Water Chestnut Dip

Does everyone already have this dip from your mom? I am just copying and pasting, so I'm adding it.


1 C sour cream
1 C Mayo
2 tsp beef boullion
½ tsp worchestershire sauce
¼ tsp garlic powder
2 T green onion
1 can water chestnuts chopped

Hamburger Hot Pot

I don't know if this qualifies to be on here, but my kids love it, it's pretty basic meat and potatoes.

1 1/2 lb ground beef
6 med. Potoes, peeled and sliced
¼ tsp garlic powder
3 med onions sliced
1 tsp salt
1 can mushroom soup
¼ tsp pepper
½ cup water
(I add a layer of carrots and sometimes some mushrooms)

Brown ground beef and add seasonings to the meat. Stir together soup and the liquid you are using. In crock pot layer 1/2 potatoes, 1/2 carrots, 1/2 onions, all of the beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, then liquid.

I usually add milk instead of water and a little sour cream. I also sprinkle on paprika and seasoning salt. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low 6ish maybe. My crock pot cooks really hot, so yours might take longer.

Artichoke chicken with capers

4 chicken breasts
1/3 -1/2 cup half and half
Seasoned flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp butter
1 or more tbsp of capers
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 cup chicken broth + 1/4 cup white grape juice
Salt and pepper

1. Pound chicken until very flattened. Dredge in milk and coat with seasoned flour.
2. Heat olive oil in saucepan. Add garlic and cook till tender. Add chicken and sauté in hot oil on one side until browner. Turn chicken and sauté for two minutes.
3. Add capers, artichoke hearts, chicken broth, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cook ingredients until mixture is reduced half, then cover until chicken is no longer pink in the middle. (add half and half to make yummier)
5. Serve over pasta with freshly steamed vegetables.

This recipe originally called for wine, my mom made the adjustment with the white grape juice and chicken broth. I like it saucier than this recipe, so I sometimes double the sauce ingredients.

Apple syrup (we use with aebleskivers)

1 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 pint apple juice
Splash of lemon
1/2 cup butter

Combine all ingredients then heat over medium heat until desired thickness. Serve warm.

Aebleskivers (Recipe I use)

2 eggs separated
2 cup low fat buttermilk
2 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp grd. Cardamom
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup butter, melted

Beat the 2 egg whites in bowl until stiff, but not dry. Combine 2 egg yolks, buttermilk, flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt, cardamom, vanilla, and melted butter in bowl and mix until smooth. Fold in egg whites.

Pour about 3/4 tsp oil into each round of an aebelskiver pan and heat over low heat. Add heaping tbsp of batter. When bubbly around edges, turn each round upside down with chopsticks, a fork, or a skewer. Continue cooking, turning frequently, until golden and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

(I have never used cardamom, I have sprinkled some cinnamon or nutmeg in to replace it, don't know if it makes a difference)

Sweet Garlic Chicken

Here's yet another way to dress up your chicken, brought to you by Kelli (found on pinterest, linked to here).

I would say use the following amount for every two chicken breasts. It says four, but I say two:

3 T olive oil
4 garlic cloves minced
4 T brown sugar
sprinkle of salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil, add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds, remove from heat, add the brown sugar.
Rub the concoction on the chicken breast. Cook in the oven at 450 for 20-30 mins.

I suggest cutting your chicken breasts in two, or pounding them down or something. I just don't like giant thick breasts because they don't get coated in the flavor, you know?

This is super easy for nights you just decide last minute what you're having. I served mine with baked potatoes (and probably some other colorful veggie would be good too...like fresh green beans...but I didn't have anything like that so give me a break).
Both my kids loved it. Of course - it's covered in brown sugar!

Asian BBQ Chicken

Here's a really good marinade if you're looking to dress up some chicken for dinner.
I cooked mine on the Foreman grill.

Asian BBQ Chicken

Roasted Cauliflower and aged white cheddar soup

This is one I found on pinterest.  I really liked it.  Light, yet filling.

 A creamy white cheddar cauliflower soup with a hint of thyme
Ingredients

• 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 tablespoons oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups aged white cheddar, shredded (I used whatever the heck cheese I had in my fridge)
• 1 cup milk or cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Toss the cauliflower florets in the oil along with the salt and pepper and arrange them in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
2. Roast the cauliflower in a preheated 400F oven until lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
4. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
6. Add the broth and cauliflower, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
7. Puree the soup until it reaches your desired consistency with a stick blender.
8. Mix in the cheese, let it melt and season with salt and pepper.
9. Mix in the milk and remove from heat.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes

Number of servings (yield): 4

From closetcooking.com

Mom's Red Potatoes and Peas

Boil and drain about 4-5 small/medium red potatoes

In a saucepan, make a rue -
3 T butter
add 2 T flour - let it cook in the butter for a minute or so
1 C milk
stir until thickened
salt and pepper to taste

Combine sauce and potatoes and add frozen peas

Remember this recipe? A favorite around red potato harvest season.

