Karrissa's Kitchen

Mini Garlic Monkey Breads

2012-01-27T16:49:00.001-08:00

Mini Garlic Monkey Breads

from Real Mom Kitchen

INGREDIENTS:

2 (7.5 oz) cans buttermilk biscuits

6 TBS butter, melted

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBS dried parsley flakes

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus 2 TBS additional to sprinkle on top.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut biscuits into 4 pieces and place in bowl. (kitchen shears made this really easy.)

2. Combine the melted butter, garlic, parsley, and 1/4 cup cheese together and pour over the biscuit pieces.

3. Gently toss the biscuit pieces to evenly coat.

4. Using a 12 cup muffin tin, place 6-7 pieces of the coated biscuit dough into each muffin cup. Us additional cheese to sprinkle on top.

5. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes until golden brown.

*These were so easy and SO yummy!

Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce

2012-01-17T19:01:00.000-08:00

Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce
recipe and image from The Pioneer Woman

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cups Fresh Basil Leaves
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
3 Tablespoons Pine Nuts
2 cloves Garlic, Peeled
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan (additional)
12 ounces, weight Pasta (cavitappi, Fusili, Etc.)
2 whole Tomatoes, Diced

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook pasta until al dente.
2. Add basil leaves, 1/2 cup Parmesan, pine nuts, and salt and pepper to a food processor or blender. Turn machine on, then drizzle in olive oil while it mixes. Continue blending until combined, adding additional olive oil if needed. Set aside.
3. Heat cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add pesto and stir.
4. Drain pasta and place in a serving bowl. Pour pesto cream over the top. Toss to combine. Add diced tomatoes and toss quickly. Serve immediately.

*I grilled chicken with lemon pepper and added it to the pasta and it was delicious! This time I actually used pesto from a jar instead of making the pesto because I had some that needed to be used. It was still so good but I would love to make the pesto next time. This was SO easy and really yummy! I only used about 8 ounces of pasta but made the same amount of sauce.

Chicken a la King

2011-10-23T22:11:00.000-07:00

Chicken a la King
recipe and image from Get Off Your Butt and Bake

INGREDIENTS:
Sauce:
1/3 Cup Butter melted

1/4 Cup Cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 Cup COLD water

1/2 Cup Chicken Broth

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Pepper

1 teaspoon granulated Sugar

2 cups Milk

1 1/2 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese or other
Optional:
1/4 tsp Cracked Red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp Onion powder
1/4 tsp Celery salt

Diced or shredded cooked Chicken breasts
Steamed veggies of your choice- I used steamed carrots and frozen peas
1 package of frozen puff pastries
1 egg
1 TBS water

DIRECTIONS:
1. Lay the puff pastries on some Parchment paper, and brush the tops with 1 egg and 1 TBS water beat together.
2. Bake them at 400 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove the little center. After you do this, place the shells (not the tops) back into the oven for another 5 minutes.

3. While the puff pastries are cooking, make the sauce. In medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and stir while it’s melting. Add the broth, seasonings, Milk and the Cold water and Cornstarch mixture. Stir continuously over heat until sauce has thickened. Turn to low heat, and add the grated cheese. Do not let the sauce boil. It it seems too thick, simply add a bit more milk or Chicken broth to the sauce.
4. Add the diced chicken and steamed veggies of your choice. *If you are adding frozen peas, make sure that they don’t have a build up of ice around them. It will thin your sauce.
5. Fill your puff pastry shells with the chicken sauce, and top with a bit more grated cheese.

*These were really yummy and fun!

Chicken Broccoli Supreme

2011-10-17T18:52:00.000-07:00

Chicken Broccoli Supreme
recipe and image from Get Off Your Butt and Bake

INGREDIENTS:
1 – lb. fresh broccoli Break in pieces, and steam for 2 minutes.
3 cups cooked chicken breasts – Break up in small pieces
3 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese divided
2 tubes Ritz Crackers
1 stick melted butter
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Sauce:
1/3 C. Butter melted
1/4 C. Cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 C. COLD Water
1/3 C. Chicken Broth
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 Cups Milk
1 1/2 cups of the above Cheddar Cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. In greased 13×9 pan, layer the broccoli and chicken, then set aside.
2. In saucepan over medium heat, combine the melted butter, cornstarch dissolved in water, chicken broth, seasonings, and milk. Stir well, and continue stirring until sauce has thickened. Turn heat down to low, and add 1- 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese. Stir until melted.
3. Pour over the chicken and broccoli. Top with 1- 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese.
4. Melt the butter, and add the poppy seeds, and stir well. Crush Ritz crackers in large zip-lock bag with a rolling pin. Don’t crush too small. Add crumbs to the melted butter.
5. Sprinkle crumbs over the top of the grated cheese.
6. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until hot & bubbly.

*I cut this recipe in half, only using a 8x8 square pan. My family thought it was a yummy, simple weeknight meal.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Covered Brownie Bites

2011-10-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Peanut Butter Covered Brownie Bites
from Picky Palate

INGREDIENTS:
1 brownie mix
2 cups chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter

DIRECTIONS:
1. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Bake until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center but still slightly undercooked. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. When you are able to touch brownies comfortably, scoop brownies with a medium cookie scoop, roll tightly into a ball and place onto a wax paper lined baking sheet. Continue rolling until brownies are gone. Freeze brownies until very firm, a couple hours or overnight. No worries if your brownie balls aren’t perfect, once frozen reshape them. They are easier to handle when chilled.
2. Place chocolate chips over a double broiler (or heat in microwave until smooth) to melt, then stir in peanut butter until creamy smooth. Roll each frozen brownie ball into chocolate and place onto wax paper to dry. Enjoy room temperature or chilled.

*I may not be able to cook right now but give me a recipe with chocolate and peanut butter and I am all over it!

Cheesy Basil Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2011-10-11T20:31:00.001-07:00

Finally a recipe worth posting!

Cheesy Basil Stuffed Chicken Breasts
recipe and image from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh basil, divided
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (see note)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise, lowfat or regular
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

DIRECTIONS:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the shredded cheese, 2 tablespoons of the minced basil, cream, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
2. Cut a pocket in chicken breasts, stuff with cheese mixture and seal, using a toothpick to help close the slit, if necessary. Transfer the stuffed breasts to 13 by 9 inch baking dish and spread tops evenly with mayonnaise.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, remaining garlic, remaining fresh basil, and one tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle crumb mixture over chicken, pressing lightly to adhere.
4. Toss tomatoes with remaining tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Arrange the tomatoes in the baking dish in and around the chicken.
5. Bake until the crumbs are golden brown and the chicken is cooked through (registering 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer) about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

*This chicken was really good, loved the cheese stuffed inside! I served the chicken with a roasted garlic and broccoli pasta. Yum!

No Posts!

2011-09-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of recipes lately. I have tried quite a few new recipes but didn't like them enough to keep them or post them. This pregnancy has made it hard to want to cook and I think it has affected my ability to cook well. I swear it! I feel like everything I have been making hasn't turned out. :( So, if I try any new recipes worth sharing, and they actually turn out, I will post them! As for now, I 'm kind of sticking to the basic and classic recipes.

Cheese Fondu Sauce

2011-09-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

Cheese Fondu Sauce
from Klisa Plicka

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 cups milk
6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
6 ounces gueyre cheese, or more
1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth.
2. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps.
3. Stir in Parmesan, gueyre, and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long.

Stuffed Beef Patties with Mushroom Gravy

2011-08-20T21:56:00.001-07:00

Stuffed Beef Patties with Mushroom Gravy
from Real Mom Kitchen

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound ground beef
1 cup prepared stuffing (I used Stove Top stuffing)

Gravy:
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 TB butter
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 TB ketchup
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2-1 cup evaporated milk

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine the milk, salt and thyme. Crumble beef over milk mixture and mix well. Shape mixture into eight thin patties. Place 1/4 cup of stuffing on top of four of the patties. Then top with the remaining patties. Press edges of patties together to seal.
Place in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160° and juices run clear.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute mushrooms in butter until tender. Stir in the soup, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme; heat through. Add enough evaporated milk to make desired consistency for a gravy. Serve with burgers topped with the gravy.

*This was a pretty good Sunday meal served with mashed potatoes, homemade cornbread, and vegetables. They look kind of weird in my picture, but they were good!

Chicken Florentine Bowtie Pasta

2011-08-11T08:58:00.001-07:00

Chicken Florentine Bowtie Pasta
from Picky Palate

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped white onion
1 clove minced garlic
4 cups baby spinach leaves
2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Cups Philadelphia Cooking Creme
1 pound bowtie pasta or other small noodle
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Place oil in Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Stir in spinach leaves, cook, stirring until wilted about 2 minutes. Add chicken, salt, and pepper, and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add cooking cream, stirring to combine.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and run under cold water to stop cooking. Add pasta to chicken mixture stirring to combine. Transfer to prepared baking dish and top with cheese. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until cheese is melted.Makes 8 servings

*I didn't cut this in half and I totally should of. It was a great weeknight pasta dish and fairly easy!!

Homemade Potato Chips

2011-08-09T21:06:00.001-07:00

Homemade Potato Chips
from Our Best Bites

INGREDIENTS:
Russet baking potatoes (estimate 2-3 servings from one medium-large potato)
oil for frying
seasonings of choice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Slice potatoes (no need to peel first) using a mandoline or food processor. Place potato slices in a bowl of very cold water for about 10 minutes, stirring gently. Rinse slices a couple of times in cold water and then lay flat on a bed of paper towels. Blot with more paper towels to absorb excess water.

2. Working in batches, fry potatoes in oil for 1-3 minutes, until golden brown. Remove and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Season immediately with salt and other seasonings of choice. Serve warm or at room temperature. Best eaten same day, but if stored overnight place in a container with the lid vented to prevent sogginess.

Banana Bread

2011-07-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

Banana Bread
from Melissa Brown

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter
2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
3 ripe bananas, mashed

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cream sugar and butter.
2. Add eggs and mix.
3. Add flour, salt, and baking soda.
4. Mix in mashed bananas and vanilla.
%. Pour in a greased bread pan and bake at 325 degrees for about an hour or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Optional: walnuts mixed in or sprinkle brown sugar over batter once poured into bread pan.

*A friend brought this bread to me and it is so yummy!! I immediately got the recipe from her and I love it!!

Smothered Pork Chops

2011-07-17T20:17:00.001-07:00

Smothered Pork Chops
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
5 slices bacon, chopped
6 bone-in pork loin chops, about 3/4-inch thick
Salt and Pepper
2 yellow onions, peeled, halved and sliced into 1/2-inch thick half moons
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the drippings in the pan. If you have more than 2 tablespoons drippings, drain the excess. If you don’t have quite that much, supplement with canola oil. When the bacon is cool, transfer to a small bag or tupperware and refrigerate until later.
2. Heat the skillet with the drippings over medium or medium-high heat until rippling and hot. Meanwhile, pat pork chops dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook pork chops until they are golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side, cooking them in batches in the skillet if your skillet isn’t big enough to hold all six at a time in a single layer. When golden on each side, transfer the chops to the slow cooker and repeat with remaining pork.
3. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of fat from the skillet; add onions, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup water to empty skillet. Using a wooden spoon, scrape browned bits from bottom of the pan and cook over medium-high heat until onions are soft, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour onion mixture over chops in the slow cooker. Add broth, soy sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar to skillet, bring to a boil and add bay leaves. Pour mixture over onions in slow cooker.
4. Cover slow cooker and cook on low until pork is tender, about 8 hours (or cook on high for 4 hours).
5. When ready to serve, carefully transfer chops to serving platter with a large spoon and tent with foil. Discard bay leaves and pour liquid through a mesh strainer into a saucepan, reserving the solids. Transfer solids to a food processor or blender with 1 cup liquid and blend until smooth. Stir the blended mixture back into remaining liquid in the saucepan. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons water together in a small bowl and stir into sauce. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar, season with salt and pepper, pour over chops and sprinkle with reserved bacon and parsley. Serve.

*Note from Mel: I like to serve these smothered pork chops over rice or mashed potatoes. Also, if the gravy in the last step doesn’t thicken well, mix another tablespoon of cornstarch to 2 tablespoons cold water and add it to the hot liquid. Let it come to a boil to ensure it thickens properly. Finally, I have doubled the pork in this recipe and kept all the other ingredients the same and there was plenty of gravy to smother the doubled pork.

These pork chops were absolutely delicious!! Definitely my favorite crock pot pork chops!

Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

2011-07-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
from All Recipes

INGREDIENTS:
1 (16 ounce) can refrigerated jumbo buttermilk biscuits
1 (9.6 ounce) package of sausage
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups milk
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Bake biscuits according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat 5-6 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk; cook until mixture comes to a boil and thickens, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Split biscuits in half. Place 2 halves on each of 8 plates; top with about 1/3 cup gravy.

Lion House Dinner Rolls

2011-07-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

Lion House Dinner Rolls
recipe and image from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

I did it! I finally made the famous Lion House dinner rolls! I was always too scared to make these but I thought Father's Day was an appropriate day to try out an awesome new roll recipe! They were absolutely delicious and not as hard as I thought!

