Delectables and other adventures in food...

I've moved!

2008-06-21T19:50:00.000-07:00

Should have posted this a long time ago-but I have a new blog now! Hope to see you there

www.eliteentrees.blogspot.com

I'm Still Here!!!

2008-03-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

Lots going on everyone, but I have missed my blog a lot! I have embarked on a new adventure and been trying tons of recipes. This one was worth restarting my blog habit. I saw it on Paula Dean's show over the weekend and it looked wonderful and light. Something to get us amped up for spring/summer, right! This is definately going in the rotation. The rice is excellent and the fish was extremely flavorful. I was surprised at how much marinade the fish absorbed just in 30 minutes! Good job Paula! The rice also introduced me to a new way to avoid condensation in your food. After the rice was done, I put a clean dish cloth over the pot and put the lid on. The towel absorbed the moisture instead of it dripping back into the rice. Love it!

Zesty Grilled Tilapia w/Mango Coconut Rice

6 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
6 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for brushing
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon hot sauce, to taste
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Mango Coconut Rice, recipe follows

Place the fish in a large nonmetal dish. Whisk together the 6 tablespoons oil, the orange zest, orange juice, ginger, hot sauce, salt, and pepper, to taste; pour over the fish. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare grill. Brush the fish with additional oil. Grill until fish just flakes when tested with a fork, about 5 minutes per side for each inch of thickness.
Serve alongside Mango Coconut Rice.

Mango Coconut Rice:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 large ripe mango, peeled and cubed

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil. Add the coconut milk, water, and salt; bring to a boil. Stir in the mango. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

Remove the rice from the heat and fluff with a fork. Place a clean, dry dish towel over the pan, cover with the lid, and let steam for 5 minutes before serving.

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-02-15T05:50:00.001-08:00

Its been a while since an update and I do apologize. I have been wrapped up in some other matters but I am back for now! I am going to be brief. You must make this meal as soon as humanly possible. Hubs and I both agreed it was the best thing we have ever eaten at home and rivaled a LOT of good steak joints we have been to over the years. Thank you Giada, you never fail to amaze. Please to enjoy....

Petite Filets with Gorgonzola Porcini Cream Sauce
Filet:
1 (4 to 6-ounce) petite filet of beef
Pinch salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
Gorgonzola and Porcini Mushroom Sauce:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4-pound (about 1 cup) dried porcini mushrooms, soaked and strained (I used baby bellas and they were equally delish)
1 shallot, sliced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces (about 3 tablespoons) Gorgonzola
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

For the beef:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Sprinkle both sides of the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in an oven-safe medium skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully place the filet in the pan. Cook until browned on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes a side. Transfer the steak to the oven and bake until a meat thermometer reads 130 degrees F. for medium-rare, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the beef from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

For the sauce:
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and the shallots and cook until golden brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme, white wine, salt, and pepper and continue to cook until all of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, put the Gorgonzola, mayonnaise, and mustard in a food processor and combine until smooth. Transfer the Gorgonzola mixture to the skillet with mushrooms and shallots. Gently stir the cheese mixture into the mushroom mixture.

Slice the beef and serve topped with a dollop of the cheese sauce. Reserve leftover sauce for another use.

I also made Giadas Brocolli Puree. It was equally divine

1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pound broccoli florets
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fill a large pot with enough water to come 2 inches up the sides of the pot. Set a steamer rack in the pot, cover, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the potato chunks and cook until they are very tender, about 18 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a medium bowl and mash until smooth.
Place broccoli into steamer rack and steam over medium heat until the broccoli is very tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to the bowl of a food processor. Add the broth, cream cheese, and Parmesan. Process until the broccoli is pureed and almost smooth.

