Sarah's Fares

Chicken Pot Pie with Savory Crumble Topping

2012-01-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

Well hello again! I've taken another long break - that seems to be a theme around here - but I have been cooking a lot. We went to California for several weeks for a wedding, Christmas, New Years, etc. so now we're back home and life has returned to normal. My dear sister Amy got me the new Cook's Illustrated Cookbook - the giant one with over 2000 recipes. Oh yeah! So I have already tried four and they have all been terrific!

This one was no exception. It is comfort food at it's finest! Amy made something just like this over the break and then I found the recipe in the book and knew I needed to make it. I have never been a big fan of chicken pot pie, but this is no ordinary pot pie. It has this amazing crumble topping with cream and Parmesan cheese and the flavors in the filling are absolutely delicious! It sounds a bit complicated, but everything can be made in the same pot, so it's really not too bad.

In the cookbook they make a special note saying not to leave out the soy sauce and tomato paste, even though they may seem small and inconsequential. I've never tried it without, but I thought it was delicious so I'll take their word for it!

Chicken Pot Pie with Savory Crumble Topping

FILLING
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless, chicken breasts and/or thighs, trimmed
3 c. low-sodium chicken broth
2 T. vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
2 small celery ribs, minced
salt and pepper
10 oz. mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. tomato paste
4 T. unsalted butter
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole milk
2 tsp. lemon juice
3 T. minced fresh parsley (or 1 1/2 T. dried)
3/4 c. frozen peas

CRUMBLE TOPPING
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
6 T. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces and chilled
1 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated fine (1/2 cup)
3/4 c. + 2 T. heavy cream

For the topping: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped small pieces onto rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and starting to brown, 10-13 minutes. Set aside.

For the filling: While topping bakes, Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven (or large pot or high-sided skillet) and cook until chicken is tender and cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Transfer chicken to large bowl. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup and reserve. Do not wash pot.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, celery, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 5-7 minutes. While vegetables are cooking, use 2 forks to shred chicken into bite-size pieces. Transfer vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in again-empty pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have released their liquid, about 5 minutes. Remove cover and stir in soy sauce and tomato paste. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, until liquid has evaporated, mushrooms are well browned, and dark fond begins to form on surface of pan, about 5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl with chicken and vegetables. Set aside.

Melt butter in again-empty pot over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in lemon juice and 2 T. parsley, then stir chicken mixture and peas into sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour chicken mixture into 9x13 baking dish. Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Place pot pie on aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned, 12-15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 T. parsley and serve.

Source: Cook's Illustrated Cookbook

Herb Focaccia Bread

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

This bread is AMAZING. After making this the first time, I turned to my husband and said, "I think this bread has changed my life". It's that good. I am so in love! It is so easy, so delicious, and I made it twice in one week. It comes together in just over an hour - rising, baking, and all and it has a delicious flavor and texture. I am finding myself trying to think of main dishes that will go with this bread so I can make it again...hehe. But really, it can go with anything! Give it a try and you will not be dissapointed!

Herb Focaccia Bread

2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
1 large clove garlic, finely minced
3/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 T. olive oil
1 c. warm water

1 T. olive oil + 1/2 tsp. salt, for brushing after baking

In bowl of mixer, mix the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Mix in the garlic and herbs. Pour in the water and olive oil and mix until the dough comes together with a dough hook attachment (this can also be done by hand if you don't have a mixer). Knead the dough until it has pulled away from the sides of the bowl (adding additional flour only if necessary – the dough will get less sticky as it kneads), about 4-6 minutes. The dough should be soft and pliable but not overly stiff. Likewise, it shouldn’t leave a lot of sticky dough residue on your fingers. The goal is a soft, supple dough. Both time I made it I needed no additional flour - it was perfect, but you may need more.

Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let the dough rise for 30 minutes, until it is puffy. Deflate dough and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a large, rimmed baking sheet and with your hands, spread the dough out roughly an 8″x10″ rectangle. Use your knuckles or fingertips to make indentations over the dough, about every 1/2 inch. Lightly brush dough’s surface with olive oil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Immediately after removing from the oven, stir together 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and brush over the surface of the hot bread (Do NOT skip this step! SO good!). Tear or slice into pieces and serve.

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

I know. Everyone has a chocolate chip cookie recipe they love, but in case you don't, I am posting this. And since it is my go-to recipe, I figured it needed to be on this blog! When I was in high school, I had a friend named Jeff who always brought snacks to our AP English class. Usually they were almonds or dried mangoes, but occasionally they were these cookies. He was a good friend and always shared. :) His mom made these often and shared the recipe with our family. We've been making them ever since! The trick is to not over-mix the dough and to take them out before you may think they're done. The result - an extremely soft fluffy cookie that is incredible fresh out of the oven but that stays soft for the next day too...if you haven't eaten them all by then....

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. white sugar
1 T. vanilla
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
3 c. flour
chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl or mixer, mix butter, sugars, vanilla, baking soda, salt and eggs together until combined. Add flour and chocolate chips until just combined! (Don't over mix). Scoop onto cookie sheets and bake for 9-10 minutes until bottoms are just beginning to brown. Take out before they look completely done. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack.

(Fresh out of the oven, puffy and barely browning on the edges, and then after they've cooled)

Source: Connie Savage, family friend

Cranberry Orange Sauce

2011-11-18T11:22:00.001-07:00

I don't know how, but Thanksgiving is next week. It really snuck up on me this year, and I completely forgot about some recipes I tried last year but never posted. Well...here's one of them! I made cranberry sauce from scratch last year and it was really tasty! I was amazed at how easy it was. It can be made a couple days in advance and it tastes great on a leftover turkey sandwich too. Yum!

Cranberry Orange Sauce

1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
4 c. fresh or frozen cranberries
1 T. orange zest

Rinse cranberries with cold water. In a medium saucepan, add sugar, water, and orange juice. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and add cranberries and orange zest. Return to a boil and reduce heat to medium low. Cook until cranberries start to burst, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Pour sauce into serving dish and chill in the refrigerator until serving time.

Source: Two Peas and Their Pod

Pumpkin Pancakes

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

Oh boy. These were the fluffiest, most pie-like pancakes I have ever eaten. Yum-o! I saw these on Pinterest one night and wanted to try them, so the very next morning I did! They were quite easy, very "autumn", and so delicious. Topped with butter and maple syrup and they were pretty much divine.

Pumpkin Pancakes

1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
2 T. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. skim milk (I used 1%)
1 c. pumpkin puree
4 large eggs, separated
4 T. unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, pumpkin puree, egg yolks, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing with a spatula until just combined.

In a separate bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff. Gently fold into the batter, mixing until smooth.

Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over medium heat. Lightly spray with cooking spray and, in 1/4-cup increments, cook each pancake until lightly browned on each side, about 1 minute per side.

Top with your favorite toppings/syrup and enjoy!

Source: The Curvy Carrot via Pinterest

2-minute Teriyaki Sauce

2011-10-27T18:38:00.000-06:00

I feel guilty that I haven't shared this recipe yet. It is so super easy and tasty it's ridiculous! I got this from my mom and it's great for a quick week night meal and tasty enough that you could make it for guests too! It only has 5 ingredients - all of which I always have on hand. I usually pour it over some chicken breasts and pop them in the oven for an hour while I cook some rice and veggies. My mom would usually do something more exciting like spareribs or something, but it's so versatile you could do whatever you want! Throw in a wok with your stirfry veggies or let it simmer in the oven with some meat. Give it a try! It's a gem.

Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground ginger

Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Pour over desired dish. Recommendations: pour over chicken breasts, pork spareribs, etc, and bake at 350 for about an hour. Or add to your stovetop stirfry during the last few minutes of cooking. Enjoy!

Source: My Mom

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-18T18:37:00.000-06:00

It's pumpkin season! Yum, yum. I'm a big fan of pumpkin. I tried this recipe for the first time last week and it was a hit! The cookies were very moist, but not overly cakey like a lot of pumpkin cookies. The spices were spot on and the chocolate chips were perfectly delicious. We couldn't stop eating them! Okay, so maybe that's not such a good thing. Anyway, give these a try. They are "Fall" in a cookie.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 cups chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookies sheets with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper (my nonstick pans worked fine without anything).

Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 13-17 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove from the oven, take off the sheets and let cool on a wire rack.

Store layers of cookies separated by parchment or wax paper to prevent cookies from sticking together.

Source: Food Network George Duran

Cinnamon Baked French Toast

2011-10-03T06:30:00.003-06:00

Oh mama. This is no low-cal breakfast, let me tell you that. But it is delicious! This comes from the Pioneer Woman (so obviously it's not low-cal!) and that woman sure knows how to make food. I made this a year or so ago for the first time, forgot about it, then recently remembered and tried it again. Basically you take old french bread, pour an egg/cream mixture over the top, let it sit in the fridge overnight, top it with a yummy brown sugar topping, and pop it in the oven. It's too easy!

As a recommendation though, next time I make this I will make it alongside something more savory. It's a little overwhelming. It's sweet and rich, and would be great on a big spread for a brunch or something along with some breakfast casseroles or no-crust quiches! Give it a try. It would be great for a holiday or special occasion since all the prep is the night before. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Baked French Toast

FRENCH TOAST:

1 loaf crusty sourdough or french bread

8 whole eggs

2 cups whole milk (or 2%)

1/2 cup heavy cream

3/4 cups sugar

2 T. vanilla extract

TOPPING:

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces

chopped nuts, optional (I did pecans)

Grease a 9x13 pan. Tear bread into chunks or cut into 1 inch cubes. Distribute evenly in the pan. Combine eggs, milk, cream sugar and vanilla. Pour over bread, cover tightly and let sit in the fridge overnight or at least several hours.

Combine the flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the size of peas. Stir in the nuts. Store in a ziploc bag in the fridge until ready to bake.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pull out of the fridge - sprinkle topping evenly over the bread. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. 45 minutes will leave it more bread pudding-like, 1 hour will be more done.

I halved the recipe and baked it in an 8x8 for about 40 minutes. It was definitely more bread pudding like. The first time I made it, it was more done. so I wanted to try it this way.. I personally prefer it a little more well done, but PW likes hers less done. Do whatever you prefer!

Source: Pioneer Woman

Luscious Lemon Bars

2011-08-18T05:56:00.004-06:00

First new recipe from Pittsburgh! If you didn't know, we moved across the country a few weeks ago, and are finally settled and really loving it here. I made these delicious lemon bars the other night when we went over to someone's house for dinner. They were a hit! I had a recipe that I altered quite a bit, and I'm glad I did. They turned out really tasty. The crust was crisp and the filling was soft, tart, and sweet - but not too sweet. Enjoy!

Lemon Bars

Crust:

1 c. soft butter (2 cubes)

1/2 c. powdered sugar

2 c. flour

1/8 tsp. salt (pinch)

Filling:

6 T. lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

zest from 1 lemon

4 eggs, beaten

1 2/3 c. sugar

1/4 c. flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For the crust, cream the butter and sugar, then add the flour and salt and beat until combined and it forms a dough. Press into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges start to brown and the top starts to turn golden.

Let the crust cool for about 20-30 minutes. For the filling, combine the sugar and flour in a medium bowl. Combine the eggs, lemon juice, and zest until well combined. Add to the flour/sugar mixture and combine well. Pour onto the slightly cooled crust. Bake for an additional 25 minutes, until the filling is set (shake it - it shouldn't jiggle anymore).

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar (or sprinkle right before you serve them). The easiest way for me is to take a fine mesh strainer, put powdered sugar in it, and shake it or tap the side so it falls evenly over the bars. Then cut into squares and enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

2011-07-03T14:34:00.004-06:00

I'm back! This cutie has been keeping me very busy the past few months, along with the fact that we're moving across the country in a couple weeks, so I apologize for the lack of blogging!

But I've still been cooking! Mostly I've been doing the tried and true recipes I know and love (and can whip up easily), but occasionally I've branched out to try something new. This was one of those times, and oh my did it pay off! These fajitas are sooo delicious! We've been grilling a lot this summer. We decided everything tastes better on the grill. These fajitas have so much flavor and the onions and peppers add such a delicious sweetness. We've made them twice in the last month and I'm excited to make them again!

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

1/3 c. freshly squeezed lime juice

6 T. olive oil, divided

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar

1 jalapeno, seeded, ribbed, and diced

1 1/2 T. fresh cilantro, minced

1 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. pepper

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied (6 halves total)

1 large red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices, rings not separated

2 large bell peppers, stemmed, quartered, and seeded

8-12 (6-inch) flour tortillas

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, 4 T. oil, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade; set aside. Place the chicken breast halves in the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Brush both sides of the onion rounds and peppers with the remaining 2 T. oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, fire up your grill. For a gas grill*, light all burners on high, cover and heat grill until hot. Leave one burner on medium-high and turn the rest down to medium/medium-low.

Remove the chicken breast halves from the marinate and transfer to the hotter side of the grill; discard the left-over marinade. Place the onion rounds and peppers on the cooler side of the grill. Cook the chicken until it is well browned, 3-4 minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken and continue grilling until it is no longer pink inside. Meanwhile, cook onions and peppers until spottily charred and crisp-tender, about 8-12 minutes, turning once or twice as needed. When the chicken and vegetables are done, transfer them to a large plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Warm your tortillas, either on the grill or on the stove or oven, and wrap them in a clean kitchen towel or foil (I like the ones from Costco that you cook yourself).

Separate the onions into rings and place them in a medium bowl. Slice the bell peppers lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips and add them to the bowl with the onions. Add 2 T. of the reserved unused marinade and toss well to combine. Slice the chicken into 1/4-inch strips and toss with the remaining 2 T. of reserved marinade in another. Serve with the warmed tortillas and additional toppings of your choice (sour cream and additional cilantro are our favorites, with some grilled pineapple on the side. Yum!).

Source: Annie's Eats

*For a charcoal grill, ignite 6 quarts of charcoal briquettes and burn until fully ignited, about 20 minutes. Empty the coals into the grill, spreading them into a single layer. Place an additional 20 unlit coals over the lit coals on one side of the grill to create a two-level fire. Place the grill grate over the coals and allow to heat for 5 minutes. Scrape the grate clean with a grill brush.

Pasta with Garlic and Oil

2011-03-19T07:00:00.002-06:00

Simple ingredients - amazing taste. I was totally blown away by this dish. I was expecting it to be good, since it came from America's Test Kitchen, but I wasn't expecting it to be that good. But when you stick to the basics - garlic, olive oil, a little lemon juice and parsley, you can't go wrong. This was sooo tasty, especially with some good leftover Italian bread (doctored up with a little butter, Parm. cheese, and garlic) and a big salad; it made the perfect comfort food meal. Definitely put this one on your list of recipes to try! Just don't do it for a dinner party, because your breath with smell very strongly of garlic. :)

Pasta with Garlic and Oil (Pasta aglio e olio)

1 lb. spaghetti

salt (sea salt or table salt)

6 T. olive oil

20 garlic loves from 1-2 heads, minced (4 T. total)

3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

3 T. chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp. juice from 1 lemon

1 oz. grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup) (optional - but very good)

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add pasta and 1 T. salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente (see package directions). Reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking water; drain pasta and transfer it back to the pot.

Meanwhile, heat 3 T. oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until just shimmering. Add 3 T. garlic and 1/2 tsp. salt and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic foams and becomes sticky and straw-colored, 10-12 minutes (you may need to turn your heat up a bit depending on your stove). Off the heat, add remaining T. garlic, pepper flakes, parsley, lemon juice, and 2 T. pasta cooking water to the skillet and stir well to keep the garlic from clumping.

Transfer the drained pasta to a large serving bowl (or throw back in your pot if you'd like). Add remaining 3 T. olive oil and remaining pasta cooking water and toss to coat. Add the garlic mixture and 3/4 tsp. table salt (or 1 tsp. sea salt flakes) to the pasta. Toss well to combine. Serve immediately with optional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Source: America's Test Kitchen

Italian Bread

2011-03-18T07:00:00.001-06:00

I told you I've been on a roll lately! I'm enjoying this last week of cooking before the baby comes. I tried this bread awhile ago and it was very fun! It's similar to french bread, but it has a little thicker crust and it's a little more dense and chewy. It would be great for a very saucy pasta, soup, or something else with juices you want to soak up. We had it with some Greek Chicken Salad and then again later with some yummy pasta. It requires you to start it overnight, and then it has a lot of rising times, but the actual time you spend doing something is very minimal. It was fun for a change!

Italian Bread

The night before (called the "preferment"):

1 c. water

1 c. bread flour (all-purpose will work)

1/2 tsp. instant yeast

For the rest of the dough:

5 c. bread flour (again, AP is fine; you may need more or less)

1/2 c. nonfat dry milk

1 T. brown or white sugar

1 T. salt

2 tsp. instant yeast

1 T. olive oil

2 cups water, room temperature

To make the preferment, combine the water, flour and yeast in a medium bowl. Mix well to blend, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature at least 4 hours and up to 16 hours.

When you are ready to make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the preferment, 4 cups of the flour, dry milk, sugar, salt, yeast, olive oil and water. Mix on low speed until a sticky dough has formed. Add the remaining flour ¼ cup at a time. Continue kneading on low speed until the flour has been incorporated (you may need to add even more than 5 cups) and you have a dough that is smooth and elastic, and no longer sticky. The total kneading time should be about 10 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a well greased bowl, turning once to coat, and cover with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel. Allow to rise at room temperature until approximately doubled in size, about 2 hours. Deflate the dough, cover once more, and let rise again for 30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough once or twice and divide into two equal portions. Cover the two pieces of dough with a damp towel and allow to relax for 20 minutes.

Shape the two portions of dough into the desired final shape (I did 2 long loaves) and transfer to a baking sheet. Cover again with a damp kitchen towel and let rise until approximately doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Just before placing the loaves in the oven, brush or spray them lightly with water. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes before rotating them. Bake another 20-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 200˚ F. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Source: Annie's Eats

Blackberry Crisp

2011-03-17T07:00:00.002-06:00

I am aware this picture is crummy, but I assure you, this dessert is not! I love crisps in all varieties, in fact, this recipe is very adaptable to whatever fruit you like. I will give you the recipe for the topping and give you some guidelines on your fruit of choice, and it works great! We had some blackberries in our freezer so I decided to make this last weekend and it was soooo delicious. Served warm topped with vanilla ice cream and it makes one amazing dessert.

