The fettuccine was good, but my sauce was REALLY thick. I ended up adding quite a bit more milk to thin it out, but even after adding an extra cup, it still ended up pretty thick. I don't know if I let it sit too long or what. It was still good, just really thick.
I started the water for the pasta after I had started the sauce. In hindsight, I should have started the sauce when I put the pasta in the water to cook. I think the timing would have worked out perfectly (or close to it), and the sauce may not have been as thick.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine Alfredo is one of my most favorite things, but I never eat it because it's so bad for you. I've heard it refered to as "a heart attack on a plate." I did eat it a lot when I was pregnant because I figured I was gaining weight anyway, so who cared, but I don't think I've had it since then. We do have this version every now and then. It's from Cooking Light, which you all know I love. I've added chicken and broccoli to it before, but I think tonight we're just having it plain. I don't know, I may grill a chicken breast to add to mine, but the husband requested no meat in his.
Fettuccine Alfredo
1 tablespoon margarine
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups skim milk
2 tablespoons light process cream cheese
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
4 cups hot cooked fettuccine (cooked without salt or fat)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground pepper
Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic, and saut 1 minute. Stir in flour. Gradually add skim milk, stirring with a wire whisk until mixture is blended. Cook, stirring constantly, 8 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly.
Stir in cream cheese; cook 2 minutes. Add 1 cup Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly until Parmesan cheese melts.
Pour sauce over hot cooked fettuccine, and toss well to coat. Top fettuccine with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and pepper.
*****
I haven't made this in awhile, but I want to say I usually end up using more cream cheese than is listed. I like saucy pasta, what can I say. I'm also not sure if I have enough parmesan cheese to grate, so I'll probably do some grated and some of the Kraft stuff in the bottle. Freshly grated really tastes so much better, so I'll get as much of that as I can.
Like I said the other day, we're off to Mexico for a long weekend with my parents, aunt, and uncle. Should be fun! We'll get home Monday afternoon, so I probably won't have another post until Tuesday. Don't think I'll feel like making dinner when we get home at 3:00 or 4:00! :)
Fettuccine Alfredo
1 tablespoon margarine
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups skim milk
2 tablespoons light process cream cheese
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
4 cups hot cooked fettuccine (cooked without salt or fat)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground pepper
Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic, and saut 1 minute. Stir in flour. Gradually add skim milk, stirring with a wire whisk until mixture is blended. Cook, stirring constantly, 8 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly.
Stir in cream cheese; cook 2 minutes. Add 1 cup Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly until Parmesan cheese melts.
Pour sauce over hot cooked fettuccine, and toss well to coat. Top fettuccine with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and pepper.
*****
I haven't made this in awhile, but I want to say I usually end up using more cream cheese than is listed. I like saucy pasta, what can I say. I'm also not sure if I have enough parmesan cheese to grate, so I'll probably do some grated and some of the Kraft stuff in the bottle. Freshly grated really tastes so much better, so I'll get as much of that as I can.
Like I said the other day, we're off to Mexico for a long weekend with my parents, aunt, and uncle. Should be fun! We'll get home Monday afternoon, so I probably won't have another post until Tuesday. Don't think I'll feel like making dinner when we get home at 3:00 or 4:00! :)
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Review
Wow. The lo mein was FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC! The tofu turned out exactly how I wanted it to, which is how I had wanted it to turn out for my failed attempt at tofu fried rice. This is definitely a kepper, and it was so easy and so cheap. Two of my favorite qualities in a meal!
I'll share Joanne's tip on getting the water out of tofu. It worked great!
"Here's my suggestion - place a small plate on top the tofu, rightside up. It's helpful if it's a flat bottom. On top of the plate, place a bowl filled with water. The weight of the water in the bowl will help press the water out of the tofu. I sometimes squeeze the tofu slightly as well if it's extra firm and can handle the pressure. Hope that helps!"
Thanks, Jo, it helped a lot! I put a couple paper towels on the bottom plate to soak up the water then changed them out as they got wet. Worked great, and the tofu browned up really nicely.
I'll share Joanne's tip on getting the water out of tofu. It worked great!
"Here's my suggestion - place a small plate on top the tofu, rightside up. It's helpful if it's a flat bottom. On top of the plate, place a bowl filled with water. The weight of the water in the bowl will help press the water out of the tofu. I sometimes squeeze the tofu slightly as well if it's extra firm and can handle the pressure. Hope that helps!"
