The crockpot ranch chicken was really good!! My chicken was fine after two hours on high instead of the four hours on low that was in the recipe. The sauce was REALLY tasty, too. My chicken breasts were, of course, on the dry side, but the sauce helped. Am I the only person that ALWAYS has chicken breasts come out dry when cooked in the crockpot? Please tell me I'm not...maybe there's a support group I could join.
I had wanted to have rice as a side dish, but I had three bags of different kinds of rice (white, brown, and brown basmati) which each had maybe 1/4 cup of rice in them, so I scrapped that idea since they'd all have different cooking times. Note to self, add rice to grocery list. I had half a box of bowtie pasta, so I made that instead. It worked, but I think the sauce would have been better on rice than the pasta.
This is definitely something I would--and will--make again. Thanks, Jen A., for a great recipe!!
I'll be back on Monday...I get the rest of the weekend off! Tonight we're heading to my aunt and uncle's for dinner, tomorrow night the husband and I have a wedding to attend.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Jen's Crockpot Creamy Ranch Chicken
Tonight's dinner is brought to you courtesy of my friend Jen A. I don't know if that's really the right way to word it...she sent me the recipe after they had it for dinner recently. I thought it sounded really good, and I didn't need to buy that many ingredients for it.
My dinner schedule got all wonky this week, and I almost missed out on making this because I got sucked in to Facebook this afternoon. I should back up. My friend Jen B. and I both got haircuts today. The boy and I went over to her house this morning, and I stayed with our crazy bobo boys while she went and got her hair cut, then she came and stayed with them while I went. Beautiful system really. By the time the boy and I got home it was after 1:00 (naptime), but he insisted he was still hungry, despite feasting on hot dog, mandarin oranges, and tortilla chips at Jen's. So I got him some more to eat, put him down for his nap, then played on Facebook. Really it wasn't that long--I swear!! I was also uploading pictures to the Walgreens website to get printed, so I needed something to do while I was waiting for that process. See? I can just about always justify my Facebook obsession. ;) Anyway, I remembered around 2:20 (done with Facebook at that point, getting ready to watch 90210 from this past Tuesday--while I worked on getting stuff ready to shred...see, I'm ALWAYS productive. Always.) that dinner was supposed to be via crockpot tonight and kind of panicked since I remembered reading it was an almost six hour recipe. Thankfully that was on low, so I just bumped the heat up to high. But now I'm getting ahead of myself.
Jen's Crockpot Creamy Ranch Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbs butter, melted
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz cream cheese, cubed
1/2 c chicken broth
1 (1oz)packet ranch dressing mix
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 dash paprika
1/8 tsp dry oregano
1/4 tsp dry parsley flakes
Wash and dry chicken breasts and place them evenly in crock pot. Sprinkle with paprika. Sprinkle ranch salad dressing mix over chicken. Drizzle chicken breasts with 1 tablespoons melted butter. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter with minced garlic and saute slightly. Add cream of chicken soup,cream cheese cubes, 1/2 c chicken broth, dried oregano and dried Parsley flakes. Stir on med til smooth. Add mixture to crock pot, cover again and continue to cook on low for 1 1/2-2 hours.
*****
When I took the lid off to add in the sauce, the chicken smelled really yummy. I was wishing I had a whisk clean to mix up the sauce, but both of mine were in the dishwasher. I also eyeballed the chicken broth because both of my liquid measuring cups were in the dishwasher as well. Can you tell I need to run my dishwasher?
I hope it turns out. I have trouble with chicken in the crockpot...it always comes out dry. My fingers are crossed either it doesn't this time or the sauce helps it seem more moist. Jen said it was good with egg noodles, but I'm going to make rice instead. I also need to check what frozen veggies are in my freezer to have along with it.
Oh, and like I said, I did the first step for two hours on high instead of four on low. I bumped it down to low when I added the sauce, but I figured I'd check the chicken after an hour to see how cooked it was, in case I needed to move it back up to high.
My dinner schedule got all wonky this week, and I almost missed out on making this because I got sucked in to Facebook this afternoon. I should back up. My friend Jen B. and I both got haircuts today. The boy and I went over to her house this morning, and I stayed with our crazy bobo boys while she went and got her hair cut, then she came and stayed with them while I went. Beautiful system really. By the time the boy and I got home it was after 1:00 (naptime), but he insisted he was still hungry, despite feasting on hot dog, mandarin oranges, and tortilla chips at Jen's. So I got him some more to eat, put him down for his nap, then played on Facebook. Really it wasn't that long--I swear!! I was also uploading pictures to the Walgreens website to get printed, so I needed something to do while I was waiting for that process. See? I can just about always justify my Facebook obsession. ;) Anyway, I remembered around 2:20 (done with Facebook at that point, getting ready to watch 90210 from this past Tuesday--while I worked on getting stuff ready to shred...see, I'm ALWAYS productive. Always.) that dinner was supposed to be via crockpot tonight and kind of panicked since I remembered reading it was an almost six hour recipe. Thankfully that was on low, so I just bumped the heat up to high. But now I'm getting ahead of myself.
Jen's Crockpot Creamy Ranch Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbs butter, melted
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz cream cheese, cubed
1/2 c chicken broth
1 (1oz)packet ranch dressing mix
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 dash paprika
1/8 tsp dry oregano
1/4 tsp dry parsley flakes
Wash and dry chicken breasts and place them evenly in crock pot. Sprinkle with paprika. Sprinkle ranch salad dressing mix over chicken. Drizzle chicken breasts with 1 tablespoons melted butter. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter with minced garlic and saute slightly. Add cream of chicken soup,cream cheese cubes, 1/2 c chicken broth, dried oregano and dried Parsley flakes. Stir on med til smooth. Add mixture to crock pot, cover again and continue to cook on low for 1 1/2-2 hours.
*****
When I took the lid off to add in the sauce, the chicken smelled really yummy. I was wishing I had a whisk clean to mix up the sauce, but both of mine were in the dishwasher. I also eyeballed the chicken broth because both of my liquid measuring cups were in the dishwasher as well. Can you tell I need to run my dishwasher?
I hope it turns out. I have trouble with chicken in the crockpot...it always comes out dry. My fingers are crossed either it doesn't this time or the sauce helps it seem more moist. Jen said it was good with egg noodles, but I'm going to make rice instead. I also need to check what frozen veggies are in my freezer to have along with it.
Oh, and like I said, I did the first step for two hours on high instead of four on low. I bumped it down to low when I added the sauce, but I figured I'd check the chicken after an hour to see how cooked it was, in case I needed to move it back up to high.
Review
The mac and cheese was really yummy--definitely better than the last time I'd made it. I think next time I might use small curd cottage cheese (I think such a thing exists anyway), but that was the only change. I liked the breadcrumbs on top, too. I didn't have quite enough cheese to do a layer on top...oh well. I actually added in some shredded mozzarella because I thought it was a bit shy on cheese. Oh, and I'd recommend mixing up everything BUT the macaroni, and then adding in the cooked macaroni and combining it that way.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Macaroni and Cheese
I know we just had mac and cheese the other night, but that was from the box and this is the real deal. Plus my other dinner choices were limited, so it was this or...this. I haven't made this recipe in a long time, so I'm excited to have it again. This is one of the cookbooks displayed in my kitchen that I rarely use. The husband actually pulled it down the other day, held it up to me, and said, "When are we having THIS?" (the recipe is on the cover.) Actually that was my main reason for buying the cookbook in the first place. Wanna see it?
Pretty enticing, huh? I'm super excited for it. I could eat mac and cheese every night of the week and twice on Sunday. I've never understood the "twice on Sunday" saying, but it fit. When I was little I HATED homemade mac and cheese, I only liked the stuff from the box. I don't know when it was that changed, but my age was definitely double digits, and I may have been a proud college graduate. Now I'll eat any kind. My mother-in-law makes fantastic mac and cheese, so that's the one I usually make, but since the husband specifically asked for this one, that's what we're having.
Macaroni and Cheese
4 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 8 ounces uncooked), cooked without salt or fat
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
3/4 cup fat free sour cream
1/2 cup fat free milk
2 Tbsp grated onion
1-1/2 tsp reduced fat stick margarine, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1/4 cup fresh or dry breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp reduced calorie stick margarine, melted
1/4 tsp paprika
Preheat oven to 350. Combine first 10 ingredients (through egg); stir well. Spon into a shallow 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray.
Combine breadcrumbs, 1 Tbsp margarine, and paprika; stir well. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over casserole. Cover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover casserole and bake an additional 5 minutes or until breadcrumbs are browned.
*****
Normally when I make it I put more cheese on top instead of the breadcrumbs, but I remember that the last time I made it, I didn't dig that. I may put some cheese on top and then the breadcrumbs on top of that.
I have Moms Night Out tonight with my MOMS Club, and we're having a potluck and game night, so I'm going to keep my mac and cheese indulging in check...or try to at least. I made Tres Leches Cake to take to it. Everytime there's been some kind of food event, whether it be Bunco or some MOMS Club function, my friend Kimberly pesters and pesters and pesters me about bringing this. Just kidding, Kimberly! :) But she does ask if this is what I'm taking every time. It's sounded really good to me for awhile, so I caved. Do you see how easily I give in to peer pressure? You can only imagine what my high school and college experience was like.
Pretty enticing, huh? I'm super excited for it. I could eat mac and cheese every night of the week and twice on Sunday. I've never understood the "twice on Sunday" saying, but it fit. When I was little I HATED homemade mac and cheese, I only liked the stuff from the box. I don't know when it was that changed, but my age was definitely double digits, and I may have been a proud college graduate. Now I'll eat any kind. My mother-in-law makes fantastic mac and cheese, so that's the one I usually make, but since the husband specifically asked for this one, that's what we're having.
Macaroni and Cheese
4 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 8 ounces uncooked), cooked without salt or fat
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
3/4 cup fat free sour cream
1/2 cup fat free milk
2 Tbsp grated onion
1-1/2 tsp reduced fat stick margarine, melted
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1/4 cup fresh or dry breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp reduced calorie stick margarine, melted
1/4 tsp paprika
Preheat oven to 350. Combine first 10 ingredients (through egg); stir well. Spon into a shallow 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray.
Combine breadcrumbs, 1 Tbsp margarine, and paprika; stir well. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over casserole. Cover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover casserole and bake an additional 5 minutes or until breadcrumbs are browned.
*****
Normally when I make it I put more cheese on top instead of the breadcrumbs, but I remember that the last time I made it, I didn't dig that. I may put some cheese on top and then the breadcrumbs on top of that.
I have Moms Night Out tonight with my MOMS Club, and we're having a potluck and game night, so I'm going to keep my mac and cheese indulging in check...or try to at least. I made Tres Leches Cake to take to it. Everytime there's been some kind of food event, whether it be Bunco or some MOMS Club function, my friend Kimberly pesters and pesters and pesters me about bringing this. Just kidding, Kimberly! :) But she does ask if this is what I'm taking every time. It's sounded really good to me for awhile, so I caved. Do you see how easily I give in to peer pressure? You can only imagine what my high school and college experience was like.
Review
Our dinner ended up being different than the paninis I planned. I mixed up the blue cheese mixture, and it was too much for my pregnant nose, which is weird because whenever I have a salad, I have blue cheese dressing on it. I think there may have been two problems. In an effort to be health conscious for the husband (because who really tries to be health conscious when they're pregnant? The jar of M&Ms on my kitchen counter will tell you that I don't.), I bought reduced fat blue cheese. Strike one? I also bought the store brand of crumbled blue cheese. Strike two? I assume so. Thankfully my fast thinking scored my sandwiches a ground rule double. Or maybe a triple. I wouldn't go so far as to say a home run, but they were good. Enough baseball analogies...sorry about that.
So, what did I end up doing? I had already fixed up the barbecued chicken, so I went with that, but I sliced up some of the red onion leftover from PW's sandwiches and put that on top of the chicken, then cheddar cheese (real cheddar cheese, not Kraft Singles or something like that), and threw them on the panini press. They turned out really yummy! If I'd had green onions or cilantro I would have used some of that in place of the red onion, but my green onions had seen better days. My last minute creation ended up being really tasty. Definitely a panini I'd make again.
So, what did I end up doing? I had already fixed up the barbecued chicken, so I went with that, but I sliced up some of the red onion leftover from PW's sandwiches and put that on top of the chicken, then cheddar cheese (real cheddar cheese, not Kraft Singles or something like that), and threw them on the panini press. They turned out really yummy! If I'd had green onions or cilantro I would have used some of that in place of the red onion, but my green onions had seen better days. My last minute creation ended up being really tasty. Definitely a panini I'd make again.
Barbecued Chicken with Blue Cheese and Celery Paninis
My panini press has been neglected lately. I just felt like I was always making the same sandwiches with them, so I got the genius idea to look up panini cookbooks at the library instead of buying one. I heart the library...especially for cookbooks! Since I have an overwhelming cookbook collection already, it's a nice way to indulge in my guilty pleasure without dropping a small fortune.
So I flipped through the book and found several that sounded good. Unfortunately some have really obscure (or expensive...or both) ingredients, and some there is no way the husband would touch them with a ten foot pole. I'll still have to copy them down before the book is due back.
The husband is actually sick today, but when I asked if he'd want dinner he asked what the choices were and thought these sounded good. The other choice, by the way, was Shepherd's Pie, which we were supposed to have last night, but due to some issues at our vet's office (i.e. they're slow and incompetent and ALWAYS take forever to get simple things done), there wasn't going to be time to make it and pick up the dog before they closed. So it was a mac & cheese and hot dog night. Anyway...on to the recipe.
Barbecued Chicken with Blue Cheese and Celery Paninis
1-1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) shredded barbecue chicken
3 Tbsp barbecue sauce (optional)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp sour cream
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 scallion (white and light green parts), finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 ciabbata rolls or store-bought Italian rolls
1 celery stalk, trimmed, tough outer strings peeled away, and thinly sliced
Heat a panini or sandwich press. Combine the chicken and barbecue sauce, if using, in a small bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Slice the rolls in half and spread some blue cheese dressing on the inside of each roll. Arrange the celery on the bottom halves of the rolls. Pile the chicken on top of the celery. Top each sandwich with the top half of the roll.
Put the sandwiches on the press, pull the top down, and cook until they are brown and crisp, 4-7 minutes, depending on the machine. Carefully remove from the press and serve immediately.
*****
I don't think I'm really changing things up except that I have some foccacia rolls I'm using instead of ciabatta. I just realized I need to go hustle so we can eat at 6:00. Not sure what we'll have with it, I may throw some tater tots into the oven because I have them and they're easy.
Oh, and I didn't have any barbecue chicken laying around so I just cooked up some chicken breasts and shred them, then I'm going to mix them with some BBQ sauce. This would be a great use for leftover chicken meat from cooking a whole chicken!
So I flipped through the book and found several that sounded good. Unfortunately some have really obscure (or expensive...or both) ingredients, and some there is no way the husband would touch them with a ten foot pole. I'll still have to copy them down before the book is due back.
The husband is actually sick today, but when I asked if he'd want dinner he asked what the choices were and thought these sounded good. The other choice, by the way, was Shepherd's Pie, which we were supposed to have last night, but due to some issues at our vet's office (i.e. they're slow and incompetent and ALWAYS take forever to get simple things done), there wasn't going to be time to make it and pick up the dog before they closed. So it was a mac & cheese and hot dog night. Anyway...on to the recipe.
