Shayla's Kitchen

Potatoes Plus

2012-02-01T10:25:00.000-08:00

This was a delicious vegetarian meal that was fairly easy to make. The only problem that I had was that we had a hot spot on our barbecue that I didn't know about... one of our packets got severely burned after cooking as it says. Just keep a close eye on your flame. Make sure it isn't licking one packet more than the others. You may want to rotate the packets when turning as well.

Also, if you don't want this to be a meatless meal you can easily add sliced sausage or another meat of your choice.

This picture and recipe are courtesy of Taste of Home and can be found here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Potatoes-Plus

POTATOES PLUS

From Taste of Home

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4 medium red potatoes, cubed
1 medium onion, cubed
1 medium sweet red pepper, cubed
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon each dried basil, dill weed and parsley flakes
1/4 cup butter, cubed

Combine vegetables and seasonings; divide among four pieces of heavy-duty foil (about 12 in. square). Dot with butter. Fold foil around vegetables and seal tightly.

Grill, covered, over medium heat for 15 minutes on each side. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape. Yield: 4 servings.

Foil-Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner

2012-01-22T19:45:00.000-08:00

I love this concept and the flavor was awesome but the rice definitely did not cook quite right. I don't know exactly what happened. But I do know that these were fantastic leftovers when the rice had been able to sit for a while longer and was actually soft. If you want to be adventurous and try this recipe as written, go for it. Next time I make it I will cook the rice separately and then serve the ingredients of these foil packs on top of it.

This picture and recipe are courtesy of Kraft Foods and can be found at this site here: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/foil-pack-chicken-fajita-dinner-111262.aspx

FOIL-PACK CHICKEN FAJITA DINNER

From Kraft Recipes

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1-1/2 cups instant white rice, uncooked

1-1/2 cups hot water

1 Tbsp TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

1 each green and red pepper, cut into strips

1/2 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa

1/2 cupKRAFT Mexican Style Finely Shredded Taco Cheese

HEAT oven to 400ºF.

FOLD up all sides of each of 4 large sheets heavy-duty foil to form 1-inch rim; spray with cooking spray. Combine rice, water and taco seasoning; spoon onto foil. Top with remaining ingredients.

BRING up foil sides; fold to make 4 packets. Place in 15x10x1-inch pan.

BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Cool 5 min. Cut slits in foil to release steam before opening packets.

Slow Cooker Chicken Marrakesh

2012-01-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

We love love loved this Morrocan-style meal! So many wonderful flavors come together to make a satisfying and filling meal that is SOOOO easy to make! And guess what? 290 Calories and 2 grams of fat per serving! You can't beat that! I even loved the chickpeas in the dish as they added a wonderful new texture; however, my mother also made this dish and can't stand chickpeas so she just substituted great northern beans. Whatever your preference, be adventurous and try this dish tonight!

This recipe and picture are courtesy of Allrecipes.com and can be found at this site here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-chicken-marrakesh/detail.aspx

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN MARRAKESH

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

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Yields 8 servings

1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into ½ inch rounds
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon curry
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
¾ cup apple juice

Place the onion, garlic, carrots, sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, and chicken breast pieces into a slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the cumin, turmeric, curry, cinnamon, black pepper, parsley, and salt, and sprinkle over the chicken and vegetables. Pour in the tomatoes and apple juice, and stir to combine.
Cover the cooker, set to High, cook for 1 hour. Change slow cooker setting to low and continue to cook for 5 hours or until the sweet potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened.

Amount Per Serving Calories: 290 | Total Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 66mg

Molly's Rolls

2012-01-15T15:43:00.000-08:00

This is the recipe for my all-time favorite "quick" rolls. This is my go to recipe for rolls! These are so delicious I have made this recipe probably a dozen times. They are easy and come out fluffy yet chewy at the same time. I have changed up several of the ingredients in the times I have made them to make them as healthy as possible. I wish I had a wheat grinder... but until then these delicious rolls are well worth any amount of calories needed to consume them. Just try to hold yourself back better than I can and eat 1 or 2 instead of 4 or 5.... :-)

This picture and recipe are courtesy of the wonderful Real Mom Kitchen and can be found at this site here: http://realmomkitchen.com/139/mollys-rolls/

Molly’s Rolls

Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

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1 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk (I just heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds and let it sit while the yeast bubbled; I recommend using whole milk because it will help your rolls to have a better consistency but if you absolutely need to cut back on fat and calories I have used skim milk before with success)
1/3 cup honey
1 package yeast(2 1/4 teaspoon)
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp olive oil

2 Tbsp + 2 tsp applesauce
1/2 T salt
1 egg, beaten (or 2 egg whites)
flour (I ended up using around 5 cups)

In mixer combine yeast, honey, and warm water; let grow until bubbly (about 5 minutes). Add milk and mix. Mix in oil, applesauce and egg. Slowly add 2 cups flour, mix and then add salt. Add 1/2 cup flour at a time until it comes away from side of bowl. Place in a greased glass or metal bowl, cover with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. Form rolls as desired and place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover again with a clean cloth and let rise an additional 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Brush hot rolls with melted butter. I made 2 dozen with this recipe.

Baked Oatmeal

2012-01-09T07:57:00.000-08:00

This terrifically easy and tasty breakfast is one that I wish we could have in our house more often; however, I don't think it can be classified as "healthy" per say. Mel at Mel's Kitchen Cafe has made some ingredient list changes to lighten it up but I still think it is a ways away from the best choice you can make for the most important meal of the day.

That being said, however, this would make a wonderful breakfast for a special occasion. It comes out tasting like a big cookie without being too sweet and we loved it scooped out of the pan right out of the oven with some extra milk. This is one that will stay in my recipe book. Loved it!

The recipe and picture are courtesy of Mel's Kitchen Cafe and can be found at this site here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/07/baked-oatmeal.html

Baked Oatmeal

from melskitchencafe.com

6 cups oatmeal, either quick or old-fashioned

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup applesauce

2 cups milk

4 beaten eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased 9X13-inch baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve with milk and/or fresh fruit.

The recipe can be easily halved and baked in an 8X8-inch pan.

Fluff

2012-01-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

This recipe is an incredibly easy side dish that goes great with many different meals. I would recommend cutting back on the boxes of strawberry jello. It definitely didn't need 2 and got to be kind of grainy. I think next time I will only do 1 and I will definitely cut up some fresh strawberries to go with it. Or even banana slices would be yummy! The best thing about this is you can change it up to any flavor you want. Orange with mandarin oranges in it, or pineapple with pineapple chunks! Be creative and go for it!

This recipe and picture are courtesy of Sadie's Kitchen and can be found at this site here: http://sadieskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/fluff.html

Fluff

From Sadies Kitchen

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3 cups cottage cheese

2 (3 oz) boxes of strawberry jello (Add the second box slowly to adjust to your personal tastes)
1 container of cool whip
Strawberries (optional)

Whisk the jello powder into the cool whip. Add cottage cheese and stir well. Add fresh, sliced strawberries (optional) or have them for garnish. Refrigerate until serving.

Cranberry-Oatmeal Bars

2011-12-19T20:45:00.000-08:00

I was looking for a dessert recipe that wouldn't "break the calorie bank" for a Family Home Evening treat one night and I came across this one. I was on a serious orange craving kick and the combination of flavors intrigued me. They were pretty easy to make although it may have been more difficult without a grater for the orange zest and a juicer for the orange juice... but overall I still think it was pretty easy. They are pretty strong tasting but I loved them and will be making them again. This would be a great holiday dessert! And don't be taken off guard about the fact that you are supposed to cut these bars into 24 pieces... they are rich and you don't need a whole lot to feel satisfied. If you have a sweet tooth, however, the great thing about Cooking Light recipes is that you can eat 3 or 4 and still be in an okay range.

The picture and original recipe are courtesy of MyRecipes.com and can be found at this site here: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/cranberry-oatmeal-bars-10000001853985/

CRANBERRY-OATMEAL BARS

Adapted from Cooking Light
Serving Size 24
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4 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)

Click to 1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Click to see s1/4 teaspoon salt

Click to see savin1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Click to see savi1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Click to see savin6 tablespoons butter, melted

Click to see savi3 tablespoons orange juice

Click to see savinCooking spray

Click

Filling:

1 1/3 cups dried cranberries (about 6 ounces)

Click to see savin3/4 cup sour cream (I used fat free)

Click to see s¼ cup honey

Click to see savin2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Click to see saving1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Click to see saving1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind

Click to see savin1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Click to

1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. To prepare crust, weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle butter and juice over flour mixture, stirring until moistened (mixture will be crumbly). Reserve 1/2 cup oat mixture. Press remaining oat mixture into the bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. To prepare filling, combine cranberries, sour cream, granulated sugar, and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well. Spread cranberry mixture over prepared crust; sprinkle reserved oat mixture evenly over filling. Bake at 325° for 40 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

CALORIES 135 (31% from fat); FAT 4.6g (sat 2.6g, mono 0.8g, poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 1.7g; CARB 21.5g; FIBER 1.3g; CHOL 13mg; IRON 0.7mg; SODIUM 68mg; CALC 27mg (Based on using ½ cup sugar instead of ¼ cup honey)

Cherry-Oatmeal Bars: Substitute dried cherries for the dried cranberries and lemon rind for the orange rind in filling.
Maple-Date-Oatmeal Bars: Substitute chopped pitted dates for the dried cranberries. Omit granulated sugar from filling, and add 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 2 tablespoons brown sugar.

Kathy Farrell-Kingsley, Cooking Light
NOVEMBER 2008

Honey-Glazed Pork with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Broccoli

2011-12-08T08:12:00.000-08:00

This delicious meal is a Prevention.com recipe. It is a restaurant quality meal that takes advantages of some very different flavors, techniques, and textures. We loved the glaze on the pork although I think I cooked ours a little bit too long and it got pretty sticky. Just make sure you leave it a bit liquid like and don't turn it into a thick syrup and you'll be fine. Also, the garlic mashed potatoes were pretty strong on the garlic so if you aren't a big garlic fan I would tailor the recipe a bit. As always, the roasted broccoli is AMAZING! If you haven't tried this method of cooking broccoli you MUST!

This recipe is courtesy of Prevention.com and can be found at this site here: http://recipes.prevention.com/Recipe/honey-glazed-pork-with-garlic-mashed-potatoes--roasted-broccoli.aspx

Honey-Glazed Pork with Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Roasted Broccoli

From Prevention, Eat Your Way Thin!

WORK TIME: 25 MINUTES / TOTAL TIME: 50 MINUTES / SERVINGS: 4
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1/2 c apple juice
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/4 tsp cayenne
4 c broccoli florets
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 lb Yukon gold potatoes
1/2 c reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 c chopped parsley

1. HEAT oven to 400°F. Combine apple juice, honey, soy sauce, and half of the garlic in small bowl. Sprinkle pork with cayenne.
2. TOSS broccoli with 1 tablespoon of the oil on baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.
3. HEAT remaining 1 tablespoon oil in medium ovenproof frying pan over high heat. Add pork and cook, turning once, until browned, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour juice mixture over pork and transfer to oven along with the pan of broccoli. Bake until pork and broccoli are done, 25 to 30 minutes.
4. PUT potatoes in medium pot while pork and broccoli cook and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
5. LEAVE broccoli on baking sheet and transfer pork to cutting board. Return frying pan to high heat and cook juice mixture until a thick glaze forms, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
6. DRAIN potatoes and return to pot. Add sour cream, parsley, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining garlic. Mash until smooth.
7. SLICE pork and put on plate. Drizzle with glaze and serve with mashed potatoes and broccoli.

NUTRITION (per serving) 481 cal, 42 g pro, 46 g carb, 7 g fiber, 15 g fat, 4.5 g sat fat, 560 mg sodium

Pesto Stuffed Shells

2011-11-29T09:27:00.000-08:00

This is a wonderful meatless recipe that is deliciously tasty and super easy to make. It is a lot like manicotti only not as hard to make. Change it up with your favorite spaghetti sauce.

And the best part? This recipe is from Budget Bytes. Check out their great site for lots of ways to save money on dinner. This particular meal comes in at $8.51 per recipe/$1.42 serving.

Check out their site and the source of the recipe and picture here: http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2010/03/pesto-stuffed-shells-851-recipe-142.html

PESTO STUFFED SHELLS

From Budget Bytes

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12 oz jumbo shells
15 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
4 oz (1 cup) shredded mozzarella
½ cup basil pesto
1 large egg
2 cups fresh spinach (optional)
1 tbsp cooking oil
3 cups (1 jar) pasta sauce

STEP 1: In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, pesto and the egg (the egg keeps the filling from getting too runny when cooked). Roughly chop the spinach and stir it into the cheese mixture. Refrigerate the filling until you are ready to use it.