Thanks, Jo, it helped a lot! I put a couple paper towels on the bottom plate to soak up the water then changed them out as they got wet. Worked great, and the tofu browned up really nicely.
Tofu Lo Mein
Okay, we're giving tofu another try. Thanks to my good friend Joanne, I think I know how to drain it properly now. When I tried the fried rice, I don't think I got enough water out of it, so it crumbled up instead of browning in little chunks like it was supposed to. So, fingers crossed that it works!
This is from allrecipes.com, but it's a new recipe for us. I'm hoping it's good because I don't really have a back up plan.
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.
*****
I think this dinner is costing something like $3 to make, so even if it sucks, I'm not out that much money. Oh, and I didn't post last night because we just had tacos which weren't anything special. I've found Walmart has the Boca grounds for $2.96 a box, so I've been stocking up each time I go. I love tacos/burritos with that instead of ground beef. Out of curiousity when I was at the regular grocery store on Monday, I checked the price of the Boca grounds there, and on sale they were $3.99 for the box!
Tomorrow night we're going to a Family Night Out event with my MOMS Club, so I'm just heating up some frozen garlic chicken pasta mix I got at Costco awhile back. I'll be back on Thursday, then we're off to Mexico for the weekend. Ole! ;)
This is from allrecipes.com, but it's a new recipe for us. I'm hoping it's good because I don't really have a back up plan.
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.
*****
I think this dinner is costing something like $3 to make, so even if it sucks, I'm not out that much money. Oh, and I didn't post last night because we just had tacos which weren't anything special. I've found Walmart has the Boca grounds for $2.96 a box, so I've been stocking up each time I go. I love tacos/burritos with that instead of ground beef. Out of curiousity when I was at the regular grocery store on Monday, I checked the price of the Boca grounds there, and on sale they were $3.99 for the box!
Tomorrow night we're going to a Family Night Out event with my MOMS Club, so I'm just heating up some frozen garlic chicken pasta mix I got at Costco awhile back. I'll be back on Thursday, then we're off to Mexico for the weekend. Ole! ;)
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Macaroni and Cheese
We haven't had this in quite awhile. I have some cookbooks displayed in my kitchen, and this recipe is on the front of one of them. I salivate over it all the time but don't make it that often. It's from a Southern Living cookbook, "Light & Easy Comfort Food."
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.
*****
We Knightlys are cheese lovers. I skip the breadcrumb mixture and put cheese on top instead. The bread crumbs on the picture on the cover of the cookbook look good, but I just can't pass up extra cheese. That's the only change I make, though. I'm excited to have this...we haven't had it in forever!!
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.
*****
We Knightlys are cheese lovers. I skip the breadcrumb mixture and put cheese on top instead. The bread crumbs on the picture on the cover of the cookbook look good, but I just can't pass up extra cheese. That's the only change I make, though. I'm excited to have this...we haven't had it in forever!!
Review
The chicken thing was pretty good. It was really easy and quick to put together which was nice. I used cream of mushroom soup instead of chicken, and I think it would have tasted a little better with cream of chicken.
I had Bunco last night, so we had leftovers for dinner and I took my shrimp dip to Bunco. Tonight I'm making macaroni and cheese--the real stuff, not from a box! I'll get that recipe posted later today. Probably while the husand is engrossed in college football (Geaux Tigers!) and the boy is napping.
I had Bunco last night, so we had leftovers for dinner and I took my shrimp dip to Bunco. Tonight I'm making macaroni and cheese--the real stuff, not from a box! I'll get that recipe posted later today. Probably while the husand is engrossed in college football (Geaux Tigers!) and the boy is napping.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Easy Chicken Bake
I had another crockpot dinner planned for tonight, but I realized too late that I hadn't started it early enough. It was similar to the recipe I ended up finding which worked out since I have everything for it. The crockpot one called for chicken, cream of mushroom soup, and Stove Top basically, so I checked the back of the Stove Top box for other recipes. So that's where this came from! (I found the recipe on the Kraft Foods website, so I just copied it from there so I didn't have to type everything!)
Easy Chicken Bake
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed, drained
PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package; set aside.
MIX chicken, soup, sour cream and vegetables in 13x9-inch baking dish; top with stuffing.
BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through.
*****
I'm pretty sure I've made this at some point, back in my working days when I got home from work and was scrounging around for something to make. Sounds super easy, I have everything I need for it, so what more can a girl ask for. The recipe on the box is actually slightly different, but I like this online version better.