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 egg
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk
5-6 cups flour

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, combine the yeast and water. Let stand 5 minutes (no need to do this if using instant yeast – just add the yeast and water together with the other ingredients). Add sugar, butter, salt, dry milk, 2 cups flour and egg. Beat together until very smooth. Add remaining flour gradually (about 1/2 cup at a time) until a soft but not sticky dough is formed. Knead the dough for at least five minutes if using an electric mixer and for at least 10 minutes if mixing the dough by hand. When the dough is smooth, supple and elastic, place it in a lightly greased large bowl covered with greased plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled.
2. Separate the dough into two portions. Roll each section out to an 11X14-inch rectangle. Brush the top with melted butter. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into two pieces, the long way (see photos on her blog). Then slice the dough into five or six strips across so you end up with 10 to 12 small rectangles. Roll each small rectangle up like a snail and place on a silpat-lined or lightly greased baking sheet with the roll resting on it’s open edge. Repeat with the second portion of dough.
3. Cover the rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap and let them rise until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes until they are nicely browned.

Mexi-Chicken Campanelle

2011-06-16T21:42:00.001-07:00

Mexi-Chicken Campanelle
from The Picky Palate

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb campanelle pasta
1/4 teaspoon Ancho Chile Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Sicilian Sea Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 1/2 lbs (fryer) chicken breast with rib meat
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped white onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup finely chopped sweet peppers
1 1/2 cups Salsa Verde, mild
1 cup petite diced tomatoes from can
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and run under cold water to stop cooking.

3. Place ancho pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper into a small bowl, stirring to combine. Sprinkle over both sides of chicken, then rub. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add chicken cooking until browned on both sides, about 6 minutes each side. Place pot in oven and continue cooking for 25 minutes.

4. While chicken is cooking heat 2 tablespoons oil in another Dutch oven or medium pot over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and sweet peppers, cooking and stirring until tender, about 5 minutes. Add salsa, tomatoes, cream and cilantro, stirring to combine. Add cooled pasta back to original large pot and pour sauce over top, stirring to combine. Reduce heat to low, stirring often.

5. When chicken is cooked through, remove and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into slices. Spoon pasta in serving bowls and top with slices of chicken breast. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro if desired.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

*This was a wonderful, different pasta dish that was yummy and spicy! We grilled chicken breasts instead and it was great! I cut this recipe in half to serve just my husband and I, since I figured it would be too spicy for our girls. Although my youngest liked it! I didn't half the chicken spice rub or the cream though. :)

Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars

2011-06-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars
recipe and image from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:

Bars:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze:
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
1/8 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, letting the foil hang over the each short edge by one or two inches. Lightly grease the foil with cooking spray.

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

3. Place the 3/4 cup butterscotch chips in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and let the butter cook until golden brown in color, about 10 minutes, taking care not to burn. Pour the hot butter over the butterscotch chips and whisk together until melted and smooth. Whisk in the brown sugar until combined. Whisk in the egg and vanilla. STir in the lfour mixture, just until incorporated.

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top, spreading the batter evenly to the edges. Bake the bars until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, about 16-18 minutes.

5. While the bars bake, place the 1/4 cup butterscotch chips, brown sugar, water and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the mixture until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes on 50% power. Whisk to combine well.

6.Drizzle the glaze over the warm bars. Let the bars cool completely in the pan. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil overhang and cut into squares. Serve.

Teriyaki Chicken Salad Sandwiches

2011-06-07T23:27:00.001-07:00

Teriyaki Chicken Salad Sandwiches
from Our Best Bites

INGREDIENTS:
2 chicken breasts
Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste and Glaze
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/3 C sliced green onions, chopped
1/4 c. sliced almonds, toasted
1 mango, cut into small cubes (or 1 small can of Mandarin oranges, drained)
1 small can pineapple tidbits OR roughly-chopped chunks
1/3-1/2 c. light mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
Croissants or pitas
Lettuce leaves

DIRECTIONS:
1. Marinate chicken for at least 4 hours. Grill.
2. While chicken is grilling, combine celery and green onions in a small mixing bowl or a plastic storage container with a lid.
3. When chicken is done, allow to stand for about 10 minutes and then cut into bite-sized pieces. 4. Toss with celery and onions and then add mayonnaise and mix thoroughly. Start with 1/3 cup and go from there. Add 2-3 (or more) tablespoons of Teriyaki sauce to taste. The thickness of the Kikkoman Baste and Glaze (or the homemade recipe) is important because it helps keep the dressing from becoming too runny. You want to add some of the yummy Teriyaki flavor, but you also don’t want it to be overwhelming. Refrigerate for several hours.
5. Right before serving, add mango, pineapple, and nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You may need to add more mayo and/or Teriyaki–if you need it, go for it! Serve on a lettuce leaf in a croissant or a pita.

Chicken Rollatini with Spinach and Italian Cheeses

2011-06-07T23:05:00.000-07:00

Chicken Rollatini with Spinach and Italian Cheeses
from Dinners for a Year and Beyond

INGREDIENTS:
olive oil spray
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
5 ounces (1/2 of a 10 ounce package) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry of liquid
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
salt and pepper
1 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce, heated

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven oven to 450 degrees. Lightly coat a baking dish with olive oil spray. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese, spinach, and ricotta cheese. Set aside.
3. Lay chicken flat on a work surface and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread about 3 - 4 tablespoons of the spinach mixture on the chicken and roll up starting at the narrow end. Repeat with remaining chicken.
4. Place panko and Parmesan cheese in a shallow dish and eggs in another shallow dish. Dip the chicken rolls in the egg and then the panko and place seam side down in the baking dish. Lightly spray chicken with olive oil.
5. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through and the filling is hot and bubbly.
6. To serve, place about 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce on a plate and top with the baked chicken. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Serve with additional marinara sauce.

*This was a good stuffed, baked chicken. We served it with wheat thin spaghetti and broccoli. Yum!

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce

2011-05-31T22:01:00.000-07:00

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce
from Our Best Bites

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortelini (find them in the dry pasta aisle)
4 oz bacon or pancetta, (about 4 strips bacon)*
3 cloves garlic, pressed in garlic press or finely minced
2 Tbs flour
2 C milk
¾ tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dry basil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp or more if you like spicy)
1 medium lemon
2 C loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped
¾ C grated mozzarella cheese, divided
¾ C grated Parmesan cheese, divided

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.

2. Place bacon in a medium sized skillet on the stove-top at medium-high heat. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain. Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest.

3. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer.

4. While sauce is heating, use a microplane grater or a fine-holed cheese grater to zest lemon. Then cut lemon in half and remove juice. Add 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce. Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

5. Drain tortellini and place back in stock pot. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture. Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce and gently stir to combine. Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup mozarella and 1/4 cup parmesan and also crumbled bacon.

6. Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

*I added some shredded rotisserie chicken to this dish. Next time I wouldn't add as much basil, it was a little too much.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bread Bowls

2011-04-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bread Bowls
recipe and image from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:

*Serves 4-6

For the Chicken and Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed (about 2-3 chicken breasts)
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons flour
½ cup apple juice
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2-3 cups broccoli florets
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

To Assemble:
4-6 medium round regular or sourdough bread bowls (I used this Rhodes bread bowls recipe)
8-10 thin slices smoked ham
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly coat the foil with cooking spray.

2. Place the broccoli florets in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tight fitting microwave-safe lid. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until tender but still bright green. Remove the plastic wrap and set aside.

3. In a 10- or 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken and saute until the chicken begins to brown but isn’t cooked all the way through, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened (when chicken is still slightly pink), about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken/onion mixture and stir to incorporate. Cook, stirring, constantly for one minute.

4. Gradually add the chicken broth and apple juice, stirring constantly to avoid any clumps from forming. Stir in the cream, Parmesan cheese, mustard and thyme. Simmer for about 5-6 minutes, until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in the broccoli; season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

5. Hollow out the inside of the bread bowls by cutting off the tops and tearing out the insides. I like to leave about a 1/4-inch edge along all sides of the bread bowl. Compress the remaining bread together to firm up the sides and make room for the filling. Place the bread bowls on the prepared baking sheet and toast them for about 5 minutes in the preheated oven. (Unless you already baked them.)

6. Remove the toasted loaves from the oven and arrange the ham slices in the bottom of each loaf. Using a slotted spoon, divide chicken mixture evenly between loaves, reserving about 1-2 cups sauce in the pan for serving. Top the chicken mixture in each loaf with shredded Swiss and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

7. Bake the bread bowls until the cheese melts, about 10-15 minutes. Serve each bread bowl with reserved cream sauce.

*These were really great! I used Rhodes bread dough to make bread bowls so I didn't need to toast them like it says in step 5. I cut this recipe in half actually only making two bread bowls and it was plenty for our family of four.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-04-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
*Makes 4-5 dozen
1 cup (16 tablespoons) butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups smooth or chunky peanut butter
1 ½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ tablespoons milk
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl combine the butter and peanut butter and beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy (you can do this with a hand mixer or with an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment).
3. Add the brown and white sugars and mix until well combined.
4. Add the eggs and mix for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is well combined and light in color.
5. Add the milk and vanilla and mix.
6. Add the dry ingredients and mix just briefly. While there are still large spots of flour, add the chocolate chips (or peanut butter chips or both) and mix until the flour is completely mixed in and the mixture is well combined.
7. Let the cookie dough sit for 15 minutes before scooping onto the baking sheets. It will firm up as it sits. When ready to bake, scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto silpat or parchment-lined baking sheets leaving about 1 to 2 inches in between the cookies to allow for spreading as they bake. Bake for 10-11 minutes, taking care not to overbake in the slightest! Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes after baking before removing them to a cooling rack. This will help them set up and be firm enough to transfer without having them overbake in the oven. The cookies may look slightly underbaked but they will firm up as they cool. Resist the urge to eat them warm as they taste much better cooled.

San Francisco Chops

2011-03-29T12:51:00.001-07:00

San Francisco Chops
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick
Salt and pepper for seasoning
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water

Hot Cooked Rice, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is simmering and hot. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown the pork chops for 1-2 minutes on each side in the hot oil until golden. Transfer the chops to the slow cooker.

2. Add the garlic to the drippings in the skillet and stir constantly over medium heat until the garlic is aromatic and golden (but not burned or it will turn bitter!). Stir in the soy sauce, broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over chops.

3. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until the meat is tender. If using bone-in pork chops, fish out the bones from the slow cooker. Remove the chops from the slow cooker to a shallow pan or plate – they will most likely be falling apart in tenderness at this point. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker. Return the chops to the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker heat to high and cook for 30 minutes to an hour longer, until the sauce is slightly thickened. If you want a super duper thick sauce, once you remove the chops from the slow cooker, pour the sauce into a pan and place it over medium heat on the stove. Add the cornstarch slurry and bring the sauce to a boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thick. Add the pork and heat through.

4. Serve the tender chops over rice and garnish with green onions, if desired.

*I actually cooked the pork chops on high for 3-4 hours and I felt like it was too long because they were a little dry. Next time I would cook them on low. Also, I didn't have to thicken the sauce at all. The flavor was really good and we really liked it served over rice with Asian green beans.

Hearty Beef Stew

2011-03-13T22:10:00.000-07:00

Hearty Beef Stew
recipe and image from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
5 pounds boneless chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or beef broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 bay leaves
1 pound carrots, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound red potatoes, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons Minute tapioca (this acts as a thickener)
2 cups frozen peas

DIRECTIONS:
1. After the meat has been cut into chunks, pat it dry with a paper towel and season all the pieces with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat until the oil is rippling and hot. Cook half of the beef until it is well browned on each side, about 4 minutes. No need to cook it all the way through – just get some great brown color all around. Toss the meat in the slow cooker and follow the same process with the second half of the meat (you may need to add another tablespoon of oil to the pan if it looks a little dry). Remove the meat to the slow cooker, trying to keep as much oil in the pan as possible.
2. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until the onions are translucent and golden, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the broth, soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil and transfer it to the slow cooker, pouring it over the meat.
3. In a large bowl, toss the carrots, potatoes, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. On the counter, lay out a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil (use two sheets of regular foil on top of each other if you don’t have heavy-duty). Place the tossed vegetables on one side of the foil. Fold the foil over the vegetables and crimp the edges really well to form a little foil packet that will fit in the top of your slow cooker. Stir the tapioca into the slow cooker. Place the foil packet of vegetables on top of the stew, cover the slow cooker, and cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 10-11 hours.
4. When the stew is finished cooking, carefully remove the foil packet from the top of the stew. Discard the bay leaves from the stew. Carefully open the foil packet (be careful of steam that may escape as you open it!). Return the vegetables and any juices to the slow cooker and gently mix them into the stew. Stir in the frozen peas and let them rest in the stew for 5-10 minutes, until they are heated through.

*I cut this recipe in half. I was a little skeptical about putting the vegetables in the foil but they turned out delicious! We served it with homemade cornbread, yum!

Cornbread

2011-03-13T21:57:00.000-07:00

Cornbread
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

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

DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.
2. Make a well in dry ingredients and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk into the center.
3. Stir until just mixed (batter will be runny – don’t be alarmed!).
4. Bake in an 8” square pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. (This doubles perfectly for a 9X13-inch pan.)

