STEWART FAMILY FOOD

Low Fat Banana Oat Chocolate Chip Muffins

2012-01-13T17:48:00.000-08:00

I am huge muffin fan and when I saw this recipe on "For the Love of Cooking" I knew I needed to try it. Pretty impressive since she says her young daughter came up with the recipe. Except for one thing...my version is modified to make them healthier and tastier! These have a great chocolatey wholesome flavor with a hint of banana. I will absolutely be making these over and over again! Try it this weekend!

Chocolate, Banana, and White Chocolate Chip Muffins:
Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking
Adapted by me...

1/4 cup of butter, softened
1/4 cup plain low fat Greek yogurt
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3 very ripe bananas, mashed up
1 cup of flour
1 cup oat flour (measure one cup quick oats in blender and blend until a course powder forms)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup of white chocolate chips plus additional for topping
1/2 cup of milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter, yogurt, and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend 1 cup quick oats in blender until a course powder forms, then dump into batter. Add 1 flour, baking soda, and salt. Add mashed bananas. Stir in white and milk chocolate chips. Spoon into greased muffin cups. (I used jumbo muffin tin)
Press additional white chocolate chips onto top of muffins if you want to improve the aesthetics.
I got 6 jumbo muffins and 2 regular size out of this recipe. Cook the jumbo about 6-8 minutes more than regular size.
Regular muffins bake 20 minutes
Jumbo 26-30 minutes

Dreamy Fruit Dip

2011-11-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

This delightful orange-tinged fruit dip is a favorite of the (Ralph) Stewart girls, from Grandma Lyle. And it's a hit at parties! It is the perfect compliment to fruit, without being overly sweet (like the dips with marshmallow in it.) I'm posting the "full fat" version, and a similar low-fat version I found online (I haven't tried it, but it looks good.)

Dreamy Fruit Dip

Makes 2 – 3 Cups

· 1 Tbl lemon juice + grated orange rind

· 1 Tbl corn starch

· 1 egg

· 1/2 pint whipping cream

· 1/2 Cup frozen orange juice

Heat OJ in saucepan, stirring constantly. Liquify the corn starch in a little cold water and add to the OJ. Stir constantly until boiling rapidly and it turns glossy. Remove from heat.

Whip whole egg in a bowl. Very slowly add the OJ mixture (so the egg doesn’t cook) and beat it into the egg. Pour mixture back into the saucepan, and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool in a bowl of ice + water.

Whip whipping cream till creamy (not stiff peaked). Fold the OJ mixture into the whipping cream and mix until evenly incorporated.

Serve with your favorite fruits!

Low-fat version:

Orange Fruit Dip

Ingredients:

4 oz (half of 8-oz package) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
1 container (6 oz) Yoplait® Original 99% Fat Free orange crème or French vanilla yogurt
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
Assorted fresh fruit for dipping, if desired

Directions:

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on low speed until smooth.
Add yogurt, powdered sugar, orange juice concentrate and vanilla; beat 30 to 60 seconds on low speed until blended and smooth. Gently stir in whipped topping until well blended. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 24 hours. Serve with fresh fruit.

Yields 12 Servings (2 tablespoons dip each).

Nutritional Information:
Calories 50 (Calories from Fat 20); Total Fat 2 1/2g (Saturated Fat 1 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 10mg; Sodium 45mg; Total Carbohydrate 6g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 5g); Protein 1g

Honey Glazed Chicken Stir Fry

2011-11-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

From The Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
1996

Start to finish : 25 minutes
Fast & Low-Fat
Frozen vegetables save on the preparation time.

Ingredients

12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 cups vegetables, fresh or frozen
hot cooked rice or couscous
Directions

1. Rinse chicken; pat dry. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces; set aside. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together honey, vinegar, orange juice, soy sauce, and cornstarch; set aside. (I double to sauce for this recipe, but I am a saucy kind of girl)

2. Pour cooking oil into a wok or a large skillet. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Preheat over medium-high heat. Stir-fry vegetables for 3 minutes or till vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from wok. Add chicken to hot wok. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes or till chicken is no longer pink. Push chicken from the center of the wok. Stir sauce; add to center of the wok. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.

3. Return cooked vegetables to wok. Stir all ingredients together to coat. Cook and stir about 1 minute more or till heated through. If desire, serve immediately over rice or couscous. Makes 4 servings.

Turkey Meatloaf

2011-11-03T18:08:00.000-07:00

My husband the greatest beef lover of all time didn't miss the beef. For me, that makes this recipe a keeper! It was moist and had great flavor. It will be sure to become a regular around here! No picture because meatloaf is not a pretty food. You know what it looks like....looks like meatloaf.

2 tablespoons butter (or margarine)
1 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 lbs ground turkey
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)
3/4 cup catsup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a skillet.
2. Cook onion and garlic in melted butter for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Place mixture in a large bowl to cool for 5 minutes.
4. Combine turkey, bread crumbs, egg, 1/4 cup of the catsup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper with onion mixture.
5. Press meatloaf into an 8x4-inch loaf pan.
6. Spread remaining catsup on top.
7. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes.8(Internal temperature should reach 165 degrees.) Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Linguine Carbonara Pasta

2011-11-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

(picture from cooking light website)
This recipe whips up in a flash and is one that you might just have everything already on hand. Precook the chicken and bacon before hand and everything can come together in 15 minutes. Although this is a healthier, dumbed down version of the Italian classic, it's tasty and will satisfy your family audience. The recipe is adapted from cooking light.
Serves 4

8 ounces uncooked linguine
1/2 lb cooked chicken cut into bite size pieces (optional)
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/4 c grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (2 t dried)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped pancetta (I used bacon)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 large eggs

Preparation
1.Precook chicken and bacon
2. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/3 cup cooking liquid.
3. Combine milk, parmesan, parsley and s&p in a small bowl; set milk mixture aside.
4. Place egg in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Gradually add 1/3 cup reserved hot cooking liquid, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add egg mixture to pan, stirring constantly. Add milk/cheese mixture. cook on low heat 2 minutes or until sauce is thick and creamy. Add milk or more pasta water to sauce until desired consistency is reached.

Hills Butternut Soup

2011-10-06T12:08:00.001-07:00

I always grow butternut squash in my garden each year. My favorite way to eat is is roasted in the oven with red onion but this is a close second. I took bits and pieces of two recipes and I think the addition of apple, ginger, and curry powder give this soup that "je ne sais quoi".

1 medium butter nut squash peeled and cubed into 1 inch cubes
1 Fuji apple peeled and chopped
1 can chicken broth

Put chopped squash,apple and chicken broth in a large saucepan and boil until very tender. Approx 20 minutes.

Meanwhile in a medium skillet saute

2 T butter
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 t grated fresh ginger

Pour sauteed onion mixture into pot with squash. Puree all veggies with an immersion blender or food processor until smooth.

Then add
1 c whole milk
1 c half and half
1/4-1/2 t curry powder
1-2 T brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
dash of nutmeg

Stir and heat for a few minutes but do not bring to a boil. Serve with crusty bread. YUMMY!

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

2011-10-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

*Stole this pic from myrecipies.com b/c my camera is broken but the recipe is mine all mine.
I am LOVING this smoothie right now. I like my sister have an obsession with all things pumpkin flavored and this smoothie really helps me keep the craving to whip up a batch of pumpkin cookies or bread every day at bay.

1 small banana (or 1/2 a lg)
1/2 c vanilla yogurt
1 t pumpkin pie spice (seems like a lot I know, but trust me)
1/3 c pumpkin puree
1/2-1 c ice
1 T honey
4 small store bought gingersnap cookies

*if you only have plain yogurt just add more honey
*don't over do the banana flavor, you want to add thickness without taking away from the pumpkin
*I use Greek yogurt for added protein

Farmer John's Favorite Pumpkin Cookies

2011-10-02T22:33:00.000-07:00

I don't know who Farmer John is, but I love him! I found this recipe in the San Jose Mercury news several years ago, and just now looked it up online and discovered that there actually IS a Farmer John in Half Moon Bay (CA), with his own website, even. www.farmerjohnspumpkins.com.

These cookies have "Jonathan Stewart" written all over them due to their bounteous use of BUTTERSCOTCH chips and frosting. Maybe they should be called "Farmer Jonathan's Favorite Pumpkin Cookies" instead?

Yield: 8-10 dozen.

Cream:: 2 Cups Shortening; 3 Cups Sugar (1.5 Cups Dark Brown, 1.5 Cups Granulated)
Add:: 3 Cups Pureed Pumpkin; 2 Eggs
Combine:: 4 Cups Unbleached Flour; 2 tsp. Baking Soda; 2 tsp. Cinnamon; 1 tsp. Salt; .5 tsp. Ground Nutmeg; .5tsp. Ground Cloves; .5 tsp. Ground Allspice

Stir in:: 2 Cups Butterscotch Chips; 2 Cups Nuts (I use half walnuts, half pecans); 1 cup Raisins

Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake: 10-12 minutes at 375º

Penuche Frosting:

Combine 3/4 stick Butter, 8 tsp Milk, and 1 Cup Brown Sugar in a pan. Cook until sugar is dissolved.

Let cool, then stir in 2 Cups powdered sugar and 1.5 tsp. Vanilla.

Mixture will stiffen when it cools, so I like to keep the pan on the stove on VERY low, to keep the frosting creamy as I frost the cookies.

Lightly glaze the tops of each cookie. Top with chopped pecans if you like nuts. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

These cookies are fluffy and moist! One of the best recipes I've tasted. I got this recipe from a former college roommate, (the late) Laura Mackay. When she first told me about these cookies, I gagged. Who eats pumpkin AND chocolate together? And the batter wasn't very sweet! Well, I've since learned my lesson. These cookies are addictive!

Cream together:

1/2 C shortening (the zero trans fat kind)
1-1/2 C granulated sugar
1 C pure pumpkin (canned)
1 egg
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Mix in:

2-1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 C chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350*. Mix the ingredients above. Dough will be moist and fluffy, goopy. Drop by generous teaspoon-full onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for about 14 minutes (that seems to be the magic number.) Test them at 12 minutes. You do not want to overbake these or they will be too dry. The cookie shape will be imperfect with little swirls of batter -- like meringue -- which should be just slightly browned on the tips.

The cookies will be really moist the next day if you keep them in an air-tight container. ENJOY!

Overnight Waffles with Buttermilk Syrup

2011-08-29T09:33:00.001-07:00

I tried these this weekend and WOOOW! I love breakfast and waffles especially, but I find it's hard to find that great flavor and crispness that you get at a restaurant when you make them from scratch at home. These are BY FAR the best homemade waffles I've made only coming second to my "Golden Malted Waffle Mix" available at Amazon.com. This recipe took seconds to throw together the night before and makes for an impressive and quick meal.
Recipe courtesy of BigOven

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon Instant yeast
2 cups All purpose flour
1 tablespoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 cups milk
8 tablespoon Butter; melted and cooled
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract; optional
Canola Oil; for brushing on waffle iron
2 eggs

How to Prepare Overnight Waffles
1. Before going to bed, combine the dry ingredients and stir in the milk, then the butter and vanilla. The mixture will be loose. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside overnight at room temperature (I found a gallon pitcher worked best)

2.Brush the waffle iron lightly with oil and preheat it. Separate the eggs and stir the yolks into the batter. Beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Stir them gently into the batter. (I did NOT do this step I simply just beat the eggs with a fork for a minute and threw the eggs into the batter without separating them. Seemed to work well.)

3. Pour batter onto the waffle iron and bake until the waffle is done, usually 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your iron. Serve immediately or keep warm for a few minutes in a low oven.

I watch for the steam to stop rising from the waffle iron before I check for doneness. Also, these freeze well if you have extras. A quick toast in the toaster oven crisps them up again and they taste almost as good as fresh.

Buttermilk Syrup Recipe

This syrup is like pouring caramel over your breakfast and truthfully I would use it over all sorts of desserts if you wanted to make your own caramel sauce...the flavor of this one is out of this world!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
In a LARGE saucepan, stir together the sugar, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda. Bring to a boil, and cook for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla.
**This stuff really "grows" as it cooks so make sure your pan is at least 4 qt.

Veggie Lasagna

2011-08-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

Mix together:

30 oz container part skim ricotta cheese
1 c Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 handful fresh parsley (1 T dried)
1 clove garlic

Prepare:

2-3 peeled and shredded zucchini
2-3 peeled and shredded carrot
10 oz fresh spinach washed
1/2 c mushrooms chopped (optional)

You can mix all the veggies together once prepared, or just put them in layers on the lasagna...doesn't matter.

Additional Ingredients:
1 box Lasagna noodles*** (see note)
1/2 c additional Parmesan for top
2 c shredded mozzarella
2 containers of your favorite pasta sauce

Directions:

You can make this dish into 2 small 8x8 pans (one for now, one to freeze) or one large 9x13 pan. Begin by spraying your pan with cooking spray. Then pour a small amount of tomato sauce on the bottom just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Then layer uncooked REGULAR (you DON'T need the no boil kind) lasagna noodles, 1/2 cheese mixture, 1/2 veggies, sauce, then repeat....noodles, cheese mixture, veggies, sauce and noodles. This is the top of your lasagna and you should cover the noodles with any additional sauce you may have. Then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and additional Parmesan. Bake at 375 for 1 hour.

***This lasagna is very moist due to all the veggies and so do not feel tempted to precook your noodles, otherwise it might turn into lasagna soup. When the lasagna comes out of the oven your pasta will be cooked perfectly al dente....prego!

Zucchini Bread --Regular and Chocolate

2011-08-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

(Chocolate Zucchini Bread shown)

This is my favorite way to get rid of those garden zucchini that are going crazy right now!!! None of your neighbors want to take your zucchini's but I bet they won't be able to say no to your delicious zucchini bread!
This recipe is adapted from the favorites cookbook. The adaptations I have made make it healthier, more flavorful, and moist. That's a win, win, win. It's my favorite recipe I've tried....and I've tried a few. So enjoy!

1 c whole wheat flour
2 c all purpose flour
1 T cinnamon
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
3 eggs beaten
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c oil
1/2 c plain yogurt
1 T vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini...(to peel or not to peel you decide)
1/2 c chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 8x4 loaf pans with cooking spray. Set aside.

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Then beat eggs, sugars, oil, yogurt and vanilla. Slowly mix in dry ingredients. Blend in grated zucchini and nuts.