Barbecued Chicken with Blue Cheese and Celery Paninis
1-1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) shredded barbecue chicken
3 Tbsp barbecue sauce (optional)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp sour cream
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 scallion (white and light green parts), finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 ciabbata rolls or store-bought Italian rolls
1 celery stalk, trimmed, tough outer strings peeled away, and thinly sliced
Heat a panini or sandwich press. Combine the chicken and barbecue sauce, if using, in a small bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Slice the rolls in half and spread some blue cheese dressing on the inside of each roll. Arrange the celery on the bottom halves of the rolls. Pile the chicken on top of the celery. Top each sandwich with the top half of the roll.
Put the sandwiches on the press, pull the top down, and cook until they are brown and crisp, 4-7 minutes, depending on the machine. Carefully remove from the press and serve immediately.
*****
I don't think I'm really changing things up except that I have some foccacia rolls I'm using instead of ciabatta. I just realized I need to go hustle so we can eat at 6:00. Not sure what we'll have with it, I may throw some tater tots into the oven because I have them and they're easy.
Oh, and I didn't have any barbecue chicken laying around so I just cooked up some chicken breasts and shred them, then I'm going to mix them with some BBQ sauce. This would be a great use for leftover chicken meat from cooking a whole chicken!
Review
Wow. WOW!! PW's sandwich was amazing...awesome...fantastic...mind-blowing. Definitely the best grilled cheese I've ever had. The husband tried to steal the second half of my sandwich, so he really liked it too. He should know better than to try and take a pregnant woman's food. Sheesh.
I ended up cooking them in an electric skillet. It took a long time, but that was my fault because I didn't know what temperature (200, 250, 350, etc.) equated to Medium Low on my stove top. I think I had it too low at first, so then I kept turning it up slightly. They were definitely hard to flip when it was finally time, but I think it might have been easier in the electric skillet than in a regular skillet on the stove because there was more space. Who knows. Next time I'm going to try doing them on my panini press instead, see how they turn out that way...and I'd avoid the flipping issue. :)
Definitely try these. Go out and buy the stuff. Now! Go...hurry to the store and hurry home so you can eat this amazing sandwich.
I ended up cooking them in an electric skillet. It took a long time, but that was my fault because I didn't know what temperature (200, 250, 350, etc.) equated to Medium Low on my stove top. I think I had it too low at first, so then I kept turning it up slightly. They were definitely hard to flip when it was finally time, but I think it might have been easier in the electric skillet than in a regular skillet on the stove because there was more space. Who knows. Next time I'm going to try doing them on my panini press instead, see how they turn out that way...and I'd avoid the flipping issue. :)
Definitely try these. Go out and buy the stuff. Now! Go...hurry to the store and hurry home so you can eat this amazing sandwich.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Pioneer Woman's Favorite Sandwich
Unless this is the first time you've read my blog, you know that I heart Pioneer Woman. Pretty much everything I've tried making from her website has been super tasty. Jen B. made this a couple weeks ago and loved it. Our friend Kimberly (Hi, Kimberly!!) made it recently and raved about it, too. Our friend Jen A. made a modified version and really liked it as well. So I'm jumping on the bandwagon. Doesn't hurt that Jen B. gave me some of her leftover whole chiles to use! I'm totally excited for this dinner.
Pioneer Woman's Favorite Sandwich
whatever type of sandwich bread you like...PW likes rye
mild cheddar cheese slices
provolone cheese slices
sliced tomato
thinly sliced red onion
canned Hatch whole green chiles
1 Tablespoon of mayo
1 Tablespoon of Dijon mustard
Lots of softened butter or margarine
1) For spreadable sauce: Thoroughly combine 1 Tablespoon of mayo and 1 Tablespoon of Dijon mustard in a small bowl.
2) Spread a very thin layer of sauce mixture on the inside of both pieces of the bread that you will be using to construct your sandwich.
3) Place two slices of tomato and some thin red onion slices on one side of the bread. Then, top that bread piece with 2 slices of provolone cheese and one or two slices of whole green chiles. Don't be shy with the green chiles.
4) On the other piece of bread, place 2 slices of cheddar cheese, and very carefully close your sandwich. Be gentle.
5) Now, spread a generous amount of butter on each side of the tops of the bread, not missing anything. Really butter 'em good! Seriously, use the butter...it is okay.
6) Heat a non stick skillet over LOW heat, and cook on each side (flipping once)...5 minutes per side. You can turn the heat up to Medium-Low (but do not heat past Medium) to get your desired brown/toastiness accomplished.
Also, these babies are tricky to flip. Be careful.
7) Remove ooey-gooey delectable sandwich from skillet and cut into halves. Serve immediately. Say a prayer and go to confession quickly after consuming this masterful sandwich. They are so good you will feel dirty.
*****
I'm using wheat bread because I don't like rye. Plus it's what I have. I'm also going to bust out either my griddle or my electric skillet because my regular skillets just aren't big enough to accommodate three sandwiches. Actually the boy is just going to have regular grilled cheese. I can't wait for this sandwich. Have I mentioned that?
Not sure what we're having with it. There's broccoli salad left from last night (shoot...forgot to do the review from last night's dinner...I'll do that later), so the boy and I will probably have that, the husband can have regular green salad, and maybe we'll have a fancy accompaniement like pretzels. We go all out here at my house.
Pioneer Woman's Favorite Sandwich
whatever type of sandwich bread you like...PW likes rye
mild cheddar cheese slices
provolone cheese slices
sliced tomato
thinly sliced red onion
canned Hatch whole green chiles
1 Tablespoon of mayo
1 Tablespoon of Dijon mustard
Lots of softened butter or margarine
1) For spreadable sauce: Thoroughly combine 1 Tablespoon of mayo and 1 Tablespoon of Dijon mustard in a small bowl.
2) Spread a very thin layer of sauce mixture on the inside of both pieces of the bread that you will be using to construct your sandwich.
3) Place two slices of tomato and some thin red onion slices on one side of the bread. Then, top that bread piece with 2 slices of provolone cheese and one or two slices of whole green chiles. Don't be shy with the green chiles.
4) On the other piece of bread, place 2 slices of cheddar cheese, and very carefully close your sandwich. Be gentle.
5) Now, spread a generous amount of butter on each side of the tops of the bread, not missing anything. Really butter 'em good! Seriously, use the butter...it is okay.
6) Heat a non stick skillet over LOW heat, and cook on each side (flipping once)...5 minutes per side. You can turn the heat up to Medium-Low (but do not heat past Medium) to get your desired brown/toastiness accomplished.
Also, these babies are tricky to flip. Be careful.
7) Remove ooey-gooey delectable sandwich from skillet and cut into halves. Serve immediately. Say a prayer and go to confession quickly after consuming this masterful sandwich. They are so good you will feel dirty.
*****
I'm using wheat bread because I don't like rye. Plus it's what I have. I'm also going to bust out either my griddle or my electric skillet because my regular skillets just aren't big enough to accommodate three sandwiches. Actually the boy is just going to have regular grilled cheese. I can't wait for this sandwich. Have I mentioned that?
Not sure what we're having with it. There's broccoli salad left from last night (shoot...forgot to do the review from last night's dinner...I'll do that later), so the boy and I will probably have that, the husband can have regular green salad, and maybe we'll have a fancy accompaniement like pretzels. We go all out here at my house.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Hispanic Market
Jen B. and I went and braved our local Hispanic grocery store today. She wrote a hilarious account of it on her blog. The husband and I were both cracking up when I read it to him, and I'm still chuckling when I think about what she wrote.
Check out what she wrote:
http://notesfromthetable.blogspot.com/2008/09/green-chile-chicken-soft-tacos.html
Check out what she wrote:
http://notesfromthetable.blogspot.com/2008/09/green-chile-chicken-soft-tacos.html
Beth's Broccoli Slaw
My friend Beth from MOMS Club made this salad for my friend Jen B. when her father passed away recently. Jen LOVED it and got the recipe from Beth. I think she's made it a couple times since then and has rave reviews every time. I've been anxiously awaiting broccoli to be on sale so I could try it.
Beth's Broccoli Slaw
In large bowl mix:
2 heads broccoli, cut into florets and finely chop about 1/2 of the stalks, cut about 15 baby carrots. Approx 1/2 cup of raisins, Approx 1/4 cup of cashews.
In medium bowl mix:
1 cup mayo, 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Directions:
Pour Mayo mixture over broccoli mixture, toss, and chill for minimum of 1 hour before serving.
*****
I almost didn't make this because the husband doesn't like broccoli. The boy and I, however, do, so husband lost out. More for us I figure, although I'm going to make him try one bite of it. I was a bit shy on the mayo, but hopefully that doesn't affect it too much.
Beth's Broccoli Slaw
In large bowl mix:
2 heads broccoli, cut into florets and finely chop about 1/2 of the stalks, cut about 15 baby carrots. Approx 1/2 cup of raisins, Approx 1/4 cup of cashews.
In medium bowl mix:
1 cup mayo, 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Directions:
Pour Mayo mixture over broccoli mixture, toss, and chill for minimum of 1 hour before serving.
*****
I almost didn't make this because the husband doesn't like broccoli. The boy and I, however, do, so husband lost out. More for us I figure, although I'm going to make him try one bite of it. I was a bit shy on the mayo, but hopefully that doesn't affect it too much.
Pulled Pork
Originally I was going to make this yesterday since we needed to leave early for our fun night at Pump It Up, but our morning plans changed, and I was going to have time to get it in the crockpot. Normally it wouldn't be a problem to just toss a pork loin roast and a bottle of BBQ sauce in the crockpot, but I'm trying to cut out high fructose corn syrup from our diets, and every bottle of BBQ sauce I picked up at the grocery store had HFCS as either the first or second ingredient. Yuck. So I bought a bottle of organic ketchup instead and decided to make my own sauce. I looked up recipes on allrecipes.com and found one I kind of modified.
Pulled Pork
20 ounces ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup worcestshire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 pound pork loin roast
In a saucepan, combine first eight ingredients. Bring to low boil. Place pork roast in crockpot, pour sauce over. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Remove pork roast to a bowl and shred with two forks. Add sauce into bowl until desired consistency. Serve on hamburger buns.
*****
The sauce tasted really good when I sampled it from the saucepan, hopefully it will taste good after being in the crockpot so long. The original recipes had different quantities of some of the ingredients and some different spices, and it said to combine everything in a blender. I thought that was weird, so I opted to cook them all for a bit.
Pulled Pork
20 ounces ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup worcestshire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 pound pork loin roast
In a saucepan, combine first eight ingredients. Bring to low boil. Place pork roast in crockpot, pour sauce over. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Remove pork roast to a bowl and shred with two forks. Add sauce into bowl until desired consistency. Serve on hamburger buns.
*****
The sauce tasted really good when I sampled it from the saucepan, hopefully it will taste good after being in the crockpot so long. The original recipes had different quantities of some of the ingredients and some different spices, and it said to combine everything in a blender. I thought that was weird, so I opted to cook them all for a bit.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Tater Tot Casserole
It occurred to me a couple weeks ago that we haven't had this in FOREVER. Like, seriously forever. I don't even know if it's on the blog, it's been that long. This is one of the casseroles my mom would make when I was little and my folks weren't that well off. Kind of poor people food, but it's awfully good. She refused to make it for a long time, and I remembered it in college or shortly after I graduated, and I've been making it ever since. We were going to have it last night, but we ended up running to Walmart, and by the time we'd get home it was going to be too late to start it, so we just got one of their take and bake pizzas instead. Incidently, their pizzas aren't that bad, and they're pretty reasonably priced.
Tater Tot Casserole
1 lb ground beef
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
Cheddar cheese--sliced or shredded
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Tater Tots
In an 11x7 pan, crumble or spread ground beef. Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder on top of beef. Cover with sliced or shredded Cheddar cheese (NOT American cheese...real cheddar). Spread can of cream of mushroom soup over the cheese layer (this can be tricky business if you've used shredded cheese). Top with tater tots. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, uncovering for last 30 minutes. Or bake at 375 for one hour, uncovering for last 30 minutes.
*****
You can use regular onion instead of onion powder, I just hate chopping up onions and opt for the easy way out. My mom always slices up cheese when she makes this, but I usually have shredded on hand and go with that. Slices are definitely easier than the shredded.
Personally I like a little ketchup on my plate to dip it in, but not everyone goes for that.
Tater Tot Casserole
1 lb ground beef
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
Cheddar cheese--sliced or shredded
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Tater Tots
In an 11x7 pan, crumble or spread ground beef. Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder on top of beef. Cover with sliced or shredded Cheddar cheese (NOT American cheese...real cheddar). Spread can of cream of mushroom soup over the cheese layer (this can be tricky business if you've used shredded cheese). Top with tater tots. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, uncovering for last 30 minutes. Or bake at 375 for one hour, uncovering for last 30 minutes.
*****
You can use regular onion instead of onion powder, I just hate chopping up onions and opt for the easy way out. My mom always slices up cheese when she makes this, but I usually have shredded on hand and go with that. Slices are definitely easier than the shredded.
Personally I like a little ketchup on my plate to dip it in, but not everyone goes for that.
Review
Mixed reviews on the tacos. I liked them, the husband thought they were too spicy. I feared they might be and fed the boy a quesadilla instead. Roasting the chiles was kind of a pain. The actual roasting wasn't too hard, but peeling them was a pain in the...well, a pain. There must be an easier way I'm just not aware of since I've never done it. I think if there was sour cream, guacamole, or maybe some cotija cheese it would tone down the heat a bit. I'd make these again, but since the husband wasn't too keen on them, they will probably not grace our table again, sadly.
Oh, I'd maybe cut back on the onions a bit...there were a lot of onions. I first thought when they were cooking that the next time I'd make it I'd add more chiles and less onion, but the chiles added so much kick, I think I'd stick with two and just cut back on the onions.
Oh, I'd maybe cut back on the onions a bit...there were a lot of onions. I first thought when they were cooking that the next time I'd make it I'd add more chiles and less onion, but the chiles added so much kick, I think I'd stick with two and just cut back on the onions.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Green Chile Chicken Soft Tacos
I had to sit and suffer through a three hour glucose test today to see if I have gestational diabetes. I think making a pregnant woman fast for eight hours (actually it had been 11 hours when I got there this morning) is some form of torture. Then I had to sit there for another three hours, not eating or drinking. Ugh. So of course I've been hungry all day now. I'm excited for this dinner tonight!
This is from a Rick Bayless cookbook I got at the library, Mexican Everyday. My friend Jen B. liked the book so much she went and bought it. Good thing because there are other recipes I want to try, but I have to return it tomorrow. I've already renewed it twice, so I figure it's time to let it go.
Green Chile Chicken Soft Tacos
2 large fresh poblano chilies
2 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil (divided use)
1 large white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Salt
1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves
Ground black pepper
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or crushed thru a garlic press
12 warm corn tortilla, store bought or homemade
3/4 cup roasted tomatillo salsa, guacamole, or bottled salsa or hot sauce, for serving
Roast the poblanos over an open flame or 4 inches below a broiler, turning regularly until blistered and blackened all over, about 5 minutes for an open flame, 10 minutes for the broiler. Place in a bowl, cover with a kitchen twoel, and let cool until handelable.
Turn on (or adjust) the oven to its lowest setting. Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a very large skillet over medium high. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden but still cruncy, 4-5 minutes. Scoot into a heatproof serving bowl, leaving as much oil as possible in the skillet, and slide it into the oven. Set the skillet aside.