See bottom for adaptations for other fruits. Don't let the picture deceive you - this makes a lot of topping; my blackberries just bubbled over a lot of it.

Blackberry (or other fruit) Crisp

Topping:

3/4 c. flour

1 c. rolled oats

1 c. brown sugar

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 c. softened butter

Fruit filling:

4 c. frozen blackberries

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. flour

juice of 1/2 lemon

In a large bowl, combine frozen blackberries with sugar. Let macerate on the counter for about 1/2 hour (or up to a few hours), until blackberries begin to thaw slightly and combine with the sugar. Add flour and lemon juice. Mix to combine.

Combine ingredients for crumb topping, cutting in butter with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Pour the fruit filling into an 8x8 pan and top with the crumb topping. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until topping is browned and juices are bubbling. Serve warm with ice cream.

If using apples, reduce sugar in filling to 1/4 cup, omit flour, and add 1 t. cinnamon. Bake for 40-45 minutes until tender. Mixed berries would also be delicious or cherries, apricots, or anything you like!

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak

2011-03-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

It may still technically be winter, but not for long! We fired up the grill on Sunday and made this delectable flank steak. Yum! I'd never made flank steak before, but I will surely be making it again! I got this recipe from the America's Test Kitchen magazine (given to me by my mother-in-law - thank you!) and therefore it is of course a no-fail recipe. The marinade took a couple minutes to prepare, then it just sits in the refrigerator for awhile, and then it literally took 10 minutes to cook. So easy! It had lots of flavor and made for some excellent steak fajitas with the leftovers! Yummy.

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak

1/4 c. olive oil

1 shallot, minced (about 3 T.)

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 T. minced fresh rosemary

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 (1.5 lb.) flank steak, trimmed

Vegetable oil for cooking grate

Process the oil, shallot, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper together in a blender or food processor until smooth. Prick the steak with a fork about 20 times on each side, then rub both sides of the steak evenly with the paste. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

Turn all the burners of your grill to high, cover and heat the grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Use a grill brush to scrape the grate clean. Lightly dip a wad of paper towels in oil. Holding the wad with tongs, wipe the cooking grate. Place the steak on the grill and cook covered (if using a gas grill) until the steak is well browned on both sides and thickest part registers 120-125 degrees on an instant-read thermometer (for medium-rare), 8-12 minutes, flipping the steak halfway through.

Transfer the steak to a carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice the steak thin, against the grain and on the bias, and serve.

For Medium, cook until temp. registers 130-135; Medium-Well: 140-145; and Well-done: 150-155.

Source: America's Test Kitchen

Moo Shu Noodles

2011-03-14T15:42:00.002-06:00

This is a great, quick weeknight kind of meal and it's tasty and healthy too! I've made this several times, but I hadn't made it in a long time until last week. I had forgotten how delicious it was! This is definitely going to make it into the rotation more often from now on. My hubby loved it as well as my 2-year old, so it's a winner! It's super easy and really flavorful.

Moo Shu Noodles

12 oz. fettuccine or linguine noodles

4 T. vegetable or olive oil, divided

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 lb. chicken, sliced thin

black pepper

salt

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced on bias

2 T. fresh ginger, peeled and grated (or 1 T. ground/dried)

3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated

1/2 lb. white button mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced

1/4 c. hoisin sauce

3 T. soy sauce

1/2 head green cabbage, thinly sliced

1/2 c. pasta water, reserved

Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 c. cooking water, drain the rest of the pasta and reserve.

Heat a large skillet with 1 T. oil. Add the beaten eggs to the pan and scramble. When the eggs are done, reserve them in a boil.

Add 3 T. oil to the skillet and heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally until done, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside (cover with foil or something to keep warm).

Add scallions, ginger, and garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant and scallions are tender, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and stirfry until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add cabbage to the pan and stirfry until tender, about 5 minutes.

Combine the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and reserved pasta water in a bowl. Add the eggs and chicken into the skillet, along with the sauce. Stirfry to fully heat through and then toss with the reserved pasta. Cook to heat through and serve.

Source: Adapted from Rachael Ray

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars

2011-03-12T08:28:00.003-07:00

Yum! If you love oatmeal and chocolate, you will LOVE these bars. They're kind of our new favorite thing ever. Soft, chewy, buttery, and delicious. They are super easy to whip together and they taste so good!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars

1 3/4 c. flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. oats

3/4 c. butter

1/2 c. white sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips (~2 cups)

1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (optional, but very delicious!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together dry ingredients (flour, soda, salt, oats) and set aside. Beat butter, sugars, egg and vanilla until fluffy and then add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if using. Press into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 17-20 minutes, until light golden brown (don't over bake!). Let cool slightly before cutting and serving.

Enjoy!

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

2011-03-10T07:00:00.005-07:00

If you saw my last post (does anyone read this blog anymore? i don't blame you if you've given up), you knew this was coming. I decided to try some pulled pork the other day and it did not disappoint! I bought a huge pork roast a couple weeks ago, because it was cheap, and I stuck it in the freezer while I decided what to do with it. I saw this recipe for pulled pork on a blog and I decided to give it a go. Of course it made a ton, so I froze the leftovers in ziploc bags - so we can have this a few more times! This is the real deal here. The pork is ridiculously tender and the sauce has so much flavor. Give this a try! It was soo delicious.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

This definitely has a kick to it, so if you aren't a huge fan of spicy, cut the cayenne pepper back. I liked the spice, but if I were to make it for a group, I would cut the cayenne pepper in half, fyi.

2 medium onions, chopped

1 c. ketchup

2/3 c. cider vinegar

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. tomato paste

4 T. paprika

1/2 T. cayenne pepper

4 T. Worcestershire sauce

7 tsp. salt

3 tsp. black pepper

5 lb. pork butt, cut into 2 pieces

rolls or buns, for serving

In a large crockpot, combine all ingredients except the pork (and buns). Stir together until well combined. Add pork, place the lid on and cook on low for 8 hours, until pork is tender and falls off the bone.

Take 2 forks and shred the pork. Place back in the slow cooker with the sauce. Stir well to combine and serve on rolls or buns.

Serves: a LOT

Source: Two Peas and Their Pod

French Bread Rolls

2011-03-08T15:48:00.002-07:00

I have been seriously missing in action lately, but I have lots of good reasons. We're selling our house, I'm having a baby in 2 weeks, my grandfather passed away, and life is just all around busy. But I'm still cooking! I haven't been making too many exciting things, but just the other day I thought that I wanted to make some yummy things in the next few weeks before the baby comes while I still have some time on my hands!

So that's where these little gems come in. I just took these out of the oven minutes ago and they are delish! I couldn't wait for them to cool - I had to try one. We are having these for dinner tonight along with some pulled pork that has been simmering in the crockpot all day (I'll share that recipe too), some coleslaw, and baked oven fries. Yum! I'm excited for dinner...only 2 more hours to go!

French Bread Rolls

Makes 1 dozen rolls

1 1/2 c. warm water

3/4 T. instant yeast

2 T. white sugar

2 T. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

4 cups flour (roughly)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine water, yeast, sugar, oil, salt and 2 cups flour. Begin mixing and gradually add the rest of the flour until a soft dough forms (you may need more or less - just watch it so you don't add too much; when it clears the sides of the bowl, you have enough).

Knead for about 5 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Lightly spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel and let rise until doubled - about an hour.

Lightly deflate dough and divide into 12 equal pieces. Form into round balls and place on a cookie sheet about an inch or two apart. Let rise until doubled - about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake rolls for 12-15 minutes, until browned and done.

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Easy Chicken Tacos

2011-01-10T13:51:00.002-07:00

I got a new cookbook for Christmas and I LOVE it! I've only tried 2 things so far (and I forgot to take a picture of the first!) and both have been delicious. I was drawn to this one because of the word "easy". Haha. The cookbook is The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2011 (we love America's Test Kitchen - same people that do Cook's Country and Cook's Illustrated), and although everything I've ever tried from them turns out perfect, they're not always the simplest recipes. But...this one was very easy! And extremely tasty. We love Mexican food around here and this was a fun new way to enjoy it. It was a little spicy, but not overpowering and it had lots of yummy flavor.

Easy Chicken Tacos

3 T. unsalted butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce

3/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 c. orange juice

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp. yellow mustard

salt & pepper

12 (6-inch) flour tortillas, warmed

shredded lettuce, grated cheese, diced avocado,

diced tomato & sour cream (for toppings)

Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chipotles and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cilantro, the orange juice, and Worcestershire and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes (depending on thickness it might be more), flipping the chicken halfway through. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.

Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the mustard. Shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and return to the skillet. Add the remaining cilantro and toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the tortillas and top with desired toppings.

Pumpkin Bread

2010-12-21T15:24:00.003-07:00

There seem to be two types of pumpkin bread - the very cake-like kind that often contains chocolate chips, and the denser spice-bread-like one with nuts. Both are delicious and I have a hard time deciding which I like better. I guess it depends on my mood. This is pumpkin bread of the denser variety and I think it is delicious! It doesn't have a ton of ingredients - which is great, it makes 2 loaves - so you can take one to a friend, and it seriously takes about 6 minutes to whip together. This would be great to include on holiday goodie plates or to serve at a holiday party or just to make for your long drive to California you have coming up - that would be my reason :). It will be delicious no matter what!

Pumpkin Bread

3 c. flour

2 c. sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. cinnamon

2 c. canned pumpkin puree

1 1/4 c. oil

1 c. chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 loaf pans. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add the pumpkin, oil, and nuts and stir to until fully incorporated. Spoon into prepared pans and bake at 350 for about 1 hour and 15 minutes (check after an hour), or until done. Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack before cutting.

Snowball Cookies

2010-12-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

These little gems are known by many names - Mexican Wedding Cakes, Russian Tea Cookies, Snowdrops, etc. Whatever you call them, they are delicious, and to me they scream Christmas! I was first introduced to these when I was dating my husband. They are his mother's favorite Christmas cookie and I see why. They have very few ingredients, but are so nutty and crumbly and delicious, and of course they look like little snowballs! The dough is not like your traditional sugar or chocolate chip cookie, so don't be alarmed. These are easy to make and look very festive on a plate of goodies. Give them a try!

Tips: As I mentioned, dough is not normal cookie dough. There are no eggs in this recipe so the dough is very crumbly - that's how it should be. Also, there is no baking powder/soda, so they don't change shape at all. If you want your cookies to come out as perfectly rounded, smooth-topped balls, make sure you shape them that way because they come out looking exactly the way they did when they went in. :) I've heard you can also make these with almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, etc., but this is the traditional way (with pecans).

Snowball Cookies

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 c. butter (2 sticks), softened

2 1/2 c. sifted flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. very finely chopped pecans

additional powdered sugar, for rolling

Cream together butter and sugar. Add the flour, salt, vanilla, and pecans, and mix until fully incorporated. Refrigerate the dough for 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Form dough into 1.5" balls (you'll have to kind of squeeze the dough together) and place close together on an ungreased cookie sheet. I can fit the entire batch on one cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet and roll in additional powdered sugar while still warm. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 2 dozen.

Source: Debbie Nowland

Baked Potato Soup

2010-12-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

I LOVE this soup. It is perfect for winter. Although it has potatoes, it also happens to have plenty of bacon, sour cream, and cheddar cheese (hehe) so I try not to make it too often, but it's fun once in awhile! It's thick and creamy and delicious and perfect for a cold night - or even a warm night! What's even better is it's not very hard at all. You bake your potatoes ahead of time (or microwave them like I do), cook your bacon, and then basically throw everything together. Yum! Just remember to work out extra hard the next day. ;)

Baked Potato Soup

2/3 c. butter

2/3 c. flour

7 c. milk

4 large potatoes, baked

4 green onions, chopped

12 oz. bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, grated

8 oz. sour cream

In a large pot, melt butter. Add flour and let thicken until pasty (a couple minutes). Add milk and cook until thickened, stirring regularly. Meanwhile, peel skins off potatoes and chop into cubes. Add when milk has thickened. Add onions, sour cream, cheddar cheese and bacon. Heat through and serve!

Enjoy! Easy-peasy!

English Toffee

2010-12-10T08:17:00.003-07:00

Tis the season for toffee! I have always been a big toffee fan, so when I married my husband and discovered that his family makes their own, I was very happy! Jeremy and I made it for the first time together 2 years ago and by now, after having messed it up almost as many times as I've gotten it right, I've finally figured out how to do it just right. :) Remember patience is key with any candy-making, so just give it time. This is a great thing to add to a goodie plate to take to the neighbors or to wrap up in cute little bags with a ribbon (which is what we plan to do tonight). Of course, I always have a hard time getting it to last that long. So don't be afraid to try it! It's sooo worth it.

English Toffee

1 c. butter (2 sticks)

1 c. white sugar

1 T. water

chocolate chips, or chocolate candy bars

chopped almonds

Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper. Set aside. Put butter, sugar and water in a saucepan. Stir over LOW heat until butter is completely melted and sugar is completely dissolved. Slowly turn the heat up to medium-low/medium. Continue stirring as it slowly comes to a boil (if it's not coming to a boil at medium-low, slowly turn it up to medium).

Insert a candy thermometer into the pan (clip it onto the side if you have a cool clippy thing). Keep stirring as it boils and thickens until it reaches about 300 degrees (the Hard Crack stage). Shortly before this it will change color from off-white to about the color of peanut butter. The texture will also start to change, so don't be alarmed.

When it reaches the right temperature/stage, quickly pour onto prepared cookie sheet and spread out to desired thickness with a spatula. I just spread mine into a large oval. It cools quickly, so move fast! After about 10 seconds, sprinkle chocolate chips or chocolate bars over the toffee. Wait a minute or two for them to start to melt, and then spread all over the toffee with a knife or spatula. Sprinkle chopped almonds all over. Let cool completely and then break into shards.

Extra tips: If the butter separates at the end, it means you brought it up to a boil too fast (trust me, I know from experience). Make sure the butter is all the way melted and the sugar is dissolved before you turn up the heat. Also, I know some people like chocolate and nuts on both sides of the toffee. Just wait until it cools and then flip it over, spread some already-warmed chocolate over the backside and sprinkle with additional nuts. You can also add chopped almonds to the toffee right before spreading it out on the cookie sheet. This would be more like almond roca. I've never tried it, but it sounds good!

Spinach Gratin

2010-12-09T06:00:00.001-07:00

This picture does NOT do this dish justice, but trust me, this is the way you want to eat your spinach. :) My sister Wendy introduced this recipe to our family last year by giving it to another sister of mine. We ate it at Thanksgiving last year and then I made it this year as well. It's always a hit and really dresses up the spinach. I know it seems like there is a lot of cheese and cream/milk, but really, the star of the dish is the spinach. You can't tell from the top (my picture) but once you break into it, it's very green and spinachy. :) Try this at your next dinner party or holiday gathering. Everyone will love it!

Spinach Gratin

4 T. unsalted butter

4 c. chopped yellow onions (2 large onions)

1/4 c. flour

1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg

1 c. heavy cream

2 c. milk

3 lb. frozen, chopped spinach, thawed* (5 10 oz. packages)

1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 T. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 c. grated Gruyere cheese*

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add flour and nutmeg. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add cream and milk. Cook until thickened.

Squeeze as much liquid as possible from spinach*. Add spinach to sauce. Add 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a 2 quart baking dish (I used an 8x8, but if you have some kind of round or oval dish near that size, that would be great too). Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

*A few notes: Allow plenty of time for your spinach to thaw and then really squeeze all the liquid out it. I set my spinach in a colander over a bowl to thaw on the counter and it took a good 14-16 hours to really thaw. Then I pushed down on it with a spoon to squeeze out the liquid and then, I stuck it all in a dish towel and rang it out. A LOT of liquid comes out of there, which is good.

Also, if you don't want to break the bank for the Gruyere cheese, you can use swiss - it's very similar in taste. My sister says she always just uses more Parmesan, so that's an option too.

Source: My sister Wendy, originally from Barefoot Contessa

Oatmeal Coconut Chewies

2010-12-06T11:17:00.004-07:00

Yummy! I love oats and coconut - put them together in a cookie and it's delicious! These are so soft, chewy, and buttery and they are definitely a new favorite of mine. If you bake them longer they would be more crunchy, but I prefer the soft chewiness. These are so good!

Oatmeal Coconut Chewies

1 c. white sugar

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 c. flour

1 c. shredded, sweetened coconut

1 c. quick oats

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl cream together the sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased or lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies are set but not overly browned.

Source: My Kitchen Cafe

Chicken with Goat Cheese and Sun-dried Tomatoes

2010-12-06T11:14:00.006-07:00

This made for a delicious Sunday dinner yesterday. I'd had my eye on this recipe for awhile and finally decided to try it. I'm so glad I did! It sounds fancy and tastes amazing, but it was really very simple. There aren't very many ingredients and it comes together really quickly. We ate this with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables and it made for a great hearty meal. Enjoy!

A couple notes: you can find sun-dried tomatoes in your local grocery store. Mine were near the canned tomatoes. The herbed goat cheese is also easy to find anywhere. Mine came in a 4 oz. package. It's shaped like a log and the cheese is white with green herbs all around it. Got it? :) I also doubled the recipe (so we'd have leftovers) and it was great!

Chicken with Goat Cheese & Sun-dried Tomatoes

2 chicken breasts, pounded thin

1 T. olive oil

3/4 c. chicken broth

2 T. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (and drained, if packed in oil)

2 oz. herbed goat cheese

salt & pepper

Heat skillet over medium heat. Pound out chicken breasts. I find the best way to do this is to set a piece of saran wrap on the counter, place the chicken on it, place another piece of saran wrap over the top, press down around the edges so the juices don't splatter, and then pound away with a meat mallet or a frying pan.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. When oil is hot, add chicken breasts. Cook through, about 6-8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Remove chicken onto a plate, cover with foil and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the chicken broth. Cook over medium heat until reduced by about half, being sure to scrape up the bits of chicken from the pan. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and heat through. Stir in the goat cheese and remove from the heat.

Top the chicken breasts with the sauce and serve.