**Now....if you want CHOCOLATE zucchini bread you would add 2/3 c cocoa powder to your dry ingredients. And you could add 1/2 c chocolate chips instead of the nuts. Sometimes I can't decide if I want regular or chocolate so I pour half the regular batter into one prepared pan, and then add 1/3 c cocoa to the remaining batter and mix well. Then voila! You have one of each. Genius.

Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!!!

Hint: These also make great muffins! Just adjust the baking time for 20-25 minutes for regular and 30-35 minutes for the jumbo size.

Hershey's Caramel Pecan Bars

2011-08-20T18:44:00.000-07:00

I made these years ago (like maybe 8 years?) for treats for my mom's choir singers, and a former singer just reminded me of them today, and remembers how amazing they were. So, there you have it. These brownies will linger in your mind and in your mouth for 8 years and counting!

Brownie:

· 1/2 C sugar

· 2 Tbl butter

· 2 Tbl water

-----------------------------

· 2 C (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips – divide in half

----------------------------

· 2 eggs

· 1 tsp vanilla

----------------------------

· 2/3 C all purpose flour

· 1/4 tsp baking soda

· 1/4 tsp salt

Caramel topping:

· Bag of caramels (need 25 pieces)

· 1/2 stick butter

· 2 Tbl milk

· 1 C chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350*. Line a 9” square baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Grease and flour the foil.

In medium saucepan, combine sugar, butter and water. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils, then remove from heat. Immediately add 1 C chocolate chips and stir until melted. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; stir into chocolate mixture. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Meanwhile, prepare Caramel Topping. Remove brownies from oven; immediately and carefully spread with prepared topping. Sprinkle 1 C chocolate chips and pecans over the caramel. Cool completely in pan. When cooled, use the foil to lift brownies out of the pan. Cut into bars.

Caramel Topping:

Remove wrappers from 25 caramels. In medium microwave-safe bowl, place 1/2 stick butter, caramels and 2 Tbl milk. Microwave at HIGH for 1 minute; stir. Microwave an additional 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Use immediately.

South by Southwest Brownies

2011-08-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

This was brownie bake-off recipe #2. I think I saw it in a Southwest Airlines magazine, and ripped it out to take home with me. I become violent when I see chocolate. This brownie has more of a cake-like texture than #1, and didn't have the more sophisticated semi-sweet/bittersweet taste of brownie #1. But it was very moist inside -- if you pinch the crumbs together, it turns to mush. And I've eaten the whole pan myself, so there!

- 1 C unsalted butter
- 2 C sugar
- 4 large eggs @ room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
-------------------------
- 2/3 C unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 2/3 C unsweetened cocoa
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 d. Grease and flour a 9x9 pan, tapping out extra flour. I used cocoa powder, not white flour. (I only had an 8x8 glass pan, so the brownies were thick.)

Melt butter in microwave or in a sauce pan over medium heat on the stove. Remove from heat. Whisk or stir in sugar, followed by eggs and vanilla. Carefully stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Make sure the dry ingredients are well-incorporated and batter is smooth. Pour in the pan and bake 35-40 minutes (since I used a smaller pan and brownies were thicker, it took 40 minutes.) Toothpick test should have a few small clumps on it.

Let brownies cool completely (yeah, right) before cutting and eating.

Gramercy Tavern Chocolate Brownies

2011-08-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

This was my "Brownie Bake-Off" #1 recipe that I tested while my family was enjoying Scotland. (Hmmm, a brownie vs. Scotland. Tough choice!) This recipe is from chef Claudia Fleming of Gramercy Tavern in NYC. I think this was my favorite between #1 and #2 -- it has a more sophisticated chocolate taste and texture. At least, this is the one I would bake for a gourmet gift.

The texture was like a truffle brownie, although it was slightly on the dry side (the brownie was stiff to cut into), but I think I baked it 2 minutes too long. Seriously, ANY over-baking of brownies leads to no good, so I recommend under-baking these.

- 8 oz unsalted butter
- 4 oz premium unsweetened chocolate (e.g. Scharffen Berger)
- 2 large eggs
- 1-2/3 C sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
---------------------
- 1 C unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2/3 C chocolate chips (can also use chopped pecans, but why???)

Preheat oven to 350 d. Grease a 9x9 pan (I only had an 8x8 glass pan, so they were a little thicker, but it worked nicely!)

Melt butter and chocolate together in a bowl, stir until combined (can melt slowly in microwave, or in a double boiler on the stove.) In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla together. Add the melted butter/chocolate mixture, and whisk until incorporated. Fold in the flour and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour into the pan and bake for approx. 30 minutes (the recipe says 35 min. I baked them for 32 and I think it was 2 minutes too long.) The center should be moist but not runny. Cool 5 minutes, then take a knife and gentle loosen the edges. Let cool completely before serving/eating -- if you can wait that long!

Kim's South of the Border Brownies

2011-08-19T20:06:00.000-07:00

This recipe was adapted from a Hershey's brownie recipe. Mine is better, of course! You can add the "special ingredient" for a little kick, or leave it out for a gooey, chocolatey brownie.

- 1 C margarine
- 2 C sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 4 eggs
- 2 Tbl light Karo syrup
-------------
- 3/4 C cocoa
- 1 C flour + 1 Tbl
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste. **optional)

Preheat oven to 350 d. Grease a 9x13 pan.

Melt margarine on stove. Stir in sugar, vanilla, Karo syrup. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with a spoon (I always use a wooden spoon -- just works best!) Mix in cocoa, flour, baking powder, salt, and cayenne pepper.

Pour into pan. Bake 25-30 minutes depending on oven (but best if "underbaked.") YUM!

King Arthur Fudgy Brownies

2011-08-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

These brownies are the BEST! They make a thick, decadent brownie in a 9"x13" pan. I use this recipe for holiday brownies when I'm taking gifts to people, etc. You can "dress them up" to make them fancy, or just leave plain.

· 1 C (8 oz) salted butter

· 2 ¼ C sugar

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· 1 ¼ C premium Dutch-processed cocoa powder

· ½ tsp salt (or 1 tsp if unsalted butter)

· 1 tsp baking powder

· 1 Tbl vanilla

----------

· 4 large eggs

· 1 ½ C flour (unbleached, all-purpose)

· 2 C (1 12 oz bag) dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350*, lightly grease 9x13” pan.

In medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in saucepan over low heat, melt butter and remove from heat, then add sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just till hot but not bubbling. Mixture will become shiny as you stir it over heat (this will dissolve the sugar and provide a shiny top crust on the brownies). Transfer to a mixing bowl.

Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating till smooth; then add flour and chips, beating till well combined. Spoon the batter into the pan.

Bake brownies for 28-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out dry (though might have a few crumbs on it.) The brownies should feel set both on the edges and in the center. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes, then loosen around edges with a table knife (this helps brownies from sinking in the middle as they cool.) Cool completely before cutting and serving.

Meringue Cookies

2011-05-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

This recipe is one that I have had for years that I got off of foodnetwork.com It is an emeril recipe and turns out great every time! Tip....Separate your egg whites while cold and then let them come to room temperature in a bowl. Also you can make these with or without the chocolate chips and nuts...however you like it.

Ingredients
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2/3 cup superfine granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or finely chopped semisweet chocolate
1 cup finely chopped walnuts (I don't do the walnuts)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until fluffy but not at all dry. (Be careful not to over beat.) Add the sugar gradually, about 3 tablespoons at a time. When 1/2 of the sugar has been added, add the vanilla extract. Continue beating and adding remaining sugar in batches, until all of the sugar is dissolved and the meringue is very shiny and tight. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Working one teaspoon at a time, push a teaspoonful of meringue from the tip of 1 teaspoon with the back of another teaspoon onto the lined baking sheets, leaving 1-inch of space between cookies. Place baking sheets in the preheated oven and turn the oven off. Leave the cookies (undisturbed) in the oven for at least 2 hours and up to overnight, or until cookies are crisp and dry.

Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins

2011-05-30T15:52:00.001-07:00

I Love Love Love Muffins! These are sooooo good. I found these by typing in "best blueberry muffins" in my Google search bar. There were 426 reviews and it got 4 and 3/4 stars. I made a few adaptations and the result was fabulous!

Yields 12 regular muffins or 6 jumbo muffins.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 pint fresh blueberries - rinsed, drained
and patted dry (frozen works too)
3 tablespoons raw or torbino sugar

Directions:
1. Position rack in the middle of oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray the top of a muffin pan with non-stick coating, and line with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, 1 1/4 cups sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Mix together 1 3/4 cup of the flour and baking powder. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. Mix the whole blueberries with the remaining 1/4 cup of the flour, and fold into the batter. Scoop into muffin cups. Sprinkle tops lightly with sugar.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 23 minutes, or until golden brown, and tops spring back when lightly tapped.

I bake these in the texas size muffin tins without liners and they pop out just fine.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

2011-05-19T15:26:00.001-07:00

I have been meaning to try these for a while now and I finally got around to it and they were a bit hit! My kids and family loved this dish. A fun twist on the usual stuffed shells. I split this dish into 2 8x8 pans and popped one in the freezer for a great freezer meal later on.

*Recipe curtosy of Taste of Home

Ingredients
24 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
2 cups salsa (I used 1 cup)
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

TOPPINGS:
8 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
8 tablespoons salsa
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
1/4 cup sliced green onions
Directions
Cook pasta shells according to package directions; drain. In a large nonstick skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the salsa, tomato sauce, corn and beans. Spoon into pasta shells.
Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Top with sour cream, salsa, olives and onions. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (3 stuffed shells with 1 tablespoon each sour cream and salsa and 1-1/2 teaspoons each olives and onions) equals 323 calories, 10 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 36 mg cholesterol, 787 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 23 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat.

Mexican Stuffed Shells published in Light & Tasty June/July 2002, p29

Birthday Cake Pancakes

2011-05-19T15:03:00.000-07:00

Finally,an excuse to have cake for breakfast!!!! (yes there is cake mix in these pancakes) These are so fun for a child's birthday. They are extra special and sweet for their special day....my daughter loved these and I have a feeling it will be a new tradition at our house!

Pancake:
1 1/2c flour
2/3c white or yellow cake mix
1 T sugar
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1-2 cups milk
sprinkles
(the little crunchy ball type worked better than the bigger oblong ones.)
Stir together dry ingredients, then add eggs vanilla and milk. Start with adding one cup milk and then add more until you have a pancake batter consistency. Pour batter over hot griddle and sprinkle sprinkles before flipping pancake.

Glaze:
1 T melted butter
2 c powdered sugar
2-4 T milk (I like you use evaporated milk for better flavor if you have it)

Stir together and add milk until you reach desired consistency. Pour glaze over cooked pancake. Shake a few more sprinkles on....and don't forget the candle on top!

Marinara My Way

2011-03-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but my marinara is drinkable!!! I love love love this recipe and I think it has a few unique twists that make it a step above the rest. It's super easy to throw together and can be done in start to finish 30 minutes! I like my marinara a tad sweet a tad creamy, and not to chunky. I am not a measure-er on this kind of stuff so my recipe is an estimate of how much I think I am adding. So if it needs fine tuning please comment and let me know. Try it, and I think you'll be kissing those cans of sauce at the store goodbye.

1 T olive oil
3/4 c of a large red onion chopped (1 medium, or 2/3 of a large onion)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 c shredded carrot
1 16oz can diced tomato
1 16oz can tomato sauce
1/2 t salt
1/4 t fresh cracked pepper
1 t oregano
2 t basil
1 T sugar
2 "shakes" Worcestershire sauce (1 T?)
1/2 c water
1/2 c half and half

Start by sweating out your onions and garlic in the olive oil. Add the carrot and allow to cook another minute or two. Pour in your diced tomato/tomato sauce and stir. Add spices, sugar, water, and Worcestershire. Allow to simmer on low heat for at least 20, but up to 30 minutes. At this point I remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender you can blend 2/3 of the mixture in a blender or food processor. (watch out blending too many ounces of hot liquids can make a huge mess!) Stir in half and half and serve. Yum!

Sticky Sweet Asian Lemon Chicken

2011-03-31T19:58:00.001-07:00

This is not the bright yellow chicken dish that you order at your favorite Chinese restaurant, but a homemade, less yellow, milder version. This is a recipe that my neighbor has made for me after having babies etc...it was so delicious and my kids gobbled it up so of course I needed the recipe. She was nice enough to share it with me and I know it will become a staple at our house for years to come!

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c flour
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t ground ginger
1 T sesame seeds

Sauce:
(I strongly suggest doubling the sauce)
4 T butter
1/4 c honey
2 T lemon juice
1 T soy sauce

Preheat oven to 350.
Cut Chicken into bite sized pieces. Put flour, salt, pepper, and ginger in a ziploc bag and shake to mix ingredients. Add chicken to bag and shake until all pieces are evenly coated. Remove chicken from bag shaking off any excess flour and put in a greased 9x13 and bake for 20 minutes.
Melt butter in saucepan and stir in other sauce ingredients.
Turn chicken and coat with sauce. Top with sesame seeds. Bake another 15 minutes. The last 3-5 minutes turn on the broiler in oven to brown tops of chicken. Serve over sticky rice.

Honey Balsamic Dressing

2011-03-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

This dressing was introduced to me by my friend and it is similar to one they serve at a popular local restaurant as their house dressing. After trying this recipe it is my new obsession and I have some in my fridge for salads at all times!!! I am addicted and you will be to. This is amazing for events and you can make a lot or a little of the dressing. Oh, also amazing on roasted beets! This recipe makes a lot of dressing so feel free to half it.

Dressing:
1/2 c honey
2 T whole grain mustard (the seedy kind)
1 c balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1 to 1 1/2 c oil (use half Olive Oil half Canola)****
1 to 2 t red pepper flakes (depending on how much kick you want)
1 t salt

Place all ingredients in a blender except oil. Put the lid on and drizzle the oil thru the hole in top of blender until dressing is fully emulsified.

*** Why half olive oil half regular??? Because using all olive oil will give you a super thick consistency...using all regular oil will be runny...thus I like to use half of each so the consistency is just right.

Serve dressing over:
a bag of spring mix
a bag of baby spinach
1 c of crasins
1/2 c feta
thinly sliced red onion
hearty croutons (I love the focaccia croutons from Costco..worth buying especially if you are making this for a shower, or other event)

Add any other ingredients that you like...this dressing is good on everything!!