Rub the blackened skin off the chiles and pull out the setms and seed pods. Rinse the chiles to remove bits of skin and seeds. Cut into 1/4-inch strips and stir into the onions. Taste and season with salt, usually a generous teaspoon. Return the bowl to the oven.
Sprinkle both sides of the chicken generously with salt and pepper.
Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil. When the oil is hot, lay in the chicken breasts. Brown on one side, about 5 minutes, then flip and finish cooking on the other side, about 4 minutes more. When the meat is done, add the lime juice and garlic to the skillet. Turn the chicken in the lime mixture for a minute or so, until the juice has reduced to a glaze and coats the chicken.
Cut the chicken breasts into 1/4-inch strips and toss with the onion-poblano mixture. Taste and season with additional salt if you think necessary. Serve with the warm tortillas and salsa, guacamole, or hot sauce for making soft tacos.
*****
So this will be my first time roasting peppers. I'm kind of nervous about it, but we'll see what happens. I've wanted to try it, but I've always been kind of scared of doing it. But, tonight's the night! Everything else sounds pretty straight-forward. Oh, and I'm using flour tortillas instead of corn because we just like them better.
This is from a Rick Bayless cookbook I got at the library, Mexican Everyday. My friend Jen B. liked the book so much she went and bought it. Good thing because there are other recipes I want to try, but I have to return it tomorrow. I've already renewed it twice, so I figure it's time to let it go.
Green Chile Chicken Soft Tacos
2 large fresh poblano chilies
2 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil (divided use)
1 large white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Salt
1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves
Ground black pepper
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or crushed thru a garlic press
12 warm corn tortilla, store bought or homemade
3/4 cup roasted tomatillo salsa, guacamole, or bottled salsa or hot sauce, for serving
Roast the poblanos over an open flame or 4 inches below a broiler, turning regularly until blistered and blackened all over, about 5 minutes for an open flame, 10 minutes for the broiler. Place in a bowl, cover with a kitchen twoel, and let cool until handelable.
Turn on (or adjust) the oven to its lowest setting. Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a very large skillet over medium high. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden but still cruncy, 4-5 minutes. Scoot into a heatproof serving bowl, leaving as much oil as possible in the skillet, and slide it into the oven. Set the skillet aside.
Rub the blackened skin off the chiles and pull out the setms and seed pods. Rinse the chiles to remove bits of skin and seeds. Cut into 1/4-inch strips and stir into the onions. Taste and season with salt, usually a generous teaspoon. Return the bowl to the oven.
Sprinkle both sides of the chicken generously with salt and pepper.
Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil. When the oil is hot, lay in the chicken breasts. Brown on one side, about 5 minutes, then flip and finish cooking on the other side, about 4 minutes more. When the meat is done, add the lime juice and garlic to the skillet. Turn the chicken in the lime mixture for a minute or so, until the juice has reduced to a glaze and coats the chicken.
Cut the chicken breasts into 1/4-inch strips and toss with the onion-poblano mixture. Taste and season with additional salt if you think necessary. Serve with the warm tortillas and salsa, guacamole, or hot sauce for making soft tacos.
*****
So this will be my first time roasting peppers. I'm kind of nervous about it, but we'll see what happens. I've wanted to try it, but I've always been kind of scared of doing it. But, tonight's the night! Everything else sounds pretty straight-forward. Oh, and I'm using flour tortillas instead of corn because we just like them better.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Review
Well, the pasta bake was okay. As far as baked pasta casseroles go, I liked the Baked Ziti I made a few weeks ago a lot better or Mostaccioli. I used eight ounces of smoked cheese (I think it was a smoked white cheddar...I couldn't find smoked mozzarella at my grocery store) instead of the four in the recipe because, well, we like cheese. If I made it again, I think I'd reduce the amount of smoked cheese, reduce the sour cream to one cup or maybe less, and I'd add in some regular mozzarella. Or put mozzarella on top instead of parmesan. I don't know, something just wasn't right. It was okay...probably not something I'd make again.
Oh, and it made A TON! There's probably 2/3 of the pan left. I'm going to wrap it up and stick it in the freezer I think. I hate to waste it, even though we didn't think it was all that great. I figure it will be good to have on hand for when the baby comes and I don't want to make dinner.
Oh, and it made A TON! There's probably 2/3 of the pan left. I'm going to wrap it up and stick it in the freezer I think. I hate to waste it, even though we didn't think it was all that great. I figure it will be good to have on hand for when the baby comes and I don't want to make dinner.
Smoked Cheese Pasta Bake
Last night was super lame dinner. Or white trash dinner...call it what you will. We had Pigs in a Blanket and I made up a box of pasta salad. See? Not worth posting. Don't feel like you missed anything.
I was trying out another neglected cookbook when looking for recipes this week. This was the Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2008, which is actually all the recipes they published in the magazine in 2007. There were lots of yummy recipes, but I was trying to find recipes that used stuff I already had on hand. All I had to buy for this was the smoked cheese (you have no idea how many times it just took me to type 'smoked').
Smoked Cheese Pasta Bake
1 pound uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta)
1 (26-ounce) jar fat-free marinara sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat sour cream
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded smoked farmer or mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.
Heat marinara sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add salt, pepper, and spinach, stirring until blended; cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cooked pasta.
Spoon half of pasta mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine sour cream, smoked cheese, and basil; spread over pasta mixture in dish. Spoon the remaining pasta mixture over sour cream mixture; sprinkle evenly with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
*****
I'm so dumb, I went and looked up the recipe in the cookbook to type it up and then thought, "DUH! Copy it from the website." Pregnancy brain is hitting me hard. I'm also glad I read it and posted this when I did because I forgot about the spinach. Oh, and I'm not using a jarred sauce, I made up a basic tomato sauce using crushed tomatoes, garlic, onion, and Italian seasoning. It's the same one I made when I did the Eggplant Parmesan.
I can't decide if I should cut this recipe in half or leave it as is. I don't really feel like doing the math involved to cut it in half, but a 9x13 dish of pasta always makes so much. I guess I can freeze what's left if there's a lot.
I was trying out another neglected cookbook when looking for recipes this week. This was the Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2008, which is actually all the recipes they published in the magazine in 2007. There were lots of yummy recipes, but I was trying to find recipes that used stuff I already had on hand. All I had to buy for this was the smoked cheese (you have no idea how many times it just took me to type 'smoked').
Smoked Cheese Pasta Bake
1 pound uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta)
1 (26-ounce) jar fat-free marinara sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat sour cream
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded smoked farmer or mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.
Heat marinara sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add salt, pepper, and spinach, stirring until blended; cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cooked pasta.
Spoon half of pasta mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine sour cream, smoked cheese, and basil; spread over pasta mixture in dish. Spoon the remaining pasta mixture over sour cream mixture; sprinkle evenly with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
*****
I'm so dumb, I went and looked up the recipe in the cookbook to type it up and then thought, "DUH! Copy it from the website." Pregnancy brain is hitting me hard. I'm also glad I read it and posted this when I did because I forgot about the spinach. Oh, and I'm not using a jarred sauce, I made up a basic tomato sauce using crushed tomatoes, garlic, onion, and Italian seasoning. It's the same one I made when I did the Eggplant Parmesan.
I can't decide if I should cut this recipe in half or leave it as is. I don't really feel like doing the math involved to cut it in half, but a 9x13 dish of pasta always makes so much. I guess I can freeze what's left if there's a lot.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Lemon Chicken Pasta
It's still pretty hot here in AZ, so my mom invited us over yesterday for swimming and dinner. It was a great day for swimming, although her pool is starting to get a little chilly. And I will never (okay, rarely) pass up a dinner someone else makes for me.
I had originally planned on making this last night but then didn't need to make dinner. It's another recipe from one of my Southern Living cookbooks. I've made it before but not in a really, really, really, really, really long time. I'm excited to have it again.
Lemon Chicken Pasta
Cooking spray
1 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/4-inch wide strips
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/3 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup condensed low-sodium chicken broth, undiluted
2 Tbsp tub-style light cream cheese
2 cups hot cooked farfalle (about 1-1/4 cups uncooked bow tie pasta), cooked without salt or fat
3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; add oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add garlic, saute 15 seconds. Add chicken; saute 1 minute. Add peas and carrot; saute 1 minute. Remove chicken from skillet; set aside.
Add chicken broth and cream cheese to skillet and cook over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until cream cheese melts, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return chicken mixture to skillet. Stir in pasta, parmesan, lemon rind, salt, and pepper. Cook 1 minute. Yield: 2 servings.
*****
I got out two chicken breasts that were both kind of small. I forgot this was a two-serving recipe, but I think there should probably be enough for two adults and one toddler. I'll probably slightly increase the amounts of everything to make sure there's enough.
I remember that the first time I made this the husband had some right when it was ready and thought it was kind of bland. For whatever reason I had dinner after him and thought there was good flavor to it once it had sat for a bit and the flavors had a chance to meld together. Meld...is that a word? I don't know...how about "the flavors had a chance to combine with one another."
I'm not sure what we'll have along with this since there's pasta and vegetables mixed into it already. I'll see if I have some bread we can have along with it, but I may end up making Ghetto Garlic Bread (buttered hamburger buns stuck under the broiler for a few minutes), and we'll probably have salad with it.
I had originally planned on making this last night but then didn't need to make dinner. It's another recipe from one of my Southern Living cookbooks. I've made it before but not in a really, really, really, really, really long time. I'm excited to have it again.
Lemon Chicken Pasta
Cooking spray
1 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/4-inch wide strips
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/3 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup condensed low-sodium chicken broth, undiluted
2 Tbsp tub-style light cream cheese
2 cups hot cooked farfalle (about 1-1/4 cups uncooked bow tie pasta), cooked without salt or fat
3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; add oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add garlic, saute 15 seconds. Add chicken; saute 1 minute. Add peas and carrot; saute 1 minute. Remove chicken from skillet; set aside.
Add chicken broth and cream cheese to skillet and cook over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until cream cheese melts, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return chicken mixture to skillet. Stir in pasta, parmesan, lemon rind, salt, and pepper. Cook 1 minute. Yield: 2 servings.
*****
I got out two chicken breasts that were both kind of small. I forgot this was a two-serving recipe, but I think there should probably be enough for two adults and one toddler. I'll probably slightly increase the amounts of everything to make sure there's enough.
I remember that the first time I made this the husband had some right when it was ready and thought it was kind of bland. For whatever reason I had dinner after him and thought there was good flavor to it once it had sat for a bit and the flavors had a chance to meld together. Meld...is that a word? I don't know...how about "the flavors had a chance to combine with one another."
I'm not sure what we'll have along with this since there's pasta and vegetables mixed into it already. I'll see if I have some bread we can have along with it, but I may end up making Ghetto Garlic Bread (buttered hamburger buns stuck under the broiler for a few minutes), and we'll probably have salad with it.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Review
Mixed reviews tonight. The chicken turned out well, but it took FOREVER to cook! I'm having bad luck cooking chicken lately. I even flattened the breasts out some to help them cook faster, and they still took a long time. Once they were done, they were pretty tasty. The husband and Steve both liked them. I actually added some seasoning to the flour...salt, pepper, and some garlic seasoning I usually use to make my own garlic bread. Oh, and I used 2 Tbsp of butter and 2 Tbsp of olive oil sintead of the 4 Tbsp of butter.
The potatoes didn't happen. I had bought red potatoes instead of new potatoes, and they just didn't work. They squashed funny and just weren't working, so I ended up making mashed potatoes out of them instead. They were a little too olive-oily from trying to smoosh them on the cookie sheet. Oh well. I'm definitely going to try them again because they look and sound so yummy.
I think next time I'd flatten the chicken more so it cooked faster.
The potatoes didn't happen. I had bought red potatoes instead of new potatoes, and they just didn't work. They squashed funny and just weren't working, so I ended up making mashed potatoes out of them instead. They were a little too olive-oily from trying to smoosh them on the cookie sheet. Oh well. I'm definitely going to try them again because they look and sound so yummy.
I think next time I'd flatten the chicken more so it cooked faster.
Garlic Chicken
This is another recipe from a Southern Living cookbook I walk past multiple times in a day yet never think to look at for dinner ideas. And again everything I've tried in this one (this is a different one than I used for the pizza recipe) has been good. Actually as I was flipping through it I saw a chicken casserole recipe that I'd written, "Really good and really easy" next to, but I had absolutely no recollection of making it. So it's good I deface my cookbooks and make notes in them. :)
Garlic Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter or margarine
4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tbsp)
1 cup apple juice
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp pepper
Dredge chicken in flour. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat; add chicken and garlic. Cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.
Add apple juice, lemon juice, and pepper to skillet; bring mixture to a boil. Boil, uncovered, 4 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.
*****
I'm excited to try this, I'm always on the lookout for new ways to cook chicken. With it we're going to have one of Pioneer Woman'srecipes for Crash Hot Potatoes. She posted the recipe awhile ago, and I thought they looked good. Somehow they popped in my head when I was figuring out dinners. They sound super easy and really tasty.
The husband is going to play nine holes of golf with our friend Steve around 6:00, so I'm going to make this for us after they get back, the boy's getting chicken nuggets so I don't have to make dinner twice.
Garlic Chicken
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter or margarine
4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tbsp)
1 cup apple juice
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp pepper
Dredge chicken in flour. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat; add chicken and garlic. Cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.
Add apple juice, lemon juice, and pepper to skillet; bring mixture to a boil. Boil, uncovered, 4 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.
*****
I'm excited to try this, I'm always on the lookout for new ways to cook chicken. With it we're going to have one of Pioneer Woman'srecipes for Crash Hot Potatoes. She posted the recipe awhile ago, and I thought they looked good. Somehow they popped in my head when I was figuring out dinners. They sound super easy and really tasty.
The husband is going to play nine holes of golf with our friend Steve around 6:00, so I'm going to make this for us after they get back, the boy's getting chicken nuggets so I don't have to make dinner twice.
Review
The pizza was really yummy!! I'd made a similar one a long time ago when we grilled pizzas one night, so it was nice to try it again. I ended up having a smaller jar of artichoke hearts than called for, but I think more would have overpowered the pizza. The ones I had were marinated as well, so it gave them a little extra flavor. I believe the recipe called for only sauteeing the peppers and spices, but I put the artichoke hearts and mushrooms in there, too. Oh, and the amount of cheese called for was definitely not enough. I know we like our cheese here in this house, but I only sprinkled a little on the crust at first, then put the toppings on, and then I didn't have enough cheese left in the bag to cover the rest of the pizza. Thankfully I had some monterey jack cheese in the fridge, so I grated that up and added it to the pizza. I didn't even have the cheese very thick, so make sure you have plenty of cheese on hand.
This is definitely something I would make again. I bet it would be good with some feta added and some fresh oregano. Yum. Once I can eat feta again I think I'll try it that way. We have no leftovers of the pizza, and it was a pretty good size. The boy didn't really like it, he ate maybe half a piece and had to be coerced into eating that much of it. I had two pieces, so that means the husband must have had five. I've told you he likes pizza!
This is definitely something I would make again. I bet it would be good with some feta added and some fresh oregano. Yum. Once I can eat feta again I think I'll try it that way. We have no leftovers of the pizza, and it was a pretty good size. The boy didn't really like it, he ate maybe half a piece and had to be coerced into eating that much of it. I had two pieces, so that means the husband must have had five. I've told you he likes pizza!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Artichoke and Red Pepper Pizza
When I was coming up with dinners for this week I busted out some cookbooks I hadn't used in awhile. Seriously, I have a ridiculous amount of cookbooks...it's getting to be completely out of hand. Anyway, I'm trying to use some that I don't look at as often, so I got out a Southern Living cookbook. Everything I've tried from it has been good, I just don't think to use it that often. Which is somewhat ironic because it's a cookbook that's displayed on my kitchen wall.
