican Chicken Casserole
Adapted from Cooking Light

1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, divided I omitted the chiles and used 3 jalapenos, minced and divided - I have TONS from my garden!
1 3/4 pounds skinned, boned chicken breasts
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup (2 ounces) tub-style light cream cheese
1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Cooking spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 ounce tortilla chips, crushed (about 6 chips) I used Lime flavored tortilla chips
I rubbed a little salt, pepper, cumin & chili powder on the chicken and covered in the fridge for 20 minutes before cooking it, and added 2 cloves of smashed garlic to the cooking liquid

I added one can of drained & rinsed black beans when adding the enchilada sauce

Combine broth and 1 can of chiles in a large skillet; bring to a boil. Add chicken; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is done, turning chicken once. Remove chicken from cooking liquid, reserving cooking liquid; cool chicken. Shred meat with two forks, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 can of chiles and onion; sauté 3 minutes or until soft. Add reserved cooking liquid, milk, Monterey Jack, cream cheese, and enchilada sauce; stir well. Stir in shredded chicken; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Place 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers twice, ending with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and chips. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)CALORIES 369 (28% from fat); FAT 11.4g (sat 5g,mono 3.8g,poly 1.4g); IRON 2.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 79mg; CALCIUM 360mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.3g; SODIUM 479mg; PROTEIN 35.6g; FIBER 3g

Homemade Home Fries

2009-08-29T12:22:00.002-04:00

A little tired of the same old Sunday morning scrambled eggs & toast that we always seem to make, I thought home fries would be a nice change of pace. I've only ever had them at restaurants, but after coming across this recipe, they looked easy enough - and they were. There are endless possibilities that you can experiment with to jazz up the basic recipe, we'll definitely be making these for future weekend breakfasts.

Home Fries
Seen & adapted from Smitten Kitchen, Loosely adapted from Cook's Country

1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch cubes
4 tablespoons salted butter
1 onion, finely chopped

I added 1/2 large green bell pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Seasoning of your choice: I added some salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika in the last 5-8 minutes of cooking

1. Arrange potatoes in large microwave-safe bowl, top with 1 tablespoon butter, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave on high until edges of potatoes begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes, shaking bowl (without removing plastic) to redistribute potatoes halfway through cooking.

2. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in large regular or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl.

3. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add
potatoes and pack down with spatula. Cook, without moving, until underside of potatoes is brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn potatoes, pack down again, and continue to cook until well browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring potatoes every few minutes, until crusty and golden on all sides, 9 to 12 minutes.

Three Reasons For My Blogging Laziness...

2009-08-22T17:35:00.002-04:00

....I am having triplets - 2 girls & a boy! Many of my readers already know....but I thought I'd share a couple of ultrasound pictures. I guess it's not really an excuse for being a slacker on my blog....and while my pregnancy has gone pretty well so far, my appetite has decreased (go figure!), making it more difficult to make and try new meals. I do have a few blog entries to catch up on, hopefully they'll be up in the next couple of days.

Happy 30th Birthday!!

2009-08-13T16:30:00.001-04:00

The title of this post refers to my wonderful hubby...unfortunately I've already hit that milestone last year :(

About a month ago, we were at the Cheesecake Factory where he enjoyed a gigantic slice of Key Lime Cheesecake. So in honor of this momentous occasion, I decided to try and re-create on of his favorite desserts. Now since I didn't have any of the "professional" cheesecake, it was difficult to say if it was an accurate copycat recipe, however the birthday boy loved it. It was great (and tasted even better the next day), but I also loved the fact that I made another cheesecake that turned out pretty darned good. I may have overcooked it by a couple of minutes, only based on the top coloring, and I did have a couple of cracks in the top...but it didn't affect the flavor. I am determined to make the perfect cheesecake, I guess practice will make perfect, and I'm sure that the hubby won't mind one bit :)

Cheesecake Factory Key Lime Cheesecake
Copycat Restaurant Recipes

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar
3− 8oz. pkgs cream cheese, softened1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 5 limes) If using key limes or juice,use half as much.3 eggs
whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350*.

Combine crumbs, butter and 1 Tbsp. sugar in a bowl.Stir well to to coat all crumbs.
Keep it crumbly.

Press the crumbs onto the bottom and half way up the sides of an 8" springform pan.
Bake crust for 5 minutes and set aside.

In large bowl combine cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla. Mix with electric mixer till smooth.

Add the lime juice and eggs andcontinue to beat till smooth and creamy.

Pour filling into crust.

Bake for 60 to 70 mins. If top is turning light brown it's done. Remove from oven and allow to cool till room temperature. Put into fridge.

When chilled, remove the pan sides and cut.

Serve with whipped cream.

Deliciously Decadent Dessert

2009-07-25T11:49:00.014-04:00

I made blondies and used white chocolate for the first time a few months ago, and loved the flavors together, so I was excited to try this recipe. These blondies include the addition of macadamia nuts - which I love & remind me of my honeymoon to Hawaii, where many sweet and savory dishes include this type of nut. These are so decadent and delicious at any time of the day, I couldn't help but sneak one (or two) for breakfast...they also taste great heated a little topped with vanilla ice cream.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondies
Seen on Erin's Food Files; Originally from Emeril Legasse

1/2 pound, plus 1 teaspoon butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup macadamia nuts, toasted and rough chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1/2 pound of the butter and the brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until a smooth batter is formed. While the machine is running, add the eggs and vanilla extract, until incorporated into the batter.

Sift together 3 cups flour and baking powder. Slowly add the flour mixture to the batter and mix on low speed until a dough is formed. Very gently, by turning the mixer on and then off, fold the chips and nuts into the dough.

Once the dough is all blended, grease a 9 x 9-inch baking pan ("I used a 9x13 pan, and still felt they were sufficiently thick" - I used Erin's suggestion since I realized I didn't have a 9 x 9 pan!) with the remaining butter and dust with the 1tablespoon of flour. Pour the batter into the pan and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until set yet still moist.

Garden Fresh Salsa

2009-07-23T10:46:00.007-04:00

I've made homemade salsa a few times - I pretty much use the same basic ingredients - tomatoes, garlic, onion, jalapeno & cilantro. It's always turned out great, but for some reason, I always end up buying salsa anyways (even though most of it sucks!)

Now that I have tomatoes, cilantro & jalapenos (as well as WAY too many other varieties of hot peppers) in my garden, I figured there wasn't a better time to make homemade & homegrown salsa. I found this recipe and knew it would be great - although it uses the same ingredients that I always use myself, it roasts everything. I LOVE roasted veggies - it just makes any veggie taste better. This recipe was so easy, and the veggies roast itself, so it doesn't require any additional hands-on time than a regular salsa would. I only made one change, and I can't get enough of this stuff - I've made two batches in the past week!

Roasted Tomato Salsa
Delish

1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 large white onion
4-6 cloves roasted garlic
2-3 large jalapenos, deseeded & deveined, cut in half lengthwise
freshly ground black pepper & kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 – 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

drizzle of lime juice, maybe juice of half a lime

Heat oven to 400°F . Gently toss the tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapenos with the olive oil in a large bowl. Alternatively, use spray oil to gently coat the veggies (You just don’t want it to burn). Season with a little freshly ground black pepper. After they are nicely coated arrange in a single layer, tomatoes cut-side facing up, across a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet, roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes, (depending upon the size of your tomatoes). You’ll know they’re ready to come out when they start to get a nice color and the tomatoes start to collapse. Remove from the oven and cool.

Puree cooled tomatoes, onion, garlic, and jalapenos. Alternatively, puree half of the veggies and hand chop the remainder and combine. Season with salt, lime juice and stir in the cilantro. Refrigerate.

Meatless Mexican

2009-07-22T18:07:00.007-04:00

I was in the mood for Mexican...but not really feeling like meat - so something featuring black beans seemed very appetizing. I came across this recipe for enchiladas - I've never made them meatless before, but I was kind of surprised how satisfying they were, so we didn't miss the meat at all. As with most enchilada recipes, it makes a lot of food, so I prepared the filling and made half one night, and reserved the rest for another night's dinner. The black bean filling would also be great on top of nachos or as a dip. Also...all of my enchilada recipe pictures seem to look the same, but they are all different, yet very good!

Black Bean Enchiladas
Found on Annie's Eats; Originally from Two Novice Chefs, One Tiny Kitchen

Ingredients:

For the bean filling:
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp. oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup corn kernels
1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup salsa
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup fresh cilantro
2 tbsp. lime juice

For the enchiladas:

3 cups black bean filling (above)
8-10 medium flour tortillas

shredded Mexican cheese (about 2 cups)
1 can enchilada sauce

Directions:

To make the black bean filling, place the black beans in a medium sized mixing bowl. Partially mash the beans. In a medium sized skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic and sauté for 4 minutes. Mix beans, corn, tomato, salsa, cumin, and chili powder into the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove the pan from the heat, mix in cheese, cilantro and lime juice. Stir until cheese is melted.

Grease a 9×13” baking dish. Preheat oven to 350°. To make the enchiladas, spoon some of the black bean mixture down the center of a tortilla. Top with some cheese, fold sides over the filling and roll up. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour sauce over the tops of the enchiladas. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese and bake 2-3 minutes more or until cheese is melted.

Why Choose Between A Cheesecake Or Brownie...

2009-07-16T10:01:00.005-04:00

....when you can have both! I've made cheesecake brownies before, and I've never been disappointed. You have the best of both worlds - chocolate goodness combines with a fruity/creamy cheesecake layer - yum! This recipe was rich and delicious, and you can change it up by using different chocolate for the brownie mixture, or different fruit preserves for the cheesecake layer.

Strawberry Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
Beantown Baker

makes 25 brownies

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2-oz dark chocolate, chopped I used 4- oz dark chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
8-oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup raspberry preserves/jam I used strawberry preserves

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease.

In a small, heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir with a fork until very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Whisking steadily, pour chocolate mixture into sugar mixture. Stir until smooth. Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt into the bowl and stir until just combined.

Pour into prepared pan and prepare cheesecake mixture.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Drop in dollops onto prepared brownie batter. Drop dollops of raspberry preserves into the cheesecake batter. Gently swirl batters with a butter knife, giving the brownies a swirly look.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set. A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned.

Cool in the pan completely before slicing and serving, either at room temperature or chilled.

Brownies can be refrigerated, covered, for several days.

Oatmeal Cookies - With A Twist

2009-07-07T18:06:00.012-04:00

After receiving the July edition of Cooking Light, I quickly spotted a must-try cookie recipe. Anything with banana and chocolate is right up my alley, plus I liked the healthy addition of oats and the small amount of butter used. The hubby and I loved these - not only were they an easy snack, but they were a great quick breakfast with a cold glass of milk, or a delicious dessert broken into pieces on top of vanilla ice cream. My only mistake was not doubling up the recipe!

Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cooking Light

Yield
2 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)

Ingredients

1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 medium) I used 2 bananas
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
5.6 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add egg; beat well.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to banana mixture in bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until golden. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 115
Fat: 3.6g (sat 2g,mono 1.1g,poly 0.3g)
Protein: 2g
Carbohydrate: 19.1g
Fiber: 1.2g
Cholesterol: 14mg
Iron: 0.9mg
Sodium: 121mg
Calcium: 10mg

Fresh & Fruity

2009-07-01T16:18:00.007-04:00

There are so many delicious ice cream recipes that I am dying to try with my new ice cream maker....but I decided to go the healthier route this time. This recipe for Mango Sorbet seemed like a perfect and light refresher for these 90 degree days. The result was a beautiful orange frozen treat that was full of sweetness and flavor; and it is a great alternative to more decadent frozen desserts. So go ahead, and sneak in that extra serving :)

Fresh Mango Sorbet
Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker Recipe Booklet

Preparation: 10-15 minutes, 25-30 minutes chilling time, optional 2 hours to ripen in freezer
Makes about ten 1/2 cup servings

4 ripe but firm mangoes, peeled, pitted and cubed
2-3 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
6 tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice I used half of each

Combine the mango cubes, sugar, corn syrup and lemon juice in a blender or food processor that has been fitted with the metal blade. Pulse to chop, then process until thick and smooth, scraping jar or work bowl as necessary with a spatula.

The mango puree may be made up to one day ahead; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Turn the machine on, pour mango puree into freezer bowl through ingredients spout and mix until thickened, about 25-30 minutes.

Nutritional Info per serving:

Calories 190 (2% from fat)
Carbs 49 g
Protein 1 g
Fat .0 g
Sodium 27 mg
Sat.fat & cholesterol 0 g

You Won't Have A Beef With This Burger!

2009-06-30T19:21:00.006-04:00

I've had my eye on this recipe for a while now - it combines two of my favorite things - Italian food & burgers. It was my first time using ground chicken to make the burgers. I think it would also be great using a grilled/baked chicken breast, but then I guess it wouldn't be as "burger-like". It was a great dinner that is a quicker alternative to the standard chicken parm, and I served this with a spinach salad, instead of pasta. Roasted potato wedges & green beans would also be great sides to go with this dish.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers
Elly Says Opa

Serves 4

Burgers:

1 lb. ground chicken (I used breast meat)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley I used fresh basil
1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
1 shallot, finely diced
salt and pepper

1/2 cup pasta sauce
4 slices mozzarella or provolone (or 1/2 cup shredded) I used a small and handful of shredded mozzarella and a slice of provolone on each
sautéed mushrooms (optional) I used Baby Bella mushrooms
4 buns (brushed with a little garlic butter, they are even better)

Lightly mix together all the ingredients for the burgers. Form into 4 patties. I like to make
them about 30-40 minutes ahead of time, to let the flavors meld a little bit.

Preheat & spray the broiler with a little oil (or use the grill, or a pan). Broil the burgers for
about 4 minutes on the first side, then flip and broil for 3 minutes.

Top each chicken burger with 2 Tbsp. pasta sauce and a slice (or about 2T) of cheese. Place
back under the broiler for 30-60 seconds, until cheese in melted and burger is cooked
through. Top with mushrooms, if desired.

Place the buns in the broiler for about 10 seconds, just until toasted.

Blueberry Mornings

2009-06-27T09:00:00.002-04:00

I love muffins...the wonderful, decadent kind that you get from a coffee shop is one of my favorite ways to start the mornings. But....you honestly can't indulge everyday...so I love finding muffin recipes that are a little more healthy, but don't sacrifice any flavor.

Blueberries are the perfect ingredient for muffins right now - they're in season, healthy and add a great burst of flavor to get you going for the day. The lemon zest and juice in this recipe adds even more zing to your taste buds. The original recipe included a glaze on top of the muffins...however I left that out to make them a little healthier and to freeze better.

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins
Cooking Light

Yield:
1 dozen (serving size: 1 muffin)

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 cup blueberries
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through nutmeg) in a medium bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Combine buttermilk, egg, and rind; stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moist. Gently fold in blueberries.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until the muffins spring back when lightly touched. Remove muffins from pans immediately, and place on a wire rack to cool.

* I omitted the following step, but I added 1 tsp of lemon juice into the batter when adding the rind and other ingredients.

Combine lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze evenly over cooled muffins.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 187 (23% from fat)
Fat: 4.8g (sat 2.7g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.3g)
Protein: 3.7g
Carbohydrate:
32.6g
Fiber: 1g
Cholesterol: 30mg
Iron: 1.1mg
Sodium: 264mg
Calcium: 59mg

Restaurant-Quality Soup - At Home

2009-06-26T11:00:00.007-04:00

This is another one of my catch-up posts...I made this a couple of weeks ago when it was not so hot outside, you know in the low 80's! LOL But it was too great not to share...only a few years ago, I would have never thought I could make mushroom soup that tastes like it comes from a great restaurant (and not from a can), but I did, and so can you with this easy to follow recipe.

This soup was flavorful, not too thick or too thin, just perfect. I didn't read the whole recipe through before beginning the cooking, so it took a little longer than I anticipated...but it was worth the wait.

Wild Cream of Mushroom Soup
Good Things Catered

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp butter
1/2 sweet onion, finely diced
3 shallots, finely diced
3 small garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. button mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed and sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 lb. wild mushrooms of choice, cleaned, stems removed and sliced 1/8 inch thick
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
3 cups boiling water
1 fresh sage leaf
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup dry vermouth (I used chicken broth)
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp cold water
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

-In 5 qt Dutch oven (or heavy stock pot), over medium heat, melt butter.
-When butter is melted and edges start to foam, add onion and shallots.
-Stir well and let cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.
-Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
-Add sliced mushrooms to pan and stir to coat well in mixture.
-Stirring occasionally, cook down until beginning to release juices, about 8-10 minutes.
-Cover pot and reduce heat to medium low.
-Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are softened.
-Take lid off pan and add chicken stock, boiling water, and sage leaf.
-Turn heat down to simmer, stir to combine well and when soup comes back up to a boil, vent lid (covering most of soup - letting a small amount of steam escape) and let simmer for 30 minutes.
-Remove sage leaf and discard.
-With immersion blender, blend soup mixture in pulses to completely chop up mushrooms (this will also thicken the soup). (note - if you are using regular blender instead be EXTRA careful! Only add a couple of cups of soup mixture to blender at a time because the high heat of the mixture will form steam and make the blender "explode" with hot soup)
-Once blended well, with small pieces of mushrooms still visible, add heavy cream and vermouth to pan.
-Stir to combine well and bring back up to temperature, slowly.
-Meanwhile, combine cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl and stir to make a slurry.
-Add to soup and stir to combine completely.
-Once soup is up to temperature, salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Peanut Butter &...Turkey???

2009-06-26T10:00:00.000-04:00

This is actually my second time making this recipe - I'm not sure where my original picture disappeared to...so I just had to make it again. Believe me - it was no hardship, this is one of our favorite turkey burger recipes. Using turkey instead of beef can sometimes make the burger more dry, but with the addition of an unusual ingredient for a burger - peanut butter - there's no chance of that! The burger itself is full of healthy ingredients, and with the addition of roasted veggies as the side, it's a great meal you can feel great about.