Oatmeal Creme Pies

2011-03-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

I went to the beach last week, and got a few "Beach snacks" for the kids. This category would be things I don't normally buy for the house. I.e. packaged cookies (NOT worth the calories) and chips. I got a box of Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme pies because if I am going to eat a packaged cookie, it is going to be that, or double stuffed Oreos.

They were better than I remembered, but I still have an aversion to the process and preservatives that go along with packaged cookies, so, I decided that when I got home, I was going to find the best oatmeal creme pie recipe I could find. And guess what, I think I did, on first try.

It seems like I can't make a recipe without a few alterations these days, and this is the same. So, I will post my recipe that I made including adjustments.

1 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (I actually did not measure at this part!)

1 1/2 cups quick oats

Cream Filling (Can be doubled if necessary)

2 teaspoons very hot water

pinch of salt

1 jar marshmallow cream

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions.

Cream butter, sugars, eggs and molasses together. Add vanilla. Combine salt, flour, cinnamon, baking soda. Add to creamed mixture. Then mix in the oats.

Drop dough by tablespoon (I used the small Pampered Chef cookie scoop, and it was the perfect size) on cookie sheets. It is a good idea to use parchment, or stones because cookies lie very flat, and they like to stick to the pan.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Let cool.

Prepare the filling while the cookies cool.

In a batter bowl, dissolve salt in water. Add marshmallow cream and shortening and beat. Add powdered sugar and incorporate well. Add vanilla and pipe on to cooled cookies to make sandwiches.

Ruth's Chris Sweet Potato Casserole

2011-03-10T20:45:00.000-08:00

If you have ever had the pleasure of trying this dish...it's needs no further introduction...

Topping

1 c brown sugar
1/3 c flour
1 c pecans
1 stick softened butter

Sweet Potato mixture

3 c sweet potato (mashed)
1 c sugar
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla
2 beaten eggs
1/3 stick butter

Whip mashed potatoes with other ingredients for 4 mintues...Place in lightly sprayed 9x13 casserole dish. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes until peaks are starting to brown. Top it with pecan mixture and put back in oven for 10 additional minutes.

Heres the video of the chef at the restaurant preparing it...

http://blog.nola.com/dining/2007/11/cooking_new_orleans_style_with_16.html

Greek Lemon Rice

2011-03-10T20:37:00.000-08:00

2 c long grain rice
3 c chicken broth
juice from one lemon (maybe 1 1/2 according to taste)
2 T butter
fresh cracked pepper

Cook rice in chicken broth according to package directions....about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Heat butter in a skillet on high heat until it sizzles. Lift the cover of the pot and quickly pour in the hot butter and close the cover quickly (it will spatter). When the sizzling stops (a few seconds), remove the cover, stir briefly, and recover.

Alow to sit 5-10 minutes before serving. The pilaf is supposed to be smooth and creamy, and slightly mushy. Serve with a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper.

Black Bean Chilaquile

2011-03-10T20:21:00.001-08:00

(this pic is ugly sorry...)
This recipe comes together quickly and is healthy. It's similar to the Mexican Lasagna recipe that is also posted, but I think I prefer this one. Give it a try. I love a good veggie filled dinner that my kids will eat!

1 c chopped onions
1 T olive oil
1 can diced tomato or 1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 1/2 c frozen/canned corn
15 oz can black beans rinsed/drained
2 T fresh lime juice
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 c rinsed stemmed and chopped spinach
1/2 c cilantro
2 c crushed baked or regular tortilla chips
2 c of your favorite salsa
8 oz grated cheddar

1.Preheat oven to 350. Saute onions in oil until translucent. Stir in tomatoes, corn, black beans, lime, salt, and pepper. Heat thru.
2.Blanch spinach greens or use thawed frozen spinach..drain all water from spinach. place spinach and cilantro in food processor and pulse to chop finely (do not puree)
3.Prepare an 8x8 dish with cooking spray. Spread half of crushed tortilla chips on the bottom. Spoon vegetable mixture over chips and sprinkle on 2/3 cheese. Arrange spinach mixture over cheese and top with 1/2 the salsa. Repeat layers once more ending with cheese last.
4.Bake 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Enjoy!

P.S. I have made this without the salsa before and it also works well, it will just not be as moist...but still delish!

E-E-Evil Cookie Dough Brownies

2011-03-10T20:09:00.001-08:00

This dessert is for a special sort of person...a person who like me sometimes just needs a sugary, gluttonous, gut bomb. If you've ever uttered the phrase, "this dessert is too sweet" then don't even attempt this recipe, because it is too sweet. I love it because sometimes your craving something and you can't decide between cookies or brownies...this time you don't have to.

This recipe can also be found on the back of the betty crocker chocolate chip cookie bag...
1 box ofyour favorite brownie mix...I am a brownie snob and will only use ghiradelli
Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on brownie mix box
1 pouch Betty Crocker® chocolate chip cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting, if desired (my brownie mix came with it's own frosting...

Heat oven to 350ºF (325ºF for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray, or grease with shortening. Make brownie mix as directed on box. Spread in pan. (My mix was only for a (9x9 pan so be sure to check the back of the box...if it's a 9x9 pan just use about 2/3 of the cookie dough and feed the rest to your hubby)
Make cookie mix as directed on pouch, using butter and 1 egg. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls evenly onto brownie batter; press down lightly.
Bake 42 to 47 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. (again refer to cooking times on back of brownie mix) Cool on cooling rack 30 minutes. Frost with frosting. For brownies, cut into 7 rows by 6 rows.

Corn Chowder with Chilies

2011-01-12T21:48:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, it is PW overkill. How can I help it when she posts such amazing recipes? Have I even MADE a recipe that I didn't like of hers? I cannot think of one. Serious. So, here goes another!

Ingredients

2 slices Bacon, Cut Into 1/2-inch Pieces (or Smaller)
2 Tablespoons Butter
1-½ whole Yellow Onion, Diced
5 ears Corn, Shucked (about 4 Cups)
2 whole Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce, Finely Diced *Lindsey's notes: I didn't have this, and I think I omitted it all together! No loss in my opinion, but I am sure they are great!
1 whole 4-ounce Can Diced Green Chilies
32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1-½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream *I used whole milk because I have a baby in the house. May have added some 1/2 and 1/2 if I have it on hand.
½ teaspoons Kosher Salt (more To Taste)
3 Tablespoons Corn Meal OR Masa
¼ cups Water

Preparation Instructions

(Carefully) slice the corn kernels off the cob. Set aside.

Add bacon pieces to a pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for a couple of minutes. Throw in diced onion and stir, cooking the onion for 3 to 4 minutes. Add butter and melt. Add corn. Stir and cook for one minute. Add both kinds of chilies and stir.

Pour in chicken broth and cream. Add salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.

Combine cornmeal (or masa) with water. Stir to combine, then pour into the chowder. Cover and cook for 15 minutes over low heat. If chowder needs more thickening, add another tablespoon of cornmeal mixed with water. Cook for another ten minutes.

Serve with crusty sourdough bread or in a bread bowl. Absolutely yummy!

PECAN PIE!

2011-01-12T21:06:00.000-08:00

PW has the best darn Pecan Pie out there. I made it a few times, and it is my hubby's new favorite. At Thanksgiving, it didn't set up. But, I wasn't in my own kitchen, so, you really can't fault me. I know it is awesome, and I don't think I will ever use another one!

PIONEER WOMAN'S PECAN PIE!

Skillet Corn Bread

2011-01-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

Yet another delightful PW recipe. For some reason you cannot search for this recipe on her site and have it come up. So, you have to be sneaky like me and find it. I like this recipe as opposed to my mom's old recipe because my mom's old recipe is A- huge, B- fussy. This is quick, easy, and I usually have all of the ingredients. Plus, it doesn't make a whole ton. Just enough to feed my family. Once my kids are bigger and eating me out of house and home, I will probably have to switch back to my mom's recipe, but here it goes!

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cups milk

1 whole egg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cups shortening *Lindsey's notes: I used butter people. It is just better that way!

2 Tablespoons shortening *butter again for me.

*I also added a 2-3 of tablespoons of sugar. My mom's recipe is sweet, and it is just what I am used to!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. (My skillet is only oven proof up to 400 degrees. I was making it in a 10 inch skillet which is plenty big. My iron skillet is much bigger than that, so, I had to use a smaller one. Be sure your skillet is oven safe. Cooking it on 400 degrees for me worked just fine)

Combine cornmeal, flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl (and sugar if you used it!). Stir together.

Measure the buttermilk and milk in a measuring cup and add the egg. (Buttermilk has become a staple in my fridge, but if you need a cheat, you can combine milk with some vinegar, or lemon juice. See CHEAT HERE!) and add the egg. Stir together with a fork. Add the baking soda and stir.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until combined.

In a small bowl, melt 1/4 c. butter. Slowly add melted butter to the batter. Stir until just combined. In an iron skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium heat on the stove top. Pour the batter into the hot skillet. Spread to even out the surface. Cook for 1 minute (batter should sizzle) and bake for 20-25 minutes in the oven or until golden brown.

Edges should be crispy!

Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

2011-01-12T20:27:00.000-08:00

I know. The name really grabs you huh? I would like to personally thank Ree Drummond again for this picture AND for adding 10 lbs to my thighs.

Now, these are actually posted on her website as FRENCH BREAKFAST PUFFS. I made them as is, and they were amazing. Albeit, NOT HEALTHY.

The other day I was catching up on reading my Everyday Food Magazine. To whomever re-newed my subscription. Thank you. My cooking addiction thanks you too. But I am going to post the recipe that came from THAT magazine, only because it is more healthy, and looks just as delicious. So, there you go.

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature.

3 cups all purpose flour, plus more for pan

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

For the sugar coating:

3/4 cups granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter muffin cups. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions alternating with two additions pumpkin mixture. Beat to combine.

Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each muffin cup and bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Approx. 30 minutes. Let muffins cool for 10 minutes in tins on a rack. Working with one muffin at a time, brush muffin with melted butter (the last 1/4 cup in the recipe) then toss the muffin in cinnamon-sugar coating. Let muffins cool completely on wire rack.

*Lindsey's notes. PW wants you to dunk your muffin in butter. Unless you want to die soon, I suggest doing it the way that Everyday food suggests and just BRUSH the butter on to the muffin before coating it with cinnamon sugar. But that is just me. You can compare the two recipes if you life. PW's recipe just doesn't have as much sugar, nor does she have the pumpkin. They are great both ways.

PW also only cooks them for 20-25 minutes, but they probably need more time with the pumpkin. Start watching them closely at 20 mins. Just to be safe.

World's Best Rolls

2011-01-12T20:18:00.000-08:00

I made a billion rolls this Holiday season. And my thighs show it. However, I found another fantastic roll recipe that has kind of beat out the rest. My favorites are the NO KNEAD DINNER ROLL. They are great, and hold up very well if you are going to make them into buns for something else. Hillary made them recently and gave them a thumbs up. And I agree.

Then I found one on Mel's kitchen cafe called Parker House Rolls. J'adore. I love them. I just felt like they were a lighter and fluffier version of the No Knead Dinner Roll. I don't roll them like Mel does, I just roll them like the No Knead Dinner rolls into 18 rolls that are more set up to be like buns.

THEN, a friend of mine posted THIS roll recipe. Of course, being the lover of bread that I am. I had to try them.

WORLD'S BEST DINNER ROLLS.

They might have a point. They have the same ingredients as our famous Aunt Rita Rolls (which cannot be replaced, but also cannot be made in a day). I think they are lighter, fluffier, and mo' betta than the other rolls, but they don't hold together that well if you are doing a pulled pork sandwich, so just keep that in mind!

Here is the recipe!- Cut and pasted from Our Best Bites!

2 c. whole milk (if you're in a pinch, you can use 2%, but whole is best. Don't use 1% or skim)
½ c. + 1 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1/3 c. (5 1/3 Tbsp.) butter
2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 pkgs. active dry yeast (or 4 1/2 tsp.), preferably bread machine yeast
2/3 c. warm (105-115-degree) water
8-9 c. all-purpose flour
3 beaten eggs

Combine milk, 1/2 c. sugar, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until butter melts. It's salty. It's sweet. Yum.

Remove from heat. Allow to cool to lukewarm. I usually rub some ice cubes along the sides of the pan or pop the entire pan in a sink full of ice cubes to cool the mixture down because this step can take forever. This step is really important because if the mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast.

While the milk mixture is cooling, dissolve the yeast and 1 Tbsp. sugar in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes. If the yeast hasn't bubbled, you'll need to repeat this step--moving on with yeast that hasn't been activated properly will only end in heartache for you and hate mail for us.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 c. flour and milk mixture. Beat on low for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Add yeast mixture and beat on high for 3 minutes.
Add beaten eggs. Why should you beat your eggs first? Same reason you should combine your dry ingredients before adding them to moist ingredients when making cookies and cakes--it ensures everything is well-mixed and can be evenly-distributed through your dough or batter. If you add the whole eggs, your dough may not be as consistent.

Stir in as much remaining flour as needed to make a soft dough. This dough should be very soft--it will be coming away from the sides of the bowl, but it will still stick to your finger when you touch it. Don't worry, it will firm up during the rising process. Part of what makes these rolls so good is that they're so soft and light; if you add too much flour, they will be heavy and dense. Place the bowl in a warm place and cover with a clean towel; allow to rise 1 hour.

See that ghostly reflection in the bowl?? Oh, wait, that's me...

Punch down dough. Lightly flour your work surface and turn dough out onto surface. Divide in half.

Spray 2 9x13 glass pans with cooking spray. Roll first portion of dough into a rectangle and then cut it into 12 equal-sized pieces. I like to use a pizza cutter because it has a blade on each side, so it cuts right through dough without sticking to the blade. This dough should be very easy to work with, almost like playdough. Shape each piece into a ball and place in prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough in the second pan.

Cover with a clean cloth and allow to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. When dough has about 15-20 minutes to go (depending on your oven), preheat oven to 375.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden-brown.

When done, remove from oven. Rub a stick of cold butter over the tops of the rolls. You must now eat one. Now. While it's hot.

Then pop the rest into a bowl and no one will ever know that you cheated.

P.S. Using this filling or these fillings, this dough makes fabulous cinnamon or orange rolls. Just bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Meatballs with Peppers and Pineapple

2011-01-12T20:12:00.000-08:00

My hopes in you coming to this food blog, is that you don't have to worry about whether or not it is going to be a good recipe. The point is: I have tried it, and it is good.