STEP 2: Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box (boil for 12 min.). I added 1 Tbsp of cooking oil to the boiling water to keep the shells from sticking to each other and the pot. You will still need to gently stir a few times during cooking. Be careful not to over cook the pasta or else it will rip easily and be too mushy after cooking with the filling and sauce. Drain the pasta and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process. Let the pasta drain.

STEP 3: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. The shells roll up tight when they are cooked so use the fingers on one hand to hold them open as you spoon about 3 Tbsp of pesto cheese mix into the center of each. There should be enough pesto cheese mix to fill the shell so that it stays open just slightly (the edges should be about 1/2 inch apart). Fill as many shells as you can with the cheese mix.

STEP 4: Spread one cup of pasta sauce in the bottom of a glass baking dish. You want to pack them in tightly in a single layer. If you space them too far apart, they will dry out during the cooking process. Place all of the shells in the baking dish as close together as possible and pour the remaining 2 cups of sauce over top. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until the sauce is bubbling up around the edges.

Cinnamon Apple Pancakes with Apple Cider Syrup

2011-11-23T09:17:00.000-08:00

This is a wonderful recipe for Fall that is very easy to make and a treat for breakfast, lunch or dinner! I made these one night even though I had something else planned because they sounded really good and they were quick and easy. They definitely didn't disappoint. My whole family loved them - especially my daughter.

I substituted the sugar for honey in this recipe and it still turned out excellent.

*Fun suggestion for people with kids: Pancakes can be a bit hard for little kids to eat and we parents usually have to cut the pancakes up into small pieces. To avoid this all you have to do is pour your batter through a funnel onto your griddle and make Pancake Sticks. They are easy for little hands to hold and dip in the syrup. I think my little girl easily ate twice as much as normal because she was having so much fun dipping her sticks!

Thanks to the wonderful Real Mom Kitchen for this fantastic recipe and picture. It will be a staple at our house! You can see her original post at this site here: http://realmomkitchen.com/8472/cinnamon-apple-pancakes-with-apple-cider-syrup/

Cinnamon Apple Pancakes with Apple Cider Syrup

From Real Mom Kitchen
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CIDER SYRUP:

· 1/2 cup sugar (or substitute with honey)

· 1 Tbsp cornstarch

· 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

· 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

· 1 cup apple cider or juice (I used 100% apple juice)

· 2 Tbsp butter

· 1 Tbsp lemon juice

PANCAKES:

· 2 cups complete pancake mix (the kind that you only add water to)

· 1-1/2 cups apple juice or cider (again, I used 100% apple juice)

· 1 apple, finely diced

· 1 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Start by preparing the syrup. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar (or honey), cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg.

2. Add the cider in and stir until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes.

3. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook while stirring for 2 minutes longer. Stir in butter and lemon juice until butter is melted.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pancake mix and cinnamon. Add juice and whisk just until moistened.

5. Fold finely diced apple into the batter.

6. Pour batter onto a greased hot griddle using a 1/4 cup measuring cup; turn when bubbles form on top. Cook until second side is golden brown.

7. Serve the pancakes with cider syrup. Makes 12 pancakes and 1-1/4 cups syrup.

Super Bean Burritos

2011-11-16T13:09:00.000-08:00

I love love love love this recipe!!!!!!! Some of the highlights for you: 1) It is easy to make. 2) None of the ingredients are abnormal. 3) It makes enough to feed an army. 4) It is versatile. 5) It has a great flavor. 6) It is healthy. 7) It is meatless but doesn't have to be. (But it really doesn't need the meat.)

Are you convinced yet that you MUST make this recipe? What if I told you that I am making this again tonight? What if I told you that you and your husband and even your kids will have dinner today and lunch tomorrow and you might STILL have leftovers that you can continue to enjoy after that? Or there are even directions for freezing these if you want. What if I told you that I might have even had these for breakfast one day....

So, needless to say, these are excellent. I do have to add one disclaimer: if you don't like onions this is not the recipe for you. It calls for a LOT of different onions. We love onions so that is not a problem for us.

And, like I said, this is a healthy recipe; however, if you want to make it even more healthy you can use brown rice, serve it on whole grain/whole wheat tortillas, use black beans instead of pinto, don't smother it in sour cream and cut back on the cheese. I didn't put cheese on mine at all and didn't feel like it was missing anything. I love eating mine with green salsa; the hubby loves his with red salsa. Like I said, it is versatile.

I also used a whole 8 oz can of tomato paste the first time I made this by accident but I didn't feel like it was a problem at all. In fact, I plan on doing it again tonight!

Thanks a MILLION to Real Mom Kitchen for the picture and recipe. You can visit her fantastic site here: http://realmomkitchen.com/1087/super-bean-burritos/

Super Bean Burritos

From Real Mom Kitchen
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1 cup brown or white rice (or 2 cups already cooked rice)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 jalapeno, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced (can substitute 1 can of green chiles which is what I did)
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cans (15 oz. each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed (I used black beans)
1 1/2 cups water
1 (10 oz) package frozen corn or 1 can whole kernel corn, drained (I personally would recommend the frozen corn)
6 green onions, white and green parts finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
16 burrito-sized (10-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (or whatever kind of cheese you have)

Cook rice; set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and golden, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
Add one can of beans and mash gently in the pan (a potato masher or fork works great here). Add the second can of beans and the water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10-12 minutes, being careful not to let the mixture stick to the bottom of the pot. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2-3 minutes. Stir in onion and garlic powders. Remove from heat; stir in green onions and cooked rice.
Heat tortillas in microwave for about 30-45 seconds or until all are warmed through.
Fill each tortilla with about 2/3 cup bean and rice mixture and 1/4 cup cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold, and hold in sides. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down, and prepare remaining burritos.
Serve warm immediately, with salsa and sour cream if desired — or, to freeze for later consumption.

For enchilada style:I put 5 burritos in a baking dish. Then I poured a (10 oz.) can of green enchilada sauce. You can use more enchilada sauce if you like. The 10 oz can just gave them a light coating. Make sure that the sauce completely covers the burritos, you can use a spoon to help spread it around. Then sprinkle with 1 cup or so of shredded Monterrey jack cheese. Turn oven to broil. Place baking dish on middle rack of the oven (not the top) and broil until the cheese is nice and melty.

To Freeze: Put burritos on a baking sheet in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until very cold so that they don’t come apart in the wrapping process. Remove them from the freezer and wrap each burrito individually in plastic wrap and place all the wrapped burritos in a freezer-safe resealable bag and freeze up to three months.

To reheat from frozen: Remove plastic wrap from the burrito. Poke holes in the top several times with a fork. Microwave on high for two minutes. Gently poke a few more holes in the burrito and microwave for another minute. Be careful as the burrito will be piping hot!

Portobello Burgers

2011-11-15T21:06:00.000-08:00

I will be the first to admit that I am not a big mushroom fan. So the idea of making this recipe pretty much terrified me. But I am not about to turn away from new adventures and experiences so I decided to give it a try. Plus, the red pepper mayo sounded really good.

They turned out MUCH better than I expected. They have that weird mushroom texture but it was manageable. One thing you will want to be sure of is to eat these on full buns, not thin ones. These get really messy and the thin buns get soggy too fast.

A typical Ruby Tuesday Veggie burger has 952 calories, 53 g fat and 95 g carbohydrates. This burger recipe, as written (per serving) has 370 calories, 16 g fat (4 g saturated) and 540 mg sodium. If you want to cut that back even further cut down on the cheese and load up your burger with more veggies.

This picture and recipe are courtesy of Cook This, Not That and can be found at this site here: http://cookthis.menshealth.com/recipes/cook-mushroom-melts

PORTOBELLO BURGERS

From Cook This, Not That

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2 Tbsp mayonnaise
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup finely chopped roasted red peppers
1 clove garlic, minced
4 large portobello caps, stems removed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
4 slices red onion
4 potato rolls or whole-grain buns
A few handfuls of mixed greens, arugula, or other lettuce

How to Make It:
*Heat a grill or grill pan. Combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, red peppers, and garlic. (For a uniformly red mayo, puree in a food processor.)

*Rub the mushrooms with the olive oil, vinegar, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Grill, top side down, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the mushrooms are fully cooked. While the mushrooms are cooking, grill the onions until browned and toast the buns.

*Top each bun with greens, grilled onions, mushrooms, and the red pepper mayo.

Ultimate Beef Stroganoff (Slow Cooker)

2011-11-11T08:51:00.000-08:00

I grew up eating wonderful beef stroganoff that my mom would make for Sunday dinner on occasion. The biggest problem with my mom's original recipe is the amount of time and effort that it takes to make. This recipe is a slow cooker recipe that allows for much less effort; however, my mom would never make this recipe because it calls for mushrooms and onions. If you don't like mushrooms and onions than this probably isn't the recipe for you but if you do it is great!

The picture and recipe are courtesy of Mel's Kitchen Cafe and can be found at this site here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/04/the-ultimate-beef-stroganoff.html

The Ultimate Beef Stroganoff
from melskitchencafe.com
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Ingredients:
2-3 pounds stew meat (or a 3-pound chuck roast, cubed)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, diced
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cups beef broth or stock
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/3 cup flour
6-7 tablespoons apple juice or water
4-8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup light or regular sour cream

Directions:
Place the stew meat, salt, pepper and onion in the slow cooker. Stir to distribute the seasonings and onion. In a small bowl, combine the garlic salt, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth and ketchup. Pour over the meat. Cook for 7-9 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. About 30 minutes before serving, combine the flour and apple juice in a small bowl, whisking vigorously to combine well. The roux should be thick but still pourable so add a tablespoon of apple juice or water at a time to thin, if needed. Pour the flour mixture into the slow cooker, whisking quickly to mix in the roux with the stew meat and juices and to avoid lumps. Add the mushrooms and stir. Cook on high for 30 minutes. Stir in ½ cup sour cream right before serving. Serve over pasta, rice or baked potatoes.

*Freezable Meal: The leftovers of the stroganoff can be frozen. I store the leftovers in a freezer-safe container and then thaw in the refrigerator (usually takes about a day) and reheat over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove.

Kielbasa and Potatoes

2011-11-09T09:19:00.000-08:00

This is a very basic "meat and potatoes" recipe that is easy to make. I am not going to post the nutritional information for the original recipe because it has WAY too much unnecessary fat in it. Just a few simple changes make this so much better for you and those changes are reflected in my recipe below. Also, the original cooking time is WAY too long. Keep a close eye on it and it will be great!

You can also add additional spices if you like - a little garlic or seasoned salt instead of normal salt would taste great! I would also recommend replacing one of the green peppers with a red pepper.

This picture and recipe are from Allrecipes.com and can be found at this site here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/polish-meat-and-potatoes/detail.aspx

Kielbasa and potatoes

From Allrecipes.com

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· 4 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

· 1 onion, chopped

· 2 green bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces

· 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

· 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

· 1 - 2 tbsp olive oil

· 1 (16 ounce) package light kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I would also recommend turkey sausage if you can find it)

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sautee the thinly sliced kielbasa until it is nicely browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove sausage to a warm platter. Cook onions and potatoes for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce flame to medium and stir in bell pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cover, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in kielbasa, cover, and cook until onions are caramelized.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Krispie Treats

2011-11-04T09:22:00.000-07:00

I don't usually make things that are quite this... sinful. But I needed a dessert to take to a party and these are so easy to make and SO extremely delicious. The krispies are a perfect texture compliment to the gooey peanut butter and chocolate. And although these little delights are sinful they are pretty rich so I would be surprised if anyone could get down more than 1 or 2 bars. I had 1/2 of a bar and it was plenty for me although they were really good and I wish my sugar meter wasn't quite so short sometimes.

I doubled this recipe for the party and put my concotion in an 11x17" pan. They were completely gone by the time dinner was almost over. Completely. That is how delicious these are!