Spinach Bow Tie Pasta Salad

Dressing:
3/4 c. oil
1/3 c. rice vinegar
1/3 c. cider vinegar (I usually use white)
1/2 c. teriyaki sauce
6 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a blender (or not).

16 oz. bow tie pasta cooked
4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 1/2 bags fresh spinach
1 6 oz bag craisins
3 cans mandarin oranges, drained
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/4 c. toasted sesame seeds
6 oz. honey roasted peanuts (I leave this out, not a fan of nuts in salads)
1/2 c. freshly chopped parsley (sometimes this doesn't make it into the salad either)

Pour dressing over cooked pasta and diced chicken at least 2 hours before serving.  Combine all other ingredients in a giant salad bowl.  Add pasta, chicken and dressing just before serving.  Garnish with fresh shredded Parmesan cheese. 

Great as a one dish meal or potluck.

Yummy Blueberry Muffins

2 cups flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 large egg

1 cup sugar

4 tbsp. melted butter (cooled)

1 1/4 cups sour cream

1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries

Topping:

4 tbsp. melted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add frozen berries to these dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk egg and sugar together. Add melted butter a little at a time. Add sour cream to combine.

Add sour cream mixture to dry ingredients. Mix for 25 to 30 seconds. The batter will be really thick.

Use a big scoop and cooking sprayed muffin tin. Cook until light brown. (20-25 mins) 

Let cool for 5 minutes and dip in butter then dry topping.

postpartum meals anyone?

I'm always trying to think of the perfect meal to take to a friend who has just had a baby or whatever.  (yep, lots of babies born in my ward)

What is your go-to meal for this???

Lately I've been doing creamy chicken taquitos, green salad with creamy cilantro dressing, and black beans from a can.

Mexican-style corn on the cob

This is a great recipe for having corn on the cob as a meal.


Step by step instructions:

1. Spread a thin layer of mayo on cooked corn.

2. Roll mayo covered corn in cotija cheese (or Kelli, you could use queso fresco but cotija is saltier, or Mary - parm). I used to just spoon it on the corn, but rolling it in it covers it better. I just crumble the cheese onto a plate for rolling.

3. Squeeze some fresh lime juice on the corn.

4. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper (or hot sauce).

 And devour.


Andy ate this every day on his mission. Took me a few years to believe that it was good. And it's delicious! On our honeymoon, the corn street vendor guy just rubbed a sliced of lime on the corn as the first step. I used to do this, but the lime juice would make it hard for the mayo to stick, so I just squeeze it on later.

creamy lime cilantro dressing

Here is a dressing that is much easier and faster than the recipe I have for Cafe Rio dressing. It doesn't taste quite as much like Cafe Rio, but easier than messing with fresh tomatillos and stuff. I made it for a salad to have with these beef tacos the other day, and quickly learned that I could put the meat, tortilla, salad, and dressing together to have a complete Cafe Rio style salad. It was yummy. (btw, that meat is good for lots of meals ... tacos, salads, nachos, etc)

Creamy Lime-Cilantro Ranch Dressing
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1 pack (1oz) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
ignore directions on the packet
1C mayo
1/2 C milk
1 lime
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 C green salsa
hot sauce

This is tough folks. Place milk, mayo, and ranch mix in a blender. Juice the lime in there too, you should get about 2T juice. Toss in the garlic, cilantro and green salsa. Blend ‘er up. Sample it and add hot sauce to taste. Make it several hours ahead of time to allow it to thicken.

chocolate chip cookies

So, here is the made-famous-by-Instagram chocolate chip cookies from my friend. I've tried making them before and they NEVER turn out like her's. She tells me to have room temp butter and make sure the dough is cold (put it in the fridge) before baking. Doesn't work for me. But here it is if you wanna give it a try. I always make Kim's recipe from the family cookbook. PS - this friend of mine is from St. George and went to high school with Jimi ... and had a crush on him. lol. Small world.

 

 

 

2 1/4 c. flour

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 egg

1 c. softened / room temperature butter (not margarine)

chocolate chips (I never measure)

 

Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  You might want to write on the recipe that dough should be refrigerated before baking.  Each batch makes 24 cookies that are pretty good size.  Not too small, not too big.