Stir the broccoli puree into the mashed potato and blend well. Season the puree to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

2008-01-06T17:52:00.000-08:00

Another great recipe thanks for my friend Tyler Florence. I was hesitant about the blueberries and the lemon cheesecake but it turned out great! Besides the cream cheese there really wasnt' anything horribly unhealthy about these, right? Well, maybe not, but I cut them in bite size pieces so that made me feel a little bit better :)

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

For the base:
Butter, for greasing
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
9 graham crackers
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 eggs
2 lemons, zested and juiced
About 1/2 cup sugar, eyeball it
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
For the base:
Grease the bottom of a 9 by 9-inch baking pan with butter. Then place parchment paper over the top, pressing down at the corners. In a food processor, process the sugar, cinnamon and graham crackers until you have the texture of bread crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse a couple of times to fully incorporate. Pour into the lined baking pan and gently pat down with the base of a glass. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until golden. When done set aside to cool.

For the filling:
Add cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar to the food processor and mix until well combined. It should have a smooth consistency. Pour onto the cooled base and then cover with blueberries. They will sink slightly but should still be half exposed -- as the cake bakes they will sink a little more and break down.

Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until the center only slightly jiggles. Remove from the oven and cool completely before refrigerating for at least 3 hours. Once set, remove from pan using the parchment lining and slice into 10 rectangular bars. Dust with powdered sugar.

Going back to basics

2008-01-06T16:51:00.000-08:00

Last week I tried a few new recipes and they were sort of a bust. I made some sweet and sour turkey meatballs yesterday in the crock pot. It was Robin Miller recipe and I should have read the reviews BEFORE I made them. It was not good-lets just leave it at that. I decided to get back in my comfort zone and make some old favorites. This is a great recipe that I have been using for years and its one of Chris's top 5 favorite recipes. You will not be disappointed with this one! The best part of this dish, in my opinion, is the top layer of tortillas and cheese that gets all brown and crispy around the edges. YUMMY!!!
I am also happy to announce that my light box has been revived once again and I am hoping for more pretty pictures!

Mexican Lasagna

1 pound lean ground beef
6 flour tortillas
Can of mexican style chili beans (undrained)*Strangely enough, the only brand I can find for these is always save...
Taco seasoning
Can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup of milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream (I use light or FF)
Olives

Brown ground beef, drain (I also rinse), and return to pan. Season meat with taco seasoning (like half the package) but do not add water. Set aside.
Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non stick coating. Tear 3 tortillas into peices and lay them on the bottom of the pan-they can overlap-as long as the bottom is covered.

Spread meat mixture on top of tortillas, empty entire can of chili beans on top of meat and spread. Take the other three tortillas and tear them into peices and arrange another layer on top of beans.
In a bowl, mix Cream of chicken soup with a 1/2 cup of milk. Spread soup over the tortillas. Cover the top with lots of cheddar cheese (I use almost an entire package)
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

O-M-G

2007-12-30T16:39:00.001-08:00

This post is dedicated to my friend Julie who likes to use this computer expression in real life. In this case-its fitting. These cupcakes are wrong on so many levels. Wrong to have in this house for one. The batter was different than any I had ever made before. It was the consistency of whipped frosting but very dense. I think it also helps to have all the ingredients at room temp. The sour cream and buttermilk made them extremely moist. The peanut butter frosting deserves it own post. It was over the top good and well worth making from scratch. It was the perfect topping on a perfectly dark chocolate cupcake!

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter frosting (Courtesy of Ina)

12 T unsalted butter at room temp
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs at room temp
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk , shaken at room temp
1 3/4 cup all purpose fires
1 cup good cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pan with paper liners. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the butter and two sugars at high speed until light and fluffy-about 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs one at a time, then vanilla and mix well. In a seperate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mix alternately in thirds to the mixer, beginning with the buttermilk and ending with the flour. Mix only until blended.
Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (one rounded ice cream scoop). Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting..

1 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 T unsalted butter at room temp
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 heavy cream

Beat all ingredients at medium low speed until creamy-scraping as needed....

If you have been living under a rock somewhere

2007-12-30T16:34:00.001-08:00

You may not have heard about this delectable yet. There are several versions of it out there floating around, but this is the best in my opinion. Its extremely addictive. If you make it once, you will make it a thousand times. I have passed it on to many people and have had rave reviews!!