Source: adapted from Annie's Eats

Thanksgiving Recap

2010-12-02T22:24:00.007-07:00

Success! I don't have much time, but I wanted to get some pictures up from our tasty Thanksgiving. I have several recipes I'm excited to share next year for Thanksgiving and I'm glad they all turned out! We had a wonderful time visiting with family and enjoying the holiday.

Hors d'oeuvres prepared by my mother-in-law:

Asparagus, feta, roasted garlic, kalamata olives

Havarti, Swiss, & Gouda cheese, fruit

My cute son eating hors d'oeuvres (we love that he loves feta as much as we do):

My hubby's dinner plate:

Our delicious brined & roasted turkey:

Stuffing:

Creamy Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

Mmm, rolls:

Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce:

Spinach Salad with strawberries, red onion & toasted almond (& raspberry viniagrette)

Spinach Gratin:

Blackberry Pie:

Thanksgiving

2010-11-19T07:05:00.004-07:00

As I mentioned the other day, we are hosting our first Thanksgiving this year! Jeremy and I have always had assignments for Thanksgiving dinner (mashed potatoes, 1-2 pies, etc.) but we've never done it all and never had it at our house, so we're excited! Unfortunately, since this is our first time, I don't have a ton of Thanksgiving recipes to share, but I plan on taking lots of pictures this year so I have plenty to add next year.

I thought I would share what our menu looks like right now, with links to any recipes I do have on here:

Dinner:

Brined & Roasted Turkey

Gravy

Mashed Potatoes

Grandma's Rolls

Traditional Stuffing

Cornbread Dressing

Green Beans

Spinach Gratin

Green Salad of some sort (TBD)

Cranberry Orange Sauce

Dessert:

Pumpkin Pie

Pecan Pie

Blackberry Pie

Whipped Cream & Vanilla Ice Cream (of course)

We may tweak some things here and there, but this is the plan for now. If I had 2 ovens, I could do more, but I'm really stretching it here as it is. So far there are just 7 of us (with 2 more pending), so I didn't want to get too carried away. :) I'll be sure to let you know how it all turns out!

Other ideas that won't make it to our table this year, but that are still great:

Herbed Roast Turkey

Apple Walnut Feta Salad

Old-fashioned Apple Pie

French Apple Tart

Sweet Cherry Pie

Old-fashioned Apple Pie

2010-11-17T08:03:00.006-07:00

I realize it has been awhile since I have posted, but we have been so busy lately! Among many other things, we have been busy preparing for our first time hosting Thanksgiving! My in-laws are coming into town and we are super excited (and a little nervous) to take on the big job of preparing the Thanksgiving feast. In planning what pies to make, we decided to nix poor Apple Pie. I felt bad for the pie, so I decided we'd just have to make one before Thanksgiving! So Sunday my sister came up, which gave me an excuse to bake a pie, and we tried Martha Stewart's "Old-fashioned Apple Pie". This is your traditional, double-crust, heaping apple pie and it was delicious! If you've decided to keep on Apple Pie for Thanksgiving, give this one a try!

I suggest using the deepest pie pan you have, since this calls for a dozen apples. Yes, a dozen. If you don't have a very deep one it will be fine (since it shrinks so much in the oven), you'll just have to be very careful about piling them in and then make sure your top crust really holds them in.

Old-fashioned Apple Pie

Pie dough, chilled (double crust)

12 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

1/4 c. flour, plus more for dusting

3/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Pinch ground cloves

2 T. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the apples, sugar, lemon zest and juice, flour, and spices. Toss well. Set aside.

On a floured surface, roll out pie dough into 2 large circles. Press one into the pie plate. Spoon the apples into the pie plate. Dot with butter, and cover with remaining pastry circle. Cut several steam vents across the top. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake until crust is brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour. Let cool on a wire rack before serving.

Source: Adapted from Martha Stewart

Pie Crust

2010-11-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

If you prefer pie crusts with butter as your fat of choice, this is the recipe for you! Make sure your butter is COLD!

Makes enough for a double crust pie, or 2 single crust pies.

Pie Crust

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. (2 cubes) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 - 1/2 c. ice water

In a food processor or a bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add butter. If using a food processor, pulse until mixture is in coarse crumbs with pieces of butter about the size of a pea. If using a pastry blender or knife & fork, cut in butter until the mixture is in coarse crumbs.

Add water (make sure it's very cold!) a little at a time. In food processor, pulse until dough is crumbly, but holds together when squeezed. If doing by hand, just gently scoop hands under the dough, incorporating the water, until it starts to come together. Don't add to much water! It should come together when you squeeze it, but not on it's own.

Divide dough in half and wrap each half with plastic wrap, forming into a disk. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour (and up to 2-3 days).

When ready to roll out, place on a floured surface and gently roll out until you've reached your desired size. Roll up using rolling pin (roll it around the pin) and roll out onto the pie pan. Pour in filling of choice, and cover with other half using the same rolling method. Trim and crimp the edges.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

2010-11-06T13:31:00.007-06:00

I hosted a baby shower this past weekend and served 2 of these quiches (one with spinach, bacon & swiss, the other with ham, broccoli, cheddar & green onion) and this tasty coffee cake. My sister actually made this coffee cake for my baby shower a couple years ago and it was delicious! Make sure to watch it carefully because although the recipe says to bake it 50-60 minutes, mine only baked for 45 and I thought it was a little dry. I should have taken it out sooner! Oh well. It was still delicious. And it looks really pretty, so it's great for something like a shower.

This may look like a long list of stuff, but it's really quite easy to whip up. Don't be afraid. :)

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Cake:

3/4 c. unsalted butter (1.5 sticks), room temperature

1/2 c. sugar

3 extra-large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 c. sour cream

2 1/2 c. cake flour (or 2 1/4 c. flour + 1/4 c. cornstarch)

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Streusel:

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

3 tsp. cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces

3/4 c. chopped walnuts

Glaze:

1/2 c. powdered sugar

2 T. pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan (which no one seems to have, including myself; a bundt pan works just fine).

Cream butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, powder, and salt. With mixer on low, add flour mixture to batter until just combined. Finish stirring with spatula.

For the streusel, place all ingredients expect walnuts in a bowl and pinch with fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in walnuts.

Spoon half of cake batter into the pan and spread with a knife. Sprinkle 3/4 c. streusel on top. Spoon the rest of the batter into the pan and spread. Scatter streusel on the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes (check after 40). Let cool on wire rack 30 minutes. Carefully transfer cake, streusel side up on serving platter (so you'll have to flip it out and then flip it over).

Whisk glaze, adding a few drops of water, if necessary, to make runny. Drizzle over cake.

Source: My sister Wendy, originally from the "Barefoot Contessa"

Soft Garlic Knots

2010-11-04T08:44:00.003-06:00

I am a bread person. And a garlic person. Combine the two and it is heaven! These are really delicious and, as the title would indicate, very soft. They went great with our lasagna the other night and with our spaghetti a few weeks before that. :) I think they'd be good with all sorts of things. They may look hard since they're in a knot, but it's really easy. The recipe makes 10 "knots" (rolls) and I assembled the actual knots in just a couple minutes - no harder than any other roll/breadstick kind of thing. You do need to allow enough time for them to rise twice, so plan accordingly. They're topped with a glaze of butter, fresh garlic, and Italian seasoning and they are delicious!

Soft Garlic Knots

3 cups flour (or more)

1 T. sugar

2 tsp. instant yeast

1 1/4 tsp. salt

2 T. olive oil

1/4 c. milk

1 c. + 2 T. lukewarm water

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 T. melted butter

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning*

In the bowl of a mixer, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the olive oil, milk, and water. Mix until ingredients have formed a dough, adding more flour a little at a time if necessary. Knead on low speed until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a clean towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 10-inch long rope (just rolling between your hands is fast and easy) and tie into a basic knot. Take the underneath end and bring it over the top and tuck it in the center. Take the end on the top and tuck it underneath into the center. Transfer rolls to a baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes, until puffy.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine garlic, butter and Italian seasoning and brush over the tops of the rolls. Bake until set and slightly browned, about 15-18 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

*I know most people have Italian seasoning, but I didn't, so I just sprinkled some dried basil, oregano, and parsley over the top. It probably totaled more than 1/2 tsp., which is why mine may look more green than yours, but it tasted great!

Source: Annie's Eats

Banana Bread

2010-10-19T21:23:00.004-06:00

I love banana bread, but I've never really had a go-to recipe. I found this one recently on the Joy of Baking website (which I love) and I decided to try it. I'm so glad I did! It's really tasty. I went ahead and toasted the nuts like it suggested (although it's totally optional since it takes a little extra time) and it gave it a really yummy extra flavor. I don't like my banana bread too cakey, and this one was just right. I hope you enjoy it!

Banana Bread

1 c. walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)

1 3/4 c. flour

3/4 c. white sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 large ripe bananas, mashed well (1-1 1/2 cups)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x5 loaf pan.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 7-10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Let cool and then chop coarsely. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts. Set aside. In another bowl, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla.

Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined and the batter is lumpy. Do not overmix. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55-60 minutes (check sooner to make sure it's not overdone). Place on a wire rack to cool and remove from pan.

Source: Joy of Baking

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2010-10-16T21:20:00.006-06:00

I've been wanting to put up this recipe forever, but I never could seem to get a very good picture. Well, I still didn't get a very good picture, but I'm putting it up anyway! I love this meal. Let me tell you why. Two reasons: it's delicious, and it's SO easy. Seriously. Dump stuff into your crockpot and 8 hours later enjoy a delicious dinner. I do this a lot on busy Sundays or days when I know I'll be out and about right up until dinner time. This would be great for students because you can stick it in the crockpot before you leave in the morning and then enjoy it when you get home at night! I hope you try it!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 chicken breasts

2 15oz cans Mexican stewed tomatoes

2 15oz cans black beans

1 14.5oz can tomato sauce

1 4oz can diced green chiles

1 cup salsa

grated cheddar cheese

sour cream

tortilla chips

Place chicken breasts in the crockpot. Pour in the cans and salsa, put the lid on, and cook on low for 8 hours (give or take - I've done it for 6 and for 9-10). Shortly before serving, take chicken out and shred it. Put back into the soup and mix around. Top with the cheddar cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips. Enjoy!

This can easily be cut in half. Either save half of your green chiles, throw them all in for a little extra heat, or leave them out. Use an 8oz can of tomato sauce instead of the 15oz. Easy-peasy.

Source: Amy Weaver (my sis)

Allspice Crumb Muffins

2010-09-21T14:12:00.005-06:00

Last night we had a delicious breakfast for dinner. I love doing that, do you? We do it fairly often. I love having leftover dinner/breakfast for breakfast the next morning. Yum! So I made this no-crust quiche with bacon, spinach and swiss cheese (oh my - that was a good combination. And then you get to eat yummy turkey, bacon and swiss sandwiches with your leftovers the next day if you happen to have turkey and delicious sourdough bread like I did...

...but anyway, I digress), and we had these allspice muffins, and sliced fresh peaches. It was sooo good!

So in researching allspice, I came to find out that it is an actual spice - it's a dried fruit (berry) from southern Mexico and Central America. When the English discovered it, they called it "allspice" because they thought it tasted like the combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. For some reason, I always thought it was some fake thing, but no, it's real. :) However, if you don't have any around (like I didn't and I'd already gone to the store), you can substitute equal parts nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground cloves for the allspice (for example, 1/3 tsp. nutmeg, 1/3 tsp. cinnamon, 1/3 tsp. ground cloves for 1 tsp. allspice). Other than that sounding complicated, these actually are very simple and use very simple ingredients. They're definitely a sweeter muffin, not healthy, but they went great with our salty quiche. I hope you enjoy them!

Allspice Crumb Muffins

For the streusel:

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

5 T. cold butter, cut into bits

For the muffins:

2 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1 T. baking powder

1/2 tsp. ground allspice

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs

3/4 c. milk

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

grated zest of one lemon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners (I just sprayed mine with cooking spray because I was out of liners and they came out great).

For the streusel, combine all ingredients except for the butter and stir to combine. Add the bits of butter and toss to coat, using your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until you have little crumbs. Set aside in the refrigerator.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, both sugars, allspice, and salt. Make sure there are no lumps. In a glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla until well combined. Add to the dry ingredients and stir gently to combine. The batter will be somewhat lumpy. Stir in the lemon zest. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Sprinkle some streusel over each muffin, pressing the crumbs into the batter gently with your fingers.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the tops are browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes and then remove the muffins from the pan. Makes 12 muffins.

Source: Annie's Eats

Homemade Pesto

2010-09-14T20:22:00.000-06:00

Mmmm...pesto. Hopefully I'm not too late in getting this on here with those of you with mounds of basil to use up. This recipe is easy and tasty. Pesto can be used on pasta, sandwiches, pizza, savory tarts, etc. You can freeze it in individual containers and then pull out what you need when you need it. I hope you enjoy it!

Homemade Pesto

1/4 c. walnuts

1/4 c. pine nutes

3 T. chopped garlic (about 9 cloves)

5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 c. good olive oil

1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place the walnuts, pine nuts, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is finely pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top. Makes 4 cups.

Source: Barefoot Contessa "Back to Basics"

Blondies

2010-09-09T19:34:00.004-06:00

So first off, in case you haven't heard, I'm pregnant. Woohoo! We're very excited for our second little one to be on the way. Everything's been great except for the whole sick thing. You know...minor detail. But, that is just about over so I'm finally ready to get cooking and blogging again! I had lots of plans over the past couple months, but the thought of food was repulsive, so those plans got pushed aside.

Sorry for the details, but I wanted to let you know there was a good reason for my lack of blogging! Food is delicious to me again (hooray!) so I'm really excited to share some recipes with you. Tonight we had some amazing pork loin chops with rosemary and garlic roasted potatoes and garden squash and zucchini. I was too busy licking my plate, so I didn't get any pictures, but you better believe I'll be making that again...and soon.

For now though, I have an absolutely delicious recipe for blondies. Blondies are kind of like cookies in brownie form - like a cookie bar. These are moist, slightly gooey, flavorful, and completely satisfying. The recipe is so easy to remember and it only uses one bowl! The use of brown sugar instead of white sugar gives a delicious depth to the flavor - almost like butterscotch - and I instantly fell in love with these. I hope you do too!

This recipe makes one 8x8 pan. I made them for a big family get-together so I quadrupled the recipe and made two 9x13 pans - one with nuts (pecans) and one without. It worked out great.

Blondies

1 cube butter, melted (1/2 cup)

1 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

pinch salt

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 - 1 c. chocolate chips

1/2 - 1 c. nuts, chopped (optional, but soo delicious)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8x8 pan. Mix melted butter with brown sugar - beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla. Add salt. Stir in flour. Add chocolate chips and nuts (if using). Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until middle is set. Better to overcook than undercook (mine only needed 25 minutes doubled, so be careful). Cool on wire rack before cutting.

Source: Smitten Kitchen

Sweet Cherry Pie

2010-08-03T21:34:00.004-06:00

Oh my. Cherry Pie.

I was never a huge fan of cherry pie as a kid because of the yucky canned filling. My life changed on Saturday, however, when I went to the Farmer's Market in Salt Lake and bought four pounds of the most delectable looking cherries you've ever seen. I thought, hmm, maybe I should give a fresh cherry pie a chance. And boy am I glad I did!!! This was so tasty. Thanks to Martha Stewart, everything turned out delicious. If you were like me and wrote off cherry pie because of a can, give it another shot this summer with fresh cherries! You won't regret it.

Also, I usually make pie crusts with shortening, even though shortening is gross, because they always turn out the best. However, Martha convinced me to give butter another shot, and mmm-mmm, it turned out delicious. Make SURE the butter is cold and follow the recipe to a "T" and you will not fail - I hope. :)

Sweet Cherry Pie

Pie Crust

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. (2 cubes) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 - 1/2 c. ice water

Filling

2 lbs. Bing cherries, pitted* and halved (mine were Lambert)
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. fresh lemon juice

1 egg, beaten + 1 T. water, for egg wash

Begin with the crust. In a food processor, combine the flour, salt and sugar. Pulse briefly. Add butter. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. (At this point I take mine out because I have a mini-food processor, and I can't add the water in it; either way will work). Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse (or gently combine with hands) until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed. (If necessary, add more water 1 T. at a time). Do not over mix. Divide dough in half, flatten into discs, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least one hour.

Remove from refrigerator, and roll out one of the discs into a large circle. Using your rolling pin, roll the crust up, wrapping it around the rolling pin and then unroll it into the pie plate. Press and shape into the pan.

Filling: Preheat oven to 400 degrees and move the rack to the lowest position. Pit the cherries*. Martha says to cut them in half, but I didn't. Do what you will. In a large bowl, combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Pour into the prepared bottom crust.

Roll out the other half of the pie dough. Place over the filling (or you could do a lattice top), trim the edges, and then crimp with a fork or your fingers. Brush with egg wash and cut slits if not doing a lattice. Place on top of a rimmed cookie sheet (in case you bubble over) and place on the bottom rack of the oven.

Bake until filling is bubbling rapidly all over, 50 - 60 minutes (tent with aluminum foil after about 40, or when crust starts to brown). Transfer pie to a wire rack, and let cool until room temperature, at least 3 hours.

Serve with vanilla ice cream. Mmmm....
*If you don't have a cherry pitter (who does?), I found the best method to be the paper clip method. Thanks to YouTube, I discovered this little trick. Take a small clean paper clip and unfold it so it's the shape of an "s". Stick the curved end into the top of the cherry and pop out the pit. Some might require a little scooping around the pit, but on average it probably only took me 3-4 seconds per cherry. Not bad.

Source: Adapted from Martha Stewart

Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad

2010-07-27T20:36:00.003-06:00

Yum! This salad is perfect for summer. Fresh corn on the cob, cherry tomatoes, avocados, lime juice, etc. Serve it as a side, with tortilla chips, or stay tuned to see what we ate it with this weekend. :) Enjoy!

Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad

2 1/2 cups fresh corn, cooked and cut off the cob (about 5 ears)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups diced avocado
2 T. olive oil
1 T. fresh lime juice
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. Add the corn, avocado, tomatoes, and onion. Toss to mix. Serve room temperature as a salad or with tortilla chips.