 

go to dinner

just curious what your favorite go to meal is on a night you don't feel like cooking or are busy running kids around or going to mutual or other things like that.

Mine is usually homemade mac and cheese.  It;s not my favorite, but the kids love it and i usually roast lots of veggies or have a tossed salad and some fruit to go with it. 

Disappearing zucchini orzo

I came upon this recipe in this month's facebookclub book, Animal Vegetable Miracle

Disappearing Zucchini Orzo

¾ lb pkg orzo pasta

(multicolored is fun)
Bring 6 cups water or chicken stock to a boil and add pasta. Cook 8 to 12 minutes

1 chopped onion

garlic to taste

3 large zucchini

olive oil for sauté

Use a cheese grater or mandoline to shred zucchini, sauté briefly with chopped onion and garlic until lightly golden.

thyme

oregano

¼ cup grated parmesan or any hard

yellow cheese

Add spices to zucchini mixture, stir thoroughly, and then remove mixture from heat.
Combine with cheese and cooked orzo, salt to taste, serve cool or at room temperature.

I thought it was a great light pasta.  Super fast too, it might be a new easy go to recipe on busy nights.  The kids liked it too.  I don't worry too much whether we have protein at every meal, but I think this would be really good with chicken in it.  I did add a tablespoon or so of extra virgin olive oil to the salad at the end.  We had ours with strawberries and roasted broccoli (lots of it, because I could eat one batch myself, I always omit the garlic on it).   Shame on me, I didn't grow the zucchini myself, nor did I make my own cheese.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

This is no original/earth shattering recipe, but since they were so good, I thought that by posting it here, you will be inspired and encouraged to try it :). We had these for Reese's birthday dinner.

I bought sweet potatoes thinking we would have them mashed with dinner, but just the thought of my stove/oven being on made me sweat. Since we were grilling everything else, I decided to try grilling these. It's my new favorite way to have sweet taters.

I just searched for a recipe and found one to help me out here. But here's mine because I didn't have all the spices it called for. I baked them instead of boil them to "parboil" them. I'm sure they would be good with just s&p too.

Here's what I did:

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

3 medium sweet potatoes (or however many you want)

1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp brown sugar
2 T apple cider vinegar
1/4 c evoo

Start by slightly cooking sweet potatoes in the oven (ya, ya ... I defeated the purpose of grilling them to avoid using the stove, but it wasn't on for long so it was ok). I cut a "slit" in the middle of each potato to help with even cooking/softening. Place sweet potatoes in 400* oven. Cook until potato is softened, but not cooked the whole way through ... I honestly have no idea how long this took b/c I was busy doing other things. Maybe 15 min??

While potatoes are in the oven, mix the salt, spices, sugar, vinegar, and oil together in a small bowl.

Once the potatoes are softened, remove from oven. Peel potatoes and cut in 1/4 in slices. Brush both sides with spice mixture.

Grill until cooked through and have pretty grill marks.

Devour.

Jimi's Chewy Cinnamon Granola

This is Jimi's recipe he invented after lots of tweaking and trial/error. It is my favorite! I love the consistency - it really is chewy and stays chewy for days (if it lasts that long). It's also a good mix of healthy stuff and stuff that makes it delicious. Ok, it tips the scale toward dessert...but you can tweak it to be more "healthy" if you are a weirdo.

In a large bowl combine:
2 1/2 cups oatmeal
2 1/2 cups chopped almonds and walnuts (we like a lot, but you can put in how much/little you like)
1/2 cup ground flax seed

In a saucepan on the stove, stir together on medium heat until well mixed and smooth. DON'T BOIL:
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup honey
1 t vanilla
2 T cinnamon (lots!)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 t salt

Pour sauce over oatmeal concoction in the large bowl. Mix really well using elbow grease.

Now here is the trick of the century:
Add 2 egg whites to mix. They don't need to be whipped, just ooze them over the large bowl of goodness and mix it all together. They help the granola bind together and adds to the chewy factor (we think).

Prepare a cookie sheet lined with tin foil. Spread the mixture evenly, but don't break up the clusters too much.

Heat oven to 275, cook 20 mins, stir, then cook for another 15 mins.

Sweet Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Ingredients:

2 pound boneless pork loin roast, trimmed of large fat pockets
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, finely minced or crushed
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub the spices all over the roast. Sear each side of the roast in a hot dutch oven with oil in it. Place the pork roast in the dutch oven and pour in the 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook at 300 for 2-3 hours. Near the end of the cooking time for the roast, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce and let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens.

Remove the pork from the Dutch oven, shred and place on a platter or plate. Drizzle the glaze over the pork and serve.