Thai Peanut Turkey Burgers

Found on Cara's Cravings; originally from A Good Appetite

8oz ground turkey
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 large scallion, minced
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp chili garlic sauce
2 tbsp natural peanut butter

freshly ground salt & pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp light mayonnaise
handful of cilantro, finely minced
1-2 tsp chili garlic sauce
hamburger buns of your choice
mixed greens

Combine burger ingredients a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.

Form the turkey mixture into two patties. Cook for about 7-10 minutes per side, until cooked through.

Serve on buns with cilantro-chili mayo and greens.

Nutritional Info, Burgers Only (does not include hamburger bun or cilantro-chili mayo)Servings Per Recipe: 2
Amount Per Serving Calories: 276.1
Total Fat: 16.7 g
Cholesterol: 80.0 mg
Sodium: 212.1 mg
Total Carbs: 7.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.1 g
Protein: 26.1 g

Sesame Roasted Vegetables

cauliflower, broccoli & carrots, washed and stems trimmed (I had one of those small fresh bags of ready to eat veggies)

1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp ground ginger

sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and a non-stick spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together oils, salt, pepper and ginger. In a large bowl, combine vegetables and oil mixture, and spread out on baking sheet, and roast for 10 minutes. Turn vegetables over, and roast for about another 10 minutes or until desired. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

Marvelous Mayo-less Pasta Salad

2009-06-24T11:20:00.001-04:00

Summer is in full swing here.....it's been about a week and a half in the 90's. Although I love grilling to get out of the kitchen, sometimes hot food just doesn't sound very appetizing. I've heard great things about this recipe, and I love Mexican/Southwest flavors, so I just had to try it. I'm sorry I waited so long - it's awesome! It would be perfect for any occasion, but would be great at picnics, etc, since there's no mayo or meat (although I did add some grilled chicken for the hubby)

This salad is light, healthy and full of color....although you will notice mine has an unusual color...blue. I appologize - I had some University of Michigan shaped/colored pasta on hand, so I used that, not really thinking of the weird color it would add. This is a must try for your summer menu!

University of Michigan aka Wagon Wheel Taco Pasta Salad
Cara's Cravings

*I cut the recipe in half
*I added one grilled and sliced chicken breast, recipe below

1 lb wagon wheel pasta
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 10oz package frozen corn
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
8oz shredded Mexican-blend cheese
1 1/2 cups salsa
1/2 cup olive oil
3-4 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp cumin
1-2 tsp chili powder2 garlic cloves, minced
freshly ground salt & pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, diced

Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, tomatoes, salsa, and cheese. Add the cooled pasta and mix well.

In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin and chili powder. Pour over the pasta salad, add the cilantro, and mix well. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Just before serving, stir in the diced avocado.

Southwest Grilled Chicken Breast

1 chicken breast, pounded thin to about 1/2 inch thickness
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp lime juice
1 1/2 tsp Mrs Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning

In a bowl, whisk all ingredients, minus the chicken. Add marinade and chicken to a ziploc bag or covered container, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Remove from marinade, grill on medium-high heat for 7 minutes per side, or till cooked through. Remove from grill, slice and place on top of pasta salad.

What's Better Than A Reese's Peanut Butter Cup??

2009-06-11T10:30:00.003-04:00

......an ice cream version of it!! As soon as I came across this recipe while deciding on my next creation to concoct with my new ice cream maker, I knew that my search was over. This recipe is heaven in a bowl - rich, decadent & creamy double chocolate goodness with ribbons of peanut butter swirled throughout. Wow.

** I have submitted this entry to the Ice Cream Maker Tasty Tools Event. Check for this, other events and recipes out at Joelen's Culinary Adventures!

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Joy The Baker

2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch of salt
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup smooth salted peanut butter ( I like the all natural peanut butter)

In a sauce pan over medium heat, stir together 2 cups whole milk, sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Heat until the milk start to steam, but before it starts to boil.

In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1/2 cup of whole milk and the cornstarch. Stir until no lumps remain.

Add the cornstarch mixture to the heated milk and chocolate mixture and bring to a low boil. Boil until thickened. The mixture will look the consistency of chocolate pudding. Remove from flame.

In a small sauce pan, heat 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Once boiling, remove from heat and pour over the chocolate chips. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir the cream and chocolate mixture until incorporated.

Stir the cream and chocolate mixture into the cooling chocolate ice cream base. Place in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap or a lid, and put in the fridge until cool.

Once cool, follow the manufacturers instructions on the ice cream maker to churn ice cream. Once the mixture has chilled and thickened in the ice cream maker, slowly drizzle in 1/4 cup of peanut butter. Don’t over mix. You want a nice ribbon of peanut butter running through the ice cream.

Transfer the ice cream into a freezer safe container and fold in the remaining 1/4 cup of peanut butter. Cover and freeze until solid.

Another Great Use For Yogurt

2009-06-02T15:04:00.008-04:00

I had some bananas in the pantry that I sort of forgot about, and were too ripe to eat - but are just perfect for banana bread. Even though I seem to enjoy every banana bread/muffin recipe I try, I rarely make the same one twice. It was my first time using yogurt in baking, and I thought it added great texture and flavor - I look forward to trying more recipes using this cheap, healthy ingedient.

Classic Banana Bread
adapted from Cooking Light

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt I used low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

I added 3/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 1 loaf, 14 servings (serving size: 1 slice)CALORIES 187 (21% from fat); FAT 4.3g (sat 2.4g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.3g); IRON 1mg; CHOLESTEROL 40mg; CALCIUM 20mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.4g; SODIUM 198mg; PROTEIN 3.3g; FIBER 1.1g

It's Going To Be A Delicious Summer

2009-06-02T14:22:00.010-04:00

I love ice cream - it's the perfect warm weather treat. When I was young, you had to go to ice cream stores to find unique flavors, but now, they conveniently available in the grocery stores. I've seen so many great recipes for creative ice cream flavors that I was dying to try, but I didn't have an ice cream maker - until now.

Kohl's was running a great sale this past weekend - so I happily picked up one ($24 off the original price!) I decided to go pretty basic with the first recipe, vanilla ice cream, but I added a little twist - Reese's Peanut Butter chips. The ice cream turned out wonderful, and since you are only using 4 ingredients, it tastes fresh and natural as well.

Stay tuned for more chilly & delicious summer treats!

Peanut Butter Chip Vanilla Ice Cream

Cuisinart recipe booklet for ice cream maker

Prep: 5 minutes, plus 25-30 minutes chilling time, 2 hours to ripen - please follow your ice cream maker's instructions, some may be different

Makes: 10 1/2 cup servings

1 cup whole milk, well chilled

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 cups heavy cream, well chilled

1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, to taste

I added 8-10 oz Reese's Peanut Butter Baking Chips in the last 5 minutes of mixing

In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer or a whisk to combine the milk and sugar until sugar is dissolved, about 1-2 minutes on low speed. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla to taste. Turn machine on, pour mixture into freezer bowl through ingredient spout and let mix until thickened, about 25-30 minutes.

Light, Healthy & Delicious

2009-05-29T13:24:00.015-04:00

When I received the latest issue of Cooking Light, one recipe caught my eye - I just love chicken, fresh herbs and goat cheese together. Instead of a starch, I decided to make it a little healthier and lighter by just serving a veggie side dish - asparagus.

I love asparagus...but the hubby doesn't. So, I am constantly trying to cook it differently, hoping he'll finally like it - and success! This is actually one of my favorite ways to cook it too; so even if you're not an asparagus fan already, this recipe may turn you into one!

Garlicky Pan Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Zest

handful of asparagus spears, washed, dried and ends trimmed (about 1/2 lb/bunch)
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed
kosher salt and pepper to taste
lemon zest to taste

Preheat the oil in a skillet over medium heat, and add in garlic cloves. When oil is heated, add asparagus and turn occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, and roast till cooked through, softened and slightly limp, but still still tender crisp, about 8-10 minutes. Tasting is the only way for me to get it exactly perfect. If garlic starts to get too brown, remove - you don't want burnt garlic flavor on your asparagus!

Sprinkle with lemon zest, remove from heat and serve.

Chicken Stuffed With Goat Cheese, Caramelized Spring Onions & Thyme
Cooking Light

*I cut the recipe in half

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/3 cups thinly sliced spring onions (about 1 pound) I used Vidalia onions
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fat-free milk
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
1/2 cup dry white wine I used College Inn's White Wine & Herb Culinary Broth
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

*I flattened the chicken, placed sprinkled the chicken with salt and pepper, placed the filling on the chicken, and rolled it up, using toothpicks to hold into place, instead of creating pockets (I'm not so good at that)

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to pan; cook 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly. Combine onion mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cheese, parsley, milk, and thyme in a small bowl, stirring with a fork.

2. Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket; stuff 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

3. Return pan to medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes; turn chicken over. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done.
*I cooked the chicken for about 20 minutes, turning to cook all sides. Then I removed the chicken, placed in a covered baking dish in a preheated oven with a little chicken broth, and baked for about 10-15 minutes till cooked through. I removed from oven, cooled slightly, removed toothpicks and served with sauce.

Remove chicken from pan; let stand 10 minutes. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced by half (about 2 minutes). Add broth, and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 9 minutes). Serve with chicken.

The Perfect Summertime Food - Made Indoors

2009-05-28T14:37:00.006-04:00

One of my favorite summer foods is corn on the cob. I usually grill it, Southwest Chipotle and Lime Grilled Corn, and change up the seasonings that I put into the butter to compliment whatever dish I am making. But on the other hand, no matter how warm the weather gets, I love roasting vegetables. I have roasted corn before, and it was wonderful - but that was during my pre-blog days. It was too delicious not to share, and it is a healthier way to eat your corn. The roasting brings the corn so much flavor and moisture, you don't need to slather the corn with butter....but I couldn't help adding just a little bit :)

Oven Roasted Corn

2 ears of corn
1 tbsp room temperature butter
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Remove the silk, from the corn, but leave the husks on. Tie ends of husks together with a piece of husk or kitchen string. Add corn on oven rack and roast for about 35 minutes, turning occasionally.

Remove from oven, cool slightly and remove husks. Mix salt, pepper and butter together, and spread over hot corn.

Smokin' Chili & Cornbread

2009-05-22T12:00:00.003-04:00

I pretty much always gave some chili in the freezer, so when I was thinking of taking some out for dinner. Much to my surprise, there wasn't any, so I decided to whip up another creation. I love spicy chili, but I wanted something a little different from my norm. This smoky chili is the perfect alternative for those who don't like it spicy.

It looks like a long ingredient list, but it's very simple, and once everything is in the pot, the stove does all the work for you. I served this with corn muffins, and it was also great on top of baked potatoes.

Smoky Lime Turkey Chili

1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1.3 lb ground turkey
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 cup of red bell pepper, chopped
1 bottle of Corona
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1 15 oz can stewed Mexican tomatoes, coarsely diced
28 ox can crushed tomatoes
8 oz tomato sauce
1/2 tsp each of freshly ground pepper and salt
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 chipotle chile peppers with a little of adobo sauce, seeded and finely chopped
1.5 tbsp lime juice
1.5 tbsp Mexican chili powder
1.5 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a large pot. Add turkey, break up, and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the nest 4 ingredients and saute until meat is browned and veggies are softened. Drain if necessary.

Return mixture to pot, add beer, liquid smoke and chipotle peppers, stir. Add all tomatoes and seasonings, stir to combine. Once bubbly, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer.

I let my chili simmer on low for about 3 hours. I added the beans with about 1.5 hours left of cooking time. If cooking for less time, just add them when you add the seasonings.

I served my chili with crushed tortilla chips (Tostitos Hint of Lime), fat free sour cream, 2% shredded mexican cheese and more freshly chopped cilantro.

Cheesy Jalapeno Lime Corn Muffins
Allrecipes

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients:

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup milk
I added 1 cup finely shredded 2% Mexican cheese, juice from 1/4 lime, 1 tbsp lime zest and 1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners.

2. In a large bowl, mix together corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add egg, oil and milk; stir gently to combine. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

3. Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Great Food, Great Hockey

2009-05-21T15:00:00.001-04:00

It's halfway through the month of May, the weather is warm, flowers are blooming, and the Detroit Red Wings are deep in their quest for another Stanley Cup. During home games at the Joe in Detroit, it is a common sight to see an octopus being thrown onto the ice. The tradition of the octopus dates way back into the 1950's, and the eight legs of the octopus were representative of the eight games it took to win the Stanley Cup. Times have changed, a mascot Al now hangs from the roof of the Joe (see picture below), and it takes 16 wins to win the cup, but octopus continue to find their way onto the ice.

So....onto the food. It's a tradition in Mrs Sac's Purple Kitchen to make delicious appetizers to enjoy while watching the hockey games. I created this eight-layered Mexican dip to enjoy while watching the last two games (which they won!). It makes a lot, but would be great for any gathering and keeps well for letovers if covered in the fridge for a couple of days.

And I couldn't help myself...I had to include this adorable picture of Socks and Thumper with the Al's.

Al's Eight-Layered Mexican Dip

1 can fat freerefried beans
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 avocados, mashed
2 green onions, sliced
1 1/4 cup tomatoes, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed
8 oz softened fat free cream cheese
8 oz fat free sour cream
1 small can black olives, coarsely chopped
1.5 cups finely shredded 2% Mexican cheese
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of half a lime
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tbsp Mexican chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste

In a small saucepan, heat beans, remove and pule in a food processor or mash with fork till desired consistency. Put back in saucepan and add the refried beans and heat on low for a couple of minutes. (This will make it easier to spread)

Meanwhile mix sour cream, oregano, cayenne, chili powder and cumin, set aside.

In another bowl, mash the avocado and add salt, pepper, lime juice, and cilantro, set aside.

In a glass dish, spread the beans. On top, layer the cream cheese, avocado, sour cream mixture, cheese, tomatoes, olives and onions.

Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours and enjoy with tortilla chips! I like Tostitos Scoops or Hint of Lime chips.

A 30 Minute Plus 8 Hour Meal

2009-05-07T10:14:00.011-04:00

I had a busy day ahead of me, some veggies to use up and a craving for pasta. So I decided to let the slow cooker to do most of the work for me, and after only about 30 minutes of prep work, my sauce was simmering away in the crock pot. I just love how the crock pot infused the whole house with the delicious aromas of tomatoes and herbs - what a nice welcome home! It makes a larger batch, so there will be plenty of goodness for leftovers or freezer meals. Enjoy with a crisp green salad, plenty of Parmesan cheese and a nice glass of Merlot.

All Day Tomato Sauce & Meatballs

Meatballs: (Makes about 16-18 small-medium meatballs, next time I would use 1.5 lbs ground beef for more meatballs)

1 lb ground beef
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Add all ingredients except for the last two to a large bowl, combine and form into meatballs. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet and add the smashed garlic clove to infuse the oil. Add meatballs turning frequently to brown all sides, but not cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from skillet and add to sauce in the crock pot.

Sauce:
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, grated
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1.5 cups Baby Bella mushrooms, thinly sliced
28 oz crushed tomatoes
28 oz tomato puree
about 1/2 cup water (I swished it around in the tomato puree can)
14.5 oz diced tomatoes with juices
1.5 tsp kosher salt or to taste
1 tsp freshly ground pepper or to taste
2 tsp dried parsley
1 bay leaf
1.5 tsp dried oregano
splash of red wine
1 tbsp EVOO (more if necessary)
1-3 cup fresh basil, torn, plus more for garnish
Parmesan cheese

Add all the tomatoes and water to the crock pot and set on high, cover.

In the same skillet as the meatballs were in, over medium heat add in a little more EVOO if necessary and add the celery, carrot and onions. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes. De glaze the pan with a splash of wine and continue to cook veggies till softened.

Remove, add to crock pot, and add all remaining herbs and seasonings. Turn down to low, and cook for 7-8 hours, tasting a couple of times and adjusting seasonings if necessary and stir on basil with about 20 minutes left. Garnish with more fresh basil before serving.

Feliz Cinco De Mayo!

2009-05-06T16:00:00.000-04:00

I love Mexican food - it's fun, indulgent and delicious. So when Cinco De Mayo rolled around, it was just another excuse to enjoy some great food and of course a cerveza or two :) I had my eye on this chicken enchilada recipe from Tyler Florence, and since the hubby had a friend over, I knew there wouldn't be too much leftovers. (and there wasn't) This dish, along with the guacamole & salsa dips definitely hit the spot...Ole!

Chicken Enchiladas
Food Network/Tyler Florence

Prep Time: 1 hr
Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 16 enchiladas, 8 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend I used 1/2 tbsp Mexican-chili powder, 1/4 tsp oregano, 1/8 tsp cayenne
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped I used 1 jalepeno, seeded and minced
4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced
1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
16 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions

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

Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.
Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

Holy Guacamole

2 avocados, pitted and mashed
3 tbsp red onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
small handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
juice of a half of a small lime
1/4 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Mix all ingredients, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Fresh and Easy Salsa

4 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
3 tsp lime juice
salt to taste (about 1/4-1/2) tsp
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 jalepeno, seeded and diced
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 small can diced green chilies, drained

Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse till desired . Add salsa to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Cream Sauce - Minus The Guilt

2009-04-30T16:11:00.003-04:00

I love Trader Joe's - I used to live right by one in Michigan, and went there pretty often. One did open in Nashville a few months ago, which I finally made it to...although due to some silly laws in the state...they don't sell my wine tower staple Two-Buck Chuck :( For those of you who don't know, it's actually a pretty decent wine that you can buy by the case.

But there other great things that I like at TJ's - one of them being the chicken sausages. So I picked up some Sundried Tomato & Basil sausages for the first time - we loved them - they are full of flavor and grill up quickly since they are fully cooked. They tasted great in the pasta, and I also used them in calzones (which will be blogged soon!) I love cream sauces, but don't make it often...but this one isn't too heavy since it uses half and half cream, and blending the tomato mixture creates a thicker consistency.