I bought a refrigerated pizza crust awhile back and need to use it. This sounded really yummy, and I didn't need that much for it except the peppers and artichokes (okay, so I was missing the two main ingredients but still). I hope it's good.
Artichoke and Red Pepper Pizza
1 can refrigerated pizza crust dough
Cooking spray
i Tbsp olive oil
1 7-ounce bottle roasted red peppers, drained and julienne-cut
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 2.5-ounce jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) mozzarella cheese
Cracked pepper (optional)
Preheat oven to 425. Unroll pizza crust dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and pat dough into a 14x10-inch rectangle. Bake at 425 for 5 minutes and set aside.
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add bell peppers and next three ingredients, saute 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in artichokes and mushrooms.
Sprinkle half of cheese over pizza crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Spread vegetable mixture evenly over cheese; top with remaining cheese. SPrinkle with cracked pepper, if desired. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes or until crust is lighly browned.
*****
I'm opposed to canned or jarred mushrooms. They're a weird color, the texture is weird to me. I don't dig them. So I bought fresh. And chances are I'll use more cheese than what's called for because that's just how we roll. I'm excited to try it.
I bought a refrigerated pizza crust awhile back and need to use it. This sounded really yummy, and I didn't need that much for it except the peppers and artichokes (okay, so I was missing the two main ingredients but still). I hope it's good.
Artichoke and Red Pepper Pizza
1 can refrigerated pizza crust dough
Cooking spray
i Tbsp olive oil
1 7-ounce bottle roasted red peppers, drained and julienne-cut
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 2.5-ounce jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) mozzarella cheese
Cracked pepper (optional)
Preheat oven to 425. Unroll pizza crust dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and pat dough into a 14x10-inch rectangle. Bake at 425 for 5 minutes and set aside.
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add bell peppers and next three ingredients, saute 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in artichokes and mushrooms.
Sprinkle half of cheese over pizza crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Spread vegetable mixture evenly over cheese; top with remaining cheese. SPrinkle with cracked pepper, if desired. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes or until crust is lighly browned.
*****
I'm opposed to canned or jarred mushrooms. They're a weird color, the texture is weird to me. I don't dig them. So I bought fresh. And chances are I'll use more cheese than what's called for because that's just how we roll. I'm excited to try it.
Strawberry Pie
In a moment of weakness I bought four pounds of strawberries at Costco this week. Okay, it wasn't really a moment of weakness...the boy and I love strawberries, and the per pound price worked out to be way cheaper than buying them at the grocery store. In one of my many cookbooks, I had recently seen a recipe for a strawberry pie. And of course I couldn't find it for the life of me once I actually had strawberries to use. :(
(The first part of this may seem like a tangent but really it's not...stick with me here.) The husband is from Louisiana...don't know if I've shared that. Probably I have. Anyway, the first time we went to visit we drove from Phoenix to New Orleans (which we quickly vowed we would never, EVER do again...Texas is just too damn big to drive across). Somewhere in Louisiana, he pointed out that we were in the strawberry capital of the south, or something like that. So as I was wracking my brain to figure out where that freakin' pie recipe had been, I saw my "Best of the Best Louisiana" cookbook and checked it. This wasn't where I had seen the recipe as I hadn't looked at that cookbook in quite some time, but there was a strawberry pie recipe in there, so I jumped all over it.
Strawberry Pie
1 quart fresh strawberries
3/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp corn starch
1 cup whipped cream
1 9-inch pastry shell (baked)
Place all but one cup berries in the bottom of baked pastry shell. Spread out well and set aside. In a saucepan, simmer the other cup of berries in 3/4 cup water for 5 minutes. Add sugar and blend well. Add corn starch. After mixture thickens, add lemon juice. Cook until clear. Pour sauce over berries in shell. Chill in fridge and top with whipped cream.
*****
I think I used more strawberries than called for. I put one quart less one cup into the pie crust (oh, I halved the strawberries by the way) and it didn't look like enough, so I cut up a few more. I also don't think I had the stove hot enough for simmering. After I put in the sugar and corn starch, it wasn't getting thick at all so I turned up the heat a bit, and that did the trick. The strawberries started to fall apart a bit, too, which is what I had expected in the first place. And mine didn't turn clear like the recipe says, it was a nice reddish-pink color.
I of course had to sample a piece last night, and it was really yummy. I didn't have any whipped cream, but I thought it was fine without. This was pretty easy to make, too. Definitely something I'd make again.
(The first part of this may seem like a tangent but really it's not...stick with me here.) The husband is from Louisiana...don't know if I've shared that. Probably I have. Anyway, the first time we went to visit we drove from Phoenix to New Orleans (which we quickly vowed we would never, EVER do again...Texas is just too damn big to drive across). Somewhere in Louisiana, he pointed out that we were in the strawberry capital of the south, or something like that. So as I was wracking my brain to figure out where that freakin' pie recipe had been, I saw my "Best of the Best Louisiana" cookbook and checked it. This wasn't where I had seen the recipe as I hadn't looked at that cookbook in quite some time, but there was a strawberry pie recipe in there, so I jumped all over it.
Strawberry Pie
1 quart fresh strawberries
3/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp corn starch
1 cup whipped cream
1 9-inch pastry shell (baked)
Place all but one cup berries in the bottom of baked pastry shell. Spread out well and set aside. In a saucepan, simmer the other cup of berries in 3/4 cup water for 5 minutes. Add sugar and blend well. Add corn starch. After mixture thickens, add lemon juice. Cook until clear. Pour sauce over berries in shell. Chill in fridge and top with whipped cream.
*****
I think I used more strawberries than called for. I put one quart less one cup into the pie crust (oh, I halved the strawberries by the way) and it didn't look like enough, so I cut up a few more. I also don't think I had the stove hot enough for simmering. After I put in the sugar and corn starch, it wasn't getting thick at all so I turned up the heat a bit, and that did the trick. The strawberries started to fall apart a bit, too, which is what I had expected in the first place. And mine didn't turn clear like the recipe says, it was a nice reddish-pink color.
I of course had to sample a piece last night, and it was really yummy. I didn't have any whipped cream, but I thought it was fine without. This was pretty easy to make, too. Definitely something I'd make again.
Chili Cheese Tortilla Wraps
I feel so behind but only because I've been in the kitchen like a fiend lately. This week--along with making dinners--I've made Chex Mix, banana bread, and a strawberry pie. Maybe I'm nesting, who knows. Last night for dinner we had Chili Cheese Tortilla Wraps. I hadn't made them in awhile, and I had most of the stuff for it, plus the husband was supposed to have a church meeting at 6:30 last night, so I figured a crockpot dinner would be easiest.
Chili Cheese Tortilla Wraps
1 16-oz can nonfat refried beans
1 8-oz package nonfat cream cheese, cut into cubes and softened
1 4-oz can diced green chilies, drained
3/4 cup chopped green onions
1 cup nonfat shredded cheddar cheese
4 98% fat free flour tortillas
Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine refried beans, cream cheese, chilies, and green onions in slow cooker and mix well. Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours or high heat for 2 hours, stirring once or twice during cooking. If cooking on low heat, increase to high. Stir in 3/4 cup of the cheesse and sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over top. Warm tortillas. Spoon bean mixture into tortillas; roll and serve immediately. Can be served with tortilla chips instead of tortillas.
*****
I forgot to add in the can of green chilies, but I don't think any of us noticed. They were so yummy. I had about half a can of refried beans in the fridge, so I threw those in as well to use them up. I always skip the cheese on top and just add it on to the beans once they're on the tortilla.
I wish I had some tortilla chips to eat the rest as a dip!
Chili Cheese Tortilla Wraps
1 16-oz can nonfat refried beans
1 8-oz package nonfat cream cheese, cut into cubes and softened
1 4-oz can diced green chilies, drained
3/4 cup chopped green onions
1 cup nonfat shredded cheddar cheese
4 98% fat free flour tortillas
Spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine refried beans, cream cheese, chilies, and green onions in slow cooker and mix well. Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours or high heat for 2 hours, stirring once or twice during cooking. If cooking on low heat, increase to high. Stir in 3/4 cup of the cheesse and sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over top. Warm tortillas. Spoon bean mixture into tortillas; roll and serve immediately. Can be served with tortilla chips instead of tortillas.
*****
I forgot to add in the can of green chilies, but I don't think any of us noticed. They were so yummy. I had about half a can of refried beans in the fridge, so I threw those in as well to use them up. I always skip the cheese on top and just add it on to the beans once they're on the tortilla.
I wish I had some tortilla chips to eat the rest as a dip!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Tofu Lo Mein
Hope everyone had a nice weekend!! Ours was GREAT! We did nothing on Sunday except lounge by and play in the pool. It was awesome. Totally what I needed. We got home from our staycation on Monday, but we didn't have much in the house to make for dinner, and I didn't really feel like cooking anyway, so we all had grilled cheese sandwiches. Exciting.
Last night I was going to make this recipe, but I think I upset the baby and overdid it with stuff around the house yesterday because if I'd stand up for more than a minute or two, my baby belly would get awfully uncomfortable! So I resorted to laying on the couch and drinking water, and the husband stopped and got Little Caesar's pizza for us. I've told you it's our universal dinner back-up plan!
I had an OB appointment today and was up seven pounds from last month. Ouch. I need to get on the ball with some healthy dinners. I only gained 27 when I was pregnant with the boy, so I want to keep it around that. I'm up 20 pounds total with 11 weeks to go, so I need to watch it. I blame it entirely on having eaten out all weekend. Anyway, I'm extra glad we're having this for dinner tonight because I need a good healthy meal. I had planned on having it a couple weeks ago, but the tofu was past its date when I took it out of the fridge.
Tofu Lo Mein
1 (16 ounce) package extra firm tofu
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (3 ounce) packages Oriental flavored ramen noodles
1 (16 ounce) package frozen stir-fry vegetables
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon soy sauce, or to taste
Press tofu between paper towels to remove some of the water; cut in to bite size cubes. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and fry until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
Meanwhile bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add noodles from ramen packages, reserving the seasoning envelopes. Boil for about 2 minutes, just until the noodles break apart. Drain.
Add the stir-fry vegetables to the pan with the tofu, and season with the ramen noodle seasoning packet. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender, but not mushy. Add noodles, and stir to blend. Season with soy sauce to taste and serve.
*****
Totally easy and super yummy. Even the boy usually eats it, so that makes it a winner in my book. I'm sure if you have kids--especially toddlers--you know how that goes. Just make sure you start draining your tofu early enough. I let mine drain for an hour or so, sometimes more.
Last night I was going to make this recipe, but I think I upset the baby and overdid it with stuff around the house yesterday because if I'd stand up for more than a minute or two, my baby belly would get awfully uncomfortable! So I resorted to laying on the couch and drinking water, and the husband stopped and got Little Caesar's pizza for us. I've told you it's our universal dinner back-up plan!
I had an OB appointment today and was up seven pounds from last month. Ouch. I need to get on the ball with some healthy dinners. I only gained 27 when I was pregnant with the boy, so I want to keep it around that. I'm up 20 pounds total with 11 weeks to go, so I need to watch it. I blame it entirely on having eaten out all weekend. Anyway, I'm extra glad we're having this for dinner tonight because I need a good healthy meal. I had planned on having it a couple weeks ago, but the tofu was past its date when I took it out of the fridge.
Tofu Lo Mein
1 (16 ounce) package extra firm tofu
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (3 ounce) packages Oriental flavored ramen noodles
1 (16 ounce) package frozen stir-fry vegetables
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon soy sauce, or to taste
Press tofu between paper towels to remove some of the water; cut in to bite size cubes. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and fry until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
Meanwhile bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add noodles from ramen packages, reserving the seasoning envelopes. Boil for about 2 minutes, just until the noodles break apart. Drain.
Add the stir-fry vegetables to the pan with the tofu, and season with the ramen noodle seasoning packet. Cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender, but not mushy. Add noodles, and stir to blend. Season with soy sauce to taste and serve.
*****
Totally easy and super yummy. Even the boy usually eats it, so that makes it a winner in my book. I'm sure if you have kids--especially toddlers--you know how that goes. Just make sure you start draining your tofu early enough. I let mine drain for an hour or so, sometimes more.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Review
I don't think I'll be making the chicken again. It was okay but nothing to write homee about. I think we decided that we don't like chiken legs (other than drumsticks), it's too much work to get the meat off the bone, they make me nervous when I cook them because I can't tell if they're done or not. I have three left in the freezer, but I think I might offer them up to one of my friends.
I'll be back on Monday. I had another Gourmet recipe planned, but since I haven't been overly impressed with any that I've made, I may try to come up with something different to make instead. The husband said I should cancel my subscription, but since I've already paid for it, I think I just won't renew.
Enjoy the long weekend...and GEAUX TIGERS!!!
I'll be back on Monday. I had another Gourmet recipe planned, but since I haven't been overly impressed with any that I've made, I may try to come up with something different to make instead. The husband said I should cancel my subscription, but since I've already paid for it, I think I just won't renew.
Enjoy the long weekend...and GEAUX TIGERS!!!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Chili and Honey Chicken Legs
I have six minutes until I need to start working on dinner, so I'd better type quickly. Last night we had "clean out the fridge" night which was so nice. We got rid of a ton of leftovers. Hooray! I hate leaving them in there forever and finding them weeks later, wondering what exactly it used to be. Gross.
So when I signed up to receive Gourmet magazine, there was an offer for a free Everyday Meals cookbook. Actually I think I thought you got the Gourmet cookbook for free, so I was kind of miffed when a recipe pamphlet arrived in the mail a few weeks later. Oh well. I just looked through it for the first time a couple days ago, and there's some yummy sounding stuff in there. I'm actually using it tonight and Monday night (we're having a staycation over the weekend--no cooking!!). In a strange coincidence, I've been looking for a recipe that uses chicken legs because I got some for a smokin' price a couple weeks ago and had no idea what to do with them. Then this recipe dropped into my lap. Beautiful.
Chili and Honey Chicken Legs
2 Tbsp chili powder (not pure chile powder)
1 Tbsp mild honey
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper4 whole chicken legs (2 lbs), thighs and drumsticks separated
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 425. Line bottom of a 15x10 inch shallow baking pan with foil and set an oiled large metal rack in pan.
Stir together chili powder, honey, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, then add chicken and turn to coat completely.
Transfer chicken to rack, arranging in one layer, then bake, turning over once, until cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes.
*****
I have no idea how to separate a chicken leg into thigh and drumstick, so I think mine are staying whole. Unless it's painfully obvious how to do it once I take out the chicken. I'm still not really sure what kind of pan I'm going to use. I think I have a 15x10 roasting pan, but it's not shallow. I could use a cookie sheet, but then I don't have a metal rack that will fit. I'll see what strikes my fancy when I get in the kitchen.
Still not sure what we're going to have with this. I may be completely shameful and make a package of teriyaki noodles (kind of like Pasta Roni) that I have in the pantry.