The original recipe said to stick it in the crock pot for 6hours. You could do that but I think crock pot stuff gets a little sad and mushy. That's why I did it like this. It turned out really good.

Found the original recipe here:
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/09/sweet-balsamic-glazed-pork-loin-slow-cooker.html

Roasted Asparagus and Mushroom Pasta in Lemon-Cream Sauce

I haven't actually tried this, it just popped up in my google reader feed this morning, but it sounds good and I want to keep it queued for a later meal. And since we have been talking roasted asparagus, I thought it was timely. Perhaps Robbie and dad might give it another try (ha ha ha).

Recipe by Our Best Bites
1 lb. asparagus, tough ends snapped off
3-4 cups whole mushrooms, thickly sliced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 cup strained lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon Creole or coarse-grain mustard
8 ounces uncooked linguine
1 recipe Guiltless Alfredo Sauce
Optional: Grilled chicken breast or sauteed shrimp

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine trimmed asparagus and sliced mushrooms. Zest the lemons (enough to get 1 tablespoon of zest) and set the zest aside.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and mustard. Drizzle over the veggies and toss to combine. Spread the veggies out onto the prepared baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until the asparagus is tender but not mushy. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5-10 minutes.
While the veggies are roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and, when the water is ready, cook pasta al dente. Prepare the Alfredo sauce. After you’ve added the cheese, add the reserved lemon zest to the sauce. When the asparagus and mushrooms are done roasting, you can either portion out the pasta, veggies, and sauce into individual servings or toss it all together. Serves 6-8.

This Cheese Will Change Your Life

I think I was watching Ina Garten on the Food Network, when she showed how to do this. It has totally changed my idea about Parmesan Cheese, and Italian food. I. Love. It.

I buy the huge block of Parmesan at Costco for around $15. It comes in a big wedge. 

Then I just cut the entire thing into small cubes-about 1/2" or smaller.

Then I grind it in my food processor. Only put a few in at first, because they kind of rattle around in there. It's super loud. But so worth it. Keep adding and process it in small batches.

Tons of cheese for $15! I store mine in a gallon Zip-loc in the freezer, and just take it out when I need it. No need to defrost. You will definitely taste the difference in this cheese! Do yourself a favor and don't touch that powdery stuff in the green container. You'll thank me. 

PS-This is a great alfredo recipe. Super easy. Its one of my go-to quick dinners.

Easter Dinner

I made this yesterday for Easter. Oh Man! It was really, really good. And actually really easy too .. I thought it was going to be more difficult. We also had roasted asparagus and homemade rolls (my first time ever making rolls and they turned out!)


Chicken Cordon Bleu 
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:
25 Ritz crackers (I used whole wheat crackers and loved the extra nuttiness)
4 slices hearty sandwich bread, white or wheat (again, used homemade wheat bread and it was hearty and delicious) ... I just used leftover hamburger buns from our bbq the previous night.
6 tablespoons butter, melted
8 thin slices deli ham (about 8 ounces)
2 cups shredded swiss cheese
4 thick boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total), see note
Salt and pepper
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Pulse the crackers and bread in a food processor until they are coarsely ground. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse to incorporate together. Transfer the crumbs to a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the crumbs are lightly browned. Transfer the crumbs to a shallow baking dish (a pie plate works great!). Leave the oven on.
Top each ham slice with about 1/4 cup shredded cheese. If your ham slices are too small, shingle two ham slices on top of each other to create a larger slice and roll the cheese up in that. Roll tightly and set aside. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Following the pictures below, cut a pocket in the thickest part of the chicken breast and stuff each pocket with 2 ham/cheese rolls. Pull the top flap of chicken over the rolls and press to seal (you can use a toothpick to gently secure the pocket edge, if you like). Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the stuffed chicken, covered, for at least 20 minutes.
In another shallow dish or pie plate, beat the eggs and mustard. Place the flour in a third shallow dish. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Working with one stuffed chicken breast at a time, coat the chicken lightly with flour and then dip in the egg mixture, covering both sides. Dredge the chicken in the toasted bread crumbs, pressing lightly to help the crumbs stick to the chicken. (The breaded chicken can be refrigerated covered for up to 1 day.)
Transfer the chicken to a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the lowest rack of the oven until the bottom of the chicken is browned, about 10 minutes. Move the chicken to a middle rack in the oven, reduce the temperature to 400 (you don’t have to leave the chicken out of the oven while the temperature adjusts, just put it back in the oven and then reduce the temperature), and bake until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through (160 degrees on an thermometer), about 25-30 minutes. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Shepherd's Pie

This is delicious. I pretended I was back at the "3 Broomsticks" while eating it.