Easy Chicken Bake
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed, drained
PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package; set aside.
MIX chicken, soup, sour cream and vegetables in 13x9-inch baking dish; top with stuffing.
BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through.
*****
I'm pretty sure I've made this at some point, back in my working days when I got home from work and was scrounging around for something to make. Sounds super easy, I have everything I need for it, so what more can a girl ask for. The recipe on the box is actually slightly different, but I like this online version better.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Review
The burritos were FANTASTIC!! John said it should be added to our Top 10 Dinners, so that's pretty good. It was so easy to do. Normally for bean burritos I heat up a can of refried beans, spread them on a tortilla and then top with sour cream, cheese, and salsa. This was about the same amount of work, only I was able to get it ready early.
Oh, and it cooked really fast. The recipe said 4 hours on low or 2 on high, but after 2 on low it was done.
Oh, and it cooked really fast. The recipe said 4 hours on low or 2 on high, but after 2 on low it was done.
Chili Cheese Tortilla Wraps
I stumbled across this one in one of my crockpot cookbooks when I was looking for something to fix last week with the limited groceries we had on hand since I hadn't been to the market in almost two weeks. Sounded super easy and yummy, so I figure those are always worth trying!
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 chipos instead of tortillas.
*****
So the only thing I didn't do was the green onions because I forgot to buy them at the store. Plus 3/4 cup seems like a lot of green onions. It took me all of five minutes to put this in the crockpot which was nice, and part of that time was waiting for the cream cheese to soften in the microwave. Also, I'm not using nonfat cheese. I hate nonfat cheese, so I use 2%. When they take out the fat it must take out the melting factor of cheese, too, because it never melts well. The 2% cheese doesn't melt great, but it's better than nonfat!
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 chipos instead of tortillas.
*****
So the only thing I didn't do was the green onions because I forgot to buy them at the store. Plus 3/4 cup seems like a lot of green onions. It took me all of five minutes to put this in the crockpot which was nice, and part of that time was waiting for the cream cheese to soften in the microwave. Also, I'm not using nonfat cheese. I hate nonfat cheese, so I use 2%. When they take out the fat it must take out the melting factor of cheese, too, because it never melts well. The 2% cheese doesn't melt great, but it's better than nonfat!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Saito Chicken
My friend Jen and her son Trevor are coming over for dinner tonight, so I'm making one of her favorite things. Or at least she says it's one of her favorites. I think I've made it before, so it's probably in the archives somewhere. Super easy marinated grilled chicken is what it should be called.
Saito Chicken
1/2 c. oil
1/3 c. lemon juice,
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 or 2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tsp. ground ginger
salt and pepper.
Mix and pour over chicken. Let marinate at least an hour, flipping chicken after 30 minutes. Grill 5-7 minutes each side on medium heat or until no longer pink in middle.
*****
Jen is bringing her super yummy pasta salad, and we're also going to have Glazed Carrots with it. Should be yummy!!
Saito Chicken
1/2 c. oil
1/3 c. lemon juice,
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 or 2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tsp. ground ginger
salt and pepper.
Mix and pour over chicken. Let marinate at least an hour, flipping chicken after 30 minutes. Grill 5-7 minutes each side on medium heat or until no longer pink in middle.
*****
Jen is bringing her super yummy pasta salad, and we're also going to have Glazed Carrots with it. Should be yummy!!
Moo Shu Pork Pockets
Hey everyone! Well, I'm back in the land of the living after four days in bed and almost a week of being sick. Ugh! That strep throat really kicked my butt. I did end up cooking towards the end of last week but it was all pretty basic, lame stuff, so I didn't bother posting.
This was actually our dinner last night. The boy didn't nap like I had hoped, so I didn't get a chance to post it. We haven't had this in FOREVER, but it's one of our favorites. It's a Rachael Ray recipe from one of her first cookbooks. We love Moo Shu at Chinese restaurants, so when I saw this I had to try it. It's so good and pretty easy, too. I'd imagine the ground pork could be substituted for ground chicken, but honestly ground chicken seems so weird to me I couldn't imagine using it. I don't know, just one of those things.