Buffalo Chicken Dip (aka Crack Dip)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts boiled (I steamed mine in the microwave)
8oz of ranch dressing
2 8oz cream cheese softened
8oz shredded cheddar cheese
5 or 7 oz (depending on the brand) hot sauce. I use Franks

Mix all ingredients to desired consistency and bake for 40 minutes at 325. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips and/celery!!

Hummus

2007-12-30T16:17:00.000-08:00

Hubs got me a food processor for Christmas as I had been wanting one for a long time. This morning when I went to use it, however, the sucker was deader than a doornail so I took it back and ended up upgrading to a kitchenaid. I came home and promptly put her to work! I had a cooking light cookbook from the library and found this recipe for Hummus that looked good and didn't have a ton of oil in it like a lot of hummus. It tasted GREAT! The only thing I might change the next time is the amount of garlic. It was super super garlic-y so I might torque that down a notch. SOrry for bad pics-no light tonight!

Creamy Hummus

3/4 cup of water
1/2 cup tahini*
6 garlic cloves-peeled
6 T fresh lemon juice
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 15 oz cans chickpeas (garbonzo beans) rinsed and drained

Please first three ingredients in food processor until smooth. Add juice and remaining ingredients and process, scraping bowl occasionally. Yields 4 cups.

Snowed in

2007-12-15T18:01:00.001-08:00

After a long day of absolutely nothing and a movie, I promised Chris his favorite thing in the world-Double stuffed garlic lemon chicken! I have been making this for a few years but I guess not since the blog has been around. This is a really easy dish, the chicken is always very tender and you can play around with the cheeses and cream cheeses. I hope you give it a try and see if it turns into a favorite at your house too!

Double Stuffed Garlic Lemon Chicken
oil, for greasing pan
8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cut into 1/2 inch slices I used veggie herb
1 (8 ounce) package Cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2 inch slices (I used shredded)
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly coat a large, shallow baking dish with oil.
Butterfly each breast by slicing in half horizontally through the center, cutting almost but not completely through. Place one slice each of Cheddar and cream cheese in the center of each breast. Close again as if placing between the pages of a book. Set aside.
Pour milk into a shallow bowl. In a separate bowl, combine breadcrumbs and Romano cheese. Carefully dip each breast first in milk, then in breadcrumb mixture, patting lightly to firmly coat. Place breasts side by side in a single layer in pre-oiled baking dish, tucking edges under to seal.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in lemon juice and garlic, and drizzle evenly over chicken. Season breasts with garlic salt and paprika, if using.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until no longer pink in center and juices run clear.

Brownies-only better

2007-12-09T16:40:00.000-08:00

We were somewhat confined to the house this weekend with the wintery weather and I got the itch to bake something. When I got my Kitchenaid mixer two Christmas's ago, these were the very first thing that I made and they are sooo good and rich. They are definately cakey and chocolately and if I hadn't been out-I would have had a big glass of milk with it. I had some mini mint Three Muskateers that I chopped up and threw in there too. It gave the brownies a richer flavor with a hint of mint. Definately going on the short list of go to desserts the next time I need to make something. Enjoy!

Fudge Brownies (Courtesy of Kitchenaid manual)

1 cup of butter softened and divided
2 cups of sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla
3 blocks of unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of flour

Melt 1/2 cup of butter and chocolate in a small saucepan. Set aside to cool almost completely.
In mixer, blend the other 1/2 cup of softened butter and sugar. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Add vanilla and beat another minute. Add eggs one at a time and beat on low speed between. Once chocolate mixture is cooled, add to egg/sugar mixture and stir to combine. Add remaining ingredients pour into brownie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

