Delectable Dining

Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

2010-08-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

Okay... not exactly the healthiest of meals I have prepared-- but definitely one that we will be made again just about as fast as I can! I almost cried when I realized that the leftovers somehow did not make it to the fridge and had to be thrown out instead! My husband and I both loved this recipe, and it made a TON of pizza! Served with a nice fresh salad, you can definitely get a few meals out of this one! Normally I like for my deep dish crust to be a little more buttery (if you've ever had Gino's, you know what I mean) but this is about as close as I have come to replicating authentic deep dish at home. I'd love suggestions if someone has an idea for a different crust!

Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
sliced pepperoni
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
1 small onion, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
28 ounces petite diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Press the dough into the bottom and the sides of a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover bottom of the pan with sliced pepperoni. In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain and sprinkle over dough and pepperoni. Top with all of the mozzarella cheese. In the same large skillet, saute the mushrooms and onion in oil until the onion is tender. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, salt, and garlic powder. Spoon over the Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

Source: Adapted from Taste of Home Grand Prize Winners

Mushroom Pasta Primavera

2010-07-29T10:18:00.002-07:00

I was really excited to find this recipe in the August/September 'Taste of Home' magazine because it gave me a chance to use some of the vegetables that are just now ripe enough to pick from my garden. This is a great summer pasta dish-- light enough to enjoy on a hot day, inexpensive, and altogether pretty healthy! It was also a great option for my milk allergy son as he was able to simply eat his without the Parmesan sprinkled on top.

My one bit of advice would be to have all of your vegetables chopped and ready before starting to cook them. The magazine offers a great tip as well, which I learned from my mother years ago. The recipe calls for peeled tomatoes. In order to peel them easily, drop them into boiling water for about a minute, then immediately into ice cold water. The skins will peel right off for you. If you want to save a step, I really am not so sure that you need to peel them in the first place. I think it would be just fine with the skins left on, and actually might allow the tomatoes to hold up a little better in the cooking process.

Mushroom Pasta Primavera

1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 whole garlic bulb, peeled and minced
15 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 medium zucchini, chopped
2 medium carrots, grated
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 pound cooked pasta (I used fettuccine)
Parmesan cheese to top

In a large saucepan, saute the onion in oil until tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, peppers, water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for another 10 minutes or so, until tender. Serve over the cooked pasta. Sprinkle with cheese.

Source: Slightly Adapted from "Taste of Home" magazine (August/September 2010)

Banana Craisin Bread

2010-06-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

I guess that it has officially been summer break! I just realized how long it has been since I last posted! I sincerely apologize! Apparently I need to get caught up. :) I've been on the lookout for some new breakfast ideas for my kids. It seems that we fall into our cereal rut and don't frequently stray from that routine during the week. For some reason their little internal clocks are okay with venturing out on the weekend, but not at all during the week. When I am home for the summer, I haven't quite figured out how they differentiate between the two. I guess everyone can sense a good weekend!

One of our local grocery stores recently had Ocean Spray Craisins on sale. I picked up a variety of bags (they had several infused with different fruits like blueberry or pomegranate which I would highly recommend) and headed over to the Ocean Spray website to see if they posted any recipes for a breakfast style quick bread. Their recipe search feature is actually pretty advanced-- so check it out if you haven't already played there. I was able to search by category, and then for recipes that specifically included the ingredients I had purchased. They then give you all of the nutritional facts for the recipe. This particular bread was very highly rated on their site, was easy to make, and was very quickly consumed by my little ones-- even on a Wednesday morning! :)

I went ahead and used the pomegranate infused Craisins to make this one. They gave a little extra sweetness to each bite. I would add that this is a great banana bread for people looking for more of a subtle banana flavor. You can see from the color of the bread in the picture above that the banana was not an overpowering ingredient. I think that I might even play with increasing the amount of mashed banana next time I make it. Overall, it is definitely one that will be made again in the very near future.

(As a side note, I was able to easily make this into a dairy free item for my kiddo with allergies by substituting soy milk and soy margarine.)

Banana Craisin Bread
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup mashed banana
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (I omitted)
1 6-ounce package Craisins

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 -inch loaf pan. Mix sugar and butter together in a medium mixing bowl until completely blended. Add banana, milk and eggs, mixing well. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until moist. Stir in nuts and dried cranberries. Spread batter evenly in a loaf pan.
Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool.

Source: Ocean Spray

Skillet Penne and Sausage Dinner

2010-05-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

When I stumbled across this recipe, I knew it was one that would be immediately popular with my family. The creamy, sun-dried tomato sauce is the perfect pairing with the spice of the Italian Sausage. By the time I added the spinach in, I was one happy camper! The flavors had so much dimension and the colors looked beautiful on the finished plate. Not only is it a quick meal to throw together, but it is a one-dish meal which earns even more points on a busy weeknight. The whole meal came together well under 30 minutes and there was barely anything to clean up.

Skillet Penne and Sausage Dinner
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, minced
salt
1 pound sweet Italian Sausage (casings removed)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped fine
8 ounces penne

2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 (5 ounce) bag spinach
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
pepper

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until simmering. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat, until no longer pink. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Sprinkle the tomatoes and pasta evenly over the sausage. Pour the broth and cream over the pasta. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the spinach a handful at a time and cook until wilted, about two minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Source: A Blog About Food, originally from America's Test Kitchen

Chicken Stir Fry Wraps

2010-05-02T05:53:00.000-07:00

This is a perfect light and healthy meal for the upcoming summer months! I've heard several friends raving about a similar dish that can be ordered at a local Chinese restaurant, so I jumped at making these once I saw the recipe. The flavor of these wraps was incredible and the crispness of the lettuce leaves gave just the right amount of crunch to each bite. My one recommendation would be to make these one at a time as you are ready to eat them. The heat from the stir fry will otherwise wilt the lettuce some. The entire meal was ready in under 30 minutes, so it is a great weekday option! The filling heats up really well, so I would even recommend making enough to save some for lunch the following day.

The only change I made was to substitute green peppers for the red. Red peppers have been really high around us lately and I wanted to keep the dish affordable.

Chicken Stir Fry Wraps
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves; halved horizontally and thinly sliced
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons grated, peeled fresh ginger
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on how much heat you prefer)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
12 to 16 Boston lettuce leaves (about 2 heads)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over high heat. Add half of the chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until opaque throughout (about 2-4 minutes). Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. Add the remaining tablespoon oil to the pan, along with the onion and the bell pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until the onion is tender and golden. If the onion is browning too quickly, reduce the heat.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Cook, stirring, until fragrant. Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch mixture. Remove from the heat. Add teh chicken and any accumulated juices; toss to coat. Serve in the lettuce cups.

Source: Great Food Fast, Everyday Food

Chicken Milanese with Spring Greens & Parmesan-Browned Butter Orzo

2010-04-18T06:47:00.000-07:00

Almost a year ago, I was lucky enough to win a subscription to Cooking Light magazine through another great food blog, Grumpy's HoneyBunch. If you don't already get this particular magazine, I'd highly recommend it! I'm always able to find healthy, easy meals to prepare for my family. This particular grouping of recipes is no exception!

For many years now, I have heard my father speak of his new favorite meal-- Chicken Milanese. He had it at one of his favorite restaurants and frequently looks for variations of that original dish. I knew when I saw this recipe in the May issue of Cooking Light, it was a must try! I'm not sure how close this one comes to the dish he referred to, but I do know that this particular attempt was devoured in no time! My husband and I both loved it and will definitely be making it again soon.

Chicken Milanese with Spring Greens & Parmesan-Browned Butter Orzo

3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon minced shallots
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
Dash of sugar
2 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cups packed spring mix salad greens
2 lemon wedges

Combine juice, vinegar, shallots, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and sugar. Let stand for 15 minutes. Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/2 inch thickness using a meat mallet or heavy skillet. Combine breadcrumbs and cheese in a shallow dish. Place flour in another shallow dish and the egg white in a third shallow dish. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Dredge the chicken in flour; dip in egg white, and then in the breadcrumb mixture. Place the chicken aside for 5 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes, turning once browned and cooked for another 2 minutes or until browned and done. Add 2 teaspoons oil and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to the shallot mixture. Stir with a whisk. Add greens and toss gently. Place 1 chicken breast and 1 cup salad on each of 2 plates, served with a lemon wedge.

For the Parmesan-Browned Butter Orzo:
Cook 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat 4 minutes or until browned. Add 1/2 cup orzo; cook for 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons white wine and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 1/4 cup chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 13 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chives.

Source: Cooking Light, May 2010

Grilled Pork Cabobs with Cucumber Tzatziki

2010-04-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

Whenever we are able to get back to my hometown, one of my 'must have' meals is from the best little gyros shop I have been able to ever find! (It doesn't hurt that my husband is a huge fan as well-- he doesn't hesitate when I suggest a quick lunch!) One of the best elements of these sandwiches is the tzatziki sauce and I was really excited to find this recipe featuring the homemade version. I've never tried to make my own before, but this recipe was so simple and easy to throw together. It had a great flavor and was the perfect sauce for these tender pork cabobs. I followed the recipe as listed, except for the substitution of red onions. I prefer their flavor in grilled dishes.

Another benefit, other than the tzatziki sauce, the dish is a dairy-free option for my son! He loved the pork and gobbled up his entire portion.

Grilled Pork Kabobs with Cucumber Tzatziki
4 burrito-size flour tortillas, halved
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
1 pound pork loin, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 onions, cut lengthwise into 8 wedges each (I used red onion instead)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup plain greek-style yogurt
3 tablespoons chopped mint
1/2 English cucumber, grated

Preheat a grill to medium-high. Brush the tortillas with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Tost on the grill until browned, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, toss the pork and onions with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and season with the oregano, salt and pepper, thread onto bamboo skewers. Meanwhile, mash garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a paste. Transfer to a small bowl and add the yogurt, mint, and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Press the cucumber in a sieve to remove excess liquid. Stir the cucumber into the yogurt mixture. Grill the skewers, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with the tzatziki and tortillas.

Source: Everyday with Rachael Ray, May 2010

Bailey's Caramel Shake

2010-03-30T19:02:00.000-07:00

It's been a rough week.

Yes, it's only Tuesday-- but it still feels like a week best remedied by a combination of Bailey's and calories. I don't have any specific measurements for this recipe mainly because people have such varying tastes for their milkshakes. Some people like them thicker, some like them thinner. Some prefer more chocolate, some less. Some people prefer just a faint flavor of the liquor, some might choose to empty out their bottle. No comment on where we fell on that scale! This was such a nice treat that although simple, I still felt the need to blog about it! As we head into some (hopefully) warm spring and summer weather, this shake is the perfect cap on a long day.

Bailey's Caramel Shake
2-3 scoops of vanilla ice cream
milk (amount depending on how thick you want your shake-- it's always easier to add more)
chocolate syrup
Bailey's Caramel to taste

Barefoot Contessa's Homemade Chicken Stock

2010-03-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

I am completely and utterly in love with this soup.

I'm not sure if it was the rustic look of all of the ingredients thrown together in the pot, the unbelievable smell of the fresh herbs simmering on the stove, or the comfort of being able to put it together while working with my mother in the kitchen, but I LOVE this soup! The stock was so rich and dark that it almost looked more like a beef broth. I'm pretty sure that just the idea of this soup could instantly cure any ailment and it will certainly be my new 'go to' chicken soup.

(This chicken stock will last for 5 days in the refrigerator and 6 months in the freezer. It is a great one to make ahead and keep on hand to use as needed.)

Homemade Chicken Stock
3 (5 pound) roasting chickens
3 large onions, unpeeled and quartered
6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
4 celery stalks with leaves, cut in thirds
4 parsnips, unpeeled and cut in half
20 fresh parsley sprigs
15 fresh thyme sprigs
20 fresh dill sprigs
1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

Place the chickens, onion, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, salt, and pepper in a 16-20 quart stockpot. Add 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim any foam that comes to the surface. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 4 hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander, discarding the solids. Pack in quart containers and refrigerate. When the stock is cold, remove the surface fat and refrigerate again. (Makes 6 quarts.)

Source: Back to Basics, Barefoot Contessa

Tortellini with Peas and Prosciutto

2010-03-10T17:59:00.000-08:00

When looking over the list of ingredients for this pasta dish, there was no doubt in my mind that it would be an instant favorite. I found the recipe when browsing through the new "Food Network Magazine" and was intrigued by the use of prosciutto as the base of the sauce. Just as the recipe promises, the entire meal was ready within 25 minutes-- start to finish. I paired it up with a nice crusty French bread and enjoyed every last bite! One adjustment that I did make was to increase the amount of sauce made. My husband tends to be a 'sauce guy' and I knew he'd want more of a saucy finish with this meal. The sauce had a nice, rich flavor and I would definitely increase it again when making this in the future.

Tortellini with Peas and Prosciutto
1 pound meat-filled tortellini
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces prosciutto, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup frozen peas, thawed (I used petite peas)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook as the label directs. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and prosciutto and cook until crisp, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Ladle in about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and simmer until reduced by about half, 3-4 minutes. Add the cream and simmer until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes. About 2 minutes before the tortellini are done, add the peas to the boiling water and cook until just tender. Drain the tortellini and peas and add to the skillet, tossing to coat with the sauce. Stir in the parsley and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Source: Food Network Magazine, April 2010

Chewy Granola Bars

2010-02-20T07:18:00.000-08:00

This is the first recipe I tried from a book that has since become a life-saver. If you are cooking for children with any sort of food allergy, this book is a must-have! It is called the "Kid Friendly Food Allergy Cookbook" and the nice thing about it is that it offers different recipes, then gives you the appropriate variations depending on the allergy you are working with. Even for non-allergy kids, there are lots of great kid friendly meals, snacks, and desserts offered. It was recommended to me by a friend who has been navigating allergies for far longer than I have. She lent me her copy and I went out to buy my own after the first night. These granola bars are perfect for anyone! I found myself addicted to them and I helped my little one polish off the batch we made! The recipe makes a nice amount of bars and they really do last for a long time. As long as they are covered well, we can eat them well over a week. The other nice thing about the recipe is that you can use any combination of add-ins that you have on hand. It's a nice pantry cleaner! :) I have made ours with dried apricots, dried cranberries, dried cherries, raisins, soy chocolate chips, etc. If not working with an allergy, I would love to try cranberries with white chocolate chips. I think they'd be heavenly! As a final side note-- I tend to be hesitant to make anything with a lot of coconut because I really am not a huge fan. The coconut is a must in this one though. The flavor is incredible, even to a non-fan like me!

Chewy Granola Bars
1 cup butter (If going dairy-free, use soy margarine)
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
4 cups oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup chopped nuts
1 cup chocolate chips and your favorite dried fruits (If going dairy free, be sure to use specific soy based chocolate chips)

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12 x 9 inch cookie sheet. In a large pan, heat the butter, sugars, and syrup until melted. Stir in remaining ingredients until evenly combined. Spread the mixture on a cookie sheet and press down, making sure the surface is smooth and even. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes before cutting into bars. I will cut some 'adult sized' bars and then some mini-bars for my children. Once cut, transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Source: The Kid-Friendly Food Allergy Cookbook, by Leslie Hammond and Lynne Marie Rominger

A sincere apology and bribery through French Onion Soup

2010-02-15T13:52:00.000-08:00

To begin with, I owe my followers a sincere apology for my absence over the past few months. I promise I have a good excuse, but I'll get to that in a moment. To make it up to my blogging friends, and to thank you for your patience, I am sharing the most incredible French Onion Soup today. I made this as a special Valentine's Day treat as it is one of my husband's favorites. The recipe is another winner from The Pioneer Woman, and like the rest-- this one does not disappoint. It does take a little bit of time, but not a whole lot of energy. The house smelled amazing and it was the perfect starter for a special meal. As a special note, the flavor of the white wine really does come through, so make sure that you use one you wouldn't mind drinking. My only regret was that I would have loved to brown up the cheese a little bit. It was nice and melted, but not as bubbly as I would have liked. Unfortunately, my crocks were not broiler safe and I can't quite rationalize a kitchen torch at this time. Maybe one day.... :)

Before I get to the recipe, I do want to share that I will be adding a new feature in coming days. Part of my absence was due to the new diagnosis that my son is allergic to cow's milk. Figuring this out has been a true miracle as he has been a completely different child since eliminating milk products from his diet. His digestive system has been completely turned around and the child is now willing to eat regular meals. He's three years old and for the first time is able to eat normal amounts of food, instead of picking as he always had before. The poor thing looked at me the other day and said, "I'm happy because my tummy doesn't hurt anymore." Hard to hear from your little one! I've been doing a lot of research, trying to find foods that are made without milk products, and recipes that fit within his new dietary needs. You wouldn't believe the items that have milk products in them-- it truly has been an education! One thing that I have found is that it can be very difficult to find kid-friendly, dairy-free recipes. Many of the specialty items that you can find locally are incredibly expensive and I have had to learn to make many new items from scratch to control what he does consume. I'm hoping that if I share what I do find, and have success with, then I might be able to help someone else in a similar situation. I've learned so much from the blogs and sites that I have found and would love to be able to pass some of that along. Please watch for these special dairy-free features coming soon!

French Onion Soup
1 stick butter
4-5 large yellow onions, halved from root to tip and sliced thin
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups beef broth
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
French bread
Swiss (or Gruyere) cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add your sliced onions and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes. Place the entire soup pot in the oven, with the lid slightly offset to allow the onions to brown. Cook the onions in the oven for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and burning. Remove the pot from the oven and place it back on the burner. Add the wine before turning the heat back on. Stir in the wine, scraping off the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook on medium for about 5 minutes (or until the wine is able to reduce). Add the beef and chicken broth, the Worcestershire Sauce and the minced garlic. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the bread into thick slices. Butter one side and broil over low heat, allowing the bread to become browned and crispy. When the soup is finished, ladle it into an oven-safe soup crock. Top with the bread and the cheese. Grated works best, but you can use sliced if you have it. Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly. (Please be sure to check your crocks-- mine were not safe to go above 400 degrees in the oven, and this seemed to be a common trait of the soup crocks. I simply melted my cheese at the max temperature.) Serve immediately out of the oven.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Tuscan Pork Roast

2009-11-16T21:17:00.000-08:00

My sister recently posted this recipe and I knew immediately that it would be one my entire family would love. Believe it or not, as picky as my little boy is... he is all about eating pork! Don't tell my classroom of first graders-- they all know how much I love pigs! :) This was an easy meal to throw together and the house smelled incredible as it roasted! I honestly couldn't wait until it was done enough to eat! I do recommend extending the marinating time as my sister suggested. I left mine in the fridge for a little over an hour and the flavors really were allowed to work into the pork nicely. My sister's other suggestion was to up the amount of garlic used. As much as I would have loved it that way, I "took one for the team" and made it as the recipe suggested. I'm not sure my picky eaters would have tolerated as much garlic as I would have liked to have used. Even as written, it definitely has a strong garlic flavor and might be my new favorite pork loin 'go to' recipe.