recipe found at Our Best Bites

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, minced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1-lb. bag frozen vegetables (I used peas and carrots) (I used fresh carrots and boiled them with the potatos, and frozen peas)1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
pinch of dried thyme
10 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 ounces V8 juice
1 14.5-ounce can beef broth
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 cups mashed potatoes (I used this tutorial with russet potatoes and buttermilk)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions:
In a large saucepan of skillet, brown ground beef with onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is browned and the onions and garlic are tender and fragrant. Add the frozen veggies and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the moisture has evaporated. Add seasoned salt, parsley, thyme, and Tabasco and stir until combined. Add the flour and stir until completely coated.
Add the vinegar, V8 juice, and beef broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thickened (about 15 minutes).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
While the beef mixture is simmering, prepare the potatoes according to your preference. Add the Parmesan and sharp cheddar cheeses. Spoon into a gallon-sized heavy-duty Ziploc bag and set aside.
When the beef mixture is done simmering, season to taste and then ladle the beef mixture into 8-ounce canning jars placed on a baking sheet. Cut the corner off the Ziploc bag and pipe onto the beef mixture. Place in oven for 15 minutes and bake until lightly browned on top. Serves 6.

Cajun Chicken Pasta on the Lighter Side

I like this website because she gives you all the nutritional/caloric details of her meals.
I loved this dish. I would be heavier on the seasonings, lighter on the spicy-heat (for the kids' sake).
(this copy/paste came with all the pictures...so whatever)


Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 5 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 323.8 • Fat: 6.2 g • Protein: 25.9 g • Carb: 44.1 g • Fiber: 6.3 g • Sugar: 3.2 g
Sodium: 126.5 mg (without salt)


Ingredients:

• 8 ounces uncooked linguine (I used Dreamfields)
• 1 pound chicken breast strips
• 1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp light cream cheese
• fresh cracked pepper
• 2 scallions, chopped
• salt to taste
• Smart Balance cooking spray

Directions:

Prep all your vegetables. In a small blender make a slurry by combining milk, flour and cream cheese. Set aside. Season chicken generously with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder and salt.

Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions.

Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; spray with cooking spray and add half of the chicken. Sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until done, set aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. Set aside.

Add olive oil to the skillet and reduce to medium; add bell peppers, onions, and garlic to skillet, sauté 3-4 minutes.

Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté 3-4 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

Reduce heat to medium-low; add chicken broth and pour in slurry stirring about 2 minutes.

Return chicken to skillet; adjust salt and Cajun seasoning to taste, cook another minute or two until hot, then add linguine; toss well to coat. Top with chopped scallions and enjoy!


recipe found here

Mom's Homemade Granola

This is really good on yogurt, and would probably be excellent with milk (Kelli).  It's considered healthy, so it's not very sweet, but you can definitely add more sweet if you prefer it that way.  I like to add a little vanilla too.

Granola
4 1/2 c old fashioned oatmeal
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c maple syrup
1/4 c brown sugar
2 TBS flaxseed meal
as much as you want of the following
sunflower seeds
walnuts
pecans
sliced almonds
Mix everything together and spread out on a foil covered cookie sheet. Bake 25-35 minutes at 350, stirring 3 times.  You can add more or less brown sugar, however you like it.

this really, really good roast beef sandwich

we had these at our friends' house yesterday after sledding. MAKE THEM. NOW. i hope the instructions are clear. i wish i had a picture of them to show you. i thought they would be a kind of soggy sandwich, but once they are out of the oven, they are crunchy-ish on the outside and melty-cheesy on the inside. and that sauce you put on them -- crazy good.

You will need good, fresh hoagie rolls (or any roll), thinly sliced roast beef (i think my friend had meat from Costco .. that you get by all the other sliced meats and cheeses. I suppose you could use left over meat too), and swiss cheese.

Sauce:
1cup melted butter
4T Worcestershire Sauce
1t garlic pepper (yes, PEPPER. no, no garlic salt. PEPPER.)
1T poppy seeds
1T sesame seeds

Assemble the sandwiches on a baking sheet like so: bottom half of roll, some roast beef, slice of swiss cheese, top half of roll. My friend cut the rolls in half ... easier to eat and get more of the sauce on them. If they are smaller rolls, don't cut in half.

Pour sauce over the sandwiches: do a few spoonfuls over each sandwich. It will run over the sides and pool on the baking sheet, but that's ok. This amount of sauce was good for about 8 whole hoagies (so, 16 halves). Cover with tinfoil (wrap it around the edges of pan) and cook at 350 for 1/2 hour. You may need to double the sauce depending on the number of sandwiches you make.