I was up for a another challenge

2007-12-02T17:24:00.000-08:00

Having battled the house I was feeling pretty gutsy. Home made oreos had been on my mind for a while. I saw them on the Smitten Kitchen Blog and had to have. I attempted these about three months ago and it was just shy of a complete disaster. The taste of the cookies were great, but they didn't look ANYTHING like an oreo. The cookie was thick and domed and once I put the filling in, they were almost too sweet/big for anyone to be able to finish one. They looked like "whoopie pies" if you know what those are.
This week I happened to catch 5 minutes of a travel show on the Food Network where the host was eating a home made oreo at a posh bakery. They didn't give the recipe away but they did show a split second of the cookies being made and something clicked. The original recipe for these says to take the dough by the teaspoon and flatten it with your hand on the cookie sheet. I needed something more controlled.
See the recipe for my twist...They turned out great! The cookie was thing and crunchy and the filling was perfect. I plan on making more of these closer to the holidays...

Home made oreos
For the chocolate wafers:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 to 1½ cups sugar*
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
¼ cup (½ stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
¼ cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375 degrees.
2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Form dough into a "log", making the diameter of the log the same diameter that you would want your cookie to be. Wrap in plastic wrap and roll the log back and forth to make round. Refridgerate for about an hour until the dough hardens. With a sharp knife, cut slices of dough very very thin-I would say 1/4 of an inch or so. . Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk.

I need to make an appt with the Chiro

2007-12-02T17:11:00.000-08:00

I worked my ass off this weekend. If you're looking for a quick way to pull every muscle in your body, throw your back out, cuss your own family members and totally transform your entire house-then this project just might be for YOU! The hubs and I are thinking about moving or looking for another house. Before we can do that, the house has to be in certain condition so we can evaluate what we have and make some improvements that a would be buyer would like to see. With the help of my mom, dad and saint Angie-its done! Between coats of paint and coats of dust, I was able to cook a litte bit too.
Before getting started on today's projects, I put a brisket in the crock pot. I had never used the pot to cook said cut of meat before. I just know the last one I made in the oven was like shoe leather and I hadn't tried it since. We were REALLY impressed with how this turned out. There was an easy rub that went on the meat first and then a home made sauce that it cooked in (with some to spare for serving). This recipe came from a Taste of Home magazine I picked up at the store.

Barbecued Beef Brisket

1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp pepper
1 brisket (2 or 2 1/2 pounds)

Combine first six ingredients and rub over brisket. Place in slow cooker. In a bowl, combine the folling ingredients:

1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 T cider vinegar
2 T worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp ground mustard

Stir until combined and pour HALF over brisket. Cook on HIGH for 4 or 5 hours. Slice and serve with reserved bbq sauce.

2007-11-25T20:19:00.000-08:00

Garlic Cheddar Yum

Found this recipe on allrecipes.com and loved it. I also had a little extra green rice that would not fit in the casserole dish on thanksgiving, so we had a little extra special side dish with this. I was really happy with it, but I think the breading part could have been halved at least-I ended up throwing a lot of it out and thought it to be a bit of a waste. Overall, I would definately make this again, just cut back on the cheese and bread crumbs to accommodate the chicken I had.

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

4 chicken breast halves
4 cloves of garlic chopped
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parm cheese
1/4 cup butter
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in small saucepan. Add garlic and cook until tender (about 5 minutes). Meanwhile, compile dry ingredients in shallow dish. Mix 1cheddar cheese in as well. Pour melted butter/garlic mixture into another shallow dish. Dip chicken into butter mixture then into dry mix and then into 9x13 pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until juices run clear.

Green Rice Casserole

7oz Minute rice
1 lb velveeta cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 box of chopped brocolli thawed and drained
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients well. Pour into large casserole dish and bake at 325 for 1 hour . For large groups, double the recipe and cook for 1 and 1/2 hours.