**As a side note, a huge 'thank you' to Donna for the sweet award! I promise to pass it along very soon! :)

Tuscan Pork Roast

5 to 8 garlic cloves, peeled

1 1/2 tablespoons dried rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 boneless whole pork loin roast (3 to 4 pounds)

In a food processor, combine garlic, rosemary, olive oil and salt; cover and process until mixture becomes a paste. Rub over the roast; cover and let stand for 30 minutes. (At Rachel's suggestion, I let mine stand for over an hour.) Place roast, fat side up, on a greased baking rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1-1/4 to 2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Source: Rachel vs. The Kitchen

Chicken, Mushrooms and Parmesan with Orzo

2009-11-13T17:01:00.000-08:00

I have to admit... I've been feeling like a bit of a blog stalker lately! :) I find that I get hooked on different sites and end up making recipe after recipe suggested by that blogger. Don't worry-- I rotate around and will likely come to yours, next! That's my fair warning! Lately, I have been making quite a few recipes from Pam's site, For the Love of Cooking. I was so excited to find this on a new site, Macaroni and Cheesecake, and was thrilled that I would break up my harassment of Pam in the meantime! I had to laugh when I started to read the post only to find that it was another of Pam's recipes. I guess I haven't broken my pattern after all! I do have to thank Macaroni and Cheesecake for bringing this one to my attention. I'm not sure how I missed it and it might be one of my new favorites!

(As a side note... this dish reheats really well making it a perfect choice for the meal sharing plan.)

Chicken, Mushrooms, and Parmesan with Orzo

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup yellow onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 pound of orzo, cooked per instructions (I actually used closer to a 1/2 pound)
2-3 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Cook the orzo according to the box directions. Add the chicken bouillon cubes to the water while cooking. Drain the orzo thoroughly. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chopped onion, mushrooms, and thyme. Sauté for 5 minutes or until the onion is tender. Add the chicken, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Sauté 7-8 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove skillet from the heat then add the cooked orzo, Parmesan and parsley to the chicken mixture and toss. I served this with a garnish of freshly grated Parmesan and additional parsley.

Source: Macaroni and Cheesecake, originally posted on For the Love of Cooking

Corn and Fingerling Potato Chowder with Bacon

2009-11-09T18:21:00.000-08:00

The moment the weather starts to get cooler, I am all about breaking out the soups, stews, and total comfort foods. This chowder is one that I will likely be making quite often through the winter. This soup definitely can stand on its own as a meal! The bacon flavoring nicely complements the richness of the fingerling potatoes and the corn gives it a texture that can't be beat. I served it with some fresh bread, garnished with additional crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar.

Corn and Fingerling Potato Chowder with Bacon

3 slices lean bacon
1 3/4 cups diced onion
4 cups fresh corn kernels (due to seasonal availability, I used frozen)
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 cup half-and-half
16 ounces fingerling potatoes, diced
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Cook the bacon in a large dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and crumble. Add onion to drippings in pan; cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add corn, chopped thyme, and garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, milk, half-and-half, and potatoes; bring to a simmer. Cover and cook 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

Transfer 2 cups of the potato mixture to a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth; return pureed mixture to pan. Stir in salt and black pepper; sprinkle with crumbled bacon.

Source: For the Love of Cooking

Skillet Chili Mac with Corn and Green Chiles

2009-11-08T06:36:00.000-08:00

This dish, from Donna's blog, immediately gained my attention as a great option for our 'meal sharing' plan. I'm officially dedicating this post to Christy's daughter, Megan, who excitedly named this one "Homemade Hamburger Helper!" :) This was a great recipe for busy families for several reasons: it's inexpensive, it's all made in one skillet-- so much less to clean up, and it comes together incredibly quickly! I will note that if you are making it for kids, you might want to consider decreasing the amount of green chiles you use. I left mine out completely and it still had a nice kick as a result of the chili powder. Thanks, Donna, for another great one!

Skillet Chili Mac with Corn and Green Chiles

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
16 oz. can tomato sauce
2 cups water
8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni
1 cup frozen corn
1 4.5-oz can chopped green chiles
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a mexican cheese blend)

Heat the oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, chili powder, cumin and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink, draining off any grease. Stir in garlic and brown sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato sauce, water, and macaroni. Cover and cook, stirring often and keeping the heat at a steady simmer, until the macaroni is tender, about 12–15 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, frozen corn, green chiles and cilantro and sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top. Cover and let sit off the heat until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

Source: Donna at My Tasty Treasures

Sour Cream Pork Chops

2009-11-05T20:03:00.000-08:00

This is another meal that worked well for our new 'meal sharing' plan! It was actually the main course that I prepared to go with the rice casserole that I recently posted. I was able to brown these chops the night before and get everything ready to go so that I could pop them in the slow cooker before leaving for work and could come home to a hot, home-cooked dinner. They cook all day on low, but like any other meat in a slow cooker, they can easily dry out... so make sure that you don't skimp on the liquid. This is definitely a dish I will make again. They were tender and had a nice, rich flavor. Best of all, they passed the 'kid test'!

Sour Cream Pork Chops
6 pork chops
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cubes chicken bouillon
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and then dredge in 1/2 cup flour. In a skillet over medium heat, lightly brown chops in a small amount of oil. Place chops in slow cooker, and top with onion slices. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water and pour over chops. Cover, and cook on low 7 to 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. After the chops have cooked, transfer chops to the oven to keep warm. Be careful, the chops are so tender they will fall apart. In a small bowl, blend 2 tablespoons flour with the sour cream; mix into meat juices. Turn slow cooker to high for 15 to 30 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve sauce over pork chops.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Rice Casserole and a New Idea!

2009-11-04T15:38:00.000-08:00

My mother has raved about this recipe for years, but I didn't actually get a chance to try it until my sister made it for me last year. Shortly after my daughter was born, my sister made us a wonderful meal of lemon chicken and served it with this rice casserole. The flavors in this casserole define comfort food. The best thing about it is that it reheats beautifully-- so you can definitely make a big batch of it and then you'll have plenty to enjoy through the week.

Recently, my friend Christy and I started a 'meal sharing' plan. We found that we were both rushing each evening to attempt to prepare a meal for our families, and decided that it made much more sense to share the work-- and the rewards! :) We each prepare a dinner to share two nights a week-- picking the nights that fit best into our families schedule. She takes Mondays and Wednesdays and I take Tuesdays and Thursdays, then we each do our own weekend meals. By creating meals to share in this way, we are saving money and are able to enjoy the precious evening time with our kiddos before they fall asleep. It's also a great way to try some favorites from each of our recipe collections. This rice was a perfect side dish for my 'share meal' last night. I was able to prep and cook it the night before and all Christy had to do was reheat it for her family. Watch our blogs for other great meal share ideas coming up! We highly recommend trying a meal swap of your own! Partner up and enjoy your newly found time!

Rice Casserole
1 1/2 sticks margarine or butter
1/2 pound very thin egg noodles
2 cans condensed onion soup
2 cans condensed chicken broth
1 cup water
2 cups minute rice
1 can water chestnuts, sliced and drained

In a large skillet, brown the raw noodles in butter. Stir frequently. Add the remaining ingredients. Bake in a covered 3 quart casserole for 1 1/4 hours at 350 degrees.

Hasselback Potatoes

2009-11-01T08:43:00.000-08:00

Without knowing it, my sister and I both picked this recipe off of Pam's blog and made it on the exact same night! Scary, isn't it? When I saw that she posted hers this morning, I figured I had better post mine as well to keep on the same track! :) I'm sure this isn't the first, or the last time, that this has happened. These potatoes had such a wonderful flavor and were really fun to eat. I find that I am always making potatoes in the same way, and this gave me a great new option to throw in the mix. A couple of notes for making this one: 1.) Like my sister, I found that these took quite a bit longer than I had planned to get tender. Make sure you keep an eye on them, but do not remove them from the oven until the slices are tender enough for your taste. A few of my larger potatoes ended up a bit crunchy. 2.) A lot of times I will use minced garlic as a time saver. I had just purchased the new Pampered Chef garlic slicer so I decided to use that instead. I'm so glad I did! I don't think this is a recipe you can use the minced garlic shortcut with... it's well worth the added time to place fresh garlic in between the slices. If you are making the recipe for little ones, I would suggest just placing a few pieces of garlic in random slices instead of in between each as the recipe calls for. I LOVED it with the full amount of garlic, but I'm not sure my son would have eaten it with so much. 3.) Pam suggests placing a large serving spoon under your potato to keep from accidentally slicing all the way through the potato. This worked really well and saved quite a few potatoes for me!

Hasselback Potatoes

3 Russet potatoes

Olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Dried basil, to taste

Fresh garlic, sliced very thin

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash all potatoes thoroughly. Place each potato on a large serving spoon before slicing. You don't want your cuts to go all the way through the bottom of the potato and the spoon catches your knife from doing so. Season each potato with the basil, salt and pepper. Place a thin slice of garlic in between each of your slices. Place your potatoes in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender. (I found that mine needed closer to 1.5 hours.) As Pam suggested, I served mine with butter and sour cream.

Source: For the Love of Cooking

Fall Cookie Winner

2009-10-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the delay in getting this posted. I am so grateful to everyone who entered the Fall Cookie Giveaway on my SITS day. I've had so much fun reading all of the wonderful comments and look forward to visiting all of your blogs in the coming weeks! It has been a rough week for our family, so no new recipes today... but I did want to post the cookie winner as promised! I will be back very soon with some really great recipes to share!

So-- without further delay... the cookie winner is...

Brandi, at "From My Kitchen to Yours"

Brandi-- Congratulations! Please email me your mailing address at decadentdreamsbakery@yahoo.com so we can get your cookies to you!

Pumpkin Bread

2009-10-23T05:58:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, a sincere thank you to everyone who stopped by yesterday to make my SITS day so special! It might take me a little while, but I plan to be by to explore each of your blogs! The ones I have been to so far have been so much fun! I'll give everyone another day or so to get entered in our Fall Cookie Giveaway... and will announce the winner at some point over the weekend.

The fall season brings so many great 'comfort food' recipes to mind, and this one certainly falls into that category. When a good family friend forwarded this copy to me, she explained that it was coming to me in its original format, "complete with splatters". I *LOVE* the charm of this recipe image that floated its way into my inbox. Before I got married, my family threw me a bridal shower and asked for all of our friends and family to write down their favorite recipes on index cards to present to me at the shower. One of my very wise friends (who was also fully aware of my OCD) wrote me a note and encouraged me to resist the urge to re-type all of these recipes into a standard format. I laughed about it then. Now, as I flip through the cards and recognize the handwriting and care that went into each one, I cannot help but reminisce about many different experiences, situations, stories, and people. To me, this is what baking and cooking is all about. I look forward to one day passing along my box of recipe-filled index cards to my children, but not until I fill it with many of my own as well. I want my children to look back at my handwriting and remember the many memories that we are currently in the process of creating. Thanks, Eileen, for reminding me of that with your email! :)

Pumpkin Bread
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin
1 2/3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup water

Mix all of the ingredients in order. Prepare a loaf pan and pour batter in evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 1.5 hours (check your bread for doneness at 1 hour, 15 minutes.

Source: Eileen Patterson

It's SITS Day!

2009-10-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

I couldn't be more excited about being the Featured Blogger for SITS today! For those of you visiting for the first time, welcome to Delectable Dining! I have been blogging for about a year, but have been cooking and baking for as far back as I can remember. I'm thrilled to have this outlet to share my passion with others!My primary role in life is to take care of my family. I have been happily married to my best friend for the last four years, but just celebrated our tenth year together. I am the proud mother of a three-year-old boy and a nine-month-old girl. Being their mommy has been one of the most rewarding elements of my life and I look forward to every moment that I spend with them, watching them grow. I also work as a first grade teacher and keep myself very busy in this position. It is such a rewarding career and I love to watch the excitement on my students' faces as they gain confidence in their abilities! Life is good!

To introduce you to some of my favorites, I have chosen the following blog posts to share some of my favorite creations! If you check out my index on the right side of the page, you can find different categories of foods and desserts to try for yourself. Now that I am back at work full time, I find the "Weeknight Cooking" recipes to be especially helpful!

The BEST chocolate chip cookies!

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day Cookbook Review

Special Occasion Breakfasts: Chocolate Glazed Cherry Turnovers

And now... in honor of SITS Day... a GIVEAWAY! :)

While I was home on a maternity leave last year, my good friend, Christy, and I started an in-home bakery specializing in customized, hand-painted sugar cookies and other unique treats. We have had so much fun within this creative outlet and enjoy sharing our love for baking with each other! As a special thank you for visiting today, we're having a cookie giveaway to celebrate! We're offering a 7 cookie assortment of fall cookies and we'll ship anywhere in the continental U.S.! You can earn one entry by leaving a comment to this post and can receive another entry if you sign up to follow my blog. (Current followers, you definitely qualify for the second entry as well!) If you have any questions about ordering cookies, please feel free to contact us at: decadentdreamsbakery@yahoo.com.

Thanks for visiting today! :)

Cranberry Chicken

2009-10-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

Contrary to popular belief, I am still among the living! :) I so miss my blogging friends, but haven't been able to find the time to update this site as much as I'd like. I've still been cooking and baking a ton and hope to be able to get more of the recipes posted! In the meantime, I've been keeping an eye on all of your blogs and have been keeping quite a list of recipes I'd love to try.

Fall is one of my favorite seasons, and I especially love some of the traditional foods associated with the season. To me, fall is all about comfort foods-- and this is one of them! My grandmother used to make this chicken dish and just the smell of it baking brought back so many memories. It's a great classic dish that people of all ages love. Best of all, it is one that you can easily keep ingredients on hand for. I've eaten it many times, but this is the first time that I have actually made it myself. It was so easy that I can definitely see it worked into our normal rotation.

Again, I apologize for my absence and promise to share many great recipes in the months to come!

Cranberry Chicken
Assorted chicken pieces
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 bottle french salad dressing
1 can whole cranberries
salt and pepper to taste

Wash chicken pieces and place in a 9 x 13 glass dish. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle one envelope of dry onion soup mix evenly over the chicken. Carefully, spread the salad dressing evenly over the chicken. Follow with the cranberries, spooned over the dressing. Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour, 15 minutes. Uncover and brown for another 15 minutes.

Happy Birthday!

2009-09-07T19:33:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad blogger, but I have a good excuse! My little boy celebrated his third birthday last weekend. I can't even believe that he is already that old!! He's been a bit of a "Mickey Mouse" addict lately, so we had our very own clubhouse party. I had to post a picture of the cake that Christy and I made... but I promise to have a new recipe up soon! Hope everyone is doing well!

Blueberry Pancakes

2009-08-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

The kids are in bed, my lesson plans are done, papers are half-way graded, and I needed a blogging break! I missed my blogging buddies! :)

One of the hardest things about going back to work full time is that I now miss out on morning cuddle time. Luckily, both of my little ones are big cuddlers and we would start every morning cuddling up, having a nice breakfast together, and starting our day. In my effort to be an optimist, I've decided that we will just have to make the most of our lazy weekend mornings. I saw this recipe on allrecipes.com and decided that it would be a great variation on our normal pancakes. It didn't hurt that blueberries were on sale and I had a pint ready to go in the fridge. I will warn that it does take a little bit of planning ahead as the batter needs to sit for about an hour before the pancakes are made. The final product was light and fluffy, and well worth the wait!

Blueberry Pancakes
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons white sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 cup fresh blueberries, plus more for serving

In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. In a small bowl, beat together egg and milk. Stir milk and egg into flour mixture. Mix in the butter and fold in the blueberries. Set aside for 1 hour. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Source: www.allrecipes.com

Sugar Snap and Beef Stir Fry

2009-08-09T05:59:00.000-07:00

This is another great "Chinese Food at Home" recipe! Pam, over at For the Love of Cooking, has not disappointed me yet. I always know I'm going to love her recipes. This dish had an incredible flavor and was really easy to make. My one suggestion wold be to let your meat sit in the marinade for as long as possible. A very busy day (and a scattered mind) resulted in mine marinating for only about an hour and a half. It was wonderful, but would be so much better if allowed to sit longer, as Pam suggests.

Hope everyone is doing well! I haven't had as much time to post comments as I would like, but I am still checking out your blogs to get wonderful dinner ideas for my family! I promise to be better about checking in on your sites once I grow more accustomed to the new schedule!

Sugar Snap and Beef Stir Fry
For the beef marinade:
1 lb flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili sauce
1/4 teaspoon white sugar
1 clove of garlic, minced

(Combine all ingredients in a large zip lock bag and place in refrigerator for 1-6 hours.)

For the stir fry veggies:
Sugar snap peas, trimmed
Broccoli florets, steamed until tender
1/4 cup of shredded carrots
2-3 baby bell peppers, sliced
1/4 red onion, sliced
2-3 green onions, sliced (divided)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1-2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

(Steam broccoli florets. Clean and chop all vegetables then set aside until ready to cook.)

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon chili sauce

(Combine all ingredients and whisk until mixed thoroughly. Set aside.)

Remaining ingredients:
Sesame oil (to cook meat and vegetables)
Sesame seeds (garnish)
Brown rice, prepare according to the directions (I used white rice to keep my husband happy!)

Heat 1 teaspoon of sesame oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add beef to the pan; stir fry for 2 minutes or until done. Place beef in a bowl and set aside. Add the last remaining teaspoon of sesame oil to the pan. Add onion and sauté 1 minute. Add the remaining vegetables along with half of the green onions, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add minced garlic and freshly grated ginger, cook stirring continuously for 45 seconds. Add beef and stir fry sauce then cook for an additional minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve over brown rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

Source: For the Love of Cooking

Porky Top

2009-07-30T05:46:00.000-07:00

This is one of those recipes that you can try to shoot from every angle and still won't get a decent picture of. In retrospect, I really should have taken the sausage off the top because it really doesn't look appropriate! :) I'm hoping you'll be able to look past this to try the dish! This casserole is my husband's ultimate comfort food. It's a meal that his grandmother used to make, and his parents after that. If I remember correctly, it's also the first meal he ever made me. The dish uses ingredients that are fairly easy to keep on hand, and it does get put together pretty quickly.

On a sad note, my blogging is about to get a little more limited. My maternity leave is ending and I am about to head back to teaching full time. The idea of leaving my little ones during the day is really difficult for me to even think about. If I didn't have the BEST babysitter in the world, I wouldn't even be able to imagine it. Needless to say, my evening time will be more limited and as much as I love blogging about recipes, I want every spare second to spend with my family. (Once they go to bed-- the grading pen and lesson planning comes out! :) ) I am still hoping to update my blog on the weekends, and check in with my favorite bloggers whenever I have spare time. I hope you guys will be patient with me... I've developed so many incredible foodie friendships and look forward to continuing to share and discover recipes and ideas with all of you.

