Fresh Berry Gratin

This is a recipe that I found over at Mindika Moments. It looked so simple to put together and delicious that I had to try it. My dad's birthday was a few days ago and since I am always asked to bring the desserts I thought this was a perfect opportunity to try it out! It was fabulous! Definitely one of my favorite desserts and I usually don't like chunks of fruit in things. This was the perfect combination of flavors with the sour cream and the cream cheese and the tartness of the berries. I used all four of the berries and although I bought the strawberries fresh because they looked so beautiful, I bought the other three (raspberries, blueberries and blackberries) frozen. To avoid the mushy taste that normally comes from frozen fruits, I put them in a strainer in the sink and let them thaw out naturally for several hours. NO rinsing. They turned out just perfect and saved me a pretty penny. The photo is courtesy of Mindika Moments and can be found here at her wonderful site!

FRESH BERRY GRATIN
(Recipe from Emily Nuttall, friend of Mindika)

48 oz. mixed fresh (or frozen) berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries or blueberries)
16 oz. cream cheese
2 C. sour cream (you MUST measure this out - a 16 oz. container is only about 1 1/2 cups)
½ C. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/2 C. brown sugar

1. Wash berries. Slice or cut to desired size.
2. Place in the bottom of a 9x13 pan, or divide into individual ramekins.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla until well combined.
4. Top the berries with the cream cheese mixture.
5. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the cream cheese mixture.
6. Place under a broiler for 4-6 minutes or until the brown sugar starts to caramelize. Watch carefully so it doesn’t burn.
7. Serve immediately.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

This is a classic family recipe that I grew up with. It has also been my favorite pregnancy food. A bowl of this stuff can make even the worst pregnancy days alright again. And with the extremely cold weather we have been having lately this is a great way to warm yourself and your family up.

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

1 1/2 lbs. noodles (we like the thick egg noodles)
3 chicken breasts
1 package baby carrots
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
3-4 cubes chicken bouillon
Onion powder to taste or one onion cut into thick pieces and separated

Cook chicken breasts in approximately 8 cups water with carrots and shake a bit of onion powder in. If you use the real onion you will take out the onion pieces (they don't go in the soup they are just for flavor). Start noodles cooking in a separate pan. Cook until carrots are soft. Take out chicken breasts and carrots but KEEP THE WATER. (Use a strainer on top of the pan). Add chicken bouillon and cream of mushroom soup to "juice." Cut up chicken and carrots to add to soup. Add noodles. Salt and pepper to taste.

*This recipe makes a HUGE pot of soup. If you have less people to feed cut the recipe in half, or even in fourths.

Variation on a Favorite - Chicken Stir Fry Wraps / Pasta!

Quite a while ago I posted a recipe for Chicken Stir Fry Wraps from Delectable Dining. I told you then that this dish is very versatile and cuold be done a number of different ways. Well, we tried a different way this time! Instead of serving the chicken mixture in lettuce leaves (which is delicious) I tossed it with Vermicelli noodles and topped with feta cheese. It was SOOO good. Light and spicy - it is defintiely one of my new favorite pasta dishes. Give it a try, or try the original - you can't go wrong!

CHICKEN STIR FRY WRAPS
From Delectable Dining

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

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

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

New Year's Recipes

My mom and I made a bunch of things for our New Year's Eve celebration and they were all delicious! We were so full and I was wishing I could have a couple of extra stomachs for the night. My favorite recipe was the Greek 7 layer dip. We are huge Greek food fans at our house and it hit the spot perfectly! Thanks to Our Best Bites for the recipes and pictures. Please visit their fabulous site by going here.

7-LAYER GREEK DIP

Adapted by Our Best Bites from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened (I used low-fat)
1 tsp. dill weed or Greek seasoning (salt free--go for a mix that just has herbs)

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 c. hummus
1 c. seeded, diced cucumbers
1 c. seeded, diced tomatoes
1/2 c. chopped Kalamata olives
1/3 c. chopped green onions (about 3 green onions completely chopped)
1/2 c. crumbled Feta cheese
1/8-1/4 c. minced fresh parsley

With an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, seasoning, garlic, and lemon juice until light and fluffy. Spread in the bottom of a pie plate or a small, shallow baking dish. Then spread a layer of hummus. In order, create layers by sprinkling the cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, onions, Feta cheese, and parsley. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with pita chips, fresh vegetables, and/or flatbread.

CHEESY ROASTED RED PEPPER DIP


7oz jar roasted red peppers (about 1C diced)
4 C grated pepper jack cheese (3/4 lb)
8oz cream cheese (I use low-fat)
3/4 C mayonnaise
2 T minced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 350. Remove peppers from jar and blot excess water with paper towels. You want to make sure they are dry so they don't add moisture to the dip. Then dice 'em up.

In a bowl, soften cream cheese in microwave so it will be easier to stir. Add in mayo, onion, garlic, and dijon. Stir to combine and then add in grated cheese and the diced peppers. Place in an 8x8-ish dish (pie plate works). At this point you can pop it in the fridge if you're going to cook it later and you can even make it a couple of days ahead of time. Place in the oven and cook for 30-45 minutes. Baking time depends on the dish. It will start to bubble and brown on the outside edge, and you want it to be bubbly all the way through to the center. It will be nice and golden brown on top, especially around the edges. Mine usually takes 40-45 min.