*I thought I had posted this recipe before but I guess not! This cornbread is SO good!!

Chicken Taquitos

2011-03-09T21:01:00.000-08:00

Chicken Taquitos
adapted from BlogChef.com

INGREDIENTS:
1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
½ cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
8 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese
small corn tortillas

DIRECTIONS:
1: In a large deep skillet add tomato sauce, water, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
2. Place chicken breasts into the sauce and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
3. Shred chicken into small pieces using two forks. Stir in cilantro.
4. Warm corn tortillas (in batches) in the microwave for 15 seconds.
5. Spoon a portion of the chicken filling down the center of each tortilla; add a little bit of shredded cheese on top of the chicken mixture. Roll up and secure with a toothpick if needed.
6. Place taquitos on lightly greased pan. Brush a little olive oil on each taquito.
7. Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes.

*These were so yummy! My daughters love any form of a taco so for this dinner my oldest exclaimed, "You are the best dinner mom ever!" Wow!! Anyway, these were really good- we served them with Mexican rice, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.

Homemade Granola Bars

2011-03-08T21:47:00.000-08:00

Homemade Granola Bars
from Jillane Isom

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flaked coconut
2/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup Karo Syrup
1/4 cup butter melted
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup wheat germ
3 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips, M&Ms, craisins, almonds, etc. (anything you want)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Bake in 9x13 for 15 minutes at 350°
3. Cool, cut and wrap.

*Recipe can be doubled and baked in a cookie sheet.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

2011-03-08T21:16:00.000-08:00

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
½ cup butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
½ – 1 cup frozen corn
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup carrots, sliced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
¾ cup all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup slivered almonds
2 cups nonfat half-and-half

DIRECTIONS:
1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, celery, corn, chicken and carrots and sauté for 5-7 minutes until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through. Add the mushrooms and sauté 3-4 more minutes.
2. Then add flour and stir well. Over medium heat, gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Bring the soup just to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer, while stirring, for 5-6 minutes, until it has thickened slightly.
3. Next, add the rice, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper and almonds. Allow all the ingredients to heat through and then pour in the half-and-half.
4. Let the soup gently simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The soup should not boil but should simmer over low heat so that it thickens slowly.

*The words amazing, awesome, and delicious were exclaimed while devouring this wonderful soup! The curry and mustard flavor added so much and we loved the slight crunchiness of the almonds! It really was that good! Oh, I cut this recipe in half for our family of four and it was plenty with leftovers too. But, I actually used almost the 2 cups of half-and-half because it seemed a little thick to me.

Tuscan Garlic Chicken

2011-03-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

Tuscan Garlic Chicken
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic (about 4-5 cloves)
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips or chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
6 ounces fresh spinach
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup lowfat milk
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound fettuccine (I used whole wheat linguine)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a shallow pie plate or similar dish, combine the flour, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Dip each chicken piece in the flour mixture until both sides are well coated.
3. In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat until the oil is hot and shimmering. Carefully place the chicken breasts in the pan, cooking them for 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are golden and browned but not cooked all the way through (they’ll finish up in the oven). Gently remove the chicken to a foil-lined, lightly greased baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside and tent with foil until ready to use.
4. While the chicken is cooking, heat a large pot of water to a boil and add the noodles, cooking until al dente.
5. Also, wipe out the skillet with a couple paper towels and return it to medium heat, adding the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and bell pepper, sauteing for 2-3 minutes.
6. Stir in one tablespoon flour and stir constantly while cooking for another minute. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and bring the mixture to a low simmer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
7. In a small liquid measure, whisk together the cornstarch and cream. Add the spinach, milk and cream mixture to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted and sauce is slightly thickened, about 2-4 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
8. When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and return it to the pot. Toss the pasta with half of the cheese sauce.
9. Place some of the coated pasta on each plate. Top with a breaded chicken breast and spoon some of the sauce over the top of the chicken and pasta. Serve immediately.

*We really enjoyed this chicken and pasta dish and we loved the sauce! I loved the cooked spinach and red peppers that were in the sauce. We served this with french bread and cooked broccoli.

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli, and Smoked Mozzarella

2011-03-07T19:30:00.000-08:00

Baked Penne with Chicken, Broccoli, and Smoked Mozzarella
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:

Topping:
3/4 cup bread crumbs (store-bought or make your own)
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 bunch broccoli (about 1 ½ pounds), stalks cut off, florets trimmed into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
6 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3), trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
3 ounces smoked mozzarella, shredded
8 ounce jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped into pieces

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and butter and set aside. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a large pot, bring the water for the pasta to a boil. Stir in one tablespoon salt and the broccoli. The broccoli cooks quickly so stay close! Cook the broccoli for 1 minute, until it is bright green. Quickly remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon to a plate. Return the water to a boil and add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than how you would eat it normally (it will cook a bit more in the oven while baking). Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Leave it in the colander and set it aside.

3. Wipe the pot dry. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and cream; bring to a simmer, whisking often. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and smoked mozzarella.

4. Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce; stir to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the crumbs are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

*This was a really good pasta dish! I used just normal mozzarella since I couldn't find the smoked kind.

Gravy Baked Pork Chops

2011-03-02T14:59:00.000-08:00

Gravy Baked Pork Chops
from www.cooks.com

INGREDIENTS:

4 lean pork chops (1/2-3/4 inch thickness)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
pinch of garlic powder
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. butter, melted
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
2/3 cup evaporated milk (1 small can)
1/3 cup water

DIRECTIONS:
1. Sprinkle pork chops with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
2. On the stove top over medium high heat, brown the pork chops and onion in a skillet with butter. Add garlic after first side is browned (do not allow the garlic to become dark).
3. Turn to brown both sides of the pork chops. Pour off any excess butter after pork chops are browned. The pork chops don't need to be cooked through because they will be finished in the oven.
4. Combine soup, evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed milk!) and water. Pour mixture around pork chops.
5. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 45 minutes, stirring every now and then.

*These pork chops were really good served with mashed potatoes and the gravy. I loved the cooked onions and the gravy was delicious!

Hot Fudge

2011-02-15T12:23:00.001-08:00

Hot Fudge
from Our Best Bites

INGREDIENTS:
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (3 squares of baking chocolate or 1/2 cup chips)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter

DIRECTIONS:
1. If you're using baking squares, chop them up into small pieces so they melt easier. I chop the butter up into small chunks too.
2. Put it in a pan on medium heat and melt it all together till it's smooth and creamy.
3. If you have leftovers then put it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will harden into a soft, gooey fudge like consistency.

*I usually make my mom's hot fudge recipe but couldn't find it and she wasn't home to give it to me so I used this recipe instead. Oh the chocolate was delicious! I actually burnt my finger because I couldn't wait and stuck it right into the boiling chocolate! :)

Homemade Chocolate Dessert Cups

2011-02-15T12:18:00.000-08:00

Homemade Chocolate Dessert Cups
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
*Note: please be aware that these cups should not be served to anyone with a latex allergy!
*Makes about 12 chocolate cups

9 ounces white chocolate
12 ounces semisweet chocolate
Food coloring, if needed
12 standard-size (7 in/17.8 cm) balloons

DIRECTIONS:

Blow up 12 balloons, inflating them only to the point that the bottom 1/3 of the balloon will be the perfect size for a chocolate cup. You definitely won’t inflate the balloon to it’s full capacity. Gently wash the balloons with warm water and let them dry completely (to avoid seizing the chocolate with little drops of water). Set the balloons aside.

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl in the microwave, taking care not to overheat the chocolate or it will seize and harden. If you want to avoid the white “blooming” lines that can appear in dried chocolate, reserve about 2 tablespoons of unmelted chocolate and stir it into the warm, melted chocolate until all the chocolate bits are melted and smooth. This is a quick and dirty way to temper chocolate.

Take a balloon and press it into the chocolate so the chocolate comes about 1/3 of the way up the balloon. Set the balloon on a lined baking sheet to dry. Once all the balloons have been dipped, allow the chocolate to set in a cool location (like the refrigerator or a cool storage room or non-fumy garage). Don’t discard the chocolate until you have removed the balloons from the cups, in case there is any breakage that can be repaired. Once the chocolate has set, bring the trays of balloons to room temperature and let them sit for 5 minutes or so. You don’t want the chocolate to soften too much, but you want to take the chill off a little bit.

Carefully snip a tiny cut in the top of the balloon, holding on to the balloon, and avoiding a huge cut (this could cause the chocolate to shatter). The goal is slow and easy here. Let the balloon gently deflate. When it has released all the air, gently press the bottom of the balloon while peeling the balloon away from the chocolate. Again slow and easy. If you use your fingers to press down on the balloon while peeling it away from the edge, it will help the process.

Once the balloon is completely removed, store the chocolate cups in a cool location until ready to use. If a chocolate cup (or ten) ends up with a hole in the bottom, never fear. Simply dollop a small spoonful of leftover chocolate over the hole and let it set.

*Go to her website for excellent step-by-step photo instructions. These were harder to make then I thought they were going to be. The balloons were rather hard to peel off the chocolate. And I didn't give myself enough time to fix the wholes in the bottom. But, they were still really fun and yummy!

I made half of this recipe, only using the white chocolate with pink food coloring. I made six bowls for our family of four just in case some of them didn't work out, and that was a good idea! :)

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

2011-02-13T21:21:00.000-08:00

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
from Living Lou

INGREDIENTS:
1 and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp of salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup olive oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1/3 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. heat 350 degrees.
2. In a medium sized bowl combine the dry ingredients.
4. In your mixer, combine the wet ingredients.
5. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, making sure it is well blended. Mix in your chocolate chips.
6. Once everything is mixed together, line a bread pan with parchment paper or at least spray with cooking spray, and pour the batter into the pan.
7. Bake for 50-60 minutes.

*Yummy!! This bread was so moist and delicious!

Baked Chimichangas

2011-02-10T21:22:00.000-08:00

Baked Chimichangas
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
*Makes 6 chimichangas

1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 (16-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups cooked brown or white rice
2-3 cups diced, cooked chicken
1-2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (use the lesser amount for less heat, greater amount for a bigger kick)
1 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese (or a combination of both)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and Pepper
6 large burrito-size flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and heat the oven to 450 degrees. While the oven is heating, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Cook the onion until it is just softened, about 3 minutes.

2. Stir in the beans, rice, chicken and chipotle and cook until the mixture is heated through, about 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the cheese and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1/4 teaspoon each).

3. Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave the tortillas until they are warm and pliable, about 1 minute. Top each warm tortilla with some of the chicken mixture, leaving about a 2-inch border at the bottom of the tortilla. Fold in the sides and roll up the tortilla tightly.

4. Brush the wrapped tortillas with the remaining oil and arrange them seam side down on the hot baking sheet that has been preheating in the oven. Bake until the chimis are golden brown and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Serve.

*I cut this recipe down only making 4 chimichangas. I also didn't use the canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. I don't like their flavor nor did I have any on hand so I included some el pato chili salsa and chipotle chili powder instead. They were really good and they were still so crispy even though not fried. Next time I will use whole wheat tortillas. We served the chimichangas with a big green salad and tortilla chips and salsa.

Cheesy Tortellini Bake

2011-02-10T21:15:00.001-08:00

Cheesy Tortellini Bake
from Dinners for a Year and Beyond

INGREDIENTS:
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, about 1 1/2 pounds total
salt, pepper
olive oil
4 cups broccoli florets
2 packages(about 10 ounces each); frozen or fresh cheese tortellini
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon dried mustard
1 and 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch backing pan. Set aside.
2. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool and then cut into 1-inch chunks. Set aside. Increase the oven to 425 degrees.
3. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 3 - 5 minutes until it is still crisp but a little tender. Drain into a colander and set aside.
4. Prepare the tortellini according to package instructions cooking the pasta to al dente. Drain and set aside.
5. While the tortellini is cooking, make cheese sauce. In a saucepan, melt the butter. When it just begins to sizzle, whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually pour in the milk and whisk until smooth. Continue cooking for 3 - 4 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Off the heat, stir in the mustard powder, 1 and 1/4 cups of the cheddar cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. In a large bowl, add the chicken and tortellini. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and stir to evenly distribute the sauce. Add the broccoli and gently stir to combine.
7. Pour mixture into the baking dish. Scatter remaining cheddar cheese over top and sprinkle with the panko. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes (uncovered) until hot and just bubbling. Remove from oven and serve.

*I cut this recipe in half, only filling an 8x8 dish. It was a pretty good weeknight meal. I feel like it needed a little more seasoning and flavor but we really enjoyed it and my girls loved it! I served breadsticks and corn with this meal.