Porky Top
2 cans tomato soup
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup green pepper, finely diced
Velveeta cheese
Brown and Serve Sausage (I prefer the 'beef' variety-- but you can use any)
2 cups uncooked macaroni

In a saucepan, mix the tomato soup and water over low heat. Mix in the green peppers. Cook the macaroni noodles according to the directions on the box. In an oven-safe bowl, mix the noodles and the tomato soup mixture together. Cut up 1/2 of the box of sausage (into thin slices) and mix in with the noodles and soup. Cut chunks of the velveeta and also mix in with the noodles. The amount of cheese you choose to add varies, depending on taste. We prefer things pretty cheesy here, so we add quite a bit!

Smooth the top of the casserole mixture. Place the other half of the sausages on top in a pinwheel design. Place small slices of cheese in-between each sausage. Bake in a oven preheated to 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Source: Grandma Ellis

Raspberry Smoothie

2009-07-24T05:38:00.000-07:00

My son recently discovered milkshakes. The kid wants them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. . . with just a few in-between! I can't say I blame him. If it weren't for the fact that you would be rolling me out of my house, I'd probably join him in his quest! Knowing this isn't exactly the healthiest option, I wanted to come up with a way to still satisfy his sweet tooth while giving him a bit more nutritional of a choice. If seeds bother you, you will want to either puree your berries and strain them first, or come up with a different fruit option for your smoothie. I am anxious to make a strawberry-banana smoothie next. I think that would be a hit as well! It couldn't be any easier to throw this together and would be a great "on the go" option for early morning work or school days.

Raspberry Smoothie
1 cup frozen red raspberries (or alternate fruit)
1 cup apple juice
8 ounces vanilla yogurt
1/2 tablespoon honey

Pour ingredients into a blender. Cover and blend until smooth.

Marinated Cucumber Salad

2009-07-22T07:37:00.001-07:00

Last month, my husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary. Even though we celebrated at that point, I couldn't let yesterday go by without acknowledging its importance. Yesterday marked 10 years that my husband and I have been together. I wanted to make a special dinner for him. He's a big seafood fan, so I decided to make the tilapia that my sister posted some time ago. You can find that recipe here-- it is really a good one! One thing that Rachel did say was that there was a bit of heat with this crust due to the red pepper flakes. I knew my husband would love that aspect of it, but I don't do real well with a lot of extra heat. Rather than adjust the seasoning, I made it as she recommended and chose this cucumber salad to be a 'cool' balance to the heat. This salad was incredibly easy to make and came together very quickly. The only thing to note is that it tastes much better served very cold, so make sure that you allow plenty of time to leave it in the fridge before serving. Now that everyone's cucumbers are coming out of their gardens, it is a great, economical choice for a side dish!

Marinated Cucumber Salad
4 cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon dried dill, more or less to taste

Toss together the cucumbers and onion in a large bowl. Combine the vinegar, water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, and pour over the cucumber and onions. Stir in dill, cover, and refrigerate until cold. This can also be eaten at room temperature, but be sure to allow the cucumbers to marinate for at least 1 hour.

***Important note: Don't make the vinegar solution before chopping the cucumber because it's important that the vinegar solution be hot when poured over the vegetables to ensure proper flavoring.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Top Sirloin with Onions and Carrots

2009-07-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

This is another meal from my new Sam's Club cookbook that I wrote about earlier this month. This was the third thing I have tried from it, and I liked it just as much as the others! My only regret with this one was that it really is a meal that is better for fall or winter weather. The picture in the cookbook looked so good that I just couldn't hold off on at least trying it, though! It has all the makings of comfort food and the flavors really blended together nicely. There was a nice sweetness to the vegetables that complemented the beef perfectly. I'll definitely be making it again, but will hold off until cooler temperatures. I say that now but just looking at the picture, I'm craving it again! :)

Top Sirloin with Onions and Carrots
4 slices bacon
4 small onions, peeled and cut into 1-inch slices
8 small carrots, halved lengthwise
4 small red potatoes, cut up (about 1 pound total)
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup beer
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1 1/4 pounds boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1.5-2 inches thick
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Fresh thyme (optional)

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove it from the skillet and drain it on paper towels. Drain the skillet, reserving about 1 tablespoon of the drippings. In the same skillet, cook the onions over medium heat for about 3 minutes per side or until browned. Remove the onions and set aside. Add the carrots, cooking for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove the skillet from the heat. Carefully add the potatoes, broth, beer, brown sugar, and half of the dried thyme. Return the onions to the skillet. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer, covered, for 30-35 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, season the beef wtih remaining dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Place on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4-5 inches from the heat for 16-22 minutes for medium-rare or 22-28 minutes for medium, turning once halfway through broiling. Cut into 4 pieces.

Remove the vegetables from the pan with a slotted spoon. Gently boil the juices, uncovered, for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Divide the steak, vegetables, and bacon among 4 plates. Spoon juices over and sprinkle with fresh thyme, if desired. Serves 4.

Source: Favorite Family Dinners

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Zucchini

2009-07-19T09:48:00.001-07:00

Not exactly the healthiest option for using my zucchini, but when my mother told me she used to wrap her stuffed zucchini with bacon, I knew I couldn't make it any other way! The flavors melded so well together and all plates were clean at the end of this meal. I served the zucchini next to a bed of white rice along with some fresh breadsticks. Thanks again to Christy for sharing her crop of zucchini with us. I'm hoping my garden catches up sometime in the near future so that we can make this one again soon!

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Zucchini
2 large zucchini
1 - 1.5 pounds ground round
1 onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar tomato sauce
garlic salt, to taste
oregano, to taste
bread crumbs
1 package bacon (center cut if available)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9 x 13 glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Trim a small amount of the bottom of each half so that the zucchini will lay flat in the baking dish. Scoop out the inside part of the zucchini, creating a boat for the filling. In a large saute pan, brown the ground round with the onion and garlic. Drain off grease and mix with spaghetti sauce, garlic salt, and oregano. Fill the zucchini boats with the meat mixture, mounding slightly. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top of the meat and then wrap with the uncooked bacon. Place the zucchini in the prepared baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 45 minutes, uncover and bake for another 15 minutes or until the bacon is browned and crispy. Serve with white rice.

Strawberry and Cream Cupcakes

2009-07-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with these cupcakes the moment I saw them on The Ungourmet. Part of the attraction was likely that they are made using strawberry soda. I haven't had strawberry soda since I was a kid (there's a story there, but I won't go there!) I was anxious to have a positive association with the stuff! :)

These cupcakes were incredibly easy to put together-- I am not ashamed to admit that it's a box cake mix! If you aren't planning on eating all of them the day they're made, the box mix product always lasts so much longer, while tasting just as fresh as the first day! No surprise either... the star of the show was the cream cheese frosting. Can anything else really compete?

Strawberry and Cream Cupcakes
1 package white cake mix
3 egg whites
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups strawberry soda
Cream cheese frosting, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Prepare cake mix as directed, with the egg whites, the oil, and substituting the soda for the water. Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake as directed on the box and cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1- 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon of milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
2 drops of red food coloring

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, milk, vanilla, and food coloring with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time until smooth and spreadable.

Source: The Ungourmet

Penne with Spicy Italian Sausage, Cream, Tomatoes & Peas

2009-07-17T06:46:00.000-07:00

My mother bought my sisters and I a cookbook from Sam's Club called Favorite Family Dinners. If you have a membership, I'd highly recommend picking up a copy. For under $6.00, this book includes over 200 recipes for everyday meals. It's one of those books where you turn page after page realizing that you would make just about everything in it! I especially like that the first chapter is called the "Chef's Specials" chapter. It has recipes exerpted from many famous chefs' cookbooks, including this one from Tyler Florence's cookbook- Dinner at my Place. (The recipe I posted earlier this month for Guiltless Oven Fried Chicken also comes from this book.)

This particular recipe was definitely one I'd make again. It was a little time consuming, but really easy to put together. Since I was lucky enough to be given some fresh zucchini from a friend, I decided that it would be a perfect addition to the dish. I also added a bit more onion than the recipe called for and these few changes are reflected in the recipe below.

Penne with Spicy Italian Sausage, Cream, Tomatoes, & Peas
4 links spicy Italian Sausage (I used one whole package with 5 links, you can also use mild sausage if you prefer)
1 pound dried penne
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 small or 1 large zucchini, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 - 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups peas, blanched
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the sausages in a roasting pan and roast in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and just cooked through. Cut the sausage at an angle into bite-sized pieces.

Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until tender yet firm.

Set a large dutch oven (or heavy based pot) over medium heat and add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and saute until translucent and fragrant. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, and basil, seasoning with salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes, then add in cream and continue to simmer until rich and creamy. Add the sausage, blanched peas, and cheese. Fold together and cook for 2-3 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. Toss with the cooked pasta and serve topped with additional cheese and fresh basil.

Source: Adapted from the exerpted recipe by Tyler Florence, from Dinner at my Place

"Bubble" Pizza Casserole

2009-07-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

Once I saw this post on Three on Food, I knew it would be a sure hit in my house! If you ask my son what he wants for dinner, his answer is always the same-- PIZZA! Don't get me wrong, I love pizza as much as the next guy, but a girl has to have a little variety! I'm always looking for ways to mix some protein into the little guy's diet, and this ended up being a perfect way to do it! It was incredibly easy to throw together and tasted wonderful! My husband even heated some up for leftovers, which was the ultimate compliment. My only change would be to add the extra vegetables as Kathy recommended. I knew my son wouldn't like it as much that way, but if I chop them into small pieces, I think I can get away with it! I'd love to try it with some green pepper, mushroom, and onion-- YUM!

**Make sure to stop by my sister's blog, Rachel vs. The Kitchen to enter her 100th Post Giveaway!

"Bubble" Pizza Casserole

2 cups pizza cheese

16 oz. browned sausage (or pepperoni, hamburger, or bacon)

1 jar of pizza sauce

2 tubes buttermilk biscuits

Assorted vegetables, chopped (depending on your preferences)

Brown and drain the meat. Cut the 2 tubes of biscuits into quarters. Put the biscuits into a bowl along with the jar of pizza sauce. Add the meat and any other toppings you may have. Mix it all together. Pour into a baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. After baking for 20 minutes, take it out and add your cheese. Bake for 10 more minutes, or until cheese is bubbly. (Make sure you bake your casserole enough-- you don't want doughy bread balls in the center!)

Source: Three on Food

Gazpacho with Grilled Shrimp

2009-07-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

This is one of those meals categorized, by my husband, as 'girl food.' His reply when I told him that I had a batch of gazpacho in the fridge was that he might as well just eat a jar of salsa. I didn't bother to correct him because in all honesty, I'm happy to have a whole batch of this to myself! I was not at all surprised that I loved this recipe. . . it's another Pioneer Woman recipe and she has yet to let me down. I did make a few minor changes simply based upon the fresh produce that I had in my fridge at the time. Also, I tend to be a bit of a weak one when it comes to spice. Instead of using the tabasco sauce that Pioneer Woman calls for, I used some of the Garlic Chili sauce that I had purchcased to make this fried chicken a while back. It had such great flavor and I would definitely make it this way again. If you are planning on making both dishes, this is a great way to share ingredients! (If my husband ever does decide to try this, he can always add extra tabasco just to his bowl. This is an easy meal to adjust for different people's taste in terms of heat.)

Gazpacho with Grilled Shrimp
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large red onion, diced
1 large cucumber, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
5-6 ripe tomatoes, diced
2 zucchini, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
4 cups tomato juice (I took PW's advice and went with the store brand-- it was much less acidic.)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup (more to taste) red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons (less to taste) sugar
tabasco to taste (I replaced with the Garlic Chili Sauce)
salt and pepper to taste
grilled shrimp

(Optional garnish: finely minced jalepeno, sliced avocado, cilantro, sour cream, extra vegetables- finely diced)

In the bowl of a food processor or in a blender, combine the minced garlic with half of the red onion, half of the cucumber, half of the tomato, half of the green pepper, half of the zucchini, half of the celery, half of the tomato juice, all of the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, tabasco or garlic chili sauce, and a dash of salt. Pulse until all ingredients are blended well. The mixture will have a nice speckled, colorful texture. Pour into a large bowl and add the rest of the tomato juice, and half of the remaining vegetables to the food processor, pulsing again. Reserve the rest of the diced vegetables for garnish, if you desire. Stir the mixture togeter and check seasonings, adding salt as necessary. Chill the soup for at least a couple of hours. The soup needs to be served very cold.

Remove the soup from the fridge and stir. Check the seasonings one last time. Ladle into a bowl and garnish with any of the above listed items and the grilled shrimp.

Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Guiltless Oven Baked Fried Chicken

2009-07-13T09:10:00.000-07:00

Not the prettiest meal to look at, but the flavor in this chicken certainly makes up for that! I LOVE fried chicken but normally end up peeling most of the skin off to stay a bit healthier. This particular recipe has you remove all of the skin before baking, which I loved since I still got to enjoy the crispy breading! Using the panko bread crumbs was perfect for an oven baked fried chicken because it stayed crispier despite the cooking format. This meal was a hit and there were NO leftovers. Always a good sign!

Guiltless Oven Baked Fried Chicken
1 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
3 tablespoons water
kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
4 chicken thighs, skin removed
non-stick cooking spray
2 cups panko

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, garlic powder, paprika, and chili powder. Mix with water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to make the consistency of whipping cream. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces; coat well with the mayonnaise mixture.

Lightly coat a nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray. Pour the panko onto a plate. Toss the chicken thighs, one at a time, in the crumbs to completely coat. Place the chicken on te baking sheet, coat with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes or until the chicken is browned and cooked through, turning once.

Source: George Duncan "Take This Dish and Twist It"

Mom's Potato Salad

2009-07-10T07:59:00.001-07:00

This potato salad is the one that my mom has been making for as far back as I can remember. Notice a theme to my sister's and my posts lately? I guess that tends to be the case after any holiday... we all gravitate towards those traditional family meals that we grew up loving. This potato salad is, by far, one of my favorite things that she makes. . . though I don't believe it's one of her favorites to make. I guess I owe her extra big for when she does it! ;) One thing I will warn about is that I have inherited my mother's "make too much for every meal" trait and I really don't measure when making this side dish. I've done my best to estimate. I'm really not exhaggerating when I say that I typically use almost a 10 pound bag of potatoes to make it. Like I said, it's a sickness.

Mom's Potato Salad
5 pounds Russett potatoes
1 bunch green onions (or 1 medium leek)
6-8 hard boiled eggs
1 jar mayonnaise
White pepper to taste
Garlic salt to taste

Thoroughly wash the potatoes and place in a large pot with the skins still on. Cover with water and boil until just fork tender. DO NOT overboil as your potatoes will fall apart when cut. Remove from the water and peel the skin off. Dice the cooked potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Chop the hard boiled eggs and the green onions (white and green parts). Combine with the jar of mayonnaise and season to taste.

Stained Glass Jello and Independence Day!

2009-07-07T06:01:00.000-07:00

It's a little late, but I hope that everyone had a wonderful 4th of July! We had our family over to celebrate the holiday and were able to celebrate my birthday as well-- bonus! :) We also were able to have a cousin over who we, unfortunately, don't get a chance to see often. All in all, it was a nice, family-centered day! Since all the kids were in town, I wanted to make a few items that I thought they would enjoy. I made the cookies above to serve alongside the wonderful cheesecake my sister made for dessert. If you haven't seen it yet, check out her blog here.

When I saw this jello on the Brown Eyed Baker, I knew I had to make it. I am a big jello fan myself and I knew it was the one thing I could put out that all the kids would eat. The colors were great and it was really easy to make. My only warning is that it is done in stages and each stage does have to sit in the fridge for a while, so make sure you allow yourself enough time.

Stained Glass Jello

4 (3 ounce) boxes Jello in different colors (I used blue raspberry and strawberry)

14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (I used Knox as recommended)

Water

For each flavor, dissolve one box of Jello in 1 cup of boiling water. Since I used 2 boxes of each flavor, I just doubled the water and poured both into an 8 inch square container. Chill at least 3 hours, or overnight. After chilling the flavors, cut them into small blocks. Carefully mix the blocks in a 9×13-inch pan. In a separate bowl, sprinkle 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin into ½ cup cold water. After the gelatin blooms, add 1½ cups boiling water and dissolve. Add the can of condensed milk. Stir and let cool. Pour cooled milk mixture over Jello blocks in 9×13 pan. Skim off any small bubbles that are created when you pour the condensed milk on the Jello pieces. Chill overnight or at least 3 hours until firm. Cut into blocks or shapes and serve.

Source: The Brown Eyed Baker

**Stay tuned... the BEST potato salad is coming soon!**

Crab Cakes with Lemon Garlic Aioli Sauce

2009-07-06T07:04:00.001-07:00

I have a couple of good "Fourth of July" recipes waiting to be shared, but while I wait for my photos to upload, I wanted to go ahead and share this one. I have been slacking from the blogging world all weekend and I do apologize! :) My husband and I both are huge crab cake fans and it tends to be our appetizer of choice when we do go out. I'm always tinkering with them at home, trying to perfect my own recipe. These were good, and definitely worth making, but they were no where near restaurant quality. I'm on the lookout, so if you have a crab cake recipe that you love, please send it my way!

Crab Cakes
1 small/medium red onion, chopped
1 (6 ounce) can lump crabmeat, drained
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 cup dry bread crumbs

In a small saucepan, saute red onions until tender and lightly carmelized. Mix all ingredients together until well combined. In a medium saute pan, heat oil. Form the crab cake mixture into 4 patties, flattening slightly before placing in the hot oil. Cook each side until lightly browned. Serve with aioli sauce (recipe below).

Lemon Garlic Aioli Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped chives
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Source: Aioli sauce from www.foodnetwork.com

Garlic Roasted Chicken

2009-07-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

I saw this chicken on my sister's blog and it looked like the perfect comfort food. I took advantage of a cooler day lately and decided to make this chicken with the garlic bubble loaf that I posted earlier. I love the simple flavors used within this recipe and it smelled incredible as it roasted. In her post, my sister explains that you should check the chicken frequently and should baste it throughout the roasting process. If the liquid evaporates, she suggests adding more broth to the bottom of the roaster. I am not quite sure what the problem was with mine, but I ended up having to add broth every time I checked it. It all evaporated very quickly! I probably ended up adding another 32 ounces of broth throughout the cooking process. I thought it was worth it, though, as the final product was incredibly moist and tender.