I am sure you can tell by the looks of this picture, which the fabulous REE DRUMMOND took. So, this was a recipe, based purely on looks that I had to try. What I was excited about was the delicious blend of fruit and veggies. And who doesn't like a nice mix of those. So good for you.

If you want her step by step pictures and directions, you are going to have to go there.

Ingredients

1-¼ pound Ground Beef
½ whole Onion, Diced Very Finely
1 whole Egg
½ cups Panko Bread Crumbs (or Regular Breadcrumbs)
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
½ teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper, More To Taste
¼ cups All-purpose Flour
Canola Oil, For Frying
2 whole Green Bell Peppers, Seeded And Diced Roughly *Lindsey's note: I think some asparagus would have been screamin' fantastic with this dish! I added peas though. I had some sugar snap peas on hand.
1-½ cup Fresh Pineapple Chunks
2 cups Beef Stock Or Broth
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
½ cups Sherry Or White Wine Vinegar
⅓ cups Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
Salt To Taste
Crushed Red Pepper, To Taste
Extra Beef Stock If Needed

Preparation Instructions

Combine ground beef, diced onion, egg, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, and crushed red pepper. Mix with hands until combined. Roll meat mixture into small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze on the pan for 15 minutes to firm.

Mix together beef stock, soy sauce, sherry (or vinegar), sugar, and cornstarch.

Heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Roll meatballs in flour, then fry in two batches until nice and brown, about two minutes per batch. Remove meatballs and set aside on a separate plate.

Pour off oil from pan and return pan to medium high heat. When pan is hot, throw in the chopped green peppers and cook for one minute. *Lindsey's note: The Pampered Chef pineapple wedger is an absolute must have, and I noticed that the Pioneer Woman does not have one. Yet, she needs one! Add pineapple to pan and cook for one minute, stirring gently. Pour in stock/soy sauce mixture, then add meatballs. Stir gently to combine and allow to cook and bubble for a few minutes, or until sauce is thickened. Add salt and crushed red peppers to taste. (Hint: this dish is yummy if it’s a little spicy.)

Serve over cooked brown or white rice.

Whole Wheat Bread

2011-01-12T20:04:00.000-08:00

I know there are already several Whole Wheat Bread Recipes on here, and they are all very different. I am going to have to go back through and try them all again to make sure I keep the ones I really like on. (Don't worry Hills, I won't delete any of yours!)

This one is again courtesy of Susan Sanders.

5 cups hot water

1/2 cup oil

1 cup honey

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 Tablespoon salt

2 1/2 Tablespoons yeast

12-14 cups Whole Wheat Flour

*I add 3/4 cup vital wheat gluten to help with texture and preservation.

Combine water, oil, honey, lemon juice and salt and yeast in a large bowl (or mixer) (I proof my yeast first, just in case). Gradually add flour. Knead until dough is soft and doesn't stick to sides of bowl, or until smooth and elastic. Form into loaves and place into prepared loaf pans. Let rise 1 hour. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes then turn oven down to 325 degrees and bake 25 minutes more. Remove from pans and let cool on a rack. Brush tops of loaves with butter. Makes 4 loaves.

*Lindsey's notes. I like this hot/warm oven thing, but I have found it that I like to let my bread rise a touch longer that 1 hour for this recipe, AND, I need to to bake a bit longer. Actually, I think it could bake for 25 minutes at 350, but if you want to do it at 325 like she suggests, I would recommend another 6-10 minutes on the bread. You may have to adjust it according to your oven.

My Favorite White Bread

2011-01-12T19:58:00.000-08:00

I know, white bread is soooooooooo taboo. But, sometimes you need it in a pinch... Like, when you want some. :)

This is the best recipe I have found to date for White Bread. I don't know about you, but I constantly seek bread perfection. So, don't be surprised if I ask you for your bread recipe. I try them all. For now, this is the best White Bread I have found! Thanks so Susan Sanders for sharing it with me!

4 Cups warm water

2 Tablespoons yeast

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon salt

1/2 cups oil

10 cups all purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in water. Add in sugar, salt and let sit for 5 minutes. Add in oil and 6 cups of flour. Stir until smooth (This helps to make sure all of the ingredients are dissolved and well incorporated). Add in remaining flour, 1 cup at at time and mix well until dough forms. Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-8 minutes. Put into a large oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover and let rise until double in size. At least one hour. Punch down and shape into 4 loaves or 4 dozen rolls. Put into prepared pans. Cover and let rise until double in size. About 1/2 hour. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes for rolls or 25-30 minutes for loaves. Remove from pans and brush butter on tops. Let cool on rack a bit then slice, and enjoy.

Asian Chicken Wraps

2011-01-12T19:49:00.000-08:00

You all know I am a long time fan of Mel's Kitchen Cafe. A while ago I went crazy with my printer and printed a bunch of recipes that I wanted to cook. I finally got around to making a few! This was one of my favorites. Mainly because it fits nicely into my new plan.

Actually, that is a lie, but, I fudged it a little bit. I added more veggies that normal, and only ate one with an actual wrap. . .and I made sure that wrap was whole wheat. So, there you go.

*Serves 4-6

Chicken:
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3 (about 1 1/2 pounds) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin, 1/2-inch, strips
1 tablespoon olive oil

Vegetables:
1 tablespoon olive oil *I omitted all of the oil because I was using my awesome non-stick pans.
8 ounces cups sliced white button mushrooms
3 green onions, white and green parts, chopped

*2-3 julienned carrots. The Julienne peeler from Pampered Chef works AWESOME for that!

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

4 cups sliced cabbage or coleslaw mix
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

4-6 soft wrap breads or flour tortillas, slightly warmed

For the chicken, mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add the chicken strips and mix to thoroughly coat the chicken. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring often until it is cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. *I de-thawed my chicken only 1/2 way and sliced my chicken almost paper thin. It makes it very easy to take a bite, and the chicken cooked very quickly! Kind moo shu pork like.

For the vegetables, heat the oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the green onions and the garlic, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the coleslaw mix or cabbage and soy sauce. Add the chicken. Cook, stirring often, until the coleslaw is slightly wilted but still has a bit of crunch, and the mixture is heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir in the hoisin sauce. Serve immediately, rolling up the mixture in soft wrap bread or flour tortillas.

*Lindsey's notes on the recipe.

Pumpkin Bisque

2010-11-17T17:41:00.000-08:00

I was a little skeptical when I got this recipe for my pumpkin tasting. But, I was excited to try it. It turned out to be my favorite, along with the Pumpkin scones. They were BOTH amazing, and because of the ease of the recipe, I couldn't wait to share!

I got TWO Pumpkin soup recipes, and the other called to blend (Like, in a blender) the soup when done. If you can, I would do it, because the smoothness of the soup is much better if not interrupted with an onion.

umpkin Bisque

¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 T butter
2 cups canned pumpkin (which is one 15 oz can)
2/3 cup sour cream
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups light cream ( I used half milk)
½ cup packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. nutmeg

Saute onion in butter. Add everything else and whisk until smooth. Warm over med-low heat until hot. Do not boil, as that will curdle the cream. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream (optional). Or serve with Mexican Cream. Recipe below. Delicious served with rolls."

Mexican Cream

¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup coconut milk
1 TBSP fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp. lime zest

Debbie's Fabulous Chicken Pot Pie

2010-11-17T16:52:00.000-08:00

I have tried many different pot pie recipes in my day, and I thought I had my favorite already nailed down....until I tried this!! One trick I learned is that this can be a great recipe for a FREEZER MEAL! I bulked up the veggies and 1 1/2 times the roux. Half of the mixture went into my 9x9 baking dish and the other half went in a Ziploc bag to be eaten at a later date...genius!

Prep work:
Remove
1 package refrigerated pie crust from fridge

Petite Dice the following
1 c carrot
1 c celery
1/2 c onion
1-2 c potato

Saute all veggies in
1/4 c butter 3-4 minutes. (They do NOT need to be fork tender yet, just get them started)
Stir in 1/2 c flour
2 1/2 c chicken broth
1 c milk

Boil this mixture and season with pepper and garlic salt and season salt to taste. Sauce will thicken to a nice creamy consistency 4-6 minutes.
Lower heat and add
2-4 c cooked and diced or shredded chicken breast.
1 c frozen peas

*don't worry if veggies are not fully cooked at this point..they will finish cooking in the oven.

Pour into a 9x13 dish
(or you can divide into 2 9x9 portions)

If making the 9x13 you will need 1 1/2 pie crusts. Lightly flour your surface and gently roll out and stretch your pie crusts into a more square shape. Overlap and roll the 1/2 pie crust into the full pie crust increasing it's length so it will fit over a 9x13 dish. Place over pot pie filling and roll excess edges under and press with fork making a seal around the edge of the pan. Cut a few air holes to vent. Brush top of crust with milk to create a nice browning effect.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

If you freeze half of your chicken mixture, defrost in fridge and top with one pie crust in a smaller 9x9 dish, then bake as directed.

Creamy Honey Syrup

2010-11-17T16:49:00.000-08:00

This recipe is one that I created for a contest, and it's on the food blog already but I realize that it's tricky to find. This is a great and quick way to take your pancakes or waffles to the next level!!!

Creamy Honey Syrup

1/4 c butter
1/2 c honey
1/2 c lowfat buttermilk
1 T corn syrup
1 T all purpose flour
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, honey, buttermilk, corn syrup, flour, and cinnamon. Stir and bring to a boil. Boil stirring occastionally for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add baking soda and vanilla. It's fun to have your kids around or let one of them add the baking soda because it makes it foam up a bit...this add's body to the syrup. Cool slightly and serve warm over waffles.

Favorite Banana Oatmeal

2010-11-17T07:11:00.000-08:00

This is an easy and quick way to get a healthy hearty start to your day! Serves 1 hungry person.

1/2 c water
1/2 c milk

bring to a boil in a small saucepan

Add

1/2 c rolled oats
1 banana sliced

Cook on medium low heat for 5 minutes. The banana will break down almost entirely and oats will thicken. Let sit to cool 3-5 minutes. Add more milk if necessary until you reach desired consistency. Top with lots of yummy brown sugar...enjoy!

Optional Variations to add after cooking:
1 scoop peanut butter
1 T flax meal
1/4 t vanilla
raisins
dried cranberries or any other dried fruit.

I love this breakfast and I hope you do too...enjoy!

Pumpkin Pancakes

2010-11-14T17:28:00.000-08:00

*not my photo!

My Friend Rachel said she had the most AMAZING Pumpkin Pancake recipe! I got impatient waiting for it to come, so, I made a Martha Stewart recipe instead. Rachel finally got around to sending it to me, and they were so similar, I decided to post Rachel's, because I felt like the MS recipe could have used more PUMPKIN! Rachel's recipe calls for more, so, that is why I am posting it here!

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or cinnamon plus) - more if you like it spicier
1 beaten egg
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
3/4 cup pumpkin
2 tablespoons cooking oil

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture; set aside. Combine egg, buttermilk, pumpkin and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy) Add additional buttermilk to thin the batter, or additional flour to thicken the batter, if necessary.
2. For standard-size pancakes, pour or spread about 1/4 cup batter into a 3-inch circle a hot, lightly greased griddle. For dollar-size pancakes, pour or spread about 1 tablespoon batter into a 1-inch circle onto hot griddle. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are golden brown, turning second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry. Serve warm with buttermilk syrup.

Yield: 8 standard pancakes and 30 dollar-sized pancakes.

Whole Wheat Version: Substitute whole wheat flour for all purpose flour, and substitute brown sugar for white sugar.

Buttermilk Syrup

1 cube butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter and sugar in 4 qt sauce pan and stir until dissolved. Then add buttermilk and heat to a boil. Remove from heat and add baking soda and vanilla and stir.

Cook's Tip: Your syrup will foam up so be sure to use at least a 4 qt sauce pan. This will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to two months.

Candied Pecans

2010-11-14T17:20:00.000-08:00

I recently begged, yes begged for this recipe from a friend. Thanks Lauren for sharing it! I promise, it is already getting good use! I have made 3 lbs. of candied pecans so far! They just happened to end up in my Harvest Salad tonight too!

For One Pound:

1 tsp cold water, wisked together with one egg.

Fold in one pound of Pecans gently.

Add 1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon Vanilla

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine together and spread out on jelly roll pan. Bake at 225 for 1 hour. Your house will smell completely amazing!

Jerk Chicken Salad

2010-11-14T17:19:00.001-08:00

One more, that I made all summer long!

Jerk Chicken Salad
1 tablespoon Garlic Oil or olive oil
1 tablespoon Jamaican Jerk Rub
1 pound chicken tenders
1 medium pineapple
1 red bell pepper
3 green onions (white and light green parts only)
2 heads romaine lettuce
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
6 slices bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
Dressing:
2 limes
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons pineapple preserves

1. In Classic Batter Bowl, whisk together oil and jerk rub with Stainless Whisk. Add chicken tenders; mix well to coat and set aside. Cut pineapple with Pineapple Wedger and slice crosswise into ¼-inch slices. Heat Grill Pan over medium heat 5 minutes. Add chicken; cook 3-5 minutes on each side, turning once. Remove from pan. Add pineapple to pan. Cook 1 minute on each side, turning once; remove from pan. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces using Utility Knife; set chicken and pineapple aside.

2. Thinly slice bell pepper and green onions on Cutting Board with Measure Cups using Santoku Knife. Arrange 12 large lettuce leaves around Simple Additions(R) Large Round Platter. Chop remaining lettuce; set vegetables aside. Drain and rinse beans using Strainer; set aside.

3. For dressing, zest one lime using Microplane(R) Adjustable Grater. Juice both limes into Small Batter Bowl using Citrus Press. Add lime zest, mayonnaise and pineapple preserves to batter bowl; mix well.

4. Layer chopped lettuce, beans, bell pepper, chicken, pineapple, bacon and green onions over each lettuce leaf. Drizzle dressing over salad.