This lovely recipe and picture are courtesy of Jamie Cooks it Up and can be found at this site here: http://jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com/2011/09/peanut-butter-and-chocolate-krispie.html

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Krispie Treats

www.jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com
Time: 15 minutes + 30 minutes for chocolate to set
Yield: A 9x9 pan, cut as small or large as you like
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1 C sugar
1 C light corn syrup
1 C peanut butter (I used creamy)
4 1/2 C rice krispie cereal
1 t vanilla
2 C chocolate chips (I used semisweet)

1. Pour your rice krispies into a large bowl and set it aside.
2. Into a medium sized sauce pan pour the corn syrup and sugar. Mix it together and bring it to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Let the yummy concoction boil for 1 minute, then remove it from the heat.
3. Add the peanut butter to your sauce pan and mix it all in.
4. Stir in a splash of vanilla.
5. Pour the peanut buttery, sugary concoction of bliss over the top of your rice krispies. Use a wooden spoon to stir it until all of the cereal is coated nicely.
6. Spray a 9x9 pan with cooking spray and pour the coated cereal into it. Spray your hands with cooking spray and use them to press the peanut buttery goodness to the sides and corners of the pan.
7. Pour your chocolate chips into a glass bowl or measuring cup. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir it. Heat it for another 30....stir it. Heat it again for 30 seconds and stir until smooth. You don't want to get the chocolate too hot, here. It will turn pasty and chalky and all your dreams will crumble into ruins right before your eyes. Just heat it slowly and life will be swell.
8. Pour the chocolate over the top of the yummy cereal and spread it evenly. Pop the whole pan in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes, to allow the chocolate to set up. If the bars are left in the fridge for an extended period of time, they will get hard enough to break a butcher knife. Okay, maybe not that hard but I made this mistake and they were REALLY hard! But don't worry about it! Leave the pan on the counter until the bars have reached room temperature and the texture will be just perfect.
9. Once the chocolate has set, remove the pan from the fridge and cut into bars.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2011-11-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

This is an incredibly easy and tasty side dish that goes well with so many meals! We have these at our house a lot. They are flavorful and filling and much better for you than normal fries or even other potatoes. YUMMY!

The picture is courtesy of For The Love of Cooking and can be found at this site here: http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/2009/03/roasted-sweet-potatoes.html

ROASTED SWEET POTATOES
From Shayla's Kitchen

2 large sweet potatoes
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Your favorite dipping sauce (ketchup, bbq sauce, fry sauce, etc,)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the sweet potatoes into cubes. (You can peel them first if you wish but I didn't.) Toss cubes with olive oil and cinnamon. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes. Serve with dipping sauce available. (We prefer Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce)

Black Bean Burgers

2011-11-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

My first experience with a black bean burger was at Costco with an obliging sample cart. My mom and I decided to give it a try and were so impressed with how delicious they were! Ever since that time I was determined to have them again and was thrilled when I stumbled across a recipe for them on Sweet Treats and More that looked so easy.

I will admit that the recipe was a little harder to make than I expected, but it wasn't bad. And the burgers were so delicious. My whole family loved them and gobbled them all down. Whether you are a meat lover or meat hater, this is a recipe that all will enjoy!

The picture and recipe are courtesy of Sweet Treats and More and can be found at this site here: http://www.sweettreatsmore.com/2010/06/black-bean-burgers.html

Black Bean Burgers

From Sweet Treats and More

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1 16 oz. can of black beans, drained well

1/2 c. frozen corn kernels
2 pieces of bread crumbled
1 egg white
2 tbs. flour
3 tbs. chunky salsa
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. onion salt
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil (for cooking)
Tomato, Avocado, and Lettuce for toppings, OroWheat Sandwhich Thins for buns.

1. Drain black beans then mash until almost smooth using large fork or potato masher.

2. Mix in all other ingredients and shape into 4 medium size patties.
3. Heat a large pan with thin coat of olive oil on bottom. Cook patties on medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes each side.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

2011-10-31T10:15:00.000-07:00

I am not a big soup fan but I like soups that are chock full of ingredients. Hearty and thick and less liquidy. I am a big fan of taco soup and this recipe was a good change up from our normal. It wasn't drastically different but it had a good flaovr to it and it is a really easy way to use up leftoever turkey if you have some in a few weeks!

This recipe and picture are from Sweet Treats and More and can be found at this site here: http://www.sweettreatsmore.com/2010/11/i-hope-you-all-had-great-thanksgiving.html

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
From Sweet Treats and More, Adapted from allrecipes
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2 c. chicken broth
1 10 oz. can enchilada sauce
1/4 c. sour cream
1 (16oz) can diced tomato
1 (4 oz) can diced green chili
1 can black beans, drained
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken tenders (2 breasts OR abt 2 cups shredded turkey)
4 corn tortillas

Place everything but the tortillas in the crock pot, stir together, and cook on high for about 3 hours (or low for 6-8 hours). (I ALWAYS aim low!)

Shred corn tortillas into small squares and stir into soup 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with cheese, avocado, and additional sour cream if desired.

Fresh Strawberry and Lemon Mousse Trifle

2011-10-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

I understand that strawberries are out of season. I understand I am probably being really cruel to post about this now that the season is over. But, in all fairness, I did make this when the season had ended anyways. Strawberries are not impossible to find quite yet so run out and get yourself some today so that you can make this dessert! Trust me, you WANT to make this dessert.

I am not a big fan of angel food cake. It just doesn't do it for me. So strawberry shortcake is a dessert that I can take or leave. But this? This dessert takes the concept of strawberry shortcake to a whole new level of awesome deliciousness that just cannot be ignored. This is one of my new favorite desserts. Seriously. The amount of lemon flavoring is just perfect and the danish dessert makes the shortcake the perfect amount of moist.

And trifles are gorgeous. This turned out so pretty that I felt like a professional chef. It broke my heart to scoop it out of the trifle dish and ruin the appearance but my woes were quickly forgotten when I took my first bite.

And in case you are wondering about my picture.... I forgot to mix the lemon zest into the mousse before putting it in the trifle dish. So instead I just sprinkled it on top.

This recipe is courtesy of Real Mom Kitchen and can be found at this site here: http://realmomkitchen.com/6475/fresh-strawberry-and-lemon-mousse-trifle/

Fresh Strawberry and Lemon Mousse Trifle

From Real Mom Kitchen

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· 1 (4 3/4 oz) pkg. Strawberry Danish dessert (found by the gelatin)**

· 2 1/2 cup cold water

· 1 lb. fresh strawberries, sliced

· 1 1/2 cups whipping cream

· 1/2 cup milk (I used skim)

· 1 (3.4 oz) instant lemon pudding

· zest of 1 lemon

· 1 (14 oz) angel food cake, cut into about 1 inch cubes

· extra strawberries for garnish (optional)

1. In a large microwave safe bowl, whisk together the danish dessert and cold water. Cover the bowl with a piece of waxed paper and microwave for 6 minutes, stirring every two minutes.

2. Remove from the microwave and allow danish dessert to cool for 1 hour.

3. In a large bowl, whip the whipping cream and milk until soft peaks form. Add the dry pudding to the cream mixture and beat until stiff peaks form. Then fold in the lemon zest.

4. Once the danish dessert has cooled for the 1 hour fold in the fresh strawberry slices. It will look like a strawberry sauce.

5. In a trifle bowl or large glass bowl, layer 1/2 of the cake cubes followed with 1/2 of the strawberry sauce and the 1/2 of the lemon mousse. Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients. You can pipe on the last layer of lemon mousse to make it decorative. Chill for at least 3-4 hours before serving. Serves 10-12.

** Strawberry Pie Glaze may be substituted. The danish dessert does have a more gelatin-like consistency after refrigeration, but strawberry pie glaze will work just as good.

This recipe is a Real Mom Kitchen original!

Mediterranean Feta Egg Scramble

2011-10-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

I love all kinds of breakfast foods and I am always excited to find a new and delicious breakfast recipe that is easy to throw together. This meal absolutely didn't disappoint. The feta cheese adds a savory saltiness to the eggs that is so good. The first time we made this meal I didn't have the roasted red peppers and they were still very good. But trust me, they are even better with the peppers. And you don't have to roast them yourself. You can purchase a jar of them next to all of the other peppers in your local grocery store.

Also, the first time we had this we wrapped the egg mix in warm flour tortillas and it was delicious. The second time I made this I put it on an open faced piece of Double Fiber & Honey toast and it was fabulous. I am sure wrapping it in crepes would be delicious as well.

This wonderful recipe and picture are courtesy of Our Best Bites and can be found at this site here: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/07/quick-fix-mediterranean-feta-egg-scramble-wraps-optional/

Mediterranean Feta Egg Scramble {Breakfast Wraps Optional}
Recipe by Our Best Bites
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6 eggs

1/4 c. light sour cream
1/4 tsp. kosher salt (I just used regular)
A few cracks of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dry basil
1/2 tsp. dry oregano
3/4 c. crumbled feta cheese, plus more for topping (optional)
2 Tbsp. diced roasted red peppers
2 Tbsp. minced green onions
Crepes or warm flour tortillas (optional)

Preheat a skillet over medium heat.

Whisk the eggs, sour cream, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic powder together. Gently add in the crumbled feta cheese. When the skillet is hot, add 1 tsp. butter and then add the eggs and allow them to begin to set up and then scrape the bottom of the pan to allow the liquid parts to cook. Stir in the roasted red peppers and green onions. Cook eggs until the desired doneness is reached. Serve immediately. If desired, sprinkle with a little extra feta cheese and wrap the scrambled eggs in a crepes or warm flour tortillas.

Roasted Vegetable & Ham Pizza Roll

2011-10-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

OH.MY.YUMMMM!!!!!!! I love love love love love this meal. We have already had this meal again since I originally made it even though it is definitely more labor intensive. But it is divine and well worth every effort. Roasted broccoli is one of my favorite things in the world and pairing it with roasted red peppers is inspirational. I wish I had step-by-step pictures for you of this one because the description can be a bit confusing but bear with me, I will explain as best as I can and if you have questions you can feel free to ask!

Oh, and don't think you have to do broccoli and red peppers. You can do whatever veggies you want on the inside of this thing. And if you want to make it meatless just add an additonal veggie and get rid of the ham.

The original inspiration for this recipe came from Mindika Moments but it has been largely adapted. If you would like to see the original post you can find it at this site here: http://www.mindikamoments.com/2009/10/ive-been-experimenting.html

Roasted vegetable & Ham pizza ROLL

Largely Adapted from Mindika Moments Veggie Bread Roll

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1 recipe for pizza dough (Jay's Signature Pizza Crust is the best)
4 oz. cream cheese (I used fat free), at room temperature
¼ C. sour cream (I used fat free)
1 t. dry ranch dressing mix powder
1 head of broccoli, trimmed to small pieces with stems mostly cut off

1 red pepper, cut into small slices
1 lb. deli honey ham slices
¼ - ½ C. grated Parmesan
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
¼ tsp. EACH salt & pepper
1 egg white
Sesame seeds

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Make up pizza dough to the first rising. Towards the end of your dough rising, prepare your veggies and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes. You want them to start turning dark but not to burn.
3. When pizza dough is finished rising, roll out according to recipe directions. (Mine says to deflate, roll into a tight ball, let it sit for a minute and THEN roll it out.) Spray counter with nonstick cooking spray and roll dough out to approximately 16” wide by 17” long. (This will make it the same size as a cookie sheet length wise but make it longer than the cookie sheet on the top and bottom.) Transfer to a baking sheet. The dough SHOULD hang over the sides a bit on the top and bottom. (You may need someone to help you with the transfer.)
4. Cover the dough lightly with a large cloth and let it rise for 15-20 minutes.
5. Turn up the oven to 425 degrees. (Or whatever temperature your pizza dough is supposed to bake at.)
5. While dough is rising, mix together cream cheese, sour cream and dry ranch mix in a small bowl. When the dough has finished rising, spread cream cheese mixture evenly through the middle leaving about 3 – 4 inches on each side. Top with ham slices and the roasted veggies.
6. Make small cuts in each side of the dough about 1 ½ - 2 inches wide all along the width of the pan. (This is really easy to do with normal scissors, just make sure they are clean.) Criss-cross the strips of dough over the ham and veggies, being careful not to tear your strips. It is almost like you are "braiding" the dough over the inside ingredients.
7. Beat 1 egg white in a small bowl just slightly. Brush egg white over the top of your braided pizza roll. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and parmesan cheese.

8. Bake roll in oven for 15 – 20 minutes until the crust and parmesan cheese are golden brown.

9. Serve dipped in additional ranch dressing, if you desire. (I didn’t, my husband did. J)

Chicken and Vegetable Dumpling Soup

2011-10-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

I will use the term "soup" very lightly in this recipe because this delicious and hearty meal turns out much closer to a stew. It is thick and packed with various vegetables and flavor. I have never had chicken and vegetable dumpling soup before now but it sure was delicious.

My biggest complaint about this particular recipe is the sodium content. It turned out WAY too salty for my tastes. I would strongly recommend only using low sodium based chicken broth or cutting out some of the added salt altogether. I will definitely do so next time.

And don't be freaked out by the long ingredient list. These are basic ingredients, nothing weird or hard to find, and it comes together surprisingly quick. Plus, it makes a LOT. I think it could easily serve more than 6.