Sun Dried Tomato Cream Pasta with Sausage and Spinach

1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp EVOO
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
pinch of sugar
2 (or more) grilled sausages, sliced I used Trader Joe's Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Sausages
28 oz can whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped with juice
3 tbsp softened sun dried tomatoes, julienned
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp of half and half cream
2.5 cups baby spinach
1/2 box pasta (I used penne rigate)
handful of freshly chopped parsley and basil

Heat EVOO is a pot over medium heat. Add onions, saute for a couple of minutes, add garlic, and saute for another 3 minutes or so till softened. Add tomatoes, kosher salt and pepper, sun dried tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, grill or pan fry sausages till done. Slice and set aside.

Prepare pasta according, removing from heat a couple of minutes before being done, it will finish cooking in the sauce. Drain, reserve some cooking liquid and set aside.

Remove sauce from heat and puree in a food processor or blender till desired. Return sauce to pot, add sausages and spinach and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add in cream and stir till blended and thickened. Add in pasta, parsley, basil and a little of the pasta cooking water, simmer on low for a couple of minutes. Serve with parmesean cheese and additional fresh herbs.

Recipe Revisit - Chicken Gyros & Tzatziki

2009-04-28T10:38:00.009-04:00

I have revisited one of my favorite meals many times since my original post My Big But Not-Fat Greek Dinner. The first time around, I made it with a kebab recipe that I sort of turned into a gyro; this time it was more authentic since I used an actual chicken gyros recipe, which had only chicken, tzatziki, sliced tomatoes, onions and crumbled feta.

I thought about re-doing the entire post, since I made it this time with homemade whole wheat pitas, and my first picture...well...sucked. Even though this picture finally does this meal justice, I left the original post since I think it shows the advancement of my photo taking abilities, and just how far I've come since starting the blog. Opa!

Chicken Gyros
Elly Says Opa

1.25 lbs. chicken pieces AI used breast meat
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tbsp. plain yogurt I used Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. dried oregano I used fresh Greek oregano
salt and pepper
1/2 batch of tzatziki
sliced tomatoes
sliced onions
4 (pocketless) pitas

Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, yogurt, and oregano in a bowl. Add the chicken and rub the marinade in. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.
Preheat the broiler (or grill, or pan on the stove). Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, and then broil until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, depending what size/type chicken you are using. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before slicing into strips.

Meanwhile, heat your pitas. I have a gas stove, so I just spray them with a little bit of oil and stick them right on the burner for a few seconds per side. Top the pita with the chicken, tzatziki, tomatoes, onions. Roll up and eat!

What a P-I-T-A

2009-04-28T09:46:00.004-04:00

Now that I finally have some success in baking and working with yeast, I thought "Why not try making bread?" After putting it off for a while now (chickening out) I decided to make pita bread to go with one of my favorite dinners - chicken gyros.

Well.....due to my sub par baking and planning skills, and ability to work with flour and cornmeal without turning the kitchen into a disaster zone....making and cleaning up after the pitas were a pain-in the you-know-what.

It wasn't the recipe...it was me. I learned 2 lessons - read the entire recipe carefully before beginning, and leave some extra time before when you need them for the meal. But overall, the end result was wonderful - although they weren't perfectly round or completely flat, they were fresh, soft & tasty. I definitely noticed a difference than store bought pitas, and I would make a double batch of these again to freeze.

Whole Wheat Pita Bread
Found on Confections of a Foodie Bride; Originally from Gourmet

1 package active dry yeast
1 Tbsp honey
1 1/4 cups warm water (105–115°F)
1 1/2 cups bread flour or high-gluten flour, plus additional for kneading
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
Cornmeal for sprinkling baking sheets

Stir together yeast, honey, and 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl, then let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)

While yeast mixture stands, stir together flours in another bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup flour mixture into yeast mixture until smooth, then cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk and bubbly, about 45 minutes. Stir in oil, salt, remaining 3/4 cup warm water, and remaining 2 1/2cups flour mixture until a dough forms.

Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead, working in just enough additional flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Form dough into a ball and put in an oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Set oven rack in middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 500°F.

Punch down dough and cut into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Flatten 1 ball, then roll out into a 6 1/2- to 7-inch round on floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Transfer round a baking sheet lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Make 7 more rounds in same manner, arranging them on baking sheets. Loosely cover pitas with a clean kitchen towel and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Transfer 4 pitas, 1 at a time, directly onto oven rack. Bake until just puffed and pale golden, about 2 minutes. Turn over with tongs and bake 1 minute more. Cool pitas on a cooling rack 2 minutes, then stack and wrap loosely in a kitchen towel to keep pitas warm. Bake remaining pitas in same manner. Serve warm.

PB & J - Not Just For Sandwiches!

2009-04-24T11:51:00.004-04:00

Peanut butter & jelly - one of my favorite sandwiches and flavor combinations. When I saw this recipe for peanut butter and jelly shortbread wedges, I knew I just had to try it. I've never made shortbread before...so it came out a little darker on the edges than I would have liked, I should have taken it out of the oven a few minutes sooner. But overall, it tasted wonderful - and it would be a crime to serve this without a big glass of milk.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Shortbread Wedges
Seen on Cooking This And That; originally adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
Makes 8 wedges (or more)

nonstick baking spray
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
large pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup jelly (any flavor you want) I used grape jelly, but I look forward to making this again with a different flavor

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat bottom of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with nonstick spray.

Beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and salt and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add flour; beat on low speed just until blended.

Reserve 1/3 cup dough. Press remaining dough evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Spread jam over dough in pan, leaving 1/3-inch plain border. Crumble reserved dough over the jam layer.

Bake shortbread until dough edge is deep golden and dough on top looks dry and baked through, about 40-50 minutes. (I baked mine for about 46 minutes...my edges got a little dark, I should have taken it out at about the 43 minute mark)

Cool shortbread completely in pan. Release pan sides. Cut shortbread into wedges and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Beans, Beans, Beans

2009-04-23T10:25:00.010-04:00

I'm so glad that I finally got around to making this black bean soup - it's been on my to-make-list for a while now. If you love black beans, Mexican flavors and eating something that you can feel good about - don't hesitate to make this dish! Even without meat, it is hearty due to the blending and doesn't have any butter or cream. (Bikini season is just around the corner...)

Black Bean Soup
Elly Says Opa

1 lb. dried black beans (or 3 cans prepared beans, drained and rinsed)
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 large onion, diced
2 poblano peppers, diced
1 jalapeno (seeds/ribs removed or not, according to your choosing), minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
7 cups vegetable broth
2 tsp. cumin
1.5 tsp. chili powder I used 1 tsp Mexican chili powder, 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp. oregano
1 bay leaf
1 cup corn I omitted
1 lime, juiced
toppings of your choice - I used sliced green onions, fat free sour cream and 2% Mexican shredded cheese.
I added 2 tbsp of freshly chopped cilantro after pureeing

If you’re using dried beans, pick over and rinse the beans, tossing anything that doesn’t look great. Use the overnight soak or quick soaking method for your beans (directions on the bag), and drain the beans when done soaking. Then, place the beans in a stockpot and cover with cold water (to a couple inches above the beans) and simmer for about 2 hours OR place the beans and water in your crockpot and cook on low for about 8 hours. The beans should be tender to the bite. Drain the beans.

In a large stockpot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers, and garlic, cooking until tender. Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, cumin, chili powder, oregano, bay leaf, and beans. Season to taste with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the bay leaf and puree about 1/3 of the soup mixture. You can either put a few cups of the soup in a food processor or you can do what I did and spoon some of the mixture into a large bowl, and then use an immersion blender for what remains in the stockpot. Add everything back into the stockpot, stir in corn, and lime and heat through. Season to taste if necessary.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 193 /Fat: 3.6g / Saturated Fat: 0.3g / Carbs: 32.7 / Fiber: 9.4g / Protein: 10.1g

Fake Out Take Out - Egg Rolls

2009-04-21T09:37:00.011-04:00

After enjoying the Kung Pao Chicken, I found myself still in an Asian food kind of mood. When the hubby suggested egg rolls - I was definitely game - I had great success with Chicken Potstickers. I'll admit - there are a lot of ingredients and it is a long process - but it is easy and worth it - I doubt I will ever buy frozen egg rolls again. The egg rolls were amazingly full of freshness and flavor, I could have devoured the whole batch myself. (Sorry Jamie!) But restraint took over and we enjoyed a big bowl of steamed veggies to go with the egg rolls.

Serve egg rolls with plum, duck, teriyaki or whatever sauce you enjoy.

Cilantro-Lime Chicken Egg Rolls

2 cups shredded Napa cabbage

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cooked (diced or shredded) chicken breast

1 tsp fresh ginger, shredded

1/2 cup carrot, shredded

1 cup yellow pepper, diced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup mushrooms, diced

1.5 cups bean sprouts

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

1.5 tsp lime zest

squeeze of lime juice
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp hoisin sauce

3 tbsp fat free chicken broth

dash of salt and pepper

egg roll wrappers

vegetable oil

plum or duck sauce

Heat 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil in large skillet on med-high heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together chicken broth, lime zest, lime juice, sesame oil, hoisin, soy sauce and a dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

Add garlic and ginger, stir for a few seconds. Add peppers, mushrooms, carrots and sprouts. Cook for 3 minutes. Add in onions and cabbage and continue to cook for 2 more minutes. Add in soy mixture and stir till combined. Cook just until cabbage is wilted and veggies are softened. Stir in cilantro.

Remove from heat and let cool. Once filling has cooled, fill the egg rolls with approximately 2 tbsp of filling, or adjust accordingly. I filled the egg rolls with the wrappers diagonally - put the filling in the center, roll the bottom tightly over the filling, fold in the sides, slightly moisten the top of the wrapper and fold down and over, pressing to make sure all edges are sealed.

If making ahead of time, place a dampened paper towel over egg rolls to prevent them from drying out. I got 12 egg rolls from this batch of filling.

To cook: Heat a large skillet with two tbsp of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Place egg rolls in skillet and fry on each side for about 4 minutes, until browned and crispy. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate. Enjoy!

To freeze: Place egg rolls in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Once slightly frozen, remove and place in freezer bag. Thaw before using, and then cook as above.

Fake Out Take Out - Kung Pao Chicken

2009-04-19T14:33:00.004-04:00

Although I wouldn't say that I love spicy foods, once in a while I get that craving and I can take the heat. Although I have made Kung Pao Chicken before, and was satisfied with the result, I thought I'd try a different recipe. I've always been happy with the many recipes from Cook's Illustrated, and this time was no different. It was a speedy, easy & full of spicy deliciousness (yes that is a word!) and tastes even better than from a restaurant. Reduce the ciles or pepper flakes if you want to tone down the heat - and I served this alongside rice & steamed broccoli.

Kung Pao Shrimp
Cooks Illustrated

1.5 lb chicken tenders or breats, cut into strips
1 tablespoon dry sherry or rice wine
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced
½ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts
6 small whole dried red chiles, 3 chiles roughly crumbled, or 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons black rice vinegar or plain rice vinegar (I used plain rice vinegar)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice (I used yellow bell pepper)
3 medium scallions, sliced thin

1. Toss shrimp with sherry and soy sauce in medium bowl; marinate until shrimp have absorbed flavors, about 10 minutes. Mix garlic, ginger, and 1 tablespoon oil in small bowl; set aside. Combine peanuts and chiles in small bowl; set aside. Mix chicken broth, vinegar, sesame oil, oyster-flavored sauce, hoisin sauce, and cornstarch in small bowl or measuring cup; set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add shrimp and cook, stirring about once every 10 seconds, until barely opaque, 30 to 40 seconds; add peanuts and chiles, stir into shrimp, and continue cooking until shrimp are almost completely opaque and peanuts have darkened slightly, 30 to 40 seconds longer. Transfer shrimp, peanuts, and chiles to bowl; set aside. Return skillet to burner and reheat briefly, 15 to 30 seconds. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, swirl to coat pan, and add red bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 45 seconds. Clear center of pan, add garlic-ginger mixture, mash into pan with spoon or spatula, and cook until fragrant, 10 to 15 seconds; stir into peppers until combined. Stir broth mixture to recombine, then add to skillet along with reserved shrimp, peanuts, and chiles; cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits on bottom of pan, until sauce has thickened to syrupy consistency, about 45 seconds. Stir in scallions; transfer to serving plate and serve immediately.

* Don't eat the whole chilies!

Stuffed & Satisfied

2009-04-19T12:00:00.002-04:00

I've made something similar to this before I started blogging, so I thought I'd revisit Mexican- style stuffed peppers. This is such an easy dish that requires a little prep and then the oven does all the work for you. Also, it's a pretty light meal that is really filling - you don't need any side dishes, and it could be lightened up even more by substituting ground turkey or chicken breast for the sirloin.

**** I have submitted this to the Foodie Films: Tortilla Soup, a Mexican themed blogging event on Joelen's Culinary Adventures. Check it out to enter your own Mexican-inspired recipes or for other events and recipes.

South Of The Border Stuffed Peppers

1/2 lb ground sirloin
2 large bell peppers, seeded/cored
1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup fresh salsa
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp Mexican chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2-1/3 cup tomato sauce
1/2 can black beans, rinsed & drained
water
2% shredded Mexican blend cheese

Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare rice according to directions (I used quick cooking brown rice), drain and set aside.

Meanwhile heat a large skillet over medium heat, add the beef. While beef is still browning, add in the onions and garlic and continue to cook till meat is browned and onions and garlic is softened and drain.

Return beef mixture to skillet. Add in ingredients from cumin through paprika and 2 tbsp of water, stirring to coat. Add in the salsa, tomato sauce, beans and rice and heat through.

In a baking dish pour in a little tomato sauce and water (maybe 3 tbsp) to lightly coat the bottom and provide moisture. Fill in the peppers and place in dish. Add a couple of tablespoons of cheese on top and cover with tin foil.

After 30 minutes, remove foil and spoon juices over the peppers. Bake another 15-20 minutes, add a little more cheese on top if desired and bake another 5 minutes or so until melted.

* The recipe makes enough filling for 3-4 peppers. I filled only two for dinner, and the remaining filling was used for wraps - I heated the filling, put in a whole wheat low carb wrap, added a little more salsa and cheese, and heated in the microwave till the cheese melted.

A Tale of Almost Two Failures

2009-04-16T10:06:00.007-04:00

This is a different kind of post - I don't normally post about failures in the kitchen, but this wasn't a complete loss, and I'm always looking to improve.

So, while I love burgers, I often substitute veggie for the meat. Instead of always buying them, I thought I would try and make them. Well......so far the score is Mrs Sac - 0; Veggie Burgers - 2. One recipe was my own creation, while the other was from a website. I honestly don't know what is going wrong...but if anyone has any great tried and true recipe suggestions, leave them in my feedback :)

My side dish to go with the botched Boca-wannabe veggie burgers was butternut squash fries - I have wanted to make them for a while, and finally got around to it. I tasted the fries after 40-45 minutes - and they were amazing, perfectly browned and crisped - I could have eaten all of them myself! But since my main was ruined, I had popped in a couple of chicken burgers in the oven.

So while waiting for that to be done, my fries got a little soft and nearly burnt. If you cook them according to the directions; add your own herbs seasonings, they are wonderful and will make many reappearances in my kitchen. (Sorry potatoes)

PS I'll take a much better picture next time!

Butternut Squash Fries
Hungry Girl

Ingredients:

1/2 butternut squash
kosher salt
I added 1/2 tbsp EVOO, freshly ground black pepper & 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Peel and de-seed your butternut squash. If you're unfamiliar with handling them, you may have a little trouble at first. They're fairly easy to peel, but you'll need a sharp knife to cut them. Once your orange friend is peeled and seed-free, slice it in half. Then cut it up into french fry shapes.

Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. (I put mine in the oven while it was heating up) Cover lightly with kosher salt (I added pepper, EVOO and garlic powder) Place tray in your pre-heated oven and bake for 40 minutes or so, flipping halfway through baking process. Fries are done when they are starting to brown on the edges and get crispy. Serve with ketchup, or however else you enjoy fries or sweet potato fries!

Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Plain Banana Bread?

2009-04-15T10:04:00.011-04:00

It's been a loooong time between posts - but what a great way to get back into the swing of things. I've had some ripened bananas that were just begging me to turn them into something yummy. I've made "regular" banana bread so many times, I was looking for something a little different.

This exceeded my expectations - this is a wonderful bread - one of my favorites so far. The orange zest adds an amazing punch and compliments the banana flavor, two fruits that I wouldn't have thought to pair with one another.

Orange Banana-Nut Bread
Cooking Light

Yield 1 loaf, 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange rind
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350º.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, rind, and juice; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in walnuts; spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Making The Switch

2009-03-31T15:30:00.001-04:00

This is only my second time working with whole wheat flour - I don't know why I was so scared before....maybe it's because I've just become decent at baking and working with yeast, I didn't want to jinx it (I've already made Healthy Oatmeal Muffins). I've made the switch to whole wheat when it comes to bread, pasta, tortillas etc., but this was my first whole wheat pizza dough - and it turned out great! The whole wheat flour gave it a slight nutty flavor (like it does to pasta), and it made enough for two large pizzas.

Since it was a meat-free Lenten Friday, I topped my half with julienned sun dried tomatoes, baby bella mushrooms & sliced red onions; while the hubby's half was topped with baby bella mushrooms and fresh pineapple chunks, and used part-skim mozzarella cheese on all.

Fresh Herbed Pizza Sauce

1 cup tomato puree
kosher salt & pepper to taste
dash of sugar
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 tsp fresh oregano
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced

Mix all ingredients in a bowl & spread on pizza. I let mine sit in the fridge covered for a couple of hours while pizza dough was being prepared. Allow to come to room temp before using.

Amazing Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
I added 1/2 tbsp of dried Italian herbs & 1 tsp garlic powder

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.

Stir the olive oil and salt (and herbs and garlic if using) into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust, or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desired size, place on a well oiled pizza pan. Top pizza with your favorite toppings, such as sauce, cheese, meats, or vegetables.