Moo Shu Pork Pockets
1-1/2 pound ground pork
1 can sliced water chestnuts, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 gingersnap cookies, ground in food processor
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 egg
1 cup hoisin sauce
6 large (12-inch) flour tortillas
Toppings:
Shred up a pile of your favorite raw vegetables or
2 cups shredded cabbage
Shredded carrots
Fresh bean sprouts
Thinly sliced scallions
Combine the pork and next five ingredients in a bowl. Form mixture into patties. Heat a large, nonstick skillet or grill pan over medium high heat. Grill patties approximately five minutes per side.
Heat tortillas on a nonstick surface over high heat for 30 seconds on each side. Paint the tortillas with hoisin sauce, leaving a 1-inch rim from edge. Pile shredded mixed veggies in center of tortilla and top with cooked pork patty. Fold the tortilla up on all four sides and wrap burger in a square package. Invert pork pocket and cut on diagonal.
*****
I only use one pound of pork, and for the toppings we had cilantro and carrots, mostly because I forgot to buy any of the other stuff. Oh, and I heat my tortillas in the microwave. Why dirty an extra pan! I've also cooked the patties on the grill outside, and that worked great. I generally make six patties out of mine. The recipe in the book called for eight patties using 1.5 pounds of meat, so I guess that makes sense.
This was actually our dinner last night. The boy didn't nap like I had hoped, so I didn't get a chance to post it. We haven't had this in FOREVER, but it's one of our favorites. It's a Rachael Ray recipe from one of her first cookbooks. We love Moo Shu at Chinese restaurants, so when I saw this I had to try it. It's so good and pretty easy, too. I'd imagine the ground pork could be substituted for ground chicken, but honestly ground chicken seems so weird to me I couldn't imagine using it. I don't know, just one of those things.
Moo Shu Pork Pockets
1-1/2 pound ground pork
1 can sliced water chestnuts, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 gingersnap cookies, ground in food processor
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 egg
1 cup hoisin sauce
6 large (12-inch) flour tortillas
Toppings:
Shred up a pile of your favorite raw vegetables or
2 cups shredded cabbage
Shredded carrots
Fresh bean sprouts
Thinly sliced scallions
Combine the pork and next five ingredients in a bowl. Form mixture into patties. Heat a large, nonstick skillet or grill pan over medium high heat. Grill patties approximately five minutes per side.
Heat tortillas on a nonstick surface over high heat for 30 seconds on each side. Paint the tortillas with hoisin sauce, leaving a 1-inch rim from edge. Pile shredded mixed veggies in center of tortilla and top with cooked pork patty. Fold the tortilla up on all four sides and wrap burger in a square package. Invert pork pocket and cut on diagonal.
*****
I only use one pound of pork, and for the toppings we had cilantro and carrots, mostly because I forgot to buy any of the other stuff. Oh, and I heat my tortillas in the microwave. Why dirty an extra pan! I've also cooked the patties on the grill outside, and that worked great. I generally make six patties out of mine. The recipe in the book called for eight patties using 1.5 pounds of meat, so I guess that makes sense.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Still sick...
Well, I was diagnosed on Sunday with strep throat. No dinners around here for awhile! Well, none that are made by me anyway. Actually the only thing I've eaten since Friday was a milkshake on Saturday. Oh, and a piece of lunch meat turkey yesterday. I guess the "it hurts too much to swallow" diet may help me drop a few pounds. ;)
Hopefully I'll be back Tuesday or Wednesday, cooking up a storm!
Hopefully I'll be back Tuesday or Wednesday, cooking up a storm!
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Review
The chicken enchilada casserole was really good, as usual! It came out a little soupier this time than it has in the past, but it was still good. Will didn't like it, but I didn't have high hopes for a toddler to like it.
No dinner!
Unfortunately I woke up with a horrible cold this morning and have spent the last 10 hours laying in bed. I feel like a freakin' grandparent from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Of course, the husband is totally jealous because his idea of a perfect day would be to lay in bed watching tv all day.
So, anyway, no dinner here tonight. Last night we ended up having leftover enchilada casserole (shoot...did I even review that one?! Okay,I just went and did it so I'm not that much a slacker).
Hopefully I'll be feeling better tomorrow. All I've eaten today is a milkshake which was actually pretty cool because I NEVER let myself have milkshakes, so a sore throat is a perfect time, huh.
So, anyway, no dinner here tonight. Last night we ended up having leftover enchilada casserole (shoot...did I even review that one?! Okay,I just went and did it so I'm not that much a slacker).