So when I signed up to receive Gourmet magazine, there was an offer for a free Everyday Meals cookbook. Actually I think I thought you got the Gourmet cookbook for free, so I was kind of miffed when a recipe pamphlet arrived in the mail a few weeks later. Oh well. I just looked through it for the first time a couple days ago, and there's some yummy sounding stuff in there. I'm actually using it tonight and Monday night (we're having a staycation over the weekend--no cooking!!). In a strange coincidence, I've been looking for a recipe that uses chicken legs because I got some for a smokin' price a couple weeks ago and had no idea what to do with them. Then this recipe dropped into my lap. Beautiful.
Chili and Honey Chicken Legs
2 Tbsp chili powder (not pure chile powder)
1 Tbsp mild honey
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper4 whole chicken legs (2 lbs), thighs and drumsticks separated
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 425. Line bottom of a 15x10 inch shallow baking pan with foil and set an oiled large metal rack in pan.
Stir together chili powder, honey, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, then add chicken and turn to coat completely.
Transfer chicken to rack, arranging in one layer, then bake, turning over once, until cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes.
*****
I have no idea how to separate a chicken leg into thigh and drumstick, so I think mine are staying whole. Unless it's painfully obvious how to do it once I take out the chicken. I'm still not really sure what kind of pan I'm going to use. I think I have a 15x10 roasting pan, but it's not shallow. I could use a cookie sheet, but then I don't have a metal rack that will fit. I'll see what strikes my fancy when I get in the kitchen.
Still not sure what we're going to have with this. I may be completely shameful and make a package of teriyaki noodles (kind of like Pasta Roni) that I have in the pantry.
Review
Mmmmm...White Girl Enchiladas. Or did I call them Lauren's Enchiladas. I don't remember, but either way they were soooooooooooooooooo good. These are definitely my enchiladas of choice. They were a bit spicier than I remembered them being, not sure if I accidentally used jalapenos instead of green chilies or what. The boy didn't like them for that reason, but the husband and I did. I ended up using an 11x7 pan and fit five enchiladas in there, going long-ways. We had the leftovers for dinner last night. Mmmm...these are so good. I definitely need to make them more often.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
White Girl Enchiladas
Generally when I cook a whole chicken it's because I want chicken meat leftover for something else to make later in the week. I hadn't had these enchiladas in a loooooooooooooooooooong time, and they sounded really good to me.
I told the story last time I made these of how they got their name, but basically my Hispanic boss at the time told me that no Mexican would make enchiladas like this when I told her about the recipe, that they were white girl enchiladas. I thought it was funny, so that's what I started calling them. The recipe was originally from my friend Lauren.
White Girl Enchiladas
1-2 lbs chicken (depending on how much you are making)
1-2 small cans of diced green chilis
8 oz block of cream cheese
8-10 flour tortillas
15 oz. can Green Chili enchilada sauce
1 pkg. Cheddar/Mexican Cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook chicken and shred or cut into small pieces in a pan on the stove. Cut up 8 oz. of cream cheese into small pieces so it melts easier. Mix chicken with cream cheese and 1-2 cans of diced green chilis (depending on how spicy you want them) in the pan on medium heat.
Fill each tortilla with mix and fold up. Place into a lightly greased cooking pan, folded side down. Pour cheese and sauce over the enchiladas and put in the oven for 20 minutes.
*****
They're pretty easy to make and quick to assemble. And they taste oh-so-yummy. I don't know if I have quite enough chicken leftover from the other night, so I'm going to cook up an extra chicken breast, too. I didn't really plan anything to have with it, but I'll come up with something. There's some of the slaw mixture left from last night's fish tacos, so we may have that on the side.
I told the story last time I made these of how they got their name, but basically my Hispanic boss at the time told me that no Mexican would make enchiladas like this when I told her about the recipe, that they were white girl enchiladas. I thought it was funny, so that's what I started calling them. The recipe was originally from my friend Lauren.
White Girl Enchiladas
1-2 lbs chicken (depending on how much you are making)
1-2 small cans of diced green chilis
8 oz block of cream cheese
8-10 flour tortillas
15 oz. can Green Chili enchilada sauce
1 pkg. Cheddar/Mexican Cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook chicken and shred or cut into small pieces in a pan on the stove. Cut up 8 oz. of cream cheese into small pieces so it melts easier. Mix chicken with cream cheese and 1-2 cans of diced green chilis (depending on how spicy you want them) in the pan on medium heat.
Fill each tortilla with mix and fold up. Place into a lightly greased cooking pan, folded side down. Pour cheese and sauce over the enchiladas and put in the oven for 20 minutes.
*****
They're pretty easy to make and quick to assemble. And they taste oh-so-yummy. I don't know if I have quite enough chicken leftover from the other night, so I'm going to cook up an extra chicken breast, too. I didn't really plan anything to have with it, but I'll come up with something. There's some of the slaw mixture left from last night's fish tacos, so we may have that on the side.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Blackened Fish Tacos
I came across some tilapia in my freezer recently that I had forgotten about. I think I came across it when I was rummaging for more chicken breasts. I thought of the tilapia when I was making up my menu for this week and thought I'd fix these fish tacos. We've only had them a couple times, but we've really liked them each time. Plus I had a lot of chicken meals, so I wanted to add in some fish and/or vegetarian meals as well to appease the husband.
Blackened Fish Tacos
Slaw:
1/4 cup sliced green onions with tops
2 Tbsp snipped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp Cajun or blackened fish seasoning
2 cups broccoli slaw mix
Fish:
1 pound tilapia or catfish fillets
1 Tbsp Cajun or blackened fish seasoning
1 avocado, seeded and sliced
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
3 medium radishes
Additional snipped fresh cilantro (optional)
For slaw, combine green onions, cilantro, lime juice, oil, garlic, sugar, and Cajun seasoning. Whisk until blended. Add slaw mix; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate until ready to serve.
Heat grill pan over medium heat 5 minutes. Moisten fish fillets with water and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning. Lightly spray pan with vegetable oil. Place fillets in pan; cook over medium heat 10-12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork, carefully turning once. Remove from heat. Flake fish into bite-size pieces.
Cut avocado in half lengthwise; remove seed and cut flesh away from skin. Cut one avocado half into slices. Reserve remaining half for another use. Warm tortillas in microwave or oven. Once heated, top tortillas evenly with slaw mixture and fish. Grate radisehs evenly over fish. Top with avocado slices and sprinkle with additional cilantro.
*****
I'm excited for these. They're tasty and filling but light. I'm going to make Jen B's pinto beans to go with it. Last time I made them, I overcooked them a little. They were still good, just more the consistency of refried beans instead of whole beans. I heart them a lot, so I'm excited for them.
Had I thought about it, I would have picked up some tortilla chips at the store to have as well and used the remaining half of the avocado for some homemade guacamole. Oh well.
Blackened Fish Tacos
Slaw:
1/4 cup sliced green onions with tops
2 Tbsp snipped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp Cajun or blackened fish seasoning
2 cups broccoli slaw mix
Fish:
1 pound tilapia or catfish fillets
1 Tbsp Cajun or blackened fish seasoning
1 avocado, seeded and sliced
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
3 medium radishes
Additional snipped fresh cilantro (optional)
For slaw, combine green onions, cilantro, lime juice, oil, garlic, sugar, and Cajun seasoning. Whisk until blended. Add slaw mix; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate until ready to serve.
Heat grill pan over medium heat 5 minutes. Moisten fish fillets with water and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning. Lightly spray pan with vegetable oil. Place fillets in pan; cook over medium heat 10-12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork, carefully turning once. Remove from heat. Flake fish into bite-size pieces.
Cut avocado in half lengthwise; remove seed and cut flesh away from skin. Cut one avocado half into slices. Reserve remaining half for another use. Warm tortillas in microwave or oven. Once heated, top tortillas evenly with slaw mixture and fish. Grate radisehs evenly over fish. Top with avocado slices and sprinkle with additional cilantro.
*****
I'm excited for these. They're tasty and filling but light. I'm going to make Jen B's pinto beans to go with it. Last time I made them, I overcooked them a little. They were still good, just more the consistency of refried beans instead of whole beans. I heart them a lot, so I'm excited for them.
Had I thought about it, I would have picked up some tortilla chips at the store to have as well and used the remaining half of the avocado for some homemade guacamole. Oh well.
Review
Giada comes through again! The chicken was really yummy and really easy. And it was so much more moist than when I cook a whole chicken in the crockpot. Jen A, you were right! I am switching to cooking whole chickens in the oven instead.
I didn't end up doing the pan sauce. I didn't think there were enough drippings for it, but then when I went to wash the pan I realized there probably would have been. Oh well, the meat was so moist it really didn't need it.
This was definitely something I'll make again. Now to find more roast chicken recipes for the oven...and to learn how to carve up a chicken. I really have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to that. I had an aversion to meat with bones in it for a really long time (I lived with vegetarians in college, what can I say. Hi, Joanne!), so cooking whole chickens is something I've only started doing very recently. I always feel like I'm leaving so much meat on the bones, but I don't know how better to do it.
I didn't end up doing the pan sauce. I didn't think there were enough drippings for it, but then when I went to wash the pan I realized there probably would have been. Oh well, the meat was so moist it really didn't need it.
This was definitely something I'll make again. Now to find more roast chicken recipes for the oven...and to learn how to carve up a chicken. I really have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to that. I had an aversion to meat with bones in it for a really long time (I lived with vegetarians in college, what can I say. Hi, Joanne!), so cooking whole chickens is something I've only started doing very recently. I always feel like I'm leaving so much meat on the bones, but I don't know how better to do it.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Giada's Garlic and Citrus Chicken
A couple months ago I was watching my friend Jen B's son at her house while she got a haircut. While the boys were playing I entertained myself by reading cookbooks she has that I don't. One of them was a Giada one. I know I've expressed my love/hate for Giada before. Her food is so yummy but she's waaaaaaaaaaaaay too skinny for all that goodness she makes. Anyway, I thought this chicken recipe sounded good, but I'm so used to cooking whole chickens in the crockpot I've been hesitant to try it. Finally I said, "Oh get over yourself and just try it." So we're having it tonight. We were going to have it last night, but I forgot to get the chicken out early enough for it to defrost. Oops.
I don't remember which of her cookbooks this was from, but I found it on the Food Network website.
Garlic and Citrus Chicken Recipe
courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
1 (5 to 6-pound) whole roasting chicken, neck and giblets discarded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 orange, quartered
1 lemon, quartered
1 head garlic, halved crosswise, plus 3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 (14-ounce) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
Kitchen string or butcher twine
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the orange, lemon, and garlic halves. Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen string to help hold its shape. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
Place a rack in a large roasting pan. Place the chicken, breast side up, on the rack in the pan. Roast the chicken for 1 hour, basting occasionally and adding some chicken broth to the pan, if necessary, to prevent the pan drippings from burning. Whisk the orange juice, lemon juice, oil, oregano, and chopped garlic in a medium bowl to blend. Brush some of the juice mixture over the chicken, after it has baked 1 hour. Continue roasting the chicken until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the innermost part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F, basting occasionally with the juice mixture and adding broth to the pan, about 45 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Tent with foil while making the sauce (do not clean the pan).
Place the same roasting pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in any remaining broth and simmer until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Strain into a 2-cup glass measuring cup and discard the solids. Spoon the fat from the top of the sauce. Serve the chicken with the pan sauce.
*****
My fingers are crossed it doesn't take forever and a day to cook, as happened with the last whole chicken I tried to cook in the oven instead of the crockpot. I don't know if I'll go to the trouble of making the pan sauce. Sounds time consuming. I'll see how I feel. I think I'm going to make mashed potatoes to go with it and maybe some corn on the side.
I don't remember which of her cookbooks this was from, but I found it on the Food Network website.
Garlic and Citrus Chicken Recipe
courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
1 (5 to 6-pound) whole roasting chicken, neck and giblets discarded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 orange, quartered
1 lemon, quartered
1 head garlic, halved crosswise, plus 3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 (14-ounce) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
Kitchen string or butcher twine
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the orange, lemon, and garlic halves. Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen string to help hold its shape. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
Place a rack in a large roasting pan. Place the chicken, breast side up, on the rack in the pan. Roast the chicken for 1 hour, basting occasionally and adding some chicken broth to the pan, if necessary, to prevent the pan drippings from burning. Whisk the orange juice, lemon juice, oil, oregano, and chopped garlic in a medium bowl to blend. Brush some of the juice mixture over the chicken, after it has baked 1 hour. Continue roasting the chicken until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the innermost part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F, basting occasionally with the juice mixture and adding broth to the pan, about 45 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Tent with foil while making the sauce (do not clean the pan).
Place the same roasting pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in any remaining broth and simmer until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Strain into a 2-cup glass measuring cup and discard the solids. Spoon the fat from the top of the sauce. Serve the chicken with the pan sauce.
*****
My fingers are crossed it doesn't take forever and a day to cook, as happened with the last whole chicken I tried to cook in the oven instead of the crockpot. I don't know if I'll go to the trouble of making the pan sauce. Sounds time consuming. I'll see how I feel. I think I'm going to make mashed potatoes to go with it and maybe some corn on the side.
Review
The fettuccine was really yummy! The sauce seemed a bit thin, but once I mixed the pasta in, it thickened up. I figured it was from the starches on the pasta. Don't rinse your pasta for something like this after you drain it! Then all the starches get washed away and it will be harder for your sauce to stick. No one commented on the cauliflower I had mixed in, so that was a big win. I had forgotten how yummy this is. It's definitely something I need to get back into the dinner rotation.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Fettuccine Alfredo
Once again I had to scramble this afternoon to come up with something to make for dinner. I was going to make a Giada roast chicken recipe, but I forgot to get the chicken out early enough, and it was still pretty frozen when I checked it earlier today. Oops. So we'll have that tomorrow. I was going to make Fettuccine Alfredo for the boy and me while the husband was gone, but then he came home early. So I figured I'd just make that tonight instead of coming up with something totally new.
We haven't had this in quite awhile, so I'm excited for it. It's of course not as good as real alfredo, but few things are. I never eat real alfredo except when I'm pregnant and gaining weight anyway, but so far this time I haven't had it yet. It's killing me!! I only have 13 weeks left (gulp!!!!), so I'd better get some here soon. I think I'm going to steam some broccoli or peas to go with it, and I have some yummy bread in the freezer too.
Fettuccine Alfredo
1 pound uncooked fettuccine
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add half-and-half, cheese, salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; add pasta, tossing gently to coat.
*****
This was originally from Cooking Light and a pretty good "skinny" alfredo. Last time I made it I snuck in some pureed cauliflower, so I might do the same this time if I still have some in the freezer, which I think I do.
We haven't had this in quite awhile, so I'm excited for it. It's of course not as good as real alfredo, but few things are. I never eat real alfredo except when I'm pregnant and gaining weight anyway, but so far this time I haven't had it yet. It's killing me!! I only have 13 weeks left (gulp!!!!), so I'd better get some here soon. I think I'm going to steam some broccoli or peas to go with it, and I have some yummy bread in the freezer too.
Fettuccine Alfredo
1 pound uncooked fettuccine
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add half-and-half, cheese, salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; add pasta, tossing gently to coat.