Bake for 16 to 20 minutes (depending on thickness) in the preheated oven, until the crust is crisp and golden at the edges, and cheese is melted on the top.

* I heated my pizza stone at 500 for about an hour, then reduced the heat to 425 before adding the pizza. I followed some reviews and prebaked the crust for 5 minutes, removed, put on toppings, and baked for another 15 minutes.

Burgers & Fries - Italian-Style

2009-03-30T10:31:00.004-04:00

I love Italian food, and I thought, why not combine that with two of my other favorite things - burgers & fries? So that's how this twist on an American classic was created - it was so flavorful and a great change from the norm. I'll definitely be making these again soon...and don't tell the hubby I used baby spinach (my new favorite ingredient) instead of lettuce!

Italiano Burgers with Provolone & Sun Dried Tomatoes

3/4 lb ground round or sirloin
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped sun dried tomatoes (softened)

Toppings - baby spinach leaves, chopped sun dried tomatoes, basil pesto mayo (1/4 cup light mayo mixed with 1/2 tbsp pesto), provolone cheese slices

Heat a grill over med-high heat. Mix all ingredients (except for the toppings) in a large bowl and form two large burgers. Grill about 8 minutes per side, or until desired. With a couple of minutes left, top with provolone, remove and add the remaining toppings.

Italiano Potato Wedges with Parmesan and Parsley

3 medium potatoes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
kosher salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp EVOO
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 425. Cut potatoes in half, then slice again into wedges (I got 6 larger wedges from each potato). Add to a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix the remaining ingredients and add to potatoes and toss to coat. On a lightly sprayed baking sheet lined with foil, spread out potatoes and add to the oven.

Bake for about 40 minutes turning a couple of times. With about 3 minutes left, remove form oven, add cheese and parsley and bake for another couple of minutes till cheese melts.

Going Greek

2009-03-26T09:59:00.006-04:00

I originally had a craving for chicken gyros, but as it got closer to dinner, the weather got worse. I didn't feel like going to the grocery store in the rain just for pitas. (yeah I'm a baby!) So, I decided to take some of the same ingredients and make it into a Greek inspired dish. It was so easy, delicious and healthy too. I served it warm allowing the feta and lemon zest to melt into the ingredients. But it is just as good cold the next day - I've ate the leftovers :)

Warm Greek Chicken & Spinach Orzo Salad

Chicken:

1lb chicken breasts
1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, smashed
3 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp lemon zest

Place chicken in a ziploc bag. (My chicken was quite thick, I pounded it till 1/2 inch thickness). Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl, pour into bag and make sure chicken is well coated. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (I wish I had more time, or I would have left it in longer)

Heat grill (I used my Cuisinart Griddler) to medium high. Remove from marinade, shaking off excess, and grill for at least 6 minutes per side, or longer until fully cooked through. Remove, slice, and add to orzo mixture.

Vinaigrette: (this is a close estimate, I tasted it and added a dash of extra ingredients if needed)

1/2 cup EVOO
1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of sugar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, and refrigerate until ready to use. Let sit for at least an hour.

Orzo Salad:

1 cup orzo
1.5 cups baby spinach
3 tbsp sliced red onions
1 1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
crumbled feta cheese
EVOO for sauteing

Cook orzo according to directions, drain well and set aside. Toss with a little of the vinaigrette.

Heat a skillet with a little EVOO over medium heat. Add onion and tomatoes, saute for about 4 minutes or until softened. Add spinach and allow to wilted, for about a minute. Add mixture and feta cheese to orzo, and toss with vinaigrette (amount to taste) and top with chicken.
Garnish with lemon zest and parsley is desired.

Good & Good For You Muffins

2009-03-20T11:22:00.006-04:00

I've made muffins a few times now from scratch, and although they have been delicious, they weren't exactly healthy. I came across this recipe, and it was exactly what I was looking for. They were super simple to make, but I would make some changes to improve the flavor next time. I would reduce the oats to 1 cup, increase the applesauce to 1/2 cup, and increase the cinnamon.

The muffins also tasted great (and similar to cinnamon raisin bagels) warmed up and with a little fat free cream cheese on them. Also, this was my first time using whole wheat flour, so look forward to trying new healthier recipes.

Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Muffins
Found on Food Alla Puttanesca, originally from Recipezaar

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup oil I used unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1/2 cup raisins

Instructions:

Heat oven to 400-degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan. In mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients (except raisins); mix well.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all wet ingredients; mix well.

Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients, just until moistened. Stir in raisins. Spoon batter evenly into 12 cups of a muffin pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Nutrition Info (with oil):
Serving size, 1 muffin
Calories: 170
Total Fat: 5.9 g
Total Carb: 27 g
Total Protein: 4.3 g

A Lemon Lovers Meal

2009-03-20T10:30:00.001-04:00

I've been meaning to try this lemon spaghetti recipe for a while now, and it wasn't until I was about to make it, did I realize I was missing something - the basil! So I substituted parsley and added dried basil, and it was a great way to help use up my bag of lemons. I added grilled chicken and served it with some steamed broccoli that was seasoned with garlic salt and a lemon/orange pepper blend seasoning.

This was such a simple, fresh and easy dinner that you can feel good about. I wish I had made the whole recipe so there would have been leftovers!

Grilled Herbed Chicken

1 lb chicken breasts

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

2 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped

2 tsp lemon juice

Heat grill to medium high heat. Flatten chicken if it is thick to about 1/2" thickness, so it will grill faster and absorb the marinade a little better.

In a bowl, mix all the above ingredients, and add to a ziploc bag along with the chicken. Let chicken marinate in the fridge for at least an hour. Remove, grill for about 6 minutes per side, or until done, slice and serve on top of the pasta.

Lemon Spaghetti

Giada De Laurentiis/Food Network

Prep Time:10 min

Cook Time:8 min
Level:Easy

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients:

*I cut everything in half, except for the fresh herbs

1 pound spaghetti I used whole wheat thin spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves I used parsley

I added 2 tsp dried basil

Directions :

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

Griddle Me This

2009-03-18T10:24:00.017-04:00

Griddle me that....Jamie always makes the Batman/Riddler references whenever I make things with my Cuisinart Griddler. Jokes aside, I absolutely love that appliance - I use it multiple times a week for all kinds of meals. This time, I was experimenting with different panini's. While the following are not exact recipes, they are more so to get an idea for topping combinations that go deliciously well together.

Panini's are such a great dinner, they are so versatile, quick and easy. Just heat your panini maker or grill pan (place a heavy pan on top to get the sandwich pressed), drizzle your bread with some EVOO or spread a little butter, add your toppings, grill and enjoy.

Apple Smoked Cheddar, Turkey and Bacon Panini

Sourdough bread
shredded apple smoked cheddar cheese
spicy ground (honey mustard was great too)
cooked turkey bacon
lower sodium turkey breast lunch meat (I like Boar's Head brand)
thin apple slices
softened butter (to spread on outsides of bread)

Italian Salami & Cheese Panini with Pesto Mayo

Italian bread
sliced provolone cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese
Italian salami (I love Boar's Head Biano D'Oro Dry Salami)
sliced roma tomato
thinly sliced red onion
pesto mayo (I mixed a little basil pesto paste with some low fat mayo)
drizzle of EVOO (on outsides of bread)

Grilled Cheese Panini

sourdough bread
softened butter (to spread on outsides of bread)
shredded colby cheese (I used a good quality Amish cheese)
shredded apple smoked cheddar cheese
shredded sharp cheese (I like Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar)
Sometimes I like to add sliced or tomato or bacon also

Not pictured here, but other panini's that I make regularly are:

Caprese Panini

ciabatta bread
sliced buffalo mozzarella cheese
fresh basil leaves
thinly sliced tomato
drizzle of EVOO and balsamic vinegar
dash of salt and pepper

Turkey Reuben

Swirled Rye bread
lower sodium turkey breast lunch meat (I like Boar's Head brand)
Swiss cheese
sauerkraut
thousand island dressing

Get Out Your Fork & Knife

2009-03-17T14:50:00.000-04:00

Because you're going to need them to eat this sandwich! I've made this dish many times, but it was either before I began this blog, or I just plain forgot to take pics. So I'm finally posting my meatball sub recipe, but I apologize for the picture - it looks like a big gooey mess. It was not only delicious, but versatile as well - I served it for another meal over rigatoni with a little Parmesan, and I think it would be great as a stromboli or meatball pizza too.

Marinara Sauce with Meatballs

Sauce:

1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 28 oz can tomato puree
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes (plus half can of water)
freshly ground black pepper & Kosher salt to taste
1.5 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
a pinch of sugar
1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute for about 8 minutes or until softened, add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the last two. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1.5-2 hours. Stir occasionally, and add sugar if sauce is too acidic. Add parsley in the final 20 minutes of cooking, and another handful for garnish.

Meatballs:

1.3 lb ground beef (That's the size that my package was, just adjust the ingredients a little if you have less meat)
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg lightly beaten
1/4 cup grated onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
1/2 cup Parmesean cheese, shredded
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 375. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients till combines. Form into meatballs (Yielded about 24 meatballs. Line a baking sheet with foil, spray with EVOO non-stick spray, and bake meatballs for about 15 minutes, turning a couple of times to cook evenly.

Remove from oven and add to the simmering sauce for at least an hour.

Subs:

hoagie rolls (I used whole wheat sesame seed topped rolls)
Marinara sauce with meatballs
Parmesan, provolone and mozzarella cheeses

Place rolls on a baking sheet, and bake for about 5 minutes or less, until bread starts to toast. Remove from oven, spread a some of the sauce and meatballs on the rolls. On top of that, I tore a slice of provolone into strips, and used approximately 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella and 1 tbsp of Parmesan cheeses on each sub. I baked them in a preheated oven at 400 for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with a little freshly chopped parsley.

A Feelgood Fish Friday

2009-03-16T12:48:00.009-04:00

We've decided to go meatless for Fridays during Lent, so this past Friday, Jamie requested fish again. After having salmon & shrimp recently, he wanted a fish & chip style dinner. This recipe was suggested to me by another Melissa, and while the original recipe includes a dipping sauce; I omitted it and served the fish with tartar sauce and lemon. Also, I changed up the seasonings, since I didn't have any Old Bay.

Jamie loved this fish, he said it was one of the best he's had in a while. Since it was baked and not fried, it was also light too. I served this alongside roasted parsley potato wedges (forgot to take a picture, will make again and post the recipe), raw veggies and low fat dip.

Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks
Seen on Delicious Meliscious, originally from Everyday Food

Ingredients:

1 large egg
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cups panko
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning I omitted, instead I added 1 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp dried mustard, 1/4 tsp dried parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound tilapia fillets I used cod

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F, with racks in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil.Cut tilapia filets in half lengthwise, and then again the other direction. You now have 4 sticks per filet.

Crack egg into shallow bowl, lightly beat with fork. Season with salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, combine panko, Old Bay, and olive oil. Dip each tilapia stick into egg, shaking off the excess; then into panko mixture, pressing mixture so that it sticks.

Place on prepared baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes, until panko is lightly browned and fish is cooked through.

Season with salt and pepper and serve tartar alongside fish sticks.

Healthy, But Hearty

2009-03-12T13:30:00.003-04:00

Earlier this week, I enjoyed our brief brush with 70-80 degree weather. It was short lived, and it's back to winter weather. I had some gorgeous red and yellow peppers to use up, so a batch of chili seemed perfect. After chopping all the peppers, I realized that with the poblano, my peppers reminded me of a stoplight, hence the name. Since I was using low fat ground turkey plenty of peppers and beans, so I threw in some carrot for extra nutrition. Shhhhh, don't tell the hubby!

Stoplight Pepper & Turkey Chili

1lb ground turkey breast
2 turkey sausages
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup poblano pepper, finely diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 -1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 15 oz can beef broth
28 oz crushed tomatoes
15 oz tomato sauce
1 6 oz can tomato paste
14.5 oz diced tomatoes with chillies
1 15 oz can each of pinto, black and kidney beans, rinsed & drained
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp Mexican chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp Mexican oregano
1-2 tbsp vegetable oil

In a large pot, heat a little vegetable oil on medium-low heat, add onions, carrots and peppers, and saute a few minutes till softened. Add garlic and ground turkey and sausage (removed from casing and crumbled), and cook till browned, about 12-15 minutes total.

Add seasonings and stir to combine. Add broth and cook till simmering. Add tomatoes, half of the tomato paste and beans, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Stir occasionally and add more tomato paste if necessary.

Serve with desired toppings - I like fat free plain yogurt, 2% Mexican blend shredded cheese & sliced green onions. Sometimes I like to add some crushed baked tortilla chips on top for some great texture and flavor.

My Blog is Refreshing & Fabulous!

2009-03-03T09:00:00.013-05:00

I received the "Lemonade Stand" & the "Your Blog Is Fabulous" awards from a fellow blogger Stephanie, from Macaroni and Cheesecake....um....a while ago. I started this post last month, but somehow it got lost in the shuffle (I still need to get my Superbowl post up, yes I'm a slacker)

But thanks again to Stephanie, be sure to check out her blog for her great recipes - and check out the blogs I nominated below too. Happy cooking & blog browsing!

I am passing these awards on to:

Tara of Smells Like Home

Kittybits of Tempest in a Blue Teapot

Tiffany of Tiffanesh's Treats

Branny of Branny Boils Over

Gaga of Gaga in the Kitchen

Melissa of Made By Mel

Laure of Vintage Victuals

Jenna of Newly Wed Chef

Here are the rules…

- Add the logo in your blog.
- Add a link to the person who gave you the award.
- Nominate other (refreshing…like lemonade and fabulous) blogs of your choice.
- Don’t forget to add links to those blogs in yours.
- Also leave a message for your nominees in their blogs, informing them about the award.

Potatoes Again?

2009-03-02T13:11:00.018-05:00

I realize this is the third post in a row that involves potatoes - and there is another one to come :) I swear, I'm not addicted to spuds or anything, these dishes were not made consecutively.

If you read this blog, you know I don't eat seafood. I found this recipe, and thought the hubby would like it, and while I followed the ingredients and prep; Jamie took over with the cooking. Sorry for the dark picture - the foil is still underneath the fish and it was pretty dark. The cooking time/method is a little different than from the original recipe, as he likes the fish done a little more than what the recipe stated.

Asian Grilled Salmon
Food Network/Ina Garten

Directions

1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 3 pounds) we used a 1.5 lb piece of salmon

Ingredients
For the marinade:

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons good soy sauce
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Light charcoal briquettes in a grill and brush the grilling rack with oil to keep the salmon from sticking. We used a gas grill, sprayed foil with non-stick spray as well as the grill and cooked the salmon on top of that

While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Place the salmon skin side down on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the center, but don't worry; it will keep cooking as it sits. Jamie cooked the salmon for about 7-8 minutes skin/foil side down, and flipped it and cooked for another 5 minutes. The foil did stick to the skin, but that's the way he likes it, it allows the fish to easily flake apart from the skin

Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Loaded BBQ Baked Potato

2 large russet potatoes, cleaned and dried
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
Optional toppings: I used 2% Milk sharp cheddar cheese, fat free sour cream and chopped scallions; chives & bacon pieces would be great toppings too!

Preheat grill to med-high heat. Poke some holes around the potato to allow steam to escape, rub the potatoes with some EVOO, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and wrap in tin foil.

Put another piece of tin foil on the grill, and place potatoes on that foil. Turn potatoes often, and cook for about 40-45 min, depending on your grill. They are done when you can easily pierce them with a fork, just as they would in the oven. In the last couple of minutes of cooking, I carefully removed the potatoes from the foil, and allowed them to sit directly on the grill to get slightly crispy. Remove from grill, cook slightly, and top with toppings if desired.

Baby It's Cold Outside

2009-03-02T10:15:00.008-05:00

I've been a bad blogger lately...I have been cooking, but many dishes I have already blogged about. And in the case of a couple of dishes, the pictures got somehow lost/erased , and I don't like making posts without pictures. So, I'm back with a very appropriate dish - it definitely feels and looks like winter here in Tennessee - in the 30's and a little snow on the ground. This weather doesn't really faze a Canuck like me, but I thought I'd make some winter weather comforting soup anyways.

I've had this recipe starred in my google reader for a while now, and I wish I had not waited a long to make it - it was delicious. Potatoes, broccoli & cheese are ingredients that go so well together, and I made a few additions to the recipe which I have noted. The soup is thick and creamy, but yet it doesn't have any unnecessary butter or heavy cream. The only thing that would have made this dinner even better would be some great bread for dipping.

Baked Potato and Broccoli Soup

Seen on Amber's Delectable Delights; originally from My Recipes.com and Southern Living Magazine

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 (14 1/4-ounce) cans low-sodium fat-free chicken broth, divided
3 cups peeled, cubed potato (about 1 1/4 pounds)
2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 (8-ounce) block 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

7 teaspoons shredded 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
7 teaspoons fully cooked bacon pieces I used turkey bacon
7 teaspoons chopped green onions

I added 1/2 tsp dried parsley, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4-1/2 each of kosher salt and black pepper

Preparation:

Whisk together flour and 1/3 cup chicken broth until smooth.Combine remaining chicken broth and next 3 ingredients (this is where I added the above ingredients in italics) in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Gradually stir in flour mixture. Cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Stir in milk and 8 ounces shredded cheese. Cook mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese melts.

Top each serving of soup with 1 teaspoon cheese, 1 teaspoon bacon pieces, and 1 teaspoon chopped green onions.

Yield - Makes 7 servings (serving size: 1 cup) (serving size: 1 cup)

Potato What???

2009-02-21T11:31:00.006-05:00

I saw this recipe on one of my favorite blogs & on the WC board. From the title I had no idea what they were, but the picture says it all - it's basically a cross between a potato skin and a loaded baked potato -and they were delicious! It's such an easy appetizer that was the perfect compliment to cheeseburgers. I just made a few changes to change up the flavors from the original recipe to go with the flavors I had in the burgers, and I topped them with some sour cream and green onions after I took the picture.