Source: Amy Weaver

Pasta Chicken Salad with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Spinach and Bacon

2010-06-18T12:45:00.003-06:00

I know. It really is the longest name ever. I said we'd been having a lot of salads lately, and I wasn't kidding! This is another great discovery. Melanie over at My Kitchen Cafe always has great stuff, and this was another hit. It was great for summer because you could cook the pasta and bacon in the morning and then throw it all together before you eat. Yummy! I liked the dressing, but didn't absolutely love it, so next time I might play around with something different, but other than that, I wouldn't change a thing. It was filling, colorful, flavorful, and perfect for warm weather!

For the pasta, she recommends cellantini, which my grocery store didn't have. I used whole-wheat rotini and thought it was great! So use whatever you like. I also followed her recommendation of using a rotisserie chicken, which made it super easy and delicious.

Pasta Chicken Salad with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Spinach & Bacon

1 lb. pasta, cooked drained, and cooled to room temperature
1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded (1/2 a rotisserie chicken if you have it)
4 cups fresh spinach leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces
5 strips bacon, fried and chopped into small pieces
3-4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (plump in hot water if using dried)

1/2 c. mayonnaise
4 T. balsamic vinegar

Place the mayonnaise and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk well to combine. In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, bacon, spinach, green onions, and sun-dried tomatoes. Toss lightly to combine. Add dressing a little at a time until you have enough to your liking. I only used about half of the dressing, but you may want more. Toss to combine.
Source: My Kitchen Cafe

Mom's Potato Salad

2010-06-16T19:46:00.003-06:00

Everyone has their own version of potato salad that they love, and this is mine. Well, if I'm honest, I really love all potato salad, because I love potatoes in any form, but this is what I grew up eating at BBQs, family gatherings, etc. and I really love it! I made a big ole batch of this when we were up in Park City with Jeremy's family and we got to enjoy it all week. Seeing the picture makes me want to make it again! Hmm...I'll have to see what I can do about that. :) So if you're looking for a great version that is simple and full of flavor, give this a try!

Amounts can be adjusted depending on how big of a crowd you need to feed. Last time I made it, I used about 5-6 lbs. of potatoes, 1.5 dozen eggs, 1/2 of a very large onion, and I doubled the dressing. Just go by taste, and it won't let you down! You especially don't want it to be dry, so add more dressing as you need to. It's also best to make this at least a couple hours ahead of time so it has time to get cold.

Mom's Potato Salad

8-9 medium russet potatoes
12-14 eggs
1/2 red onion

1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. mustard
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 T. sugar
salt and pepper, to taste

Boil potatoes with the skins on until tender. Let cool, peel and cut into cubes. Boil eggs until done (let come up to boil, turn off heat, let sit 10-12 minutes, put into ice water until cool). Peel and dice. Dice red onion. (Once again, you can adjust these amounts to your liking) and combine with eggs and potatoes.

Mix dressing ingredients together and add to potato mixture (you may not need all, or you may need more). Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with sliced eggs (if you have extra and you want to) and let chill in the refrigerator until serving time.

Spinach Tortelini Salad

2010-06-11T10:02:00.004-06:00

Now that it's warming up, I've been in the mood for salads! On Monday, I planned out our meals for 2 weeks and realized that 5 of them are salads! This one is a great summer recipe. You can prepare everything ahead of time and then just toss everything together right before you sit down to eat. The dressing was a little too sweet for my taste (it would be great if it was for a side salad or something, but by the end I was a little sweeted out), so next time I plan on cutting back on the sugar. Also, I think you could vary it by using sliced strawberries instead of mandarins (since summer is a great time for strawberries) or even adding some feta cheese, which is what I did when I had it for lunch the next day.

Only put the dressing on what you plan on eating at that time, because it won't keep nicely with the dressing on. I actually kept everything separately and just made up individual bowls per serving and then the next day I just made up another salad for myself for lunch. It worked great! You can make it as big or small as you want too. Just adjust the amounts to whatever you like.

Spinach Tortellini Salad

Dressing:

1/3 - 1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 T. grated onion
1 T. sesame seeds, toasted on a fry pan for a few minutes

Salad:

Fresh Spinach (baby is recommended; I just ripped up regular)
Cheese Tortellini, cooked and chilled in the refrigerator
Canned Mandarin Oranges
Bacon, cooked and chopped into small pieces

Earlier in the day: cook tortellini according to package directions. ( A 9 oz. package would be plenty for 2-4 people). Let cool and store in the refrigerator until assembly time. Cook bacon (I did about 7 slices) and chop into small pieces and store in the refrigerator until serving time.

For the dressing: Combine sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve sugar and remove from heat. Add olive oil, salt, paprika, grated onion, and toasted sesame seeds. Stir well to combine and let dressing sit until serving time (the longer it sits, the better).

To assemble: combine desired amount of spinach, tortellini, mandarins and bacon and toss in the dressing (as much as you want) to combine. Enjoy!

Source: My sister Wendy

Snickerdoodles

2010-06-09T10:17:00.005-06:00

I was out of town for awhile, but I'm finally back and I have a lot of recipes to put up! I'll start with these absolutely delicious snickerdoodles. I've never had a great snickerdoodle recipe, but I saw these posted on another blog the other day, so I decided to give them a try. They are slightly crisp on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside - just how a snickerdoodle should be. Yum! They are so easy to whip up too. I only used one bowl (well two with the cinnamon/sugar mixture), a whisk, and a spatula. Perfect! Good luck trying to not eat the whole batch. I've been struggling since I made these yesterday. Yikes!

Snickerdoodles

1 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. butter, melted
2 eggs
2 3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 c. sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix 1 1/2 c. sugar, butter and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Shape dough into 1 1/4" balls. Mix 1/4 c. sugar and cinnamon. Roll balls in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes, or until set. (Mine were just about 8 min.) Don't overbake! Remove from cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

Source: The Sisters Cafe

Tabbouleh

2010-05-22T16:56:00.005-06:00

Yummy! My sister Wendy gave me this recipe and it is from one of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks. It is a little different, but we absolutely loved it! It is so colorful, healthy and full of delicious fresh ingredients. I looked up Tabbouleh on Wikipedia and discovered that it is one of the most popular Middle Eastern salads. It is made with bulgur wheat, tons of parsley, mint, scallions, lemon juice, olive oil, etc. You can serve it as a salad, a side, or a main dish. We ate it as a main dish and served it in warm pitas and crumbled some feta cheese on top. So good! I highly recommend eating it that way. It was super filling too (because of the bulgur wheat, which I also read about here. It's more nutritious than white rice and couscous and is high in fiber, vitamins and minerals).

So give this a try! If you make the pitas too (which I suggest you do. Here's a great recipe - newly revised to be more mixer-friendly) it's more work, but definitely worth it. The tabbouleh itself is not very hard at all and you're supposed to make it ahead of time. I made it in the afternoon, but when we had if for leftovers for lunch today, I thought it tasted even better - so next time I'm making it in the morning. By the way, I bought my bulgur wheat in the bulk foods section in my grocery store, but you may find it other places.

Tabbouleh

1 cup bulgur wheat
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (1 bunch)
1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (1 bunch)
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (1 bunch)
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

pitas, optional
feta cheese, optional

Place the bulgur in a large bowl, pour in the boiling water, and add the lemon juice, olive oil, and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Stir, then allow to stand at room temperature for about an hour. (Use this hour - or that last half - to chop everything).

Add the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, and salt & pepper to taste (I didn't use all the salt personally); mix well. Serve, or cover and refrigerate . The flavor will improve if the tabbouleh sits for a few hours. (I definitely recommend letting it sit for at least 3-4 hours).

Oatmeal Muffins

2010-05-18T19:30:00.003-06:00

I love these muffins! We love oats in our family and these are a great way to eat them. Every time I make these Jeremy just mmms and aahs and devours them. I try to find excuses to make them as often as I can. :) Tonight I paired them with this white chili and it was a great combination! They call for white flour but if you want to make them a little healthier you can use whole wheat, (although I prefer the flavor with white). These are super easy too, which is always a plus. Give them a try!

Oatmeal Muffins

1 egg
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 c. flour
1 c. rolled oats
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine everything in a large bowl and stir with a spoon, spatula, whisk, (whatever) until flour is moist. It will be slightly lumpy. Scoop into a greased muffin tin and bake for 18-20 minutes (my recipe says 20-25, but they always seem to be done early), until lightly browned. Makes 12 muffins.

Source: My mom

Leftover Roast - Beef Tacos

2010-05-14T14:01:00.003-06:00

Growing up, we always had a roast every Sunday along with mashed potatoes, gravy, carrots & peas, salad, etc. Now that I'm grown up (somewhat) it's still one of my favorite meals, although I don't make it every Sunday. When I do make it, like I did on Mother's Day, I always have a lot of leftover roast, and this is one of my favorite ways to use it up. It is so super easy and if you need a quick meal some night and you have some leftover pot roast, give this a try! It is juicy and flavorful and delicious. You can use it for burritos, tacos, or whatever you like. It would probably work great with a pork roast too (as long as it's tender enough to get all shredded), but I've just always used beef.

Beef Tacos

1 lb. leftover pot roast
1 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 cup beef stock
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
tortillas
lettuce, cilantro, sour cream, avocado, cheese, etc. (your favorite burrito/taco toppings)

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the leftover pot roast, shredding it as it warms. Add tomatoes, stock, chili powder and cumin. Stir ingredients together and cover. Let roast simmer in the sauce about 15-20 minutes, until heated through, the roast is completely shredded, and most of the liquid is gone. Serve in warmed tortillas and top as desired.

I should note that it's really juicy and messy, but it's worth it!

Penne "alla Betsy"

2010-05-10T08:01:00.005-06:00

(Pardon the bad picture. We were too busy devouring to bother taking a picture until we were loading it in tupperware for leftovers. Oops).

I don't know anyone named Betsy, but this recipe comes from the Pioneer Woman (whose sister's name is Betsy). We tried this a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it! I bought some frozen shrimp on a whim and was looking for recipes with shrimp and this won! Jeremy loved this and was very glad we had lots of leftovers. It's really easy to make and very delicious - shrimp and penne pasta in a tomato cream sauce with fresh basil and parsley. Mmm. (By the way, if you are like me and sadly live nowhere near an ocean, I recommend buying shrimp frozen because it's more fresh than the "fresh" shrimp, which is actually shrimp that was frozen and then thawed. Just a tip). Enjoy!

Penne alla Betsy

3/4 lb. penne pasta
1 lb. large or extra-large shrimp*
2 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
1 whole small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. white wine or chicken stock
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. heavy cream
1 - 2 T. fresh parsley, chopped
1 - 2 T. fresh basil, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste

Cook the penne pasta until tender-firm (al dente).

Peel, devein and rinse 1 pound of extra large shrimp under cool water (I went ahead and removed the tails now instead of later as she suggests; do whatever you like). Heat 1 T. butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook them. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Now, put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board and pull off the tails. Chop the shrimp into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

In a large skillet heat other T. of butter and olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add your white wine (or chicken stock). Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Then add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.

Now add your chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce. Give it a stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Throw in your herbs and stir until combined. Finally add your cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir.

*Shrimp: You will see on the package a number like 30-40 count. This is the number of shrimp per pound. The smaller the number, the bigger the shrimp. Go for a smaller number for this dish.

***A note about the herbs: I noticed when I say parsley, I should specify that it's flat-leaf parsley, not the curly stuff. I've never used the curly stuff and it looks more like a garnish then something I would stick in my food. So I always use flat-leaf. In fact, it's growing in my garden right now! Also, about the basil, if you want to "chiffonade" the basil, which is the fancy (and easy) way to chop it, just stack up your leaves, roll them up lengthwise and then chop them. You'll get beautiful thin strips of basil. Just a tip!

Source: Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Granola

2010-05-04T12:17:00.004-06:00

I'm finally back from my no-good-excuse hiatus and I'm ready to get bloggin' again! I have been cooking, I just haven't been documenting it, so here we go!

This recipe makes me happy. It is so yummy! I was never a big granola person, probably because I'm not a huge fan of raisins, and most store-bought granola has raisins, but this granola is delicious! It has just the right amount of sweet and it's nice and hearty and healthy. It's pretty basic, but you can add dried fruit to it if you want, or just eat it plain or with fresh strawberries like I do. :) This is another recipe from my sister Amy and once again it's a winner!

Granola

6 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. nuts, chopped (pecans, walnuts, almonds, whatever)
1/4 tsp. salt
2 T. brown sugar
1/3 c. pure maple syrup
1/3 c. honey*
1/4 c. fruit juice (apple, pineapple, orange, etc.)
1/2 tsp. almond or vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over the oat mixture and stir until fully incorporated.

Spread out onto a greased cookie sheet (jelly roll pan) and bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes (so you'll stir it twice).

Store in an airtight container (or large ziploc bag). Add dried fruit if desired.

*Instead of using 1/3 c. each of honey and maple syrup, she says you can do all of one.

Source: Amy Weaver

Basic Whole Wheat Bread

2010-04-22T14:45:00.001-06:00

This is simple, basic, delicious, hearty whole wheat bread. I got this recipe from my mom and I've made it a lot. Sometimes I do part wheat, part white flour depending on what I'm in the mood for. Any way you make it, it's delicious. (Usually I do all wheat, but the last time I made it, I did half and half just to switch it up and it was great!) Enjoy!

Don't worry about measuring your flour. Just add enough so it clears the sides of the bowl. It may be 8 cups, or it may be 13 cups. The dough will be slightly sticky.

Whole Wheat Bread

5 c. hot water
2/3 c. vegetable oil
2/3 c. honey
4 tsp. salt
2 T. yeast
10-12 c. whole wheat flour (about; see note above)

Combine hot water, oil, honey, and salt in mixer bowl. Add 6 c. whole wheat flour and blend thoroughly. Add yeast and blend again. Add rest of flour 1 c. at a time and knead for a total of 10 minutes in mixer. (When dough clears the sides of the bowl (cleans your bowl), you've added enough flour. Don't add anymore!)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Grease 3 bread pans (9x5 in.). Rub oil in on your hands and remove dough 1/3 at a time. Form in hands until the top is smooth, then place in the bread pans. Turn off oven and place the loaves in the warmed oven for 20 minutes to rise. After 20 minutes, turn oven to 350 degrees and bake for 45 minutes (leave the bread in the oven the whole time). Remove from pans, brush with butter, and let cool.

Revision

2010-04-16T14:23:00.003-06:00

I just revised the recipe for these amazing hamburger buns so it's easier to follow if using a mixer. I made them again today and they turned out great! Just FYI. If you were considering not making them before because you thought they had to be done in a bowl with a wooden spoon/your own two hands, think again! They are now easier and just as delicious.

Creamy Orzo with Mushrooms, Asparagus, & Red Pepper

2010-04-15T20:26:00.002-06:00

So if you follow "My Kitchen Cafe", you know that Melanie just posted this recipe on Monday. But if you don't, I am happy to introduce this delicious dish to you. So, as luck would have it, I was planning our meals for the week on Monday before I went to the grocery store and saw this and really wanted to try it. I made it that very day and it was delicious! Red peppers were super expensive so I only put one in instead of two (I splurged buying the one) and I also added asparagus because it's delicious, it's in season, and it was super cheap; but other than that I followed the recipe and it was sooo good. (Oh and in my haste I accidentally bought Neufchatel cheese instead of cream cheese, but it tasted great and was 1/3 the fat, so that turned out to be a good thing).

I will definitely be making this again. Soon. It was easy and came together in 30 minutes. Perfect. I hope you enjoy it!

Creamy Orzo with Mushrooms, Asparagus, & Red Pepper

1 lb. orzo pasta
1 cup reserved pasta water
1 T. olive oil
2 medium chicken breasts (1-1.5 lbs.), cut into chunks
8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 lb. asparagus, cut into 1" pieces
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat cream cheese or Neufchatel)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
juice of 1 lemon (don't skip this! soo good)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook according to package directions until tender. When the orzo is ready, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and then drain the orzo and set aside.

While the orzo cooks, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot oil and brown on all sides. When nicely browned (but not quite all the way cooked through), add the peppers, mushrooms, asparagus and thyme. Stir and let cook for about 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the mushrooms and peppers have softened and browned and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

In the skillet over medium heat, add the softened cream cheese (I didn't soften; no big deal) in bite sized chunks and stir so that the cream cheese melts and coats the chicken and vegetables. Add the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir. Add the orzo, Parmesan, lemon juice and fresh parsley. Stir to combine and heat through. Garnish with additional Parmesan and parsley.

It will be very creamy, so I found it best to serve this in bowls. Serves 4-6 (depending on what else you are serving and how hungry you are). :)

Source: My Kitchen Cafe

Easy, no-fuss Brownies

2010-04-12T08:22:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to eliminate boxes from my life. Meaning mixes. As in brownie mixes, cake mixes, etc. I figure, I usually make my own bread, why was I using a box for brownies? Silly. So I've gotten rid of all the cake and brownie mixes, and once I did that I needed to find a great brownie recipe. I only tried a couple because I found this one and loved it! It's so fast it's barely harder than using a box, and it's so much better (and better for you, I'm sure). It only uses one bowl and you just throw everything together and mix it up. I whipped these up on Friday night because my sister and her roommate decided to stop by, and everyone loved them! The gooey chocolate chips make them divine. Yum!

Homemade Brownies

1/2 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa
4 eggs
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
1 cup chocolate chips (about)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a wooden spoon, stir together butter, oil, sugar, and cocoa. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the chocolate chips, and mix. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and bake for 25-30 minutes. Be careful not to overcook.

Source: Sisters Cafe

No-crust Quiche

2010-04-10T08:30:00.000-06:00

Mmm. Another great way to use the leftover Easter ham.

I love breakfast foods. All of them. And I love to eat them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. (We had this for dinner). I got this recipe from my mom, who got it from a lady at church. My mom made a few of these for my baby shower last year and they were a hit! The great thing about this is that you can make it into whatever you want. I put ham, broccoli, cheddar cheese, and green onions in mine, but you could really put whatever you want. Sausage, bacon, swiss cheese, mushrooms, spinach, etc., etc. I'm looking forward to making this again and trying something new! If you make it, let me know what you put in it and if it was good!