Hopefully I'll be feeling better tomorrow. All I've eaten today is a milkshake which was actually pretty cool because I NEVER let myself have milkshakes, so a sore throat is a perfect time, huh.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
This is one of my favorite leftover chicken recipes. I have another one that's good that I call White Girl Enchiladas, but I'll make that one next time I have leftover chicken. We have bible study on Thursday nights, so I like doing crockpot dinners so there aren't a ton of dishes to be done before we have to leave. I'm going to have to break out my crockpot cookbooks more often as I haven't used them in awhile and flipping through to find this one, there were some good sounding recipes!
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
3-4 lb. chicken
2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp oil
10-3/4 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
10-3/4 ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
10 ounce can green enchilada sauce
4.5 ounce can peeled, diced green chilies
20 corn tortillas
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Boil chicken. Shred meat and discard bones and skin. Saute onion in oil until translucent. Stir in soups, sour cream, enchilada sauce, and chilies. Heat until warm. Tear tortillas into bite size pieces.
Layer half of sauce, chicken, tortillas, and cheese in slow cooker, alternating layers. Repeat, ending with cheese and suace.
Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours or high 2-3 hours.
*****
Okay, I have never boiled a chicken and honestly have no intention of ever doing that. As some of you know, I have enough issues with whole chickens and all the bones and gross stuff. It's really amazing at all that I even cook whole chickens. Anyway, I always use leftover chicken for this. And I don't like chopping onions, so ours doesn't have any. I also don't like corn tortillas, so I used about 8 flour tortillas (taco size).
I peeked into the crockpot, and it's looking a little runny. It's not usually like that, so I'm not sure what the problem is. I kept it on high with the lid off for awhile then turned it off and kept the lid off to see if that would help thicken the sauce a little.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
3-4 lb. chicken
2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp oil
10-3/4 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
10-3/4 ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
10 ounce can green enchilada sauce
4.5 ounce can peeled, diced green chilies
20 corn tortillas
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Boil chicken. Shred meat and discard bones and skin. Saute onion in oil until translucent. Stir in soups, sour cream, enchilada sauce, and chilies. Heat until warm. Tear tortillas into bite size pieces.
Layer half of sauce, chicken, tortillas, and cheese in slow cooker, alternating layers. Repeat, ending with cheese and suace.
Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours or high 2-3 hours.
*****
Okay, I have never boiled a chicken and honestly have no intention of ever doing that. As some of you know, I have enough issues with whole chickens and all the bones and gross stuff. It's really amazing at all that I even cook whole chickens. Anyway, I always use leftover chicken for this. And I don't like chopping onions, so ours doesn't have any. I also don't like corn tortillas, so I used about 8 flour tortillas (taco size).
I peeked into the crockpot, and it's looking a little runny. It's not usually like that, so I'm not sure what the problem is. I kept it on high with the lid off for awhile then turned it off and kept the lid off to see if that would help thicken the sauce a little.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Review
Tomato Pie...not good. I actually took three bites and said I couldn't eat any more and had an HLT (hummus-lettuce-tomato) sandwich instead. For one thing, the crust wasn't baked enough. Or it was but the tomatoes made it soggy, not sure. The cheese topping is similar to one I make for this really good cheesy bread, so I figured it would be good. Nope. John thought maybe if we scraped the top off and had that on a toasted hamburger bun it might be good, but I was fine with my HLT and throwing the rest away.
Better luck tomorrow! Actually I know tomorrow will be good because I make it a lot. Another leftover chicken recipe...and it's in the crockpot! You're on pins and needles, I know. ;)
Better luck tomorrow! Actually I know tomorrow will be good because I make it a lot. Another leftover chicken recipe...and it's in the crockpot! You're on pins and needles, I know. ;)
Fresh Tomato Pie
Recently I checked out a cookbook from the library. I love doing that! The one I got was published by the website Allrecipes.com, which I also love. There was a ton of stuff in it I wanted to try, but of course didn't have time to make everything I wanted to before the book was due back. I thought about buying it and then went, "DUH!! This is based on recipes from a website." So I sat down at my trusty computer here, logged on to allrecipes.com and searched for each recipe in the book that I liked. I added it to my "Recipe Box" on their website, and now I can turn to them whenever. How's that for scamming the system?!
Anyway, tonight's recipe is one of those recipes. I've wanted to try it for awhile, and my grocery had tomatoes for super cheap this week, so I figured it was time. Plus I have the pie crust in my freezer from something else and we always have cheese in our house. Knightlys are cheese lovers, what can I say.