*****
This was originally from Cooking Light and a pretty good "skinny" alfredo. Last time I made it I snuck in some pureed cauliflower, so I might do the same this time if I still have some in the freezer, which I think I do.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Brats and Pasta Salad
Nothing exciting for dinner here tonight, just grilled brats and a box of pasta salad I'm going to mix up. Since the husband came home a day early I was short one dinner for the week. I found a potential crockpot recipe, but it involved more work than I felt like doing. Brats all I have to do is get them out of the freezer and the husband--God bless him--will do the rest!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Taco Crescent Bake
I've been dying to make this recipe again since the first time we had it a month ago or so. I was going to make it last week when I needed to rearrange my menu, but I didn't have crescent rolls. Hamburger was on sale this week, so I figured it would work out great to have it now. I'm so excited.
Taco Crescent Bake
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 cups crushed corn chips
1 can tomato sauce
1 pkg crescent rolls
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese
Grease/spray a 9x13 baking pan. Spread out the cresent roll dough along the bottom and sides. Pinch the perforations closed. Crumble a layer of half the chips. Brown and drain the ground beef. Add tomato sauce and taco seasoning to the ground beef and simmer a few minutes. Pour beef mixture over chips. Top with sour cream, cheese and remaining chips. Bake. Enjoy!
*****
I can't remember if I used one pound or the 1.5 pounds of ground beef called for when I made it last time. I had made a comment on my post that I thought I had a half pound of hamburger in the freezer I could use, so my guess is I did use the full amount. I think the taco chips I have are a little stale, but I don't think that will be a big deal. Or maybe I'll be surprised and they're fine.
I'm trying to include more vegetables at dinner because I always forget until we're sitting down to eat. I have some yummy canned corn from Trader Joe's, so I think I'll heat up one of those to go with it. I can't wait for dinner!
Taco Crescent Bake
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 cups crushed corn chips
1 can tomato sauce
1 pkg crescent rolls
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese
Grease/spray a 9x13 baking pan. Spread out the cresent roll dough along the bottom and sides. Pinch the perforations closed. Crumble a layer of half the chips. Brown and drain the ground beef. Add tomato sauce and taco seasoning to the ground beef and simmer a few minutes. Pour beef mixture over chips. Top with sour cream, cheese and remaining chips. Bake. Enjoy!
*****
I can't remember if I used one pound or the 1.5 pounds of ground beef called for when I made it last time. I had made a comment on my post that I thought I had a half pound of hamburger in the freezer I could use, so my guess is I did use the full amount. I think the taco chips I have are a little stale, but I don't think that will be a big deal. Or maybe I'll be surprised and they're fine.
I'm trying to include more vegetables at dinner because I always forget until we're sitting down to eat. I have some yummy canned corn from Trader Joe's, so I think I'll heat up one of those to go with it. I can't wait for dinner!
Review
The ziti and cheese bread were so yummy. I don't know when the last time was we had cheese bread, well over a year ago because I'm pretty sure I stopped making it once the husband found out he had high cholesterol. We really enjoyed it. The ziti was good, too. I thought it could have used more sauce (not sure how much I ended up using), but the husband thought there was enough cheese in the dish to make up for it. The boy really liked it, too. I'd definitely make the ziti again. It was really easy to throw together. There's about half the 9x13 pan left, so I think I'm going to wrap it up and freeze it so it doesn't go to waste.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Cheese Bread
This recipe has been around my family for almost as long as I can remember. I think it came from one of my grandma's sisters, and we had it at a family reunion in Missouri in the mid-80s. I think the husband had it for the first time at my parents' house the first time we went to visit them while they still lived in TX. Then he was hooked and asks me to make it every now and then.
WARNING: It is neither diet nor cholesterol friendly, so consider yourself warned. And I'm sure you could make it diet or cholesterol friendly, but I just don't think it would be as good. Kind of like substituting fat free half and half for heavy cream. Yeah you can do it, but somehow it's just not the same.
Cheese Bread
1 loaf french bread
3/4 c. soft butter
1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese
Split loaf of bread lengthwise. Mix butter, mayonnaise, and cheese. Spread butter mixture on each half. Bake bread for 25-30 minutes at 350, until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Slice into serving pieces.
*****
Don't be put off by the mayo if you aren't a mayo fan. But, also make sure you don't use too much or you'll really taste the mayo above anything else, and that would be a shame. I've made that mistake before when I tried to eyeball everything. I'm just watching out for you guys so you don't make the same mistake. And of course I use way more cheese than is called for. I sometimes mix in other cheeses than mozzarella to jazz things up a bit. Really it's whatever I have on hand. Oh, and don't undercook it either, you want to make sure the cheese mixture is melted and gooey and delicious.
Oh man, I can't wait for dinner tonight. I meant to get going on it five minutes ago, so I'd better get my toosh in gear!
WARNING: It is neither diet nor cholesterol friendly, so consider yourself warned. And I'm sure you could make it diet or cholesterol friendly, but I just don't think it would be as good. Kind of like substituting fat free half and half for heavy cream. Yeah you can do it, but somehow it's just not the same.
Cheese Bread
1 loaf french bread
3/4 c. soft butter
1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese
Split loaf of bread lengthwise. Mix butter, mayonnaise, and cheese. Spread butter mixture on each half. Bake bread for 25-30 minutes at 350, until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Slice into serving pieces.
*****
Don't be put off by the mayo if you aren't a mayo fan. But, also make sure you don't use too much or you'll really taste the mayo above anything else, and that would be a shame. I've made that mistake before when I tried to eyeball everything. I'm just watching out for you guys so you don't make the same mistake. And of course I use way more cheese than is called for. I sometimes mix in other cheeses than mozzarella to jazz things up a bit. Really it's whatever I have on hand. Oh, and don't undercook it either, you want to make sure the cheese mixture is melted and gooey and delicious.
Oh man, I can't wait for dinner tonight. I meant to get going on it five minutes ago, so I'd better get my toosh in gear!
Baked Ziti
Well, the husband is home from his trip back east. He had commented before he left that we hadn't had my mom's Cheese Bread recipe in a long time and would like it when he got back. He was supposed to get home tomorrow night, but I did a little rearranging and we're having it tonight. I had some ricotta in the fridge I needed to use up, so I thought Baked Ziti would be perfect with the Cheese Bread. The Cheese Bread recipe, by the way, will be in a separate post after I finish this one.
This Baked Ziti recipe is from the same person as the Eggplant Parmesan I made a couple weeks ago, so I have pretty high hopes. Plus I love cheesy, tomato-ey pasta dishes! Yum!
Baked Ziti
1 box ziti pasta
Spaghetti sauce
1 container ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
2 bags mozzarella cheese
2 handfuls parmesan cheese
Boil pasta until it's al dente. Mix beaten egg and 1 handful of parmesan into ricotta cheese. Drain pasta and add back to wherever you plan to mix everything (like the pot the pasta was boiled in). Mix in sauce, ricotta cheese, half the mozzarella, and another handful of parmesan. Add some sauce to the bottom of the pan, then dump in the pasta mixture. Bake at 350 until bubbling. You could use less mozarella than called for and the spaghetti sauce can be with or without meat.
*****
I need a little more structure in cooking time, so I looked up another Baked Ziti recipe, and it said to bake at 375 for 45 minutes, so I'm going with that. I'll probably check it after 30 minutes and see how it's doing.
I only have half a container of ricotta, so I'm substituting cottage cheese for the other half. I was going to get more ricotta, but cottage cheese was on sale, ricotta wasn't, and I'm cheap. And I'm using the leftover spaghetti sauce I made for the Eggplant Parmesan.
This Baked Ziti recipe is from the same person as the Eggplant Parmesan I made a couple weeks ago, so I have pretty high hopes. Plus I love cheesy, tomato-ey pasta dishes! Yum!
Baked Ziti
1 box ziti pasta
Spaghetti sauce
1 container ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
2 bags mozzarella cheese
2 handfuls parmesan cheese
Boil pasta until it's al dente. Mix beaten egg and 1 handful of parmesan into ricotta cheese. Drain pasta and add back to wherever you plan to mix everything (like the pot the pasta was boiled in). Mix in sauce, ricotta cheese, half the mozzarella, and another handful of parmesan. Add some sauce to the bottom of the pan, then dump in the pasta mixture. Bake at 350 until bubbling. You could use less mozarella than called for and the spaghetti sauce can be with or without meat.
*****
I need a little more structure in cooking time, so I looked up another Baked Ziti recipe, and it said to bake at 375 for 45 minutes, so I'm going with that. I'll probably check it after 30 minutes and see how it's doing.
I only have half a container of ricotta, so I'm substituting cottage cheese for the other half. I was going to get more ricotta, but cottage cheese was on sale, ricotta wasn't, and I'm cheap. And I'm using the leftover spaghetti sauce I made for the Eggplant Parmesan.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Chicken and Yellow Rice
The boy and I are on our own for dinner the next couple nights, so I wanted easy stuff and things that the husband doesn't necessarily like. ;) Tonight's dinner is super easy and one of my favorites. And it's relatively cheap.
Chicken and Yellow Rice
1 package saffron rice mix
1 or 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Cook rice mix according to package directions. Mix in chicken and black beans.
*****
See what I mean, super easy. If I don't add the black beans, I'd probably do two chicken breasts, but since the beans add some substance to the dish, I think I'll just do one chicken breast.
Chicken and Yellow Rice
1 package saffron rice mix
1 or 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Cook rice mix according to package directions. Mix in chicken and black beans.
*****
See what I mean, super easy. If I don't add the black beans, I'd probably do two chicken breasts, but since the beans add some substance to the dish, I think I'll just do one chicken breast.
Review
The cheesecake was yummy. I wouldn't say it was spectacular, but it was tasty for sure. The blackberries macerated (is that right?) really fast. I think the cheesecake could have sat in the fridge for longer than two hours, too. When I had some bites of it this morning I thought it was better than it was last night. There were some berries left, but I haven't had any yet today. I think I prefer a graham cracker crust for cheesecake instead of the one in this recipe. It was good, but I like the flavor of a graham cracker crust better.
Anyway, it was a nice treat because the husband doesn't like cheesecake, so I rarely eat it and I NEVER make it.
ETA: the blackberries DO NOT last overnight. DO NOT let them sit overnight. You'll be amazed at what nastiness they turn into in that amount of time.
Anyway, it was a nice treat because the husband doesn't like cheesecake, so I rarely eat it and I NEVER make it.
ETA: the blackberries DO NOT last overnight. DO NOT let them sit overnight. You'll be amazed at what nastiness they turn into in that amount of time.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Cheesecake with Minted Blackberries
We're going to my grandma's house for dinner tonight, but I offered to bring dessert because I have been DYING to make this recipe ever since I got last month's issue of Gourmet Magazine and it was on the cover. I've gone from never making a Gourmet recipe to making two in a week! Here's the picture:
(I should probably add that it's copyright Gourmet Magazine...I don't know if it really is but probably better to say that and be safe)
Doesn't it look awesome?! The picture on the magazine cover was a little different, but this still looks freakin' amazing. The cards all fell into place to make it when my grocery store had blackberries on sale last week. I figured it was a sign from above. Blackberries are freakin' expensive here in AZ! My grandpa used to pick them near their house in Seattle when we all lived there, so maybe I just always took blackberries for granted. Raspberries, too. But to get raspberries I damn near have to trade my first born for a pint of them.
Anyway, I'm making this to take tonight and can't wait to try it. The husband doesn't like cheesecake, so it's a big treat for me. I'm done with the crust and waiting for it to cool a bit before I start on the actual cheesecake.
Cheesecake with Minted Blackberries
RECIPE BY DAN BARBER
For crust
3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup blanched almonds, finely chopped
For filling
3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup half-and-half
3 large eggs
Make crust:
Preheat oven to 350ºF with rack in middle. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with 2 crisscrossed sheets of foil, leaving an overhang on 2 sides, then lightly butter foil.
Beat together butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add flour and almonds, mixing until combined and dough begins to clump together.
Press onto bottom of baking pan with floured fingers.
Bake just until a shade darker and edges begin to pull away from pan, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool crust completely in pan.
Make filling and bake:
Reduce oven temperature to 325ºF.
Beat together cream cheese, sugar, and flour with cleaned beaters at medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add half-and-half, then eggs 1 at a time, mixing until incorporated. Pour filling into crust.
Bake in a hot water bath until set 1 1/2 inches from edge but center is still wobbly, 40 to 45 minutes. (Center will set as it cools.) Transfer pan to a rack and cool completely, about 2 hours. Chill, uncovered, at least 2 hours.
Using foil overhang, lift cheesecake from pan and peel off foil before cutting into small rectangles.
Cooks’ note: Cheesecake can be chilled (loosely covered once cold) up to 3 days.
Minted Blackberries
RECIPE BY DAN BARBER
3 cups blackberries (3/4 lb)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Stir together all ingredients in a bowl or airtight container and let macerate at room temperature 30 minutes.
Cooks’ note: Blackberries can be chilled (after macerating) up to 2 hours.
*****
I cannot wait for dessert time to get here!! I'm so intrigued to see how the blackberries taste with the mint. I love fresh mint but never know what to use it for, other than just smelling it. I figure I'll wait and macerate the blackberries at my grandma's so they don't sit too long and start to apart.
(I should probably add that it's copyright Gourmet Magazine...I don't know if it really is but probably better to say that and be safe)
Doesn't it look awesome?! The picture on the magazine cover was a little different, but this still looks freakin' amazing. The cards all fell into place to make it when my grocery store had blackberries on sale last week. I figured it was a sign from above. Blackberries are freakin' expensive here in AZ! My grandpa used to pick them near their house in Seattle when we all lived there, so maybe I just always took blackberries for granted. Raspberries, too. But to get raspberries I damn near have to trade my first born for a pint of them.
Anyway, I'm making this to take tonight and can't wait to try it. The husband doesn't like cheesecake, so it's a big treat for me. I'm done with the crust and waiting for it to cool a bit before I start on the actual cheesecake.
Cheesecake with Minted Blackberries
RECIPE BY DAN BARBER
For crust
3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup blanched almonds, finely chopped
For filling
3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup half-and-half
3 large eggs
Make crust:
Preheat oven to 350ºF with rack in middle. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with 2 crisscrossed sheets of foil, leaving an overhang on 2 sides, then lightly butter foil.
Beat together butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add flour and almonds, mixing until combined and dough begins to clump together.
Press onto bottom of baking pan with floured fingers.
Bake just until a shade darker and edges begin to pull away from pan, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool crust completely in pan.
Make filling and bake:
Reduce oven temperature to 325ºF.
Beat together cream cheese, sugar, and flour with cleaned beaters at medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add half-and-half, then eggs 1 at a time, mixing until incorporated. Pour filling into crust.
Bake in a hot water bath until set 1 1/2 inches from edge but center is still wobbly, 40 to 45 minutes. (Center will set as it cools.) Transfer pan to a rack and cool completely, about 2 hours. Chill, uncovered, at least 2 hours.
Using foil overhang, lift cheesecake from pan and peel off foil before cutting into small rectangles.
Cooks’ note: Cheesecake can be chilled (loosely covered once cold) up to 3 days.
Minted Blackberries
RECIPE BY DAN BARBER
3 cups blackberries (3/4 lb)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Stir together all ingredients in a bowl or airtight container and let macerate at room temperature 30 minutes.
Cooks’ note: Blackberries can be chilled (after macerating) up to 2 hours.