Yield: 6 servings Nutrients per serving: Calories 320, Total Fat 16 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 60 mg, Carbohydrate 24 g, Protein 24 g, Sodium 580 mg, Fiber 5 g

Cook's Tips:
*If desired, 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into strips, can be substituted for the chicken tenders.
*To microwave bacon, line Medium Bar Pan with sheet of Parchment Paper. Arrange bacon slices in a single layer on bar pan; cover with another sheet of Parchment Paper. Microwave on HIGH 4-6 minutes, checking after each 30-second interval and turning once with Bamboo Tongs. Remove bacon to paper towel-lined plate to drain.
*For a kid-friendly version of this recipe, prepare recipe as directed, omitting lettuce. Cook 1 pound rotini pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and toss with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add remaining ingredients; drizzle with dressing and toss gently.

Tropical Chicken Salad

2010-11-14T17:17:00.000-08:00

This is the Salad that I made in the Month of July. It was amazing! I LOVE the salad dressing recipe too!

Tropical Chicken Salad

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 whole pineapple
1 9-10oz package of Baby Spinach Leaves
2 carrots
1 cucumber
1 small red onion
2 avocados
1 cup sliced natural almonds

Honey-Dijon Dressing:
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup honey
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, pressed
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 cup vegetable oil or olive oil
1. In the small Stainless Steel Bowl or Classic Batter Bowl, whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic pressed with Garlic Press and fresh ground salt and pepper from Grinders. Slowly drizzle oil into the bowl in a small stream, whisking constantly until the oil is fully incorporated and dressing is creamy. (This is called an "emulsion" and keeps the dressing from separating.)
2. Wash and dry chicken breasts and place in Deep Covered Baker. Baste Chicken with the dressing using Chef’s Silicone Basting Brush and set aside extra dressing. Cook chicken in microwave, covered, for 13 minutes or until no longer pink. Chop chicken with Salad Chopper and set aside.
2. While chicken is cooking, core and slice pineapple, first with Pineapple Wedger, then Apple Wedger. Slice spears into 1” chunks using 7” Santoku Knife. Place pineapple chunks in Grill Pan and grill until slightly browned to bring out the sweetness of the pineapple.
3. Peel and julienne carrots first with Vegetable Peeler, then Julienne Peeler. Peel cucumber with Serrated Peeler, then core out the seeds with The Corer. Slice red onion thin on the Ultimate Mandoline. Soak onion in cold water for 5 minutes to remove bitterness from the onion. Peel and cube avocados with the Avocado Peeler.
4. Wash and spin spinach leaves in Salad and Berry Spinner. Place spinach in Dots Large Round Bowl. Add carrots, cucumber, onion and slightly toasted almonds to the spinach. Right before serving, top with chicken mixture, grilled pineapple, and dressing. Serve immediately.

Harvest Salad

2010-11-14T17:12:00.000-08:00

Every month I do a cooking demonstration for Pampered Chef. I usually do the same demonstration all month long, unless there is someone who wants something different. I made this salad yesterday, and it was so delicious, I have to share! I wanted to make it for my family, so, tonight, I omitted the chicken, and we ate it as a side salad. Abby wanted to add Pomegranates because I bought a few on sale. It was an amazing kick to the salad!

Harvest Chicken Salad

Dressing:
2 oranges
1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise
2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard (Fancy w/seeds)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon each salt and ground black pepper
1 small garlic clove, pressed

Salad:
6 oz fresh spinach leaves or 3 heads of Romaine Hearts
2 cups diced roasted chicken
1 cup diced celery
2 medium Red Delicious apples
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted pecan halves (optional)

1. For dressing, zest one orange using Microplane Adjustable Grater to measure 2 teaspoons zest. Juice oranges to measure 1/2 cup juice. Combine orange zest, mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, salt, black pepper and garlic pressed with Garlic Press in Classic Batter Bowl; whisk until smooth using Stainless Whisk. While continuously whisking, add orange juice in a thin, steady stream; set dressing aside.

2. For salad, place spinach in bottom of large serving bowl. Dice chicken and celery using Utility Knife. Core apples with Corer and cut into 8 wedges; crinkle cut wedges into small pieces using Crinkle Cutter. Chop onion using Food Chopper. Layer chicken, celery, apples, onion, cranberries and pecans, if desired, over spinach. To serve, drizzle dressing over salad and toss to coat. Top with orange segments and Whole-Grain Croutons, if desired. Serve immediately.

Yield: 12 servings Nutrients per serving: Light (1 cup salad): Calories 100, Total Fat 2 g, Saturated Fat .5 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Carbohydrate 13 g, Protein 7 g, Sodium 170 mg, Fiber 2 g

Cook's Tips: To toast pecans, spread over bottom of Small Oval Baker. Microwave on HIGH 2-3 minutes or until fragrant and lightly toasted, stirring after each 30-second interval.

A 2-pound rotisserie-cooked chicken can be used to prepare this recipe, if desired.

Preparing Orange Segments:

To cut orange into segments, cut a thin slice from the top and the bottom using Utility Knife; stand upright. Cutting from top to bottom, carefully trim away peel and white membrane. Cut down one side of membrane. Angle knife under segment and lift out. Repeat with remaining segments.

Slow Cooker Greek Chicken Gyros

2010-11-08T07:51:00.000-08:00

I Love Love Love Greek food and Chicken Gyros are at the top of my list. This was a great way to make them without any effort on my part. I will definitely be making these again and again!

***Updated Tip*** Costco now carries a great tzatziki sauce that is a great sub for the plain greek yogurt...I buy the pitas there too!

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 medium red onion
2 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 t lemon pepper seasoning
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t allspice

1/2-1 c plain Greek yogurt
pita bread

Place chicken in greased slow cooker. Lay onion over chicken and sprinkle with seasonings. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 hours (my chicken was frozen). After 6 hours pour off excess water and shred chicken. Then stir in 1/2 to 1 cup yogurt based on desired creaminess. Spoon onto warm pita halves. Garnish with Roma tomato slices and cucumber slices. Makes 6-8 servings.
I garnished mine with sauteed zucchini and grape tomatoes (yum). You can make your own pita bread with the delicious recipe on this site...or if your short on time like I was I stopped at a local Greek restaurant and bought the pita bread a la cart and warmed it up with butter on a dry skillet at home....WOW! It was to die for!..Pita bread from the store will never compare so I suggest those options first. Enjoy!

Home Made Focaccia Bread

2010-11-08T07:22:00.000-08:00

2 1/4 t yeast
1 c warm milk
1/4 c olive oil
3 c flour
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1 T chopped rosemary (fresh or dried)

Dissolve yeast in milk. In another bowl combine all other ingredients, add yeast and knead or mix with dough hook for 10 minutes. Spread in a 9x9 greased pan and cover. (I let mine rise in the bowl and then baked on a pizza stone which also worked nicely) Let dough rise one hour. (there is only one rise) Brush dough with additional olive oil and toppings if desired.
Bake at 400 10-12 minutes
serve with balsamic vinegar and oil

Optional Toppings:
Rosemary
Tomatoes
Mozzarella
Minced Garlic
Basil...etc

Pumpkin Pie Waffles

2010-10-31T09:26:00.001-07:00

I found this recipe about 3 or 4 years ago at Williams-Sonoma Online. It is a wonderful recipe, but I have always wanted mine to look like the pictures! Unfortunately, they don't. Not sure if it is my waffle maker, or their recipe but either way, in order to get a little more "crunch" to my waffles this year I decided to whip my egg whites and fold them in. I also put in 1 full teaspoon of soda, as opposed to 1/2. (Of course I omitted the rum, don't usually have it on hand!) I like the adjustments I made and decided two things. . .

ONE: The batter is the most delicious batter I have ever tasted and

TWO: I had forgotten how good these are and will make them at least 3 more times before the holidays are over!

Pumpkin Pie Waffles

Ingredients:

5 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 cup pumpkin puree (you can use canned puree)
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger (I use fresh or 1/2 tsp. ground)
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. double-acting baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs (separated)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Vanilla ice cream and/or maple syrup for serving or a BIG dollop of whip cream. Wish I woulda had that today!

Directions:

Preheat a waffle iron. If you want to hold the finished waffles until serving time, preheat an oven to 200°F.Melt the butter; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, brown and granulated sugars, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Using a rubber spatula or handheld electric mixer, mix together well. Stir in the flour, baking powder and baking soda. The mixture will be thick and a little lumpy. Don't try to smooth it out; just mix until the ingredients are incorporated. In a separate bowl, whip your egg whites into stiff peaks. In another bowl, beat together the milk, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Add the liquid ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir until combined. Fold in the melted butter and egg whites.

Whether or not your irons grids are well seasoned or made of a nonstick material, it is best to lightly butter or spray the grids for these waffles because the batter is quite sticky. Brush or spray the grids again only if subsequent waffles stick.For a Belgian waffle iron, spoon out 2/3 to 3/4 cup of batter (or the amount recommended by the manufacturers instructions) onto the hot iron. Use a metal spatula or wooden spoon to spread the batter evenly over the grids. Close the lid and bake until golden. If the waffle is hard to remove from the iron, peel it off gently and carefully.

Serve immediately or keep the waffles, in a single layer, on a rack in the preheated oven while you make the rest.Serving: Serve these warm and golden, one to a diner, topped with vanilla ice cream and/or maple syrup. Makes about six 4 1/2-inch square Belgian waffles.

Calzone

2010-10-27T20:04:00.000-07:00

1 store bought pizza dough (not the kind you by in a tube...the kind in a bag in the refrigerated food section)
2/3 c ricotta cheese (divided)
1 c fresh grated mozzarella (divided)
1/4 c Parmesan (divided)

Any of the following toppings:

spinach
ham
broccoli (steamed)
chicken
prosciutto
fresh basil
steak and cheddar
Whatever!

(mine was chicken and broccoli)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees
Sprinkle some corn meal on a pizza stone or cookie sheet. I let my pizza stone heat up in the oven while it preheated...right Lindz??
Cut pizza dough in half and roll out each half into approx 10" circle. Your dough should be quite thin. First spread 1/3 c ricotta cheese on HALF of the circle. Top with desired toppings and then 1/2 c grated mozzarella and 2 T parm.
Do not over stuff! you should be able to close it over easily. Then wet the edges with your finger and begin folding dough over in a crimping technique (don't look to close at my picture because I was going as fast as I could since my kids were all starving!!) Basically you push down on the seam with your left pointer finger and pull the edge over so it's covering your left finger and and press...repeat around all unfinished edge. (Yours will be lots prettier than mine)
Make sure to vent your calzone with a few knife slits and brush olive oil over the top and edge. Put on a pizza stone or cookie sheet and bake at 500 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Serve with marinara on top or on the side as a dip. Enjoy!

Yummy Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

2010-10-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

(photo courtesy of Taste of Home)
I made a batch of these this weekend...they were absolutely heavenly!! This will have to be a new October tradition for sure!

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
2 eggs
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup canned pumpkin...I did a heaping 1/2 cup
1/2 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 t all spice
3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING:
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

ICING:
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the eggs, shortening, pumpkin, milk, sugars, pudding mix, salt and 4 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Roll into a 12-in. x 8-in. rectangle; brush with butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough to within 1/2 in. of edges.
Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal. Cut each into 12 slices. Place cut side down in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pans or 2 9 inch rounds. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350° for 22-28 minutes or until golden brown. In a small bowl, combine the water, butter and cinnamon. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread over buns. Serve warm. Yield: 1 dozen.

Family Style Vegetable Beef Soup

2010-10-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

This soup was simple, with few ingredients and no fuss. It is also so comforting and makes you feel all warm and cozy. Sometimes it's tough to get my kids to eat soups, but they loved all the simple and familiar ingredients in this soup. My family gobbled it up!

1 T olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with basil garlic and oregano, with liquid
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
1 package (16 oz)frozen mixed vegetables(mine had green beans, carrot, corn and peas)
1 bay leaf
1 package dry Italian dressing mix
1 c uncooked macaroni

First brown your beef in the tablespoon of olive oil. Season beef with salt and pepper. After pouring off the excess fat, add all diced tomatoes, beef broth, mixed veggies, bay leaf, and Italian seasoning mix. Fill tomato cans with water and add 2-3 cans worth of water to the pot. (Depends on how hearty you want it...but it will thicken up with the addition of the pasta later on.) Give it a good stir and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and cover the pot and let the flavors blend about 20 minutes. Stir in uncooked pasta and cover again for 8-10 minutes until pasta is al dente. Ladle into serving bowls and enjoy.

French Bread

2010-10-17T08:47:00.001-07:00

I know I have sighted Mel's Kitchen Cafe before on this blog. I am loving her bread recipes and find them easy and delicious! I have been using her french bread recipe for a while now. Perfect with spaghetti and makes amazing french toast the next day, of course!

2 1/4 cups warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
5 1/2-6 cups flour stirred before measured

Dissolve sugar and yeast in the warm water. Let this proof. Add salt, oil and 3 ups of flour and beat well. Add in 2 1/2-3 more cups of flour. The dough should clean off the sides of the bowl and not be too sticky, but be careful not to add too much flour. Knead for a few minutes.

Leave dough in mixer to rest for 10 minutes. Stir down (turn on your mixer for 10 seconds) and allow to rest another 10 minutes. Repeat a total of 5 times.

Remove dough from mixer and form into french loaves. Slice top of loaf across the top. Cover lightly and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Brush entire surface with egg wash. Bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

Lighter Beef Tacos

2010-10-17T08:37:00.001-07:00

I found this recipe on Marthastewart.com. I was looking for a taco recipe because I didn't have a packet and I needed to know what seasonings to use. I have never bought another seasoning packet again. Mainly because they are packed with MSG. Which we all know is horrible for you. So, use this recipe from now on!

1 large onion
2 bell peppers
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Course ground salt and pepper
3/4 lb. ground beef

Saute onions and bell peppers and cook until crisp-tender. 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste chili powder and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Add beef. Cook breaking up meat with a MIX AND CHOP! Until no longer pink. About 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and let simmer, mixing all the ingredients and allowing a sauce to form. Serve warm over tacos, burritos, or taco salad!

Pampered Chef- Thai Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

2010-09-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

Oh my. For those of you that don't know, I am a Pampered Chef consultant and have OODLES of recipes right at my fingertips. True. I have already posted a "Peanut Sauce" recipe on here that I make at least a few times a month, but I decided I was going to make all of the recipes out of the Week Day Dinners DONE! booklet this week and this was the first one I made. I enjoyed it SO MUCH I decided to share it!

Enjoy! I am including all of the tools that you can use to make it as well, for you PC Lovers. And, if you want to order any of the tools, please click on my button. Thanks!