Loaded Potato Slabs
Amber's Delectable Delights

2 russet potatoes I used 3
Salt, to taste I used garlic salt
Black pepper, to taste
Paprika, to taste I used some Montreal steak seasoning
1/3 cup colby-jack cheese I used sharp cheddar
5 slices of bacon, cooked and diced
Green onions for garnish, if desired
Sour cream, if desired

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Clean and scrub potatoes well. Slice the potatoes into 1/4" thick slices. Place potatoes on lightly buttered baking sheet and season each side with salt, black pepper, and paprika. Cook for 30 minutes. Flip potatoes over and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

2. Remove pan from oven and place a pinch of cheese and bacon on top of each potato slab. Return the pan to the oven and cook until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Serve with green onions and sour cream, if desired.

Fake Out Take Out Sliders & Rings

2009-02-10T13:30:00.000-05:00

I was craving fast food, but I enjoy making things similar to what I would get for take out, but a little healthier. I had a hard time finding a great baked onion ring recipe, but I gave this one from Cooking light a shot. It was pretty good, but I had a little trouble getting the batter to stick properly without over-coating the rings, but I would try this again. I made a dip similar to Outback's Bloomin' Onion dip...I'll admit, that was what I was originally going to make (the onion itself), but I chickened out, maybe next time.

And the mini burgers, or sliders are my new favorite thing to make & order at restaurants. I have a smaller appetite, and sometimes get overwhelmed by a gigantic burger, but the mini ones are just perfect for me. The onion ring dipping sauce was a great change from the usual ketchup/mustard/mayo condiments.

Spicy Little Pepper Jack Turkey Sliders with Grilled Onions

1 lb ground turkey (makes about 6-7 burgers)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ancho chili powder (or regular Mexican chili powder)
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
4 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 tbsp Worcester sauce
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
1/2 cup sliced onions
pepper jack cheese slices
small buns or rolls

Heat an oiled (I used non-stick cooking spray and a Cuisinart Griddler) grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl except for the last three ingredients. Form mixture into 1 1/2 inch burgers. Place burgers on grill and cook for approximately 4 minutes per side. Meanwhile, grill onions until soft, for about 5 minutes.

When burgers are almost finished cooking, add the cheese, let melt over the burgers and toast buns.

Remove, top the burgers with onions and desired toppings. I just enjoyed mine with the grilled onions and a little of the onion ring dip.

Beer Battered Onion Rings
Cooking Light

Unless for some unknown reason you have an open can of beer in your refrigerator (not at our house!), try this simple way to flatten the suds you need for this batter. Measure 1/2 cup beer in a small bowl, and stir with a fork. You're left with about 1/3 cup flat beer.

2 large onions, peeled (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup flat beer
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Cooking spray
1/4 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 400°.

Cut the onion crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices, and separate into rings. Use 16 of the largest rings; reserve remaining onion for another use. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, paprika, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in beer and egg white (batter will be thick).

Heat 1 1/2teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dip 5 onion rings in batter, letting excess drip off. Add onion rings to pan; cook for 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Place the onion rings on a jelly-roll pan. Repeat procedure of dipping onion rings in batter and cooking in remaining oil, ending with 6 rings. Coat the onion rings with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until crisp.

Serve rings with ketchup or dipping sauce below.

Outback Bloomin' Onion Dipping Sauce
I googled & this same recipe is all over the place; I have no idea who deserves the original credit

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 tablespoons cream-style horseradish
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
Dash ground black pepper
Dash cayenne pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Bursting Blueberry Pancakes

2009-02-09T17:11:00.008-05:00

There is nothing better on a Sunday morning than beginning the day with a great cup of coffee & homemade pancakes with fresh fruit. So again I turned to William Sonoma for a recipe, I've had great luck with everything I've made from the site.

These blueberry pancakes were wonderful - the heat makes the berries burst with sweetness, you could almost skip the maple syrup (but I didn't-LOL) Also, I halved the recipe, it made about 8-9 pancakes.

Blueberry-Buttermilk Pancakes
Willams Sonoma

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 to 2 Tbs. vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray
1 cup fresh blueberries
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Softened butter for serving
Warm maple syrup for serving

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 200ºF. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs on medium speed until frothy. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla. Stir just until the batter is smooth and no lumps of flour remain; do not over mix.

Heat an electric griddle to medium-high heat until a few drops of water flicked onto the surface skitter across it. Lightly grease the griddle with oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Using a batter dispenser set on the large setting, dispense the batter onto the griddle. Alternatively, ladle about 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Scatter 1 Tbs. blueberries evenly over each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on top and the batter is set, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while cooking the remaining pancakes.

Dust the pancakes with confectioners' sugar and serve warm with butter and maple syrup.

Makes about 16 pancakes; serves 4.

Menu - Week of February 8th

2009-02-08T17:25:00.006-05:00

I haven't posted one of these in a long time...I've been a bad menu planner lately. Hopefully I'll be posting mine on Sundays more regularly.

Sunday - Loaded beef nachos...I have beef that I didn't use from burgers yesterday, that's my excuse

Monday - Homemade pizza

Tuesday - Eating out, something cheap...going to the Red Wings vs Predators game...Go Wings... and yes I am wearing my jersey!

Wednesday - Chicken pasta salad

Thursday - Black bean soup, homemade salsa and tortilla chips

Friday - Asian style chicken burgers and broccoli slaw salad

Saturday - Valentine's Day - Going to the Predators game and eating out...maybe P.F. Chang's

Reese's Pieces for Breakfast?

2009-02-03T10:27:00.006-05:00

I thought it was about time that I bring back out the waffle maker again and try a different recipe. While intending to add something healthy, like blueberries...somehow I ended up adding Reese's Pieces mini baking chips! I just love Reese's - yes they were a treat, but drizzled with a little warm syrup, they were delicious. What a great way to start the morning!

Classic Waffles (with a twist)

Allrecipes

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 25 Minutes

Servings: 5

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups warm milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
I added 3/4 cup of Reese's Pieces baking chips

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; set aside. Preheat waffle iron to desired temperature.

2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk, butter and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture; beat until blended. With a spatula, fold Reese's Piece in batter until mixed.

3. Ladle the batter into a preheated waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

Fake Out Take Out Vegetable Fried Rice

2009-01-29T09:20:00.010-05:00

I love making Chinese at home, but sometimes I get sick of plain white or brown rice. So the last time I made steamed vegetables, Sweet and Sour Chicken (which I have made a few times now and LOVE), I made a veggie stir fried rice as the side. It was delicious, I could eat that just by itself...and I actually had to since Jamie devoured the Sweet and Sour Chicken! I can't wait to experiment by adding stir fried chicken or shrimp, different veggies and maybe some pineapple or ginger.

Very Veggie Fried Rice

1 cup cooked cold rice (I find day old is best)
2 eggs, beaten
2-3 tsp vegetable oil, divided
1/2 -3/4 cup cup frozen peas, thawed
3 green onions, sliced

1/2 - 3/4 cup carrot, finely diced

1/2 cup mushroom, diced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil, divided
2 tsp oyster sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Mix the 1/2 tsp sesame oil, oyster and soy sauces in a bowl and set aside. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet (about 1 tbsp) over med-high heat. Add carrots, mushroom and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Remove from skillet.

Add another tbsp of vegetable oil to the skillet and heat. Add rice to skillet and stir making sure there are no clumps. Push the rice towards the sides so there is an open space in the middle of the skillet and add the egg. Let it set slightly before breaking up with a spoon into smaller pieces.

When egg is cooked through, add green onions, carrots and garlic, peas, salt and pepper to taste and soy mixture. Stir fry for 2-4 minutes or until heated through. Drizzle with remaining sesame oil.

Definately Not Your Campbell's Soup

2009-01-28T10:20:00.002-05:00

Whenever I think of cream of mushroom soup, I automatically think of the stuff in the red and white Campbell's can. That was the essential ingredient to the very first dish I attempted to cook for Jamie - cream of mushroom chicken, which I served up with mashed potatoes from a box & frozen corn. Thankfully my culinary skills have greatly improved, although every once in a while, Jamie requests that dish. Every now and then, I'll make it, but I use fresh potatoes & vegetables ;)

But enough rambling....this post is actually about a wonderful homemade gourmet version of cream of mushroom soup. I have made mushroom soup before, but I tried to do it low-fat - it turned out to be a watery tasteless mess. This soup is definitely indulgent, not for those looking for a healthy dish. But every now and then it's OK to splurge, everything in moderation, right?

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup
Barefoot Contessa/Food Network

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 30 min
Serves: 5 to 6 servings

5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
I used a package of gourmet blend of mushrooms that included baby bella, shitake & oyster mushrooms
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 carrot, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme plus
1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves
divided Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don't wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

The 5 1/2 Hour Sauce

2009-01-26T09:44:00.013-05:00

A couple of Saturdays ago, I was watching the Food Network, and I saw a bolognese sauce being made. It looked delicious - even though I had just made another Ragu Bolognese alla Fettucine last month and still have some in the freezer, this recipe looked so good, I had to try it. It definitely lived up to my expectations, it was one of the favorite sauces that I've made.

And yes... it takes a while...but it's completely worth it and is a perfect thing to make for that chilly Sunday afternoon.

At first the vegetable mixture resembles baby food....

But here it is looking like a delicious meal in the making....

And....finally it's ready to be devoured :)

Pasta Bolognese
Food Network/Secrets of a Restaurant Chef

Prep Time: 45 min
Cook Time: 4 hr 30 min
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 6 to 8 servings

1 large onion or 2 small, cut into 1-inch dice
2 large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch dice
4 cloves garlic
Extra-virgin olive oil, for the pan
Kosher salt
I also added freshly ground pepper and two cloves of minced garlic
3 pounds ground chuck, brisket or round or combination I used 1 lb ground sirloin, 2 lbs ground chuck
2 cups tomato paste
3 cups hearty red wine
Water
3 bay leaves
1 bunch thyme, tied in a bundle
1 pound spaghetti I used a combination of whole wheat penne & rotini
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
High quality extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing

In a food processor, puree onion, carrots, celery, and garlic into a coarse paste. In a large pan over medium heat, coat pan with oil. Add the pureed veggies and season generously with salt. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat and cook until all the water has evaporated and they become nice and brown, stirring frequently, about 15 to 20 minutes. Be patient, this is where the big flavors develop.

Add the ground beef and season again generously with salt. BROWN THE BEEF! Brown food tastes good. Don't rush this step. Cook another 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and cook until brown about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the red wine. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, another 4 to 5 minutes.

Add water to the pan until the water is about 1 inch above the meat. Toss in the bay leaves and the bundle of thyme and stir to combine everything. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally.

As the water evaporates you will gradually need to add more, about 2 to 3 cups at a time. Don't be shy about adding water during the cooking process, you can always cook it out. This is a game of reduce and add more water. This is where big rich flavors develop. If you try to add all the water in the beginning you will have boiled meat sauce rather than a rich, thick meaty sauce. Stir and TASTE frequently. Season with salt, if needed (you probably will). Simmer for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

During the last 30 minutes of cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat to cook the spaghetti. Pasta water should ALWAYS be well salted. Salty as the ocean! TASTE IT! If your pasta water is under seasoned it doesn't matter how good your sauce is, your complete dish will always taste under seasoned. When the water is at a rolling boil add the spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than it calls for on the package. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

While the pasta is cooking remove 1/2 of the ragu from the pot and reserve.

Drain the pasta and add to the pot with the remaining ragu. Stir or toss the pasta to coat with the sauce. Add some of the reserved sauce, if needed, to make it about an even ratio between pasta and sauce. Add the reserved pasta cooking water and cook the pasta and sauce together over a medium heat until the water has reduced. Turn off the heat and give a big sprinkle of Parmigiano and a generous drizzle of the high quality finishing olive oil. Toss or stir vigorously. Divide the pasta and sauce into serving bowls or 1 big pasta bowl. Top with remaining grated Parmigiano.

Serve immediately.....and ENJOY

Don't Like Pulled Pork? Try Chicken!

2009-01-22T11:43:00.006-05:00

Everyone has heard of pulled pork, Jamie likes it, but I'm not really a fan of pork. So I thought, why not do it with chicken instead? I've made this a few times now over the past couple of years, but I always forgot to blog it. It's just so easy & makes great leftovers.

Crock pot BBQ Pulled Chicken

3 chicken breasts

1 bottle of BBQ sauce, I used Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ
1 medium onion, thickly sliced
1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

1/2 bottle of beer, I used an amber ale

Mix together sauce, liquid smoke, garlic, onions and beer in the crock pot and set to low. Rub salt and pepper over chicken breasts, and place in crock pot and lightly covered with the sauce mixture.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Depending on how big or how fast your crock pot is, you may need to add more beer or sauce if it gets too dry. Remove the breasts, shred with forks, serve on a large bun and with additional sauce if desired. Also, I have taken it out a little early, shredded the chicken, removed some of the excess liquid in the pot, and returned the shredded chicken and set it to warm for 30 minutes.

Comfort in the Crock

2009-01-20T13:20:00.001-05:00

Since moving to Tennessee, I really haven't used my crock pot all that much....but the winter weather is definitely here, so I hope to add many more recipes to the newly created Crock Pot category.

I love chili -it's so easy, makes enough for many meals, freezes well, contains ingredients I usually have on hand and it so comforting -but I wanted to try something a little different. This recipe was all of that & more, it'll be a staple in my house. The best way to describe this dish is that it is sort of a chili meets chicken tortilla soup. By using chicken breast, including tomatoes & beans, along with lower fat toppings, it is hearty but but won't make you feel guilty about enjoying a great big bowl.

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
Allrecipes

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained I used 10 oz frozen corn
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer I used Corona and a squeeze of fresh lime juice
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained I used 28 oz petite diced tomatoes, with juices
I added a 3 oz (approximately) can of green chilies, drained
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning I made my own seasoning mix, recipe below
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
shredded Cheddar cheese (optional) I used 2% Mexican shredded cheese blend
sour cream (optional) I used fat free
crushed tortilla chips (optional) I used baked chips

Mexican Seasoning:

1/2 tbsp mexican chili powder
1/2 tbsp ancho chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried cilantro (I would prefer fresh, didn't have it)

Directions:

1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

Back With Banana Bread

2009-01-19T11:40:00.006-05:00

I made this wonderful banana bread with the assistance of my mom who was visiting for the holidays. Between burning my hand on the stove while making fajitas the week before, and being sick with no appetite, I only have a couple of posts to catch up on. But I'm finally feeling better, so I hope to make some new dishes & get back to more blogging this week.

I have been making the same couple of banana breads/muffins for a while now, and I was looking for something a little different. This one had pecans in it and a little bit of a different technique for mixing the bananas, both of these things added great flavor & texture.

My loaf pan was a little smaller than the one specified in the recipe, resulting in a few more minutes cook time and a browner top & edges...next time I would pour some of the batter in muffin tins (or maybe just get a bigger pan!)

Banana Bread with Pecans
Food Network/Tyler Florence

Prep Time: 25 min Inactive Prep Time: 1 hr 10 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 15 min

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 overripe bananas
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
Mash 2 of the bananas with a fork in a small bowl so they still have a bit of texture. With an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, whip the remaining bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes; you want a light and fluffy banana cream.

Add the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla; beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated; no need to overly blend.

Fold in the nuts and the mashed bananas with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a good rap on the counter to get any air bubbles out.

Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Don't get nervous if the banana bread develops a crack down the center of the loaf; that's no mistake, it's typical. Rotate the pan periodically to ensure even browning.

Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes or so, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Toast the slices of banana bread, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve.

Another Restaurant Favorite At Home

2009-01-13T18:22:00.002-05:00

Over the holidays I made another recipe from Good Things Catered that we loved. Spinach artichoke dip is one of my favorite appetizer at restaurants, so I decided to give it another shot at home. A few months ago, I made a different recipe with all low fat/free ingredients, and it just did not taste right. This recipe did not disappoint, it was wonderful, cheesy & had so much flavor. I think that roasting the artichokes, using fresh spinach, and using a mixture of cheeses makes it so much better. I served it with grilled slices of Italian bread, tortilla chips and homemade pita chips.

Roasted Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Good Things Catered

Ingredients:

2 (14 oz) cans of premium artichoke hearts
3 Tbsp olive oil
salt and ground black pepper
16 oz. baby spinach leaves
1 medium onion, minced
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/4 c. mayonnaise
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 c. assorted cheeses, grated (I used pecorino, parmesan, asiago, mozzarella, and fontina)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp minced thyme leaves
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line baking sheet with foil. Toss drained artichokes with 1 tbsp oil, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp ground black pepper. Spread out over the baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally, until browned at the edges, about 25 minutes.

Let the artichoke cool and chop coarse. Meanwhile heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat until just shimmering.

Sauté spinach until wilted and drain thoroughly and transfer. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to pan and add the onion. Cook for until softened, about 5 -7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl with spinach.

Stir in mayo, cream cheese, cheeses, lemon juice, thyme, and cayenne until uniform. Add more cheese as needed...I did ;)

Gently fold in artichokes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer mixture to large baking dish and sprinkle with parmesan. (Here you can cover and refrigerate up to three days if needed)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake dip uncovered until hot throughout and top is golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool at least 5 minutes before serving.

Sugar, Sugar

2009-01-08T15:26:00.004-05:00

We've had some friends and family over during the holidays, so I'm a little behind on my blogging. I hope to catch up in the next few days, so here's something that should have been posted a couple of weeks ago.....

.....I'm not exactly a fan of Christmas, but I have always wanted to make my idea of Christmas cookies (sugar cookies with frosting) from scratch. I was always too afraid until now - so I went for it, and they were fabulous (as the title of the cookies would suggest!). Please ignore the not-so-great frosting job, I need to work on that, don't let that deter you from this recipe. It was easy enough for a baking rookie like me, but tasty enough to satisfy the experienced baker.