No-crust Quiche

10 eggs
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. shredded cheese (I like cheddar; the recipe says jack, but does not specify what jack - colby, monterey, pepper, etc.)
1 lb. cottage cheese
1 cube (1/2 cup) butter, melted and slightly cooled
additional fillings (ham, bacon, onions, peppers, broccoli, etc.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat eggs lightly and everything else. (The recipe suggests about a 1/2 cup of each, but I would add more. Whatever proportions you like). Pour into a 9x13 pan.

Bake 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until browned around the edges and lightly browned in the middle.

I usually cut this in half for us and bake it in an 8x8 pan. If you do this, bake it for about 12 minutes at 400 degrees and then about 15 minutes at 350.
Source: My mom, originally from ?

Best Hamburger Buns

2010-04-09T08:30:00.002-06:00

**I recently revised this recipe to be more mixer-friendly. If you'd like to make it with a wooden spoon/your own two hands, see the original recipe (link at the bottom).

I saw these buns over at Smitten Kitchen and I knew they would be amazing. They aren't any harder than any other bread and they are so good! I know it probably seems silly to make hamburger buns, but I love making bread in any form, and I likewise dislike buying bread, so I thought I would give these a try. The recipe makes 8 buns. These are tasty and if you're looking to make burgers better than any restaurant, this will help you get there.

By the way, my husband, the burger-lover, absolutely fell in love with these! Paired with these oven fries, he was in heaven.

Makes 8 buns* (see note at end about freezing dough)

Hamburger Buns

1 c. warm water
3 T. warm milk
2 tsp. active dry yeast
2 1/2 T. sugar
2 large eggs
3 - 3 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 T. unsalted butter, softened
sesame seeds, optional

Combine water, milk, yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about five minutes. Meanwhile, beat one egg.

In bowl of mixer, combine 3 c. flour and the salt. Add butter and rub into flour between your fingers, making crumbs. Add yeast mixture and beaten egg until and mix on low until dough forms. Continue mixing and add more flour a little at a time, if needed, until the dough clears the side of the bowl. Knead for 5-6 minutes.

Shape dough into a ball and put in a bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, one to two hours.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide dough into 8 equal parts. Gently roll each into a ball and arrange two to three inches apart on baking sheet (you'll need 2 baking sheets; 4 buns on each). Cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap lightly coated in nonstick spray (or a towel) and let buns rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about one to two hours.

Set a large shallow pan of water on oven floor. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in center. Beat remaining egg with one tablespoon water and brush some on top of buns. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using. Bake, turning sheet halfway through baking, until tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

I made these earlier in the day and then cut them open and toasted them in the oven for a minute or two right before dinner. Delicious!

*On freezing: The first time I made these, I froze half of the dough in a chunk and used it later so I just made 4 at a time. This time, (I just made another batch today), after I formed them into individual balls, I lined a pan with parchment, stuck the balls on the pan, put it in the freezer until hardened, and then pulled off the balls and stuck them in a ziploc bag. This way I only have to bake 2 at a time (for the two of us) and I only have to make them once every 4 times. Just an idea. Just let them thaw and rise on the counter before you want to bake them (take them out the morning of).

Source: Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Easter leftovers - Breakfast Burritos

2010-04-08T20:41:00.000-06:00

So if you're like me and you hosted Easter dinner at your house and have gobs of ham leftover, you're trying to think of all the things you could make with it. (Besides the obvious yet delicious ham sandwiches). Well, I also had some leftover potatoes and eggs, so I decided to make a bunch of breakfast burritos and eat one and freeze the rest. I always feel guilty when I don't make my husband breakfast in the morning, so this was a great way to ease my guilt and have something delicious for him to pop in the microwave and eat on the way to work.

These are so simple I feel silly even putting up a recipe for them, but hey, this is my blog and I can do what I want. :) (Whoa, power trip). Anyway, it's more the idea that I wanted to put up here - making breakfast burritos in bulk and freezing them for later. Yum! I made four large breakfast burritos with the amount of stuff I used. You could easily make more if they were smaller.

Also, I boiled a few too many potatoes when I made these last weekend, so my potatoes were already cooked - hence why this was so quick and easy. If you're using raw potatoes, either pop them in the microwave for a few minutes to give them a head start, or just cook them a whole lot longer on the stove.

Easy Breakfast Burritos

1 T. olive oil
4 small russet potatoes, pre-cooked (boiled or baked) and skins on
7 large or extra large eggs (I had half and half leftover), beaten
2-3 green onions, chopped
1/2 - 1 cup ham, diced
shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper, to taste
4 large flour tortillas

Dice potatoes into small cubes. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes when hot and cook until potatoes start to brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add green onions and cook for another minute. Add beaten eggs and cook until eggs are done. Add in ham and cheese and stir until cheese is melted and ham is heated through. Remove from heat.

Heat flour tortillas in microwave for about 20 seconds until they are soft and pliable. Divide egg/potato/ham stuffing between the four tortillas. Tuck in the ends and roll up nice and tight. If storing in the freezer: wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil and pop in the freezer. When you're ready to eat them - remove foil & plastic, wrap in a paper towel and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through. (Feel free to squirt some ketchup in there too once you've reheated it).

"Gourmet" Potatoes

2010-04-08T10:42:00.004-06:00

I. Love. These. Potatoes.

These were a tradition when I was growing up for every Christmas and Easter. They are NOT your average "funeral potato". I really hate that term anyway. Who wants to eat something called funeral potatoes? Yuck. Anyway, my mom always made these and they are super delicious. They come from my Aunt Marilyn who is an amazing cook (that's where the title comes from; I didn't name them). We had these on Easter, but I was too busy getting ready that I forgot to take a picture that day, so these are the next day when we had leftovers (they don't look quite as cheesy and melt-y and delicious, so use your imagination).

There are a few reasons why I love these so much and why I despise most other "cheesy/funeral potatoes". One, the potatoes are diced into cubes, not shredded so small you can't even tell they're potatoes. Two, they don't use nasty cream of mushroom/chicken soup. (I'm probably offending people left and right here). And three - they are delicious. Loaded with cheddar cheese, sour cream, butter, and green onions - these are the real deal. So next time you have a holiday or anytime you want an excuse to make amazing potatoes - give these a try. You'll be so glad you did.

By the way, no one ever said these were good for you. They just taste good.

Gourmet Potatoes

5 lb. russet potatoes*
4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup butter (1 stick; 1/4 lb.)
3 c. sour cream
2/3 c. green onion, chopped
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Wash potatoes and put in a large pot with the skins on. Cover with water and boil the potatoes until they are tender. Let cool.

When potatoes have cooled, peel them and dice them into small cubes (about 1/2" cubes) and place in a large bowl. In a saucepan over low heat, combine cheese and butter. Stir occasionally until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream, onion, and salt and pepper. Add to bowl with potatoes and fold everything together (I know it's a lot of stuff; but no one likes dry potatoes). When potatoes are evenly coated, pour into a 9x13 glass baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese starts to bubble.

We always made this ahead of time (like the night before) to make it easier the day of. If you do this, after you put everything in the 9x13, just cover it and stick it in the refrigerator until about 45 minutes before you're ready to serve them. Then just remove the cover/lid and bake them for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

*This is an approximate amount. I always check after I dice them to make sure it's enough by putting them in my 9x13 pan. It should fill up the pan all the way. I'm pretty positive it's about 5 lbs. but I forgot to weight them this time.

Prize Winning Carrot Cake

2010-04-06T19:55:00.003-06:00

This recipe again comes from my mother-in-law. It earned its title from when Jeremy's aunt entered into the county fair baking contest and it won first prize. :) It really is very delicious. I had never been a huge carrot cake fan but every time I've made this it has been fantastic and I've loved every bite. In the past I've made it in a 9x13 pan, but for Easter I made it in two 9" rounds and it worked great! Either way is delicious.

Carrot Cake

1 c. oil
3 eggs
2 1/4 c. sugar
2 c. grated carrots
1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (plus more for the topping if you like)

Mix together oil, eggs, sugar, carrots, pineapple and vanilla. Add the rest of the ingredients. Pour into a 9x13 pan or two 9" round cake pans that have been rubbed with butter and dusted with flour. Bake in 350 degree oven for about an hour for 9x13 or 40-45 minutes for 2 rounds. Cool before icing.

Icing

1 cube butter (1/2 cup)
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Few drops of milk until correct consistency

Mix until smooth and creamy and spread after cake cools. Sprinkle cinnamon on top or put some nuts on the top, if desired. Also spread in between the two layers if you're doing 2 rounds. This will make a ton so you'll probably have some leftover.

Also, you can double the cake recipe and bake it in a jelly roll pan. There will be no need to double the icing however, because it makes plenty!

Baked Oven Fries

2010-04-05T19:07:00.003-06:00

I've mentioned previously that my dear husband loves good old-fashioned burgers and fries. About 90% of the time we go out to eat, he orders a hamburger. :) But lately, I've been making them more at home, which is much healthier and extremely delicious! In the past, I've made oven fries, but they haven't been all that great. However, I recently tried this recipe and it is soo good! The fries are nice and crisp and flavorful without being fried (do you still call them fries? i don't know). Stay tuned for the best hamburger bun recipe that we also enjoyed with these fries.

Baked Oven Fries

4-5 small potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into even wedges
5 T. olive oil, divided
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp. black pepper, plus more to taste

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl. Cover with hot water and soak 10-30 minutes. Put 4 T. oil (I usually don't measure; I just put enough to coat the pan, so it may not be quite 4 T.) on a large rimmed baking sheet. Tilt side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil. Sprinkle the pan evenly with salt and pepper.

Drain the potatoes. Dry the wedges completely with paper towels or clean kitchen towels. Wipe out the bowl so it's completely dry. Place the wedges back in the bowl and toss with the remaining Tbsp. of oil. Arrange the potato wedges evenly on the baking sheet in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms start to brown, about 15-20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Flip each potato wedge, keeping them in a single layer. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Remove from oven and place the potatoes on a plate lined with paper towels to drain off some of the grease. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and serve immediately.

Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats

My favorite Lasagna

2010-04-01T21:09:00.004-06:00

I love lasagna - especially good lasagna. When I met Jeremy he said that was his favorite food and I see why. This recipe comes from his mom and it is delicious! I've made a couple of little changes, but other than that, it's the same. Homemade lasagna is so much better than frozen (in my opinion) and it's really not that hard. It's a little time consuming to simmer the sauce, but just make it on a day that you can be home for awhile. I usually assemble the lasagna in the morning and then just keep it in the refrigerator until I'm ready to bake it. I've also cut this recipe in half many times and it works great (in an 8x8). Sometimes I'll do the whole thing and freeze half for later and that works great too! Just double the baking time if it's frozen.

This makes a big, 4-layer, meaty, cheesy lasagna. Great for feeding a crowd! Serves 10-12. Delicious with these breadsticks.

Lasagna

14 oz. ground beef
8 oz. mild ground Italian sausage
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
3 T. parsley flakes, divided
1 tsp. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 8 oz. package lasagna noodles
5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 c. small-curd cottage cheese or ricotta cheese (I usually do half & half or 2:1 ricotta:cottage)

Saute ground beef, sausage, onion, and garlic until meat is cooked. Drain off fat. Add canned tomatoes and break with a fork. Stir in tomato sauce, 2 T. parsley, sugar, 1 tsp. salt and basil. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered 1 hour or until mixture is the consistency of spaghetti sauce. Prepare lasagna noodles according to package directions. If using oven-ready lasagna noodles, no preparation is necessary (I recommend this; it makes it way easier - Barilla brand is my favorite).

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix cottage/ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, 1 T. parsley, 1 1/2 tsp. salt and the oregano.

In ungreased 9x13 pan, layer 1/4 of the noodles, 1/3 of the cheese mixture, 1/4 of the meat sauce, and 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat 2 times. Put the last layer of noodles on top. Top with remaining meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. (It will be noodles-cheese mixture-sauce-mozzarella-noodles-cheese-sauce-mozzarella-noodles-cheese-sauce-mozzarella-noodles-sauce-mozzarella). Got it? :) If using oven-ready noodles, make sure they are completely covered in sauce, otherwise they won't cook right in the oven - they'll be crispy. Yuck.

Bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes (10-15 minutes more if it's been in the refrigerator. Let stand 15 minutes after removing from oven before serving.

Source: Adapted from Debbie Nowland(Hard to get a nice clean picture of lasagna. Trust me. It's delicious).

BBQ Chicken Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing

2010-03-29T19:36:00.003-06:00

Mmm, another salad. This one has a great combination of flavors. BBQ chicken (well, shredded chicken mixed with BBQ sauce) and a tasty avocado ranch dressing with cilantro and lime juice. It's kind of southwestern-y too and I like it. :)

BBQ Chicken Salad

2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 cup bbq sauce
1/2 head romaine lettuce
1/2 head iceberg lettuce
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch green onions, chopped
4 roma tomatoes, diced
2 avocados, diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
shredded cheese, Mexican blend or cheddar
crispy tortilla strips*

Stir shredded chicken in with the bbq sauce until well coated. Toss all but last 2 ingredients together or let everyone pile their own salad together. Top with cheese and tortilla strips. Drizzle avocado ranch dressing (below) over the salad and enjoy!

Source: Sisters' Cafe

Avocado Ranch Dressing

1 ripe avocado
1/2 c. ranch dressing
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. sour cream
1/8 c. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. hot sauce
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
handful of cilantro

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender. Chill until ready to serve.

Source: Modified from myrecipes.com

*To make crispy tortilla strips: Preheat oven to 420 degrees. Chop corn tortillas into thin strips and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy. Watch carefully and do not broil. You may start a fire! (Trust me, I know from experience). :)

Turkey Meatloaf

2010-03-21T20:00:00.003-06:00

I'm mad I didn't snap a photo of this straight out of the oven, but Food Network has one if you'd like to look. We had people over last night when we served this and we were rushing to get everything on, so I didn't manage to get a picture until today when we had it again as leftovers for dinner.

My lovely sister Wendy told me about this recipe awhile ago and I finally decided I needed to try it. Ground turkey was on sale and I was in the mood for something new. This was SO tasty! We'll definitely be making this again. I didn't really like meatloaf much as a kid (sorry Mom) but I've made it several times since I've been married and I've enjoyed it. However, it often tends to be dry, or greasy, or something. This recipe tops all others. It is moist, lean, flavorful, and filling. Did I mention we'd be making this again? And again? Even Eli loved it! (Okay, so he loves most things, but I was excited he devoured it). By the way, I cut the recipe in half because it makes a ginormous loaf (5 lbs. of turkey - yeah, I know). It worked beautifully, so feel free to do the same. However, if you need to feed a crowd, this would be a great way.

Turkey Meatloaf

3 cups chopped yellow onions
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup chicken stock (I used turkey)
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
5 pounds ground turkey breast
1 1/2 cups plain dry bread crumbs
3 extra-large eggs, beaten (I used two when I cut it in half)
3/4 cup ketchup

In a medium saute pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until translucent, but not browned, approximately 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased sheet pan. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F. and the meatloaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven under the meatloaf will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold in a sandwich.

Mine took a little over an hour to cook for a half of a loaf. Just check it often so it doesn't get overdone.

Oh, and serve with these potatoes.

Source: Wendy McNiven, originally from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

2010-03-21T19:46:00.005-06:00

Yummy!!! My sister Wendy had been raving about this turkey meatloaf so I knew I needed to try it. She has many of Ina Garten's cookbooks (Barefoot Contessa) and the meatloaf come from one of them and it says to serve it along with these delicious potatoes. I love potatoes in any form, but they are hard to beat when they are smashed up and mixed with butter, half and half, and sour cream. Hey, I never said they were healthy. I just said they were delicious. Enjoy.

Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

3 lb. red potatoes, unpeeled
1 T. kosher salt, plus 2 teaspoons
1 1/2 c. half and half
1/4 lb. unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Place the potatoes in a pot with 1 T. salt and cover with cold water. (I stuck mine in whole because they were small and I think she said to do them whole; I'm sure it would be fine if you cut them up though. Especially if you needed to speed up the process). Cook until potatoes are tender. Drain.

In a small saucepan, heat the half and half with the butter. Put the potatoes in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix until broken up. Slowly add the hot cream/butter to the potatoes. The last quarter should be folded in by hand. (I found that I had too much liquid, so I didn't add it all. Use your own judgment to see what you need). Fold in the sour cream, Parm. cheese and salt and pepper. Add additional seasonings if necessary and additional cream if too thick.

Source: Wendy McNiven, originally from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Mint Brownies

2010-03-17T13:50:00.002-06:00

I made these last night to take to some people today. You see that thin layer of green? Yeah, that's the mint - I thought it was fitting for St. Patrick's day. Next time I make these I'll double the amount of mint frosting (I will include the doubled amount in the recipe). I thought it needed more. Also, the recipe says you can add nuts if you want. I love nuts in brownies, but since I was taking these to other people I didn't include the nuts. Some people are very against them; you never know. So if I make them again, I'll definitely add nuts. Other than that, these were very delicious! If you have a brownie recipe you absolutely love, you can go ahead and use that. Otherwise, try this one! They're kind of cake-like so if you like that, you'll like these. I thought they were quite tasty.

Oh, and this recipe also comes from my sister Amy. She forgot about giving the recipe for the peanut butter bars, so we'll see if she remembers this one. :) She gave it to me almost 6 years ago, and this is the first time I've made them (shame on me). They also reminded me of my mom because she loves mint brownies! Every time she goes to BYU she gets a delicious mint brownie from the Creamery. Mmm.

Mint Brownies

Brownies:
2 c. sugar
1 c. butter
4 eggs
4 (1 oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
2 1/2 c. sifted flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. broken walnuts or pecans (optional)

Mint frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
4 T. evaporated milk (I used regular milk)
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. peppermint extract
a few drops green food coloring

Chocolate Glaze:
6 T. butter
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in eggs until well blended, then add melted chocolate. Sift flour, measure and sift again with dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture along with vanilla and nuts. Spread in a greased and floured 9x13 pan for 30-35 minutes or until no imprint is left when touched with finger. Do not overbake. Remove and let sit for about 10 minutes.