Garlic Roasted Chicken
3 pound broiler/fryer chicken
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth, divided
1 lime wedge
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bay leaf
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
2 tablespoons sherry or apple juice

Place chicken breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup wine or broth, lime wedges, garlic, bay leaf and thyme. Pour into cavity of chicken. Pour remaining wine or broth in roasting pan. Sprinkle chicken with paprika. Loosely tent with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, basting occasionally. Remove foil; bake 40-45 minutes longer or until juices run clear and a meat thermometer reads 180 degrees, basting occasionally. Add additional wine or broth to pan of liquid evaporates. Discard bay leaf and lime wedges. Remove chicken to a serving platter and let stand for 10 minutes before carving. Pour drippings and loosened brown bits into a measuring cup. Skim fat. In a saucepan, combine the cornstarch, bouillon and sherry or juice until smooth. Gradually stir in drippings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve gravy with chicken.

Source: Rachel vs. The Kitchen

Garlic Bubble Loaves

2009-06-29T17:28:00.000-07:00

I've been on a bit of a bread baking kick lately. For so many years, I was too intimidated to really play with any recipes for homemade breads-- the closest I got to homemade was to use my bread machine. I think this is the third bread recipe I have tried from Amber's Delectable Delights in the last month, and each one has been better than the last. This is a fun twist on a traditional garlic bread. My son had so much fun breaking off the pieces and before I knew it I had a bowl full of 'rolls' instead of a loaf. I didn't have the heart to stop him! :) The best part of this bread is that the edges where the butter pooled during baking turned into the best crust you can imagine... I would highly recommend grabbing one of the edge pieces before they are gone! The recipe does yield two loaves, but the leftovers are really very good with just a little time in the oven to reheat.

Garlic Bubble Loaves
2 packages of active dry yeast
1/4 warm water (heated to 110-115 degrees)
2 cups warm milk (heated to 110-115 degrees)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon shortening
2 teaspoons salt
6 1/4-6 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons garlic powder

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the warm milk, sugar, shortening, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. (I did this part in my mixer using a dough hook.) Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and divide into fourths. Divide each portion into 12 pieces. In a shallow bowl, combine the butter (melted), parsley and garlic powder. Shape each piece of dough into a ball; dip into butter mixture. Place in two greased 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pans. Pour any remaining butter mixture over dough. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. (Don't crowd them into the pan. put about 12 (24 total) spaced out in two irregular layers per pan.) Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 min or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes. remove from pans to wire racks.

Source: Amber's Delectable Delights

Chicken Bruschetta

2009-06-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

My mom was just telling me about a really good bruschetta chicken dish that she and my sister had shared while out to dinner recently. Within that same week, I found this recipe on the Pillsbury Bake Off site and I knew I'd have to try it! I'm anxious for them to make it to see how it compares, but I was really happy with it! The method of broiling the chicken kept it very moist and the topping was the perfect accompaniment. The original recipe does call for canned mushrooms, but I did leave them out to stick with more of an 'authentic' bruschetta recipe. The only other tip is that the recipe calls for either fresh or dried basil. As basil has been fairly expensive lately, and my garden basil isn't quite ready yet, I went ahead and used the dried. It still tasted great, but I do think that this is one dish that does need the fresh. I think it would make a big difference and would make a good dish great!

Chicken Bruschetta
To make the chicken:
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

To make the topping:
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
3 medium Italian plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil sprigs, if desired

Spray broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; place on sprayed broiler pan. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat for 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until fork-tender and juices run clear. Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until garlic is tender, stirring occasionally. Add onion, chopped basil, tomatoes, vinegar and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook about a minute or until thoroughly heated.
To serve, arrange chicken on individual plates. Sprinkle with half of cheese. Top each serving with bruschetta mixture; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Garnish with basil sprigs.

Source: Adapted from Pillsbury Bake-Off

Italian Antipasto Squares

2009-06-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

I was led to the Pillbsubry Bake-Off site through The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch and it has since become one of my favorite resources. The recipe states that it can be used as either an appetizer or a main course, and I can truly see it in either format. I made mine as a main course, cut it into larger squares, and served it with a salad. My only recommendation would be to make sure you allow a full 20 minutes after removing it from the oven before cutting and serving it. Like a lasagna, it needs to set up fully in order to keep its form. Otherwise, the recipe was perfect and I wouldn't change a thing about it. Even my 2 year old loved it-- telling me he wanted more 'pizza'!

Italian Antipasto Squares
2 cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 2 cans refrigerated flaky dough sheet
4 ounces thinly sliced salami
4 ounces thinly sliced Swiss cheese
4 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni
4 ounces thinly sliced American cheese
4 ounces thinly sliced capocollo (cured Italian ham) or cooked ham
4 ounces thinly sliced provolone cheese
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 jar (12 ounces) sliced roasted red bell peppers, drained
1 can (2 1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 egg yolk, beaten

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 13x9-inch pan or spray with cooking spray. Unroll 1 can of dough into 1 large rectangle and place in pan. Press in bottom and 3/4 inch up sides of pan to form crust, firmly pressing perforations to seal. Layer all meats and cheeses in order listed over dough. In small bowl, beat 2 eggs, the garlic powder and pepper with wire whisk until well blended. Pour over meat and cheese layers. Layer roasted peppers and olives over top. Unroll second can of dough into 1 large rectangle; press into 13x9-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. Place over top of layered ingredients. Pinch edges to seal. Brush beaten egg yolk over dough and cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until deep golden brown. Cool 20 minutes before serving. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Serve warm.

Source: Pillsbury Bake-Off

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

2009-06-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

My two-year-old has officially inherited his parents' love for ice cream! :) It has been so warm out the last few weeks that he has been asking for it fairly regularly. I decided that I needed to come up with something at least a little healthier as an option. I've made many different varieties of ice cream and sorbet in my ice cream maker, but this was my first experiment with frozen yogurt and I was really pleased with the results. I looked at a few different recipes that came with the Cuisinart machine, then played with the ingredients to get a flavor and texture that I liked. This was nice and creamy and was certainly refreshing on a hot afternoon.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
12 ounces fresh strawberries
1-2 teaspoons vanilla

In a medium bowl, mix together the yogurt, sugar, and milk until the sugar is fully dissolved. In the meantime, remove the stems from the strawberries and place them in a food processor. Puree depending on how you prefer your yogurt. (I like mine with some chunks of fresh berries in it. If you prefer a smooth yogurt, puree until completely broken down. You can also strain the seeds at this point if you do not want them in your yogurt.) Add the strawberry puree and vanilla to your yogurt mixture. Mix well. Pour into your ice cream maker and freeze according to directions.

Chocolate Glazed Cherry Turnovers

2009-06-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

My little ones and I made a special Father's Day breakfast for my husband this morning, and I wanted to make some sort of pastry to go along with his meal. When we had our girls' baking day a while back, I left some of my apple turnovers at my friend Christy's house. Her husband commented on how good he thought they would be with cherry filling also. . . so I really need to say, "Thanks, Marty!" for this idea. I kept the crust as is because it had such a nice, flakey texture the first time through and I was really happy with the final product. I used a can of cherry pie filling for these and decided that instead of using the traditional sugar glaze on top, I would play with a chocolate ganache-- using some of the pie filling glaze to give it a hint of cherry flavor. My husband and I both really loved these (my son did, too, though he really only ate the chocolate off the top)!

Chocolate Glazed Cherry Turnovers
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 large can cherry pie filling
1 large egg

For chocolate glaze:
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cherry glaze (from pie filling-- do not add the actual cherries)

Prepare pastry dough: In medium bowl, with fork, stir flour and salt. With pastry blender, cut 1/2 cup butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cold water, a tablespoon at a time, into the mixture, mixing lightly with a fork after each addition until the dough is just moist enough to hold together. With hands, shape dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into an 18" by 8" rectangle. Cut 4 tablespoons of butter into thin slices. Starting at one of the 8" sides, place butter slices over two-thirds of the rectangle to about 1/2 inch from the edge of the dough. Fold the unbuttered third of the dough over the middle third. Fold the opposite end of the dough over to make a 8" by 6" rectangle. Roll out the dough again into an 18" by 8" rectangle. Slice the remaining butter; place slices on dough and fold as before. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Roll out the folded dough into an 18" by 8" rectangle. Fold rectangle lengthwise then crosswise; wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut dough crosswise in half. On a lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll out half into a 12 inch square. Keep the remaining dough refrigerated. Cut the square into 6 inch squares. In cup, with fork, beat egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the egg mixture over the dough squares. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of cherry pie filling in the center of each square. Fold diagonally in half and press edges to seal. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Refrigerate. Repeat with remaining dough and cherry pie filling. Brush the turnovers with the egg mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Cool on wire rack.

To prepare the chocolate, heat the semi-sweet chocolate and heavy cream in a double boiler over medium heat. Once melted, add the butter and cherry glaze, stirring until shiny and smooth. Let cool slightly before drizzling on top of the cooled turnovers.

Garlic 'Knots'

2009-06-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

I'm really looking for some feedback here! I received these rolls as part of a dinner brought to us after my little girl was born. I took one bite of them (okay-- maybe it was one look at them) and knew that I had to make them. They were incredible! I've already talked about my love for freshly baked bread, so the addition of fresh garlic to these rolls threw them far above and beyond anything else! Here's my problem. . . they are great looking 'rolls', but they are supposed to be knots! When they went into the oven, they looked like knots, but when they came out, they had completely spread into simple rolls. I am the first to admit that I am a novice bread baker. Can anyone help me out with a theory on what went wrong here? Again, the taste was still wonderful, but I was frustrated that my cute little knots melted away. Whether you decide to make these as knots, or rolls, just definitely make them! They are a wonderful addition to any meal!

Garlic Knots
For the dough:
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup milk
1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water

For the glaze:
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons melted butter
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

To make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the dry ingredients. Add the olive oil, milk and water. Mix until ingredients have formed a dough. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Divide the dough into equal pieces (Amber says on her site that she got 8-9, Annie says 10). Roll each piece into a 10 inch long rope and tie into a knot. Take the end lying underneath the knot and bring it over the top, tucking it into the center. Take the end lying over the knot and tuck it underneath and into the center. (Amber has some really good pictures of these steps on her website.) Transfer shaped rolls to a baking stone, or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 45 minutes, until puffy.

To make the glaze, finely mince the garlic. Mix with the melted butter and Italian seasoning.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Brush the glaze onto the shaped rolls. Bake until set and lightly browned, about 15-18 minutes (mine took closer to 20).

Source: Annie's Eats, originally posted on Amber's Delectable Delights

Crab and Spinach Casserole and Awards

2009-06-18T10:59:00.000-07:00

I've had my eye on this recipe for a while and am so glad that I finally tried it. I'm a fan of everything spinach, and the crab thrown into this casserole makes it a definite winner. The recipe calls for imitation crabmeat, but I imagine it would be superb with fresh crabmeat if you can find it on sale. I was a little worried that the imitation crab would ruin the dish, but it really had a nice flavor when mixed with the leek soup mix. I would recommend cutting it into smaller pieces before adding it to the casserole, however. As usual, I added more than the recommended amount of cheese to the top of the dish before baking. I wanted a nice thick crust on top. The only other change I would suggest would be to add some salt to the dish before baking. I did salt the water before cooking the pasta, but I felt that the sauce needed a little salt as well. I added some into the recipe listed below. Since I served mine with homemade garlic knots (recipe coming soon), I chose to use garlic salt. If you aren't a fan, regular salt would work fine.
Crab and Spinach Casserole

2 cups uncooked gemelli pasta

1 package (1.8 ounces) leek soup mix

2 cups milk

1 package (8 ounces) refrigerated imitation crabmeat chunks (cut into smaller pieces)

2 cups baby spinach leaves, stems removed

1/2 - 1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

Garlic or regular salt to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 1.5 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on the package. While pasta is cooking, mix soup mixx and milk in a 1 quart saucepan. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Mix pasta, cut crabmeat, and spinach in the casserole. Pour soup mixture evenly over the pasta mixture, stirring gently to mix. Spread evenly. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake uncovered about 20 minutes or until bubbly and light golden brown.

Source: Betty Crocker's Quick and Easy

Finally, a sincere 'Thank You' to my sister, Rachel and the girls at Three on Food for the awesome awards pictured above. It has been a rough few weeks with my grandfather being ill and my son dealing with some health issues. These awards totally made my day and I truly appreciate them! I'm going to have to brainstorm and pass these on very soon! There is such a large list of deserving bloggers who I so love visiting every day! Check back soon and I promise that I'll get these handed out! :)

Homemade Amish White Bread

2009-06-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure that there are many smells better than that of freshly baked bread. I'm still waiting for Yankee Candles to come out with that one! :) In a time when money is tight for everyone, I was thrilled to find this recipe for a basic white bread. All of the ingredients were things that I typically have on hand. It was fairly inexpensive to make, came together more quickly than I had ever imagined, and yielded two really nice sized loaves. The first day, we ate the bread fresh (seriously had to muster up some self control not to finish off the loaf!), the next day we made garlic grilled cheese sandwiches, and tomorrow I plan to make some french toast with it. I highly recommend this recipe, and plan to make it on a regular basis.

Homemade Amish White Bread

1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

6 cups bread flour

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam. Stir the 1 cup of warm milk in now. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Using the dough hook on a mixer or with a wooden spoon by hand, mix in flour, one cup at a time. Knead until smooth.

Place dough in well oiled bowl; turn to coat top. Let rise about 1 hour.

Punch dough down, knead a few times. Divide dough in half. Shape into loaves and place into 2 greased 9x5-inch loaf pans. Allow to rise 30 minutes or until dough has risen about 1" above pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from pans immediately. Brush the top of the loaves with a little melted butter right after you take them out of the pans so that the crust stays nice and soft.

Source: Amanda's Cookin'

Cookbook Review - Paula Deen Celebrates and Teriyaki/Buffalo Chicken Wings

2009-06-16T08:19:00.001-07:00

The most common complaint I hear about Paula Deen is the amount of butter she uses in her cooking and baking. I recently watched an episode of her show where she was even eating butter by the handful. Eww. I do find, though, that if you can get past the idea of everything being soaked in her favorite ingredient, you will find that there are a lot of dishes that aren't overly unhealthy-- at least as far as Southern Cuisine is concerned. At first glance, she does appear to use a lot of butter... but when compared to other baking cookbooks, the amount isn't that much more (sometimes it is even less) than comparable recipes. I even found some recipes with no butter at all. . . Gasp!

One of my favorite things about this cookbook is that it is divided up by holiday. Unlike most cookbooks which go through the traditional format of appetizers, soups/salads, main courses, dessert, etc., Paula Deen Celebrates starts with New Year's Eve brunch and works through Christmas dinner. There are even some non-traditional 'holidays' thrown in the mix, including: Elvis's Birthday (featuring her famous fried peanut butter and banana sandwich), Sunday Afternoon Football Party, her Anniversary, etc. By going this route, you can get a better idea of what a sample menu might look like. You also get some really nice family anecdotes mixed throughout, giving you a better glimpse into their lives and what is important to them.

So far, in this book, I have made brussel srouts with onion and bacon, Cheeseburger Pies (which I posted earlier in the year... I've never received so many comments about a meal 'not looking good' yet I promise it was REALLY good!!), Teriyaki and Buffalo Chicken Wings (pictured above, recipe below), spinach salad, goulash, and many others. I haven't been disappointed yet! This is definitely a cookbook I'll use time and time again!

Teriyaki and Buffalo Chicken Wings

36 fresh, or frozen, chicken wings, tips trimmed

salt and pepper

vegetable oil, for frying

Teriyaki Sauce:

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

2 tablespoons dry sherry

Buffalo Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons hot sauce

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Thaw the frozen wings under running water until the glaze has melted. Dry the wings thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste. In a dutch oven, pour in 3 inches of oil and heat to 360 degrees. Using tongs, lower each wing individually into the oil. Fry until the wings are crisp and brown, about 12-14 minutes. Drain on paper towels. You will have to cook the wings in several batches. You can do this part of the recipe several hours before your party. Leave them at room temperature, covered loosely with foil, after they have cooled completely.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the teriyaki sauce ingredients in a small measuring cup. Combine the buffalo sauce ingrediens in another small measuring cup. Place 18 wings in one baking dish and the remaining 18 wings in another baking dish. Pour the teriyaki sauce over the wings in the first dish and toss to coat. Repeat in the other dish with the buffalo sauce. Place in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the sauces have glazed the wings and the wings are heated through.

Fish Tacos

2009-06-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

This dish, for some reason, was incredibly hard to photograph. I kept going back and trying again and again-- even more once I tasted how delicious they were. I really wanted my picture to convince people to try them because they truly were great! Kathy had more luck on her blog-- so feel free to check hers out if you need some motivation! :)

I made these exactly as Kathy suggested, with the exception of the tortillas. My husband and I both prefer flour to corn tortillas, so we went that route instead. (Maybe I can blame my cruddy picture on that!) The only thing I will warn about is that I somehow bought the hottest green onions that I have ever tasted. I am a huge onion fan but this was too much even for me. It just overpowered the sauce a bit. I would adjust the number of onions used depending on the batch you find! It's always easier to add more than it is to take it away!

Fish Tacos
To make the sauce:
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (adjust depending on onion strength)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 of a jalapeno, seeded and minced

To make the tacos:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 pounds Tilapia fillets
Cooking spray
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas (I used flour)
2 cups shredded cabbage

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. To prepare the sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and put in fridge to meld flavors. To prepare tacos, combine dry seasonings in a small bowl; sprinkle spice mixture evenly over both sides of fish. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Place fish in a bowl; break into pieces with a fork. While fish is cooking, heat tortillas. Divide fish evenly among tortillas; top each with 1/4 cup cabbage and 1 tablespoon sauce.

Source: Three on Food

Sausage with Peppers and Pasta

2009-06-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

As I look at this picture, I feel like I have posted a similar dish (or two) in the past. This tends to be one of my husband's favorite types of meals, though, so I suppose I gravitate towards the general type of recipe. Now that my son is all into 'noodles', it was sure to be a hit all the way around! This is another meal that came together really quickly, making it a winner for weeknights. The flavors were simple and really complemented each other. In order to save a little bit of money, I only used green peppers for the pasta. Tri-colored peppers have been so high lately and I really didn't think that the extra color was needed thanks to the diced tomatoes already included. I really didn't miss the other peppers, though I will be anxious to try it in the original format down the line. I did also change the proportions a bit for two reasons. First of all, we tend to like our pasta dishes more on the saucy side. Secondly, I knew this would be a great dish to reheat for lunches, so I wanted to make a little bit extra. (I have reflected my changes below.) I do like that most of the ingredients are things that we already had on hand. It's one that I will likely keep as a great last minute backup meal. The melted cheese was my favorite part and it gave the dish more of a baked ziti feel.

Sausage with Peppers and Pasta
1 box (16 ounces) rigatoni, uncooked
1.5 pounds Italian sausage, sliced
2-3 large green peppers
2 cans (14.5 ounce) Italian Style diced tomatoes (I used the kind with garlic and basil)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus more for garnish)

Cook the pasta as directed on the package. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sliced Italian sausage on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning or sticking. Add the peppers and cook for another 7 minutes or until the peppers are crisp tender and the sausage is cooked through. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes, or until heated through. Stir occasionally. Drain the pasta and mix with the peppers/sausage mixture. Stir in the shredded mozzarella and parmesan. Serve topped with additional parmesan cheese.