Calling All Breakfasts

What do you gals eat for breakfast?

Lately I've been eating:

1/2 cup raw old fashioned oatmeal (I like it chewy and raw...not cooked and slimy)
1/2 cup fresh blueberries (or strawberries or raspberries, but blubes are my favorite and most low maintenance)
1/2 cup milk
sprinkle of sugar
(measurements are approximate)

It's like a healthy blueberry shortcake.

Some yummy recipes I've tried lately...

(sorry, I'm not giving each its own post)

Roasted Chickpeas  (here from Our Best Bites)
These remind me of corn nuts ... except way healthier and cheaper. Sammy and I gobbled them all down. Yummy snack.

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can chickpeas
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain and rinse chickpeas and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the spices and the olive oil. Toss the chickpeas in the spice mixture and spread the seasoned chickpeas over a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes and then remove the pan from the oven. Use a spatula to toss the chickpeas, then replace the pan and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until browned (but not burned) and crispy. Allow to cool. Snack away.

Bruschetta  (here from Pioneer Woman)
Entirely, completely delicious. Made it for Valentine's day as an appetizer (I know, so fancy) while I cooked the rest of the meal. The tomato mixture is good by itself, but once it's on the buttery baguette, HOLY MOLY! I loved it. I cooked the bread on a my grill pan. I so felt like Giada ... and was saying bruschetta with her Italian accent. I don't totally love fresh basil, so I went a little easy on it.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 5 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
• 1 pint Red Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise
• 1 pint Yellow Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise
• 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 16 whole Basil Leaves (chiffonade)
• Salt And Pepper To Taste (don't Oversalt!)
• 1 whole Baguette
• 8 Tablespoons Butter

Preparation Instructions

In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir, lightly frying for about a minute, removing before the garlic gets too brown (it can be golden.) Pour into a mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly.
Add tomatoes, balsamic, basil, and salt and pepper to the bowl. Toss to combine, then taste and add more basil if needed, and more salt if needed (don't oversalt, though!) Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two if you have the time.
Cut the baguette into diagonal slices to allow for the most surface area possible. Melt half the butter in a large skillet and grill half the bread on both sides, making sure they're nice and buttery. Cook till golden brown on both sides. Repeat with the other half of the butter and the other half of the bread.
To serve, give the tomato mixture a final stir, the spoon generously over the slices of bread. Serve on a big platter as a first course or appetizer.

Chicken Salad (here on Cheeky Kitchen)
I gotta say, this is hands down my new favorite chicken salad. I saw a few people had this posted on Pinterest (no I don't have an account, but I like to snoop around once a month) and it looked so pretty, so I had to try it. I was skeptical since there isn't much to the salad, but no, no. It's delicious. I love that it's not super mayo-y/creamy. And eating it in an avocado --- little difficult and awkward, but the av is soooo good with it. Yum. I made this in like 2 seconds. Really easy. Oh my gosh, I'm still drooling over this. AND I added some sliced almonds instead of corn chips.

But hold on before you go make it --- it makes hardly any, so either make it for 2 people or double the recipe (or triple). 

Ingredients:

1 cup chicken breast, cooked and shredded
¼ cup corn
¼ cup black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup green onions, chopped
¼ cup tomatoes, diced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
¼ cup corn chips, crushed
2 tablespoons white vinegar
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
Salt to taste
2-4 avocados, sliced in half with pits discarded

Directions:

In a medium bowl, toss the chicken breast, corn, black beans, green onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and corn chips together. Add the vinegar and mayonnaise to mixture and toss to coat. Salt to taste. Spoon salad into halved avocados. Serve immediately with a spoon and fork. Enjoy!

 

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1 stalk celery, finely chopped (feel free to add more celery if you like celery; I don't, so I don't add much)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
4 cups chicken broth (I usually use a mixture of low-sodium chicken broth and broth made with chicken soup base because it gives it such nice flavor) well, i used chicken bullion. that's what sharley did, and i like the flavors it brought
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup milk
2 cups chopped broccoli
2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese (use velveeta for smoother cheesiness)
and i also added some shredded chicken.

Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes. Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender. Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened. Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through. Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

Sharley also made this and it was good. It's like broccoli and cheese soup except lots more veggies and less cheese.

Recipe found here.

Roasted Broccoli

2 bunches broccoli
olive oil
salt n pepper
4 garlic cloves minced
1 lemon
parmesan cheese

Take 4 to 5 pounds of broccoli (I just got two large bunches), cut into florets (but relatively big ones.)

