Indoor S'mores

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.