Source: Adapted from Kraft Food and Family

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-06-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

My husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary yesterday. He earned major points by deciding that as an anniversary gift to each other, we would refinish the trellis we were married under and would secure it on the side of the house, surrounded by climbing rose bushes. His one other request for our celebration was for a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies. (I might have accidentally planted this idea by stocking up on chocolate chips I recently found on sale... he just found the stash in the pantry!) I have to admit that I am normally the one reading the Toll House recipe off of the back of the bag of chips whenever making a traditional chocolate chip cookie. Don't get me wrong-- the reason I do this is because those cookies never fail! They are always delicious! For this occasion, however, I decided to try the recipe out of Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home to Yours cookbook. She completely converted me over! Dorie calls these cookies her 'best' and it is easy to see why. These were easy to throw together, as most chocolate chip cookies are, and they baked up within 10 minutes. I was a little cautious when I saw how much they spread in the oven. Be sure to leave plenty of room between your cookies when baking! By spreading so much, they got very thin and delicate and provided the perfect combination of chewy center with a crisp, crunchy shell. Each batch makes about 45 cookies... they are disappearing so quickly that I will probably have to double it next time! :)

(Another nice element of Dorie's recipe is that she gives tips for freezing dough balls for quick use later on. Really good information!)

My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips* (I used semi-sweet)
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (I omitted)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Working with a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for about a minute (or until smooth). Add the sguars and beat for another 2 minutes or so, until well blended. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for about a minute after adding each. Reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients in three stages, mixing each stage only until incorporated. On low speed, or by hand, mix in the chocolate chips and nuts. Spoon dough by slightly rounded tablespoons onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between spoonfuls. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, and rotating the sheet midway through the baking time. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until they are brown at the edges and golden in the center. They might be a little soft in the center, and that is okay. Pull the sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to rest for about a minute, then carefully, using a wide metal spatula, transfer them to racks to cool to room temperature. Repeat with the remainder of the dough, cooling baking sheets between batches.

*Dorie recommends buying a better quality chocolate and creating your own chips if your time permits.

Source: Baking From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

2009-06-11T06:44:00.000-07:00

This recipe is unlike any other pepper steak I have ever tried. Normally, pepper steak (at least the recipes I have made in the past) has a bit of a kick to it. This one really had a sweeter taste to it, making it much more kid friendly for my house. There really wasn't any heat to it at all, so if that is something you prefer, I would maybe add some pepper flakes to the meat while browning it. My husband and I both really enjoyed this meal, and I like it even more that it can sit in the crock pot for the day. This certainly makes it a quick and easy meal for once school is back in session this fall. I love coming home from work to a house filled with the smell of our dinner cooking.

One change I would make would be to add some different colored peppers instead of all green peppers. Peppers have been so expensive, lately, that I didn't go that route this time through! I served ours over rice and it was definitely a hit!

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak
2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2 inch strips
garlic powder to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cube beef bouillon
1/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder to taste. (If you want yours to be more like a traditional pepper steak, add red pepper flakes at this point.) In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips. Transfer to a slow cooker.
Mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Cover, and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 6 to 8 hours. Serve over rice.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Grilled Chicken Roller

2009-06-10T05:09:00.000-07:00

This is another one of those quick BBQ recipes that makes summer official! The prep on this chicken literally takes all of about 5 minutes, and as you can see by the ingredient list-- is not at all complicated. They are simple flavors that create an unforgettable dish. The recipe comes from the latest Kraft, Food and Family magazine so they are all about using Kraft Singles as their cheese. While this worked perfectly well for my American Cheese addict of a husband, I'd like to play more with different cheeses the next time we make this. The American Cheese was very good, but I am thinking that there are many great variations that woud give it a completely different taste. It might be fun to experiment with! I did also add an extra piece of bacon to each roller to help hold the cheese in. I wrapped one piece going horizontally and one going vertically. Can you ever really have too much bacon?

The only problem we had when cooking this chicken was that the fat content of the bacon caused the bacon to cook MUCH more quickly than the chicken. This isn't a dish that you can simply throw on the grill and ignore. It does require some attention to make sure that your bacon doesn't burn while waiting for the chicken to cook through. While parts of our bacon did burn a bit, the chicken stayed moist and really had a great bacon flavor throughout.

Grilled Chicken Roller
3-4 small, boneless chicken breasts

3-4 slices American Cheese (or substitute cheese of your choice)

6-8 slices center cut bacon

3-4 tablespoons Balsamic Vinaigrette salad dressing

Garlic salt to taste

Heat your grill to medium heat. Place your chicken breasts onto plastic wrap and cover with another piece of wrap. Pound each breast to about 1/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle garlic salt to taste on each piece. Top each pounded piece of chicken with cheese and roll up tightly. Wrap one piece of bacon around the long sides of the roll to cover any exposed cheese. Stretch the bacon as necessary. Take a second piece of bacon and wrap the chicken roller across the short side of the roller. Secure carefully with toothpicks.

Grill for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees and no longer pink. Turn the chicken frequently to prevent the bacon from burning. For the last 5 minutes of grill time, brush each roller with the vinaigrette. Carefully remove all toothpicks before serving.

Source: Adapted from Kraft Food and Family (Summer '09)

Skillet Chicken Pasta with Broccoli

2009-06-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

When I looked over the list of ingredients in this dish, there was absolutely NO doubt that this would quickly become a favorite. The sauce is nice and delicate, yet there is a little bit of an after-bite thanks to the red pepper flakes. . . completely unexpected but the perfect complement to the dish. It came together quickly, so it is definitely one for the weeknight rotation once school starts up again in the fall. The other nice element is that it does reheat well. My only recommendation would be to have a little extra cream and broth left in order to moisten it up while heating. So good!

Skillet Chicken Pasta with Broccoli
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch squares
Salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced (I used 2 small/medium onions)
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 ounces ziti (Like Christy, I went ahead and used the full 16 ounces-- it reheats well!)
4 1/4 cups water
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
4-5 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped coarse
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 1 minute without stirring. Stir the chicken and continue to cook until most, but not all, of the pink color has disappeared and the chicken is lightly browned around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl and set aside. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, about 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the pasta, 3 cups of the water, and the broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is very thick and syrupy and almost completely absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, and the remaining 1 1/4 cups water. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the broccoli turns bright green and is almost tender, 2-3 minutes. Uncover and return the heat to medium-high. Stir in the cream, parmesan, and reserved chicken with any accumulated juices and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is cooked and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, topped with grated parmesan cheese.

Source: Christy's Kitchen Creations, originally posted at My Kitchen Cafe

Cookie Winner!

2009-06-08T18:32:00.000-07:00

The ultimate highlight of my little boy's day was getting to pick one of your names out of his White Sox baseball hat! (These cookies are obviously not the Father's Day cookies you've won-- but this post was way too boring without a picture in it! This bouquet was made as an end of year gift for my nephew's preschool teacher.)

Congratulations to. . .

Lisa (from Cheerios Underfoot)

Lisa-- I will email you to get a shipping address and specific personalization information for your bouquet!

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies

2009-06-06T13:11:00.000-07:00

I knew once I saw these cookies on Donna's blog, they would be a popular item in my home. Oreos tend to be my husband's favorite cookie and he is quickly turning my son into an addict as well. I am sure that as soon as my daughter is allowed solid foods, he'll have her jump on the bandwagon. This was a bit of an experiment for me. . . traditionally I can have a big plate of warm, freshly baked cookies sitting on the counter and he will still go into the pantry for the Oreos. How conflicted he must have been once seeing these! :)

(One note is that Donna's recipe says this will make 50 cookies. I don't know if I made mine too big or not, but I only got 36 cookies. If you want more, which you will once tasting them, I'd go ahead and double it.)

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies
1 stick softened butter
6 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
8 oreo cookies, broken into pieces
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Beat together the butter and sugars until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla until mixed well. Place flour, baking soda, and salt in large bowl and stir to combine. Slowly add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix. Add your oreos and chocolate chips, stirring just until combined. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto parchment or silpat lined cooie sheet. Bake for 7–9 minutes, or until cooked, but still soft. (My cookies took more like 12 minutes to get nice and brown.) Let cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a cookie rack.

Source: My Tasty Treasures

Father's Day Cookie Giveaway!

2009-06-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

You may have read in earlier posts about the cookies that my friend Christy and I have been making lately. . . we've been creating hand painted sugar cookies for all different holidays and events. Our Mother's Day cookies (pictured above) were a hit and we decided that it would be fun to do a Father's Day Blog Giveaway!

We are giving away a box of 9 hand painted, personalized "Father's Day Theme" sugar cookies-- to be shipped anywhere in the continental U.S. One box will be given away to a random winner on this blog and another will be given away to a random winner on Christy's blog.

Here's how you can win:

* 1 entry for leaving a comment on this post

* 1 additional entry for signing up to follow this blog

* 1 additional entry for linking back to this post from your blog (be sure to leave me a note letting me know that you have done this!)

As an added bonus, you can go to Christy's blog to have added entries on her giveaway! This contest will run through June 6th, at midnight EST. That way we can be sure to have these shipped out in plenty of time for Father's Day.

Good Luck!

Antipasto Pasta Salad

2009-05-31T17:01:00.000-07:00

I made this pasta salad for a cookout we had planned with some very good friends that we have not seen in WAY too long! No sooner did we sit down to eat than my two year old managed to fall head-first out of his chair, landing on their brick deck. Long story short, we had to leave dinner early and I am now sitting at home on 'concussion watch '09'. My poor kid inherited my klutziness! I didn't get the opportunity to eat much of my dinner-- but I did enjoy the few bites I got in before disaster struck! (Sorry again, Becca!) Becca is an awesome cook and I've been trying to convince her to start her own blog to share her recipes-- watch for that to be coming soon, hopefully!

I started with a recipe I found on allrecipes.com, but ended up with a very different pasta salad. There were several ingredients that I felt were missing from the dish, and some of the technique was very different from what I traditionally would do with a pasta salad. All in all, my final recipe ended up quite different from what I started with-- though I do want to give credit where credit is due! I liked the idea of the antipasto salad and that, along with the core ingredients came from the allrecipes.com site.

Antipasto Pasta Salad
1 pound tri-color pasta
1/4 pound Genoa salami, chopped
1/4 pound pepperoni sausage, chopped
1/2 pound cheddar cheese, shredded
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
1 small or 1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
1 small or 1/2 large green bell pepper, diced
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
2-3 green onions, chopped (white and green parts)
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, and cool under cold water. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, salami, pepperoni, cheddar cheese, black olives, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, green onions and tomatoes. To prepare the dressing, whisk together the envelope of dressing mix, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Strawberry Muffins

2009-05-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

I knew I'd be making these the moment I saw them on Donna's blog. My little boy loves strawberries and will eat them by the handful. I'm always looking for healthy breakfast options for him-- and these certainly fit the bill. With strawberries on sale everywhere at the moment, they were really inexpensive to make and they seriously came together within 15 minutes. They were incredibly moist and he (as well as the rest of us) loved them. These will certainly be made often through the coming months!

Strawberry Muffins
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
6 teaspoons sugar
2 cups chopped strawberries
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and one cup of sugar in a medium bowl. Toss the strawberries into the dry ingredients, set aside. Beat together eggs, butter, milk, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Spoon batter into muffin tins lined with paper liners. (Fill 2/3 of the way.) Sprinkle a small amount of sugar on the top of each muffin. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Source: My Tasty Treasures

Chicken with Lemon Sauce

2009-05-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

My sister was kind enough to prepare this meal for us right after my little girl was born. . . and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind since! I had so much fun making it the other night. I love that the chicken is breaded with a combination of flour and parmesan cheese-- it had such a delicate flavor, not at all too heavy. When I was at the grocery store, they had chicken breasts on sale, and one type of package had the chicken 'thin sliced'. It was a little bit more expensive, but was already perfectly prepared and cut my prep time drastically. (It wasn't so expensive that it wasn't worth the time saver!) If you can find your poultry this way, I'd highly recommend it with this dish. You want your chicken pieces to be very thin and this is a nice way to ensure that it is. (I went ahead and included Rachel's original directions in case you are using regular chicken breasts.) This is a nice meal for company also, as it really does present well.

Chicken with Lemon Sauce

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup all purpose flour, divided

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 teaspoons salt, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, divided

2 eggs

5 tablespoons butter, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups apple juice

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Flatten chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. In a shallow bowl, combine 3/4 cup flour, Parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Dip chicken into eggs and coat with flour mixture. In a large skillet, cook chicken in 2 tablespoons butter and oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm. In a small bowl, combine the remaining flour, salt and pepper; stir in broth until smooth. Add apple juice to the skillet, stirring to loosen any browned bits. Stir broth mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Stir in lemon juice; cook for 1 minute. Add parsley and remaining butter; cook and stir until butter is melted. Serve over chicken. (I serve next to linguine and poured extra sauce over the pasta.)

Source: Rachel vs. The Kitchen

Taco Puffs

2009-05-27T12:08:00.001-07:00

I had these taco puffs on my weekly menu for next weekend, but when my husband saw them on the list, he requested that they be 'bumped up'. If he had his choice, he'd have tacos every night! Needless to say, he's been a big fan of Heidi's blog lately! When I first started making these, I thought they were going to end up in disaster! I had a really hard time getting my crescent pieces to stick together to create the pockets. Heidi does recommend letting the meat mixture cool a bit before filling the shells, and maybe I didn't quite let them cool enough. While I was a bit afraid putting these in the oven, they really baked together well and stayed exactly in form. They were so cute! My whole family really enjoyed them and my husband already asked when I will be making them again!

Taco Puffs
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 envelope taco seasoning
2 tubes refrigerated crescent
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Garnish (I used sour cream, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, diced onion, and additional cheese)

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Cool slightly. Unroll crescents leaving 2 crescents together to form a square. Press seems together and place in a greased cookie sheet. Spoon 1/4 cup meat mixture onto each; sprinkle with 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Pull crescent dough around the filling and pinch edges to seal tightly. Bake at 400 degrees for 13 minutes or until golden brown.

Source: Tried and True Cooking with Heidi

Onion Rings

2009-05-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe that got thrown together due to a great deal on a large bag of Vidalia Onions that I found on sale. I've always loved onion rings, but have never before attempted to make my own. They were surprisingly easy to put together. I'm not promising that this is the best way to make them, but my entire family thoroughly enjoyed them. They had just a nice bit of kick to them without being too overwhelmingly heavy. The breading was nice and light and they perfectly complemented our grilling. The only negative was that my house smelled like a carnival for the rest of the night!

Onion Rings
1 large Vidalia Onion, cut into rings
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (or less depending on preference for heat)
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
canola oil

Fill a large skillet with canola oil (enough to completely cover your onion slices) and place over medium-high heat. In a wide bowl, mix the milk and eggs until well beaten. In another bowl, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Place onion slices into the milk mixture, then place in the flour-- coating well on all sides. Shake off any excess flour. Place coated rings in the oil and fry until golden brown. Once at desired color, place on paper towel to drain off extra oil. Serve hot.

Salsa and Guacamole

2009-05-25T19:24:00.000-07:00

A short while ago, I had some co-workers over to our house for dinner. A member of our first grade team is retiring at the end of this school year and we wanted to honor her before her last day. Her request was for a Mexican themed dinner-- which is certainly not my specialty! I needed to make something that didn't need a ton of last minute work as my husband was out of town and I was on my own with both kids. I decided to do a 'taco bar' with all of the fixings and also made chicken fajitas. I need to give special thanks to my other team members who brought some sides, dessert, and drinks. It was a really nice opportunity to catch up and relax a little in the middle of what is typically a hectic time of year!

I wanted to have some appetizers ready that my guests could work on while waiting for dinner-- and figured that I couldn't go wrong with some homemade salsa and guacamole. I wish I had more time to play with homemade tortilla chips, too! That will be my next project! I knew I had to make Pam's salsa once I saw it. It looked and sounded just like our favorite restaurant salsa and I was not at all disappointed. I tend to be a little weak when it comes to spice, so I did not make mine too 'hot'. This would certainly be an easy thing to adjust when making yours. For my guacamole, I had to go with my mom's old standby. It's a classic and still my favorite. Both dips come together very quickly and go far-- they'd be great outdoor appetizers with a great big margarita!

Salsa
10 tomatoes (I used vine ripened)
2-3 green onions
2-3 cloves of garlic
Handful of cilantro
2 jalapenos, seeded and deveined
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Clean tomatoes, remove stem, then gently cut an X on the bottom of the tomatoes. Heat a large pot of water until boiling. Add the tomatoes and boil for 10-15 seconds. Remove from water and put into an ice bath. Once the tomatoes have cooled, gently peel off the skin. Place tomatoes, garlic, green onions, cilantro, jalapenos, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper in a food processor or blender. Puree until thoroughly mixed. Taste and re-season if necessary. (Pam recommends letting the salsa sit in the fridge for a bit for the flavors to combine. I highly recommend this as well. My salsa tasted even better the next day.)

Source: For the Love of Cooking

Guacamole
4 ripe avacado
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 plum tomatoes, finely chopped
White pepper and garlic salt to taste
Handful of fresh cilantro (leaves only)
1 Lime

Mash the avacado in a medium sized bowl. Add the chopped onion and tomatoes. Finely chop the cilantro and add to mixed guacamole. Season to taste. Sprinkle with juice from one lime.

(No matter what you do, your guacamole is going to turn brown after sitting for a while. If you stir it up, it will return to it's green color. To try to prevent this from happening, you can store the guacamole with one or two of the avacado pits placed in the center of the bowl-- be sure to remove them before serving. The lime juice will also help with some of the color change.)

Source: Adele Fine

Pesto Barbeque Pork Medallions

2009-05-22T08:53:00.000-07:00

This is a nice simple meal that is perfect for summer grilling. A friend of mine from school used to make a version of this and it quickly became a favorite. It's a recipe that comes together very quickly and has a very unique flavor. I'm almost embarrased to post this as a recipe, as it is so incredibly simple-- but the flavors cannot be beat. You can use any pork chop to make these-- I have used a thin cut, thick cut, bone-in, boneless, and now these medallions. All work well and it's nice to know you can use whatever is on sale! I haven't tried it on a tenderloin yet. . . that might have to be next! My outdoor grill is still broken, so I used a grill pan to make mine. I do think I prefer the outdoor grill for these, but they certainly work inside if you options are limited.