Here’s the key that she doesn’t mention in the recipe: dry them THOROUGHLY. That is, if you wash them. I saw an episode of Julia Child cooking with Jacques Pepin once when Pepin revealed he doesn’t wash a chicken before putting it in a hot oven: “The heat kills all the germs,” he said in his French accent. “If bacteria could survive that oven, it deserves to kill me.” By that logic, then, I didn’t wash my broccoli; I wanted it to get crispy and brown. If you’re nervous, though, just wash and dry it obsessively.

Now, it’s easy. Put the broccoli on a cookie sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. (She says 5 Tbs olive oil, 1 1/2 tsps kosher salt, 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper, but I just eyeballed it.) Now add 4 garlic cloves that are peeled and sliced and toss them in too.

Roast in the oven 425* for 20 to 25 minutes, until “crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.”
I shook the pan around a bit as it went, but not sure that’s necessary.

When it’s done, take it out of the oven–and here’s where it gets really good–zest a lemon over the broccoli, squeeze the lemon juice over the broccoli, add 1.5 Tbs more olive oil, 3 Tbs toasted pine nuts (I left those out), and 1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. She also has you add 2 Tbs julienned fresh basil, but I left that out too.

recipe found here.

Sharley made this as a side for dinner, and I can't really remember what the main dish was...

Yummy Meat Soup

This is Kim's recipe (where did you get it Kim?). Its real name is "Hungarian Sausage Soup" but either way, it is delish. I made it tonight for dinner, as per Rob's request. You can't skip out on the caraway. It's what makes the flavor. We added a bit of red pepper flakes to our bowls to kick it up a notch. Oh, and I added extra yummy meat.


Ingredients:

• 3 Chicken bullion cubes
• 8 oz. Kielbasa (sausage)
• 5 C. Water
• 1 pt. Canned tomatoes
• 1 C. Onion
• 1 C. Carrot
• 2 C. Potatoes (or substitute one can of rinsed Cannellini beans)
• 4 C. Shredded Cabbage
• 1 tsp. Caraway seeds
• ¼ tsp. Pepper
• 1 TBS Paprika
• 1 tsp. Salt
• Sour Cream

Directions:

Bring water bullion, onion, paprika, and caraway to a boil. Add carrots and potatoes. Simmer till veggies are tender. Stir in cabbage, Kielbasa and tomatoes. Cook for 10 minutes. Ladle in bowl and stir in a dollop of sour cream.

Garlic Parmesan Cauliflower

I recently bought a head of cauliflower, but didn't really know what to do with it. Then today Our Best Bites posted this recipe!  
I've heard cauliflower is super good for you too.

Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Cauliflower
Recipe by ourbestbites.com
Ingredients
3-4 tbs olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 head cauliflower
kosher salt and pepper
2-3 tablespoons crumbled Parmesan cheese (stuff in a green can a-okay!)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place olive oil and garlic in a small bowl. Heat in microwave for about 20 seconds and set aside.
Remove stem and leaves from cauliflower head and trim into large florets. Slice each floret into 1/4 inch slices and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and garlic mixture and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Use clean hands to toss to coat. Add more olive oil if needed. Bake for 15 minutes and then toss with spatula. Bake 10 more and then toss with Parmesan cheese. Continue baking for 5-10 minutes until slightly golden brown on edges.

Best Pancakes EVER

This is hands down the best pancake recipe I've ever made. It wasn't necessarily the blueberry lemon flavor (which yes, is totally good), but just the pancake itself. So good. I've never felt like I figured pancakes out until now. Mine were always sub par, brick-ish ... and I don't overmix. They just never turned out perfectly. AND I got to use fresh lemons from my tree :). Oh, and I didn't have cake flour, so I used AP flour. Still totally soft and good. Can't wait to make them with sliced bananas (my fave way to make pancakes).

Sammy kept calling them "cupcakes" when we were making 'em. Sorry darling, you are going to be disappointed if you think we are making cake.

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes (Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cup Cake Flour
• 1 Tablespoon (additional) Cake Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Baking Powder
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1-1/2 cup Evaporated Milk (more If Needed)
• 1 whole Lemon (more If Needed)
• 1 whole Large Egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• Zest From 1 Lemon
• 1 cup Heaping Blueberries
• Extra Butter
• Maple Or Pancake Syrup

Preparation Instructions

Heat heavy skillet or grill over medium low heat.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix evaporated milk, juice of 1 lemon (more if lemon isn't very juicy), and lemon zest. Allow to sit for five minutes, then add egg, vanilla, and melted butter. Mix to combine.
Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients. Stir gently to combine. Splash in more evaporated milk if mixture is overly thick. Stir in blueberries. Again, check to make sure mixture isn't overly thick.
Melt butter in heated skillet. Drop batter by 1/4 cup measures and fry pancakes on both sides until golden.
Serve with softened butter and warm syrup.