Baked Spinach Dip Mini Bread Bowls

2011-02-06T22:31:00.000-08:00

Baked Spinach Dip Mini Bread Bowls
recipe and image from The Picky Palate

INGREDIENTS:
13.3 oz roll of refrigerated french bread loaf, I used Simply Pillsbury
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 TBS fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp chili pepper
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 10 muffin cups with non stick cooking spray.
2. Unroll package of french bread loaf and slice into 10 equal size slices, about 1 inch thick. Press each slice into about a 3 inch round, I did this by pressing in between my hands. Press into the bottom and up sides of the muffin cup. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir spinach until wilted, about 3 minutes then add garlic, cook and stir for another minute then turn heat off.
4. Place cream cheese, sour cream, cooked spinach and garlic, Parmesan Cheese, chili powder, garlic salt, salt and pepper into a medium bowl. Mix until well combined.
5. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dip into each of the centers of bread bowls. Top evenly with shredded cheese and bake for 15-17 minutes until just turning brown on edges
6. Remove and let cool for 3-5 minutes before removing from oven.

*I made these for our super bowl party and they were delicious! Since I was serving them as a party side dish I actually made them in my mini muffin tin, making about 22 smaller ones rather than 10 big ones.

Baked Zucchini Fries

2011-02-03T18:07:00.000-08:00

Baked Zucchini Fries
recipe and image from Our Best Bites

INGREDIENTS:
About 1 lb. zucchini
1/2-1 cup Italian-seasoned panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the crumbly stuff, not shreds)
2 eggs

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Set aside. (If you don't have or can't find any Italian-style panko bread crumbs, just add 1/2 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp. onion powder to plain panko bread crumbs and you'll be good to go.)
3. Whisk 2 eggs together in a shallow pie plate and set aside.
4. Cut the ends off the zucchini and then cut the zucchini in half so you have two short, stubby pieces. Set one piece on its end and cut it in half lengthwise. Cut that half in half, making 2 planks. Repeat with the remaining halves.
5. Stack 2 planks on top of each other and cut into strips. Thicker strips will yield "meatier" fries with more zucchini flavor while thin strips will be crispy and taste virtually nothing like zucchini. When all the fries are cut, blot the pieces with a paper towel or put all cut zucchini in a plastic bag with flour and shake. The flour will help the bread crumbs stick better.
6. Working with a small handful at a time, dip the zucchini sticks in the egg, shake them to remove any excess, and then roll them in about 2-3 tablespoons of bread crumbs at a time, adding more as needed; you just don't want to work with all the bread crumbs at once because they'll soak up moisture from the egg and won't stick to the zucchini.
7. Place the coated strips on the prepared baking sheet and repeat until all the zucchini strips have been coated. Bake for 10-12 minutes in the prepared oven then remove from oven, flip the fries, and bake for another 10-12 minutes or until the zucchini is not soggy and the coating is crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately with pizza sauce or ranch. Serves 6-8 as a side dish.

*These were really yummy! We served them as a side dish with Grilled Turkey Sandwiches, yum!! I actually gave them to my kids with fry sauce and they liked them!

Chicken Pot Pie Crumble

2011-02-03T08:03:00.001-08:00

Chicken Pot Pie Crumble
recipe and image from Favorite Family Recipes

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds chicken
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup celery, chopped fine
salt and pepper (to taste)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup milk
3/4 cup frozen peas

Crumble Topping:
2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
6 Tbsp unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:
FOR THE CHICKEN: Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven over medium heat (If you don't have a dutch oven, just use a stock pot). Cook until chicken is just done (8 to 12 minutes). Transfer cooked chicken to large bowl. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup and reserve. Do not wash Dutch oven.

FOR THE TOPPING: Combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped pieces onto a baking sheet. Bake at 450-degrees until fragrant and starting to brown (10-13 minutes). Set aside.

FOR THE FILLING: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender (about 5 minutes). While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.

Heat butter in empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer and stir until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce.

Pour mixture into 9x13 pan (or if you have small individual-sized oven-safe dishes, you can use those-- see picture above). Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake on rimmed baking at 400-degrees sheet until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned (about 12-15 minutes). Serve hot and enjoy!

*I really loved this! The crumble topping was delicious!! I cut this recipe in half and made three smaller and one medium pies in corningware individual dishes.

Craftily Ever After

2011-01-22T21:57:00.001-08:00

Have you ever checked out the site Craftily Ever After? It is such a cute blog with tons of craft ideas! I love new homemade craft ideas! Right now she has a Valentine's Day Subway Art printable and it is super cute! Check it out!

http://craftily-ever-after.blogspot.com/

BBQ Chicken Spaghetti

2011-01-21T23:50:00.000-08:00

BBQ Chicken Spaghetti
from Picky Palate

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb thin spaghetti noodles
4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 Tablespoons dry Ranch Dressing Mix
3/4 Cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Shredded BBQ Chicken

DIRECTIONS:
1. Prepare BBQ shredded chicken. I boiled 4 chicken breasts, shredded it, then added the chicken and BBQ sauce to a pan to heat.
2. Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
3. Place olive oil into a large pot over medium heat. Saute red onions until softened and golden.
4. Add cooked spaghetti to onions; mix and add dry Ranch Dressing seasoning and cilantro leaves. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
5. Place noodles onto serving plates and top with warm shredded BBQ chicken. Garnish with cilantro leaf and serve.

*I was a little skeptical of this dish- BBQ Chicken with Spaghetti? But it was absolutely delicious with great flavor! I will definitely be making this again! We had a few friends over for dinner to share this meal. If we had not, I would have split this in half.

Fruit Salsa

2011-01-20T22:31:00.000-08:00

Fruit Salsa
from Kaboose.com

INGREDIENTS:
1 Fuji apple - peeled, cored and diced
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium bowl, mix together Fuji apple, strawberries, kiwis, bananas, lime juice, 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
2. Cover and chill in the refrigerator approximately 20 minutes.
3. Serve with Baked Cinnamon Chips.

Ranch Chicken and Rice Soup

2011-01-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

Ranch Chicken and Rice Soup
image and recipe from Picky Palate

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced

3 stalks of celery, chopped

3 Tablespoons fresh minced garlic

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 Cup dry rice, steamed….comes out to about 3 Cups cooked

64 oz chicken broth

1 Tablespoon dry Ranch Dressing seasoning

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1 teaspoon hot sauce, like Tabasco (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil into a large dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, saute onion, carrots and celery for 7-10 minutes or until softened slightly. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.

2. Stir in chicken breast and rice then pour in chicken broth.

3. Stir, then season with ranch seasoning, salt, pepper and add in Dijon and hot sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer until serving. Taste and season accordingly.

8 servings

*This soup was really good! We loved it! I also really liked how simple it was to make. I cut this recipe in half.

Navajo Tacos

2010-12-12T18:09:00.000-08:00

Navajo Tacos

For Navajo Tacos, top this fry bread with chili and any of the following toppings:
sour cream
cheese
lettuce
green onions

This is definitely one of my husband's favorite dinners. So hearty and delicious!

Fry Bread

2010-12-12T18:04:00.000-08:00

Fry Bread (Scones)
from Becca Nelson

INGREDIENTS:
2 C. Scalded milk
4 Tbl. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbl. yeast- dissolved in 1/2 C warm water
5 C. flour

DIRECTIONS:
1. Scald milk and then let milk cool.
2. Add milk, sugar, salt and yeast to your mixer.
3. Add flour to make soft but not sticky dough. Knead about 5 min.
4. Let dough rise until doubled. (about 1 hour)
5. Roll out and cut in squares, then press flat with hands.
6. Fry in oil at 375˚.
7. Set on plate with paper towel to soak excess oil.

*These are delicious served as scones with butter, honey, and powdered sugar or as Navajo Tacos.

Orange Hoisin Chicken

2010-12-12T17:58:00.000-08:00

Orange Hoisin Chicken
from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 slices peeled fresh ginger, about ¼-inch thick
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 (about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (can use frozen or fresh)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
Chopped green onions for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small bowl, combine the orange juice concentrate, honey, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, garlic and sesame oil.
2. Pour the mixture into a resealable ziploc-type bag. Add the chicken breasts and coat with the sauce.
3. Transfer the coated chicken to the slow cooker, then pour the remaining sauce over the chicken. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is tender and cooked through about 5 to 7 hours.
4. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
5. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a small saucepan. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and cold water. Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat, add the cornstarch slurry and cook, stirring a few times, until thickened, 1 or 2 minutes.
6. Pour some of the sauce over the chicken and pass the rest at the table. Serve the chicken over rice garnished with sesame seeds and green onions.

*This was a yummy, moist chicken and super easy! I actually shredded the chicken and found that more appealing than whole chicken breasts. This had a wonderful flavor!

Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

2010-12-07T15:46:00.001-08:00

Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars
from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, soft
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional – I left these out)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 package toffee bits, divided

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a 9X13 pan with aluminum foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Whisk together flour, salt and brown sugar.
4. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture is crumbly.
5. Add eggs and mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands.
6. Mix in 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chips and the 1 cup nuts.
7. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the dough. Press the remaining dough into prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
8. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the crust.
9. Top with all but 1/3 of the toffee bits. Place pieces of remaining dough over the top. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup chips.
10. Bake for 25-30 more minutes, or till golden brown.
11. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup toffee bits on top. Cool completely before serving.

*YUM!! I loved these! They were so great and even better the next day!

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

2010-12-07T15:43:00.001-08:00

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
from All Recipes

INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 1 1/2-2 bananas)
3/4 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips

*Makes 12 muffins.

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt and vanilla.
3. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
4. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips.
5. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

*These muffins were so moist and delicious!

Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup

2010-12-07T15:32:00.000-08:00

Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup
from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 regular carrots or a handful of baby carrots)
3 cups chicken broth
2-3 potatoes, peeled and finely diced (I like to leave the peels on red potatoes, if using them)
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons flour
1 (8 oz. package) regular or light cream cheese
2-3 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and the onions are translucent.
2. Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
3. In a liquid measuring cup, vigorously whisk the flour and milk together until smooth. Whisk the mixture into the soup, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken slightly. Stir often to ensure the soup doesn’t burn.
4. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave until it is very soft/melty. I usually place the unwrapped cream cheese on a plate and microwave it for one minute at 30% power. I like it really, really soft so it doesn’t leave lumps in the soup. Add the cream cheese to the soup in small tablespoon-size pieces. Let the pieces sit in the soup and warm through then whisk or stir the soup until the cream cheese melts and mixes in well.
5. Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

*This was so creamy and yummy. I actually didn't love the chicken in it and thought it would be a great vegetables only soup as well!

Rosemary Foccacia Bread

2010-11-12T22:59:00.000-08:00

Rosemary Foccacia Bread
from Our Best Bites

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup warm (105-115 degrees Fahrenheit) water

1 Tbsp. yeast

1 Tbsp. white sugar

1 tsp. Kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

2 Tbsp rosemary (dried or fresh), divided
1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp garlic powder

2 1/4-2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Allow to stand for 10 minutes or until bubbly. While the yeast is getting bubbly, combine 2 C of the flour, salt, 1 1/2 Tbsp. rosemary, oregano and garlic powder.
2. Add flour mixture to yeast mixture along with 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Mix well. (I put it in my stand mixer with the dough hook on). Slowly add remaining flour to make a very soft dough--try and resist the urge to add too much flour. You want a soft, wet dough.
3. Cover and allow to rise 45 min- 1 hour or until double in size.
4. Lightly flour your work surface and transfer dough onto this surface. Divide in half. Shape each half into a rounded loaf and place on a greased cookie sheet or pizza stone. Cover and allow to rise another 45 minutes.
5. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use remaining tablespoon of olive oil to brush over tops of loaves, discarding excess if you have any. Sprinkle with remaining rosemary and some Kosher salt.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until very lightly golden-brown. Serve immediately with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

This bread was absolutely delicious and had wonderful flavor! We loved it!

Toffee Fruit Dip

2010-11-07T14:10:00.000-08:00

Toffee Fruit Dip
from Our Best Bites

INGREDIENTS:

1 8-oz. package cream cheese (you can use light cream cheese)

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 Tbsp. vanilla

Toffee bits
Assorted fruit and baked cinnamon chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. Allow cream cheese to reach room temperature.
2. With an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla.
3. When ready to serve, stir in about 1/2 a bag of toffee bits and add a little on top as well.
Serve with fruit and baked cinnamon chips.

*This fruit dip was absoutely delicious and so easy! We also loved the baked cinnamon chips, they went perfectly with the dip!

Baked Cinnamon Chips

2010-11-07T14:08:00.000-08:00

Baked Cinnamon Chips
recipe and image from Our Best Bites

INGREDIENTS:
Flour Tortillas (the 6 inch ones work best)
Melted Butter
Cinnamon Sugar (just mix cinnamon and sugar together)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Lightly brush one side of each tortilla with melted butter.
2. Then sprinkle on some cinnamon sugar.
3. Use a pizza cutter to cut those tortillas into wedges.
4. Place them on an ungreased baking sheet (sugar side up) and bake them in the oven for about 10-12 minutes. You'll see them crisp up. Watch for the edges to turn up.
5. Remove from oven and let cool.

Philly Cheesesteak Calzones

2010-11-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

Philly Cheesesteak Calzones
from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
*Makes 6-7 calzones

1 recipe french bread rolls dough
16 ounces deli roast beef, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon canol or olive oil
1-2 medium yellow onions, cut in half and sliced into thin half moons
1-2 green peppers, chopped
12 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
8 ounces provolone cheese, grated or thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the french bread roll recipe and follow the steps through the first rise. Separate the dough into 6 or 7 pieces and shape into a ball. Let them rest lightly covered for 10-15 minutes to help the dough relax a bit.