Pesto Barbeque Pork Medallions
Pork medallions
Pesto sauce (either homemade or jarred)
Barbeque sauce (I use Sweet Baby Rays)
Garlic salt
Pepper

Rinse pork medallions and dry well. Season to taste with garlic salt and pepper. Use a pastry brush to coat both sides of the pork with pesto sauce. Allow to sit for about 20 minutes. Place on a hot grill and cook through. For the last few minutes, brush with barbeque sauce on both sides.

Easy Cheezy Pasta Bake

2009-05-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

I've yet to find a pasta that I don't love. The South Beach Diet and I do not get along well as I am pretty sure that I cannot survive without carbs. Sad, I know. There is very little willpower! This dish made me feel like I was back in school. My dorm had a food court style cafeteria and included a Sbarros restaurant (think food court pizzaria in just about any mall). I think I lived on their baked ziti for a majority of the year. Ah, comfort food!

I've made many different varieties of baked ziti over the years, but this is the first one that included ricotta cheese. It really had more of a disassembled lasagna feel to it, which I really did enjoy. My husband even declared this one as his new favorite pasta dish. It came together really quickly and would be a great weeknight meal.

Easy Cheezy Pasta Bake
1 lb dried ziti
16 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
26 ounces spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 pound italian sausage, browned

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13" dish. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain thoroughly. In a large bowl, stir together cooked pasta, ricotta, italian sausage, and 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese until well-blended. Pour 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce, covering the bottom of the greased 9x13" pan. Spread pasta/cheese mixture over spaghetti sauce. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese & remaining mozzarella. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes until the casserole bubbles on the edges.

(The blog I found this on states that you can prep this in advance and can refrigerate it until you are ready to bake it. If you do this, they recommend baking for the full 30 minutes.)

Source: Dinner Time Ideas

Cookbook Review - Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

2009-05-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it now-- I am a cookbook junkie! I love browsing through new cookbooks and refreshing myself on old 'tried and true' recipes as well. My standard rule before buying a cookbook is that if I randomly do a quick flip through the pages, I have to find at least a five dishes that I can see myself preparing for my family. While this does typically give me a good indication of how much a book will be used, I sometimes wish that I could find real people using a book to determine its worth. With this in mind, I have decided to start a regular cookbook review section to at least share my experiences with different books. I'd love it if people would share some of their favorite cookbooks as well! Please feel free to leave comments on which books you find yourself going back to again and again.

For the first cookbook review, I decided to look at the book "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" by Dr. Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. In my opinion, there are few smells better than that of a freshly baked bread. If I were able to, I would be baking bread on a daily basis (though my figure would surely be hurting!). My main reason for not baking bread more often is that it is hard to find the time to do so. Most recipes involve a series of kneading, rising, waiting, etc. My friend, Christy, bought this book and when she told me about it-- I was so excited to start playing! The concept of the book is that you create different starters which can be stored in your fridge for a period of time. Each day, when you want to bake bread, you break off a chunk of the starter and are able to quickly prepare fresh baked breads in a matter of minutes (depending on the recipe you choose to make).

Christy and I decided that since we were just starting out, we would split one of the starters and would each make a few different recipes using it. We chose to start with the brioche starter. I can't begin to explain how much fun, and how easy, this was to use! For my recipes, I chose to make a brioche filled with chocolate ganache, French beignets (donuts), and jam filled beignets. Even with the same starter, they all had such unique flavors. I can't wait to start playing with some of the other starters-- I think I might be making the traditional sandwich bread next! I'll be sure to post results!

Be sure to check out Christy's blog, Christy's Kitchen Creations, to find what she made with her brioche starter as well! I'd highly recommend this cookbook and think that it will be one incorporated into our regular routine.

(Please remember to let me know what cookbooks you've used time and time again! I'd love to hear any recommendations!)

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

2009-05-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

I've joked before that we either cannot keep enough bananas in the house or we have a pile of black ones waiting to be baked! There's no middle ground with my son-- either all or none! I've been playing with different types of banana bread and muffins, but was looking for something new for a change. I've added chocolate chips to my banana bread before, but never thought to do a chocolate base bread, much less a double chocolate bread! I wasn't sure how much of the banana flavor would actually come through with the amount of chocolate in the recipe, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it really held its own. There is a definite banana flavor to the bread and it goes so well with the chocolate foundation. This might be my new 'go to' recipe for ripe bananas.

**Melanie, at Sister's Cafe, stated that she preferred to use a Dutch Process cocoa when making her bread. I followed her advice and it really did make a big difference. You can use either, but if you have the Dutch Process available, I'd second her recommendation.

Double Chocolate Banana Bread
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups mashed bananas (about 3)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. Spray bottom of 8x4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Beat sugar, eggs, and oil in large bowl at medium speed until combined. Beat in banana and vanilla at low speed. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; beat into banana mixture at low speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

Source: The Sister's Cafe

Sausage Skillet Supper

2009-05-16T20:47:00.000-07:00

This is a great recipe for those days when you have to throw together a quick meal. The cookbook I found it in says to allow 5 minutes for prep and 15 minutes total cooking time. A lot of times when a recipe says that, it isn't necessarily an accurate estimate. I was thrilled to find that this one truly was! It had a really good, comfort food kind of feel to it and consisted of ingredients that I normally would have in the house at all times. Even better, the whole meal is made in one skillet making clean up a breeze!

Sausage Skillet Supper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 bag (24 ounces) frozen diced potatoes with onions and peppers
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups broccoli flowerets
1 ring (about 3/4 pound) smoked sausage, cut into 6 pieces
4 slices American cheese, cut diagonally in half

Heat oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 6-8 minutes. Stir occasionally, until potatoes are light brown. Stir in the broccoli and sausage. Cover and cook for about 8 minutes, or until the sausage is heated through. Top with the cheese. Cover and heat until the cheese is melted.

Source: Adapted from Betty Crocker - Quick and Easy Cookbook

Chicken with Creamy Mushrooms and Snap Peas

2009-05-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

This is, by far, one of my new favorite dinners! I found it right next to the BLT Pasta Salad (which I posted about earlier this month) in this month's Food Network Magazine. I seriously couldn't wait to make it. It was simple and quick to put together but had such a sophisticated flavor. Chicken breasts were not on sale when I did my shopping, so I bought a package of chicken tenderloins instead. I did pound them out a bit to make them a little thinner and wider and they worked perfectly. I actually think I would use these again next time, in place of the regular pieces as they also cooked up quickly and stayed very juicy. The recipe also calls for either button, cremini, or shiitake mushrooms. My grocery store had a package that combined 4 different types of mushrooms (if I remember correctly, it was button, baby portabella, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms) and it was the perfect addition to the recipe. The variety provided a nice variance of texture and created a really nice sauce. There wasn't much left over after this meal, but what was left reheated really well and made for a great lunch. I can't wait to make these again!

Chicken with Creamy Mushrooms and Snap Peas

4 chicken cutlets (about 1 1/4 pounds) patted dry

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

All-purpose flour, for dredging

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 scallions, thinly sliced

8 ounces mushrooms (button, cremini, shiitake or a combination, quartered)

1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups sugar snap peas, stemmed and halved lengthwise

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Dredge 2 chicken cutlets in flour, shake off any excess and place in the skillet. Cook until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes per side, and transfer to a baking dish. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the other 2 chicken cutlets. Cover the dish loosely with foil; place in the oven while you prepare the vegetables.

Add the butter to the hot skillet, then add the scallions and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms brown, about 4 minutes. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and boil until the sauce thickens slightly, 3 to 4 more minutes. Stir in the snap peas and heat through; season with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken topped with the creamy vegetables.

Source: The Food Network Magaine

Homemade Soft Pretzels. . . Almost.

2009-05-13T17:15:00.001-07:00

*I'm having a ton of trouble with formatting on blogger today! I apologize for the appearance of this post! Anyone have any tips? It's making me crazy! :)

Ever since finding this recipe, I have been dying to make these pretzels! My husband and I are both huge fans of soft pretzels and we managed to pass that love on to our son as well. My friend Christy and I decided to make these this morning, but due to another day of crazy weather-- the dough took much longer to rise than the recipe had called for. Unfortunately, she had to leave before they were ready to shape into pretzels. I was so lost on my own! It's almost embarrasing how much trouble I had folding these into the proper shape. They really don't look like the perfect pretzels that I had envisioned in my head-- but they tasted WONDERFUL! So-- if yours look like mine, just close your eyes and enjoy! Your stomach will never know the difference!

I made half of my pretzels with the traditional salt, the other half were made into cinnamon-sugar pretzels. I had a hard time deciding which I liked more. . . I guess I'll just have to eat one of each to help me choose!

Soft Pretzels

1 1/2 cups warm water

1/4 cup warm milk

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 package active dry yeast

2 3/4 cups bread flour

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter, softened

10 cups water

2/3 cup baking soda

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons water

kosher salt

Combine water, milk, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Sprinkle yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Add flour and butter. Stir until well-combined.
Knead for 5-10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. Spray a large bowl with non-stick cooking spray. Put dough into bowl and cover with plastic wrap that has also been sprayed.
Let sit in a warm place until doubled in size, about one hour.

Put water and baking soda in a large pot and bring to a rolling boil. While water is heating up, divide dough into eight sections. Roll each section into a "snake" that is about 12" long. Let dough sit for five minutes. Now roll the dough into a longer "snake" of about 18". (I believe that this might have been part of my problem getting the shape I desired. I would recommend rolling them thinner to give yourself more length to play with while assembling them.) Form the dough into a pretzel shape. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or grease them).
Put each pretzel individually into the pot of boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spatula and place on a baking sheet. Put four pretzels per sheet. Beat egg yolk with 2 Tbsp water. Brush over the top of the prezels. Add salt. (If making cinammon/sugar pretzels, leave off the salt. Once they are out of the oven, brush the pretzels with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Shake off any extra.) Bake at 450 for 13-14 minutes. Check on the pretzels after 9 minutes and top with a sheet of aluminum foil if they are getting overly browned.

Source: Rara Bakes

BLT Pasta Salad

2009-05-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

This pasta salad will be a great addition to our summer grilling repertoire. (Now all I need is a working grill! Ours broke last fall and I am desperate to replace it... I'm not sure I can go a whole summer without grilling.) When I received the lastest addition of Food Network Magazine, this recipe really jumped out at me. My sister recently wrote about a different version of BLT Pasta Salad on her blog and it is one that I have made (and eaten) many times before. It is one of my favorite summer salads and I was definitely intrigued by some of the different ingredients and preparation in this new version. The recipe says to serve this warm, but I made it ahead of time to take advantage of 'nap time' at our house. I tried a little bite (all the self control in the world) when making it and it was very good warm-- but I think I might like it even better cold. I had some the next day for lunch and it was wonderful straight from the fridge. If anyone tries it, I'd love to hear how you liked it best-- warm or cold.

**A tip they offer in the magazine is to toss the cooked pasta with milk to keep it from becoming gummy. I have used cold water before to keep the pasta from sticking when using it in a salad, but had not tried milk. It worked really well, better than water, and is a method I would definitely use again.

BLT Pasta Salad
12 ounces corkscrew-shaped pasta (I actually used 16 ounces of rotini)
1/2 cup milk
12 ounces lean bacon (I used 16 ounces to match my increase in pasta)
3 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons chopped chives or scallion greens
5 heads Bibb lettuce, quartered or 5 cups chopped romaine hearts

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water as the label directs. Drain and toss with the milk in a large bowl; set aside. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from the pan. Add the tomatoes, thyme, and garlic to the pan and toss until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. Crumble the bacon into bite-sized pieces; set aside 1/4 cup for garnish. Toss the remaining bacon and the tomato mixture with the pasta. Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, and 3 tablespoons chives with the pasta until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce; toss again to coat. Garnish with the reserved bacon and the remaining 1 tablespoon chives. Serve at room temperature (or cold!).

Source: Food Network Magazine

Salmon Patties with Lemon Dill Sauce

2009-05-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

This is another one of those dishes from my childhood that make me feel like I am a little girl again! Just the smell of these patties frying brings many memories straight to mind. My mom used to make these all the time, normally with tuna instead of salmon. . . you can use either one depending on what you have or what is on sale. These patties have a nice delicate texture and are not too overwhelmingly 'fishy'-- meaning that you can probably disguise them enough to get little ones to eat them. My little boy was all about these, especially when he realized that they came with their own 'dippy'. :) I always serve mine with macaroni and cheese, just as my mother did. It's another tradition that I have no problem continuing!

Salmon Patties with Lemon Dill Sauce
2 small cans of tuna (in water) OR 1 large can salmon
1 cup finely crushed saltines
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped onion (more if desired)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
salt and white pepper to taste

Lemon Dill Sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 - 2 teaspoons dried dill weed

Drain and flake tuna (or salmon). Stir in cracker crumbs, celery, onion, mayonnaise, eggs, dry mustard, salt and pepper. Shape into 12 patties, using about 1/4 cup of mixture for each. Cook in a greased skillet for 8-10 minutes, turning once.

For sauce, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, and dill weed. Mix well and spoon over patties.

Note: Alternate meal idea: serve tuna pattties in warmed, split pita bread with sauce, lettuce, tomato, and cheese.

Shredded Beef Taquitos

2009-05-07T17:57:00.000-07:00

I love to order these when we go out to a Mexican restaurant, but I have never before attempted to make them at home. When I saw them on the blog, For the Love of Cooking, I knew that they were going straight on my next menu. I'm not quite sure why mine don't look half as nice as Pam's. Her photo looks beautiful, with picture perfect rolls. . . mine look a bit messier! They tasted wonderful though. More importantly, the house smelled incredible as the meat cooked!

Shredded Beef Taquitos
For the beef:

1 1/2 pounds of round roast
1-7 ounce can of whole green chiles reserve the juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4-5 cloves of chopped garlic
1-2 cups of beef broth

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven. Combine seasonings and rub onto the meat thoroughly. Sear the meat in the olive oil on all sides. Spread the green chiles over the roast. Add beef broth, reserved green chile juice and chopped garlic. Cover pan and place in oven. Cook 4-5 hours until the beef shreds easily. Check on roast every couple of hours to make sure there is plenty of liquid... if it's low add more broth. You can also cook this dish on the stove top or in a crock-pot. Shred the meat and mix into the remaining liquid. Taste and re season if necessary. Set aside and let cool.

To make Baked Taquitos:
Corn Tortillas
Shredded beef
Olive oil cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wrap corn tortillas in damp paper towels for 1-2 minutes in the microwave to soften. Place a bit shredded beef in the center of the tortilla then roll. Place, seam side down, on a baking sheet that's been coated with cooking spray. Finish rolling the rest of the taquitos, then spray each of them with cooking spray and bake for 5-6 minutes then turn over and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

Note: You can also add shredded cheddar cheese or cotija cheese to the taquitos. Be sure to place the cheese on the tortilla first then the meat. It will help keep the cheese from leaking out while baking.

Source: For the Love of Cooking

Cheeseburger Pies

2009-05-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

Please forgive my picture! For some reason, my camera card did not store the original pictures that I took of this meal. I was forced to dig out my leftovers (the one pie that was actually left) and took a next day - cold meal picture. Not the best, I know... but these were too cute not to share!

These little packets were very easy to make and had a delicious flavor. I normally don't add a steak sauce to my burgers but the flavor was definitely a welcome addition. It really brought the flavor of the beef out for me. One note that I will make is that while the recipe is designed to make 5 pies, I only made 4. To begin with, I wanted my burgers to be a little larger so that they wouldn't dry out in the cooking process. As I got into making them, however, I realized that an even bigger issue was the puff pastry. It was all I could do to get the pastry to cut into rectangles big enough to cover 4 patties, I can't imagine trying to get 5 out of one sheet! When I make this again (which I will) I will definitely make sure that I take the time to roll it out enough to save me some stress! :)

Cheeseburger Pies

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup finely diced Vidalia onion

1 teaspoon Montreal Steak Seasoning

1 tablespoon Dale's Steak Seasoning Sauce

5 slices cheese (I used American for my husband and son, Cheddar for mine)

1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough, allowed to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes

1 egg yolk

Preheat the oven to 375. Prepare the grill. Mix the ground beef, onion, steak seasoning, steak sauce, togeter (using your hands is the most efficient way to do this). Form into 5 (I made 4) small, flat patties. Grill burgers to medium-well. (You may also panfry the patties.) Remove from te grill and top each burger with a slice of cheese.

Roll the puff pastry sheet to flatten slightly. Eyeball the sheet and cut it into 5 relatively even rectangles. (Again, I made 4.) They don't need to be exact. Cover each burger with a piece of puff pastry and wrap it around the bottom, pinching all of the edges to seal. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, pinched side down.

Whisk together the egg yolk and 1 teaspoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush each wrapped pastry with the egg wash. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the puff pastry is nice and brown.

Source: Paula Deen

Chicken Fried Rice

2009-05-04T05:36:00.000-07:00

This fried rice is unlike any I have ever made before. Mine is always heavy on the soy sauce (more for color than anything) and this one has a much more delicate flavor. I made it as a main dish, but it could easily be served on the side for a Chinese food spread as well. I got this recipe from my friend, Becca, and she has yet to disappoint me on any that she offers. Becca is an amazing cook-- and every recipe she has given me has been an instant hit. (Which makes me think of her Paris Chicken... so good! I'll definitely have to make and post that one soon!)

This dinner is really a healthy one and is very affordable as well. There was a little extra cost the first time it was made as the sauces used are more of a specialty variety that I didn't have on hand, but they do go far and I will definitely be making this again so they are a good investment! The sauces weren't expensive, by any means, but the next time I make it I will only need to veggies, chicken, and rice.

Chicken Fried Rice
Serves 4

1 cup uncooked rice (white or brown)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (Becca usually tosses in a splash of sesame oil for flavor-- I didn't have any so I omitted)
1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh garlic or 1/8 tsp. dried (both taste equally good)
3 garlic cloves minced
6 ounces chicken breast- sliced thin/or cubed
½ cup shelled edamame
½ cup shredded carrot
½ cup finely diced onion
½ cup sliced bell pepper (any color will do, but red/yellow/orange make it brighter)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ cup chicken broth
1 ½ teaspoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Chili garlic hot sauce (you also can use liquid hot sauce, but this garlic sauce really made the dish, in my opinion)- add less for less heat. This can be found in the asian food section of your local grocery.

Cook rice according to package directions. (This can be a great use of leftover rice, or you can cook it the day before to eliminate extra step while cooking. You also could just pick up a quart from Chinese take out.) Add ½ teaspoon of the oil in skillet over medium heat. Add ginger ( if using fresh) and garlic – sauté 1 minute. If using dried ginger, wait until you add chicken to pan and sprinkle on top. Add your chicken to the garlic in the skillet and cook for 5-6 minutes (until there is no pink when you cut into the chicken). Set aside and keep warm

Add another teaspoon of oil to pan. Add your shelled edamame and shredded carrot, sautéing for 2 minutes. Add onions and bell pepper, sauté for another 2 minutes. Return chicken to pan- stir in broth , hot sauce and rice vinegar. Add rice and soy sauce to pan and stir until combined, cooking for an additional 3-4 minutes.