CHICKEN-BACON STUFFED PIZZA ROLLS

recipe by ourbestbites.com

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough (make sure it is big!)
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil or melted butter
sharp cheddar cheese (I used a 50/50 mix of mozzarella and cheddar)
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
about 1 C shredded, cooked chicken.
3/4 C mayo
3/4 C milk

First take 1 teaspoon of your ranch dressing mix and combine it with 1 1/2 T parmesan cheese. Set aside. Combine the remaining ranch mix with 3/4 C mayo and 3/4 C milk and place in the fridge to chill.

Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it's 400-425 degrees.

Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". You're going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square.

When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings.

I grab the four corners first and then squeeze the seams shut. Then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish). Brush with melted butter or olive oil and sprinkle with the parmesan-ranch mixture.

Place your rolls in the oven. I've noticed baking time really depends on the type of dough I'm using. Whether it's different brands from the store, or homemade dough, they all take different amounts of time. Set your timer for 10 minutes and check on them after that. They may take up to 15 or 20 to be done. Take them out when they're lightly golden on top.

Serve them warm with a side of freshly made ranch dressing for dipping.

Note:
These can also be baked individually in a mini-muffin tin. This might work better for serving depending on the situation. You're making 24 rolls, so it fills up the pan perfectly. They cook quicker this way than in a pie pan so keep an eye on them. Mine only took about 8 minutes whereas the ones in the pan took about 13-15.

Pesto Chicken Florentine

This delicious, creamy, and flavorful dish was a hit at our house! My little girl had 4 helpings all by herself! I really loved how this alfredo had a different twist on it with the spinach and the pesto. There are a couple of things I would change and I have listed my altered recipe below. The original recipe only calls for 2 cups of spinach but the full bag is absolutely necessary. Also, the original recipe calls for 1 pkg dry Alfredo mix that you make up - but it was cheaper to buy the jar of already prepared Alfredo sauce. Because of this, however, we had a TON of sauce so I would double the amount of noodles that are called for, or just bite the bit and make the dry Alfredo mix. I would prefer to double the noodles, however, so that the dish will go further and the sauce won't be so overwhelming. Whatever you do just add the sauce slowly so you get exactly the amount that you want. All of these changes are reflected in the recipe below. The original recipe and picture are courtesy of Allrecipes.com and can be found here.

PESTO CHICKEN FLORENTINE

From Allrecipes.com
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts - cut into strips
• 1 full bag fresh spinach leaves
• 1 jar Alfredo sauce
• 2 tablespoons pesto
• 1 (16 ounce) package dry penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon grated Romano/Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, saute for 1 minute; then add chicken and cook for 7 to 8 minutes on each side. When chicken is close to being cooked through (no longer pink inside), add spinach and saute all together for 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat Alfredo sauce. When finished, stir in 2 tablespoons pesto; set aside.
3. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Rinse under cold water and drain.
4. Add chicken/spinach mixture to pasta, then stir in pesto/Alfredo sauce. Mix well, top with cheese and serve.

*SIDE DISH DELIGHT!*

GARLIC FRENCH BREAD

1 loaf french bread, thinly sliced
Butter
Garlic powder
Italian Seasoning
Parmesan

Butter both sides of a slice of french bread. Continue with remaining slices until your cookie sheet is filled or you have the amount of slices you need to feed your family. Sprinkle top side with garlic powder, italian seasoning, and parmesan. Place in oven and turn broil on LOW. If your oven doesn't have the heat option turn it on HI but WATCH CAREFULLY! The bread should take about 5 minutes on LOW and only 2-3 on HI. Bread should be slightly crunchy and golden brown when done.

Sweet, Sticky and Spicy Chicken

This chicken was very flavorful and delicious; however, Jake and I both agreed that we would change some things the next time I made it: 1. The chicken did NOT end up sticky - it just doesn't have enough time or heat before the chicken would dry out too much. Next time we will dredge the chicken in flour before browning it to help with the stickiness. 2. It needed more substance: cooked veggies like green beans, onion, broccoli, and water chestnuts. We will definitely add these things next time we have this dish.

Like I said, overall this dish had a great flavor and was very tasty and good enough that we want to make it again. The recipe and picture are courtesy of Allrecipes.com and can be found here. I have posted the original recipe below.

SWEET, STICKY AND SPICY CHICKEN
From Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger root
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch strips
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

1. Mix together brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and hot sauce in a small bowl.
2. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken strips.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken strips and brown on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.

Ham and Cheese Melts

These were delicious! So easy to put together and much tastier than I was expecting. I liked the flavor so much that I didn't dip mine in any kind of sauce. I even used a generic (cheap) brand of biscuit and they were great! I didn't use cheese slices either. I used a mix of mozzarella and cheddar shredded cheese. And although I doubled the recipe I could only manage to eat one and my hubby could only manage 2! This recipe will DEFINITELY be a repeat in our house! Thanks to Pillsbury.com for the recipe and picture which can be found here.

HAM AND CHEESE MELTS
From Pillsbury.com

INGREDIENTS:

1 can (16.3 oz) refrigerated biscuits (any variety)
8 slices American cheese
8 oz thinly sliced deli ham
1 egg
1 teaspoon water

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Press 4 biscuits into 5-inch rounds on ungreased large cookie sheet. Top each with 2 slices cheese and 2 ounces ham.
• Press remaining 4 biscuits into 6-inch rounds; place over ham. Press edges with fork to seal. Beat egg and water with fork; brush over biscuits.
• Bake 13 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cut each in half. Serve warm.