2. While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring now and then, until the onions begin to become translucent and the mushrooms start to cook down, about 3 minutes. Add the peppers and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender and most of the liquid has cooked off, about another 3-5 minutes. Toss in the roast beef and cook until the beef is warmed through (if there is still a lot of liquid left in the skillet from adding the roast beef, either drain the liquid or cook until the liquid evaporates). Take the skillet off the heat.

3. Using a nonstick mat or a lightly greased countertop, working one at a time, start flattening each piece of dough into a circle.

4. Eventually you’ll want it between six or eight inches in diameter (depending on how thick you want the calzone – I prefer them on the thinner side so they aren’t overly doughy).

5. On the bottom half of the dough circle, leaving at least a 3/4-inch edge on the bottom and sides to crimp later, layer on a portion of the meat and veggies, taking care to portion the meat and vegetables so you’ll have enough for each calzone. Top the meat with veggies and cheese.

6. Grab the top edge of the dough and fold it up and over the filling. Using the tines of a fork, press the edges of the calzone together until well sealed.

7. Carefully lift the calzone onto a silpat-lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Follow this process with the remaining pieces of dough, spacing them at least one to two inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 14-15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

*I cut the french bread rolls and the calzone recipe in half, only making three calzones. These were really good! We served them with a big side salad and tatertots.

Grilled Chicken Fajita Fettuccine

2010-10-14T22:09:00.001-07:00

Grilled Chicken Fajita Fettuccine
from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:

Marinade Ingredients:
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon apple cider or red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Pasta Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into fajita-sized strips
1 tablespoon vegetable, canola or olive oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced into half moons
1 green pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
8 ounces white button mushrooms, quartered
4-6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1 pound fettuccine
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
Sour cream for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, mix the marinade ingredients together. Place the chicken strips in a ziploc bag, pour the marinade over the chicken and seal the bag. Refrigerate and marinate for 4-8 hours.

2. Grill the chicken strips until they are tender and cooked through (alternately, you could saute the chicken in a hot skillet to cook or broil in the oven). Set aside and tent with foil to keep warm.

3. Start a large pot of water to boil. When boiling, add a tablespoon of salt and the fettuccine. Cook until the noodles are tender, according to package directions. Drain.

4. While the water is heating and the noodles are boiling, in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the 1 tablespoon oil and add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until they begin to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms begin to give off their liquid and start to brown (by now, the onions should be nearly finished cooking). Add the bell peppers and saute until they are crisp tender. I like my bell peppers barely cooked so they retain their sweetness and crispness, but cook them however you like.

5. Return the noodles to the pot and toss with the chicken, vegetables, half of the cheese and cilantro. Serve the pasta with a dollop of sour cream, if desired, the remaining cheese and additional cilantro.

6. For a prettier presentation (rather than serving from the pot), after combining all the ingredients in the pot, dump the pasta onto a large serving platter or bowl.

*I was a little nervous about serving a Mexican dish usually served on tortillas over fettuccine instead but it turned out great. There isn't a sauce but the marinaded chicken has wonderful flavor and the dollop of sour cream and the feta cheese gives the pasta a little silky cream to it.

Savory Spiral Stuffed Rolls

2010-10-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

Savory Spiral Stuffed Rolls
recipe and image from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
1 recipe roll dough, using half wheat flour
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
2 cups chopped ham
1 1/2 cups finely chopped broccoli
2 cups shredded cheese (Swiss, Cheddar, etc)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup finely chopped green onions

DIRECTIONS:
1. Follow the recipe for your roll dough until the dough has risen. Punch down the dough and roll the dough out into a large rectangle about 1/2-inch thick (using the french bread roll recipe, I rolled my dough to about 13 inches by 17 inches).
2. In a small bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Spread the rolled out dough with the butter/cream cheese mixture. Top with the ham, broccoli, cheese, Parmesan cheese, and green onions.
3. Roll the dough up, pinching the seam to seal. Slice the roll into about 1-inch segments.
4. Place the rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise until nearly doubled and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly.

*I am sure I have previously mentioned how I am horrible at baking. I don't know what it is but they just never turn out quite right. Well, the picture of these looks amazing, and the description does as well. Mine were good but they definitely didn't look as wonderfully appetizing as MKC's picture. I still really liked them though and served them with a big salad.

Sweet and Spicy Crock Pot Roast

2010-10-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

Sweet and Spicy Crock Pot Roast
from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
4-7 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed of large areas of fat
1-2 tablespoons saute spice (equal parts garlic powder, salt and black pepper)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 can root beer
1 can (around 9 ounces) red chile enchilada sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup of water or milk

DIRECTIONS:'
1. Pat the roast(s) dry with a paper towel; then rub the saute spice all over the roast. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or pot until it is shimmering. Brown the roast on all sides in the hot oil, for about 1 minute on each side. The oil should be hot enough to get the roast nicely browned without burning it. Transfer the roast to a crock pot.
2. In a bowl, combine the root beer, enchilada sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce and pour over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-6 hours.
3. Remove the roast, reserving juices in the slow cooker. Tent the roast with foil to keep warm.
4. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water/milk, stirring well until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the juices in the slow cooker. Cook, uncovered, on high for 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
5. Serve sauce over roast with mashed potatoes or any other side that you want.

*This roast was so moist and delicious! We absolutely loved the sauce on the pot roast and over the mashed potatoes. Yum! Definitely a wonderful alternative to the regular "Sunday pot roast".

Breaded Garlic Chicken in Lemon-Butter Sauce

2010-10-05T21:25:00.000-07:00

Breaded Garlic Chicken in Lemon-Butter Sauce
from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup seasoned flour (1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper)
5 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon parsley flakes or 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from about 1 lemon
3 eggs
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place the seasoned flour in a large gallon-size ziploc bag. Set aside. In a shallow pie plate, beat the eggs until mixed and add the Parmesan cheese. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, melt one tablespoon butter and one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Let it begin to heat and sizzle while you prepare the chicken but be careful not to let the butter burn and turn brown.
3. Put the four chicken breasts in the bag with the seasoned flour, close the bag, and shake to coat the chicken in the flour. One by one, take the chicken out of the bag and dip into the egg/Parmesan mixture.
4. Place the chicken carefully in the skillet with the hot oil/butter. Repeat with the other chicken breasts. Let the chicken cook on the first side, without moving or flipping the chicken, for 1-2 minutes until a nice, golden crust has formed. Carefully, using a wide spatula, flip the chicken and let it continue to cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side until it is golden brown. The chicken will flip easiest if it has had time to sizzle and cook to form a nice crust.
5. Remove the chicken to a 9X13-inch pan. Set aside while you make the sauce.
6. In the same skillet that you browned the chicken, melt the remaining four tablespoons butter. 7. Add the minced garlic, lemon juice, and parsley. Simmer the sauce for 1-2 minutes, stirring and scraping up any browned bits that were on the bottom of the skillet.
8. Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken breasts and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Serve over noodles, rice or potatoes.

*You most definitely can't go wrong with words like breaded, garlic, lemon, and butter right? Right! This dish was delicious! This dish reminded me of Chicken Piccata. We served the chicken with linguine noddles, which were great with a little bit of the butter sauce mixed in, and sauteed yellow squash. Yummy! I actually only used two chicken breasts, cutting down the eggs and flour, but made the same amount of sauce so we had a little extra for the pasta.

Cheesy Skillet Chicken and Rice

2010-10-04T16:18:00.000-07:00

Cheesy Skillet Chicken and Rice
recipe and image from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces white button mushrooms, brushed clean and quartered or sliced
4 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 ½ cups long grain white rice
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ pound frozen or fresh green beans
1 cup shredded sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil is rippling and hot.
2. Carefully lay each chicken breast in the skillet and cook until the chicken is well browned on the first side, about 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken with a pair of tongs and let it brown on the second side, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Drain all but about 1-2 tablespoons oil from the pan.
3. Return the pan to medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, scraping the browned bits off the bottom and edges of the pan, until the mushrooms begin to soften and start to brown, about 6-8 minutes.
4. Add the rice and continue to cook until the edges of the rice turn translucent, about 3 minutes. 5. Add the broth and bring to a simmer.
6. Add the chicken to the pan and cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the rice is mostly cooked through, about 15 minutes.
7. Remove the chicken from the skillet again, brushing off any rice that sticks to the chicken back into the skillet. Cover the chicken with foil to keep warm.
8. Stir the green beans into the skillet, stir the mixture well, cover and continue to cook on low until the beans and rice are tender, about 10 minutes.
9. Stir in the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

*This was a lot like my mom's classic "chicken and rice casserole" but a little cheesier. (Don't you wish you were here for dinner Ryan?!) I thought it was a yummy, one pan weeknight meal. I served it with homemade rolls and jam.

Shepherd's Pie

2010-09-20T17:33:00.000-07:00

Shepherd's Pie
from Picky Palate

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 lbs peeled diced potatoes
3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon Lawry’s garlic salt
1 Cup milk

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
1 pound ground beef
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 Cups green beans (I didn't include these!)

Sauce:
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 Cup chicken broth

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place peeled and diced potatoes into a large pot of water. Bring to boil and boil for 13-15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to the bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix in butter, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Slowly add milk until nice and creamy. Keep tasting potatoes to see if you need more seasonings. When done to your liking, set aside for a few minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Heat oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, beef, salt and pepper; cook until browned. Stir in green beans then reduce heat to low.
4. To prepare sauce, melt butter into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper then slowly add in chicken broth until thick and creamy.
5. Add sauce to meat mixture then transfer to bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Pour mashed potatoes over meat mixture then top with shredded cheese.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted through.

East West BBQ Crock Pot Chicken

2010-09-20T17:23:00.001-07:00

East West BBQ Crock Pot Chicken
recipe and image from Dinners for a Year and Beyond

INGREDIENTS:
2 medium onions, sliced, about 2 cups
2 chicken breasts, bone-in and skin on
5 chicken drumsticks, bone-in and skin on
1 cup spicy barbecue sauce such as Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet n Spicy
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
hot sauce, for serving

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place sliced onions in the crock pot and top with the chicken.
2. In a small bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and orange juice. Pour over the chicken.
3. Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 4 - 5 hours or low for 7 - 8 hours.
4. When the cooking time is complete, remove the chicken to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm.
5. In a small pot over medium high heat, add 1 cup of the sauce from the crock pot. In a small bowl combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Stir into the sauce in the pot and cook for 3 - 5 minutes until it is thickened. Pour the thickened sauce back into the crock pot and stir to combine. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve with extra hot sauce if desired.

Serve with a noodle salad:
INGREDIENTS:
half pound of cooked and drained linguine
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 cup each steamed broccoli, green beans, yellow pepper
a few shakes of sesame seeds and red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS:
1. Toss all ingredients with cooked linguine noodles.

*This chicken was so moist and flavorful and went wonderful with the noodle salad!

Salsa Chicken and Ranch Tostadas

2010-09-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

Salsa Chicken and Ranch Tostadas
from Picky Palate

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
2 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon dry Ranch seasoning
1/2 cup prepared salsa
6 corn tortillas
toppings: sour cream, chopped lettuce, shredded cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Saute spinach until leaves wilt. Stir in chicken, garlic, cumin, salt, ranch seasoning and salsa. Cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is heated through.
2. Heat small skillet over medium heat. When hot add tortilla. Cook for 30 seconds then flip and cook second side for another 30 seconds. When lightly browned on both sides remove. Cook remaining tortillas.
3. Top tortillas with chicken mixture and any other toppings.

Sloppy Joes

2010-08-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

Sloppy Joes
from Rachael Ray

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend, such as McCormick brand Montreal Seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 crusty rolls, split, toasted, and lightly buttered

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and meat to the pan. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up.
2. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine.
3. When the meat has browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet.
4. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, peppers, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with meat for 5 minutes.
5. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer.
6. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, pile sloppy meat onto toasted, buttered bun bottoms and cover with bun tops.

*I had my mom's sloppy joe recipe but I was looking for something new. This sloppy joe mix from RR had wonderful flavor! We served the sandwiches with Fritos, green salad, and watermelon.

Taco Chicken

2010-07-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

Taco Chicken
from Our Best Bites

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. chicken breasts or thighs
a couple of juicy limes
a splash of red wine vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or coarsely chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Juice the limes and combine with a couple splashes of red wine vinegar. Add garlic. Pour over chicken. This will not completely cover the chicken; just turn it occasionally as needed. Marinate for at least 4 hours, no longer than 8.
2. Combine salt, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper in a small bowl. Remove chicken from marinade and rub the spices all over the chicken.
3. Grill on outdoor grill.
4. Remove from heat and allow to stand a few minutes so it doesn't lose its juiciness. You can either eat the chicken as it is, maybe with Mexican rice and beans, or slice it up and use it as you would taco meat.

I halved this recipe, only using 2 chicken breasts. We used the sliced meat for tacos and they were delicious!