*****
I cannot wait for dessert time to get here!! I'm so intrigued to see how the blackberries taste with the mint. I love fresh mint but never know what to use it for, other than just smelling it. I figure I'll wait and macerate the blackberries at my grandma's so they don't sit too long and start to apart.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Chicken Parmesan Pasta Toss
Our dinner tonight was almost thwarted by a pregnancy craving. I was dying for some biscuits from Popeye's. The husband was going to go get us that for dinner, but we decided it wasn't worth the drive or the cost. Because we're budget friendly and all that. ;)
I had originally planned on making a chicken recipe that was something like chicken with florentine sauce. It sounded and looked good, but I forgot a couple ingredients and I only had two chicken breasts. Oops. I went back through my chicken recipes on here to see if I could find some kind of casserole or skillet dish to make where two chicken breasts would get me by. I saw my chicken parmesan recipe and thought that sounded good, so I decided to invent a new dish. Lo and behold, my Chicken Parmesan Pasta Toss was born.
Chicken Parmesan Pasta Toss
2 chicken breasts
2 egg whites
Italian bread crumbs
8 ounces (dried) rotini pasta
2 cups spaghetti sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
Grated parmesan
Cut chicken breasts into bite size pieces. Place egg whites in a pie plate, place bread crumbs into a gallon Ziploc bag. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Put chicken pieces into egg whites and coat chicken. Transfer chicken to Ziploc bag and close bag. Shake to coat chicken pieces. Move chicken pieces to skillet with olive oil; cook until golden brown and cooked through.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water and drain when done cooking. Return pasta to pasta pot, add in chicken. Pour in spaghetti sauce, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan. Stir to combine. Serve.
*****
This was an awesome creation, if I do say so myself. I'm always a bit skeptical when I come up with my own dinner creations, but this is something I'd definitely make again. I used a pouch of the Ragu All Natural spaghetti sauce because I had it in my pantry, and the only other sauce I had was frozen. The amount of sauce in the pouch was perfect. I guessed at how much was in the pouch. I also don't know exactly how much of the bread crumbs I used. I poured them into the bag until it looked like it was going to be enough.
This was ridiculously easy, too. I put the pot of water on to boil right before I put the chicken in the skillet, so even my timing of everything worked out pretty perfectly. The husband stopped himself after having seconds but said he would have gone back for more.
I had originally planned on making a chicken recipe that was something like chicken with florentine sauce. It sounded and looked good, but I forgot a couple ingredients and I only had two chicken breasts. Oops. I went back through my chicken recipes on here to see if I could find some kind of casserole or skillet dish to make where two chicken breasts would get me by. I saw my chicken parmesan recipe and thought that sounded good, so I decided to invent a new dish. Lo and behold, my Chicken Parmesan Pasta Toss was born.
Chicken Parmesan Pasta Toss
2 chicken breasts
2 egg whites
Italian bread crumbs
8 ounces (dried) rotini pasta
2 cups spaghetti sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
Grated parmesan
Cut chicken breasts into bite size pieces. Place egg whites in a pie plate, place bread crumbs into a gallon Ziploc bag. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Put chicken pieces into egg whites and coat chicken. Transfer chicken to Ziploc bag and close bag. Shake to coat chicken pieces. Move chicken pieces to skillet with olive oil; cook until golden brown and cooked through.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water and drain when done cooking. Return pasta to pasta pot, add in chicken. Pour in spaghetti sauce, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan. Stir to combine. Serve.
*****
This was an awesome creation, if I do say so myself. I'm always a bit skeptical when I come up with my own dinner creations, but this is something I'd definitely make again. I used a pouch of the Ragu All Natural spaghetti sauce because I had it in my pantry, and the only other sauce I had was frozen. The amount of sauce in the pouch was perfect. I guessed at how much was in the pouch. I also don't know exactly how much of the bread crumbs I used. I poured them into the bag until it looked like it was going to be enough.
This was ridiculously easy, too. I put the pot of water on to boil right before I put the chicken in the skillet, so even my timing of everything worked out pretty perfectly. The husband stopped himself after having seconds but said he would have gone back for more.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Risotto
I only had time last night to post one recipe because we ended up eating really late and it was about time for bed. I was cooking some marinated mahi mahi filets I got at Trader Joe's, and I thought--like their ahi tuna steaks--there were only two in the package. So I suggested to the husband that we eat dinner after the boy went to bed. We had some brie to tide us over...I heart brie so much. When I took the fish out to let it thaw in a bigger container, I found there were five pieces of fish in it. Oops. Oh well, the boy doesn't really eat fish anyway, unless it's tuna from a can.
I had been dying to try this risotto recipe and had bought stuff to make it a couple times, but for whatever reasons it never worked out. It's from one of my favorite websites, Pioneer Woman Cooks!. If you haven't been there yet, GO NOW! This will still be here when you get back. ;) My friend Jen B. made it before and said it was awesome. I heart risotto, so I couldn't wait. I decided to half the recipe because she had said it made a lot and wasn't as good the next day. The recipe below is for the whole shebang.
PW’s Perfect Risotto
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 small or 1/2 medium onion
3 to 4 cloves garlic
1 pound Arborio rice
7 to 8 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
1 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups (total) grated Parmesan, Romano, and/or Asiago cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
Chopped chives
Heat oil in large skillet, then add chopped onion and garlic and cook until soft. Dump in 1 pound dry Arborio rice, and stir to coat. Then add the broth, in 1-cup increments, stirring after each addition until liquid is absorbed. Rice is done when it no longer has a hard bite. After all liquid is absorbed, add cream, cheese, salt & pepper, and stir to combine. Stir in chives and serve immediately.
*****
Now, somehow I didn't have any onions. Not sure how that happened, but I did have some shallots, so I used those instead. And there was a near mishap with the heavy cream. I bought some last week, and the date on it was yesterday. I opened it and poured it into my measuring cup...and clumps came out. GROSS!!! I had some fat free half and half I was going to use (you have no idea my disappointment), but then I saw another container of cream in the fridge that was still good! Hooray!! Mine took about 3 cups of chicken broth, which was good because that was exactly how much I had.
The risotto was AWESOME. The husband and I both had seconds, and there was about one serving left. I put it in the fridge but haven't tried it yet today to see if Jen's right and it doesn't reheat well. She's usually right about that stuff, so I trust her opinion. Oh, and I'd say it probably took 30 minutes for the risotto. The husband and I both agreed we could have stood over the pan and ate the remaining portion, but as it was 9:00, we figured that probably wasn't the best idea. I will DEFINITELY be making this again!
(No dinner tonight, by the way...we have a birthday party to go to!)
I had been dying to try this risotto recipe and had bought stuff to make it a couple times, but for whatever reasons it never worked out. It's from one of my favorite websites, Pioneer Woman Cooks!. If you haven't been there yet, GO NOW! This will still be here when you get back. ;) My friend Jen B. made it before and said it was awesome. I heart risotto, so I couldn't wait. I decided to half the recipe because she had said it made a lot and wasn't as good the next day. The recipe below is for the whole shebang.
PW’s Perfect Risotto
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 small or 1/2 medium onion
3 to 4 cloves garlic
1 pound Arborio rice
7 to 8 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
1 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups (total) grated Parmesan, Romano, and/or Asiago cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
Chopped chives
Heat oil in large skillet, then add chopped onion and garlic and cook until soft. Dump in 1 pound dry Arborio rice, and stir to coat. Then add the broth, in 1-cup increments, stirring after each addition until liquid is absorbed. Rice is done when it no longer has a hard bite. After all liquid is absorbed, add cream, cheese, salt & pepper, and stir to combine. Stir in chives and serve immediately.
*****
Now, somehow I didn't have any onions. Not sure how that happened, but I did have some shallots, so I used those instead. And there was a near mishap with the heavy cream. I bought some last week, and the date on it was yesterday. I opened it and poured it into my measuring cup...and clumps came out. GROSS!!! I had some fat free half and half I was going to use (you have no idea my disappointment), but then I saw another container of cream in the fridge that was still good! Hooray!! Mine took about 3 cups of chicken broth, which was good because that was exactly how much I had.
The risotto was AWESOME. The husband and I both had seconds, and there was about one serving left. I put it in the fridge but haven't tried it yet today to see if Jen's right and it doesn't reheat well. She's usually right about that stuff, so I trust her opinion. Oh, and I'd say it probably took 30 minutes for the risotto. The husband and I both agreed we could have stood over the pan and ate the remaining portion, but as it was 9:00, we figured that probably wasn't the best idea. I will DEFINITELY be making this again!
(No dinner tonight, by the way...we have a birthday party to go to!)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Honey Chicken Stir-Fry
I did make dinner on Tuesday, but it was just tacos...nothing exciting. Last night I had planned on making Tofu Lo Mein, but when I got the tofu out to drain it, I saw it had a use by date of August 7th. Ugh. So I figured I'd do chicken stir fry instead, but I had no teriyaki. Double ugh. I started panicking a bit because I had to leave for a girl's night out (saw "Mamma Mia"...such a fun movie!!!) at 6:30. I went to the ol' standby of allrecipes.com to look up teriyaki recipes or stir fry recipes. I found this stir fry recipe that sounded tasty, had good reviews, and I had everything on hand for it. Perfect!!
Honey Chicken Stir-Fry
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli stir-fry vegetable blend
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
Hot cooked rice
In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken and garlic in 2 teaspoons oil. Add the honey, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until chicken is lightly browned and juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.
In the same pan, stir-fry the vegetables in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes or until heated through. Return chicken to the pan; mix well. Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Serve over rice.
*****
It turned out pretty well. There could have been more sauce, but that was my only complaint. I added in some crushed red pepper and used chicken broth for the cornstarch instead of water. I don't know if I'd necessarily make it again, but it wasn't bad. We had yummy Trader Joe's vegetable egg rolls with it. Those I LOVE!
Honey Chicken Stir-Fry
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli stir-fry vegetable blend
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
Hot cooked rice
In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken and garlic in 2 teaspoons oil. Add the honey, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until chicken is lightly browned and juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.
In the same pan, stir-fry the vegetables in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes or until heated through. Return chicken to the pan; mix well. Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Serve over rice.
*****
It turned out pretty well. There could have been more sauce, but that was my only complaint. I added in some crushed red pepper and used chicken broth for the cornstarch instead of water. I don't know if I'd necessarily make it again, but it wasn't bad. We had yummy Trader Joe's vegetable egg rolls with it. Those I LOVE!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Orecchiette with Salsa Cruda and Ricotta
Well, my cold has turned into a sinus infection, so I don't know when I'll be back to making dinner as 1) I feel horrible, and 2) nothing sounds good. Except a Sonic milkshake...I'd take one of those right now. Anyway, I was feeling better over the weekend and made dinner on Sunday night. Last night I went to Urgent Care, and we had Sonic for dinner.
This was the recipe from Gourmet magazine I had mentioned I was looking forward to making. There was a bit of a mishap because the magazine went missing when I went to make dinner on Sunday. Somehow it ended up behind our entertainment center. My guess is little two year old hands were at work there because I'm not in the habit of putting stuff back there.
Orecchiette with Salsa Cruda and Ricotta
1 medium shallot, minced
2 small garlic cloves, forced through a garlic press
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 lbs tomatoes, chopped
1/4 tsp hot red-pepper flakes
1/3 cup chopped basil
1 lb dried orecchiette
3/4 cup ricotta (preferably fresh)
small basil leaves for garnish
Stir together all ingredients except pasta and ricotta in a large bowl with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Let stand, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook orecchiette in a pasta pot of boiling, salted water (3 Tbsp salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente.
Drain pasta and toss with tomato salsa. Season with salt and pepper and dollop with ricota.
*****
I couldn't find orecchiette when I was looking for pasta, so I used bow ties. I also forgot to add any salt to the pasta water or salsa mixture. I thought it could have used some salt, the husband thought it was fine. And instead of dolloping the ricotta on, I mixed it in with the pasta and salsa. I probably used more like a cup than 3/4 cup. We all really liked it--even the boy ate quite a bit! It's definitely something I'd make again...tasty and quick to come together!
My mom's coming to take the boy for the day, so hopefully after a day of resting and doing nothing, I'll be mostly back to normal and willing to make dinner tonight. But, no promises!
This was the recipe from Gourmet magazine I had mentioned I was looking forward to making. There was a bit of a mishap because the magazine went missing when I went to make dinner on Sunday. Somehow it ended up behind our entertainment center. My guess is little two year old hands were at work there because I'm not in the habit of putting stuff back there.
Orecchiette with Salsa Cruda and Ricotta
1 medium shallot, minced
2 small garlic cloves, forced through a garlic press
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 lbs tomatoes, chopped
1/4 tsp hot red-pepper flakes
1/3 cup chopped basil
1 lb dried orecchiette
3/4 cup ricotta (preferably fresh)
small basil leaves for garnish
Stir together all ingredients except pasta and ricotta in a large bowl with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Let stand, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook orecchiette in a pasta pot of boiling, salted water (3 Tbsp salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente.
Drain pasta and toss with tomato salsa. Season with salt and pepper and dollop with ricota.
*****
I couldn't find orecchiette when I was looking for pasta, so I used bow ties. I also forgot to add any salt to the pasta water or salsa mixture. I thought it could have used some salt, the husband thought it was fine. And instead of dolloping the ricotta on, I mixed it in with the pasta and salsa. I probably used more like a cup than 3/4 cup. We all really liked it--even the boy ate quite a bit! It's definitely something I'd make again...tasty and quick to come together!
My mom's coming to take the boy for the day, so hopefully after a day of resting and doing nothing, I'll be mostly back to normal and willing to make dinner tonight. But, no promises!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
This is so cool...
The husband went to play golf yesterday, so the boy and I went to my grandma's for the day. She's getting ready to move into an independent living facility (she's 90!!!), so we went over to help her pack. She had some stuff she had set aside that she wanted me to have, and while we were there I asked her about her cookbooks, if she was taking them with her. She was only taking a couple, so I jumped at the chance to look through them. She has some great church cookbooks from the church we used to go to when we all lived in Seattle. Anyway, my great aunt (my grandpa's sister) wrote several cookbooks during her life, which I had known about. My grandma has all of them, so I was looking through them and noticed on the cover of one it said, "James Beard award winning author."
My jaw dropped. My great aunt won a James Beard Award?!?!?!? First I called my friend Jen B. because I knew she'd want to hear it and would be as impressed as I was. Then I got on the James Beard website to see what she'd won it for. She won in 1994 for Healthy Focus Book for a diabetic cookbook she wrote, and then she was nominated for the same category in 2003. How cool is this?!?!?!?
So see...I have good cooking genes in me, so y'all are lucky you read my blog. ;)
I'll be back to cooking dinner tonight. This cold has really kicked my butt, and then yesterday we had dinner at my mom's. But tonight and the coming week it's back to the usual!
My jaw dropped. My great aunt won a James Beard Award?!?!?!? First I called my friend Jen B. because I knew she'd want to hear it and would be as impressed as I was. Then I got on the James Beard website to see what she'd won it for. She won in 1994 for Healthy Focus Book for a diabetic cookbook she wrote, and then she was nominated for the same category in 2003. How cool is this?!?!?!?
So see...I have good cooking genes in me, so y'all are lucky you read my blog. ;)
I'll be back to cooking dinner tonight. This cold has really kicked my butt, and then yesterday we had dinner at my mom's. But tonight and the coming week it's back to the usual!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Let me first say that this is not my mom's chocolate chip cookie recipe. I think the sun would have set and risen again in the time it would take me to think of when the last time would have been that my mom made chocolate chip cookies. I'd always ask her when I was growing up why she didn't make cookies more often, and she said she didn't want them around because she'd eat them. I didn't understand it at the time because what kid could possibly fathom not wanting to eat cookies constantly, but now as an adult I completely understand. Especially after having baked these!