Fresh Tomato Pie
1 (9 inch) pie shell
7 ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 yellow onion
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons fresh basil
2 teaspoons fresh oregano
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bake the pastry shell for 8 to 10 minutes or until browned.
3. Slice onion and place in the bottom of pastry shell. Slice tomatoes and arrange over onions. Add black pepper to taste.
4. In a medium bowl, combine mozzarella, parmesan and mayonnaise. Spread this mixture evenly over tomatoes.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Once cooked, garnish with fresh herbs.
*****
So we'll see how it turns out. It sounds good and the picture of it on the website looks pretty good, so I have somewhat high hopes.
Anyway, tonight's recipe is one of those recipes. I've wanted to try it for awhile, and my grocery had tomatoes for super cheap this week, so I figured it was time. Plus I have the pie crust in my freezer from something else and we always have cheese in our house. Knightlys are cheese lovers, what can I say.
Fresh Tomato Pie
1 (9 inch) pie shell
7 ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 yellow onion
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons fresh basil
2 teaspoons fresh oregano
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bake the pastry shell for 8 to 10 minutes or until browned.
3. Slice onion and place in the bottom of pastry shell. Slice tomatoes and arrange over onions. Add black pepper to taste.
4. In a medium bowl, combine mozzarella, parmesan and mayonnaise. Spread this mixture evenly over tomatoes.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Once cooked, garnish with fresh herbs.
*****
So we'll see how it turns out. It sounds good and the picture of it on the website looks pretty good, so I have somewhat high hopes.
Review
Dinner last night was really yummy!!! I think since I had already mostly cooked the rice, I could have scaled back on the chicken stock some. I made a note to maybe only do 10 ounces next time instead of the 14 it called for. It would be a good side dish, too. I'd maybe sautee the mushrooms in a little more of the salad dressing or add in some more peas for a bit more flavor with it. All in all, really good.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Creamy Rice with Peas, Mushrooms, and Chicken
Phew! All caught up. That feels good, although I should be mopping my kitchen floor. I can always run downstairs once the husband calls to say he's on his way home and get it done then. Oh wait...he reads this to see what we're having for dinner. Just kidding honey...the floor is SPARKLING and BEAUTIFUL.
Yeah right, like he'd ever believe that. Anyway, tonight we're having a recipe out of the Kraft Food & Family magazine. If you don't already get this, you should! It's totally free, just sign up online (follow that link, it will be on there somewhere), and every quarter you get their magazine filled with recipes. Lots of kid-friendly stuff, party food ideas. It's really cool. It of course features Kraft products, but hey, it's free. I was going through some older issues and saw this listed as a potential holiday side dish. I thought, "Why not add chicken and make a meal out of it?" So that's what we're having tonight! The recipe doesn't include chicken, so I'll add in my notes at the bottom when I'm going to put that in with everything.
Keep in mind I'm copying the recipe from the website...I'm not trying to force anyone into using these brands!
Creamy Rice with Peas and Mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
1 pkg. (8 oz.) fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups instant white rice, uncooked
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
COOK and stir onions in dressing in large saucepan on medium-high heat 2 min. or until tender. Add mushrooms; cook 2 to 3 min. or until mushrooms are tender.
ADD broth and peas; stir. Bring to boil.
STIR in rice and cream cheese; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 8 min. Stir in lemon peel and Parmesan cheese.
*****
Okay, so I figure I'll add in the chicken with the mushrooms. I'm using leftover chicken from last night, so it's already cooked. Otherwise I'd probably do the chicken with the onions. I'm also not a fan of Minute Rice (plus I don't have enough of it on hand), so I think I'm going to make brown rice but not cook it all the way, then add it in like it calls for and let it finish cooking with everything else.
Since this is somewhat of a casserole, I'm not sure what to have on the side with it. I went to the farmer's market Saturday morning and got some green beans, so I may just steam those. I'm the only person that eats them.
Yeah right, like he'd ever believe that. Anyway, tonight we're having a recipe out of the Kraft Food & Family magazine. If you don't already get this, you should! It's totally free, just sign up online (follow that link, it will be on there somewhere), and every quarter you get their magazine filled with recipes. Lots of kid-friendly stuff, party food ideas. It's really cool. It of course features Kraft products, but hey, it's free. I was going through some older issues and saw this listed as a potential holiday side dish. I thought, "Why not add chicken and make a meal out of it?" So that's what we're having tonight! The recipe doesn't include chicken, so I'll add in my notes at the bottom when I'm going to put that in with everything.