3 Limes
1/2 cup creamy peanutbutter
1/4 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp. Thai Red Curry Rub, divided
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Garlic Cloves
1 medium cut lenthwise into quarters
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
2 medium carrots, peeled
6 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro (it is worth a trip to the stor--YUM!)
2 cups cooked white rice. You can use brown, and Jasmin would have been amazing!
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup frozen cut green beans, thawed

Juice two limes to measure 3 Tbs. Cut remaining lime into six wedges; set aside. * I did not measure, and just juiced two limes. To me, it was too tangy. I would just use one, and double the soy sauce.

Combine juice, peanutbutter, broth (forgot it, and I was fine) 2 Tbsp of the rub, soy sauce (double) and pressed garlic. Whisk until smooth and set aside.

Cut onion quarters croswise into strips, cut bell pepper into strips and cut the carrot with the Julienne Peeler (it was the first time I had used the peeler, and it was, of course, AMAZING!) Combine carrots and cilantro in bowl and set aside.

Cook rice. Cut chicken on the crosswise on a bais into 1/2 inch slices. Combine chicken remaining rub and salt in Classic Batter Bowl. Heat oil in Skillet over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until simmering. Cook chicken 5-7 minutes or until chicken is browned and centers are no longer pink, stirring occassionally.

Add onions, bell pepper and beans to skillet. Cook and stir 3-4 minutes until crisp-tender. (I put in the carrots and cilantro too!) Remove skillet from heat. Add peanut butter mixture and remaining cliantro to skillet; mix well. To serve, divide rice among plates; top with chicken and carrot mixtures. Serve with lime wedges.

COOKS TIP -- If you don't have the Thai Red Curry Rub, which I totally recommend after using it tonight, you could use Thai Red Curry Paste. Use 2 tsp. curry paste in the sauce and combine remaining 1 tsp curry paste with chicken mixture.

Carrot Muffins

2010-09-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

Our favorite Sunday morning thing is MUFFINS! Peter's favorite are Carrot Muffins. I have tinkered with the recipe several times, much to my husbands dismay. I think I finally have a rendition that I like!

CARROT MUFFINS

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/3 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 medium carrots, grated (2 cups)

1/2 cup canned crushed pinneapple, drained

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup raisins

Blend all dry ingredients and add eggs, oil, vanilla, carrots, pinneapple, applesauce and raisins. Stir with a spoon until ingredients are blended. Do not over mix. Scoop into muffin tins and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Buttermilk Cornbread

2010-08-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

1/2 c butter melted
2/3 c sugar
1 c buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 t baking soda
1 c corn meal
1 c flour
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla

Stir together and pour into a greased 8 inch square pan. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

Garden Stuffed Zuchinni

2010-08-24T06:59:00.000-07:00

This was a great recipe that I tried for a get together I had recently. The results were SOOOO good and everyone at the party LOVED it! Even my husband who is not a zucchini fan told me how delicious it was. It was gone so fast I didn't get a picture of it, but I know I will be making this again so I will try to get one then!

1 overgrown zucchini or 4 medium zucchini's
1/2 c onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 c bread crumbs
2 eggs
3/4 c Parmesan cheese
2 T fresh parsley (can used dried)
4 T fresh basil cut into thin strips (**see tip)
1/3 c fresh tomatoes diced small
salt and pepper
olive oil

First scoop out the zucchini. The one I used was about 14 inches long, (I wouldn't do one any bigger) Put the scooped out portion in a food processor with onion, garlic, bread crumbs, and parsley. Pulse until evenly and finely chopped. If you don't have a food processor you can do this by hand, just chop everything quite finely. Add egg, Parmesan, tomatoes, and julienned basil by stirring in. Add salt and pepper to taste. Scoop mixture back into hollowed out zucchini "boats". Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet or in a 9 by 13 baking dish. Cook at 375 for 30 to 50 minutes depending on the size of your zucchini. Slice and serve warm. Delicioso!
** Basil tip...chop basil by stacking about 5 leaves directly on top of one another. Then tightly roll leaves into a "cigar". Chop crosswise thinly and you'll be left with thin strips of basil perfect for this dish!

Best BBQ Chicken with homemade sauce!

2010-07-07T06:45:00.000-07:00

This recipe has been enjoyed by my family and friends lots of times, and it's great for feeding a crowd. Everyone always asks for the recipe, so here it is...enjoy!

For the Rub
2 T paprika
2 T chili powder
2 t coarse salt
1/2 t fresh ground pepper
1 bone in cut up chicken--about 3 pounds(I use bone in breasts and drumsticks)
2 cups simple homemade BBQ sauce.

Heat grill to medium and lightly oil grates. In a small bowl combine ingredients for the spice rub and sprinkle and rub over all chicken pieces.
Grill chicken, turning about every five minutes until cooked through. (15 to 20 minutes...smaller pieces will cook faster than large breasts.)During final 5 minutes of cooking, baste with BBQ sauce.

Simple BBQ sauce
1 24 oz bottle of ketchup
1 c cider vinegar
1/2 c unsulfured molasses
2 T Worcestershire
1 C water
1 T paprika
1 T onion powder
1 T mustard powder
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 t cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer until sauce thickens and reduces by 1/3. About 30 minutes. Let cool before using. Set 1 cup aside to serve with chicken, while the rest will be used for basting. Stores in refridgerator up to 2 weeks.

Indoor S'mores

2010-05-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

This is a simple recipe, it's like a cousin to the rice crispie treat, but I am always surprized how many people have never tried it. It's SOOO good, and my kids favorite treat that is quick and easy to whip up.

6 cups miniature marshmallows
1/3 cup corn syrup
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips (I use semi sweet)
1 tsp. vanilla
7 cups graham squares cereal
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Preparation:
In a large heavy saucepan over low heat, melt 6 cups of the mini marshmallows, the corn syrup, butter, and 1-1/2 cups of the chocolate chips, stirring constantly.
Remove marshmallow mixture from heat and stir in vanilla. Stir cereal into saucepan and gently stir until coated. Stir in remaining 1 cup mini marshmallows, and press into a greased 9" x 13" pan. Cut into bars when cool. Yields 36 bars

5 ingredient Rosemary and Garlic Pork Roast

2010-05-05T13:07:00.001-07:00

I made this dish for Sunday dinner and it was a huge hit! The recipe comes from a food network show called 5 ingredient fix. Simple, tender, moist, and so much flavor!

Ingredients

1/3 cup Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary leaves, plus 4 sprigs rosemary, with hard woody stems
5 large garlic cloves, 2 cloves minced, 3 cloves smashed
2 pork tenderloins, about 1-pound each (mine was a 1.7 lb)
4 slices maple bacon
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, fresh ground black pepper, chopped rosemary, and minced garlic and mix well. Place the mustard mixture with the tenderloins in a plastic baggie. Mush it around to incorporate all ingredients. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place rosemary sprigs and smashed garlic in the center of a roasting pan. Remove the plastic wrap from the tenderloins and top each with 2 slices of maple bacon. Tie with kitchen twine to secure bacon strips. I did not use kitchen twine, I just tucked the bacon under the meat as securely as I could.

Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer, inserted in the tenderloins, registers 155 degrees F. Since mine was one larger tenderloin (1.7lbs) I cooked it for about 55 minutes. Remove from oven when desired doneness is reached and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes on a cutting board. Remove kitchen twine, slice and serve with your favorite sides. Garnish with the rosemary sprigs and garlic. Enjoy!

Yummy Lime Flank Steak

2010-04-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

Try this yummy Martha Stewart Recipe next time you are cooking a flank steak or London Broil.

Ingredients

Serves 4
1/3 cup (about 4 limes) freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 scallions (about 1/3 cup), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds flank steak
Vegetable oil, for grates
Coarse salt and ground black pepper

Directions
1.In a resealable plastic bag, combine lime juice, soy sauce, scallions, ginger, and red-pepper flakes. Add steak, and seal bag (place in a dish to catch any leaks); marinate in the refrigerator, turning occasionally, up to 1 hour.
2.Heat grill to high; lightly oil grates. Remove steak from marinade, letting excess drip off (discard marinade); season with salt and black pepper. Place on grill; cover. Cook, turning once, until meat reaches desired doneness, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing thinly.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

2010-04-18T14:58:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
6 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
1/3 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup milk
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup + semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Line 12 muffin cups with papers. (I made 6 jumbo muffins)
In a small saucepan over low heat, or in microwave at 1 minute intervals, melt the semisweet chocolate together with the butter.
Let stand until cooled, about 10 minutes.
Lightly beat the eggs. In a small bowl, stir together the chocolate-butter mixture with the milk, sour cream, sugar, egg, and vanilla, until blended well.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, soda, and salt. Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the chocolate mixture, and stir until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the lined muffin cups.
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove muffin tin from oven and let stand at least 5 minutes, before removing the muffins and letting them cool on a wire rack. (I dusted mine with powdered sugar while hot) Serve warm or cooled; can be frozen as well.

"Candy" Salad

2010-04-12T15:43:00.000-07:00

My sister in law Megan brought this salad for a family dinner and everyone went crazy for it. I lovingly call it "candy salad" because of all the sweet ingredients. It's definitely not a salad to eat if your on a diet, but it's way yummy and will win you rave reviews at any function you want to take it to.

Strawberry Heath Salad

1 head Romaine lettuce
Red onion thinly sliced
2 -3 cups Sliced strawberries
Half bag Heath bits (found by choc chips)
Big Handful Fresh Parmesan cheese

Dressing:
1C mayo
1/2 C milk
2/3 C sugar
1/4 C white vinegar
2 tsp poppy seeds

Tortellini with Salmon, Peas and Red Bell Pepper Sauce

2010-02-28T08:30:00.000-08:00

I am a huge fan of one pot meals. Meaning, I can get the veggie, meat and carb all in one dish. I wouldn't say I am huge fan of casseroles, but stir frys and dishes like this turn my crank. Especially if it includes things like fish, which I want my family to eat more of. Enjoy!

2 cups roasted red-bell pepper soup (Pacific has a nice roasted red bell pepper and tomato soup)

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup plain yogurt (the recipe called for 1/2 cup of cream, you can make your substitutions as desired)

1/2 lb. salmon, roasted, grilled or pan seared and cubed

1 cup peas, frozen

1 lb. cheese tortellini

pinch of kosher salt

2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Place soup, garlic salt, pepper and yogurt in a wide skillet. Heat over low to simmer, and add salmon and peas. Meanwhile, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain well. Add tortellini and salt to sauce and heat one to two minutes. I always add the peas right before I am ready to serve so it cools down the kids dish and cooks the peas all in one! Serve with Parmesan and pine nuts as garnish.

4 servings.

Uncle Jeffs Great Green Gobs of Guacamole

2010-02-22T11:03:00.000-08:00

This recipe is courtesy of "Uncle Jeff" an amazing cook, BBQ expert and restaurant owner. If you are ever in Layton Ut, you MUST visit Holy Smoke BBQ! That's his baby. We are SOOOO lucky to have him in our family because his BBQ is unmatched and this Guacamole is the BEST I've ever had. We also love his sense of humor which you will get a hint of in his typing of this recipe. Thanks Jeff for sharing!

Great Green Gobs of Guacamole

Makes about 4 cups

The best—really the only—avocado to use is the variety called Hass, small, nubbly, black-skinned ones from California. (There are those of you who think that nothing good has ever come from California, but hey, these are the same folks that gave us Disneyland and Hollywood Squares.) They should be just ripe, giving slightly to thumb pressure. If there are no Hass avocados or if they are not perfectly ripe, make something else. If there are no ripe tomatoes, omit them, if you can’t find fresh cilantro, so be it: If the avocados are good you won’t miss the cilantro—much. Dice the onions very fine. (If you have time, dice them, and let them sit in cool water for about 30 minutes. Drain well and continue. This will give you onions with a less overpowering flavor.)

Mash the avocados with a fork to produce a coarsely bumpy texture. Never, ever should guacamole be smooth.

Keep it simple. No sour cream, mayonnaise, cottage cheese, garlic salt, Tabasco sauce, lime juice, black olives or grated carrots.

Prep the ingredients in advance and make the guacamole just before you want to eat it. —it only takes 5 minutes. Never stash it in the refrigerator. There’s no such thing as leftover guacamole—eat it or throw it out. It will be garbage long before tomorrow.

1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion.
1 cup finely chopped clean fresh cilantro leaves
2 to 4 fresh jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 perfectly ripe Hass avocados
6 perfectly ripe Italian plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

1. In a blender or food processor combine the onion, HALF the cilantro, the jalapenos, and salt. Puree until smooth.

2. Halve, pit and peel the avocados, in a medium bowl, using a fork, coarsely mash them. Stir in the puree from the processor; then stir in the diced tomatoes, and remaining cilantro. Taste and correct the seasoning—guacamole needs to be properly salted to really out the taste of the avocado—use at once.

Apple Oatmeal Muffins with Streusel Topping

2010-02-21T19:36:00.000-08:00

I tried this recipe this weekend because I've been on a muffin kick. This recipe was really healthy, moist, hearty, and yum. These would also freeze well and you can pop one in the microwave for a warm, comforting breakfast on the go.

Makes roughly 12 muffins

2 c quick oats
1/2 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c white flour (you can use 1 1/4 c white flour if you don't have whole wheat)
3/4 c brown sugar
2 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1/2 t cinnimon
1 c buttermilk
2 T vegetable oil
1 egg beaten
1 c peeled and shredded apple

Streusel Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together all dry ingredints. Then add buttermilk, beaten egg, and vegetable oil. Stir in the shredded apple last and stir until just combined. Spoon into muffin tins filling them full almost to the top.
Combine steusel ingredients and blend with a fork or fingers. Sprinkle over muffin tops.
Bake at 400 degrees for 23-25 minutes.

A-mazing Homemade Whole Grain Bread

2010-02-18T15:40:00.000-08:00

This recipe is a little more work than some, but it is definitely worth the extra effort. It requires making a starter dough the day before, so it takes some planning. The things I don't like about this recipe, is that it takes forever to make and uses too many bowls. The things I do like about this recipe, is that it is the best homemade bread I've ever had....PERIOD. Nuff said. Enjoy.