This lovely soup that is perfect for fall and the picture are courtesy of Mel's Kitchen Cafe and can be found at this site here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/02/chicken-and-vegetable-dumpling-soup.html

CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE DUMPLING SOUP

From My Kitchen Café

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*Serves 6

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

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

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

In a large pot, boil the chicken broth, water and chicken breasts until the chicken is cooked through and tender (about 15 minutes). Remove the chicken from the pot, reserving the broth in the pot, and shred the chicken with two forks. Set the chicken aside and keep the broth warm on the stove.

While the chicken is boiling, in a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the celery, carrots and onions. Saute for about 6-7 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the vegetables to the hot broth in the pot after the chicken has been removed. Add salt, thyme and pepper to the vegetable/broth mixture and stir to combine. Heat the soup to a simmer.

In a small bowl, blend ½ cup cold water and 1/4 cup flour with a wire whisk until smooth. Whisking vigorously, slowly add the flour mixture into the hot vegetables and broth and whisk until well combined. Add ½ cup frozen peas and the reserved chicken and cook, stirring gently for one minute.

For the dumplings, in a medium bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, milk and oil. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined (don't overmix, it is ok if there are a few dry spots of flour here and there).

Heat the soup to boiling and drop teaspoonful amounts (the dumplings should be fairly small, they'll expand while cooking) of dumpling dough into the boiling soup, covering the entire surface of the soup (don't make more than one layer of dumplings). Reduce the heat to simmering, cover and let the dumplings cook for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid of the pot while the dumplings cook.

When the dumplings have cooked fully, remove the lid and gently stir the dumplings to break them apart. Serve.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos Verde

2011-10-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Slow Cooker meals are really a must in this day and age of rush and go. This dish was really easy to put together. I was a little disappointed though because there was so much beautiful and delicious looking sauce in the crockpot and you only utilize it in a very small portion. And then the chicken ended up tasting far less flavorful than I was expecting. It was good, but not amazing. If you are looking for a solid slow cooker recipe than this is a good one but I wouldn't use it to plan on "wow-ing" guests.

The picture and recipe are courtesy of Real Mom Kitchen and can be found at this site here: http://realmomkitchen.com/6924/slow-cooker-chicken-tacos-verde/

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos Verde

From Real Mom Kitchen

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2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 onion, diced
1 (16 oz.) jar of salsa verde
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves of garlic, minced
shredded cheese
guacamole
pico de gallo or fresh salsa
tortilla shells

Place chicken in the bowl of a slow cooker. Top chicken with the diced green chiles, cumin, onion and garlic. The pour the salsa over the chicken.
Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Remove chicken from pot and shred. Mix in enough of the juice leftover in the slow cooker to make the meat moist.
Spoon chicken into tortillas and top with shredded cheese, guacamole and pico de gallo.

Recipe adapted from No Fuss Fabulous

Jay's Signature Pizza Crust

2011-10-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

I posted a while ago about Breadsticks and pizza dough recipe that I got from Our Best Bites that was pretty good. I have to say though, this recipe is much better. It is very tasty and bakes up beautifully. And my favorite part is that it doesn't taste so yeasty. It is so easy to make and makes 1 GIANT pizza crust. If you are interested in only 1 good sized pizza I would cut this recipe in half.

The picture is of a Roasted Vegetable & Ham Pizza Roll I made with this crust recipe. I will post about that recipe in a few days. :-)

The recipe is courtesy of Allrecipes.com and can be found at this site here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/jays-signature-pizza-crust/detail.aspx

JAY’S SIGNATURE PIZZA CRUST

From Allrecipes.com

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· 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

· 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar

· 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 2 tablespoons olive oil (I usually use half oil, half applesauce)

· 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes.

2. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour.

3. Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out. Use for your favorite pizza recipe.

4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 or 20 minutes before topping and baking it.

5. Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Flatbread

2011-10-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

If you want one of the easiest side dishes in the entire world, especially good to pair with soup, this is it. All you need is some of these:

Source: here

One of these:

Source: here

And one of these:

Source: here

All you do is roll out the biscuits as thin as you can get them. Place on the griddle and heat for 30 seconds on each side. They really go fast so watch carefully. The biscuits will fluff as they cook so don't worry about rolling them really thin. You can top them with cheese, honey butter, or just serve on the side of soup. It really is that easy.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

2011-10-11T14:16:00.000-07:00

I need to hurry and get this recipe in while we still have a few days in the 70s. Grilled corn on the cob is one of my favorite things in the world. It tastes so much different than boiled corn on the cob that it is worth the additional effort. And it really is so very easy.

All you have to do is:

1) Husk your corn and remove all the little strings.
2) Place corn in the sink and let soak under water for at least 30 minutes.
3) Season as desired. You can rub it down with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper or get really fancy and use parsley and parmesan. Just use whatever sounds good.
4) Wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil or double wrap in normal foil.
5) Place on the top rack of a preheated barbecue grill. This is great because you can still cook your meats and everything on the bottom rack of the grill while your corn sits happily on top, cooking away!
6) Cook for 15-20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.
7) Carefully unwrap as the corn will be hot and you don't want a face full of steam!

Picture is courtesy of this site here: http://s3.hubimg.com/u/2242926_f520.jpg

Ricotta Gnocchi

2011-10-10T16:58:00.000-07:00

GNOCCHI

Pronunciations sounds like: NYAH-key
Official pronunciation: nókee
Plural Noun
Definition: Italian dumplings: in Italian cooking, dumplings made of potato, semolina, or flour, usually boiled and served with soup or a sauce.
Source: http://www.bing.com/Dictionary/search?q=define+gnocchi&qpvt=define%3a+gnocchi&FORM=DTPDIA

I have never had gnocchi before I made this dish and, honestly, I didn't even look up what it was exactly. But it sounded really good and the picture looked tasty so I thought, "Let's try it!"

I really enjoyed this dish. It is definitely different and you may be surprised by the texture. My husband was a bit turned off by the fact that the dumplings are really soft and he felt like he was eating raw dough... I thought of them as really fat noodles and it didn't bother me. The taste was really great - rich and flavorful. We will be repeating this recipe again.

The recipe below is my adapted recipe. If you want to view the original recipe you may do so at this site here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ricotta-gnocchi/detail.aspx. The picture is located here: http://wynolapizzaexpress.com/Recipes/ricotta_gnocchi.jpg

RICOTTA GNOCCHI

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

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Ingredients

Gnocchi:

1 (8 ounce) container ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup all-purpose flour, or as needed

Sauce:

3 tablespoons olive oil (I used half oil, half applesauce)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 dash crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 Tbsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/3 – ½ shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Stir together the ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan Cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl until evenly combined. Mix in 1 cup of flour. Add additional flour if needed to form a soft dough. (Dough should be just a little sticky.)
Divide the dough into 3 or 4 pieces, and roll into 1/2-inch-thick ropes on a floured surface. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces, and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Heat olive oil (and applesauce if you use it) in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, and cook until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in diced tomatoes and red pepper flakes; bring to a low boil over medium-high heat, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in basil and balsamic vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. (I didn’t add any extra pepper.)

While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Drop the gnocchi in the pot, being careful to not splash the hot water on yourself. Once you have all the gnocchi in, stir gently one time. Boil the gnocchi until they float to the surface, 1 to 2 minutes, then drain.

To assemble the dish, stir the mozzarella cheese into the sauce and allow the heat of the sauce to soften, but try to not melt the cheese. Place gnocchi into a serving bowl, and spoon sauce over the top. We also like to stir the gnocchi with the sauce in a large bowl to get a more even sauce distribution.

Tuscan Chicken Simmer

2011-10-04T20:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, take a minute to look at this recipe. Six ingredients, three directions... are there any questions? Is it good? OHHHHH YES!!!! And this is coming from the girl that doesn't like tomatoes.... This recipe was so easy and delicious. We especially loved the sauce. We will be repeating this in our house!

I made a few minor changes to our dish. After cooking the tomatoes I took a fork and popped each of them. I then flattened them out and stirred them around. This gave the sauce a distinct red tint and tomato flavor while the tomato skins became more like sun-dried tomatoes. My mom made this dish as well and absolutely loved how the tomatoes popped when she put a bite into her mouth. Whatever your preference may be you can't really go wrong.

I also cooked the chicken as indicated but then I cut it into bit sized pieces for better distribution.

The recipe and picture are courtesy of Kraft Recipes and can be found at this site here: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/tuscan-chicken-simmer-111677.aspx

TUSCAN CHICKEN SIMMER

From Kraft Recipes

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4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup pesto
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
1 cup KRAFT Finely Shredded Italian Five Cheese Blend

HEAT large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cover. Cook 5 to 7 min. on each side or until done (165ºF). Remove chicken from skillet; cover to keep warm.

ADD cream cheese, water, pesto and tomatoes to skillet. Cook, uncovered, on medium heat 2 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

RETURN chicken to skillet. Cook and stir 1 min. or until chicken is coated and heated through. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Serve over pasta or with pasta on the side.

Garlic & Lime Grilled Chicken Skewers

2011-09-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

I know that the summer is now officially over but I don't think that that means the barbecue should go into exhile. I mean, grilled food is DELICIOUS and if my hubby or I are willing to go stand out in the cold to get it.... so be it!

This was a deliciously tasty and flavorful meal. I served it with a side of grilled corn on the cob and mashed potatoes and it was so satisfying. My husband's only complaint was that he wanted something to dip the chicken in. I would recommend dipping it in more salsa, if anything. Personally I liked it all by itself and didn't need anything to dip it in. If you want more "liquid" in your meal, serve with a side of applesauce.

This recipe was adapted from Campbell's Kitchen. I didn't change the ingredients at all, just the method of cooking. To see the original recipe and the source of the picture follow this site here: http://www.campbellskitchen.com/RecipeDetail.aspx?recipeId=24757&ref=%2fSearchRecipesResult.aspx%3ffilter%3d%26q%3dgarlic%2band%2blime%2bgrilled%2bchicken%26fbid%3d0AKYTyFPE4c&fbid=0AKYTyFPE4c

GARLIC & LIME GRILLED CHICKEN SKEWERS

Adapted from Campbell’s Kitchen
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1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

3/4 cup Pace® Picante Sauce

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1. Cut chicken lengthwise into large chunks.
2. Stir the picante sauce, oil, lime juice, garlic powder and cumin in a small bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat.

3. Place the chicken and marinade in a plastic bag and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. (I did closer to 2)
4. Place chunks of chicken on 8 skewers. Lightly oil the grill rack and heat the grill to medium. Grill for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, turning and brushing often with the picante sauce mixture from your marinade bag. Discard any remaining picante sauce mixture.

Helper: If using wooden skewers, soak the skewers in water for 30 minutes before using.
Makes: 4 servings (2 skewers each).

Slow Cooker Spiced Vanilla-Pear Oatmeal

2011-09-26T21:18:00.000-07:00

Looks beautiful, right? Sounds delicious? Of course! I hate to tell you.... it wasn't. It filled our house with the most amazing aromas and teased us all night long with thoughts of a delicious hot breakfast. But it was severely disappointing. It turned out too thick and much too bland. I understand you are supposed to add more brown sugar and milk to it but it seems like the added brown sugar was the only flavor. The pears were just texture with no flavor.

Maybe you can make something more of this meal?

To see the recipe visit this link here and you will also find the source of the picture: http://sweettreatsandmore.blogspot.com/2011/09/overnight-spiced-vanilla-pear-oatmeal.html

Skillet Parmesan Zucchini

2011-09-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't noticed, I have developed a serious love for meatless meals. That doesn't mean that I won't still cook with meat on occasion but I have enjoyed the large number of meatless recipes that have come my way lately. This is another one that didn't disappoint. It came together so quickly and was very tasty. Now you may think that this is just a glorified spaghetti sauce, and maybe it is. But don't fret! Just serve it over your favorite noodles. Personally we liked this just fine all by itself, but to each their own!

This recipe and picture are courtesy of KraftFoods.com and can be found at this site here: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/skillet-parmesan-zucchini-112444.aspx

SKILLET PARMESAN ZUCCHINI

Adapted from Kraft Foods

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1 small red pepper, chopped

1 small onion, chopped
3 - 4 small zucchini (1 lb.), thinly sliced
1/2 - 1 cup spaghetti sauce (depending upon how saucy you want it)
3/4 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

COOK and stir peppers and onions in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat 5 min. Add zucchini; cook and stir 2 min.

STIR in spaghetti sauce; cover. Cook 8 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.

SPRINKLE with cheeses; cook, covered, 1 min. or until mozzarella is melted.