Keep in mind I'm copying the recipe from the website...I'm not trying to force anyone into using these brands!
Creamy Rice with Peas and Mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
1 pkg. (8 oz.) fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups instant white rice, uncooked
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
COOK and stir onions in dressing in large saucepan on medium-high heat 2 min. or until tender. Add mushrooms; cook 2 to 3 min. or until mushrooms are tender.
ADD broth and peas; stir. Bring to boil.
STIR in rice and cream cheese; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 8 min. Stir in lemon peel and Parmesan cheese.
*****
Okay, so I figure I'll add in the chicken with the mushrooms. I'm using leftover chicken from last night, so it's already cooked. Otherwise I'd probably do the chicken with the onions. I'm also not a fan of Minute Rice (plus I don't have enough of it on hand), so I think I'm going to make brown rice but not cook it all the way, then add it in like it calls for and let it finish cooking with everything else.
Since this is somewhat of a casserole, I'm not sure what to have on the side with it. I went to the farmer's market Saturday morning and got some green beans, so I may just steam those. I'm the only person that eats them.
Slow-Roasted Rosemary-and-Garlic Chicken, 9/3
Okay...almost caught up! At least most of these were online somewhere so I could just copy and paste! Here's another crockpot chicken recipe. This is the one I use most often. I had five frozen chickens in my freezer, so I figured it was time to start using them and freeing up some space! I may do another one next week, we'll see.
Slow-Roasted Rosemary-and-Garlic Chicken
10 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 (5- to 6-pound) roasting chicken
5 garlic cloves
4 (3-inch) rosemary sprigs
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Combine minced garlic and chopped rosemary. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Rub garlic mixture under loosened skin over breast and drumsticks. Place 5 garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs into the body cavity.
Place chicken, breast side down, in an electric slow cooker. Cover with lid; cook on high heat for 1 hour. Reduce heat setting to low; cook 7 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker, reserving drippings. Discard skin from chicken.
Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour drippings into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into a small saucepan, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Add orange juice and vinegar to saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes.
*****
I buy garlic already chopped up in the jar, so I use that instead. I also rarely buy fresh rosemary because I'm cheap. So normally I mix together my store-bought minced garlic and dried rosemary, spread that under the skin and then throw the rest in the chicken cavity. I skip the whole gravy/sauce thing because I tried it once and it was a lot of work with not a lot of results. I've decided it's not worth my time. With last night's chicken I had some fresh basil that needed to be used, so I chopped that up and mixed it in with the rosemary and garlic. Can't say I really noticed a difference, but at least my basil didn't go to waste!
Slow-Roasted Rosemary-and-Garlic Chicken
10 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 (5- to 6-pound) roasting chicken
5 garlic cloves
4 (3-inch) rosemary sprigs
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Combine minced garlic and chopped rosemary. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Rub garlic mixture under loosened skin over breast and drumsticks. Place 5 garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs into the body cavity.
Place chicken, breast side down, in an electric slow cooker. Cover with lid; cook on high heat for 1 hour. Reduce heat setting to low; cook 7 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker, reserving drippings. Discard skin from chicken.
Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour drippings into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into a small saucepan, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Add orange juice and vinegar to saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes.
*****
I buy garlic already chopped up in the jar, so I use that instead. I also rarely buy fresh rosemary because I'm cheap. So normally I mix together my store-bought minced garlic and dried rosemary, spread that under the skin and then throw the rest in the chicken cavity. I skip the whole gravy/sauce thing because I tried it once and it was a lot of work with not a lot of results. I've decided it's not worth my time. With last night's chicken I had some fresh basil that needed to be used, so I chopped that up and mixed it in with the rosemary and garlic. Can't say I really noticed a difference, but at least my basil didn't go to waste!
Confetti Pasta Salad (9/2)
Sunday my aunt and uncle invited us over to their house for a BBQ, so I only had to take a salad. My aunt said, "Uncle Don really likes that pasta salad you make, so maybe bring that one." Uhhhh...I have three pasta salads that are all in pretty high rotation when I'm required to take a salad. I have no idea if I made the right one, but we didn't bring a lot home, so it must have been good. This one is from Cooking Light. I made it any time we had people over for dinner last summer.