Starter Dough

2 c cooked whole grains (I used a cooked 5 grain cereal, or you can use plain oats)
2 c water
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 T sea salt
1 T dry yeast
1 c whole wheat flour (more or less)

Blend grains and water in blender or food processor until creamy; pour into a large mixing bowl. Mix in oil, salt, and yeast. Add enough flour to make the mixture look like thick cooked cereal. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave for 12-24 hours at room temperature. Once the dough is fermented, it can be refrigerated for up to a week before using to make bread. If you do refrigerate the starter dough, make sure it comes back to room temp before going to the next step.

To Make the Bread

1/4 c sweetener (maple syrup, honey, or raw sugar)
2 c whole wheat flour
3-4 c unbleached white flour or whole wheat flour

After the 12-24 hours, add sweetener to starter and stir. Add whole wheat flour, stirring it in. As you add the white flour the mixture will be too difficult to stir. Knead it by hand in the bowl and continue to add white flour. When dough is less sticky, transfer it to a floured surface and knead 10-15 min or until dough is soft and springy, but not too sticky. (If you have a bigger Kitchenaid, you can just let it go with the dough hook for 10 min) Wash and dry mixing bowl and oil it. Place dough in bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

To Make Loaves

Lightly oil 2 loaf pans. Divide dough in half. Punch down and loaf the dough in the following way:
-flatten half the dough into a square on your working surface. Press out all air bubbles by slapping dough with the palms of both hands.
-Fold the flattened dough into a triangle and press it down again. (think making a paper airplane)
-Fold 2 corners into center and press again
-Fold top point into the body of the dough and press it down again.
-Pick up the dough and begin rolling it into itself. This stretches the dough and creates a tight roll with no air pockets. Seal the seam by flattening it with the heel of your hand.
-Shape the dough into a nice loaf and place in the pan seam side down. Repeat punching down and shaping with the other half of the dough.

To bake the bread
1 t water
1 t honey or sugar
1 t vegetable oil
1/4 t salt

Mix water, honey, oil and salt in small cup or bowl and coat the top of each loaf with this mixture. Cover and let rise in pans for 45-60 minutes until the loaves double in size. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 45-50 minutes. If you have an instant read thermometer, the internal temperature of the bread should be about 200 degrees. Bread will come out of pans after 5 minutes of cooling. Let cool 30 minutes before slicing (if you can wait!)

Hills Fav Meatballs

2010-02-04T11:05:00.000-08:00

I am making meatballs tonight and I thought I would post my favorite go-to meatball recipe. If you read the list on ingredients, you can tell these are going to be good!

1 lb ground beef
3/4 c seasoned CROUTONS crushed...crush them first, then measure out 3/4 c
( I use a yummy garlic or cheese crouton)
1 egg
2 cloves garlic
3 T Worcestershire
1 T yellow mustard
1 t red pepper flakes
1 t extra virgin olive oil

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and mush until well combined. Then roll into tablespoon size balls. These have a kick so if you want to take the heat down I would omit the pepper flakes.

These can be cooked in a skillet with 1 T butter and 1 T oil for 20 minutes turning often, or cooked in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or boiled about 5 minutes per side. We eat these with marinara, BBQ sauce, or gravy...they are good any way you decide.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes

2010-01-14T07:10:00.000-08:00

I am a HUGE fan of Mykitchencafe.blogspot.com . I just love her recipes and they are usually tasty and pretty healthy too. She also has a healthy love for ROLLS, which I also share. I have tried several of her roll recipes and use them all of the time. I will put them here soon.. Recently, I was looking for a bread recipe on her website (which I didn't find) but I did find THIS! It is a pancake mix for Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes! I liked the good ingredients and the fact that it can be stored to make yummy healthy pancakes at a later time! Try it!

Pancake Mix

*Makes 10 cups of dry mix

3 1/2 cups rolled (quick) oats
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle (or by hand). With mixer on slow speed (or gently by hand), drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of mix in your hand. If it stays together, it is just right. If it is still crumbly, add another tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct (I've never had to add additional oil). Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.

To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup buttermilk (a combination of half plain yogurt and half milk will also work), and 1 egg. The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats. Heat a griddle and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don't break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side. As a side note, buttermilk can be frozen indefinitely for future batches of pancakes, so it's worth keeping it around!

*1 cup of mix will make about 6-7 4-inch pancakes.

**Lindsey's notes: I added 1 more tablespoon of sugar, because that is just the way I am! I also used ground hard red wheat that I had ground in my vitamix. However, I will probably use the store bought stuff from now on (finer mill). Everyone loved them, even though they were a little more crunchy from the vitamix mill and since I didn't have buttermilk on hand, I made my own by adding a little vinegar to my skim milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. VOILA!

Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing

2010-01-03T17:19:00.000-08:00

2 lbs sourdough - cut into 1 inch cubes

3T butter

2 large onions, chopped

1 lb mushrooms, sliced

2 c celery - rinsed, chopped

1/2 c minced garlic (12 cloves)

3 1/2 c chicken broth

4 6oz jars of marinated artichokes

1 c grated parmesan cheese

1 T poultry seasoning

1 T rosemary

3/4 t each salt and pepper

2 large eggs - beaten

Spread bread chunks evenly on baking sheet. Toast at 350 until crisp and golden brown (25 mins). Shake cubes after 15 mins. If you don't have a convection oven - switch pan positions.

Melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring often until veggies are soft and golden brown. To release browned bits from pan - add 1/2 cc broth and stir. In a large bowl, mix veggies, bread crumbs, artichokes, cheese and seasonings. Wisk together remaining broth and eggs. Pour over bread mix. Stir until well coated. Bake in 5 qt baking dish at 350 for 30 mins covered and 20 more minutes uncovered.

ENJOY!

Sweet Potato Wraps

2010-01-03T15:28:00.000-08:00

These are so easy for a light lunch as well as a great vegetarian alternative for a shower, or luncheon. It tastes fresh and healthy and has a different, sweet, mild flavor. I know using canned yams sounds crazy, but I promise everyone will be asking for this recipe!

Flour tortillas (I like the kind you cook in the skillet, found in the refrigerated section of your store, buy the cheese? SOO worth the extra effort)
Canned yams drained and patted dry, and sliced into long julienne like pieces
1 can vegetarian refried beans
fresh tomato diced small
shredded lettuce, romaine or iceberg
cilantro
feta cheese

Place the flour tortilla and spread refried beans over all leaving a 1 inch border around edges. In the middle place lettuce, yams, tomato, a sprinkle of feta and 2 sprigs cilantro. Roll up leaving both ends open, and secure with a toothpick. Slice in half and stack for a nice presentation.

Easy Taco Soup

2010-01-03T15:16:00.000-08:00

This soup hits the spot in the winter and it comes together in a snap. The ranch dressing mix gives it super flavor! The ingredients are probably in your pantry right now, so go whip some up!

Serves 4 adults

1 can tomato sauce 16 oz
1 can diced tomatoes 16 oz
1 can water
1 can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
1 can corn drained
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 package taco seasoning

Brown beef or turkey in bottom of saucepan. Drain fat. Add all other ingredients and simmer to a low boil. Serve immediately or let it simmer, whatever!

Options: Choose the beans you like, and if you want to omit the meat, I would use 2 types of beans, black, pinto, whatever you like.
You can also use the canned chicken from Costco.
Add canned green beans, zucchini, whatever veggies you like.
Garnish with:
grated cheddar cheese
sour cream
chips
sliced green onion

Short Cut Rich Chocolate Mousse

2010-01-03T15:06:00.000-08:00

I love recipes where you make something the easy way and it turns out better than the original. That's the deal with this mousse! It is NO COOK which is also great when your feeling lazy. I got this recipe from my best bud/neighbor who happens to be a wonderful cook and entertainer. These are great for impressing guests with almost no effort!

1/2 c water
1 c sugar
4 eggs
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 t vanilla
pinch of salt

Microwave sugar and water in microwave safe bowl on high for 3 minutes. (Make sure it's boiling)
Meanwhile in a blender beat eggs for a minute or so, then add chocolate chips and pulse to break up the chocolate. Pour in boiling water mixture and blend. Let cool to room temp or below.
In another bowl, beat whipping cream until peaks form. I add my vanilla and pinch of salt to the whipping cream. Gradually fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Spoon into cups or ramekins. Chill in refrigerator 24 hours. Serve chilled with dollop of whipped cream.
Makes 8-10 servings

Bacon to Die For (Literally)

2010-01-03T14:20:00.000-08:00

1 lb thick sliced bacon

Brown Sugar

Pepper

Put Brown Sugar on a plate. Take each slice of bacon and dip into brown sugar. Lay bacon flat on baking sheet. (If you have a rack to lift the bacon up off the baking sheet use it.)

Sprinkle the bacon w/fresh cracked pepper.

Put trays in the oven on 400 degrees and cook for 20 minutes. Sweet and delicious!

Grandma Clark's Dip

2010-01-01T14:59:00.000-08:00

This is Ryan Clark's favorite. Always yummy! Thanks, Grandma!

1 package Knorr Vegetable Dip

12 oz Salsa (in a jar - choose your favorite - I like it chunky)

8 oz sour cream

1 c mayonaise

Mix together and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve w/tortilla chips.

Emeril's Grilled Crawfish-Stuffed Chiles Rellenos w/Salsa & Sour Cream

2010-01-01T14:41:00.001-08:00

1/2 lb peeled crawfish tails (or small peeled shrimp)

1 T Creole seasoning

1/3 c chopped green onion

1 T plus 2 t olive oil

2 t minced garlic

12 large fresh poblano, New Mexico chiles (I used pasilla peppers)

2 large ears corn (or 1 box frozen/roasted in oven)

1/2 t salt

6 oz crumbled soft, fresh goat cheese, room temperature

6 oz grated Colby or mild cheddar cheese

Salsa

Sour Cream

Preheat grill. Season crawfish (or shrimp) with creole seasoning. In a skillet, heat 1T olive oil over medium high heat. Add green onions and garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Add the crawfish tails/shrimp and saute for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Char the chiles over the grill until blackened on all sides. Seal the chiles in a plastic or paper bag and let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, rub 1 t olive oil on each ear of corn and sprinkle w/salt. Grill corn until cooked through - about 8-12 minutes. Remove corn from grill and let cool. Peel and seed the chiles, leaving the stem intact. Set aside.

Cut corn from the cob and place kernels in mixing bowl. Add crawfish tails/shrimp, goat cheese and colby cheese and mix well. Form the mixture into 12 equal portions, about 2T each and stuff into the seeded chiles, pressing to close.

Place the stuffed chiles on the hot grill and cook, turning until the cheese is just melted - about 3 minutes. (I cooked them under the broiler - they seemed too fragile to put back on the grill.)

Serve immediately with salsa and sour cream for dipping, as desired.

Jennyl's Sausage Rolls

2010-01-01T14:35:00.001-08:00

2 c Bisquick

1 pkg Bob Evans Hot Sausage (room temp, uncooked)

12 oz grated Kraft Cracker Barrell Extra Sharp cheddar cheese

Mix ingredients together and roll into golf ball sized balls. Bake 20 mins @ 350 degrees. Drain and serve warm.

Shrimp Dip

2010-01-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

1-2 cans tiny shrimp - rinsed and drained

8 oz cream cheese

1/3 c ketchup

Mix above ingredients w/mixer.

1T Mayo

1T French Dressing

2t worchestershire sauce

1 1/2 t horseradish

2T grated onion

Stir in the above items. Chill and serve w/Fritos.

PW's Pecan Pie

2009-12-21T19:26:00.000-08:00

Let me just start this post by saying, I don't like Pie. Except for THIS one. Wanna see a pretty picture? Please click the link. I try a LOT of PW's stuff, and I always like it. But when I get a sure fire winner, it has to go here as well. This is the BEST PECAN PIE I have ever had. ENJOY.

PW’s Pecan Pie
1 unbaked pie crust
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup melted butter (regular, salted)
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 heaping cup chopped pecans

Mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl. Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the pie shell. Pour syrup mixture over the top. Bake pie at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, being careful not to burn pecans and crust.
Allow to cool for several hours or overnight. Serve in thin slivers.

**Cook's notes: Use a "chopper" if you have one for the pecans. The great thing about this recipe is the awesome 'crust' that forms because of the ultra-fine pieces of pecan on the top of the pie. However, do not chop ALL the pecans to the fine stage. Leave some in bigger pieces for the rest of the pie. Definitely use a HEAPING cup. :)

Jean's "Secret" Chicken and Dumplings

2009-12-21T19:09:00.001-08:00

My mother in law has the best Chicken and Dumplings recipe EVER! Every time I want to make her chicken soup, I have to call and get the ingredients AGAIN. But since I am at their house for the holidays and I have JUST EATEN this soup, I am going to post it RIGHT NOW so I will always be able to share the goodness. She makes this soup for anyone who is in need and it always hits the spot. It has a few *VERY IMPORTANT* special ingredients and you will need them if you want it to be just like hers. Trust me, they are worth the extra effort, or grocery trip.

Chicken and Dumplings

Saute in Olive Oil

1/2 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped (I like more carrots)

Saute until onions are translucent.

Add 8 cups of Chicken Stock..

* SECRET INGREDIENT: She uses "Better than Bouillon Chicken Soup Base" from Costco. It is organic and in a glass jar.. if you can find it, USE IT! 1 tsp bouillon per 1 cup water. Mix together and add to soup.

Add the Chicken of ONE COSTCO CHICKEN! (Hey, if you are going to get the bouillon, get the chicken too!) She adds the legs, and some skin, but not much, and as much meat as you can get off the roasted chicken.

Simmer on low for 1-2 hours if you have the time.

Take leg bones out.

ADD:

2 tsp. dill
2 tsp. poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

ADD:

Two hand fulls of egg noodles. ** SECRET INGREDIENT: Use Country Pasta Egg Noodles Homemade Style (Also from Costco)

At this point, you can call it chicken soup and after your noodles cook, serve it up. If you are trying to make my nostalgic husband happy make the dumplings.

3 cups Bisquick
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Combine until wet. If it is not wet enough, add enough so the mixture is wet enough to dollop.
Drop dumplings on the soup and cook for 10 minutes uncovered and 10 minutes covered.

YUM-O!

Nothing Bundt Cake Like Chocolate Bundt Cake

2009-12-14T11:03:00.000-08:00

We made these cakes for a Christmas party this year and I must say I was not expecting to be impressed. I ended up being REALLY impressed and so was everyone at the party. Let me just say that this cake is sooo moist and the frosting is to die for. Thanks to my neighbor for this great recipe. Give it a try!