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

2011-09-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I have mentioned it before or not but on Tuesdays I always try and plan slow cooker meals. Why? Because I teach piano lessons until 6:30 pm and have to be to my church mutual activities by 7. And between those two times I need to feed my baby. *PHEW!* So if I can have dinner all ready to go and just have to have my sweet husband dish it up and bring it to me it works so much better.

This was an incredibly flavorful meal. We loved it as did my extended family (my mom made it the same night I did.) My dad raved and raved about it and my husband did as well. The only thing I wish had been different was that the onions had been more crunchy. I didn't add the green peppers until near the end so they would stay tender crisp but I am trying to figure out how to do that with the onions while still allowing them to contribute their flavor... any suggestions?

This recipe and picture are courtesy of Allrecipes.com (photographer abapplez) and can be found at this site here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-pepper-steak/detail.aspx

SLOW COOKER PEPPER STEAK

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

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2 lbs. beef sirloin, cut into 2-inch strips

Garlic powder to taste

3 T vegetable oil

1 cube beef bouillon

¼ c hot water

1 T cornstarch

½ cup chopped onion

2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped

1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid

3 T soy sauce

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 t white sugar

1 t salt

Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder to taste. 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, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and salt.

Cover and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours.

When the slow cooker gets down to 1 hour left on high or 2 hours on low, add in the green peppers and stir. (If you add them in the beginning they will be mushy.) During the last 30 minutes of cooking mix an additional 1 Tbsp cornstarch with ¼ cup cool water and stir into the slow cooker. This will form a nice gravy.

Serve over rice, noodles or potatoes.

Banana Bread Waffles

2011-09-21T10:19:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had those awkward overripe bananas sitting on your counter, making you feel guilty every day for wasting them? Or stressing you out because you know you really should make banana bread but don't want to go to the trouble for one loaf? This recipe saved me. I love the flavor of banana bread but really don't like to go to the trouble for one small loaf that takes almost an hour to cook. This was a quick and VERY delicious recipe that came together in no time at all and I absolutely loved it, as did my family. Plus, it makes quite a large number of waffles. We have a really big waffle iron and I think we easily got around 16 waffles.

I think I like these waffles even more than the Strawberry Cream Cheese Waffles. The Maple Cream Cheese Spread was good, but it was take it or leave it for us. We liked these a lot more with some low-fat strawberry yogurt on the top. (We aren't big syrup people around here. We usually top our pancakes and waffles with applesauce and yogurt.)

And don't let the fact that it calls for buttermilk throw you off. If you don't have buttermilk just add 1 Tbsp of lemon juice or distilled white vinegar to a measuring cup and then add enough milk to measure 1 cup. Let it sit for 5 minutes and TA-DA! Buttermilk.

Thanks to Real Mom Kitchen for another fabulous waffle recipe and picture located at this site here: http://realmomkitchen.com/1751/banana-bread-waffles-with-maple-nut-cream-cheese-spread/

BANANA BREAD WAFFLES
From Real Mom Kitchen
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2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 3/4 cups buttermilk or 1 1/2 cups sour cream or plain yogurt thinned with 1/4 cup milk (I did buttermilk)
2 eggs, separated
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick butter, melted and cooled)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
Cooking spray for waffle iron

Maple Nut Cream Cheese Spread Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3-4 tablespoons maple syrup
1/8 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Combine the flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix together the buttermilk (or buttermilk substitute) and the egg yolks. Stir in the butter, mashed banana, and vanilla.
Spray the waffle iron lightly with oil and preheat it. Stir the wet into the dry ingredients. Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl with a whisk or electric mixer (make sure bowl and mixer are spotlessly clean) until they hold soft peaks. Stir them gently into the batter. Stir gently to combine.
Spread a ladleful or so of batter onto the waffle iron and bake until the waffle is done, usually 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your iron. Mix ingredients for Maple Nut Cream Cheese Spread together. Serve waffles immediately with a schmear of Maple Nut Cream Cheese and additional maply syrup if you so desire.

Baked Three Cheese Eggplant

2011-09-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

I decided to be adventurous after having eggplant at Carino's Italian restaurant and loving it. I found this delicious looking recipe at Allrecipes.com and gave it a go. This dish is packed with veggies and flavor. The texture of eggplant is, I think, what gets most people but it really isn't a whole lot different from cooked zucchini or squash. At the end of the day I decided that we wouldn't be making this one again because it is a lot more work and too similar to the Skillet Summer Vegetable Lasagna we love so much. But it is an excellent dish and worth a go.

Thanks to Allrecipes.com for the recipe and picture which can be found at this site here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-three-cheese-eggplant/detail.aspx

BAKED THREE CHEESE EGGPLANT
From Allrecipes.com
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1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
1 tablespoon garlic powder, or to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 small tomatoes, chopped (I used 1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes)
1 (10 ounce) package fresh spinach leaves (I promise they will drastically reduce in size)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3/4 cup Classico® Tomato and Basil Sauce
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush eggplant slices with olive oil on both sides, and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle garlic powder over the top. Bake for 10 minutes.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes and spinach. Cook and stir for a few minutes until fragrant, and the tomatoes have released their juices. In a medium bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
Place the eggplant slices in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Top with the spinach mixture. Spoon the cheese mixture over the spinach, and spread into a thin layer. Pour the pasta sauce over the cheese layer. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until heated through and the eggplant is easily pierced with a fork.

Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken

2011-09-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

This is an incredible meal. Four ingredients + Slow Cooker = LOVE!!! This chicken was tender and flavorful and the perfect amount of sweet. We didn't think it was very spicy so if you want spicy I would kick up the spice factor to suit your tastebuds. But this is one for the permanent recipe file. This chicken is wonderful in tortillas with condiments, on a salad or on a bun for a sandwich.

Thanks to Mel's Kitchen Cafe for the picture and recipe which can be found at this site here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/05/sweet-and-spicy-slow-cooker-chicken-2.html

Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken
From Mel’s Kitchen Café
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*Note: leaving the tomatoes undrained makes for a fairly juicy chicken mixture. If you don't want the finished shredded chicken mixture to be quite as liquidy, slightly drain the tomatoes before using them. Also, Mel nearly always doubles or triples this recipe because it freezes so well.

*Serves 4

1 pound (about 2) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (14-ounce) can petite or regular diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (add more if you like extra heat - with this amount it is mild enough for my kids to eat it up but spicy enough to help offset the sweetness)

Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Pour over the chicken. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-9 hours. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Return to the slow cooker and mix the chicken with the juices from the tomato/brown sugar sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in flour tortillas with toppings of choice: lettuce, sour cream, cheese, avocados, etc.

*Freezable Meal: Mel freezes the leftovers in a freezer-safe container and lets thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving the next day. She reheats over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove.

Recipe Source: melskitchencafe.com

D's Famous Salsa

2011-09-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

There is a plethora of fresh veggies going around right now with all of the gardens being ripe for harvest. We reaped the benefits of family gardens since we don't have our own and made some delicious salsa. This recipe is a great one and I have TWO versions for you! Some members of our family preferred each version so try both and see which one you like best.

VERSION 1: The original. If you don't have fresh veggies on hand and you don't want to buy them, you can make this homemade salsa with things from your pantry. This salsa is definitely more sweet and it has a red color to it that is much darker than the fresh salsa. This salsa tastes a lot like the salsa that you would get in the jar like Pace Picante. Recipe and picture are courtesy of Allrecipes.com and can be found at this site here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Ds-Famous-Salsa/Detail.aspx

D’S FAMOUS SALSA

From Allrecipes.com

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2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1/2 onion, diced* (I actually used green onions with the green and white parts sliced)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 lime, juiced (about 1 Tbsp.)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canned sliced green chiles, or to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic, lime juice, salt, green chiles, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Blend on low to desired consistency.

*NOTE: When you dice the onion make sure you don’t dice it too much otherwise it will get very strong when you blend it up and it releases its juices. Also, I used a spoon to stir up my ingredients before I started blending so that the blending distribution was more even.

VERSION 2: The fresh. If you DO happen to have fresh veggies on hand this recipe is a great variation. It is definitely more spicy and tastes really fresh. It is not as sweet and tastes more like the fresh salsas you can get at Cafe Rio.

D’S FAMOUS FRESH SALSA

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

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3 cups tomatoes, cut into small pieces
1/2 onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 lime, juiced (about 1 Tbsp.)
1 teaspoon salt
1 large anaheim pepper diced with seeds included
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic, lime juice, salt, peppers, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Blend on low to desired consistency.

Zucchini Marinara Subs

2011-09-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

We LOVED these! They were so delicious and filling. They are quite messy but since this is the meatless, healthy version of a meatball sub.... what did you really expect?

One of my favorite parts of this recipe was how "moist" the zucchini got after cooking it up in my skillet. It was the perfect crisp-tender. I even left the mushrooms in there and didn't mind it one bit!

Once again I must say that the Wal-mart bakery is the best place to get bread products. They have fabulous sub rolls there that made these even more heavenly.

I made my own marinara sauce from scratch to use with this recipe. I want to post about the sauce but I want to get a picture of it first. I will be sure to do that soon!

Thanks a million to Real Mom Kitchen for this fantastic recipe and picture found at this site here: http://realmomkitchen.com/2847/zucchini-marinara-subs/

Zucchini Marinara Subs

From Real Mom Kitchen

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1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium zucchini, diced (cut lengthwise into fourths and the diced into 1/2 inch chunks)
2 mushroom, sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 – 1 cup marinara sauce (depending on how saucy you want it)
4 slices provolone cheese
4 (6 inch) crusty French or Italian sandwich rolls, split

In a skillet over medium heat, fry the zucchini and mushrooms in olive oil until browned and tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Add garlic to mixture and sauté for 1 min. Stir in the marinara sauce and cook until sauce is heated.
Place a slice of cheese on each roll and broil in oven until cheese is melted. (Leave rack in the center of the oven, don’t move it up and you won’t burn the roll. That is as long as you keep your eye on it.)
Divide zucchini mixture evenly between the four rolls and enjoy.

Spinach Enchiladas

2011-09-14T09:32:00.000-07:00

These take a place on my list of favorite meals. My husband and I absolutely loved them. They were a little spicy with a fantastic flavor and, unfortunately, filling also! (We wanted to eat a lot more than we could.) And one of my favorite parts about this meal is that it is meatless.

Even if you aren't a corn tortilla fan I would strongly recommend that you use the corn tortillas. I don't usually like them but in this meal they were perfect. The corn flavor that they lend to the dish is the perfect compliment to the other flavors and the texture is perfect for a meatless meal.

This recipe is courtesy of Allrecipes.com, picture courtesy of CookinBug and can be found at this site here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spinach-enchiladas/detail.aspx

SPINACH ENCHILADAS

From Allrecipes.com

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1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup sliced green onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach , thawed, drained and squeezed dry

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I used 1 cup mozzarella, 1 cup cheddar)

10 (6 inch) corn tortillas

1 (19 ounce) can enchilada sauce

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; cook for a few minutes until fragrant, but not brown. Stir in spinach, and cook for about 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat, and mix in ricotta cheese, sour cream, and 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese.

In a skillet over medium heat, warm tortillas one at a time until flexible, about 15 seconds. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture onto the center of each tortilla. Roll up, and place seam side down in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining cup of Monterey Jack.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbling and cheese is lightly browned at the edges.

Philly Cheesesteaks

2011-09-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

I love a good Philly. They are so delicious. This one? It was okay - too much cream cheese for our taste and not enough flavor. Next time I make it I will probably eliminate the cream cheese entirely and add banana peppers for a little kick. That will definitely make it better suited to our tastes. But, if you are a cream cheese lover - this is the recipe for you!

Thanks to Favorite Family Recipes for the recipe and the picture. You can find them at this site here: http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/2011/07/easy-philly-cheesesteaks.html

PHILLY CHEESESTEAKS

From Favorite Family Recipes

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2 c. beef broth
1 pkg onion soup mix
1 lb. Black Angus rare roast beef (regular roast beef works great too, just make sure it's from the deli and thinly sliced)
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 large white or yellow onion, sliced
8 oz. cream cheese
sliced provolone cheese (2 slices per sandwich)
3-4 hoagie rolls

Bring beef broth and onion soup mix to a boil. Add roast beef, reduce heat, and simmer for about 5-10 minutes. In the meantime, in a large skillet saute onion and green pepper. When beef is done simmering, drain juices (you can keep the juice if you want to make an "au jus" dip.. we did and it was awesome!) Add roast beef to skillet along with about 4 oz. of cream cheese. Spread remaining cream cheese on each hoagie roll. When the cream cheese in the skillet is all melted, generously portion beef mixture onto each hoagie roll. Top with provolone cheese and place sandwiches, open-faced on a large baking sheet. Broil on high for about a minute or until cheese becomes bubbly and bread becomes slightly toasty. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Waffles

2011-09-12T09:12:00.000-07:00

We don't make waffles a whole lot around here because I have always considered pancakes to be so much easier; however, after making these waffles it will be very difficult to go back to pancakes. These waffles were amazingly moist, flavorful, light and delicious. My mom and I made them (double recipe) for Sunday dinner for the family and they were a huge hit. Everyone loved them. They are really easy to make and ones that we will repeat in our house again and again!