Mix all frosting ingredients until creamy and spread over warm brownies. Refrigerate for 1 hour. (I left it on the counter for about 1/2 hour and refrigerated it for 1/2 hour). Combine butter and chocolate chips in top of double boiler, add vanilla and blend thoroughly. Pour gently over green frosting and spread by tipping the pan. Refrigerate until served.

Source: Adapted from Amy Weaver

Homemade Flour Tortillas

2010-03-12T09:33:00.002-07:00

We love Mexican food at our house, and homemade tortillas just takes it to a whole new level. Of course it's way more work than buying tortillas, but it's worth it. They are soft and pliable and delicious. I got this recipe from my mother-in-law and I've made it several times and several ways. The recipe calls for shortening or lard, but this last time I made them I used butter and it was great! Of course butter is way better for you than shortening and I don't usually have lard around, so from now on I'll be using butter. You may even be able to use oil, but I've never tried it. Also, it says to divide into 12 pieces. I like my tortillas a little bigger, so if you want 6-8" tortillas, do 12; or if you want 10" do 8.

Oh, also, I tend to think they become softer if you let them rest, covered with a towel or something, for a little while before you dig in, so I usually make them a little ahead of time (I sometimes stick them in an un-zipped ziploc bag while they're warm). The heat kind of keeps them moist and they seem to be softer and easier to work with that way.

Flour Tortillas

4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
4 T. butter, shortening, or lard
1 1/2 c. warm water

In mixing bowl combine dry ingredients. Cut in fat (butter, shortening, etc.). Add warm water, a small amount at a time to form a dough (you may not need all of it; this part is kind of like making pie dough). Knead dough until smooth and elastic. Cover and let stand 10-15 minutes. Divide dough into 8 or 12 equal-sized pieces and flatten with hands. On floured surface, roll out each piece of dough as thin as you possibly can! The thinner the better because they will thicken up when you cook them. Cook on a hot ungreased griddle about 3 minutes on each side until lightly brown.

Eat plain, with butter, cheese, or stuffed with goodness like we did: spanish rice, shredded chicken, salsa, guacamole, lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, and cheese.
Source: Adapted from Debbie Nowland, my mother-in-law :)

The BEST Breadsticks

2010-03-09T19:42:00.007-07:00

We are IN LOVE with these breadsticks here at our house. I got this recipe from my sister Amy and it is so delicious. I mean seriously, how could it not be? You roll out the dough, dip it in butter, and top it with garlic, salt and Parmesan cheese. Hehe. Yeah, I try not to make them too often...but I can't help myself!

Amy's Breadsticks

1 T. yeast
2 T. sugar
1 1/2 c. warm water
3 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt

1/4 - 1/2 cube butter, melted
garlic powder, salt, grated Parmesan cheese

Mix yeast, sugar and water. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add salt and flour and knead until it forms a soft dough (you may need a little more or a little less flour).

Put in a bowl, cover with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes.

Melt butter. Take dough out and roll out into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 1-inch-wide strips (I use a pizza cutter). Pick up both ends and dip the loop into the butter and swish around so it coats the dough. Grab both ends with one hand and the bottom loop with the other and twist. Put in a 9x13 pan and continue with the rest of the dough.
Let rise 10 more minutes. Top with garlic powder, salt and Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, until slightly golden brown on top.

Sweet & Sour Chicken Stir Fry

2010-03-06T19:55:00.004-07:00

I got this delicious recipe from my friend Angie (my picture doesn't do this justice). It is fast, simple, and delicious. Major winner! I love that it uses ingredients that I usually have on hand and it came together in no time at all. Seriously, it was so fast my heart was racing the whole time. Everything is cooked over high heat and it was very exciting to make! Anyway, enough blabbing. Here's the amazing recipe.

Sweet & Sour Chicken Stir-fry

2 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into uniform pieces
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. rice vinegar
2-3 T. vegetable oil
1/2 medium red onion, peeled and cut into thin strips
1/2 sweet red pepper, cut into strips
1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks
3 medium scallions, green parts cut into ¼-inch lengths and white parts minced
1 T. minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Stir Fry Sauce:
3 T. red wine vinegar
3 T. sugar
1 ½ T. tomato sauce
1 ½ T. pineapple juice from the can
¼ tsp salt

Toss the chicken with the soy sauce and vinegar in a medium bowl; set aside for 15 minutes while you chop vegetables, tossing once or twice.

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Chop vegetables and measure out ingredients.

Heat a 12- or 14-inch skillet over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes (or a wok would be great). The pan should be so hot you can hold an outstretched hand 1 inch over the pan for only 3 seconds. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl it so the oil evenly coats the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil until it just starts to shimmer and smoke. Check the heat with your hand as before.

Drain the chicken and add it to the pan. Stir-fry until seared and about three-quarters cooked, 2 ½ to 3 minutes. Scrape the cooked chicken and all of the liquid into a bowl. Cover and keep warm.

Let the pan come back up to temperature, 1 to 2 minutes. When it is hot, drizzle in 2 teaspoons oil. When the oil just starts to smoke, add the onions and peppers and stir-fry until just tender-crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pineapple and cook 1 minute. Add the scallion greens and cook 15 to 30 seconds.

Clear the center of the pan and add the white parts of the scallions, garlic, and ginger. Drizzle with ½ teaspoon oil. Mash into the pan with the back of a spatula. Cook until fragrant but not colored, about 10 seconds. Remove the pan from heat and stir the scallions, garlic, and ginger into the vegetables for 20 seconds.

Return the pan to the heat and add the cooked chicken. Stir in the sauce and stir-fry until the ingredients are well coated with sauce and sizzling hot, about 1 minute. Serve immediately with rice.

Whew! It's intense, I tell ya. Also, you'll notice it says 1 1/2 T. tomato sauce in the ingredients. I just planned to make spaghetti the same week I made this so I could use the rest of the can. Just fyi. :)

Source: Mrs. Harding Cooks

Peanut Butter Squares

2010-03-02T19:45:00.004-07:00

I love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. Add oats and it's pretty much amazing. That's what these bars are. I got this recipe from my sister Amy and it is so easy and so delicious. The recipe says to not only top this with the chocolate, but also to put a peanut butter frosting on top of that. I've never done that because it seems like it would be a little bit of a sugar overload, but I'm going to include it on here so you have the option to try it if you'd like. Let me know if you do and if you liked it! I think they'd be pretty darn good any way you make them.

Peanut Butter Squares

1/2 c. butter (1 cube)
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 c. peanut butter
1/2 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
1 c. flour
1 c. oats

1/2 bag. chocolate chips

Frosting:
2 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. peanut butter
milk to thin

Cream butter/sugars. Add egg, 1/3 c. peanut butter, soda, salt, flour and oats. Cook in 9x13 pan at 350 degrees for 10-15 min. (It may take a little longer). Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Spread when melted. Frost with peanut butter frosting (optional).

Orange Chicken

2010-03-01T09:28:00.004-07:00

This chicken is super tasty! I love orange chicken in general, so if you do too, you will love this. It's full of flavor and the chicken is moist and delicious. Enjoy!

Orange Chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-2" cubes
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons oil or butter

1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons green onion
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Heat oven to 350. In a shallow dish (I always use a pie tin for this kind of thing) combine the flour, garlic powder and pepper. Dip each piece of chicken in flour mixture and coat evenly.

Pour oil (or melt butter and pour) in a shallow baking dish, large enough to accommodate chicken in a single layer. Arrange chicken in pan and bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine water, fresh orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, orange zest and whisk over medium heat for a few minutes. Then stir in brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and green onion and let it come to a boil. Combine cornstarch with water and let it dissolve and add it to the sauce until thickened.

After chicken has baked the 30 minutes, turn each piece over and pour 1/2 sauce mixture evenly over chicken. Bake another 30 to 40 minutes basting frequently.

Serve chicken over rice with extra sauce on the side. Optional: top with more chopped green onions.

Source: My Kitchen Cafe

*Healthier/Faster Option: I think it would still be great without coating the chicken in the flour mixture. You could just cut up the chicken and cook it in a dry skillet on the stove and then pour the sauce over. It would be faster and less fattening. However, I really enjoyed this just the way it was! :) Also, if you want a less healthy way, she says you can deep fry it. It would taste more like the Orange Chicken from Panda Express.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2010-02-22T21:29:00.003-07:00

This is what we had for dinner tonight and it was tasty! And it wasn't really any harder than our normal pizzas (pepperoni, hawaiian, etc.), besides the fact that I had to cook the chicken beforehand. I will definitely be making this again. If you need a good pizza dough recipe, go here.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

1 pizza dough
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded(I did it in the crockpot)
1/2 cup bbq sauce, divided
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 1/2-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
small handful cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix shredded chicken with 1/4 cup bbq sauce. Roll out pizza dough and top with other 1/4 cup bbq sauce. Add onions, chicken and cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, slice up and serve!
Source: Sisters' Cafe

Apple Walnut Feta Salad

2010-02-22T21:12:00.002-07:00

So this recipe stemmed from a need to bring a salad to a church event and having to think of something with what I had on hand. Luckily I had some pretty good stuff on hand. :) Of course you can substitute things with what you have on hand. For the dressing I was just doing a basic oil/vinegar dressing and then I thought it would be fun to juice a mandarin orange to give it a little extra flavor and I really liked it, so I include that. Of course, you could dress it without that, but if you have one around, give it a try.

Apple Walnut Feta Salad

Salad
1/2 - 1 head romaine lettuce
about 1/4 cup red onion
1 cup candied walnuts, crumbled into pieces*
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 celery stalk, chopped

Dressing
olive oil & red wine vinegar - 2:1 ratio (couple Tbsp.)
juice of 1 mandarin orange, optional

Combine salad ingredients. Juice mandarin over the salad. Whisk together oil and vinegar and add to taste.

*To candy the nuts, put 2-3 T. sugar and nuts in a skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly until sugar melts and coats the nuts. Spread onto wax paper, separate, and let cool. Break up after cooled. I usually end up eating quite a few, so it's probably more like 2/3 cup that I put into that salad. Hehe. :)

Orange Zest French Toast

2010-02-22T20:59:00.003-07:00

Yummy! I knew this bread would make excellent french toast. I got this recipe from a lady at my bridal shower almost 5 years ago and this is the first time I've tried it. Oops. I definitely should have tried it sooner. However, I also got this amazing syrup recipe from her which I make all the time, so I guess that kind of makes up for it. Anyway, I really liked this. Usually when I make french toast, I just use egg, milk and cinnamon, but this has some orange zest and vanilla that make it a fun change.

Orange Zest French Toast

Texas Bread (or other thick bread)
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
orange zest from 1/2 orange
1 tsp. sugar (I would leave this out if you're planning on having sugary syrup on top)

Mix all together. Dip bread in and cook as you normally would cook french toast (on a fry pan/griddle over medium-ish heat until browned.) And seriously, eat it with this syrup. You won't regret it.

Pizza Dough

2010-02-22T20:30:00.000-07:00

This is my Aunt Marilyn's recipe (introduced to me by my sister Amy) and it is delicious, fast, and easy. Great for any pizza!

Pizza Dough

1 T. yeast
1 1/4 c. lukewarm water
2 T. sugar
2 T. oil
2 tsp. salt
3 c. flour (give or take)

Dissolve yeast in water. Let sit 5 minutes. Add salt, sugar, and oil. Add flour gradually and mix until it forms a soft dough. Let rise 20 minutes. Roll out with cornmeal and top with desired toppings. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

For baking: I don't have a stone, so I use a pizza pan and after about 10-15 minutes, I slide the pizza off the pan straight onto the oven rack so it gets a little crispier. Just a little tip.

Country White Bread

2010-02-18T13:29:00.003-07:00

Yum. I don't usually make white bread (besides french bread or bread sticks or that kind of thing), but I wanted to try this recipe. Jeremy really likes white bread so every once in awhile I'll make it instead of the usual whole wheat, and boy am I glad I did! This smelled sooo delicious while it was baking and my house still smells like it. The bread is delicious and has such a tasty flavor. I don't know if it's because of the eggs in it or the buttermilk or what, but it is really yummy. Give it a try! You won't be disappointed.

Country White Bread

Dough:
1 cup lukewarm water
1 cup buttermilk* (room temp.)
1/4 cup oil
5-6 cups bread flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs (beaten)
1 tablespoon salt
4 teaspoons instant yeast

Egg Wash:
1 egg white
3 Tbsp. milk

Mix together water, buttermilk and oil. Add 1 1/2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add sugar and eggs and mix together till smooth. Mix in the salt. Then mix in yeast. Allow to sit uncovered for 15 minutes.

Add flour a 1/2 cup at a time. Mix until it forms a dough and clears the side of the bowl (you may not need all the flour). Knead the dough for 5-6 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place dough into a lightly oiled bowl. Spray the top of the dough with an oil spray. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for about 1 hour (I didn't spray it and I just covered it with a towel).

Pour out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut dough in half. Shape dough into 2 rectangles the length of a 5x9 loaf pan. Roll the dough like a jelly roll being sure to lightly press with each rotation of the dough. Pinch the seam closed with your fingers. Place into two greased 5x9 loaf pans. Cover with plastic wrap (or a towel) and allow to rise till double in bulk about 45-60 minutes.

Make egg wash and brush the tops of the loaves. Wait 5 minutes then brush again. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.

My dough rose just fine, but I still thought it was kind of small by the time I put it in the oven. However, if puffed up a ton in the oven, so don't worry about it. Also, I think this would make amazing french toast...I'll be trying it out this weekend for sure!

*If you don't have buttermilk (which I never do), just put 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice + milk to fill up 1 cup, let it sit for a minute or two and use it in place of buttermilk. It's what I do every time.
Source: CookingBread.com

Souvlakia

2010-02-16T20:52:00.005-07:00

Last night we had some more tasty Greek food. After making that Greek Chicken Salad a couple weeks ago, I was really wanting to make Souvlaki again. For those who are wondering, I got the whole scoop from Jeremy tonight about Souvlaki vs. Gyros.

Okay, so as you probably know, Jeremy served his mission in Greece. So he knows Greek food. One of the most common things to get in Greece is a gyro (pronounced "yee-ro" NOT "jy-ro"). A gyro refers to the type of meat which is cooked on a vertical spit that spins (like the word "gyroscope" - it spins around)around next to a heat source (oven kind of thing) and is then shaved off in thin slices. Anyway, so it is usually pork, lamb, beef, or chicken. In Greece it is served on a pita with tzatziki, red onion, tomato, and french fries. (Yeah, I missed the tomato and french fries).

Now, souvlaki on the other hand basically means a kabob and it is pork or chicken that is cooked on a skewer and then served on a pita with the same fixings as a gyro. So there you go. Both words technically refer to the meat I guess, not the whole thing, but they're always served that way, so it's kind of confusing. So what we had last night was souvlaki, not gyros. And it was delicious! I also made a greek salad, which is essentially this without the lettuce and chicken. Yum! This post just has the recipe for the meat, but I've posted the recipes for the pitas and the tzatziki below.

Souvlaki

2 lbs. of chicken (you could use pork too), cut in 3/4 inch cubes
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. of freshly ground pepper
1 T. sea salt or kosher salt
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped
2 T. olive oil
juice of 1 lemon

Combine all ingredients in a ziploc bag. Turn to coat the meat evenly. Refrigerate for 6-8 hours.

Using 8 inch skewers, thread approximately 6 pieces of meat on each. This should make about 12 skewers. Grill the meat turning until well browned, about 15 minutes.

Serve on pitas with tzatziki, chopped red onion and chopped tomatoes.

Sources: Jeremy Nowland and About.com

Pita Bread

2010-02-16T20:45:00.007-07:00

Pita Bread

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 cup of warm water
4 cups of bread flour
2 teaspoons of salt
1 cup of warm water
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Dissolve in the yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water and set aside, covered, for 5 minutes (or while you do the next steps). Dissolve salt in the remaining 1 cup of warm water.

In bowl of mixer*, add flour and make a well in the center. Add yeast mixture and salt water. Knead in mixer for 3-4 minutes. While mixer is on low speed, drizzle in olive oil and continue to knead until all oil is absorbed. Shape into a ball in the bowl, cover, and place in a warm area to rise until doubled in volume, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours (mine only took 1/2 hour this last time!). Punch down the dough and knead for a few minutes by hand.

Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly oil baking sheets.

Take pieces of dough slightly larger than an egg and roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of 3/8 to 1/4 inch (about 6" in diameter). Prick the bread with a fork in several places.

Place on baking sheets and bake at 350°F on the lowest oven rack for 2-3 minutes, then turn the pitas over and bake for another 2-3 minutes (they probably won't brown at all. That's fine. Better to undercook than overcook). Remove from oven and place on a tray covered with a clean dishtowel, with another clean towel on top. When thoroughly cooled, pitas can be stored in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or frozen.

Before using, brush pitas with olive oil and brown in a frying pan for a few minutes until lightly brown on both sides.

*You can do this by hand. Just knead it for 10 minutes instead of 3-4.

Source: About.com

Tzatziki

2010-02-16T20:33:00.005-07:00

Tzatziki

16 oz. (2 cups) thick Greek yogurt
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 English cucumber, small diced (I usually peel all but a little of it)
1 T. olive oil
2 tsp. lemon juice
1-2 T. fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Prepare all ingredients in advance. Combine oil and lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl. Fold the yogurt in slowly, making sure it mixes completely with the oil. Add the garlic, according to taste, and the cucumber. Stir until evenly distributed. Garnish with a bit of green and serve well chilled.

Yield: about 2 1/2 cups

This makes a ton, so I recommend cutting it down unless you're feeding a bunch of people.
Source: About.com

Stuffed Mushrooms

2010-02-13T08:36:00.005-07:00

So last night we had some people over and I made some fun appetizers to serve. The following 3 recipes are from last night.

I love stuffed mushrooms. My in-laws got me hooked. They always do fun hor d'oevres around the holidays and this has been one of them. Usually they stuff them with cream cheese mixed with some herbs and green onions. I was planning doing just that until I was perusing through recipes online and came across several that used the stems in the stuffing. Hmmm. Sounded tasty and better than just throwing the stems away, so I decided to try it. I bought baby portabello mushrooms in a 24 oz. package at Costco, and there were 47 mushrooms in the package. I only used about 32 (that's all that would fit on my baking sheet), but I also have some leftover stuffing, which I plan on using today. I think you could use the same amount of stuffing for a smaller number of mushrooms, and just stuff them more.