This is another recipe from my message board cookbook. I have a great chocolate chip cookie recipe that I love making, but these sounded interesting, so I figured I'd try them out. The boy helped me make them. We were talking this morning about making cookies and I asked if he thought that would be fun. His answer totally cracked me up..."fun in my mouth!"
Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2-1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
Preheat oven to 375. Cream butter and sugars. Add next four ingredients. Combine flour and baking soda, add to creamed mixture and mix well. Drop onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes.
*****
I've had four of them so far. I can't stop eating them!! I think it's the pudding mix that makes them tasty and soft and chewy. Oh, and for the record I did not separately combine the flour and baking soda. Why dirty another bowl, I figure. I'm all about using as few bowls as possible (really I just hate doing dishes). Oh, and I used milk chocolate chips...Trader Joe's brand. I think those are my new chocolate chips of choice. TJ's brand, not necessarily the milk chocolate ones.
I had a yummy pasta dish planned for dinner tonight, but this cold is kicking my butt. I don't know what will happen with dinner. I may end up making it if I can rest a bit this afternoon, or we may go with our universal dinner back-up plan: $5 pizza from Little Caesar's. Regardless, the pasta dish will come sometime soon. It's from the most recent issue of Gourmet magazine. This will be my first Gourmet recipe I'll have made, so I'm pretty excited for it. Don't worry--it's super easy and quick sounding. We'll dive into the world of Gourmet together!
This is another recipe from my message board cookbook. I have a great chocolate chip cookie recipe that I love making, but these sounded interesting, so I figured I'd try them out. The boy helped me make them. We were talking this morning about making cookies and I asked if he thought that would be fun. His answer totally cracked me up..."fun in my mouth!"
Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2-1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
Preheat oven to 375. Cream butter and sugars. Add next four ingredients. Combine flour and baking soda, add to creamed mixture and mix well. Drop onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes.
*****
I've had four of them so far. I can't stop eating them!! I think it's the pudding mix that makes them tasty and soft and chewy. Oh, and for the record I did not separately combine the flour and baking soda. Why dirty another bowl, I figure. I'm all about using as few bowls as possible (really I just hate doing dishes). Oh, and I used milk chocolate chips...Trader Joe's brand. I think those are my new chocolate chips of choice. TJ's brand, not necessarily the milk chocolate ones.
I had a yummy pasta dish planned for dinner tonight, but this cold is kicking my butt. I don't know what will happen with dinner. I may end up making it if I can rest a bit this afternoon, or we may go with our universal dinner back-up plan: $5 pizza from Little Caesar's. Regardless, the pasta dish will come sometime soon. It's from the most recent issue of Gourmet magazine. This will be my first Gourmet recipe I'll have made, so I'm pretty excited for it. Don't worry--it's super easy and quick sounding. We'll dive into the world of Gourmet together!
Review
I was the only one that liked the Chicken Korma. It was too spicy for the boy, and the husband once again professed his hatred of Indian food. I finally told him to be quiet so I could enjoy the dinner I had so looked forward to. He wasn't that annoying, but I was tired of hearing him talk about how he doesn't like curry and couldn't believe I'd make Indian food. Sheesh. So much for trying to expand his horizons.
It's something I'd buy again, but only to make when the husband was out of town. I'd also cut down on the amount of water it said to add because it seemed to runny to me.
It's something I'd buy again, but only to make when the husband was out of town. I'd also cut down on the amount of water it said to add because it seemed to runny to me.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Chicken Korma
We were going to have this last night, but I've come down with a yucky cold. I did make dinner to take to a friend (a Rick Bayless Mexican recipe that I'll eventually make for us), but that was it. I was going to post that recipe, but I couldn't find it online and didn't feel like typing it out. I'll type it out when I eventually make it.
Anyway, my week of Trader Joe's feasting continues. Tonight we're having Chicken Korma which is my most favorite Indian dish. I heart Indian food and NEVER get to have it. Remember when I said I had a friend that used to go eat Thai food with me? We went for Indian a lot too. The husband HATES Indian food (he doesn't know tonight's dinner is Indian), so I really never ever get it. This dinner is ridiculously easy.
Chicken Korma
1 lb. chicken breast, diced (or tofu)
1 jar Trade Joe's Chicken Korma simmer sauce
8 ounces water
Brown chicken in skillet until mostly cooked. Add jar of simmer sauce and eight ounces water. Simmer until heated through.
*****
We're having basmati rice with it and some garlic naan bread. I heart naan! It's on the stove right now, and it's looking like the eight ounces of water might be a bit much. Granted it's been a long time since I've had chicken korma, but I'm pretty sure the sauce was thicker than this is looking.
Anyway, my week of Trader Joe's feasting continues. Tonight we're having Chicken Korma which is my most favorite Indian dish. I heart Indian food and NEVER get to have it. Remember when I said I had a friend that used to go eat Thai food with me? We went for Indian a lot too. The husband HATES Indian food (he doesn't know tonight's dinner is Indian), so I really never ever get it. This dinner is ridiculously easy.
Chicken Korma
1 lb. chicken breast, diced (or tofu)
1 jar Trade Joe's Chicken Korma simmer sauce
8 ounces water
Brown chicken in skillet until mostly cooked. Add jar of simmer sauce and eight ounces water. Simmer until heated through.
*****
We're having basmati rice with it and some garlic naan bread. I heart naan! It's on the stove right now, and it's looking like the eight ounces of water might be a bit much. Granted it's been a long time since I've had chicken korma, but I'm pretty sure the sauce was thicker than this is looking.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Review
Wow. Wow! Wow!!! The eggplant parmesan was awesome. Awesome, I tell you!! It was definitely time consuming, I'm glad I got the eggplant fried and the whoel thing assembled during naptime, otherwise it would have been really late when we were eating. The recipe had said that the eggplant browned really quickly, but mine took awhile. Not sure if I didn't have enough oil or it wasn't hot enough (it seemed hot enough), but it took a few minutes per side. I actually ended up putting my first batch back in for awhile because it wasn't nice and golden brown like the later batches.
The tomato sauce was really good, too. I let it simmer for probably three hours. I felt like an Italian mama having a pot of sauce simmering on my stove for that long. :) It was super easy to put together and tasted really yummy. I used probably half of it for the eggplant parm and froze the other half.
Assembly of the eggplant was really easy. For the parmesan cheese layer, I just held my microplane over the casserole dish (I used a 9x13) and grated the cheese all over the top. I didn't use fresh mozzarella either, just regular. And I used more than a pound because I bought a one pound block of it but also added some shredded mozzarella I had in the fridge.
I took pictures while I was doing stuff and added them into the recipe posting. Have something handy to wipe up your drool while you're looking at them. ;)
The tomato sauce was really good, too. I let it simmer for probably three hours. I felt like an Italian mama having a pot of sauce simmering on my stove for that long. :) It was super easy to put together and tasted really yummy. I used probably half of it for the eggplant parm and froze the other half.
Assembly of the eggplant was really easy. For the parmesan cheese layer, I just held my microplane over the casserole dish (I used a 9x13) and grated the cheese all over the top. I didn't use fresh mozzarella either, just regular. And I used more than a pound because I bought a one pound block of it but also added some shredded mozzarella I had in the fridge.
I took pictures while I was doing stuff and added them into the recipe posting. Have something handy to wipe up your drool while you're looking at them. ;)
Monday, August 4, 2008
Eggplant Parmesan
Our weekend plans got turned upside down a bit, but it all worked out okay. We ended up at my mom's last night, so tonight is going to be eggplant parmesan night! The husand and I finally got to see the new Batman movie. Third try's the charm I guess. Even that was almost thwarted--the husband locked his keys in our car, and of course I hadn't taken mine since he had his. And of course neither of us had our cell phones. Sheesh. It all worked out though.
I've been dying to make this eggplant parmesan recipe ever since I got my message board's cookbook. I just hadn't seen eggplant anywhere at a decent price. Then I was at Trader Joe's last week, and they had a package of two eggplant for $3. That seemed reasonable to me! Everyone who has tried this recipe says it's awesome. I can't wait for dinner!! I'm even making my own tomato sauce for it. The recipe for the sauce is from the same person. I'll post both for y'all.
Eggplant Parmesan
2 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick round slices
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
Flour for dredging
6 large eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp whole milk
Olive oil, as needed
Tomato sauce
Parmesan cheese
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Place the flour in a plate or bowl. Add oregano and thyme. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Dredge an eggplant slice in the flour then dip it in the egg mixture. Shake off any excess egg and start frying. Turn the eggplant once, cooking until golden brown. It cooks very quickly so keep your eye on them. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet and season with salt to taste. Repeat with the remaining eggplant. Preheat oven to 400. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with some tomato sauce and arrange the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with more sauce and scatter half of the parmesan and mozzarella over the sauced eggplant. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, sauce, parmesan, and mozzarella. Bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
Tomato Sauce
3 cans crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
Fresh basil
Mince the garlic and onion. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add cans of crushed tomatoes plus half a can of water and bring to a boil. When it's boiling, turn the heat way down and let it simmer. The longer you let it simmer, the better it will taste. For three cans, let simmer about 90 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and oregano to taste. At the very end chop up some basil and stir it in (dried basil would work too).
*****
Wouldn't a nice bottle of red wine be oh-so-awesome with this? Yes, it's 7:30 in the morning and I'm wishing for red wine. Tells you what kind of a start my day is off to, huh.
Anyway. Doesn't this sound so yummy? I asked the person who submitted the recipe a couple questions, and she said she usually preps it all in the morning then sticks it in the fridge and bakes it for closer to 45 minutes since it can take awhile to do the eggplant frying. The boy and I are going to the store after Sesame Street this morning, then I'll throw the stuff together for the sauce when we get home. I figure I can do the eggplant during naptime, get it all assembled and in the fridge so we can eat at a reasonable time. I'm horrible at timing things to be done at a certain time.
*****
I took pictures! I was going to put them in the review and then thought that was silly.
My two beautiful eggplants:
Sliced eggplant, ready and waiting for flour and eggwash (I got to use my new camera lens for some of the pics...exciting!!):
Eggplant in its oil hot tub (and my Le Creuset buffet casserole pan!):
Eggplant after being fried:
Oh yeah, and here's my pot of tomato sauce:
First layer of eggplant:
Second layer of eggplant:
Finished product...lordy mama, don't you want to grab a fork and dig right in?!
I've been dying to make this eggplant parmesan recipe ever since I got my message board's cookbook. I just hadn't seen eggplant anywhere at a decent price. Then I was at Trader Joe's last week, and they had a package of two eggplant for $3. That seemed reasonable to me! Everyone who has tried this recipe says it's awesome. I can't wait for dinner!! I'm even making my own tomato sauce for it. The recipe for the sauce is from the same person. I'll post both for y'all.
Eggplant Parmesan
2 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick round slices
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
Flour for dredging
6 large eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp whole milk
Olive oil, as needed
Tomato sauce
Parmesan cheese
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Place the flour in a plate or bowl. Add oregano and thyme. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Dredge an eggplant slice in the flour then dip it in the egg mixture. Shake off any excess egg and start frying. Turn the eggplant once, cooking until golden brown. It cooks very quickly so keep your eye on them. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet and season with salt to taste. Repeat with the remaining eggplant. Preheat oven to 400. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with some tomato sauce and arrange the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with more sauce and scatter half of the parmesan and mozzarella over the sauced eggplant. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, sauce, parmesan, and mozzarella. Bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
Tomato Sauce
3 cans crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
Oregano
Salt
Pepper
Fresh basil
Mince the garlic and onion. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add cans of crushed tomatoes plus half a can of water and bring to a boil. When it's boiling, turn the heat way down and let it simmer. The longer you let it simmer, the better it will taste. For three cans, let simmer about 90 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and oregano to taste. At the very end chop up some basil and stir it in (dried basil would work too).
*****
Wouldn't a nice bottle of red wine be oh-so-awesome with this? Yes, it's 7:30 in the morning and I'm wishing for red wine. Tells you what kind of a start my day is off to, huh.
Anyway. Doesn't this sound so yummy? I asked the person who submitted the recipe a couple questions, and she said she usually preps it all in the morning then sticks it in the fridge and bakes it for closer to 45 minutes since it can take awhile to do the eggplant frying. The boy and I are going to the store after Sesame Street this morning, then I'll throw the stuff together for the sauce when we get home. I figure I can do the eggplant during naptime, get it all assembled and in the fridge so we can eat at a reasonable time. I'm horrible at timing things to be done at a certain time.
*****
I took pictures! I was going to put them in the review and then thought that was silly.
My two beautiful eggplants:
Sliced eggplant, ready and waiting for flour and eggwash (I got to use my new camera lens for some of the pics...exciting!!):
Eggplant in its oil hot tub (and my Le Creuset buffet casserole pan!):
Eggplant after being fried:
Oh yeah, and here's my pot of tomato sauce:
First layer of eggplant:
Second layer of eggplant:
Finished product...lordy mama, don't you want to grab a fork and dig right in?!
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Pulled Pork
My friend April had a baby just about two weeks ago. We were going to meet some friends for lunch yesterday out near her, so I asked if we could bring dinner over and meet baby Jace. I had planned on making pulled pork in the crockpot on Thursday night, so I just threw in an extra pound of pork roast to take that over for them. I had planned on fancying it up a bit, but then I was lazy when I was tossing stuff in the crockpot.
Pulled Pork
1-2 pounds pork loin roast
1 bottle barbecue sauce
Place pork roast(s) in crockpot. Cover with barbecue sauce. Sometimes I pour a little water into the bottle when it's mostly empty and shake it around to get the sauce that's stuck to the sides. Cook on low 6-8 hours (if still frozen when you put it in, it will be more like eight hours). Remove pork, shred with two forks, and mix in some sauce. Serve on hamburger buns.
*****
So easy! My plan had been to dice up some onion and add in some stuff to perk up the bottled BBQ sauce, but like I said, I was lazy. It turned out fine, so I have no complaints.
Last night we had a banquet at church so I was off the hook for dinner. Now tonight we're going to my mom's and getting yummy Mexican take-out. Woo hoo...two nights off of cooking duty! Stay tuned for my recipe tomorrow night...I'm going to attempt eggplant parmesan for the first time. And this coming week is going to be a Trader Joe's fest!! Pregnant women should not go to TJ's when they are hungry, but man alive did I get some yummy stuff, and I won't really have to go shopping this coming week.
Pulled Pork
1-2 pounds pork loin roast
1 bottle barbecue sauce
Place pork roast(s) in crockpot. Cover with barbecue sauce. Sometimes I pour a little water into the bottle when it's mostly empty and shake it around to get the sauce that's stuck to the sides. Cook on low 6-8 hours (if still frozen when you put it in, it will be more like eight hours). Remove pork, shred with two forks, and mix in some sauce. Serve on hamburger buns.
*****
So easy! My plan had been to dice up some onion and add in some stuff to perk up the bottled BBQ sauce, but like I said, I was lazy. It turned out fine, so I have no complaints.
Last night we had a banquet at church so I was off the hook for dinner. Now tonight we're going to my mom's and getting yummy Mexican take-out. Woo hoo...two nights off of cooking duty! Stay tuned for my recipe tomorrow night...I'm going to attempt eggplant parmesan for the first time. And this coming week is going to be a Trader Joe's fest!! Pregnant women should not go to TJ's when they are hungry, but man alive did I get some yummy stuff, and I won't really have to go shopping this coming week.
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