Thanks to Real Mom Kitchen for the picture and the recipe which can be found at this site here: http://realmomkitchen.com/6388/strawberry-cream-cheese-waffles-with-strawberry-sauce/

STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE WAFFLES
From Real Mom Kitchen
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2 ½ c all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
2 ½ cups whole milk
½ cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz cream cheese, NOT softened
1 c chopped strawberries

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla.
Cut the cream cheese into slices and then cut each slice into little cubes of cream cheese. Keep them all separated on a plate. Set aside.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Let the batter rest for 2 minutes and then fold in the strawberries. Do not over beat.
Pour the batter into a preheated waffle iron. The amount of batter will depend on the size of your waffle iron. I used my regular Belgian waffle iron. Then drop a few cubes of the cream cheese into each waffle. I put about 5-6 per waffle. Bake until lightly browned.
Serve with strawberry sauce and sweetened whipped cream. We have a really big waffle iron so I think we got about 8 out ours. Real Mom said she got 16 out of hers.

STRAWBERRY SAUCE

1 1/2 lbs. strawberries, diced
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp almond extract **

In a large sauce pan, combine the strawberries, sugar, and extract. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 1 minute and remove from heat.
Allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes so it is just warm. Place 1 1/2 cups of the mixture from the sauce pan in a blender. This is where you need to be careful. Don’t put the lid on the top all the way. Leave it cracked or the steam from the strawberries could cause an explosion. If you have an immersion blender, feel free to use that and no chance of an explosion. Blend until smooth and stir back into the remaining strawberry mixture in the pan. Serve warm over the Strawberry Cream Cheese Waffles

**This mixture can all be blended if you prefer a smooth sauce. Vanilla extract can also be used in place of the almond extract.

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

2011-09-10T20:31:00.000-07:00

I love the idea of these enchiladas. Buffalo chicken in a tortilla? Yum! But.... these weren't as good as I was expecting. They tasted a lot like they were caught in a terrible identity crisis between American food (buffalo chicken) and Mexican food (enchiladas). I will say that they were MUCH better the next day slathered in homemade salsa. Much, much better. So maybe you can make something of these?

Thanks to How Sweet It Is for the picture and recipe that you can find at this site here: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/08/buffalo-chicken-enchiladas/

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

From How Sweet It Is

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8 large whole wheat tortillas (I used flour)

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
28 ounce can red enchilada sauce
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (+ more depending on your tastebuds)
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
4 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (or bleu cheese)
5 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour enchilada sauce in a bowl and begin by whisking in 1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce. Taste and adjust according to your desired level of heat – I added in just over 1/4 cup total. Set aside.

Add shredded chicken to a bowl with 2 green onions and 1/2 cup monterey jack cheese. Pour in about a 1/2 cup of enchilada/buffalo sauce mixture and mix thoroughly. Stir until mixture comes together.

Pour a drizzle of enchilada/buffalo sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Take each tortilla and fill it with a few heaping tablespoons of the chicken mixture. Roll each up and set it in the baking dish, seam side down. Pour another 1/2 cup or more of enchilada/buffalo sauce on top of tortillas and add remaining monterey jack cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Immediately after taking enchiladas out of the oven, add crumbled gorgonzola on top. Garnish with the remaining onions and cilantro and serve. Store the remaining sauce in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, and use if reheating enchiladas.

Pizza Crust

2011-09-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

I found this fun tutorial on OurBestBites.com for pizza. I love making homemade pizza but I still want it to taste like we bought it. Little did I know that there are some secrets to making the crust that you need to remember. Go on over to OurBestBites and check out this tutorial! The picture on this post is also from that same linked site.

What worked for me:

1. I have a pizza stone to cook my pizza on. If you don't have one, get one! They are amazing.
2. I did NOT preheat my stone. The one time I tried this my crust turned out much too crispy.
3. I did NOT roll out my dough and THEN try to move it to the stone. I rolled it right on the stone. This is hard to accomplish without someone holding the stone in place but it is so much easier to get the crust perfectly round.
4. I did prick my crust with a fork before baking and I did brush it with olive oil and I did sprinkle it with Johnny's Garlic Seasoning. I tried it once without the garlic seasoning and it made such a huge difference in the taste that I will not go without it again. (Unless I am making a dessert pizza...)
5. I did pre-cook my crust, but not for 10 minutes. Watch it carefully in the oven. As soon as it starts to turn brown take it out and put your toppings on. If you want it crispier you can leave it in longer but taking it out sooner gives it a crunchy outside with a chewy inside.
6. I used the same dough recipe as I did for the Breadsticks I made last month. It was pretty good but not fabulous. I think next time I will make Jay's Signature Pizza Crust from Allrecipes.com

Grilled Zucchini Rounds

2011-09-06T13:06:00.000-07:00

I have a new favorite way to eat zucchini. Grilling zucchini has got to be one of the tastiest things on the planet. Hands down. I could eat an entire plate of this stuff by myself. And it is incredibly easy to make. If you have one of those monster zucchini that so many people seem to have in abundance these days this is the PERFECT way to use it up!

The picture is courtesy of Chalene Johnson's Blog and can be found at this site here: https://www.turbokick.com/wblog/?p=689

GRILLED ZUCCHINI ROUNDS
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1 large zucchini
Butter, melted
Lemon Pepper

Heat grill. Slice zucchini into 1/2 inch rounds. Brush one side of each round with melted butter and sprinkled lightly with lemon pepper. Place zucchini buttered side down on warm grill. Brush top sides with butter and sprinkly lightly with lemon pepper again. Grill to desired tenderness but be careful of excessive burning. Some blackness is okay. Serve warm.

Yield: about 20 rounds

Chicken Parmesan Bundles

2011-09-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

I really like the idea of any kind of recipe that calls for chicken to be wrapped around something. I absolutely LOVE chicken cordon bleu and so when I saw this recipe I knew for sure we would like it. And we did! It was really good and flavorful. It was missing the "wow" factor though. It was good but it wasn't something I would want to eat once a week. Once in a while I wouldn't mind having it again, but it is a bit labor intensive. It is definitely worth trying though and next time I will pair it with my homemade marinara sauce (watch for the recipe - coming soon!)

The original source of this picture is from Kraft Foods but I got it and the recipe from Mer's Kitchen Creations. They can be found at this site here: http://merskitchencreations.blogspot.com/2011/05/chicken-parmesan-bundles.html

CHICKEN PARMESAN BUNDLES

From Mer’s Kitchen Creations

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· 5-6 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4-inch. thickness

·         4 oz. cream cheese, softened
·         1 cup frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
·         1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
·         1/2 cup cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
·         1/2 cup parmesan cheese
·         1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
·         1 jar spaghetti sauce, heated

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the cream cheese, spinach, mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese in a medium bowl. Spoon onto chicken breasts. Roll up chicken tightly, securing with toothpicks if needed. In a separate small bowl, mix together the parmesan cheese and bread crumbs and roll each chicken bundle in the mixture until coated. Place in sprayed 9x13 pan and bake, uncovered for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Serve chicken topped with spaghetti sauce and some fresh mozzarella.

*If desired, serve over a bed of warm pasta

Kalua Pork

2011-09-02T08:13:00.000-07:00

It can be hard when you need or want to feed a crowd to know what to do that won't cost you an arm and a leg. And the more complicated the dish you pick the more exhausting time it is going to take to put it together leaving you feeling stressed and frazzled for your party. That is why this recipe is such an amazing one. Besides the fact that it only has THREE ingredients (four if you count water), it is a fix-it-and-forget-it recipe. The pork turns out flavorful and tender and it is also versatile. You can serve it over rice or potatoes or on rolls with barbecue sauce like we like to do. The cut of meat you will need is pork butt or shoulder (same cut). You can buy a 15 lb. package of this stuff for $30 from Costco. Feeding a large crowd for $30? Yes please.

The recipe and picture are courtesy of Mel's Kitchen Cafe and can be found at this site here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/08/kalua-pork.html

KALUA PORK
From Mel's Kitchen Cafe
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*Mel always makes a ton of this when cooking it because it freezes well but feel free to scale down the recipe as needed.*

10-12 pounds pork shoulder butt roast (don’t substitute a leaner cut of pork or it will be dry)
1 bottle liquid smoke
2 tablespoons sea salt (or hula salt if you can find it)
1 1/2 cups water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Trim roast of large pockets of fat (but leave some fat on there to help the pork stay tender while cooking). Place pork in large roasting pan (the aluminum, deep roasting pans you can buy at the grocery store work great if you don’t own a heavy-duty roasting pan). Rub 2-3 tablespoons of sea salt into pork. Pour the bottle of liquid smoke over and around the pork. Pour the water around the pork.

Cover roasting pan TIGHTLY with two layers of aluminum foil.

Bake for 5-7 hours (don’t uncover while baking – let the steam and heat work it’s magic!).

Shred with two forks and serve with rice or on rolls with barbecue sauce.

*NOTE: If you want to put it in a crockpot cook it on low for 14-16 hours.

Skillet Chicken Nachos

2011-09-01T08:50:00.001-07:00

Who likes doing dishes? Not me! That is one of the biggest reasons that one skillet meals are so wonderful. All the ingredients in only one pan. Excellent. This dish came together so fast and was delciously flavorful. The only thing I could have wished for was that I had some of the homemade salsa I made yesterday when we made these nachos. (I am behind on blogging.... stay tuned!)

The picture and recipe are courtesy of BettyCrocker.com and can be found at this site here: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/skillet-chicken-nachos/9bf0c3be-09dd-4b1b-8cf4-a9cfa979b232#?term=skillet%2Bchicken%2Bnachos&fv=AND(HasGridViewImage%3ATrue)&pi=1&ps=9

SKILLET CHICKEN NACHOS

From Bettycrocker.com

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1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 package (1 oz) taco seasoning mix
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (7 oz) whole kernel sweet corn, drained
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (8 oz) (or just use cheddar cheese)
6 oz tortilla chips (about 42 chips)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink in center.
2. Stir in taco seasoning mix, tomato sauce, bell pepper, beans, corn and 1 cup of the cheese. Reduce heat to medium; cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through and cheese is melted.
3. Divide tortilla chips between 6 plates. Spoon chicken mixture evenly over chips. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese and the cilantro.

Makes 6 servings

Homemade Buffalo Macaroni and Cheese

2011-08-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

How many grown-ups actually like and desire macaroni and cheese from the box? Anyone? Anyone? Maybe for lunch, once in a blue moon, but for dinner? Nah. But the concept of macaroni and cheese is a great one. And this macaroni and cheese is easily my favorite one that you home make. And it was super easy.

Funny story. The lovely friend that I got this recipe friend accidentally put in the recipe to use 4 - 5 Tbsp. of Frank's Hot Buffalo Sauce. For those of you who are familiar with the sauce you are laughing at me right now. But I was not familiar with the sauce before. I very skeptically put in 1 Tbsp of the stuff before tasting it and it was already bordering too hot. Make sure that when you make this you use REGULAR Buffalo Sauce and NOT the extra hot stuff. They are actually labeled in the store differently. Let me show you:

Buy THIS:

Do NOT buy this (unless you have a death wish):

Okay, now that we have that out of the way... this really was a delightful dish and my hubby liked it so much that he immediately requested it again (just with less heat.) The original recipe says to steam the broccoli but I roasted it in the oven instead and boy was it delicious! Next time I think I will double the recipe so that we have more for the next day.