Corn Salsa

This is yummy!

1 can of corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
2 chopped tomatoes
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onion, chopped
1 envelope Italian dressing (made according to pkg directions)
2 avocados, chopped

Mix all ingredients except avocados.  Add avocados just before serving.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Sweet twist on crusty dutch oven bread

I made this while I was in Fallon at new years, here's the recipe:  Make the dough as the recipe calls.  Crusty Dutch Oven Bread  sprinkle a handful of pecans and a handfull of white chocolate chips on the dough before you fold it 3 times to rise making sure the nuts and chocolate chips are tucking inside the dough so they don't burn in the oven.  After cooling a little  cut bread and spread with salted chocolate butter.

Salted Chocolate Butter

1 cube unsalted butter (normally I ignore the unsalted part of a reciped calling for butter, but  you're       supposed to salt this yourself with course salt)
1 1/2 TBS powdered sugar
1 TBS cocoa
1/4 tsp course salt
handfull of chocolate chunks

Mix first 4 ingredients with mixer, (it's supposed to be kinda salty so taste to see if it needs more).  Mix in chocolate chunks and spread over bread

Mom's Beef Stew

I'm sure you all have this recipe (the old ward cookbook), but it's definitely Eat or Die worthy.  I made this for Sunday dinner yesterday and it tasted better today.

2 lbs cubed beef
1 1/2 c. onion
Brown cubed beef and add onion.
Add:
1 1/2 c. canned tomatoes
3 TBS tapioca
1 1/2 c. beef broth
1 clove garlic
1 TBS parsley
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp peppers
6 medium carrots
3 large potatoes
1/2 c. celery

bake 350* for at least 2 hours... Or brown meat for a few minutes then dump everything into a crockpot and cook all day.

The Best Cornbread

I found the recipe here. I tweaked it a little, but it's so good. The honey butter is delish too, but it makes tons! I would 1/2 or even 1/4 the recipe. I've undercooked this recipe so so many times, so make sure you bake it long enough. Just check it with a toothpick.

My Go-To Cornbread

Cornbread:
½ cup cornmeal
1 ½ cup flour
2/3 cup sugar (You could definitely do less if you want to)
1 tablespoon baking powder (I accidentally used soda once. bad news...)
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ cup milk

Honey Butter: (makes tons)
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

DIRECTIONS:
For the cornbread, add dry ingredients, make a well and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk into the center. Stir until just mixed (don't over mix!) (batter will be runny – don’t be alarmed!). Bake in an 8” square pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (I usually bake it for at least 40 minutes. Check it until a toothpick comes out clean). This doubles perfectly for a 9X13-inch pan.

For the honey butter, whip all together with an electric mixer and serve at room temperature (can be refrigerated and softened).

Sweet Heat Louisiana Chili

We had this recipe for dinner while Kel was in Fallon, so I thought I'd post it. This is my absolute favorite chili. It's got an interesting kick to it with the Balsamic Vinegar and the cajun seasoning. It calls for sun dried tomatoes but they're expensive and a lot of work so I always leave them out. It really makes a difference if you have the time to simmer this for 2 hours like it says. It's good without it, but much thicker and more like chili instead of soup if you do. Recipe source is here, of course.

Sweet Heat Louisiana Chili

1 medium onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
3 cloves of garlic, smashed or diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound of ground meat (I used ground beef)
1 quart of meat stock (I used beef but Brad and Cass used 1/2 chicken stock and 1/2 beef stock)
2 large cans (28 oz. each) of whole stewed tomatoes (I use 2 quarts of my home bottled tomatoes instead)
1 can of kidney red beans
1 can of black beans
2 cups sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
3 bay leaves
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp cayenne pepper (1/2 or less is good and mild for kids)
3 tsp creole or cajun seasoning blend
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I only put a little more than 1 tbl, but Rob likes the full amount)
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Over medium heat, saute first four ingredients (onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic) in 1 tbsp
of oil. Once the onions begin to sweat, add your choice of ground meat. Brown to perfection. (Drain fat)
When the meat is cooked, add the stock, bay leaves, dry mustard and cayenne. Simmer over
medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half. Rehydrate the sun-dried tomatoes and
dice. Puree the stewed tomatoes in a food processor or blender. Add to pot. Rinse the canned
beans in plenty of water, add to the pot along with brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt and the
cajun or creole seasoning. Mix well and simmer over low heat for two hours, stirring
occasionally. (fish out the bay leaves) Take off heat and allow to stand covered for five minutes. Serve and enjoy.