Confetti Pasta Salad
3/4 cup low-fat ranch dressing
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dillweed
2 cups uncooked small seashell macaroni
1 1/2 cups shelled green peas
1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) cubed reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
Dillweed sprigs (optional)
Combine the ranch dressing, yogurt, and dillweed in a large bowl; stir well, and set dressing mixture aside.
Cook macaroni in boiling water for 5 minutes. Add peas, and cook an additional 3 minutes; drain well.
Add the macaroni mixture, bell peppers, and cheese cubes to dressing mixture, tossing to coat. Cover and chill. Stir before serving. Garnish with dillweed, if desired.
*****
Totally easy! I have had no problem substituting sour cream for the yogurt, and I find that I really prefer the taste of this with regular ranch, not the light. But I'm not a big fan of light ranch anyway. That was one of my favorite things about being pregnant, by the way...full fat ranch dressing every time I had a salad! Anyway, if you have fresh dill you can use, it really adds a lot more than dried, but either one works fine.
Confetti Pasta Salad
3/4 cup low-fat ranch dressing
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dillweed
2 cups uncooked small seashell macaroni
1 1/2 cups shelled green peas
1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) cubed reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
Dillweed sprigs (optional)
Combine the ranch dressing, yogurt, and dillweed in a large bowl; stir well, and set dressing mixture aside.
Cook macaroni in boiling water for 5 minutes. Add peas, and cook an additional 3 minutes; drain well.
Add the macaroni mixture, bell peppers, and cheese cubes to dressing mixture, tossing to coat. Cover and chill. Stir before serving. Garnish with dillweed, if desired.
*****
Totally easy! I have had no problem substituting sour cream for the yogurt, and I find that I really prefer the taste of this with regular ranch, not the light. But I'm not a big fan of light ranch anyway. That was one of my favorite things about being pregnant, by the way...full fat ranch dressing every time I had a salad! Anyway, if you have fresh dill you can use, it really adds a lot more than dried, but either one works fine.
Burgers, Saturday 9/1
Since we had our usual pizza on Friday night, I figured no point in posting. Did them the same as always and they were great. It was fun to have a pepperoni one and a canadian bacon & pineapple. Hadn't had either of those pizza flavors in awhile. Yes, I call pizza toppings "flavors." I don't know why, but I always have.
Anyway. I figured we couldn't NOT have grilled burgers at some point over Labor Day weekend, even though we rarely eat red meat anymore. I'd bought some super lean hamburger on sale at Walmart a few weeks ago and stuck it in the freezer, so we had the stuff on hand. They were so freakin' good. We make great hamburgers. Here's how I do them.
Claire Knightly's Awesome Grilled Burgers
1 pound lean ground beef
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix
1/2 cup red wine
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Form into patties. Grill until done.
*****
Simple, huh? They taste so good. I had always done the burger recipe on the Lipton onion soup box, but there's a restaurant here in Phoenix called Wineburger and they baste the burgers with red wine while they cook. So I thought, why not switch out the water on the Lipton recipe for red wine. And we've been doing it that way ever since. We buy those little "single serve" size bottles of wine that come in packs of four. We use about half of one of those bottles with each batch.
I also made potato salad to go with it, but it was the one from the mayonnaise jar. Nothing too exciting there!
Anyway. I figured we couldn't NOT have grilled burgers at some point over Labor Day weekend, even though we rarely eat red meat anymore. I'd bought some super lean hamburger on sale at Walmart a few weeks ago and stuck it in the freezer, so we had the stuff on hand. They were so freakin' good. We make great hamburgers. Here's how I do them.
Claire Knightly's Awesome Grilled Burgers
1 pound lean ground beef
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix
1/2 cup red wine
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Form into patties. Grill until done.
*****
Simple, huh? They taste so good. I had always done the burger recipe on the Lipton onion soup box, but there's a restaurant here in Phoenix called Wineburger and they baste the burgers with red wine while they cook. So I thought, why not switch out the water on the Lipton recipe for red wine. And we've been doing it that way ever since. We buy those little "single serve" size bottles of wine that come in packs of four. We use about half of one of those bottles with each batch.
I also made potato salad to go with it, but it was the one from the mayonnaise jar. Nothing too exciting there!
Catch Up (ketchup?)
Oh man, I can't believe I didn't post AT ALL over the long weekend! We weren't even really doing anything...except eating a lot and looking for ways to spend money we don't have. Now I have to go back and think about what we ate and post for each night!
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