Yoshida Chicken Wings

2010-07-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

Yoshida Chicken Wings
from Mom

INGREDIENTS:
Yoshida sauce (you can always find this at Costco!)
Chicken Wings
Season Salt

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place frozen chicken wings in a 9x13 pan and season with season salt.
3. Cook wings until mostly cooked, about a half hour.
4. Place chicken wings in large pot and cover with Yoshida sauce. Boil for a half hour or until sauce coats wings.

This is a family favorite since I was little. I remember my brother being able to eat 10-15 of these at one time. We love to serve these with wild rice or Rice a Roni and stir fry veggies.

Pizza Rolls

2010-07-22T22:27:00.000-07:00

Pizza Rolls
from Jane Ketcheside

INGREDIENTS:
1 can Pillsbury pizza dough
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
mozzarella cheese
pepperoni and any other pizza toppings you like

DIRECTIONS:
1. Unroll the pizza dough. Pour the sauce on the dough and spread to 3 of the 4 edges. You want to leave some dough clean so that they will seal nicely.
2. Cover with cheese. Line the pepperoni so that the pizza is completely covered. Add any other toppings you might like.
3. Roll the pizza dough like it is a cinnamon roll. Then use a serrated knife to slice it into pieces. 4. Place in greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 425* for 15-17 minutes.

*My girls absolutely loved these!

Tender Grilled Pork Chops

2010-07-22T22:14:00.000-07:00

Tender Grilled Pork Chops
from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
4 boneless pork loin chops
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon steak seasoning

DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix olive oil, soy sauce and steak seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and pour into a one-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork chops and set the bag in a baking dish in a way that the pork chops get a healthy dose of the marinade (it may be advantageous to flip the bag over halfway through the marinating time).
2. Marinate in the refrigerator for 3-8 hours (no more than 8).
3. Heat the grill to medium and grill the chops 6-8 minutes per side (depending on how thick they are) until they are no longer pink in the center.
4. Remove the chops from the grill and tent them with foil and allow them to rest for 5-7 minutes.
5. You can slice the chops in 1/4 to 3/8 inch slices across the grain and serve if you would like.

*These pork chops were so tender and yummy. We served these with mashed potatoes, vegetables, and homemade bread.

Grilled Island Chicken

2010-06-28T00:19:00.000-07:00

Grilled Island Chicken
image and recipe from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1-2 lemons)
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2-4 chicken breasts

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl or large airtight plastic bag. Whisk or shake well until the marinade is well mixed.
2. Add the chicken breasts to the bowl or plastic bag so that they are covered by the marinade. Refrigerate and marinate up to 10 hours (I would suggest marinading for at least 3 hours at the minimum).
3. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium heat. Grill the chicken for 6-7 minutes per side (depending on how thick the chicken breasts are), until the chicken is no longer pink in the center (if you have a meat thermometer, the chicken should register 165 degrees). Tent with foil and let the chicken rest for about five minutes before serving.

This chicken had delicious flavor and was so juicy!

Teriyaki Chicken Pasta Salad

2010-06-28T00:06:00.000-07:00

Teriyaki Chicken Pasta Salad
from Dayna Jamison

INGREDIENTS:
Salad
4 cups cooked chicken
16 oz. bow tie pasta
20 oz. baby spinach
sliced green onions
12 oz. honey roasted peanuts
mandarin oranges
1/2 cup sesame seeds

Dressing
2 cups oil
1 1/3 cup Teriyaki sauce
1tp salt
1 tp pepper
1/3 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS:
1. Blend ingredients for dressing.
2. Marinate chicken in dressing for a few hours.
3. Cook pasta al dente.
4. Bake or Grill chicken.
5. Mix all salad ingredients together.
6. Toss salad with dressing and serve.

I cut all ingredients for the salad in half. This salad was so light, fresh, and delicious. The Teriyaki dressing was so yummy! We served the salad with a loaf of semolina bread.

Magic in the Middle Cookies

2010-06-13T22:22:00.000-07:00

Magic in the Middle Cookies
from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:

Chocolate Dough
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus extra for dredging)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

Peanut butter filling
3/4 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth, your choice
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
2. To make the dough: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
3. In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the egg, beating to combine, then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well.
4. To make the filling: In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and confectioners sugar until smooth.
5. With floured hands or a teaspoon scoop, roll the filling into 26 one-inch balls.
6. To shape the cookies: Scoop 1 tablespoon of the dough (a lump about the size of a walnut), make an indentation in the center with your finger and place one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation.
7. Bring the cookie dough up and over the filling, pressing the edges together cover the center; roll the cookie in the palms of your hand to smooth it out. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
8. Roll each rounded cookie in granulated sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
9. Grease the bottom of a drinking glass, and use it to flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick.
10. Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they’re set and you can smell chocolate. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Yummy, these chocolate cookies were great and I loved the surprise of peanut butter in the middle! They were of course excellent dipped in milk!

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Asian Glaze

2010-06-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Asian Glaze
from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
3 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
2 pork tenderloins, trimmed of excess fat and any thin silver skin
1 scallion (green onion), white and green parts, thinly sliced for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a small roasting pan (or use a 9X13-inch baking dish) with foil and lightly oil the foil. This is important because the glaze has a high sugar content and will scorch during roasting.
2. Meanwhile, combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1/2 tablespoon ginger, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper in a self-sealing plastic bag and mix to dissolve the sugar. Add the pork tenderloins and close the bag. Toss the meat in the bag to coat it with the marinade. Marinade for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.
3. Remove the pork tenderloins from the marinade and place in the roasting pan. Drizzle about half of the marinade over the pork. Discard the remaining marinade. Roast for 15 minutes. Baste the pork with the marinade in the roasting pan. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer reads 150-155, about 25 minutes more. The marinade will eventually thicken and scorch, but the foil will protect the pan, so don’t worry. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes.
4. While the pork is resting, bring the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/2 tablespoon ginger, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 minced garlic clove and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper to a boil over high heat in a small saucepan.
5. Cut the roast pork crosswise on a slight diagonal into thin slices and arrange the overlapping slices on a platter. Drizzle the hot marinade over the pork, sprinkle with the scallion, and serve immediately.

The marinade was yummy and this was a great pork tenderloin recipe. We served the pork tenderloin with fried rice and broccoli.

Pico de Gallo

2010-06-13T22:06:00.000-07:00

Pico de Gallo
from Our Best Bites

INGREDIENTS:

About 3 Roma tomatoes

1 smallish jalapeno pepper

1/2 small red onion
1/2-1 lime juice, squeezed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut ends off tomatoes and then slice in half lengthwise. Under running water, gently run your finger under the membrane that contains the seeds. It's okay if some seeds get in there, but if you have all of them, it's going to get a little sloppy. Cut into small chunks.

2. Finely dice the onion. Toss with the tomato mixture.

3. Finely chop the jalapeno, removing the seeds if desired (the seeds contain the majority of the heat, although the flesh is still pretty hot). Toss with the tomatoes and onions.

4. Add the fresh-squeezed juice of 1/2 of the lime. Taste. If you want to walk on the limey side, add a little more.

5. Add your giant pinch of cilantro. Combine well. Add a generous sprinkling of Kosher salt, taste, and add more if desired. This is best if it stands for a few hours before you serve it, but it also may (okay, will) get a little wet in the bottom of the bowl, so you might want to strain it before serving it.

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette Grilled Fish Tacos

2010-06-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette Grilled Fish Tacos
from Our Best Bites

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2-3 juicy limes)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp Kosher or sea salt
2 tsp sugar
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro, stems removed

DIRECTIONS:
1. In the jar of your blender, combine lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and sugar. Blend until ingredients are completely combined.
2. With the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Add cilantro and blend until the cilantro has broken down but still maintains some of its texture.

Grilled Fish Tacos
INGREDIENTS:
White fish (cod, tilapia, red snapper, mahi mahi) we used mahi mahi
Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
Corn tortillas
pico de gallo
cole slaw mix
guacamole
cheese
salt for seasoning

DIRECTIONS:
1. Marinade the fish for 20 minutes in the cilantro-lime vinaigrette.
2. Lightly brush grill with oil and cook fish over medium heat for 8-12 minutes, until fish flakes easily. Flake fish and season with salt.
3. Serve the fish in the corn tortillas with toppings.

Joe and the girls really enjoyed these fish tacos. I don't love Mahi Mahi but the vinaigrette marinade was great. We served the tacos with Cilantro Lime Rice.

Cupcake Pops

2010-06-13T09:26:00.001-07:00

Cupcake Pops
from Bakerella

I keep forgetting to post the pictures of the cupcake or cake pops my friends and I have made. They are so cute, so delicious, but pretty time consuming to make. I think we have made cupcakes, Halloween, UNLV graduation, and Valentines. I won't post the ingredients or instructions here so just head over to Bakerella! Enjoy!

Chicken Piccata

2010-06-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

Chicken Piccata
from Dish Delish

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 c milk
1 egg
1/2 cup corn flake crumbs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Approximately 8 tbsp butter
2 tbsp garlic, pressed
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup green onions, diced

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine milk & egg in bowl, beat slightly, set aside. In a separate dish, combine corn flake crumbs, salt, pepper, & flour. Pound chicken to 1/4 inch. Dip chicken into egg mixture, followed by the crumb mixture, making sure to coat thoroughly.
2. Melt 5 tbsp butter in large skillet. Add garlic. Place breaded chicken in pan, coating each side with garlic butter {more butter may be needed}. Cook over medium heat, turning occasionally until chicken is cooked through and is golden brown. Remove chicken to serving dish, keep warm, and set aside.
3. Turn heat to med-low. Add remaining 3 tbsp butter to drippings in pan, and stir until butter is melted. Stir in the lemon juice and green onions. Spoon over chicken and serve. Delicious!

*This chicken was so good! I loved that it used simple ingredients but had wonderful flavor! Thanks Melissa.

Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread

2010-06-08T22:25:00.001-07:00

Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread
from Our Best Bites

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups flour
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3-4 medium bananas)
2 eggs
1/3 cup plain lowfat yogurt or sour cream
½ cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cups and level. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Cream sugar and butter. Add bananas, eggs, and yogurt, beating until just blended. Add flour mixture. Beat on low until just moistened.
3. Microwave chocolate chips in a medium bowl for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 c. batter to chocolate, stirring until well-combined.
4. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter (so you have stripes of plain and chocolate batter) in an 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters with a knife.
5. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes (give or take a little; I'd probably set your timer for 1 hour and 10 minutes to be safe) or until a knife comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan and then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

*I LOVE banana bread and this was definitely a yummy alternative to the classic recipe.

Fudgy Mint Brownies

2010-05-21T09:30:00.001-07:00

Fudgy Mint Brownies
recipe and image from Our Best Bites

INGREDIENTS:
Brownies:
4 squares unsweetened baking chocolate (4oz)
1 cup butter
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

Frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
4 TB butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1-2 TB milk
green food coloring

Chocolate Glaze:
6 oz (about 1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 TB butter

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 inch pan with foil making sure the foil extends over the edges by at least one inch. Lightly spray with non-stick spray and set aside.
2. Chop both unsweetened chocolate and two sticks of butter into chunks and place together in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until just melted and smooth. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally.
3. With an electric mixer or stand mixer beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla for 2 minutes. While egg mixture is beating, measure out flour and combine with baking powder. While mixer is running, slowly add melted chocolate and beat to combine. Turn beater speed to low and add in flour by spoonfuls. Mix just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-30 minutes or until a knife poked in center comes out clean.
4. Cool completely on a metal rack. When brownies have cooled to room temperature, prepare frosting. Combine all frosting ingredients, starting with 1 1/2 tablespoon of milk, and beat until light and fluffy. Add more milk by teaspoonful as needed. Spread frosting evenly over brownies and then place brownies in fridge to chill.
5. While brownies are chilling prepare chocolate glaze. Place chocolate chips and 6 tablespoons butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until just melted and smooth. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes and then carefully spread on top of the frosting layer. Return pan to fridge to cool. When chocolate has hardened, use edges of foil to remove entire brownie from pan. Cut into squares and serve.

Oh how I love a good mint brownie!!

Rolled Up Chicken Dinner

2010-05-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

Rolled Up Chicken Dinner
from Picky Palate

INGREDIENTS:
4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thinness
1 1/2 Cups prepared mashed potatoes, on the thick side, helps if they are chilled.
2 Cups steamed broccoli, chopped into very small pieces, almost minced
1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 Cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 beaten egg
1 1/2 Cups panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 Tablespoons Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix
10 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 Cup milk
1 Cup steamed broccoli, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place pounded chicken breasts onto a large baking sheet. Spread a thin layer of mashed potatoes over each chicken breast then layer with broccoli and cheddar cheese. Carefully roll each chicken breast up securing ends with a toothpick.
3. Place flour, salt and pepper into a shallow bowl. Place beaten egg in a second bowl and the panko and ranch mix into a 3rd shallow bowl. Dip/roll rolled chicken carefully into flour then egg, then panko mix (this will get a bit messy, don’t worry, it turns out great anyway!!)
4. Place chicken rolls back onto a baking sheet that’s been sprayed with cooking spray or is lined with silpat. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (juices are clear, not pink). Let rest for 10 minutes.
5. Heat cream of chicken soup, milk and chopped broccoli in a small saucepan until warmed. Pour spoonfuls of sauce over each chicken roll and serve.