(Becca noted that she finds her edamame at Trader Joes and shells it herself after steaming, making it much more affordable. I found mine in the frozen foods section at my local grocery store. I steamed them quickly and they popped right out!)

Source: Becca Cattell

Homemade Waffles

2009-05-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that my waffle routine normally consists of opening up my box of Hungry Jack and mixing with milk and eggs! I am not much of a morning person and this makes for a tasty, quick breakfast for my family. The other day, however, I found that my box had maybe a tablespoon of mix left in it. We're not huge eaters in the morning, but this obviously wasn't going to do anything for me. I quickly pulled up Allrecipes.com and found this recipe with 569 positive reviews on it. Good enough for me! A definite plus is that you probably have all of the required ingredients on hand, so this doesn't require much planning ahead. I also liked that it says you can keep this batter in the fridge, covered, for up to a week. This will definitely make a good option for fresh breakfast during the week as well, without requiring a whole lot of time. I did note that on one review, the person said that they would recommend whipping the egg whites before adding them to the batter. I have found, in the past, that this does make for a lighter, fluffier waffle. I would highly recommend taking the time to do so when you make these, and I have noted the change in my directions.

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

Preheat waffle iron. Beat egg whites in large bowl with beater until fluffy. Set aside. In another bowl, beat flour, milk, vegetable oil, egg yolks, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth. Fold in the whipped egg whites.

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

Source: AllRecipes.com

Brussel Sprout Hash with Carmelized Shallots

2009-05-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

More than any other food, I hear complaints about brussel sprouts. If you ask someone what food they absolutely will not eat, they are often at the top of the list. When I was a child, I was right there in those ranks. I remember many hours at the table having a stare down with that pile of brussel sprouts that kept me from being excused from the dinner table. (I think our Golden Retriever even turned down the ones that 'accidentally' made their way to the floor.) As an adult, however, I decided to give them another try. I am so happy that I did! I don't care if they are sauteed, boiled, steamed, whatever-- I LOVE brussel sprouts. I'm not sure what the difference is, whether I just got over myself or finally developed a palate that would appreciate the flavor, but they are now one of my very favorite vegetables. So, if you have not tasted a brussel sprout since your childhood, I beg you to give them a whirl. This recipe is a great place to start. So yummy!

Brussel Sprout Hash with Carmelized Shallots

6 tablespoons butter, divided
½ pound shallots, thinly sliced
Coarse Kosher salt
4 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 ½ pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup water
pepper

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Saute until soft and golden about 10 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar. Stir until brown and glazed, about 3 minutes. Halve brussels sprouts lengthwise and then into thin ½ inch slices lengthwise. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add sprouts; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute until brown at edges, about 6 minutes. Add 1 cup water and 3 tablespoons butter. Saute until most of water evaporates,and sprouts are tender but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Add shallots, season with salt and pepper.

Source: My Tasty Treasures

Thank you for the Awards!

2009-05-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

I am so unbelievably touched and honored to receive the following blog awards!

This award was passed to me by Rachel, from Rachel vs. The Kitchen. For those of you that don't know, Rachel is actually my sister and I have been having so much fun sharing the 'blog world' with her! We both were raised to love to cook, and it is so nice that even though we don't get to see each other as often as we might like, we can connect and share our recipes and ideas with each other as well as all of our new blogging friends. Thanks for the award, Rachel!

Along with this award, I'm supposed to share seven things about my personality and then pass along the award and meme on to seven other bloggers for them to do the same. I've really enjoyed "meeting" new people from all over the country and am excited to learn even more about some of my fellow bloggers!

1. I have to borrow Rachel's number 1 also-- Family Oriented. I am definitely someone who needs to be surrounded by family. I would do anything for them and know that they would for me. It is very important to me that my children are raised surrounded by family as well and are able to understand the bond that a strong family shares.

2. Mommy-genes. This could really be rolled into number 1 and isn't necessarily a 'personality trait' per se, but I LOVE being a mommy. I have never known love like that shared between a mother and her children. I would literally walk through fire for my little ones.

3. Teacher/Mentor. I have taught first grade for 6 years and I love every second of it. It is one of the most rewarding jobs I can imagine and I love to watch the excitement on a child's face as they learn something new and build their confidence.

4. Goal Oriented. I have a dream to one day open up a bakery/cafe. My friend Christy and I have been working on a side business along these lines but one day hope to open up an actual storefront.

5. Patient. As a first grade teacher, patience was a necessity. My husband would also probably joke that being married to him requires some patience as well! :)

6. Loyal. I would like to think that I am a loyal person and will stand by those that I love. (I hope my friends and family would agree!) My husband and I met in high school, started dating in college and now have been together for 10 wonderful years. I'd walk to the ends of the earth for him.

7. OCD. I seriously have a problem! :)

I am passing this award along to the following bloggers:

1. Christy, from Christy's Kitchen Creations

2. Pam, from For the Love of Cooking

3. Shelby, from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch

4. Monica, from Lick the Bowl Good

5. Holly, from I Heart Bowheads

6. Marin, from Marin's Creations

7. Cathy, from Accountants Can Cook

The other award I was lucky enough to receive came from Kathy at Three on Food. Thank you so much, Kathy!

The Rules:

1. Put the logo in your blog

2. Write five things you are passionate about apart from blogging

3. Tag 5 people on your lists and let them know you tagged them.

A lot of these are going to be the same as the other award... but here we go!
Five things I'm passionate about...

1. My Children/Husband - My family means everything to me and comes before anything and everything else!

2. My Career - I take my responsibility to teach very seriously and fully understand the great trust that parents have when they allow me to work with and for their children. It is an honor to be in such a position.

3. My Religion - My parents always worked to instill a sense of pride within our religious background, but not until recently have I come to fully understand the power of faith and prayer. I am very grateful for the foundation that my parents have provided and hope that I can do the same for our children.

4. My Family - I said it before and it's worth saying again. I am blessed to have close relationships with so many members of my family and would do anything for them. Family is very important to me and I want to model that for my children as well.

5. My Friends - I am so unbelievably lucky to have such a great group of close friends that I know I can count on no matter what! (I wish I haven't always given you guys such ample opportunities to prove that!)

I would like to pass this award to the following people:

1. Rachel, from Rachel vs. The Kitchen

2. Christy, from Christy's Kitchen Creations

3. Leslie, from The Seasoned Homemaker

4. Aubrey, from The Fam Five

5. Jen, from Jamie and Jen Dish

Sausage, Broccoli, Brown Rice and Parmesan Dinner

2009-04-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

I truly had every intention of making this meal exactly as it was posted. It looked wonderful and sounded like something my husband would love. The recipe called for cheese filled chicken sausage. This is the second time that I have been on a mission for chicken sausage and I have yet to locate any in our local grocery stores! It's been quite frustrating! :) If anyone has any ideas, please feel free to share! I decided, instead, to go with a turkey Italian sausage (which is the same thing I substituted in the last dish as well). While the prep work on the meal was a bit more difficult using this option, the flavor was incredible. Looking at the pictures on Picky Palate, it seems that the sausage she used was cooked through, making it easy to slice and brown as part of her directions describe. My turkey sausage was uncooked and as I tried to slice it, it was sliding out of the casing. I was afraid that if I cooked it first (before slicing) it would dry out. Instead, I used a serrated knife and slowly cut my slices. My sausage pieces looked more like meatballs in my finished dish, but they held together well and the flavors worked really well together.

Sausage, Broccoli, Brown Rice and Parmesan Dinner

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1.25 lbs turkey Italian sausages, thinly sliced

4 cups broccoli florets, steamed until fork tender

4 cups cooked brown rice

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Saute bell pepper for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic; cook for 1 minutes then add sausage slices. Cook for 5 minutes or until sausage is browned on both sides and all pink is gone. Add broccoli, rice and parmesan cheese. Cook for 2 minutes or so, then season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Source: Adapted from Picky Palate

Goulash

2009-04-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

A short while ago, I was on bedrest awaiting the birth of my little girl. During this time, an amazing group of people stepped in to help us out with basic household tasks and meals. I was astounded enough that those I love and care about immediately came through to help us out, but I was even more awed by the complete strangers that insisted on helping out, without even meeting me or my family. They simply knew that help was needed and they did not hesitate to jump in. I cannot begin to thank these people enough for what they have done for my family. It was a difficult experience to have to sit and do nothing to take care of my family, and these people kept my household running, my family fed, and made us all feel such love and support.

One dish that was brought over during this time was a goulash. I had never before tasted, much less made, goulash. As we reheated the dish, a wonderful smell filled the house. This is comfort food at its best! My husband had seconds and asked me if I knew how to make it! While I don't have this particular recipe (which was delicious, by the way!) I had seen an episode of Paula Deen where she stated that her son, Bobby, requested her goulash on his birthday every year. Apparently it is his favorite of all of her dishes. With as many good things as she makes, I assumed if this was his favorite it had to be phenomenal! One thing I will make note of is that Paula says the recipe serves 6, unless Bobby is eating. Normally, I find that recipes don't make nearly the servings I would expect-- I guess we are big eaters! I did add a little extra macaroni to the goulash, but even with that, I would say that this makes way more than 6 servings. The recipe calls for 3 pounds of meat, which seems like a lot for only 6 servings, anyway. My husband and I both had a big bowl and I have a very large container of it left in the fridge.

Bobby's Goulash

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 pound ground turkey

2 large yellow onions, chopped

2- 15 oz cans tomato sauce

2- 15 oz cans diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

3 bay leaves

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon House seasoning (recipe below)

1 tablespoon seasoned salt

2 cups elbow macaroni (uncooked)

In a dutch oven, saute the ground beef and ground turkey over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Break up the meat while sauteing. Spoon off any grease. Add the onions to the pot and saute until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups of water, along with tomato sauce, tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, House seasoning, and seasoned salt. Stir well. Place a lid on the pot and allow this to cook for 15-20 minutes.

Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, return the lid to the pot, and simmer for about 30 minutes. (Paula doesn't say to, but I found that I needed to stir my goulash during this time. With the high sugar content of the tomatoes, it was starting to stick and burn on the bottom of the pot. I would stir randomly through this cooking time.) Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and allow the mixture to sit about 30 minutes before serving.

Serve with garlic bread and a salad.

Source: Paula Deen Celebrates!

Raspberry Sorbet

2009-04-27T19:06:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited that the weather is finally warming up! I was looking for a nice cold dessert to make to celebrate the heat and thought immediately about the strawberry sorbet I had made a bit ago. I had some raspberries in the freezer and decided that I would play with them to come up with a new variation. I normally would prefer to use fresh fruit to cook with, but when making sorbet I have found that the frozen fruit more than cuts the total prep time in half! I would much rather use that time playing with my little ones. :) The texture of this sorbet is so smooth and it is sweet enough to satisfy my cravings without compromising my diet! I'd highly recommend it and plan to play with other fruits through the coming months.

Raspberry Sorbet

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 bag frozen raspberries

In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar and boil until the sugar is completely dissolved (making a simple syrup). Set aside. In a food processor, process the frozen raspberries until completely pureed. Add the corn syrup, simple syrup, and lime juice. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer directions.

Source: Adapted from Cuisinart

Chicken Scallopine

2009-04-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

This chicken dish does not disappoint! If you have something coming up that you need a special dish for (you know-- like any day that ends in a 'y') I would highly recommend it! It came together much easier than I had expected and really presented well. By pounding out the chicken, it cooked quickly and stayed very moist. It had a great flavor and reminded me a lot of a dish that I used to get in an Italian restaurant. So good! I served it with linguine as was recommended, but I think it would go really well with most any pasta. Make sure that you use a white wine that you would drink on its own. The wine flavor was very prominent in the sauce, so it is important to get a wine that you enjoy. You won't use the whole bottle to make the dish, so you might as well enjoy a nice glass with your meal!

Chicken Scallopine
1 pound linguine
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
flour
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
12 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin
1 cup dry white wine
chicken broth (optional)
1 lemon
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 heaping tablespoon capers
fresh parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions (al dente). Flatten chicken breasts to uniform thickness. Salt and pepper both sides, then dredge in flour. Heat butter and oil in large skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken breasts until golden brown (2-3 minutes per side--though mine took a bit longer than that). Remove to a plate and set aside.

Throw mushrooms into the pan and stir. Immediately pour in wine, then squeeze juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon. Stir to deglaze the pan, then cook vigorously for 1 minute, until sauce reduces. Reduce heat to low. Pour in cream and stir, then add capers and parsley, stirring again. Turn off heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place pasta and chicken on platter and cover with sauce. Generously sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Creepy Clowns!

2009-04-22T20:21:00.000-07:00

My husband would probably not be too thrilled with me if I stated on my blog that he was deathly afraid of clowns, so I will instead state that he has some serious 'clown issues'. It all started long before I knew him-- something about a funky crayon holder and picture in his room that he never told his parents about his fear of. Needless to say, I don't quite let him live this one down! At our cake decorating class this week, we learned how to make clown figures. Obviously, I had to take advantage and surprise him with his very own clown cake. Mean, I know. I just couldn't help myself!

(He forgave me for the cake, as long as I agreed to let him have a piece that "didn't have a creepy clown on it!")

Beijing Beef

2009-04-20T18:17:00.001-07:00

I was craving Chinese food the other day and figured it would be a great opportunity to try a recipe off of a new blog that my sister found. She called me as soon as she found the Blog Chef site as she knew I would love the types of recipes that were posted. This is the first one I tried and I am thrilled that I did. The beef had a really nice texture after being fried (although not the healthiest option!) and the vegetables were nice and crisp. The sauce had a great flavor but I would probably go ahead and double it (the sauce only) the next time I make it. My husband and I both are big 'sauce' people and when I served it, I wished I had extra to spoon over the rice. One other change-- I was out of green peppers when making it, so I went ahead and used only red. It still tasted just as good, but wasn't quite as colorful! :)

Beijing Beef
1lb steak (sliced into thin strips)
6 tablespoons cornstarch (for dusting)
oil (for frying)

Marinade:
1 egg
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Sauce:
4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons vinegar
¼ teaspoon crush chili pepper
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Vegetables:
1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
1 medium red bell pepper (diced)
1 medium green bell pepper (diced)
1 medium white onion (sliced)

Cut beef into thin strips . In a bowl or sealable bag combine all marinade ingredients and mix well. Add beef slices and marinate for 15 minutes. While beef in marinating mix all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate. When the beef is done marinating coat the beef slices with 6 tablespoons of cornstarch. Remove any access cornstarch and deep fry (either in a deep fryer or wok) beef slices in batches until floating or golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Add a couple tablespoons of oil to the wok and add minced garlic and stir fry for 10 seconds. Add red and green bell peppers and onions and stir fry for 2 minutes. Remove vegetables and set aside. Pour sauce into the wok and heat until boiling. In a serving dish add beef and vegetables and coat with the sauce.

Source: Blog Chef

Chocolate Overdose Cake

2009-04-16T17:52:00.001-07:00

I am not exhaggerating at all when I say that I LOVE chocolate. This does present quite a problem as I try to lose the rest of my baby weight! :) If you were to tell me that for the rest of my life I was only allowed to make one type of cake, this one would be it! It is a layer of the best brownies I have ever eaten (almost a fudge-like consistency), a layer of creamy chocolate mousse, a layer of rich chocolate cake, topped with a delicious ganache topping. Drooling yet? It really almost sounds 'too' rich, if that is possible, but the combination was perfect and it made an ideal dessert for special occasions.

I will admit that I was a bit intimidated by the recipe. It is long and has many steps involved. Once I forced myself to break it down and work on one layer at a time, however, it was much more accessible. I will warn that it is really best to divide this dessert into two days, starting the day before you want to serve it. Once you assemble the cake, before you spread the ganache, you have to let it cool for at least an hour. I worked up to that point, chilled it overnight, then finished it the following morning. Please do not let the length of the recipe put you off... it was very time consuming but SO worth the effort!

Chocolate Overdose Cake
For the brownie base:
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
1 1/8 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the chocolate mousse filling:
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-oz. pieces
1 7/8 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar

For the chocolate cake:
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/8 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1/4 cup hot water
7/8 cup sugar, divided
7/8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, soft

For the ganache:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
18 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-oz. pieces

To make the brownie base, line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a round of parchment paper and spray the sides with nonstick cooking spray. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, salt and baking powder. Stir with a fork to mix. Melt the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. When the chocolate mixture is completely smooth, remove the bowl from the saucepan and gradually whisk in the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add in the flour mixture in two additions, folding with a rubber spatula until completely homogenous. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Set aside, prepare the cake batter, and bake the two layers at the same time.

To make the cake, line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with a round of parchment paper. Grease and flour the sides of the pan. Combine the chocolate, cocoa and hot water in a medium heatproof bowl; set the bowl over a saucepan containing 1-inch of simmering water and stir with a rubber spatula until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the chocolate mixture and stir until thick and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Combine buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs and yolks on medium-low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. Add remaining sugar, increase speed to high, and whisk until fluffy and lightened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Replace whisk with paddle attachment. Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the egg/sugar mixture and mix on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated, 30-45 seconds, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing about 10 seconds after each addition. Add about one third of the flour mixture followed by half of the buttermilk mixture, mixing until incorporated after each addition (about 15 seconds). Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture (batter may appear separated). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium-low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour. Pour into prepared pan; smooth batter to edges of pan with an offset spatula.

Bake the brownie and cake layers at the same time: the brownie for 25-30 minutes and the cake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire cooling rack. Allow the brownie to cool completely in the pan. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto the wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Once the brownie layer has cooled, run a knife around the edges to separate it from the pan. Remove the sides of the springform but leave the brownie layer on the springform base. Form a ring of parchment paper around the brownie layer and extending up the sides of the springform pan - reclose the springform so that the parchment is fitted tightly to the sides.

To make the chocolate mousse filling, place a stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer or fridge. Heat 1-inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place the semisweet chocolate in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover the top with plastic wrap and allow to heat for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate to a stainless steel bowl and set aside until needed. Place heavy cream and sugar in the well-chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the chilled whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer. By hand, whisk to combine 1/4 of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate until smooth and completely incorporated. Add the combined whipped cream and chocolate to the remaining whipped cream and use a rubber spatula to fold together. Spread the mousse over the top of the brownie base evenly. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top. Place the cooled cake round over the mousse, pressing down lightly. Chill for at least 1 hour.

To make the ganache, heat the heavy cream and the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Place the semisweet chocolate in a 3-quart stainless steel bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Chill 1 cup of ganache for 1 hour. Allow the remaining ganache to come to room temperature (about 40 minutes). Remove the springform ring and parchment collar from the assembled cake. Carefully transfer the cake to a serving platter, removing the springform base and parchment round. Use a spatula to smooth the room temperature ganache over the cake top and sides, covering evenly. Place the chilled ganache in a pastry bag fitted with a shell tip and pipe a shell border around the base of the cake. Pipe 12-16 rosettes around the top of the cake to indicate servings. Serve chilled and store leftovers in the fridge. Cut the cake with a hot, dry knife.