1 Devil food cake mix
1 small pkg chocolate instant pudding
4 eggs
1/2 c water
1/2 c oil
1/2 pint sour cream
mix well until blended
grease bundt pan and bake for 35 min @ 375

Frosting:
1/2 c butter
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
melt in sauce pan
add 1/3 c milk
boil until thicken and begins to separate - stir slowly
In mixing bowl combine
3 c powder sugar
pour in chocolate sauce
mix with beaters and add 1/2 tsp vanilla

Drizzle glaze over top.

Penuche Frosting

2009-11-24T12:40:00.001-08:00

In a sauce pan melt 1/2 cup butter (no substitutes). Stir in 1 cup packed brown sugar. Cook and stir until bubbly. Remove from heat. Add 1/4 cup milk; beat vigorously with a wooden spoon till smooth. Add 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, beat by hand till it reaches spreading consistency. Immediately frost the cake as frosting does harden!

Great Harvest-ish Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

2009-10-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe and have tweaked it a little to make it healthier!! It's really yummy although not quite as spectacular as Great Harvest. I'm not that magical. Anyway it's a good recipe to try.

2 c white flour
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
3 c sugar
2 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1 t salt
16 oz canned pumpkin
1 c oil (I did 1/2 c oil, 1/2 c plain yogurt)
4 eggs
2/3 c milk
1 1/2 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 9x5 loaf pans or three 8x4 loaf pans.
Mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnimon, nutmeg, and salt together and set aside.
Mix pumpkin, oil, eggs, and 2/3 c milk together and stir into dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Place batter in prepared pans. Bake 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Simple Crispy Dijon Chicken

2009-10-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you want a meal that is good, quick and has very few ingredients that come straight out of the pantry. Well here you go. I made this last night for my girls and they wolfed it down. I made mine with thin cut boneless pork chops, but you can do chicken too.

1/4 c Dijon mustard
1/4 c evaporated milk
1/4 c plain dry bread crumbs
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb chicken breast or pork thin cut

Stir together evaporated milk and mustard in a shallow dish. In a separate bowl mix breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Heat non stick skillet to med-hi heat and place small amount of oil in center of pan to prevent sticking.
Dredge meat in milk mixture first, then roll in breadcrumbs. Place in hot pan. Cook about 2 minutes per side (depending on thickness of meat)
Serve with a veggie and rice or pasta side. Enjoy

Stacy's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip

2009-10-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

My sister Stacy makes these every year for Halloween and she always puts a generous plop of cream cheese frosting on each one. They are delicious with or without frosting of course.

1 1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c shortening
2 eggs
1 3/4 c canned pumpkin
2 3/4 c flour
1 T baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t ginger
2 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream together shortening and sugar. Then add eggs and pumpkin. After the pumpking mixture is well incorporated, you can add all dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips last. Bake 10 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet.
Cool on a wire rack and top with a dollop of frosting!

Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 c butter
1-2 t vanilla
3-4 c powdered sugar (just keep adding until you have a nice thick consistency)

Pumpkin Roll

2009-10-23T13:17:00.000-07:00

So I copied this basically from My Kitchen Cafe, and my resuts were great! I tweaked the frosting a bit and added the white chocolate chips. I also did not do the nuts. I took it to a Halloween party and everyone loved it! I will definately make this recipe again!

1 c sugar
3/4 c flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs
2/3 cup mashed (canned) pumpkin
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Filling:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 c butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 cup powdered sugar
1 c white chocolate chip (sprinkled on top of frosted cake)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 15 X 10-inch jelly roll pan. Cut wax paper to fit the bottom of the pan and leave an inch overhang on each of the short ends of the pan. Lightly grease the wax paper and sides of the jelly roll pan.
*Tip: Make sure the wax paper isn't hanging over the edge too far, or it will smoke. Just keep it about an inch around the edge and you'll be fine.

Mix the sugar, flour, salt, soda, cinnamon, eggs and pumpkin in a large bowl. Once mixed, pour mixture over the waxed paper. Sprinkle the walnuts, if using, on top of the mixture. Bake for 14-15 minutes until edges pull away from the sides of the pan and center is done.

Lay a large dishtowel on the counter top (it is best to use a dishtowel without any texture - a tea towel or similar towel works best). Spread a thick dusting of powdered sugar all over the towel. When the cake comes out of the oven, turn the pan upside down on the powdered sugar-laden towel so the wax paper is on the top. Gently peel off the wax paper, being careful not to tear the roll. Starting at one of the short ends, roll the pumpkin cake up with the towel to cool. While the roll is cooling, mix the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar together until it is light and creamy. Once the roll is cool, unroll and with an offset spatula, carefully spread filling in an even layer over the cake. Sprinkly white chocolate chips on top of frosting. Roll it up without the towel and place in the refrigerator (covered with plastic wrap or wax paper) for about an hour before serving.

Asian Noodles and Peanut Sauce

2009-10-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

I have been making this recipe for a long time, but for some reason, never have gotten it from my Cooking Light Cookbook to the food blog! Again, I have adapted it for my own needs. . It is a huge hit with ALL the kids and me and Peter too!

8 oz. uncooked Udon or spaghetti noodles
6 Tbls. Water
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 Tbls. brown sugar
2 Tbls. low-sodium (or not) soy sauce
2 Tbls. rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil.
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. chile paste with garlic
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups snow peas
1 red pepper chopped
1 cup shredded carrot
3 chicken breasts, diced

Cook chicken breasts dice and set aside. Bring water to a boil and cook noodles according to package directions, drain. Stir fry peppers, and carrots for 3 minutes until soft set aside.

Combine 6 tablespoons of water, and next 7 ingredients and chile paste if desired and garlic in a small sauce pan. Stir with a wisk until blended. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.

Combine noodles, peanut sauce, peas, carrots and peppers and chicken all together in a large bowl and toss to coat.

Easy Monday Night Stir Fry

2009-10-13T20:08:00.001-07:00

For those of you who read this blog, you KNOW I am a stir fry girl. Love 'em. Easy, packed with veggies. Love it.

Anyway, I am also a huge fan of the Pioneer Woman food blog. . . Most commonly called "foodie p*rn" in our house because she posts delectible pix of fab food. I personally LOVE her picture by picture style (even though I don't typically need the demo) I still think it is fun to get the play by play. It makes it so visual I can almost taste it!

ANYWAY!

Here is a new favorite stir fry that I picke up from her. Enjoy!

MONDAY NIGHT STIR FRY!

Spinach Bowtie Salad

2009-10-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on a food blog (Sorry, I can't remember where!) But I was on the hunt after I had a fabulous Spinach-Bowtie pasta salad at a church event. . I think this is pretty much it, but I am adapting it a bit. So yum. ENJOY!

SALAD:

2 cups cooked chicken (diced or shredded)
1 - 16oz. bag bow tie pasta, aka farfalle (cooked)
1 1/2 bag spinach, I use LOTS of spinach
1 - 6oz. bag craisins
3 - 11oz. cans mandarin oranges (drained)
2 - 8oz. cans water chestnuts1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 bunch green onions (chopped)
1/3 cup sunflower seeds (toasted in oven) - this is optional.
6oz. honey roasted peanuts

DRESSING:
1/2 cup oil
2/3 cup teriyaki sauce
1/3 cup vinegar
6 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS: Cook the pasta. Set aside.Mix the ingredients for the dressing together.Pour the dressing over cooked, drained bow tie pasta and marinate. I tried adding the cooked chicken in this marnade, but it was really just too overpowering. Put the rest of the salad ingredients in bowl (except peanuts because they will go soggy).Add pasta mix. Stir until all the salad is coated with the dressing.Add peanuts last, right before serving.

Bagels

2009-10-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

This recipe was posted on my friends blog, and I made them, and LOVED them! SO YUM! And easy too.

Give them a try. Lots of good for little effort.

http://www.somethingfortheroad.com/2009/06/seriously-easy-seriously-yummy-bagels.html

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

2009-10-05T16:50:00.001-07:00

2/3 c quinoa, rinsed and drained
6 red or orange bell peppers
1 T olive oil
3/4 c diced carrot
1/2 red onion diced
1 10 oz package frozen spinach thawed and drained
1 15 oz can red kidney beans rinsed and drained
1 t chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c grated mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350. Boil quinoa according to package directions. Remove pepper tops, stems and seeds. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and boil peppers for 5 minutes, then drain and set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots and onion and saute until soft. Stir in spinach and beans. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and mix in quinoa and chili powder. Fill peppers with quinoa mixture and place upright on a baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Add just enough water to form a very thin layer in the bottom of the dish. Bake 20 minutes or until tops are lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Peach Salsa Fresca

2009-09-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

So I am going to a recipe group tonight and the theme is finger foods, but I really wanted to do something you utilize the abundance of produce growing in my own backyard. What I came up with is this fresh and flavorful peach salsa fresca. Simple and delicioso!

2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
1 yellow bell pepper finely diced
2 c peaches peeled and diced
5-6 scallions chopped (white parts only)
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
1/2 bunch of cilantro chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped

Chop all above ingredients and toss in a bowl. Make sure you seed the tomatoes as much as possible, otherwise your end result will be too soupy. Also, I like to use Roma tomatoes because they are meatier.

Stir in

1 T garlic salt
1 T onion powder
1 T Mrs. Dash seasoning
pepper to taste
Juice from one lime
1 T honey

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate or serve immediately. If you like a spicier version throw in some seeds from the jalapeno or add a dash of cayenne to taste.

Giada's No Cook Spaghetti Sauce

2009-09-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

This is one of my FAVORITE summertime recipes. Giada calls it Checca sauce. You don't have to cook anything (except the pasta I guess) and the end product is fresh and bursts in your mouth. I grow grape tomatoes every year for the sole purpose of making this dish. I promise if you try it, you will be hooked!

Ingredients
8 ounces spaghettini or angel hair pasta
4 scallions (white and pale green parts only), coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (12-ounce container) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 (1-ounce) piece Parmesan, coarsely chopped
8 to 10 fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the next 7 ingredients in a food processor. Pulse just until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped (do not puree).

Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the tomato mixture and fresh mozzarella in a large bowl. Add some of the reserved pasta water (about 1/4 cup) if the sauce looks dry. Serve immediately.

Oven Roasted Carrots and Beets with Goat Cheese and Rosemary

2009-09-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hi guys...NOT the greatest picture, but that said...this is a little number that I whipped up from the garden. I grew purple carrots this year just for fun (that will explain why the carrots are not orange in the picture) Anyway this is a quick healthy side, that tastes so gourmet without all the fuss...

4-5 carrots peeled and chopped into 2 inch pieces
1 bunch beets (about 4 beets) peeled and sliced thin
3 T fresh chopped rosemary (you can use dried, but only use 3 t dried)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c crumbled goat cheese (you can use feta)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Wash all veggies. Cut the tops off of the beets and also the little "rat tail" like things. Peel carrots and beets with veggie peeler. Sometimes I don't peel the carrots, but I would always peel your beets. Then slice your beets as thin as you can so they will crisp up like a potato chip. (Mine are too thick in this picture) Chop carrots into 2 inch pieces. Place veggies in a gallon size Ziploc bag with olive oil, rosemary and generously salt and pepper. Shake it up until veggies are coated and pour onto a cookie sheet. Bake in oven 20 minutes, then flip and bake 20 more. When veggies have a crisp outer shell and are soft on the inside they are done. About 5 minutes before removing beets from the oven, top with cheese, and allow the cheese to heat and melt slightly. Serve warm or cold.

Homemade Pita Bread

2009-08-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

Have you ever bought pita bread at the store and thought, "ugg this stuff is gross!" Well I have, and I was thrilled when I saw this post on melskitchencafe.com (one of my fave food blogs). I made this recipe just as directed. I used potato flakes in mine not potato flour. It was a little messy, and definately took longer than buying them at the store, but I was rewarded by their soft, warm, deliciousness. These really are good, so if you like to make breads try it for sure!

Soft Wrap Bread
from King Arthur Flour

*Makes about 8-9 breads

3 to 3 1/4 cups (12 3/4 to 13 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) boiling water
1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) potato flour OR 1/2 cup (5/8 ounces) potato buds or flakes (I used potato flakes)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon instant yeast*

Place 2 cups of the flour into a bowl or the bucket of a bread machine. Pour the boiling water over the flour, and stir till smooth. Cover the bowl or bucket and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the potato flour (or flakes or buds) and 1 cup of the remaining flour with the salt, oil and yeast. Add this to the cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for several minutes (by hand, mixer or bread machine) to form a soft dough.

Note: You can allow the dough to go through the entire kneading cycle(s) in the bread machine, but it's not necessary; about a 5-minute knead in the machine, once it gets up to full kneading speed, is fine. The dough should form a ball, but will remain somewhat sticky (the dough is fairly stiff, so don't be worried - just be careful not to overflour the dough). Add additional flour only if necessary; if kneading by hand, keep your hands and work surface lightly oiled. Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 hour (I let mine rise up to 2 hours).

Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each about the size of a handball, around 3 ounces), cover, and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes. Roll each piece into a 7- to 8-inch circle, and dry-fry them (fry without oil) on a griddle or frying pan over medium heat for about 1 minute per side (I cooked mine about 2-3 minutes per side and they didn't dry out), until they're puffed and flecked with brown spots. Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly; cooking too quickly means they may be raw in the center, while too slowly will dry them out. Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack, stacking them to keep them soft. Serve immediately, or cool slightly before storing in a plastic bag.

*This recipe works best with instant yeast because it dissolves during the kneading process, so you don't have to knead liquid into the dough. If you really prefer to use active dry yeast, use only 1 cup boiling water for the initial dough, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water, and add this mixture to the dough along with the potato flour mixture. It'll be somewhat "slippery" at first, but will knead in and eventually become smooth.

Channel 2 Down Home Cooking Contest

2009-08-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! I entered a recipe contest recently and this is the link to the recipe I submitted. The recipe is called Utah Peach Cobbler Waffles with Creamy Honey Syrup. The recipe had to be original and also feature 3 locally made products. This was the idea I came up with and it's really good so hopefully you'll give it a try!
Tip: I have tried these in both a conventional and a Belgium waffle maker and it's works best in just a plain old regular waffle iron. Let me know what you think!
Oh! and one more thing...I forgot to add the 1/4 t nutmeg to the waffle recipe, so you can add that in yourself if you like. Thanks!