4 servings

*We cut this in half, only making two chicken breasts. I was very impressed with this meal. It was delicious and a great idea having the mashed potatoes, cheese, and broccoli rolled into the chicken. We definitely will be making these again.

Lasagna Stuffed Pizza

2010-04-02T21:50:00.000-07:00

Lasagna Stuffed Pizza
from The Picky Palate

INGREDIENTS:
2 16 oz packages pizza dough, (I just made one batch of this pizza dough)
1 lb Sweet Italian Sausage (I used reduced fat sausage and added Italian seasoning)
26 oz jar Pasta Sauce of choice
16 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 Cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Pinch of kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper
McCormicks Pizza seasoning or Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp
extra virgin olive oil for brushing dough

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown sausage until browned. Drain and return back to skillet. Add pasta sauce and reduce heat to low to simmer.
2. Place ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella cheese and seasonings in a mixing bowl. Mix until well combined.
3. Roll dough 1/4 inch thick. Use large circle cookie cutter (I used my smallest corningware bowl and cut around it) to cut into dough. Place half onto a lightly greased or silpat lined baking sheet. Fill each heart with a Tablespoon or so of sauce then top with a small spoonful of ricotta cheese. Top with remaining dough shapes and press edges with the tines of your fork. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with pizza seasoning.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.

*Wow, these were delicious! I loved the pizza dough and filling, yum!

Chicken Egg Rolls

2010-03-25T22:30:00.000-07:00

Chicken Egg Rolls
adapted from Nasoya Egg Roll Wrappers package

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound lean ground beef, pork, or chicken
1 tsp minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups coleslaw mix
1/4 lb bean sprouts
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 TB Oyster sauce
1 TB soy sauce
1 package Nasoya Egg Roll Wrappers
vegetable oil for deep-frying

DIRECTIONS:
1. Stir-fry meat, ginger, and garlic in a wide skillet over high heat until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.
2. Add coleslaw, bean sprouts, and green onions; cooked 2 minutes.
3. Stir in Oyster sauce and soy sauce.
4. Let mixture cool. Use 2 TB filling in each egg roll.
5. Fold corners over filling, roll snugly half-way to cover filing. Fold up both sides against filling and roll over last flap to seal.
6. Deep-fry in oil, turning occasionally, until golden. Drain on paper towels.

*We served these with a Panda Express' orange chicken sauce that we found at Costco and white rice. These were absolutely delicious!

Nachos

2010-03-25T22:16:00.001-07:00

Nachos
from The Sisters Cafe

INGREDIENTS:

½ lb ground beef

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)

1 small zucchini, chopped (1 cup)

1 cup chili beans in chili sauce (from 15-oz can)

1 cup thick-and-chunky salsa, divided

Tortilla chips (the salted kind, of course!)

1 ½ c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (6 oz)

sliced ripe olives

diced fresh tomatoes

DIRECTIONS:

1. Brown ground beef. Drain and remove ground beef to a plate; set aside. Using the same pan, stir-fry bell pepper and zucchini for 2 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Stir in chili beans and ½ cup of the salsa; cook until hot. Stir in ground beef.

2. Line tortilla chips on a broiler safe pan. Spoon dollops of the mixture atop the chips. Sprinkle with olives and tomatoes (or you can add these after the nachos come out of the broiler). Sprinkle with cheese, to your liking.
3. Put under broiler (not super close) until cheese is melted, only a couple of minutes.

4. We served it with remaining salsa, sour cream, avocado slices, and Spanish rice.

These nachos were so easy, so great, and so filling!

Healthy Honey Oatmeal Cookies

2010-03-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

Healthy Honey Oatmeal Cookies
from Megan Smith

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 TBS butter

1 1/2 TBS unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 egg whites

1 TBS water

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat your oven to 350.

2. Mix together butter, applesauce, brown sugar, honey, egg whites, and water.

3. Add in your dry ingredients, and then your oatmeal and chocolate chips.

4. Spoon onto cookie sheet (sprayed with Pam) and bake for 12 minutes.

For only 69 calories a piece, these cookies were pretty good! My husband said that they are healthy because you only want to eat one, but I seriously liked them- a great alternative for a healthier cookie!

Lemon Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

2010-03-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

Lemon Grilled Chicken Sandwiches
from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 tablespoon dried basil (or 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons grated zest plus 1 tablespoon juice from one lemon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 1 1/2 pounds
6 6-inch sub rolls, slit partially open lengthwise

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine oil, garlic, basil, oregano, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes in a large bowl. Transfer 2 tablespoons oil mixture to separate bowl and whisk in mayonnaise, vinegar, and lemon juice; refrigerate. Sauce can be refrigerated, covered for 2 days.
2. Prick chicken breasts all over with fork, cut into 1 1/4 inch chunks, and transfer to bowl with remaining oil mixture. Refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.
3. Remove chicken from marinade and thread onto skewers, about 5 pieces per skewer. Grill chicken until browned and cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes, turning once or twice. You can use an outdoor grill (either gas or charcoal), your oven broiler or an indoor grill pan to do the job. Transfer the chicken to sub rolls or bread, remove skewers, and drizzle with mayonnaise mixture.

The grilled chicken and the herb mayonnaise were a great combination. We really enjoyed these sandwiches.

Cornflake and Almond Encrusted French Toast

2010-03-24T16:30:00.001-07:00

Cornflake and Almond Encrusted French Toast
recipe and image from Hot off the Garlic Press

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup cornflakes
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1-2 T. brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla or used vanilla bean pod
4-6 slices of bread (I used Texas Toast)

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a ziploc bag, crunch up the cornflakes. Crush or chop the nuts and add to the cornflakes, along with half of the cinnamon and mix well. Pour into a shallow dish.
2. In another shallow dish, crack the eggs and whisk. Add the salt, remainder of cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla or vanilla pod and whisk again. Add the milk and give it one final whisk.
3. Meanwhile Pre-heat a skillet or griddle, and then grease with a little butter.
4. Dip bread into egg mixture, then into the cornflake mixture and coat evenly.
5. Grill on the griddle over medium low heat {the cornflakes and nuts will burn on high heat before the middle / eggs is cooked through} until toast is golden brown and cooked through.

I served the french toast with whip cream and buttermilk syrup.

The french toast was absolutely wonderful! I loved the crunchiness of the french toast and anything covered in whip cream and buttermilk syrup is delicious!

Asian-Style Green Beans

2010-02-25T09:39:00.001-08:00

Asian-Style Green Beans
recipe and image from recipezaar

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 lbs fresh green beans, ends trimmed (I actually used frozen)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional or adjust to taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
black pepper
salt
cornstarch (mixed with cold water to thicken sauce)
sliced almonds or sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook the green beans in a pot of boiling salted water until JUST crisp-tender (about 3 minutes) plunge into an ice water bath to cool completely.
2. Drain well and pat the beans dry using paper towels.
3. Heat sesame oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat; add in garlic and chili flakes (if using) stir-fry 1 minute.
4. Add in beans and stir-fry for about 2 minutes.
5. Add in soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and black pepper; cook until the sauce reduces slightly and coats the beans (about 1-1/2-2 minutes longer).
6. If you want a thick sauce mix a small amount of cornstarch with a small amount of cold water and add in towards the end.
7. Add in the almonds or sesame seeds; toss to coat and transfer to a bowl.

If you are going to have to eat vegetables, might as well make them taste good, right? My husband doesn't really like green beans but both of us agreed that these were delicious! They had so much flavor! I also cut this recipe in half.

Pineapple Meatballs

2010-02-24T16:28:00.001-08:00

Pineapple Meatballs
recipe and image from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
Meatballs:
2 lbs ground beef
2 large eggs
½ cup dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Sauce:
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 ¾ cups pineapple juice (reserved from pineapple tidbits)
¼ cup white vinegar
1 ½ tablespoon soy sauce
1 ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 (14 oz) can pineapple tidbits

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Make the meatballs by combining all meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into about 1” meatballs.

2. Brown Meatballs in a non-stick frying pan and drain on paper towels (or if you want to save time brown in the oven on a cookie sheet while you’re making the sauce).

3. Make the sauce by combining cornstarch and brown sugar in a sauce pan. Then add 1 ¾ cup pineapple juice and blend until the mixture is smooth. Add vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and stir. Simmer uncovered on medium low until thickened (about 8 minutes - mine only took about 4 minutes to thicken).

4. In a casserole dish pour sauce over meatballs and add pineapple tidbits. Lightly mix meatballs until they are coated with the sauce. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until fully cooked.

*These meatballs were actually absolutely wonderful- definitely my favorite meatballs I have made. And to think only a few short months ago I thought I would never put the word "favorite" and "meatball" in the same sentence. The flavor was great and I loved the cooked pineapple with them. We served the meatballs over rice and had asian-style green beans too.

Beef Rigatoni in Tomato Cream Sauce

2010-02-21T21:24:00.000-08:00

Beef Rigatoni in Tomato Cream Sauce
from The Meat and Potatoes Foodie

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
2 fat cloves garlicminced
1 pound ground beef
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more if you really want that kick)
1/2 cup white wine or vermouth
4 oz canned tomato paste, preferably organic
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, lightly drained
2 oz cream cheese
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 lb rigatoni
handful salt to flavor water
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Begin boiling water for pasta.
2. Add butter and olive oil to a large pan and put over medium heat. Add onions, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper and stir. Cook for a couple of minutes and then stir in the garlic. Saute, stirring occasionally another 2-3 minutes until the onion is translucent.
3. Add the ground beef to the onions and garlic, breaking the meat up gently. Season with the additional salt and red pepper flakes then cook, stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes or just until the meat is browned.
4. Carefully pour in the wine and raise the heat to high. Once the wine is boiling, give everything a good stir then let simmer away until the majority of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is almost dry again (about 10 minutes.)
5. Add pasta to boiling water. Cook only until al dente, about nine minutes.
6. Back to your beef/wine mixture - once the majority of the liquid has evaporated, lower the heat to low and stir in the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, cream cheese, salt, and oregano. Combine well and keep over low heat until your pasta is cooked.
7. Once the pasta is ready, use a spider or slotted spoon to strain the pasta from the water and add it into the meat/sauce along with a ladle full of pasta water (about 1/3 cup.)
8. Immediately stir in the parmesan cheese, mixing well so that it melds into the sauce.

This was a good pasta dish, nothing spectacular but something easy and yummy that I would make again.

Chicken and Vegetable Dumpling Soup

2010-02-19T22:33:00.001-08:00

Chicken and Vegetable Dumpling Soup
from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken and Broth:
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
2-3 chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)

Vegetables:
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 large carrots (6-7 baby carrots), chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas

Dumplings:
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or sage
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large pot, boil the chicken broth, water and chicken breasts until the chicken is cooked through and tender (about 15 minutes). Remove the chicken from the pot, reserving the broth in the pot, and shred the chicken with two forks. Set the chicken aside and keep the broth warm on the stove.
2. While the chicken is boiling, in a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the celery, carrots and onions. Saute for about 6-7 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the vegetables to the hot broth in the pot after the chicken has been removed. Add salt, thyme and pepper to the vegetable/broth mixture and stir to combine. Heat the soup to a simmer.
3. In a small bowl, blend ½ cup cold water and 1/4 cup flour with a wire whisk until smooth. Whisking vigorously, slowly add the flour mixture into the hot vegetables and broth and whisk until well combined. Add ½ cup frozen peas and the reserved chicken and cook, stirring gently for one minute.
4. For the dumplings, in a medium bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, milk and oil. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined (don't overmix, it is ok if there are a few dry spots of flour here and there).
5. Heat the soup to boiling and drop teaspoonful amounts (the dumplings should be fairly small, they'll expand while cooking) of dumpling dough into the boiling soup, covering the entire surface of the soup (don't make more than one layer of dumplings). Reduce the heat to simmering, cover and let the dumplings cook for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid of the pot while the dumplings cook.
6. When the dumplings have cooked fully, remove the lid and gently stir the dumplings to break them apart. Serve.

I really liked this soup! It was a little different than my normal chicken noodle and I loved the dumplings! My husband however has recently discovered that he hates the spice thyme so this was not the best soup for him.

Mini Molten Lava Cakes

2010-02-19T22:19:00.000-08:00

Mini Molten Lava Cakes
from Our Best Bites

INGREDIENTS:
4 TB real butter
1/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (1 1/3 cups), melted
butter for preparing pans

Additional toppings:
powdered sugar
whipped cream
vanilla ice cream

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. To prepare pans, use your fingers to rub butter in the muffin tins or ramekins. Sprinkle in some granulated sugar to coat the entire inner surface and tap out any extra discard.
3. In a bowl with a mixer, beat the 4 TB butter and 1/3 cup sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Combine flour and salt and slowly add it into the butter mixture just until combined. Stir in melted chocolate by hand, just until combine. Don't overmix.
5. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups or ramekins and then place them on a cookie sheet. Fill them not quite 3/4 of the way full.
6. Bake just until tops of cakes no longer jiggle when pan is lightly shaken, about 8-10 minutes for muffin pan, and 10-12 for ramekins. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes.