I put plenty out for Santa with a tall glass of milk & carrots for the reindeer, I hope he enjoyed them :)

Fabulous Sugar Cookies
Found On Good Things Catered, from A Year in the Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. powdered sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 Tbsp lemon zest
5 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Powdered sugar, for rolling

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-Cream butter and sugars in a mixer for 5 minutes.
-Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly.
-Add vanilla, almond, and lemon zest.
-Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt a little at a time.
-Do not over mix, this process should take about one minute.
-Chill dough for up to a week in the fridge, or roll out and cut right away.
-Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake cookies for 7-8 minutes.
-Wait until cookies are cooled before icing.

It all depends on how thick you cut the cookies, and I forgot to count how many I made, but they make anywhere from 30 big cookies, to 80 small.

A Very Merry Christmas Breakfast

2008-12-27T17:40:00.008-05:00

While watching 30 Minutes Meals on The Food Network last week, Rachael Ray was making gingerbread waffles...they sounded like they would be amazing. I knew what was coming next....a request from Jamie for me to make them. I informed my very disappointed husband that we didn't own a waffle maker.

So....a few days later, just before Christmas, he presented me with an early present - a waffle maker! So after browsing waffle recipes, and having success with previous breakfast recipes with bananas, Pancakes & French Toast, I decided on these recipes. They were amazing and the perfect Christmas morning breakfast, alongside maple sausages, coffee and mimosas served in our wedding toast flutes.

Waffles
Allrecipes

Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 20 Minutes Yields: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1.Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.

2.Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

Waffles with Maple-Glazed Bananas
Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:

6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup dark rum (optional) But of course I used it!!!
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or extract
4 bananas, peeled and cut diagonally into slices 1/2 inch thick
4 large waffles
Sweetened whipped cream for serving

Directions:

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter with the maple syrup. Stir in the cinnamon, rum and vanilla and simmer for 1 minute. Add the bananas to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bananas to a serving plate. Pour the maple syrup mixture into a sauce boat. Serve immediately with waffles and whipped cream.

Serves 4.

Skip That Condensed Tomato Soup

2008-12-26T15:00:00.005-05:00

I haven't made tomato soup in a while, with the exception of good ol' Campbell's. However, while watching Everyday Italian on The Food Network, I saw exactly what I was looking for. With the beans, noodles and the extra kick with the spice, it was very hearty, yet still healthy.

The recipe called for San Marzano marinara sauce, but I was unable to find it at my grocery store. So I decided to make my own sauce, and the difference between crushed and whole San Marzano tomatoes was about $4! So I just pulsed whole tomatoes in the food processor a few times, creating crushed tomatoes, but leaving some pieces. I loved the taste of this marinara so much, I will definitely be making it again to serve with pasta, and of course, plenty of Parmesan cheese!

Quick & Spicy Tomato Soup
Food Network/Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 12 min
Level: Easy Serves: 4 to 6 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce (recommended: San Marzano brand) I made my own, recipe below
2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta) I used ditalini
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
I added a 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley to the soup in the last 10 minutes of cooking, and extra for garnish

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. (I sauteed them longer till carrots were completely softened) Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve.

San Marzano Marinara Sauce

28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 carrot stick, shredded
2 bay leaves
1/4-1/2 tsp each of dried basil & oregano (I would have fresh if I had some on hand)
salt and pepper to taste
1 small onion, finely diced

Heat extra virgin olive oil on medium heat in a saucepan. Saute onion, celery for 3-4 minutes, and add in garlic and carrot and saute for a few more minutes till everything is softened.

Meanwhile, add tomatoes and remaining ingredients, and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Maybe Blondes Are More Fun...

2008-12-26T10:29:00.010-05:00

One of my favorite easy desserts is brownies topped with vanilla ice cream. I had planned on just picking up some pre-made brownies, but while at the store I changed my mind, and decided to make some instead, since I had just had some baking success with the blondies.

However, offhand, I had no clue what type of chocolate to use, so I just started reading the recipes on the back of the products until I finally found a brownie recipe. I had never used Nestle Pre-Melted Choco Bake before....and I don't think I will again. Although the brownies turned out great taste wise, the chocolate was hard to work with. Well, actually it was a real pain in the butt! There was no way the batter would have filled out a 13 x9 pan, so I used a square 8 x 8 pan square baking pan, and baked it a little longer for approximately 25 minutes.

Fudgy Chocolate Brownies
Nestle

Estimated Times:Preparation - 15 min
Cooking - 18 min
Cooling Time - 20 min cooling
Yields - 24 brownies (2 dozen)

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
4 packets (1 oz. each) Nestle Tollhouse Choco Bake Pre-Melted Unsweetened Chocolate Flavor

2 large eggs
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional) I used walnuts

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Stir in sugar, butter, Choco Bake, eggs, water and vanilla extract vigorously in large bowl. Stir in flour mixture . Stir in nuts. Spread into prepared baking pan.

BAKE for 18 to 22 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

You'll Love These Blondes

2008-12-18T14:22:00.013-05:00

I've had this recipe for pumpkin blondies in my Google Reader for almost a month, so I have been excited to try it. Despite some technical difficulties from my mixer (it stopped working just as I started creaming the butter, then magically started working again), I managed to bake it with no further problems. This was a great recipe, I've never used white chocolate chips before, and I think the flavors went amazingly well together. I loved this recipe, it's a keeper.

Pumpkin-White Chocolate Blondies
found on Fresh From Cate's Kitchen, adapted from Martha Stewart

2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 package (12 ounces) white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into squares.

Fake Out Take Out Sweet and Sour Chicken

2008-12-18T11:07:00.008-05:00

I love Chinese food, however, I feel less than great after getting takeout, even if I ask for no MSG. So the only chance I have to enjoy comes from my own kitchen. I was searching for a stir fry recipe, but came across this one for Sweet and Sour Chicken. I've made that dish/different recipe several times, but something was always "off" with the sauce, so I decided to give Sweet and Sour Chicken one more chance, if it didn't work out, it's back to using the store bought bottle kind from now on.

Wow - this was great, I've found my favorite Sweet & Sour recipe. Now, granted it's not a "healthy" recipe, but neither is the kind from take out. I paired it with thinly sliced onions, red pepper, carrots and broccoli florets that were stir fried with some soy sauce, sesame oil and minced garlic, all served over rice.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
found on Cooking This and That, from My Kitchen Cafe

Makes 4 servings

Chicken:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:

¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stove top. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced - about 6-8 minutes.

* After about 55 minutes, I removed the lid, turned the broiler on, and cooked the chicken for 5 minutes, turning once. The sauce thickened, became a glaze and the chicken got slight crispy. It was perfect, I didn't need to cook any additional sauce.

Sealed With A Kiss

2008-12-18T10:23:00.006-05:00

Bolstered by my recent and first-time success at cookie making, I decided to go for it again. I've seen these on a few different blogs for a while, but most recently on another, and they are considered a holiday treat, so I thought they would be perfect - and they were! If you love peanut butter & chocolate, you'll love these. They were pretty simple to make, I wish I had made a double batch...too bad I sent all of them to work with my husband, I only saved two for myself!

Peanut Butter Blossoms

seen on Food alla Puttanesca, from Hershey's Kitchens

Ingredients

48 Hershey's Kisses I used half milk chocolate, half dark chocolate kisses
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

granulated sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Mine needed about 11 minutes

About 4 dozen cookies. I only ended up with about 37-38 cookies

There's Nothing Like Homemade

2008-12-17T08:25:00.001-05:00

One of the things you will always find in my freezer is pierogis - they are inexpensive, easy, quick and just plain good. I don't think I have ever had the authentic homemade kind before, and a few weeks ago, I saw an episode of Diners, Drive-In's and Dives on the Food Network which featured homemade pierogis. They looked amazing!

The I remebered I saw a recipe for Homemade Pittsburgh Pierogis on a blog that I love, Brown Eyed Baker. As the name suggests, she's a great baker, so I was a little intimidated by the recipe...plus I'm pretty new to making dough. But I followed the recipe almost exactly (I only made slight changes to the filling), and they were so good. This is definately one of the more time-consuming and advanced things I have made, but so worth it.

I served them alongside grilled turkey Reuben sandwiches, with sauteed onions and sour cream. I froze the remaining pierogi on a baking sheet (to keep from sticking to each other), and stored them in freezer bags. I look forward to making them again and experimenting with different fillings.

Homemade Pittsburgh Pierogies
Brown Eyed Baker, adapted from Columbus Foodie

Yield: About 2 dozen large pierogi

Ingredients:

2 cups flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling dough
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup butter, softened and cut into small pieces
Butter and onions for sauteing

Ingredients for filling of your choice (Potato & Cheese filling recipe below)

Pierogi Dough

To prepare the pierogi dough, mix together the flour and salt. Beat the egg, then add all at once to the flour mixture. Add the ½ cup sour cream and the softened butter pieces and work until the dough loses most of its stickiness (about 5-7 minutes).

You can use a food processor with a dough hook for this, but be careful not to overbeat. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or overnight; the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Prepare the Pierogies:

Roll the pierogi dough on a floured board or counter top until 1/16″ thick. Cut circles of dough (2″ for small pierogies and 3-3½″ for large pierogies) with a cookie cutter or drinking glass. Place a small ball of filling (about a tablespoon) on each dough round and fold the dough over, forming a semi-circle. Press the edges together with the tines of a fork.

Boil the pierogies a few at a time in a large pot of water. They are done when they float to the top (about 8-10 minutes). Rinse in cool water and let dry.

Saute sliced onions in butter in a large pan until onions are soft. Then add pierogies and pan fry until lightly crispy.

Potato, Cheese & Onion Filling

1 lb red potatoes I used Russet potatoes
¼ of a large onion, finely chopped
2 oz. cheddar cheese, finely grated I used about 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese
Salt & pepper
I sauteed 2 cloves minced garlic with the onions and butter
I added 1.5 tsp dried parsley
I added 2 tsp of half & half

Peel and boil potatoes until soft. While the potatoes are boiling, saute onion in butter until soft and translucent. Mash the potatoes with the sauteed onions and grated cheddar cheese, adding salt and pepper to taste. You can also add some fresh parsley, bacon bits, or other enhancements if you desire. Let the potato mixture cool and then form into 1″ balls.

Homemade Pierogi Tips:

If you are having a hard time getting the edges to stick together, you may have too much flour in the dough. Add a little water to help get a good seal.

If you don’t want to cook all of the pierogies right away, you can refrigerate them (uncooked) for several days or freeze them for up to several months.

I've Conquered Cookies!

2008-12-15T15:24:00.006-05:00

I haven't been cooking all that long, and I've been baking even less. The other couple of times I have tried to make cookies, they never worked out. In the past year, I have finally managed to make cheesecake, bread & dough and some other goodies; but it was frustrating to be able to make more difficult things, and not the simple ones. I thought I'd give cookie making another shot, after all, tis the season. What's more Christmas-y than gingerbread men?

These cookies were easy to make, although the first batch was a little dark, since I forgot to account that my oven sometimes cooks faster, mine only needed about 10 1/2 minutes to bake. And much to my surprise, they are husband-friendly - Jamie rolled out the dough, made the cutouts, and even helped decorate.

Gingerbread Men
Vintage Victuals

3/4 c butter, softened
3/4 c light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 c molasses
3 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp each salt, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon

Cream together butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs and molasses and beat until incorporated. In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients. With mixer on low, gradually add dry ingredients to molasses mixture until dough forms. Shape into 2 thick disks and chill overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out on lightly floured board to 1/4" thickness and cut into desired shapes. Decorate with raisins and red hots for buttons, eyes, noses, etc. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes. Cool on racks, decorate with icing if desired, and enjoy!

Tips: Don't roll dough less than 1/4" thick; take out of oven just when they begin to brown; decorate when cookies are completely cooled.

A Manly, But Pretty Meal

2008-12-14T09:45:00.003-05:00

I was looking for something a little different for dinner, I had some peppers to use up, and I've had this starred in my Google Reader for a while now. We loved this dish - it was easy, full of flavor, and tasted great the next day. But anything with mashed potatoes, beer & sausage is good in Jamie's book!

I made a couple of changes, mainly that I added more beer (yeah!!!) to make more sauce...I'll definitely be making this again, I'll probably try substituting with chicken or turkey sausage.

Ale-Braised Sausage and Peppers
Good Things Catered, adapted from Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 lb. cooked sausages, such as kielbasa, sliced
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and sliced I used 1-2 yellow & green peppers
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour, divided1
1/2 c. ale I used 1 bottle of Budweiser's American Ale
1 1/2 c. low sodium chicken stock
3 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped I used 2-3 tsp of dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped I used 1 tsp of dried parsley which I added when adding the thyme
Mashed potatoes for serving

Directions:

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the sausages and cook, stirring and turning often, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the onion and bell pepper to the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and sauté until tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp flour and cook, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the ale until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. Add the thyme and broth, whisking to blend, and bring to a simmer.

Return the sausages to the pot. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the flavors are blended, about 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove the sausage, peppers, and onions and place on a serving platter. With the Dutch oven over medium high heat, whisk in 1 heaping Tbsp of flour, whisking constantly until thickened, about 1-2 minutes.

Pour thickened sauce over sausages and serve immediately with mashed potatoes.

Serves 4 to 6.

One Of My Favorite Appetizers - At Home

2008-12-11T17:27:00.004-05:00

I couldn't even begin to count how many times I have ordered mozzarella sticks at a restaurant, only recently have I begun to wonder if I could do it at home. Well, the answer is - sort of.

I don't deep fry very often, nor do I have a proper thermometer, so that may have been the cause of some of the problems I experienced with this recipe. A few of my mozzarella sticks either burned/cooked too quickly because the oil was too hot, or cooked too slowly and the cheese melted out because the oil wasn't hot enough. I finally got it right and most of them were delicious, but were a lot of work....maybe I'll just keep ordering them at restaurants ;)

Mozzarella Sticks
Giada De Laurentiis/Food Network

Prep Time: 30 min Inactive Prep Time: 2 hr 0 min
Cook Time: 10 min Level: Intermediate
Serves: 6 to 8 servings (makes about 56 pieces) I cut the recipe in half

1 1/2 cups Italian-style dried breadcrumbs
1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon salt
2 (16-ounce) blocks pasteurized mozzarella cut into 4 by 1/2-inch sticks
4 large eggs, beaten to blend
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 cups Marinara Sauce, recipe follows You can find this recipe in the link above, I used my own pizza sauce recipe below

Stir the bread crumbs, 1 cup of Parmesan and 1 teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl to blend. Dip the cheese in the eggs to coat completely and allow the excess egg to drip back into the bowl.

Coat the cheese in the bread crumb mixture, patting to adhere and coat completely. Place the cheese sticks on a baking sheet. Repeat dipping the cheese sticks in the egg and bread crumb mixture to coat a second time. Cover and freeze until frozen, about 2 hours and up to 2 days.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the cheese until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Transfer the fried cheese to plates. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve with the Marinara Sauce.

Pizza Sauce

8 oz tomato sauce
3 oz tomato paste
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp oregano
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt & pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, and let flavors blend before using. I heated the sauce up right before using.

I Love Ragu (Not From the Jar)

2008-12-11T09:12:00.007-05:00

I was on my own for a few days, and found myself with a pasta craving (yeah...again) and some time to devote to the sauce, so I found this recipe for Bolognese on Cooking Light. It was wonderful, the meat takes center stage in this style of pasta, where normally the tomatoes/sauce is more prominent. I loved this sauce, and after eating it for dinner two nights in a row, and lunch one day, I reserved the rest and stored it in the freezer for another day when the pasta cravings return.

Ragu Alla Bolognese with Fettuccine
Cooking Light

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
5 ounces ground veal For the meat, I used 1lb ground turkey, 1/4 lb ground sirloin
5 ounces ground pork
5 ounces ground round
1 cup dry white wine I didn't have any, so I used 1 1/4 cup red wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 bay leaf
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can tomato puree I used about 20 oz
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley I used 1 tbsp dried parsley and 2 tsp dried basil
2 (9-ounce) packages fresh fettuccine, cooked and drained I used dried linguine
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Parsley sprigs (optional)

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot; cover and cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove onion mixture from pan.

Add veal, pork, and beef to pan; cook over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add wine, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes. Add the onion mixture, broth, and tomato puree; bring to a simmer. Cook 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Stir in milk and minced parsley; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Add pasta, and toss to coat. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.

Move Over Breadcrumbs - Bring On the Tortilla Chips

2008-12-04T11:40:00.017-05:00

One of Jamie's favorite meals is a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich...but it's not exactly one of my favorites, and I'll usually end up making two different types of sandwiches to satisfy both of us. But when I saw this recipe in my latest issue of Cooking Light magazine, I thought it would be perfect. We both loved it - it had enough flavor and spice from the Frank's sauce, but it wasn't completely covered in a sauce, which I sometimes find overpowering. I loved the texture of the tortilla chip crust, it definately added more crunch and flavor than breadcrumbs. And the cilantro-lime mayo added an extra zing and coolness that you get from blue cheese dressing on traditional Buffalo-style sandwiches. I served this with cumin-lime seasoned baked potato wedges & corn drizzled with lime juice.

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro-Lime Mayo
Cooking Light

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)
Ingredients

Mayo:
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro I used 1/2-1 tbsp dried
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced

Chicken:
1/4 cup egg substitute
3 tablespoons hot sauce (such as Tabasco) I added 4 tbsp of Frank's Red Hot
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 1/2 ounces baked tortilla chips (about 6 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
I added 1/4 tsp each of cayenne and black pepper

Remaining ingredients:
4 (2-ounce) Kaiser rolls, split I just had regular hamburger buns
12 (1/8-inch-thick) red onion slices
4 lettuce leaves

Preparation
1. To prepare mayo, combine the first 4 ingredients.

2. To prepare chicken, combine egg substitute, hot sauce, oregano, and salt in a large zip-top plastic bag. Cut chicken breast halves in half horizontally to form 4 cutlets. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours or up to 8 hours, turning bag occasionally. I marinated it for 4 hours.