Source: Annie's Eats, originally adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Deviled Eggs

2009-04-15T15:33:00.001-07:00

These deviled eggs are made at almost every event on my husband's side of the family. I'm not sure who the recipe came from, Aunt Paulette is normally the one to make them but my mother-in-law gave it to me as part of a recipe exchange at my bridal shower. The cousins are always pushing each other aside to grab one (from what I'm told, this has been going on for about as long as they could walk!) and it is always a fight to see who can get the last one. This was my husband's one request for his Easter dinner. I had to laugh because when I took the dish out of the refrigerator to serve with dinner, I found that several eggs were missing from the plate. He didn't even bother to move them around to fill the empty spaces! I told him his cousins would be disappointed that he didn't put more effort into his theft! :) These are by far my favorite deviled egg recipe and they are good for a few days afterwards (though they often don't last that long).

Deviled Eggs
6 eggs, hard boiled and cut in half
1 teaspoon celery, minced
1 teaspoon onion, minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper
1 dash paprika
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon parsley
2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Mix ingredients with the egg yolks, stuff into halved eggs and sprinkle with paprika. (I use a decorating bag to fill my eggs.)

Cake Decorating Class

2009-04-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

I had to post a picture of my first efforts at cake decorating class! I'm taking the Wilton Course 1 and we were working on star tips this week. Don't laugh!! I'm learning! :) If you are anywhere near the west side of Indy, I would highly recommend taking this class with Ronda at JoAnns!

Happy Easter and Congratulations!

2009-04-13T10:27:00.001-07:00

I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend!

I wanted to take a moment to say 'Congratulations' to a fellow blogger! Heidi, from Tried and True Cooking with Heidi, is celebrating her 100th post today! You can go to her site to enter her 100th Post Giveaway. Congratulations, Heidi, on a great blog! I love checking it for new economical and family friendly recipes!

Roast Chicken Thighs with Potatoes, Artichokes, and Lemon

2009-04-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

I only recently found the blog "For the Love of Cooking," and I am so happy that I did. Just glancing through it quickly, I found so many recipes that I knew I would be making in the very near future. This particular recipe had me so excited because it incorporates a lot of my favorite flavors all into one dish. I'm always seeing these great recipes using Fingerling Potatoes, but unfortunately do not see them often at our grocery stores. When doing my grocery shopping last week, I found a little bag of different Fingerling varieties. The colors were so amazing that I couldn't leave them on the shelf-- and thought they would be perfect in this dish.

I have to say that this might be one of my new favorite comfort foods. It came together much more easily than I would have imagined and was actually a pretty quick meal to prepare. Even if the chicken didn't taste as amazing as it did, I would be making it again just to make my house smell as wonderful as it did. I was practically drooling while waiting for it to come out of the oven.

Roast Chicken Thighs with Potatoes, Artichokes, and Lemon

3 tbsp olive oil (divided)
5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of any fat
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Dried basil, to taste
15 frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
15 fingerling potatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
1-2 cloves of garlic, sliced into thin slivers
Zest of one lemon and the juice
1 lemon sliced into thin slices
2 tbsp chicken broth
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (garnish)

Heat a pot of water over high heat until it's boiling. Slice the fingerling potatoes down the center lengthwise then add them to the boiling water to par cook for 6-7 minutes. Remove from heat and drain water. Add the garlic slivers, lemon zest, lemon slices, artichoke hearts and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the potatoes. Season with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste, set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Season the trimmed chicken thighs with sea salt, fresh cracked pepper and dried basil to taste. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in an OVEN PROOF SKILLET (I used my dutch oven as I wasn't sure whether or not my skillets were oven proof) over medium high heat. Once VERY HOT add the chicken thighs and cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Turn the chicken over and remove from heat. Add the potato and artichoke heart mixture to the pan. Place the skillet in the oven and roast for 15 minutes.

Mix 1 tablespoon of olive oil, juice of one lemon and 2 tablespoons of chicken broth in a bowl. Season with dried basil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Remove skillet from the oven and pour the lemon juice mixture over the top of everthing. Let the chicken rest for 3-4 minutes before cutting.

Source: For the Love of Cooking

Taco Salad

2009-04-10T08:17:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the delay... I have a backlog of old posts that I haven't gotten up yet, so please bear with me!

Please do not judge this dish by its appearance. . . especially my 9 p.m. photograph of it! This taco salad is a favorite of anyone who tries it. With the crushed Doritos mixed through, it tends to be pretty kid friendly as well. I first got this recipe from my sister, but I can't remember for the life of me who she got it from. It sounds simple, but the flavor combinations are wonderful and perfect for the warmer weather. Please be warned that this recipe makes a nice amount of salad! I like it as leftovers just as much but my husband won't touch it past the first night. With the dressing mixed through it, leftovers have much more of a wilted salad consistency (which I like-- but I know a lot of people do not). To dress it up a bit, I bought a package of taco salad shells to bake right before serving. It was definitely a fun way to present it, but not totally necessary if you are looking to make a less expensive meal.

Taco Salad
1 to 1.5 heads of lettuce (depending on the size)
1 large onion, chopped
1-2 cucumbers, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 small can sliced black olives
2 large tomatoes
1.5 pounds ground chuck
1 bottle of your favorite Italian salad dressing
1 bag Doritos

Brown the ground chuck, breaking it up as you do. Drain well. Break apart the lettuce into a large bowl and add onion, cucumbers, green pepper, olives, tomatoes, and beef. Crush the entire bag of Doritos. Right before serving, add in crushed Doritos and salad dressing. Mix well.

(This is an easy meal to make ahead-- brown the beef but store in a container until ready to use. Chop and mix the other salad ingredients, waiting to add the crushed Doritos, beef, and dressing until ready to serve.)

Source: Rachel Guajardo

Garlic Red Potatoes

2009-04-07T20:32:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned on my last post, my mom's meatloaf really requires some good, homemade mashed potatoes served alongside it. My littlest one has been feeling sick and has required a bit of extra attention, so I unfortunately was unable to dedicate the time to peeling, cutting, boiling, mashing, etc. I did have some red new potatoes in the pantry, and after a quick web search, came up with this option. It was a simple recipe that called for everyday things I already had on hand. It was just what I was looking for!

One problem that I did have with this recipe was that the cooking time was way off, resulting in my meatloaf being finished well before my potatoes were. I would suggest either cutting your potatoes into smaller pieces or allowing for a longer cooking time. The flavor of these potatoes was perfect but they required a significant amount more time in order to be finished. I've listed the recipe as I found it.

Garlic Red Potatoes

2 pounds red potatoes, quartered
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place potatoes in an 8x8 inch baking dish. In a small bowl combine melted butter, garlic, salt and lemon juice; pour over potatoes and stir to coat. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over potatoes. Bake, covered, in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Mom's Meatloaf

2009-04-07T20:04:00.000-07:00

Meatloaf is one of those meals where no matter where I am or how old I get, I always feel like I am a kid living back at home. My sisters and I were recently teasing our mom that there were certain meals that always came with the same side dishes and the same traditions. Mom's meatloaf was always served with mashed potatoes and spinach, with a side of applesauce and cinnamon, prepared on Friday nights. (Mine would have been served with those same sides had I been able to spend more time in the kitchen making mashed potatoes-- it just doesn't taste the same with out them!) If we were really lucky, we got to eat on our Cabbage Patch TV trays while watching Dallas. Even as I write this, I hear the Dallas theme music in the background. . . scary, huh?

As much as I tease, I love that this meal has such comforting memories attached to it. I can only hope that one day my own children will be able to look back on the moments that we are creating now with as much appreciation and respect.

Mom's Meatloaf

3 pounds ground chuck
3 large eggs
2 medium to large onions
1 small or 1/2 large green pepper
25 saltines, finely crushed
3/4 cup milk
barbeque sauce (I always use Sweet Baby Rays)
1 cup applesauce (optional)
garlic salt
pepper

Break apart ground chuck in a large mixing bowl. Place eggs into a food processor and add onions and green pepper (both quartered). Process eggs, onions, and green pepper until finely chopped. Add egg mixture to meat along with the crushed saltines, milk, BBQ sauce to taste, applesauce (if desired), and seasonings. Mix well and place meat mixture in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Form into an oblong loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-75 minutes.

**Note: The meatloaf can be baked adding nothing or you can choose one of the following options: 1.) Brush top with BBQ sauce and also place sliced onion on top, or 2.) Mix one can of tomato or cream of mushroom soup with 1/3 cup of water and pour over meatloaf before baking.

Frosted Mini-Chip Peanut Butter Cupcakes

2009-04-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

I decided a while back that I have no choice but to jump on the cupcake bandwagon with the rest of the world! I love the option for personalized decorating and the ability to make these adorable individualized treats for someone special to enjoy. My friend Christy and I both jumped on this recipe in a new cookbook that she received for her birthday. (I kind of feel like it was my birthday as well, since she was nice enough to share her new books with me!) The original recipe was for a simple peanut butter cupcake with cream cheese frosting. Christy had the idea to add the mini chocolate chips to the batter and also as a final garnish. I honestly can't imagine them without this addition. They were wonderful! My husband was excited as well as one of his favorite candies is the Reeses Peanut Butter Cup. He decided that this really was the cupcake form of it. So good and definitely one we will be making again.

Just a side note. . . when making the frosting, we came dangerously close to adding more liquid. It seemed way too thick and definitely needed something. I'm glad we were patient because it eventually loosened up and came together perfectly. It might even be my new favorite frosting! Enjoy!

Frosted Mini-Chip Peanut Butter Cupcakes

4 tablespoons softened butter

1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup peanut butter (we used smooth)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup milk

1 cup mini chocolate chips (plus additional for garnish)

Frosting:

1 cup softened cream cheese

2 tablespoons softened butter

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Put 16 muffin paper cases in a muffin pan. Put the butter, sugar, and peanut butter in a bowl and beat togeter for 1-2 minutes or until well mixed. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition, then add the vanilla. Sift in the flour and baking powder and then, using a metal spoon, fold them into the mixture, alternating with the milk. Carefully fold in the chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the paper cases. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until well risen and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

To make the frosting, put the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl and, using a electric whisk, beat together until smooth. Sift the confectioners' sugar into the mixture, then beat together until well mixed. When the cupcakes are cold, spread teh frosting on top of each cupcake, swirling it with a round-bladed knife. Sprinkle the top with additional mini chocolate chips. Store the cupcakes in the refrigerator.

Source: Adapted by Christy's Kitchen Creations, originally from Perfect Baking

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

2009-04-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

Holy yum. Sorry, but I just can't help myself. I know I've been on a Pioneer Woman kick lately, and even though I feel like I have said it a few times, this one TRULY is my new favorite. This pasta dish tastes like it comes straight from an Italian restaurant. It was incredibly easy to throw together and reheats wonderfully through the week. My husband called it 'girl food' but he had no problem polishing off an entire plate of it. I find myself eating pasta all year long, but this sauce definitely provides a lighter alternative for what will hopefully be warm summer months.

On her website, Pioneer Woman gives some wonderfully detailed directions on roasting your own peppers. I actually took a shortcut and used the rest of the jar of roasted red peppers that I had purchased to make my tuna noodle casserole a little while back. If you can fit these two dishes into your rotation, it is a great way to share ingredients and save a little money.

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

1 jar roasted red pepper pieces
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup heavy cream
Flat leaf parsley, finely minced
Fresh Parmesan, shaved or grated
1 pound pasta (I used bowtie)

Puree roasted red peppers in a food processor or blender. Set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions. In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. Add plenty of salt.
Pour in cream and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add cooked pasta, then stir together. Place pasta into a bowl, top with chopped parsley and plenty of shaved Parmesan.

Source: Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Broiled Parmesan Tilapia

2009-04-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

I love seafood! When I go out, I love looking for new seafood dishes and will try most anything (as long as it's cooked-- I haven't been able to do sushi yet!). When it comes to cooking my own, however, I always seem to fall back on my standard salmon recipe. For a long time, salmon was all I would buy. I knew how to make it and I knew it was a safe dish that my husband would eat! My sister has been raving about how much she likes tilapia for quite a while, so I decided that it was about time to try it. She posted a similar recipe on her blog, Rachel vs. The Kitchen, only she warned that hers had a little bit of an extra 'kick' to it. I typically don't cook with a lot of spice, especially while I am nursing my little one. The poor thing would be up miserable all night if I did! I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com and my husband and I both loved it. It was fast to cook, fast to prep, and had a wonderful flavor. My husband even said it might be a new favorite of his-- who knew! :) I'm anxious to have my sister try this one to see how it compares to hers. I will definitely be making it again!

Broiled Parmesan Tilapia

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Apricot Chicken

2009-03-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

This recipe reminds me so much of my childhood! On special holidays my grandmother used to make a version of Apricot Chicken. Since moving away when I first left for college, it became harder and harder to get home for these dinners. It always makes me a little sad as different holidays come and go, to know that I am missing out from the family gathering and traditions. I guess, in the meantime, I will have to find my copycat dishes and wait for my next trip back home.

This recipe was delicious, incredibly easy to throw together, and very close to my grandmother's. I must warn, though, to watch it carefully as you obviously don't want your chicken to dry out. The sauce is nice and sweet, and not too overwhelmingly 'apricot'. I would recommend serving it with a little sauce spooned over each piece of chicken. My grandmother always used a cut up fryer, but I made mine this time using all boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I think either way would work, depending on your preference.

Apricot Chicken

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 (1 ounce) packages dry onion soup mix
1 (10 fluid ounce) bottle Russian-style salad dressing

1 cup apricot preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken pieces in a 4 quart casserole dish. Mix the soup mix, dressing and jam together, and pour over the chicken. Cover dish and bake for 1 hour in preheated oven.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Cupcakes, Cupcakes Everywhere!

2009-03-28T17:37:00.001-07:00

As Christy and I continue to grow our bakery business, we are always looking for new methods and techniques that we can add to our repertoire. We've been able to work quite a bit on our sugar cookies as we have been very busy with Spring Bouquet orders, developing Easter cookies and our now finalized Mothers' Day Bouquet. It is so much fun to be able to work together towards a common goal while doing what we truly enjoy! Christy's kids are on Spring Break this week, so we decided to look for a project that they would be able to enjoy with us as well. These cupcakes looked like a perfect place to start. Neither Christy nor I have had any experience playing with fondant and it has been high on our "must try" list for quite some time. I don't want to speak for Christy, but I can say that working with fondant might be my new favorite thing! :) From kneading it out, to flavoring, coloring, rolling, cutting, smoothing, etc. I had so much fun along the way and was almost sad to see the last cupcake finished! The best thing about it was that it was a method that we were able to include Christy's girls with-- and they were right alongside us, helping all the way. Christy's blog has some great 'action' shots of her girls at work! We had so much fun and couldn't believe our eyes when we looked at the clock and saw how much time had passed! We were so busy working (and laughing) that the day was over before we knew it. I just can't wait until my little girl is old enough to play as well! If you asked me, though, she seemed to enjoy the process all the same!

Sources: JoAnn Fabrics and numerous cake decorating books

Braised Beef with Mushrooms and Cabernet Sauce

2009-03-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

I have to say that for some reason, this is one cooking method that I have always been a bit intimidated by. Now that I have tried it, however, I feel a bit foolish for having waited so long! I've been looking for excuses to play with my new dutch oven (which I LOVE, by the way!) and when I looked at Brown Eyed Bakers photos from this recipe, I knew I would have to get this particular dish on our menu. The meat was so unbelievably tender it literally melted in our mouths! One change that I did make was to chop up the celery as well. Chelle (Brown Eyed Baker) stated that although the recipe didn't say to, she decided to serve the carrots on the side of her meat and mushrooms. The recipe calls for 2 stalks of celery, but I decided to chop those up as well to give the dish more of a stew consistency, serving the carrots as well. Overall, it made a pretty inexpensive meal and was a great comfort food. If you haven't tried braising meat before, this is a great dish to start with! Now that I am a fan, I'd love to hear about any other recipes anyone might have!

Braised Beef with Mushrooms and Cabernet Sauce

3 lbs. beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
2 large onions, peeled and quartered
3 large carrots, cut into chunks
2 stalks celery, trimmed and halved
6 garlic cloves
8 oz. white mushrooms, quartered
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
2 fresh thyme sprigs
3 fresh parsley sprigs
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 cup Cabernet savignon
2 cups chicken stock
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 275°. Dry beef thoroughly and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of the meat so that the pieces are not touching and cook without moving them until browned, about 2-3 minutes. Use tongs and rotate pieces until all sides are browned (about another 2 minutes). Transfer the beef to a medium bowl, add another 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and repeat the previous steps with the other half of meat. Add the wine and de-glaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom. Add all of the beef back to the pot and stir in the chicken stock, filling only until meat is just covered by liquid. Stir in flour, dissolving completely. Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Pile on mushrooms, add herb sprigs, and return to a boil. Cover and place in preheated oven and cook for 2 hours.

Remove from oven and drain all contents, reserving the liquid. Return the liquid to the pot and boil on medium high heat until thickened, about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, remove beef and mushrooms from drained contents and place on serving platter. Once mixture has thickened, spoon about 1/3 cup of sauce over meat and serve remaining in a gravy dish on the side.

**I served mine over mashed potatoes.

Source: Brown Eyed Baker (originally from Good Things Catered)

Tuna Noodle Casserole

2009-03-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

I was really excited to find this tuna noodle casserole because it had a lot of ingredients that I wouldn't have normally thought to add to the dish. I love this casserole as an old standby comfort food, but this particular recipe is a little more of a 'grown up' version. I liked that it also allowed me to add some extra vegetables in, too. I knew that I needed to make it a little heartier for a meal, so I wanted to add an additional can of tuna to my version. I also added extra pasta as I wanted to use a dish that was a little longer. I didn't want my casserole to be too thin. The only problem with this is that I really think I should have doubled the leek soup/milk as well. I added 2 cups of milk instead of the 1.5 it called for, but next time I will definitely add the full double of soup mix and milk. The flavor was really good and the texture was great!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

8 ounces uncooked linguine
1 cup frozen broccoli florets
1 package (1.8 oz) leek soup mix
1 1/2 cups milk
Dash pepper
1 can (5 oz) albacore tuna, drained
2 tablespoons chopped drained roasted red bell peppers
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain linguine as directed on package, adding broccoli for last 2 minutes of cook time.
Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, mix soup mix and milk. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pepper. Add linguine, broccoli, tuna and roasted peppers to soup mixture; stir gently to mix well. Spoon into baking dish. In small bowl, mix butter and bread crumbs; sprinkle over linguine mixture. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Source: Betty Crocker