You can serve them one of two ways. Obviously if you're using a muffin pan you'll need to invert the cakes and place them on serving plates. They should pop right out after you run a sharp knife around the edge. If you are using ramekins, you can serve right in the dish too. Dust with powdered sugar.

These were so rich and delicious and I loved the creamy, chocolaty center. Definitely needed to be served with vanilla ice cream! Yummy chocolate!

Chicken Fajitas

2010-02-16T21:49:00.000-08:00

Chicken Fajitas
from Blog Chef

INGREDIENTS:
8 flour tortillas
1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tso seasoning salt
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 TB vegetable oil
2 TB lemon juice
4 TB vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium green pepper, sliced
Optionaly condiments:
sour cream
guacamole
salsa
tomato
cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Slice chicken into small strips.
2. In a large bowl mix garlic powder, seasoning salt, cumin, chili powder, pepper flakes, 2 TB vegetable oil, and lemon juice.
3. Add chicken strips and toss to coat. Cover and marinade for 2 hours.
4. In a skillet add 2 TB of oil and saute onions and green peppers for 3 minutes or until the vegetable have reached your desired tenderness. Remove from pan and set aside.
5. Add more oil to the pan if necessary. Add chicken strips and saute until fully cooked. Add vegetables back to the pan and toss with chicken.
6. Get optional toppings prepared.
7. Spoon chicken and vegetable mixture onto flour tortilla and top with desired toppings.

Candied Walnut Salad

2010-02-14T23:53:00.000-08:00

Candied Walnut Salad
from The Sister's Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
Salad:
2 heads of leafy greens; 1 can be a bag of spinach (1 bag of spinach and a head of Romaine or just 2 heads of Romaine)
3/4 c. Craisins
2 crisp apples
Orange juice (enough to toss apples in to prevent browning and add a little flavor)
2 oz. blue cheese or feta cheese
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/4 c. sugar

Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. honey
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 c. canola oil

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine walnuts and sugar in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly. After a few minutes, the sugar will liquify. Pay close attention; at this point stir to cover walnuts with the sugar coating. The syrup will begin to darken and will coat the nuts. When they reach a golden brown color, remove from heat. Stir occasionally as the nuts begin to cool. After a few minutes, spread candied nuts onto a greased piece of parchment or wax paper or a greased cookie sheet and allow to cool completely. Set aside.
2. Chop apples and toss in orange juice.
3. Mix all dressing ingredients in a blender.
3. When ready to serve, toss lettuce, cranberries, walnuts, apples, and cheese in a large bowl.
5. Toss the salad with the dressing. (FYI - You may not want to toss the entire salad with the dressing if you think you will not eat all of it. The dressing will wilt any leftovers.)

This salad was absolutely delicious!The candied walnuts were wonderful and I loved the different textures of the cheese, apples, lettuce, walnuts, and craisins.

Chicken Tortellini Bake

2010-02-06T22:38:00.000-08:00

Chicken Tortellini Bake
from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
16 ounce package of cheese tortellini (use the fresh not frozen kind)
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups (about 2 chicken breasts) chicken, cut up into bite size pieces
3 green onions finely chopped, white and green parts
2 tablespoons flour
8 ounces (1 cup) chicken broth
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
3/4 cup sour cream
8 oz (2 cups) shredded Monterey jack cheese (I used mozzarella)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook tortellini for 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Brown the chicken for 1-2 minutes and add the fresh mushrooms and green onions, cooking until chicken is done and mushrooms are golden brown.
3. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened. Mix in sour cream until mixture is creamy and slightly thickened.
5. Spray a 9X13 pan with cooking spray. Pour tortellini in bottom of 9X13 pan. Sprinkle half the cheese over tortellini. Put cooked chicken/sauce mixture on top and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.
6. Bake covered with tin foil at 350 for 30 minutes, uncover and bake for additional 15 minutes until bubbly and golden brown around the edges.

*I cut this recipe in half for my little family. This was a yummy, just homey pasta casserole. I served it with broccoli and Asiago cheese bread.

Thai Peanut Noodles

2010-02-03T18:46:00.001-08:00

Thai Peanut Noodles
recipe and image from Our Best Bites

INGREDIENTS:
Noodles and Sauce:
1/2 c. chicken broth
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1-2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (1 is mild with a bite, 1.5 is medium, 2 is hot)
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
8 oz. Udon or linguine noodles
Chopped green onions
Chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into quarters
Chopped peanuts

Chicken:
2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced
olive oil
1 green onion, chopped
1 TB fresh minced ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
2 TB soy sauce
1 tsp Sriracha chili sauce

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook noodles in salted water.
2. Heat olive oil in pan and stir-fry chicken garlic, ginger, green onion, soy sauce, and Sriracha chili sauce.
3. In the meantime, combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until smooth and remove from heat.
4. Add cooked chicken to noodles, Toss cooked noodles and chicken with sauce and divide among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, chopped peanuts, and garnish each serving with 2 lime quarters. Before eating, squeeze lime juice over noodles and stir to combine.

*My husband loved this dish! I thought it had too much peanut butter but would make it again and not add as much peanut butter. I was not expecting the thickness of the peanut butter to be so prevelant, but I think I let it get to thick over the heat. Anyway, it was yummy and something different.

Stuffed Pesto Chicken

2010-02-01T08:50:00.001-08:00

Stuffed Pesto Chicken
from Favorite Family Recipes

INGREDIENTS:
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup paprika (this is NOT a typo, yes 1/4 CUP)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp thyme
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 cup pesto
1-2 cloves garlic
2 1/2 TBS olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. With a sharp knife cut a slit into chicken breasts not cutting all the way through, just creating a "pocket". Stuff with feta cheese and put into 9x13 baking dish.
3. In small bowl combine: paprika, cumin, oregano, thyme and salt. Spread evenly over chicken. 4. Spoon pesto over chicken. Sprinkle with garlic. Drizzle oil over the top and cover with aluminum foil (shiny side down).
5. Put in oven for 35-45 minutes (chicken breast thickness vary greatly) until no longer pink inside.
6. Serve with rice, potatoes, or buttered noodles.

NOTE: Now if you don't care how it looks you can skip the stuffing the feta in the middle and just sprinkle it on top. Also this is great layered in a slow cooker and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Again, not as pretty, but tastes just the same.

*I cut this recipe in half, only cooking 2 chicken breasts. Since the chicken breasts we had were thin I couldn't create the "pocket". I just sprinkled the feta on top. The chicken was so moist and flavorful, we really liked it. We served the chicken with white rice and broccoli. This was such an easy chicken dish- and don't we all love one of those!!

CPK BBQ Chicken Salad

2010-01-17T17:50:00.000-08:00

California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chicken Salad
from Ryan Parsons

Are you ready to eat the most delicious salad ever? My brother made this salad for us a while back but I have yet to try it. Finally, this Friday night I decided to make it. The chicken was so moist and flavorful, the dressing was creamy, and the vegetables and tortilla strip toppings were perfect!

INGREDIENTS:
Fried Tortilla Strips:
vegetable oil for deep-frying
8 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips

Garden Herb Ranch Dressing:
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp cold water
2 3/4 cups mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
7 TBS sour cream
2 1/2 TBS apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 TBS thinly sliced scallions (greens and whites)
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced fresh Italian parsley
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp minced fresh dill
1/2 tsp minced fresh oregano (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp minced fresh basil

Grilled Garlic BBQ Chicken:
1 1/3 TBS olive oil
1 1/3 TBS minced garlic
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp salt
Four 5-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup good quality bottled sweet-and-spicy barbecue sauce

Salad:
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cored, rinsed, dried, and cut into 1/8-inch-wide strips
1/2 head romaine lettuce leaves, separated and trimmed, rinsed, dried, and cut into 1/8-inch-wide strips
12 large fresh basil leaves cut into 1/8-inch-wide strips
1 pound jicama, cut into 1/4 x 1/4 x 3/4-inch strips
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup canned sweet white corn kernels, drained
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 pounds ripe fresh tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup good quality bottled sweet-and-spicy barbecue sauce
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion greens

DIRECTIONS:

To Make the Fried Tortilla Strips: In a deep, heavy frying pan, heat several inches of vegetable oil to a temperature of 375 degrees F. Working in batches if necessary to prevent overcrowding, carefully add the tortilla strips to the hot oil, submerging them with a metal skimmer or slotted spoon. Fry the tortilla strips until evenly golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully lift them out with the skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer them to paper towels to drain and cool. Set aside, uncovered.

To Make the Garden Herb Ranch Dressing: In a mixing bowl, use a fork to stir together the mustard and cold water, forming a paste. Set aside for 10 minutes. Add the remaining dressing ingredients to the bowl and, using a handheld electric mixer at low speed or a whisk, blend together just until smooth, taking care not to incorporate too much air into the dressing. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

To Make the Grilled Garlic and BBQ Chicken: Preheat a stovetop grill or the broiler. In a mixing bowl, stir together the olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, and salt. Turn the chicken breasts in this marinade and leave to marinate at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Grill or broil the chicken breasts until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. Cut the chicken breasts into 3/4-inch cubes and, in a bowl, toss with the barbecue sauce to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

To Make the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, toss together the lettuces, basil, jicama, Monterey Jack cheese, beans, corn, cilantro, dressing, and half of the Fried Tortilla Strips. Transfer the salads to chilled serving plates. Surround each salad with diced tomatoes and the remaining Fried Tortilla Strips. Top each salad with chunks of Grilled Garlic BBQ Chicken and drizzle the chicken with the barbecue sauce. Garnish with the scallion.

All I can say was that this salad was delicious!! The chicken marinade was wonderful. I have since used the marinade for just some BBQ chicken.

Teriyaki Sauce

2010-01-13T21:37:00.000-08:00

Teriyaki Sauce
from Our Best Bites

INGREDIENTS:
1 TBS cornstarch
1 TBS cold water
½ cup white sugar
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. While sauce is heating, combine cornstarch and cold water. When sauce comes to a full boil, add cornstarch mixture and stir until sauce is thickened and bubbly.
3. Remove from heat and use any way you darn well please. You can store it in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.

I marinaded chicken strips in the sauce and then baked them in the oven for 30 minutes at 425. This, along with the fried rice, was part of the meal my three-year-old could not get enough of! She kept saying, "More chicken and sauce please!"

Fried Rice

2010-01-13T21:18:00.000-08:00

Fried Rice
from Our Best Bites

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups white rice, cooked
3 TBS butter
1/4 cup red onion, minced
2 TBS green onions, chopped
1/2 TBS garlic, minced
1/4 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
8 oz. (1/2 bag) of coleslaw mix
3-4 generous TBS soy sauce

SEASONING:
1/2 TBS dried onion
1/2 TBS Kosher salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp celery salt
3/4 tsp sugar

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook rice.
2. Heat butter over medium heat and saute garlic, onions, carrots, and cabbage until carrots are tender.
3. Add cooked rice, soy sauce, and seasoning to taste (you may not need all of it.)

This is not my dad's authentic fried rice from Taiwan, but is was still delicious. It was so easy to make too! My little girl, who we usually beg to eat dinner, actually wanted seconds. And as a review coming from a girl who hates eggs, I was thrilled that this fried rice was egg-less!

Caramel Popcorn

2010-01-12T21:26:00.000-08:00

Caramel Popcorn
from Mom

INGREDIENTS:
12 Cups popped popcorn (1/2 cup kernels)
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Corn Syrup
1/2 Cup Butter (1 stick)
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Salt

DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring sugar, syrup, and butter to a boil until it reaches soft ball stage (235 degrees).
2. Remove from heat, stir in sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and salt.
3. Add to popcorn.

Pan-Fried Pork Chops

2010-01-12T16:19:00.000-08:00

Pan-Fried Pork Chops
from The Pioneer Woman

INGREDIENTS:
7 pieces Or 8 Pieces Breakfast Chops (very Thin Bone-in Pork Chops)
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
Cayenne Pepper To Taste
½ cups Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon Butter
Extra Salt And Pepper, To Taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Rinse pork chops. Salt and pepper both sides of the pork chops.
2. Combine all dry ingredients. Dredge each side of the pork chops in the flour mixture, then set aside on a plate.
3. Heat canola oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add butter. When butter is melted and butter/oil mixture is hot, cook 3 pork chops at a time, 2 to 3 minutes on the first side; 1 to 2 minutes on the other side. (Make sure no pink juices remain.)
4. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining porch chops.

*I only used four boneless pork chops; obviously cutting all ingredients in half.

Garlic Knots

2010-01-07T17:22:00.000-08:00

Garlic Knots
from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
1 recipe French Bread Rolls
4-6 garlic cloves finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
4 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix butter and garlic together in a small bowl and let sit while making the rolls.
2. Follow the recipe for the French Bread Rolls, the only change being that instead of shaping them into balls, roll each piece into a four to six-inch rope and form into a knot, tucking the loose ends into the center of the knot. Immediately after the rolls come out of the oven brush the butter/garlic mixture over the rolls. These are best eaten warm!

Ok, these rolls were heavenly. They were so soft, and so warm, and so... yummy! And of course the garlic butter was a wonderful addition, wow!

French Bread Rolls

2010-01-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

French Bread Rolls
from My Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:

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

DIRECTIONS:

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

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

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

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