3. Place tortilla chips in a food processor; process 1 minute or until ground. Place ground chips in a shallow dish.

4. Working with one cutlet at a time, remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Coat chicken completely in chips. Set aside. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken and chips.

5. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned and done. Spread mayo evenly over cut sides of rolls. Layer bottom half of each roll with 3 onion slices, 1 lettuce leaf, and 1 chicken cutlet; top with top halves of rolls. my chicken was a little thick, so I needed more time to cook through.

Oven Fried Cumin-Lime Potato Wedges

4 large russet potatoes, washed, unpeeled, cut into thick wedges
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp Mexican chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
lime zest

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss all the ingredients except for the lime zest in a large bowl.

Bake wedges on a non-stick baking sheet for 30 minutes, turn wedges, bake for an additional 15 minutes. If they are not crispy enough, turn the heat up higher for a few minutes. Sprinkle with some lime zest as soon as they come out of the oven.

Menu - Week of November 30th

2008-12-02T14:57:00.003-05:00

Sunday - Thanksgiving Leftovers - Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Hot Turkey Sandwiches

Monday - Homemade Pepperoni & Onion Pizza & Salad

Tuesday - Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro Lime Mayo, Oven Fries & Steamed Green Beans with Lime Zest

Wednesday - Homemade Mushroom & Turkey Meatball Sauce with Penne & Salad

Thursday - Turkey Bacon BLT Sandwiches & Tomato Soup

Friday - Chicken Enchiladas

Saturday - Leftovers

Thanksgiving Feast

2008-12-01T10:39:00.018-05:00

I've been bad for slacking on updating my blog lately.....it's been kind of busy, but I have been cooking! So it's fitting that my first entry in a while is our Thanksgiving dinner.

So here's the menu:

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake
Apple -Cider Brined Turkey with Herb Gravy
Whiskey Glazed Carrots
Corn Bread Dressing
Cranberry Sauce with Apple Cider
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Thyme Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I wish I had taken more/better pictures, but after an afternoon of cooking, I was tired and hungry and just wanted to dig into all the food. I chose an apple theme for some of the dishes, and the cider added so much great flavor.

I was supposed to make green beans with caramelized shallots, but I forgot...oh well! Regardless, all of the dishes worked well with one another, and the house smelled delicious!!!

** This is the first cheesecake that I've ever made that turned out perfectly baked, and although I didn't achieve the marbled effect very well, it was wonderful.

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake
Allrecipes

Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
Ready In: 7 Hours 40 Minutes Yields: 12 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap
cookies
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 (8 ounce) packages cream
cheese, softened
3/4 cup white sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed gingersnap cookies, pecans, and butter. Press into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake crust 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Set aside to cool.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla just until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time, blending well after each. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture. Blend 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the remaining mixture.

3. Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust, and drop the plain batter by spoonfuls onto the top. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.

4. Bake 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until filling is set. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Allow to cool before removing pan rim. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

**This is the first time I have brined a turkey - and it won't be the last, it made the meat so moist! I roasted the turkey at 500 for 15 minutes, and then reduced the heat, but I should have put a foil tent on the bird or started roasting at a lower temperature from the beginning to prevent from getting too brown too quickly, but the breast meat was cooked perfectly.

Apple-Cider Brined Turkey with Savory Herb Gravy
Cooking Light

Brine:
8 cups apple cider
2/3 cup kosher salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
1 tablespoon whole allspice, coarsely crushed
8 (1/8-inch-thick) slices peeled fresh ginger
6 whole cloves I omitted
2 bay leaves
1 (12-pound) fresh or frozen turkey, thawed
2 oranges, quartered
6 cups ice

Remaining ingredients:
4 garlic cloves
4 sage leaves
4 thyme sprigs
4 parsley sprigs
1 onion, quartered
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

Savory Herb Gravy - I did not use the recipe on the site, I strained the pan drippings, added some chicken broth and fresh sprigs of sage, freshly chopped parsley, 1/2 tsp black pepper and brought to a boil. In a bowl, I dissolved some cornstarch in water and whisked into the broth and cooked till thickened. Strain the gravy and remove the sage before serving.

To prepare brine, combine first 8 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until sugar and salt dissolve. Cool completely.

Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for Savory Herb Gravy. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Stuff body cavity with orange quarters. Place a turkey-sized oven bag inside a second bag to form a double thickness. Place bags in a large stockpot. Place turkey inside inner bag. Add cider mixture and ice. Secure bags with several twist ties. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 500º.

Remove turkey from bags, and discard brine, orange quarters, and bags. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under turkey. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Place garlic, sage, thyme, parsley, onion, and broth in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place roasting rack in pan. Arrange turkey, breast side down, on roasting rack. Brush turkey back with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 500º for 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350º.

Remove turkey from oven. Carefully turn turkey over (breast side up) using tongs. Brush turkey breast with 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 350º for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into meaty part of thigh registers 170º (make sure not to touch bone). (Shield the turkey with foil if it browns too quickly.)

Remove turkey from oven; let stand 20 minutes. Reserve pan drippings for Savory Herb Gravy. Discard skin before serving; serve with gravy.

**This is the first holiday dinner in Tennessee, so I thought this dish would be perfect was to add a little local flavor.

Whiskey-Glazed Carrots
The Pioneer Woman

2 - 3 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into thick circles
1 stick (1/2 cup…1/4 lb) butter
1/2 cup Jack Daniels or other whiskey
3/4 to 1 cup brown sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper

Melt 1 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add carrots in two batches, cooking for 60 to 90 seconds each batch. Remove from skillet.

Pour in whiskey and allow to evaporate 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium, and add remaining butter. When butter melts, sprinkle brown sugar over the top. Stir together, then add carrots to skillet.

Cover, and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Remove lid and add salt and pepper. Continue cooking until carrots are done and glaze is thick, about 5 more minutes. Pour onto a platter and serve immediately. Sprinkle with chopped chives if desired.

Corn Bread Dressing
from a friend

**I cut the recipe in half

6 cups 1-inch cubes white bread, crusts removed (from 1 loaf Italian or country-style bread)
6 cups crumbled day-old corn bread (from 8-inch pan)
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, plus additional for garnish
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced (about 4 cups)
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground mace (optional) I omitted
3 eggs, beaten

Heat oven to 350° F. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes; let cool.

In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, corn bread, and enough broth (at least 2 cups) to make a fairly mushy mixture. Season with the salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the parsley, celery, onion, and garlic. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the onion mixture to the bread mixture, along with the apples, nutmeg, and mace (if using); let cool.
Add the eggs and gently combine. Spread the dressing in an unbuttered 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Bake until golden brown and warmed through, about 1 hour. If you want a crispy topping, leave uncovered; otherwise cover with foil halfway through cooking. Sprinkle with additional parsley before serving, if desired.

I forgot to take a picture of the cranberry sauce or mashed potatoes separately, so here they are on the dinner plate.

Cranberry Sauce with Apple Cider
Cooking Light

1 cup sugar
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
1 (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes or until cranberries pop, stirring occasionally. Chill.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

1 head of garlic
2.5-3 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch piece
1/4 freshly chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup half & half
2 tbsp butter

Heat oven to 350, slice the top of the garlic head, drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Wrap in foil and bake for 45 minutes. When cooled, squeeze garlic out of the skins and mash with a fork, set aside.

Boil potatoes and cook till tender for about 15 minutes. Drain and add to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat butter and half and half in a small saucepan over low heat, but don't let it boil. Add mixture to potatoes, along with salt, pepper, roasted garlic paste and parsley and beat with a mixer till smooth and creamy.

Thyme Roasted Sweet Potatoes

**I made the sweet potatoes again to eat with leftovers - the first time for the dinner I baked them at 35 for an hour in the middle rack, resulting in softer potatoes as in the picture in with all the food. The next time I made them, I used the recipe below. Both were wonderful!

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish with extra virgin olive oil cooking spray. Add potatoes.

In a small bowl, mix together garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper and pour onto potatoes and toss to coat.

Bake on the middle rack for about 50 minutes, carefully turning a couple of times to cook thoroughly.

Remove potatoes from oven, increase heat to 450-500 degrees, put the rack in the top part of the oven and return potatoes to bake for another 5-10 minutes until the crisp.

Craving The Carbs

2008-11-19T18:01:00.009-05:00

Some people crave sweets, I crave pizza and pasta. So, I gave into my craving and made a big pot of pasta sauce & meatballs....I could eat this everyday! Top with some grated Parmesan and Romano cheeses, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, all served in a warm bowl. I'm in heaven.

Mushroom Tomato Sauce with Turkey Meatballs

Sauce:
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
28 oz can of whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
28 oz can tomato puree, then fill the can with about 1/2-3/4 full with water, to add to sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp dried basil
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp sugar
2 bay leaves
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup onion, diced
3 tbsp tomato paste, more if necessary to thicken sauce

Heat a large pot with olive oil on medium heat. Add onions and saute for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic and mushrooms. Continue to cook until onions are soft.

Add all remaining ingredients. Once bubbling, turn heat to low and simmer for a couple of hours.

Turkey Meatballs:
1 lb 93/7 ground turkey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp (or more if needed ) of bread crumbs
1/3 cup milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano
extra virgin olive oil for frying

Heat a large skillet with a little extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.

Meanwhile, mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Form equal sized meatballs (I made 20).

Add meatballs to skillet and saute for 10-15 minutes, turning so all sides get browned.

Line a plate with a paper towel, remove meatballs from skillet and place on paper towels and lightly blot.

Add to tomato sauce to fully cook the meatballs, and let simmer on low.

B-Dubs At Home

2008-11-17T13:43:00.007-05:00

When you think of Buffalo Wild Wings, you think of chicken wings of course. To save some money, while still enjoying their great sauces, I bought bottles of Mango Habanero and Caribbean Jerk sauce. So this past Saturday, Jamie enjoyed what every man does....sitting in front of the TV, watching football, drinking beer and being served chicken wings...all from the comfort of our own home.

He is so spoiled!! But these flavors are spicy...so if heat is not your thing, try it with Honey BBQ, Sweet or Mild BBQ or Parmeasan Garlic sauces. Plus these are naked - no breading, no frying!

B-Dubs Naked Chicken Wings

2.5 lbs chicken wings, rinsed, dried, separated, and wings discarded
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
3-4 tbsp butter, divided
about 2 tbsp vegetable oil
BBQ sauce - I used BWW's Mango Habanero & Caribbean Jerk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with tin foil and non-stick spray.

Spread out wings on the baking sheet, drizzle a little vegetable oil over them and turn to coat.

Lightly season wings with salt, pepper, garlic powder on both sides. Put in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, turn over and baking for an additional 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat approximately 1/2 cup sauce and 1.5-2 tbsp butter in saucepan (separate if using different sauces). Heat till simmering and mixture is reduced.

Remove wings from oven. If there is a lot of liquid on the tin foil, drain off, or replace and spray with non-stick spray. Pour sauce on wings and turn to coat. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, sauce will become like a glaze. Enjoy with ranch, bleu cheese & celery sticks.

Fried Pickles?? It's A Southern Thing....

2008-11-17T10:39:00.007-05:00

Before moving to Tennessee, I had never heard of fried pickles. The thought of them seemed kind of weird, even scary to me. But I saw a post about them on the WC board and on Courtney's blog so I decided to made them for Jamie....I like a couple of pieces now and them, but Jamie loves them.

FYI, since living here I have learned a couple of things about Southern cuisine:

* Deep fried food is good;

* BBQ is not burgers or pizza, as Wikipedia states: "The term as a noun can refer to foods cooked by this method, to the cooking apparatus itself, or to a party that includes such food. The term is also used as a verb for the act of cooking food in this manner....and initially revolved around cooking pork";

* Beans & Greens are common side dishes;

* Sweet tea is a favorite beverage.

So...back to the fried pickles, I made two batches, since I am not that familiar with frying things. The first batch when using the batter mixture as stated, kind of fell off the pickles. So I added in a little more flour and cornstarch until the batter was thicker. Jamie liked the latter batch better, although I thought the batter was too heavy. Next time, I would find a happy medium between the two. Either way, they were really good!

Fried Pickles
from Cook Like A Champion & Science of Cooking

* I cut the batter ingredients in half, as I was not making that much
* I added some more flour and cornstarch to make the batter thicker

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup ice water
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
4 cups dill pickle slices, drained I used about 10 pickle spears, sliced lengthwise once so they were thinner
vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

-In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center.
-All at once, add the water, egg yolk and pickle juice.-Stir the mixture with a wire whisk to make a smooth batter.
-Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
-In a deep fryer or large saucepan, heat at least two inches of oil to 375°.
-In batches, dip pickle slices into batter, lightly and evenly coating them.
-Without crowding, place coated slices in the hot oil.
-Fry until golden and crisp, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.-Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

Serve with fat-free ranch dressing....LOL...just kidding, at this point, go for the full fat version!

Loaded Potato Soup - Revisited

2008-11-17T08:40:00.000-05:00

I love potato soup, and I found a great recipe that I blogged about in one of my first posts Not So Loaded Baked Potato Soup, Cooking Light - Lighter Loaded Baked Potato Soup. I wanted to make it again, while still avoiding cream, but still make it a little different...in changes from the original, I used turkey bacon in place of regular, added mashed roasted garlic, and fat free sour cream instead of reduced fat. The biggest change was not to mash the potatoes, instead I coarsely chopped them. Although I loved the first time I made it, leaving the potato in chunks added great texture and reduced the graininess that mashed potatoes can have in soup.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

4 baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 ounces)
6 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese ,divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cloves of roasted garlic, mashed

1 cup fat-free sour cream

3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
6 turkey bacon slices, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400°.Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely chop.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place flour in a large Dutch oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes).

Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and roasted garlic, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil).

Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 8 bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons onions, and about 1 tablespoon bacon. Garnish with cracked pepper, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups soup, 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons onions, and about 1 tablespoon bacon)

The Perfect Fall Treat

2008-11-11T10:41:00.010-05:00

Pumpkin is one of the quintessential Fall flavors. I recently enjoyed the last of the banana muffins from the freezer...so it was time to restock. It's November, and I haven't really made many things with pumpkin yet, so I found the following recipe for Pumpkin Chip muffins. After reading the ingredient list, I didn't like how much oil and sugar were in it, so I substituted with applesauce, which I have done with banana muffins in the past. They were moist, delicious and full of flavor. Not sure if many of them will make it into the freezer!

Pumpkin Chip Muffins

From Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS:

4 eggs
2 cups white sugar I used 1.5 cups
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil I reduced oil to 1/2 cup, I added 1 cup of unsweetened apple sauce
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease two 12 cup muffin pans, or line with paper baking cups. I ended up with more batter, and did not have another muffin tin, so I put the remaining batter into a small loaf pan and baked the loaf an additional 10 minutes or so.

2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, and mix in the sugar, pumpkin and oil.

3. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Blend into the egg and pumpkin mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips. Transfer to the muffin pans.

4. Bake in the preheated oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pans, and cool on a wire rack.

Menu - Week of November 9th

2008-11-11T10:26:00.004-05:00

Monday - From the freezer.....Chili & Cheesy Beer Bread

Tuesday - Chicken Parmesan Strips over Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Marinara

Wednesday - Sweet Potato Fries, Cilantro Black Bean Burgers & Green Beans

Thursday - Potato Soup & Garden Salad

Friday - Homemade Pizza & Salad

Saturday - Homemade appetizers for dinner.....still not sure what to make yet

Chicken Fajitas in a Salad?

2008-11-07T15:18:00.001-05:00

Earlier in the week while grocery shopping, I was excited to see that colored bell peppers were on sale, so I stocked up. I had all the ingredients for fajitas and wanted those flavors....but I wanted something a little different. So my fajita taco bowl salad was born. It was a wonderful change from the usual, especially the creamy, tangy dressing, and you don't have to eat the bowl - making it an even leaner meal.

Chicken Fajita Taco Bowl Salad

1 1/2-2 lbs chicken breast, cut into strips

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

2 bell peppers, thinly sliced - I used a mixture of red, yellow and green

2 tomatoes, chopped

2-3 limes

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp Mrs. Dash Southwest Seasoning blend

large flour tortillas (if using the bowl, otherwise omit and serve on a bed of lettuce and some broken tortilla chips)

toppings: 2 % shredded Mexican cheese blend, iceberg lettuce & avocado slices

Heat a grill pan, remove chicken from marinade, grill chicken till done, approximately 8 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1/2 tbsp of vegetable oil, and saute peppers and onions till softened, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin, Southwest seasoning and juice of half a lime. With a couple of minutes left, add the tomatoes.

**If making a tortilla bowl, place tortilla upside down on top of a ramekin, brush a little vegetable oil and bake in a 425 oven for 5-6 minutes.

Add the chicken to the vegetable mixture and combine. Serve the fajita mix in a tortilla bowl or on lettuce. Drizzle with the Cilantro Lime Dressing.

Lime Fajita Marinade

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup Corona
juice of 1 lime
zest of half a lime
1 tsp cumin
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp mesquite flavored liquid smoke
salt & pepper to taste

In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Put the chicken in a bag or bowl, add marinade and leave in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Take chicken out of fridge about 10 minutes before using.

Cilantro Lime Dressing

1/2-3/4 cup fat free plain yogurt
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp limes zest
2-3 tbsp lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp cumin
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Mix above ingredients, cover and chill until ready to use.

A Marvelous Meatless Meal

2008-11-07T14:40:00.007-05:00

I don't enjoy a lot of different types of meat, so many of the meals I make include chicken, however once in a while I like to make meatless meals. This pasta dish was made with inexpensive ingredients that I always have on hand, it was quick and easy. The beans make it seem more filling, serve with a salad, and you won't miss the meat.