The original recipe and picture are courtesy of Mer's Kitchen Creations and can be found at this site here: http://merskitchencreations.blogspot.com/2011/01/homemade-buffalo-macaroni-and-cheese.html

HOMEMADE BUFFALO MACARONI AND CHEESE

Adapted from Mer’s Kitchen Creations

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·         8 oz. shell pasta, uncooked
·         2 cloves garlic, finely minced
·         3 Tbsp. butter
·         3 Tbsp. flour
·         1 cup milk
·         1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
·         1/8 tsp. pepper
·         1/8 tsp. nutmeg
·         1/2 tsp. garlic salt
·         1 tsp. cajun seasoning
·         1/2 cup half-and-half
·         1 “head” broccoli, cut with stems shortened (about 1 lb)
·         2 Tbsp. olive oil
·         ¼ tsp salt
·         ¼ tsp pepper
·         1 cup diced ham
·         4-5 Tbsp. Frank's Buffalo sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain. While the pasta is cooking, toss the broccoli in 2 tablespoon oil and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper and roast for about 15 minutes. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and saute the garlic over medium heat until light brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the flour and stir until a thick roux (dough-like texture) forms. Slowly add in the milk and stir over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until it thickens and begins to bubble, and the roux is dissolved. Add in the cheese and stir until melted and thoroughly combined. Stir in the pepper, nutmeg, garlic salt and cajun seasoning. Turn heat to low and add in the cooked pasta, broccoli, ham and half-and-half. Mix together until all ingredients are coated in the cheese sauce. Stir in the hot sauce, one tablespoon at a time, until completely incorporated. Serve warm with extra cheese sprinkled on top.

Zucchini Flat Bread

2011-08-24T22:46:00.000-07:00

I am discovering that I have a new found love for zucchini. Who would have thought I just needed to have it prepared right? FYI - boiling it in a pot of water until tender is NOT right. This Flat Bread is SOOO good that, despite the fact that it is heading towards midnight, I want to go make it RIGHT NOW! In fact, I need to pick up some of the zucchini my neighbor promised me and whip some more of this up. I made my own crust instead of spending $5 for the Boboli crust and it was FAB-U-LOUS! This is a pretty easy and straightforward recipe. Try it and you will love it!

Picture and recipe are courtesy of Real Mom Kitchen and can be found at this site here: http://realmomkitchen.com/3059/zucchini-flat-bread/

ZUCCHINI FLAT BREAD
From Real Mom Kitchen
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1 large Boboli® pizza crust (14 oz.)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 zucchini, sliced into 1/8 inch slices (you want about 2 dozen slices)
1 1/2 tsp. *Johnny’s Garlic Spread & Seasoning (You can buy it at Costco or Sam’s)
1 cup mozzarella cheese (I just eyeballed it as to what looked good)
1/2 of a small can sliced olives, drained

Place zucchini slices on a baking sheet and cook at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on these you just want to get them tender and about 1/2 the thickness they were originally. If you cook them too long they will burn.
Brush top of pizza crust with olive oil. Arrange cooked zucchini slices on crust.
Sprinkle seasoning over zucchini followed by cheese. Then top cheese with olives.
Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes until cheese is nice and melted.
Cut into wedges or squares.

*NOTE: Do you remember my post about the Breadsticks? The garlic seasoning that I listed on that recipe is the same thing as this stuff. Make your own if you don't already have it on hand!

Grilled Turkey Reuben Sandwiches

2011-08-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

My husband says, "If you don't know what a Reuben Sanwich is, that picture looks terrible." LOL! I guess he is right. Sauerkraut doesn't look very appealing. If you don't like sauerkraut you can stop reading right now - this post isn't for you. If you are truly devoted lovers of the awesomeness that is sauerkraut - keep reading! You don't have to love it as much as me - I eat it straight out of the jar without any added condiments - but you have to at least appreciate it.

I LOVE REUBENS!!!! They are probably my favorite sandwich. No. They are my favorite sandwich. Nothing beats a good reuben. Have you ever been to the sandwich store Schlotzky's? They have AMAZING reubens. Kneaders also makes a mean reuben as well.

Anyway, these were fantastic. You might think it is silly to post a recipe about what is, essentially, a glorified grilled cheese sandwich, but the directions in this recipe make all the difference in the world. By draining and heating up the sauerkraut and meat before you use it you help get rid of excessive water/vinegar that will make your sandwich soggy. These were delicious and will most likely become a staple in our home!

The picture and recipe are courtesy of Allrecipes.com and can be found at this site here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grilled-Turkey-Reuben-Sandwiches/Detail.aspx

GRILLED TURKEY REUBEN SANDWICHES

From Allrecipes.com

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· 1 cup sauerkraut, drained

· 10 ounces sliced deli turkey meat

· 2 tablespoons butter

· 4 slices marble rye bread

· 4 slices Swiss cheese

· 4 tablespoons thousand island salad dressing, or to taste

1. Warm the sauerkraut and turkey, separately, in a microwave-safe bowls for 30-seconds; set aside. Spread butter generously on one side of each slice of rye bread, then spread the thousand island dressing on the other side. Divide the sauerkraut, turkey, and Swiss cheese on two slice of bread with the butter-side down. Stack the remaining two slices of bread with the butter-side up on top.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Arrange the sandwiches on the skillet and grill until lightly browned and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes on each side.

Fresh Fruit Enchiladas

2011-08-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhh.... true inspiration! What better way to avoid the time consuming hassel of making crepes than to use small tortillas instead? Don't get me wrong, I love crepes, but I do not love doing ten times the amount of work for a couple of super thin and non-filling plates of dough.

These enchiladas were divine. The vanilla sauce was perfectly sweet to offset the tartness of the fruit. The tortillas get nice and soft in the oven and are easy to eat without falling apart.

And yes, they are called "fresh" fruit enchiladas. But if you don't want to spend that kind of money grab a bag of your friendly neighborhood frozen assorted fruits. They work just as well.

Breakfast? Dessert? You choose. We chose breakfast and I was a very happy girl for the rest of the day. My picky little one ate half of one of these bad boys all by herself! After trying to force her to eat ANYTHING for the rest of the week I was seriously pleased we found something she likes so much.

Take note: these weren't nearly as good as leftovers so try to consume all of them in one sitting, even if you have to share the love with a neighbor.

This excellent recipe and picture are courtesy of How Sweet It Is and can be found at this site here: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/07/fresh-fruit-enchiladas/

Fresh Fruit Enchiladas

From How Sweet It Is

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makes 6 enchiladas

6 tortillas [we used 6-inch]

fresh fruit of your choice, chopped, to amount to about 1-2 cups, depending on tortilla size
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar (+ more/less depending on taste)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Begin by preparing the cinnamon-vanilla sauce: in a saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour to create a roux just as you would with a béchamel/cheese sauce, then add in milk, whisking continuously. Add in vanilla, cinnamon and sugar while stirring. Let the mixture come to a light boil (even just bubbles on the edges are fine) and continue to stir while mixture thickens – about 4-5 minutes. Turn down to low and stir. You want it to lightly coat the back of a spoon, but not be too thick. You can also taste test here and see if you’d like to add any additional cinnamon, sugar or flavoring.

Place about 2 tablespoons (if you’re using small tortillas) or 1/3 cup (if you’re using large tortillas) chopped fruit in the center of the tortilla and roll. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray, ladle a 1/2 cup of your vanilla sauce on the bottom of the dish, then lay your enchiladas seam-side down. When all are rolled cover with more vanilla sauce – the amount it up to you, but I suggest keeping a bit on hand to add on top when they come out of the oven. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until fruit in the middle begins to burst and soften. Serve immediately with extra sauce for the top.

Kneaders Chunky Cinnamon French Toast

2011-08-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

Let me add my disclaimer from the very beginning here: I love Kneaders and I adore their sandwiches but I have never actually had their french toast. So do I know that this is exactly like it? No. BUT! I am pretty sure. Why? Because Kneaders divulged the recipe on Good Things Utah in 2005 and this is that recipe.

Disclaimer out of the way... this was delicious! I was very pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't as sweet as I thought it was going to be. I don't deal well with too much sweetness but the caramel sauce was a perfect compliment to the toast. We just bought generic cinnamon bread from Smith's and doubled up the slices so that they would be thick. When they sit overnight they "gel" together from the egg mixture so we didn't have any problems with them falling apart. We also used an 11x17" pan instead of a 9x13".

Even though this recipe has to sit for at least an hour I would definitely recommend doing it overnight. It was super easy to throw together after dinner was over and you just stick it in the oven the next day. This one is one that we will DEFINITELY be repeating at our house!

This picture and recipe are courtesy of The Sisters Cafe and can be found at this site here: http://www.thesisterscafe.com/2011/04/kneaders-chunky-cinnamon-french-toast

Kneaders Chunky Cinnamon French Toast

Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe

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1 loaf Kneaders Chunky Cinnamon Bread cut in 8 slices (You could use any store bought cinnamon swirl bread but no raisins!)

8 eggs
3 cups milk
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons butter

Butter an 11/17" glass baking dish generously. Place the bread flat in the baking dish. Mix all remaining ingredients, reserving the butter and pour over the bread. Cut butter into pieces and dot over the top. Refrigerate over night or at least one hour (I think an hour is plenty, and I didn't need quite all the egg mixture). Bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Serves 8. Serve with Kneaders Caramel Syrup.

Kneaders Caramel Syrup

From The Sister’s Café

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup light Karo syrup

Blend together and heat on stove top until sugar is smooth. Serve warm.

The Perfect Ribs

2011-08-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law LOVES BBQ sauce more than anyone I know or ever anticipate I will know. When he and my little sister were sealed in the temple my parents threw a big dinner party for them. We had Kalua pork, Marinated Manti Chicken and the most tender and mouth-watering ribs you have ever tasted. The ribs were so good that my brother-in-law hid a rack in the kitchen that he could have all to himself. Are you interested in how to obtain such delectable BBQ perfection? Get ready, my friends, for the process!

The picture is courtesy of Stag & Doe Restaurant and can be found at this site here: http://stagndoerestaurant.com/2010/09/from-the-grill-2/

THE PERFECT RIBS
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Step 1: After removing your rack from the container or package you bought it in, rinse the whole rack under cold water.
Step 2: Place rack on paper towels and pat dry.
Step 3: Rub rack down with your favorite rib rub of choice. You can find these rubs at practically any grocery store.
Step 4: Place rack in a roaster oven that has been lined with aluminum foil. (We do 3 racks in 1 roaster.)
Step 5: Place 1/2 of a sliced red onion over the top of the ribs.
Step 6: Place lid on roaster and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.
Step 7: Let the ribs cool down. You can just turn off the roaster and wait or remove them to a platter to cool faster. You MUST let them cool down or Step 8 will be a nightmare for you because the ribs will fall apart. The onions are for flavor only so they can be discarded.
Step 8: Slap those beautiful babies on the barbecue. Cook on medium to medium-high heat, continuously basting with generous amounts of Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue sauce, until ribs are cooked through, hot and to your desired amount of "done-ness."
Step 9: Lock yourself in a closet with a fork (no knife is necessary - these fall off the bone beautifully) and a roll of paper towels. Trust me - you won't want to share!

*NOTE! A few secrets to remember about barbecuing meat: 1) Use tongs to turn. Poking with a fork will release valuable and tasty juices. 2) Don't squash the meat. Again - valuable juices will be lost! 3) Try to keep turning to a minimum. 4) Let the meat rest once it has finished cooking. This is the hardest step but try to forebear!

Breadsticks

2011-08-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

I am on a bread making mission. I try to continually improve in every aspect of my life and I love cooking so much that I am always seeking to become better at it; however, my main ambition right now is to "perfect" the art of bread products. I have already learned quite a bit about making breads but I don't plan on reaching perfection any time soon. In fact, I will probably spend my life getting a little more perfect each time.

Have you ever experienced going to a restaurant and getting breadsticks that are just to die for - so soft and heavenly that you end up consuming a half dozen or so before your waistline starts to scream in protest? Have you ever had Fazoli's breadsticks? I haven't been there in a long time but from what I remember they definitely fit into this category. I went to look up the recipe online in hopes of replicating them only to find out that they don't "homemake" their breadsticks. They are pre-frozen. Call me nerdy or crazy or whatever but I was devastated. How can I hope to attain bread making perfection when competing with machines of mass production?

So I started searching for an alternate recipe. OurBestBites.com hasn't failed me yet so I naturally turned to them. The picture of their breadsticks (seen above) looked so beautiful that I knew I had to try the recipe.

The breadsticks were great - soft and chewy on the inside and just slightly crunchy on the outside. The recipe is only for 1 dozen breadsticks and after making them I understand why. Breadsticks don't "leave over" well. They lost the slight crunch they had by the next day and were a lot more tough and undesirable. So when you make these, because you should, make enough to consume at one time.

Thanks to OurBestBites.com for the picture and recipe that can be found at this site here: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/04/breadsticks-and-pizza-dough/.

I won't go so far as to say these were the best breadsticks I have ever had because the BEST ones are the pre-frozen ones that I am desperately trying to replicate from scratch - but I am continually on the hunt! If you have a tried-and-true recipe that you go ga-ga over PLEASE send it to me so I can try it out!

Breadsticks
Recipe from OurBestBites.com
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1 1/2 c. warm (105-115 degrees) water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour

In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.

Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.

Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter.

Roll out each piece of dough into a snake and then drape over your forefinger and twist the dough. (*SEE NOTE BELOW!*) Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it's okay if they're close; pulling apart hot bread is one of life's greatest pleasures!

Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes. When there's about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425. When done rising, bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Rub some butter on top of the breadsticks (just put a ziploc bag on your hand, grab some softened butter, and have at it) and sprinkle with garlic bread seasoning (see below) or the powdery Parmesan cheese in a can and garlic salt. Or you could sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar.

*NOTE! I am ashamed to admit that this step really confused me in the explanation. Maybe I had a dumb blond moment or something or maybe it is confusing to you too and I don't have to feel so badly. When it says to drape it over your forefinger and twist what you are doing is putting your forefinger in the middle of the snake you just rolled so that you have two sides hanging on either side of your finger. Then take the two ends and twist them together. This will make those extra long snakes much shorter and give you the beautiful twisted look that makes these breadsticks so esthetically pleasing. I found that my dough continually stretched if I didn't leave it on the table to twist it instead of handing it in midair.

Garlic Bread Seasoning
Recipe from OurBestBites.com

1/2 c. powdered Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. marjoram
2 tsp. parsley

Combine ingredients in a jar (preferably one with a sprinkle top) and shake. Sprinkle on top of breadsticks or combine 1 1/2 Tbsp. seasoning with 1/2 c. of softened real butter and spread on a loaf of French bread (cut in 1/2 lengthwise). Wrap in foil and bake at 375 until butter's melted. If you want, you could also pop it open-faced under the broiler for a few minutes so it gets brownish and crispy.

Peaches and Cream Cake

2011-08-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

This is, hands down, one of our new favorite desserts. Ever. Seriously. I made this twice in the span of two days. That is how good it is. It is so good that my brother even FACEBOOKED about how awesome it is. His status update, "Oh man this dessert is fantastic!!! Thanks Shay!!!" My dad ate what little was left of it the next day for breakfast.

Think of a cobbler, cake and a cheesecake all in one delightful dish. That is what you get in this dish. It is flavorful without being too rich and creamy without the cream cheese amount being too overwhelming. Man blogging makes me hungry!!!

And if that wasn't wonderful enough this dessert is so easy to make with mostly basic ingredients. I had to buy the peaches and the cream cheese both times but that was it.

Now I will have to make it again to test my theory but the first time I made this cake I made it with Whole milk because that was the only kind I had on hand at the time. It seemed to me like the first cake puffed up a lot more than the second one that I made with 1% milk. So my theory is that this cake is puffier with thicker milk. That is certainly true when you make rolls so it seems perfectly reasonable to me. But if you want to cut calories it is still wonderful both ways.

This amazing recipe and the picture are courtesy of Mel's Kitchen Cafe and can be found at this site here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/05/peaches-and-cream-cake.html

Peaches and Cream Cake
from melskitchencafe.com
printable recipe
*Serves 12

Cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup milk
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Peaches and Topping:

29-ounce can sliced peaches or 1 quart home-bottled peaches
16 ounces (2 packages) cream cheese, light or regular, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons reserved peach juice
Cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium or large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cornstarch. Blend. Make a well in the center and add the vanilla, eggs, milk and melted butter. Whisk together until well combined. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

Slice the peaches into bite-sized pieces, scattering them over the top of the batter evenly. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and reserved peach juice together until light and creamy. Dollop the cream cheese mixture in tablespoon-sized spoonfuls over the top of the batter and peaches and then use a spatula to evenly spread together to form a creamy layer. It doesn't have to be perfect, just try to spread it as evenly over the top as possible (it's ok if peaches are peeking through in spots). Sprinkle the top of the cream cheese layer generously with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake for 45-60 minutes until the edges are puffed and golden and the cream cheese layer has bubbled slightly on top. This is a difficult cake to test for doneness because of the gooey cream cheese layer. If the middle is still jiggly, bake until it no longer jiggles and the cake batter layer is puffed and no longer runny. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*NOTE: I liked the cake better at room temperature and my husband liked it better warm. You just can't go wrong! :-)

Skillet Summer Vegetable Lasagna

2011-08-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

I know I seem to have said it a lot lately but WOW! This was so good! It is easily one of my new FAVORITE meals. And guess what? I don't usually like squash, zucchini or tomatoes. It had the perfect amount and the perfect texture for all of the veggies and a healthy dose of ricotta and parmesan cheese. I am labeling this one as a healthier meal because of all of the veggies and the fact that the cheeses are low fat.

Another great thing about this meal is that it reheats really well too. The veggies were still slightly crunchy the next day. This dish is full of flavor and is one we will repeat again and again. In fact I may have to go buy more veggies today...

The picture and recipe are courtesy of Mel's Kitchen Cafe and can be found at this site here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/07/skillet-summer-vegetable-lasagna.html

Skillet Summer Vegetable Lasagna

Adapted so very slightly from melskitchencafe.com

*Serves 4-6

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper
10 curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 small yellow squash, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Drain tomatoes into a 2-cup liquid measure. Add water to tomato liquid to make 2 cups. Add tomato/water mixture and 1 teaspoon salt to skillet.

Scatter noodles into the skillet, layer tomatoes over the noodles and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, stirring occasionally (so the noodles won't stick!) for about 10 minutes.

Stir in zucchini and squash, cook, covered, stirring now and then, until noodles and squash are tender, about 8 minutes. Add basil and half of the ricotta cheese and half of the Parmesan cheese to the noodles, stirring until the sauce is creamy. Dollop remaining ricotta cheese over the noodles, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

*NOTE: After dolloping the ricotta cheese over the noodles I used a spoon to kind of smear it around. I didn't want mouthfuls of just ricotta cheese. I really liked the distribution and thought it was a good addition to the dish.

Skillet Strawberry Cobbler

2011-08-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

I love finding new dessert recipes that look very easy to put together. When I ran across this recipe I knew I had to try it! Strawberries + Cobbler = Heaven!

Well I was actually quite surprised. I am most familiar with peach or raspberry cobbler and I was not expecting the sour flavor that this cobbler had. You don't bite into a strawberry very often and think, "SOUR!" But something about this dish made it taste much more sour than I was anticipating.

Now don't get me wrong, paired with some ice cream it was still very good. My hubby really liked the sour taste and didn't even think it needed ice cream. And the next day the sour taste seemed to have died down a bit and I enjoyed it a whole lot more.

So in conclusion this may not be a recipe that I would make very often or one that I would take to a get together because it really does have a surprising taste; however, we really enjoyed it and it is one that I would recommend (with disclaimers mentioned about) and will probably make again!

This recipe and picture are courtesy of How Sweet It Is and can be found at this site here: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/06/skillet-strawberry-cobbler/

Skillet Strawberry Cobblers

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

*This listed recipe is HALF of the original. I don't have a cast iron skillet that is large enough for the original recipe. And this was plenty for my small family.
serves 2-3

1 tablespoon butter
4 cups of strawberries
1/2 tablespoon white sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 stick butter, softened and cut into cubes
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
vanilla ice cream for serving and fresh mint for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Slice strawberries – I slice a few in half, a few in quarters, and leave others whole for a variety. Toss with 1/2 tablespoon white sugar.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Wait for 5 minutes until the entire skillet is hot, then add 1 tablespoon butter. Add strawberries and cook for 5-6 minutes to soften.

While strawberries are cooking, combine flour, baking soda and powder, salt and 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar in a bowl and mix. Add in cubed butter and mix with a fork or your fingers until the butter is in smaller crumbles and strewn throughout the mix. Make a well in the center and pour in buttermilk. Add vanilla extract and stir until mixture comes together.

Turn off heat under strawberries. Spoon globs of dough on top of the strawberries, scattering them all around. Melt remaining tablespoon of butter and drizzle over top of dough. Sprinkle remaining brown sugar on top. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, then turn down heat to 375 and bake for 10-15 minutes more. Serve with vanilla ice cream and fresh mint.

Twice Baked Potatoes

2011-07-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

It seems like one of the hardest parts of meal planning is planning what to serve with your incredibly awesome main course. You want something delicious and complimentary to your main dish but you absolutely don't want to spend the amount of time preparing it that you would a main course.

The second conundrum that you may face that this amazing side dish will solve is the bother of getting to dinner, very hungry, only to have to assemble a baked potato. In fact, my husband dislikes this so much that he will take any kind of style of cooking potatoes as long as he doesn't have to do the compiling. Now, obviously, if you are doing the cooking this isn't going to help you but everyone else will love you for doing the "hard" work.

And honestly, this was so easy! I threw my potatoes in the oven for an hour, compiled my main course, and then finished these up while my main course was cooling off enough that we could consume it. And they were DELICIOUS! My husband loved it and I loved it and I can't wait to eat the leftovers today! This was a perfect pair with our Steak with Onion-Bleu Cheese Sauce and is a recipe we will repeat again and again!

The recipe and picture are courtesy of the wonderful Mel's Kitchen Cafe and can be found at this site here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/05/twice-baked-potatoes.html

Twice-Baked Potatoes

from My Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)

*Serves 8 (as a side dish)

4 large-ish russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
4 green onions, white and green parts thinly chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce each potato three or four times with a fork and place in the oven (or on a baking sheet). Bake for about an hour, until a fork can easily be inserted into the potato. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Let them cool for about 5-10 minutes.

Carefully cut each potato in half lengthwise, so you get two "boat" shapes from each potato. Using an oven mitt or potholder, hold the potato in one hand and with a spoon scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Leave a thin border (a little less than 1/4-inch) of potato innards around the skin so that it isn't too fragile to hold the pumped up potato mixture.

Mash the potato flesh with a potato masher or fork until mostly smooth. Stir in the melted butter, 1 cup cheese, green onions, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Preheat the broiler and move an oven rack about 3-4 inches away from the broiler heating element.

Scoop the potato filling into the shells, mounding each potato shell full of the good stuff. Sprinkle the potatoes with the remaining 1 cup cheese and broil the potatoes until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 5 minutes.

Steak with Onion-Bleu Cheese Sauce

2011-07-29T07:25:00.000-07:00

Wow! This was an amazing meal! I have never cooked steak before and so I was pretty nervous about making the attempt but I will be nervous no more! I found a great website that gives tips for perfect cooking methods for steak. If you would like to check it out as well the site can be found at this link here: http://startcooking.com/blog/276/3-Ways-to-Cook-a-Great-Steak. Just make sure that when you do follow the method suggested for grilling that your steaks are thin - like no more than 1/2 inch. Some of our bigger steaks turned out pretty pink in the middle. Personally I like my steak to still be mooing but it was a bit too rare for my husband in some parts. BUT! Considering it was my first attempt at cooking steak by myself I will call it a successful attempt.

This meal can't be found on any kind of healthy meter but it is so delectable that you can forgive yourself for indulging. Plus, the sauce is rich and filling so I don't think you could eat more than one good sized steak anyways. My hubby absolutely loved this sauce and still could only get down one steak! If you know my Jake that is just short of a small miracle.

Now I know that the recipe calls for ribeye steak but you don't have to use ribeye. Ribeye is an excellent cut of meat and is generally regarded as the most tender and desirable BUT that also means it is generally the most expensive. I saw it on "sale" at my local grocery store for $5.99/lb. We weren't about to pay that price so we picked up some beautiful looking top sirloin on sale for $2.99/lb. And it was still delicious!

This recipe is so easy to make and has so few ingredients that you should DEFINITELY make it unless you are severely anti-onion. This one is going into our favorites and will be repeated at our house again and again!

The picture and recipe are courtesy of The Pioneer Woman and can be found at this site here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/09/grilled-ribeye-steak-with-onion-blue-cheese-sauce/

STEAK WITH ONION-BLEU CHEESE SAUCE

From The Pioneer Woman

2 whole ribeye steaks
2 Tbsp. butter (unless you are grilling your steaks in which case you should just brush the grill with a bit of oil before setting your steaks down)
Salt
Pepper
4 Tbsp. butter
1 very large yellow onion, sliced into relatively thick slices
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Salt and pepper both sides of the steaks. Grill in 2 Tbsp. butter until cooked to your liking (medium-well is my favorite). Saute onions in 4 Tbsp. butter over high heat for 5-7 minutes, or until dark and caramelized. (Be careful not to let them BLACKEN too badly. A little black is okay.) Reduce heat to simmer and pour in cream. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Stir in blue cheese until melted. Serve a generous portion of sauce over steaks.

*NOTE: A very easy method to follow for slicing your onion is to first cut it in half from root to tip, leaving the ends in tact. This helps to hold it all together and makes slicing it a breeze!