Anyway, there are only a few ingredients, but they are really tasty. The smell of the mushrooms and garlic sauteing together was so deliciously fragrant and I had a hard time stopping myself from eating all the stuffing before they made it into the mushrooms! I think this would somehow make a delicious dip or cheese ball - I'll have to play around with that later. Also, I made the stuffing earlier in the day and then stuffed and baked the mushrooms right before the party.

Okay, so here's the recipe finally. I got inspiration from several recipes online, but ultimately did my own thing, so this one's mine. :)

Stuffed Mushrooms

24 oz. button mushrooms
3 cloves garlic
8 oz. cream cheese
2 green onions, chopped fine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Clean mushrooms (either with a damp towel or lightly with water). Carefully remove stems from mushrooms. Set aside caps. Combine stems and garlic in a food processor until fine. (Or chop really fine). Saute in a little oil for about 5 minutes, until there is no liquid in the pan. Take off the heat and combine with the rest of the ingredients.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place caps on the sheet (they can be fairly close together).

Put stuffing into a ziploc bag and cut a small hole in the corner. Squeeze filling into each mushroom. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-17 minutes, or until the top is slightly browned and the mushrooms are soft and squishy. There will be some liquid that forms beneath the mushrooms, don't be alarmed. This is why you lined it with parchment paper - otherwise you'd have a yucky mess to clean up right when your guests are arriving! :)

These would look pretty garnished with a little green.

Bean Salsa

2010-02-13T08:27:00.004-07:00

Yum!!! That's all I can say about this dip. I love it so much. Every year for Christmas Eve, my family gets together with another family that my parents met back when they lived in Pittsburg, CA and the past few years, they have brought this dip. It is sooo tasty. I asked for the recipe and found out it comes from the daughter's sister-in-law (make sense?), so I'm crediting this to Suzy Varga Patey, whoever and wherever you are! :) Anyway, this makes a GREAT party food and it's super easy. You only have to chop a few things and everything else you just dump in from a can. But don't be fooled....it is DELICIOUS.

Bean Salsa

3 cans Rotel tomatoes, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can yellow corn, drained
1 can white corn, drained
2 avocados, cut into small pieces/chunks
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
1 pkt. Italian dressing mix
opt: apple, cut into small pieces

Mix all ingredients together. Eat with chips. (see notes below)

Okay, so it says the apple is optional, but I say necessary. It is so tasty. It gives that little crunch and sweetness that makes this dip special. Also, I would use mild Rotel tomatoes. I used 2 original and 1 mild and it was pretty spicy. Or maybe use 1 original and 2 mild. I don't know. Whatever you want...

Cheese Straws

2010-02-13T08:18:00.004-07:00

I found these over at Smitten Kitchen and thought they looked like a fun party food. And fun they were! They were incredibly easy and tasted a whole lot like cheez its with a little kick. They came together in no time at all and were fun to have out on our spread. Try them!

Cheese Straws

1 1/2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese
4 T. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 T. half-and-half

First off, I used medium cheddar because that's what I had. I'm sure extra sharp would be better, but they were still really tasty. Also, I used cream instead of half-and-half, but either would work (or milk) and I need more like 2 T. to form the dough. Okay, procede...

In food processor, combine the cheese, butter, flour, salt & pepper until it is in coarse crumbles. Add half-and-half and pulse until dough forms a ball, about 10 seconds.

Roll dough out onto a floured surface into an 8x10 rectangle that is 1/2 " thick. Cut dough into thin strips (About 1/3"). Gently transfer strips to an ungreased cookie sheet (or line with parchment paper), leaving 1/4" between them.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until the ends are barely browned. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature. Store in refrigerator up to 2 days.

Herbed Roast Turkey

2010-02-08T12:29:00.006-07:00

I am well aware that Thanksgiving was 3 months ago, but I just made this turkey last night and it was amazing. If we ever host Thanksgiving at our house, we will definitely be using this recipe. We brined the turkey over night and then let it air dry in the fridge for hours and then rubbed this amazing herb paste all over and under and in, and then roasted it in the oven. It was SO moist and flavorful with a crisp crust and it really was amazing. Jeremy swears this is the best turkey he's ever tasted, but he's been known to exaggerate, so who knows. :) Either way, it really was delicious. We felt so guilty that we didn't invite anyone over to enjoy it with us, but now we have a lot leftover! Put this one in your file and try it out next Thanksgiving or be crazy like us and try it now! You won't be disappointed.

Look at my post below to see some fabulous rolls to go along with this turkey.
Herbed Roast Turkey

Turkey and Brine

2 cups table salt
1 turkey, 12-14 pounds, rinsed thoroughly; giblets and neck reserved for making gravy and tailpiece removed

Herb Paste

1 1/4 cups chopped parsley (roughly chopped)
4 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp. chopped fresh sage leaves (roughly chopped)
1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1 medium shallot, minced (about 3 T.)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
3/4 tsp. grated lemon zest (1 lemon)
3/4 tsp. table salt
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil

FOR THE TURKEY AND THE BRINE: Dissolve 2 cups salt in 2 gallons cold water in large stockpot or bucket (I used a 20 qt. stockpot). Add turkey and refrigerate 4-6 hours. Remove turkey from brine and rinse under cool running water. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Place turkey breast side up on flat wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan and refrigerate, uncovered, 30 minutes. Alternatively, air-dry turkey: place the turkey breast side up on a flat wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, 8 to 24 hours.
FOR THE HERB PASTE: Process parsley, thyme, sage, rosemary, shallot, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in food processor until consistency of coarse paste. Add mustard and olive oil; continue to process until mixture forms smooth paste; scrape sides of processor bowl in between pulses. Transfer mixture to small bowl.

TO PREPARE THE TURKEY: Adjust oven rack to lowest position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Line large V-rack with heavy-duty foil and use paring knife or skewer to poke 20 to 30 holes in foil; set V-rack in large roasting pan. Remove turkey from refrigerator and wipe away any water collected in baking sheet; set turkey breast side up on baking sheet. Tuck wings behind back and tuck tips of drumsticks into skin at tail to secure.

Using hands, carefully loosen skin from meat of breasts, thighs, and drumsticks. Using spoon, slip 1 1/2 tablespoons paste under breast skin on each side of turkey. Using fingers, distribute paste under skin over breast, thigh, and drumstick meat.

Using sharp paring knife, cut 1 1/2-inch vertical slit into thickest part of each breast. Starting from top of incision, swing knife tip down to create 4- to 5-inch pocket within flesh. Place 1 tablespoon paste in pocket of each breast; using fingers, rub in thin, even layer.

Rub 1 tablespoon paste inside turkey cavity. Rotate turkey breast side down; apply half remaining herb paste to turkey skin; flip turkey breast side up and apply remaining herb paste to skin, pressing and patting to make paste adhere; reapply herb paste that falls onto baking sheet.

TO ROAST THE TURKEY: Place turkey breast side down on prepared V-rack in roasting pan. Roast 45 minutes.

Remove roasting pan with turkey from oven (close oven door to retain oven heat). Using clean potholders (or wad of paper towels), rotate turkey breast side up. Continue to roast until thickest part of breast registers 165 degrees and thickest part of thigh registers 170 to 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 50 to 60 minutes longer. (Confirm temperature by inserting thermometer in both sides of bird.) Transfer turkey to carving board; let rest 30 minutes. Carve turkey and serve.

If roasting a 14- to 18-pound bird: increase all of the ingredients for the herb paste (except the black pepper) by 50 percent; follow the instructions for applying the paste under the skin, in the breast pockets, and in the cavity; use the remaining paste on the skin. Increase the second half of the roasting time (breast side up) to 1 hour, 15 minutes.

If roasting an 18- to 22-pound bird: double all of the ingredients for the herb paste except the black pepper; apply 2 tablespoons paste under the skin on each side of the turkey, 1 1/2 tablespoons paste in each breast pocket, 2 tablespoons inside the cavity, and the remaining paste on the turkey skin. Roast breast side down at 425 degrees for 1 hour, then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees, rotate the turkey breast side up, and continue to roast for about 2 hours. Let rest 35 to 40 minutes before carving.

Source: America's Test Kitchen TV

Great-Grandma Hiatt's Rolls

2010-02-08T11:29:00.005-07:00

I was about to write that these are my mom's rolls, but then I remembered that the recipe I have is written in a recipe binder my Grandma gave me (my mom's mom) and in it, it says "My Mother's Rolls". I love these rolls! I also think it's neat that I learned to make them from my mom, and she learned from hers, and so on. I'll be sure to pass these on to my children too. They are fluffy, flavorful, and amazing. I think of the movie "Julie and Julia" when I make and eat these, because I believe what makes them so amazing is an abundance of a certain lovely ingredient: BUTTER. Mmmm. They are buttery and amazing. It may take some time to get the hang of roll-making if you haven't done it before, but it is worth the time and effort. I made these on Christmas Eve at my in-law's and I made them again yesterday, and I'm happy to say that I have now mastered them. I'll try to include lots of tips. By the way, at Christmas I used my mother-in-law's KitchenAid and yesterday I used my Bosch. Both were equally delicious.

For me, these tend to take about 3 1/2 hours from start to finish (with all the rising times and baking time).

Great Grandma Hiatt's Rolls

2 1/2 T. yeast
1/2 c. warm water
1 T. sugar
2 c. milk
1 cube (1/2 cup) butter, melted
5-7 cups flour
1/2 c. sugar
4 tsp. salt
1/2 cube butter, melted - for rolling out

Combine yeast, warm water, and T. sugar in your mixer. Let sit until yeast begins to puff (about 5-10 minutes). Melt cube of butter and combine with the milk. Add to the yeast mixture and combine. Add 2-3 cups flour until about the consistency of pancake batter (or slightly thicker than cake batter). Let rise until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.

Add the 1/2 c. sugar, salt and flour about a cup at a time. Knead and continue adding flour until a soft dough forms and it clears the side of the bowl. Don't add too much. Dough should be sticky and soft. Knead for about 8-10 minutes.

Put in a bowl and cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Melt the 1/2 cube of butter. Take dough out and separate into two pieces (I find it easiest to roll the dough out half at a time). Flour a board or your counter and, with a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Use a large circle cookie-cutter or the lid of a wide-mouthed jar (that's what I use) and cut out circles from the dough. Dip each piece into the butter and fold in half (I think they call these "parker house rolls") and put on a dark-bottomed cookie sheet . It will brown much better than aluminum or glass. Place rolls right next to each other on the cookie sheet. Continue until all the dough is used. I am able to fit all the rolls on 1 large cookie sheet (or, technically, a jelly roll pan) when I make these (with no space in between). Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown on the top. Remove from the oven and brush the tops with butter.

Rising times may vary depending on the weather and the temperature of your house. If you're making these for the first time, allow plenty of time and watch them often. They may take a long time or they may rise really quickly.

Spinach Feta Bread

2010-02-06T09:55:00.003-07:00

Doesn't that just make your mouth water? I knew the moment I saw this recipe I had to make it. We had this last night with a Greek Chicken Salad (posted below) and it did not disappoint! It makes 2 loaves and we put one in the freezer for later. You have to do a little part the night before, so plan accordingly. Also, it says to mix everything with a wooden spoon and then your hands - which I did. However, if I make this again I plan on being lazy and using my Bosch, so if you make use of modern technology the first time, I will not think any less of you. I'm sure it will still be great. Enjoy!
Spinach Feta Bread

Night before:

3/4 c. bread flour
1/2 c. lukewarm water
1/4 tsp. instant yeast

Dough:

2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 1/4 c. lukeward water
1/2 c. dark rye flour
1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. bread flour
1/2 tsp. instant yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Night before: combine and beat until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 12-16 hours.

Next day: Prep all ingredients. Add a little oil to a sauce pan over medium heat. Add chopped spinach and saute until cooked, about 2 min. Pour onto paper towels and squeeze out any remaining liquid, then set aside.

Combine "night before" mixture and the water. Mix with a wooden spoon. Add in the rye flour and whole wheat flour, mixing until smooth. Add in the salt and instant yeast and stir until well blended. Allow mixture to sit uncovered for 10 minutes.

Next, start to add in the bread flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until the mixture becomes hard to mix. Pour out the dough onto a floured surface and begin to knead in the rest of the flour. Use just enough flour until the dough is slightly sticky. Knead for 8-10 minutes. (This is when I wished I had used my machine). Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Flatten a little and add in the cooked spinach and feta. Knead until fully incorporated into the dough. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and turn over until coated on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 2 hours or until double in bulk.

Cut in half. Shape into 2 round loaves and place on a piece of parchment paper covered in cornmeal. Sprinkle the loaves with a little whole wheat flour. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 1 hour. About 45 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 425 degrees and place a baking stone inside the oven. If using a cookie sheet, don't heat the cookie sheet in the oven before hand. Place a cast iron skillet on the bottom of the oven, to create steam.

Score the tops of the loaves. Place the loaves into the oven. Add a cup of boiling water into the skillet and close the door. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until when tapped on, the loaf sounds hollow.

Note: I just used a cookie sheet, so when I formed the loaves I put them straight on the cookie sheet (not parchment paper) and then I just used an 8x8 pan with water to create steam, not a "cast iron skillet", just so you know.

Greek Chicken Salad

2010-02-06T09:08:00.005-07:00

Last night we had a delicious Greek-inspired dinner. I made spinach feta bread (which I will post the recipe for next) and this Greek Chicken Salad to go with it. I should probably say that the other way around - the bread was to go along with the salad. But when I found this bread recipe, I thought, "hmm, what dinner can I make that will go with this bread?" Anyway, I digress...

Jeremy served his mission in Greece and therefore really likes Greek food. And I am definitely hooked too! I don't make it nearly as often as I should, but when I do it is delicious. This salad is basically a standard Greek salad (cucumber, tomato, onion, feta, olives) with the addition of lettuce and chicken. And then staying with the traditional greek salad dressing, I just used lemon juice and olive oil. Yum. I really like having salad for dinner, and thankfully Jeremy does too, so this is another great one that we will be adding to our list. I didn't use a recipe so these amounts are approximate and can be adjusted according to your own preference. I tried to pay attention to what I did, so here it goes. Oh, and these amounts were enough for the 2 of us (with a little leftover; we eat a lot), but if you want more, obviously do more!

Greek Chicken Salad

Chicken

1 large chicken breast
1/2 T. olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Put all ingredients in a ziploc bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours. (If you don't have time to marinate, I'm sure it would be really good if you just rubbed this on before cooking). Cook on a grill pan in the oven for 45-50 min. (until done) at 375 degrees. Let cool and then cut into strips or bite-size pieces.

Salad

1/2 - 1 head romaine lettuce
1 small cucumber, chopped
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. red onion, chopped (or more if you like)
1/2 c. feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 c. kalamata olives
chicken (above)
juice of 1/2 lemon
olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste

Combine everything expect the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon juice over the salad and drizzle olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss salad and adjust amounts to your taste preference.

Chocolate Heart Cake

2010-02-04T09:31:00.005-07:00

So Valentine's Day is coming up and I thought you might like an idea for a DELICIOUS cake. I made this last year, so my pictures are from last year (and they're pretty lame), but I still remember how amazing this cake was. In fact, looking at these pictures makes me want to go make it right now! It takes a long time so plan accordingly, and it dirties a lot of dishes (I don't usually like recipes like that), but it's worth it - especially if you only do it once a year. It's a chocolate chiffon cake with a layer of chocolate whipped cream in the middle, topped with an amazing chocolate ganache, garnished with raspberries and served with fresh whipped cream and raspberry sauce. Convinced? Yeah, go make it.

By the way, I think I made this the day before last year and it worked great. Just wait to top it with the raspberries until right before you serve and whip up some cream to go along with it right before you serve it too.Chocolate Chiffon Cake

3 large eggs, separated
1 large egg white
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup + 1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350 degress. Butter & flour a 9-in. heart cake pan (I just used a cake pan or an 8x8 pan and then cut it into the shape of a heart after it baked).

Separate the eggs, placing whites in one bowl and yolks in another. To the whites, add extra egg white and then cover both bowls with plastic wrap. Bring them to room temperature (about 30 min.) before using.

Meanwhile sift 2/3 cup sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside. In liquid measuring cup, whisk together oil, water and vanilla.

In (or with) electric mixer, beat egg yolks for 1-2 min. on high. Turn mixer on low and slowly pour in oil mixture until well combined. Gradually add flour mixture and beat until well mixed.

Beat egg whites (in their own bowl) until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue to beaut until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into the batter just until blended (being careful not to deflate the batter).

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (when lightly pressed the cake will spring back). Cool on a wire rack. To remove the cake from the pan, run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert onto a wire rack.

Chocolate Whipped Cream

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp. vanilla
2 T. sugar
3/4 T. cocoa powder

In a large mixing bowl, combine the whipping cream, vanilla, sugar and cocoa powder. Cover and the chill the bowl and the beater in the refrigerator at least 30 min. so the cocoa powder has time to dissolve. Beat mixture until stiff peaks form.

To assemble the cake:

Once the cake has cooled completely, place on a flat surface and, using a serrated knife, cut the cake, horizontally, into 2 layers. Turn over the top layer of the cake (so the top becomes the bottom) and spread with chocolate whipped cream. Place the second layer of cake, cut-side down, on top of the chocolate cream, gently pressing to compact. Cover with plastic wrap and place the cake in the refrigerator for several hours, or even overnight, before covering with the ganache.

Ganache

8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces (I used chocolate chips)
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 T. butter

Place chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for a few minutes so the chocolate melts. Gently stir with a whisk until smooth.

To cover the cake with ganache:

Put the cake on a wire rack that is placed over a baking sheet. Pour ganache onto the center of the cake and spread over the top of the cake, using big strokes to push it over the sides of the cake. Gently transfer the cake to your serving platter and place in the refrigerator until serving time. This cake can be made a day or two before serving. Decorate the top of the cake with fresh raspberries, if desired (but DON'T put them on until right before you serve it; I made that mistake and the juice ran onto the cake and it wasn't nearly as pretty). Raspberry sauce would also make a nice accompaniment to this dessert.