Tomato Cream Pasta with Spinach & White Beans

1-3 cup onions, diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2-3/4 lb rigatoni
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
kosher salt & pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups spinach, rinsed, dried & roughly chopped
1/4-1/2 shredded Parmesan cheese
about 3 tbsp of reserved pasta cooking liquid
1/4 cup half and half cream
5 cloves of roasted garlic, mashed
28 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried parsley

Cook pasta according to directions, drain, but reserve some cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil and add onion and saute for about 5-6 minutes on medium heat.

Add tomatoes, herbs, beans, garlic, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 7-8 more minutes. Add cream and heat through, but do not boil. Stir in cheese, spinach and a a couple of spoonfuls of reserved pasta cooking liquid (or till desired consistency is reached) and heat through. Remove and serve with additional Parmesan if desired.

I Want My Mummy!

2008-11-01T10:27:00.011-04:00

I've never made specific holidays dishes, so when I saw this very cute & popular recipe for mummy dogs on the WC board, I knew I just had to make them. These would make a great Halloween appetizer for children & parties, they were pretty easy to make, just be sure to leave more room than you think for the face because the dough expands and I didn't have that much room - so my mummy's only had eyes....oooohhhh....extra creepy!

And I picked up this adorable bib at Target for my children ;) It's just a coincidence that the bib's theme fit with this recipe. So here is Thumper looking all cute in his "I Love My Mummy" bib.

What's Halloween without costumes? Here is Socks and his brother being adorable little devils.

Now enough of the cats, onto the dogs......

Crescent Mummy Dogs
from Pillsbury

Ingredients :

1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ refrigerated flaky dough sheet I used the dough sheet
2 1/2 slices American cheese, quartered (2.5 oz) I used deli-style sliced medium cheddar cheese
10 large hot dogs
Cooking spray
Mustard or ketchup, if desired

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate at perforations, creating 4 rectangles. Press perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut into 4 rectangles.

3. With knife or kitchen scissors, cut each rectangle lengthwise into 10 pieces, making a total of 40 pieces of dough. Slice cheese slices into quarters (1/2 slice cheese, cut in half).

4. Wrap 4 pieces of dough around each hot dog and 1/4 slice of cheese to look like "bandages," stretching dough slightly to completely cover hot dog. About 1/2 inch from one end of each hot dog, separate "bandages" so hot dog shows through for "face." On ungreased large cookie sheet, place wrapped hot dogs (cheese side down); spray dough lightly with cooking spray.

5. Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until dough is light golden brown and hot dogs are hot. With mustard, draw features on "face."

Pot Pie - The Ultimate Comfort Food

2008-10-31T14:46:00.010-04:00

The weather is finally chilly here and I was craving chicken pot pie for a while now. The only kind there has ever been around my house says Swanson's on the box. I found a recipe that uses puff pastry instead of pastry dough. I was not feeling adventurous enough to attempt dough from scratch, and since I had never worked with puff pastry, I was excited to try it.

The original recipe makes individual sized pot pies, however, I was unable to find my small dishes, so I used one 1 1/2 qt oval casserole dish, which worked just fine by using 1 whole sheet of puff pastry. I maybe have been too liberal with the egg wash, as the top browned a little too much. However, the dish was wonderful - the crust was flaky and tasted amazing dipped into the hearty chicken & veggie filling.

Individual Chicken Pot Pie

adapted from Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:

8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock I used broth
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme I used dried
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup peeled and chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped white button mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped red-skinned potatoes I used russet potatoes
1 cup chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup cooked fresh or frozen peas
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Four 6-inch squares frozen puff pastry I kept the sheet whole
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 400ºF. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture smells fragrant and nutty, 1 to 2 minutes.

Slowly add the stock, whisking until smooth, and bring to a boil. Add the thyme, bay leaf, onions, celery, carrots and mushrooms and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes, chicken, peas, salt and pepper and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard.

Divide the filling among 4 ovenproof bowls and place on a baking sheet. Brush the puff pastry squares with the egg mixture. Brush the rims of the bowls with water.

Place 1 pastry square on top of each bowl, pressing lightly on the edges. Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

Greek Salad With A Popeye Twist

2008-10-31T13:48:00.012-04:00

I mistakenly poached too much chicken for my chicken pot pie, so I had plenty to use up. I was feeling like pasta salad, but also wanted something light & fairly healthy. I love Greek salads and always have all the ingredients on hand, so why not throw in some spinach, use up that chicken..and ta da. It's Greek Orzo, Spinach & Chicken Salad!

Greek Orzo, Spinach & Chicken Salad

1/2 cup orzo
1/4 cup cucumber, chopped
1/2 cup tomato, chopped
3 tbsp crumbled feta cheese (more if desired)
1/2 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped or torn
3 tbsp red onion, diced
1/2 cup chicken, cooked & chopped
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley (I added after I took the picture)
2 tsp of lemon zest

1. Cook orzo according to directions, drain. Put into a large bowl.

2. Meanwhile, mix all dressing ingredients, cover and chill.

3. In the bowl, add the remaining above ingredients to the orzo. Chill if not serving immediately.

Dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

An Eggstra-ordinary Sandwich

2008-10-28T15:38:00.005-04:00

I've made this many times and never wrote anything down, or thought to blog it...but why not? There was a time when I couldn't cook at all or make the simplest of things, I have actually googled "how to make a hard boiled egg"...don't laugh. So here's my recipe for making a simple egg salad for a sandwich - it's easy, cheap & just plain good.

Easy Egg Salad

5 hard boiled eggs (Place eggs in a pot, add water, cover and bring to a boil. remove from heat, leave covered for 12-15 minutes. Let cool slightly and carefully peel)
1 celery, diced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
3 tbsp reduced fat mayo
1 tsp onion flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp Dijon mustard (or more to taste)
Sometimes I add a dash of paprika too

In a large bowl, break the eggs into smaller pieces using a fork. Mix all the above ingredients, cover and chill for at least an hour.

I put the egg salad on whole wheat toast and added some lettuce. The above makes about 4 sandwiches, depending on how much you put on each.

When It's Chilly - Make Some Chili

2008-10-28T15:15:00.001-04:00

The Fall weather has arrived, and when I have all afternoon to cook, my obvious choice was to make some chili. I love trying different combinations of spices & ingredients, so here's another new recipe. I usually serve chili with garlic bread, but this time I made a cheesy beer bread to go with it. Great decision - it was a change, the flavors went well, and it was just plain wonderful!

Take Off The Chill Chili

Ingredients:

1.5 lb ground round
1 stalk celery, diced
1 large onion, diced (1/4 of that reserved)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small-med Poblano pepper, diced (they only had mild)
15 oz tomato sauce
28 oz can diced tomatoes

14.5 oz diced tomatoes with jalepenos
3-6 oz tomato paste

1 can of spicy chili beans

1 can of dark kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 bottle of beer (I used Michelob Porter, this beer had notes of chocolate & coffee, two ingredients often used as "secret" ingredients in chili)
1.5 tbsp Mexican chili powder
1/2 tsp Mexican oregano

1 tsp ancho chile powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1.5 tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
approximately 1 tsp Kosher salt & 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper (I used a mixture of black, white, red & green peppercorns)

Directions:

Heat a skillet and cook beef until browned. Remove, drain but reserve some of the liquid in pan, and set beef aside.

Over medium heat, saute onions, garlic, Poblano and celery for a few minutes until softened. Add meat back to the skillet and combine the mixture. Add beer to skillet and simmer a couple about 5 minutes till slightly reduced. Add all the seasonings & stir to combine.

Meanwhile on another burner, heat a large pot and add all the tomatoes. Stir in the skillet mixture and bring to a boil. Check seasonings, adjust if necessary and reduce to low, cover and simmer. Put in the beans about 45-60 minutes before the end of cooking. I had the time, so I simmered it for about 3 hours. If needed, add more tomato paste to thicken. Remove bay leaf.

Serve with your favorite toppings - I like to have some of the following:

2 % shredded Mexican cheese
fat free sour cream
diced green & yellow onions
oyster crackers
beer or garlic bread
oyster crackers
Fritos

Beer + Cheese = Delicious!

2008-10-28T15:03:00.005-04:00

I normally serve garlic bread with chili....but I wanted to try something different. I saw this recipe for cheesy beer bread, it looked wonderful & would go perfectly with my chili. Even though I stole one of Jamie's Sam Adams Octoberfest beers to make this, he wasn't complaining!

Also, this was my first time making bread that wasn't banana, although I was a little nervous, it turned out perfectly and definitely deserves the "easy" part in it's title.

Easy Cheesy Beer Bread
Good Things Catered

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour I used all white flour, I didn't have whole wheat
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
12 oz. bottle of lager or stout (I used Sam Adams Oktoberfest)
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare loaf pan for baking.

-In large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder.

-Whisk to combine well.-Add cheese and whisk to combine.

-Slowly add beer to dry ingredients and stir lightly until combined.

-Knead dough lightly until it just comes together.

-Place into prepared loaf pan and pour melted butter over top.

-Place in oven to bake for 55-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.

Wings With Some Zing

2008-10-21T10:00:00.000-04:00

Saturdays in the fall mean college football (unfortunately for me). So I can escape by spending time in the kitchen, and Jamie enjoys what comes out of the kitchen. This time it was...big surprise...chicken wings. He requested some type of Asian wings - actually he wanted Asian Zing wings from BWW's, but I found this recipe, which I'm sure is healthier. Jamie gave it two sticky thumbs up.

Teriyaki Chicken Wings

Tyler Florence & The Food Network

Wings:

2 dozen chicken wings, about 3 1/4 pounds, rinsed and patted dry

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted in a skillet over medium heat until lightly browned I used already toasted sesame seeds

Leaves from 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped I used 1/2 tbsp dried cilantro

Teriyaki Sauce:

1 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1 cup grapefruit juice

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 fresh, hot red chile, halved I used 2 tsp of crushed red chilies

5 garlic cloves, halved I used three minced garlic cloves

2-inch piece fresh ginger, smashed with the side of a large knife I used 2 tsp dried ginger

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the chicken wings with salt and pepper and drizzle a little olive oil on them to prevent sticking. Lay the wings in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until the skin gets crispy and the wings are cooked through. I baked them for about 35- 40 minutes, turning halfway through.

Meanwhile, combine the teriyaki sauce ingredients in a large saucepan. Simmer over low heat and reduce until slightly thickened. I added the wings into the sauce and simmered on low for about 10 minutes.

Pour the sauce into a large bowl. Dump the wings into the bowl and toss to coat them with the sauce. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and cilantro. Serve hot.

One Crust, Three Pizzas

2008-10-21T09:55:00.001-04:00

Here's another catch up post - I made this about two weeks ago while watching the Wings raise their latest Stanley Cup banner. They lost to the Leafs, but the Wings were probably just a little tired from celebrating all summer - the Leafs have been on vacation & relaxing since the end of April......sorry Leafs fans, I couldn't help it :)

I love it on pizza, but Jamie doesn't - so I decided to make mini pizzas that have different toppings which we like. It would have been even better with homemade dough, but I just didn't have the time, so I used a pre-made dough. And sorry for the dark pictures, my natural light was long gone - I really need to start cooking earlier.

Pizza Trio

1 roll Pillsbury Thin Crust Pizza Dough

Preheat the oven to 350. Roll out the dough on a baking sheet sprayed lightly with non-stick spray (I like olive oil flavored). Cut dough into three equal portions and spread apart slightly so they don't touch.

Put the crust in the oven for about 5 minutes to pre-bake, this will make the crust a little crispier. Remove and put on the toppings:

Pizza 1:

basil pesto
goat cheese
roma tomato, thinly sliced

Easy Basil Parsley Pesto

1.5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, packed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
3 garlic cloves, finely minced

Combine herbs, pine nuts & garlic in a food processor and pulse until chopped. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and continue to blend and slowly add the rest of the oil until mixture is smooth. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Spread a thin layer of pesto on the dough, add cheese and toppings.

Pizza 2:
shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
shredded aged white cheddar cheese
thinly sliced Baby Bella mushrooms
thinly sliced red onion

Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce over dough, add cheeses, and top with veggies.

Pizza 3:
basil pesto
shredded part skim mozzarella
pepperoni
thinly sliced Baby Bella mushrooms
thinly sliced red onion
pepperoni
pizza sauce I cut my recipe in half and reserved the rest for later use

Garlicky Pizza Sauce

6 oz tomato paste
1/2 cup (or more if required) of water
4 cloves garlic, minced1 tbsp oregano
1.5 tsp dried onion
1.5 tsp dried basil
dash of sugar
kosher salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl & let flavors blend. It makes enough for 2 large pizzas.

Mix together some pesto and pizza sauce, spread a thin layer over dough, then layer mozzarella cheese and toppings.

Return to the oven and bake for approximately 8-10 minutes, until crust is golden and cheese is melted.

Chicken Soup For The Sick Cook's Soul

2008-10-17T11:06:00.009-04:00

I've been sick all week, and was craving some homemade soup. The weather finally feels like Fall here, and I've wanted to make this ever since seeing this recipe in the latest issue of Cooking Light. We both loved it - even though I usually make chicken soup with homemade stock, this turned out wonderful and had that homemade feel; I think having the fresh herbs in the soup as well as in the dumplings helped.

There were a couple of firsts in this recipe for me - I've never made/had chicken thighs, nor have I made dumplings without Bisquick. I'm definitely a white meat-type person, but the thighs added great flavor, so I'll keep adding them to my soup, and the dumplings were so easy and used only a couple of ingredients that I already had, I don't need to buy Bisquick again.

For some of the broth I used White Wine & Herb chicken broth, and I think it added a lot of great flavor. If you can't find that, I'm sure even adding a little white wine to regular broth would have a similar effect.

And one final piece of advice - make more dumplings than the recipe states - they are wonderful and you'll want to load your bowl up and there won't be any left when you go back for seconds!

Herbed Chicken and Dumplings
from Cooking Light

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 2 cups) I doubled the following amounts, plus more flour, salt & parsley to make a larger amount of dumplings

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces I used 6 chicken thighs and two chicken breasts
3/4 cup (1/4-inch) diagonally cut celery
1/2 cup (1/4-inch) diagonally cut carrot
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme I used about 1 tsp of thyme
3 parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth I used 5 cups of fat-free stock and 1 cup of College Inn White Wine & Herb broth
2.25 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk

Preparation:

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Add celery and next 5 ingredients (through bay leaf) to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Return chicken to pan; cook 1 minute. Add broth to pan; bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, chopped parsley, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add milk, stirring just until moist. Spoon by heaping teaspoonfuls into broth mixture; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until dumplings are done. Discard parsley sprigs and bay leaf. I removed the parsley and chopped it in smaller pieces and put back in the soup.

Easy As Mexican Pie

2008-10-15T13:32:00.005-04:00

I was feeling like Mexican, but didn't want plain old tacos. After browsing through some blogs, I found a recipe that sounded great. I had the ingredients on hand, and it meant that my poor, rarely used springform pan would get some action time in the oven. We loved this dinner, layers of tortillas, Mexican seasoned beef, black beans, enchilada sauce...it looks impressive, but it so easy...what's not to love? And the leftovers are just as good. I made some changes to the recipe, the original ones can be seen in the links below.

Before.... and trying to wait patiently for 25 minutes....

After...25 minutes are up, time to dig in!

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie
adapted from Delicious Meliscious & Liz's Cooking Blog

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef
1 small jar enchilada sauce
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 large onion, diced
1 can fire roasted diced green chilies
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ancho chili powder
2 tsp Mexican chili powder
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
12 ounces Mexican beer
8-10 oz frozen corn
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
2 1/2-3 cups shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese
1 tomato, seeded and diced
sour cream and salsa, for serving

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan, using the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside.

Brown ground beef and drain fat.

Add onion, diced chilies, garlic, cumin and chili powders; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add beans and beer to skillet, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn, and remove from heat.

Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of springform pan; layer with 1/4 of the meat & beans, spoon some enchilada sauce over top (maybe 3-4 spoonfuls) and 1/2 cup cheese.

Repeat three times, using 1-1.5 cups of cheese on top layer. Bake until hot and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Unmold pie; spoon any extra enchilada sauce on top, then sprinkle with scallions & diced tomatoes.

To serve, slice into wedges and serve with sour cream and salsa if desired.

Not Quite From The Blue Box....

2008-10-14T10:57:00.006-04:00

Since we were out much of the weekend, I didn't really plan dinner this past Sunday night. I wanted something quick and on-hand, so the thought of Kraft Mac & Cheese was pretty appealing - hey - every meal can't be homemade/gourmet/healthy! I was disappointed to discover that there was none in my pantry - I didn't have enough "real" cheese on hand, nor the patience to find a recipe for homemade mac & cheese. However, I discovered some Velveeta and elbow noodles, and 30 minutes later - presto - mac & cheese. It doesn't compare to using "real" cheese, but it sure was good & quick!

Velveeta Down-home Macaroni & Cheese
from Kraft

Prep Time:20 min
Total Time:40 min
Makes:5 servings, 1 cup each

What You Need

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, divided
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk I used skim
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked, drained
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese I used 2% Milk Medium Cheddar
6 RITZ Crackers, crushed I omitted

Make It

HEAT oven to 350°F. Melt 3 Tbsp. butter in medium saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook 2 min., stirring constantly. Gradually stir in milk; cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Add VELVEETA; cook 3 min. or until melted, stirring frequently. Stir in macaroni.

SPOON into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray; sprinkle with shredded cheese. Melt remaining butter; toss with cracker crumbs. Sprinkle over casserole.

BAKE 20 min. or until heated through.

Menu - Week of October 12th

2008-10-14T10:17:00.008-04:00

I'm trying to use up items from around the house & eat cheap this week:

Sunday - Mac & cheese

Monday - Leftover pasta & salad

Tuesday - Beef & black bean Mexican tortilla pie

Wednesday - Breakfast for Dinner - Jamie is cooking, my night off in the kitchen

Thursday - Herbed chicken and dumpling stew

Friday - Pretzel chicken w/honey mustard dipping sauce, roasted red potatoes & asparagus

Saturday - Watching sports - tacos, chicken wings and artichoke spinach dip