Raspberry sauce:

2 12 oz. bags frozen raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice

Thaw the unsweetened frozen raspberries in a large fine meshed strainer suspended over a large bowl (this may take a few hours). Once the berried have completely thawed, force the juice from the berries by gently pressing with a large spoon. Throw away the raspberry seeds and, to the strained juice, stir in the lemon juice and 1/2 cup white sugar (add more if needed).

Store covered in the refrigerator up to a week, or freeze up to a year. Makes about 3/4 cup. (I think I may have cut this in half last year. I don't remember buying 2 bags of berries. And I just took some of the berries out of the frozen bag for the garnish on the cake).

Source: JoyofBaking.com

Welcome!

2010-02-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

I have no idea who will end up reading this, but I wanted to do this mostly for myself. I have grown to love cooking and rather than hoping I remember all the recipes I've tried or have them stashed in random notebooks, I decided to start this blog. I copied and pasted all the recipes I had put on our family blog, so they are all on here now. Thanks for looking and enjoy some cooking!

Oatmeal Buttermilk Wheat Bread

2010-02-01T12:00:00.001-07:00

I love homemade bread. I've been making it a lot ever since my amazing husband got me a Bosch for Christmas a few years ago. In fact, I very rarely buy bread anymore. It's healthier, cheaper, and tastier to make it myself. Of course it takes a little longer, but I'm home a lot so it works out. Anyway, I often make a whole wheat bread recipe that I got from my mom, but lately I've been itching to try some new bread recipes. This one from "Annie's Eats" caught my eye. Jeremy loves oats and keeps saying we should make oat flour, so even though this doesn't call for oat flour, it does have oats in it. It is so tasty. It's actually really fluffy and it has a great taste and texture. I think this would be a great bread for sandwiches because it's not nearly as heavy as a lot of wheat breads. I've included my edits in italics. Try it out!

Oatmeal Buttermilk Wheat Bread

1 1/2 cups rolled oats, divided
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup room temperature water
2 T. + 1 tsp. agave nectar or honey, divided (I used honey)
2 tsp. instant yeast
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt

Set aside 1/4 cup of the rolled oats. Place the remaining oats in a bowl. Cover with the boiling water, mix well, and let sit uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (I used the whisk attachment on my Bosch, but I'm sure the dough hook would have worked), combine the soaked oats, room temperature water, 2 T. agave (or honey), yeast, buttermilk, olive oil, 2 cups of each flour, and salt. Mix briefly on low speed until ingredients are combined. Mix in the remaining 1/2 c. of each flour. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed for about 10 minutes. The dough will be wet, cling to the hook, and have a satiny finish.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled.

Now here's where I changed it. She baked it as one loaf, but I thought it would be way too big, so I divided the dough and did 2 loaves and it worked great. So if you'd like 2 normal-size loaves, go ahead and divide the dough here and follow these instructions for each loaf.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, flattening it with your hands to release the excess air bubbles. Form the dough in to a 12" x 6" rectangle and position it so the long side is facing you. Fold the 2 shorter ends onto the top so that they meet in the middle. Starting with the closest end, roll the dough away from you tightly into a log. Pinch the seam closed. Transfer the loaf to an oiled loaf pan, pressing it so it reaches all the corners. Mix the remaining agave nectar (or honey) with 1/2 tsp. of very hot water. Brush over the top of the loaf and sprinkle with the reserved oats. Let rise for about 3o minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the loaf for 1 hour. If baking 2 loaves, bake for about 45-50 min. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before slicing.

Now honestly, who could wait for a fresh-baked loaf to cool? I know I didn't. I let it cool for about 10-15 minutes and then I had to try it. :) I let the other loaf cool completely and then I stuck it in a ziploc freezer bag and popped it in the freezer for later.

French Apple Tart

2010-01-19T12:09:00.001-07:00

(picture above is before it's cooked)

It's another one from the Barefoot Contessa cookbook! And a darn good one too. Last night my sis Heidi and her roommate Brianna stopped by for dinner on their way home from Idaho. They'd been visiting our sister Amy for the 3-day weekend. So I made these teriyaki meatballs for dinner, which were really tasty, and then I'd been really wanting to try this dessert out from my new cookbook, and it did not disappoint! The crust was super flaky and delicious and the fresh tartness of the apples was so tasty. It's hard to go wrong with her recipes, because she gives very detailed specific instructions. Try it out! (Oh, and I forgot to take a picture of the whole thing after it came out of the oven and before we devoured it, so you just get one piece).

French Apple Tart
For the pastry*:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 T. sugar
12 T. (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup ice water

For the apples:
4 Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup sugar
4 T. (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small-diced
1/2 c. apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam
2 T. Calvados, rum, or water (I used water)

For the pastry, place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowls of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10-12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the dough slightly larger than 10x14 inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.
Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baller. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup sugar and dot with the butter.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out. Don't worry! The apple juices will burn in the pan but the tart will be fine! When the tart's done, heat the apricot jelly together with the Calvados (or water) and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn't stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Right before I put it in the oven (not as beautiful as hers, but close):*She also says if you need to do it faster, you can use frozen puff pastry (defrosted), but you'll want to eat in an hour or two after it comes out of the oven. I made the crust and it was AWESOME!

Herb-marinated loin of pork

2010-01-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

So my mom gave the "Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics" cookbook for Christmas and it is great! This is the first (and only) thing I've tried so far, but I've got my eye on several others. Anyway, this pork is so tasty. I've decided pretty much anything marinated/cooked in garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and herbs is delicious, so it's hard to go wrong there. This was super easy and very tasty.

Herb-marinated loin of pork

Grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
1/2 c. good olive oil, plus extra for brushing the grill
2 T. minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 1/2 T. minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 T. chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
3 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard and 2 tsp. salt in a sturdy 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the pork tenderloins and turn to coat with the marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Marinate the pork in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours but preferable overnight.

When you're ready to cook, build a charcoal fire or heat a gas grill. Brush the cooking grate with oil to prevent the pork from sticking. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and discard the marinade but leave the herbs that cling to the meat. Sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt and pepper. Grill the tenderloins, turning a few times to brown on all sides, for 15 to 25 minutes (depending on the heat of the coals) until the meat registers 137 degrees at the thickest part. Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Carve in 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. The thickest part of the tenderloin will be quite pink (it's just fine!) and the thinnest part will be well done. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm, or at room temperature with the juices that collect in the platter.

A few things: First, I bought my pork in a pack of 2 loins, each a little over 1 pound, so I just did two. Second, I have fresh rosemary in my backyard, but I didn't buy thyme, so I used dried thyme and halved the amount. And third, we don't have a grill (yet) and even if we did it's freezing here, so I cooked my loins (haha) in the oven at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes and then I turned on the broiler to brown it on all sides. It turned out really tasty, so I guess it worked. Of course a grill would be better, but this worked out. Oh, and her picture in the book looks way more appetizing than mine. Oh well.

5 minute No-Knead Bread

2010-01-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

The other night I made a delicious (if I do say so myself) beef soup/stew and I tried out this recipe for bread to go along with it. I wanted something nice and hearty and this did the trick. It had a hard thick crust and it was dense and delicious. And it really was less than five minutes to mix together. It does need to rise for a couple hours, but it was extremely easy. As for the soup, I was kind of winging it, so I'll just give you the general idea. I cooked a big chuck roast on Sunday and had gravy with it and I had a lot left over, so I (with the inspiration of my mom) used the gravy and added some water. Then I chopped up potatoes, onions, and carrots and cooked those in there and just added a bay leaf and some garlic, salt, and Worchestershire sauce to taste (and of course I chopped up the beef and added that) and it turned out really tasty! So there's an idea for you if you have leftover pot roast or some type of big piece of beef. :)

And here's the recipe for the bread. I got this from The Sisters' Cafe.

5-minute no-knead bread

1 1/2 T. yeast
1 1/2 T. kosher salt (it's coarser than table salt)
3 cups lukewarm water
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Stir together all ingredients until you have a nice thick dough (really, I just used a rubber spatula). Make sure you stir it enough that there are no dry pockets of flour left in the dough. Cover well (I used plastic wrap) and let rise for 2 hours on the counter.

Sprinkle just a little flour over the dough and divide into 4 parts. Sprinkle with a little more flour to keep your hands from sticking and form into a ball. Place seam side down on parchment paper sprinkled with a little cornmeal. Allow loaves to sit for 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a baking stone inside. Also, place a pan Also, place a shallow pan full of warm water on the bottom shelf of oven to make steam during baking. This creates a crusty exterior to the bread. (I didn't do this and mine was still very crusty). Sprinkle loaves with flour again. Using a serrated knife, make several slices across the top of the bread to allow for expansion. Lift parchment paper with loaves on top and place directly on hot stone. Place baking stone on middle shelf of oven and bake for approximately 40 minutes.

*FYI: I don't have a baking stone, but I just used a cookie sheet, and I did preheat it. Also, I halved the recipe because I didn't think we needed 4 loaves for the 2 of us. However, we did polish off 1 loaf at dinner last night. Hehe...

Pecan Pie

2010-01-01T12:06:00.000-07:00

This pecan pie is a major winner! It is made with real maple syrup instead of corn syrup, but it doesn't taste mapley at all. It just tastes GOOD. Here's the recipe:

Unbeatable Pecan Pie

Crust:

1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. shortening, chilled
ice water to form a dough

Filling:

2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 c. chopped pecans*
3 eggs, beaten
1 c. real maple syrup
1/2 c. white sugar
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt

In a bowl, mix together flour and 1/2 tsp. salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in shortening until the chunks are about the size of peas. Ad ice water slowly, a little at a time, to form a dough. Don't knead, just gently bring together. Shape dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll dough out to fit the size of a 9-inch pie plate. Fit dough in and crimp the edges. (I put it back in the fridge at this point or stick it outside or in the garage if you live in a cold state like me :)

In a heavy skillet, melt 2 Tbsp. butter over low heat. Add nuts and stir for about 5 minutes, or until nuts begin to color. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Mix together beaten egg, maple syrup, sugar, 1/3 c. melted butter, vanilla, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Stir in nuts. Pour filling into crust. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until filling is set. Transfer pan to wire rack and cool.

*I've made this recipe several times and just realized that I've never chopped the pecans. Oh well! It tasted great! Recipe from allrecipes.com
Originally posted 12/2/09

Chinese Chicken Salad

2010-01-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

This recipe is for easy, light, and delicious Chinese Chicken Salad. I thought it would be good to post something lighter before everyone eats their weight in turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes this week. I love this salad. I just kind of throw everything in, so the amounts will vary depending on what you like, but the dressing is measured and very easy. Here you go!

Chinese Chicken Salad

lettuce (I usually use iceberg)
chopped celery
chopped green onions
slivered almonds
mandarin oranges (I just use a can)
cooked chicken, chopped
crunchy chow mein noodles

Dressing:

1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 T. sugar
1 T. soy sauce
2 T. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. sesame oil*
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Mix together. Toss with salad just before serving. Yum!

*If you don't have it, you can use a little bit of creamy peanut butter. Sounds weird, but it tastes pretty good. Of course, sesame oil is best.
Originally posted 11/24/09

Creamy White Chili and Cornbread

2010-01-01T12:04:00.002-07:00

This soup comes from the "My Kitchen Cafe" blog. She has a lot of tasty recipes and this one was definitely a winner! (She also happens to be my brother-in-law's cousin). It has a little bit of a kick to it and it has tons of flavor. I've made it twice now and it was delicious both times. I also found a yummy cornbread recipe from Martha Stewart to go with it. Both were really easy and super delicious. (My picture is lame, but it really is good). Yum!

Creamy White Chili

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2" cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 T. oil
2 (15oz.) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz.) chicken broth
1-2 (4 oz.) cans green chiles (I did one)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Makes about 6 servings. (Or 4 if you're really hungry).

Cornbread

1/2 c. butter
2/3 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. cornmeal
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Melt butter. Stir in sugar. Add eggs quickly and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into other mixture. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Bake in greased 8x8 pan at 375 degrees for 30-40 min.
Originally posted 11/17/09

Oatmeal Pancakes & Homemade maple syrup

2010-01-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

My sister Amy makes these pancakes a lot and they are so delicious! What you do is make a dry mix (it makes 10 cups of mix) and then store it in a ziploc bag or something, and then every time you want to make pancakes, you just use some of the mix along with 3 other ingredients and it's so EASY! I love it. They have a great flavor with oats, cinnamon, whole wheat flour, etc. I also love how hearty they are. As a nursing mommy I often get hungry not too long after eating a meal, but these stay with me longer than any other breakfast food. And they're delicious!

To go along with these pancakes, of course you need maple syrup. Here's the dilemma in our family with store-bought maple syrup. You either get pancake syrup which is basically flavored corn syrup - which is not only very bad for you, but Jeremy is also allergic to corn syrup. OR, you pay an arm and a leg for pure maple syrup. SO...we make our own. Jeremy's family always did this growing up, and again I had never made it myself until I made this pancakes for the first time. And it is DELICIOUS! And easy. And it makes plenty so you can store it in the fridge and not have to make it every time. So without further ado, I bring you the recipes...

Oatmeal Pancakes

Mix

4 c. old fashioned oats
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. instant nonfat dry milk
3 T. baking powder
2 T. cinnamon
5 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Mix all ingredients together well. Store in a sealed gallon-size plastic storage bag or airtight container. Yield: 10 cups of pancake mix.

Pancakes:

2 eggs
1/3 c. vegetable oil
2 c. pancake mix
1 c. water

To make pancakes, beat eggs in a large bowl. Gradually beat in oil. Alternately add pancake mix and water to mixture. Blend well. Cook. Yield: about 10-12 pancakes.

**These take some practice to cook, because they're much denser than normal pancakes. Just don't have the pan too hot and keep checking them.

Maple Syrup

2 c. sugar
1 c. water
1/2 tsp. Maple flavoring

Bring sugar and water to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Add 1/2 tsp. maple flavoring.

I told you it was easy! I just store my extra in a jar in the fridge and heat it up for the next use. Yum!!! If you want another delicious syrup recipe, go here.
Originally posted 11/3/09

Honey Lime Enchiladas

2010-01-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Honey Lime EnchiladasOkay, this pictures does not do this justice, but these are seriously the best enchiladas I've ever had. Every time I make them, Jeremy acts like Bob on "What About Bob". "Mmmm, these are soooo good". Yes, they really are that good. Anyway, I found the recipe on The Sisters' Cafe blog. As usual I will put up the recipe and add my little notes in italics. You have to try these. They are so tasty!

Honey Lime Enchiladas

1.5 lbs. chicken or pork, cooked and shredded (I've only done chicken, but I'm sure pork would be great; I always cook about 3 chicken breasts in the crockpot for awhile and then it shreds really easily)
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 10 oz. cans green enchilada sauce (I usually do half of a 28 oz. can and then freeze the other half; or do a 14 oz. can if you can find it)
Equal parts mozzarella & cheddar cheese, grated (I did monterey jack one time)
8-10 flour tortillas

After chicken/pork is cooked and shredded, combine with honey, lime juice, chili & garlic powder. Let "marinate" in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Grease a 9x13 pan and pour a little bit of the enchilada sauce to coat the bottom of the pan. Fill your tortillas with chicken mixture and a little cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in the pan. Repeat. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle more cheese on top (don't be stingy). Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and then turn on the broiler for a couple minutes so it gets nice and brown. Take out of the oven and DEVOUR!!!

Seriously, the flavor with the honey and lime is just so tasty! I also managed to find an enchilada sauce that was more natural (not loaded with all sorts of icky preservatives and stuff), but of course I threw out the can and can't remember the name of the brand. So next time I get it at the store I'll let you know. I like to avoid processed stuff if I can. I also like the tortillas at Costco that you cook yourself. They're nice and thin and delicious. Anyway, these are amazing! I hope you make them soon. :)
Originally posted 10/27/09

Zuppa Toscana and French Bread

2010-01-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

I was in the mood for soup last week, so I was browsing through several cooking blogs/websites I usually look at, and I found a recipe for "Zuppa Toscana", like they have at Olive Garden. Yum! I've had it there before, and I remember really liking it. It's been awhile, but as far I remember, this tasted just like it. I decided if I was going to make soup, I had to make bread to go with it :), so I made Jeremy's mom's french bread. That along with some salad made it a great dinner! By the way, I halved both recipes, since there's only two of us, and it made enough for both of us to have it for lunch the next day. So if you have more than 2, you should probably do the whole recipe. Hope you enjoy it!

Zuppa Toscana
from www.stephanieskitchen.com

1 lb Italian Sausage
2 large russet potatoes, sliced in half and than sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2- 32 ounce cartons chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 bunches kale, chopped (I did a little less than this)
freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, if desired

Brown sausage in large soup pot. Remove sausage and set aside. To the pot add chicken broth, potatoes, onion, and garlic and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add cream and sausage to the pot and warm through. Add kale a couple minutes before serving. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Debbie's French Bread

2 1/4 c. hot water
1 T. yeast
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 c. flour (or more, if needed)

Sprinkle the yeast and 1 T. sugar over 1/4 c. hot water. Set aside so that the yeast can rise (just a few minutes).

Meanwhile, stir the other T. sugar and salt into 2 c. hot water. Add the flour one cup at a time and mix in the yeast mixture when it bubbles. Knead for about 5 minutes. Roll dough in a little bit of oil and leave in a covered bowl 1-3 hours until it doubles in size. Divide the dough and put into bread pan, or make two long loaves and put on a cookie sheet (I use the cookie sheet). Let rise a second time until double in size. Cut a few slashes on the top. Bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes in an oven that has a pan of hot water on the lower rack (keeps it moist). Remove from oven and brush with butter.Originally posted 10/20/09

Honey Chicken

2010-01-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

This is a really yummy recipe that my sister Amy gave me and I think she got it from my Aunt Marilyn. It's best served over rice and I like to steam broccoli to go with it too. This is something we eat pretty often and it's really easy! (Which is probably why we eat it often; that and it's delicious). Enjoy!

Honey Chicken

1 3 lb. fryer, cut up (I just cut up a couple chicken breasts)
1 egg yolk
2 T. butter, melted
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. lemon juice
1/2 c. honey
salt, pepper, and paprika to taste

Place chicken in a shallow pan. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake at 325 for 1 hour or until done. Turn a few times while baking.
Originally posted 10/13/09