2007-11-25T11:03:00.000-08:00

The Lighter Side of Crab Rangoon

Chris loves him some crab rangoon, and I have toyed with the idea of making some at home, but the whole deep frying issue turns me off. I was looking for something light for us to pick on while watching the Chiefs game and I found this recipe on Krafts website. We were very pleased and at 70 calories for two of these, it was a nice change from last week's thanksgiving day glutonous meal. I would definately make these again for party appetizers. I might add a shot of hot sauce in the mixture next time or some grated onion. The recipe calls for green onion, but I left it out.

Baked Crab Rangoon

1 6oz can of crab-drained well and flaked
4 oz of onion/chive cream cheese
1/4 cup of light mayo
24 won ton wrappers

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cream cheese and mayo well. Fold in crab and onions or hot sauce if you like. Spray mini muffin tin with non stick spray and gently form a won ton wrapper into each pot. Spoon crab mixture into the center of each (maybe a teaspoon). Bake for 20 minutes.

*You can also make bigger versions of these by using a regular muffin pan. It will just make 12 rangoons instead of 24.

Taco Ring

2007-11-10T10:49:00.000-08:00

No cute post title on this one today! It doesn't really need one. This was one of those super easy recipes that we both loved AND we ate it for two or three days which was nice. I snagged this recipe from Our Sweet Life. There are a million different ways you could switch this up to suit your tastes. I would definately recommend getting the extra large crescent rolls for this one-it will make your life much easier when assembling.

Taco Ring

2 packages of large crescent rolls

Can of fat free refried beans

1 pound ground beef or turkey

small can of olives

Shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 package of taco seasoning

Brown turkey or beef, drain, return to pan and mix with taco seasoning. Mix beans with meat until heated through and blended. Arrange crescent rolls on baking sheet, overlapping to create a "sun". Spread meat/bean mixture onto inside of the sun (leaving open space in the center of course). Put toppings like olives, cheese, onions on top and fold the points of the rolls inward covering the filling. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until rolls are nice and browned.

Home Alone

2007-11-08T16:22:00.000-08:00

Chris went out for beers with a co worker tonight leaving me to my own devices. Yes, I could have exercised, paid bills or gotten caught up on some work stuff but that's not any fun~so I decided to bake! I had some plain yogart leftover in the fridge and some pitiful looking bananas and remembered this recipe from a cookbook I have. They were pretty good..the crumb topping is the best part. If I made them again I would throw in some chocolate chips or maybe peanut butter chips.

Chocolate Banana Muffins

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp of baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup cocoa

Mix these ingredients in bowl. Set aside. In a seperate bowl mix the following

3 ripe bananas mashed

1 tsp vegtable oil

two eggs

2 T plain yogart

Mix dry and wet ingredients together until moistened and pour into 12 muffin tin pan.

In a small bowl combine the following for the crumb topping:

4 graham crackers crushed

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

2 T cold/room temp butter

2 T sugar

Mix together with a fork until butter incorporates enough to crumble. Spoon topping onto unbaked muffins and bake for 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

Tastefully Simple and Good

2007-11-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

Sort of burnt out on cooking big meals, but also tired of eating out, I remembered the good old crock pot. A friend pointed this recipe out to me and I thought it was something we would enjoy. The recipe calls for salsa, but I had something better-Tastefully Simple Black Bean and Corn Salsa. I think this ingredient made this dish extra yummy and of course adding a few black beans and corn for texture went over well too! We had this over mashers but rice would be a good option too. The chicken is so tender and shreds easily. I am already thinking the next time I make it we might use it for taco or burrito filling.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

3 or 4 chicken breast halves

1 cup of salsa (Tastefully Simple Black Bean and Corn preferrably)

Can of cream of mushroom soup

Taco seasoning packet (I used half of it)

1/2 cup sour cream

Please chicken in cold stoneware. Mix salsa, taco seasoning and soup together and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6 hours. Remove chicken, mix sour cream into sauce and rejoin the chicken with the sauce to heat through another 15 minutes or so.

Top 5 recipes of all time

2007-11-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

This is something I have been making for years but this is the first time posting it. It is, by far, the most requested thing that people ask me to make for get togethers or when having folks over. Thank you Paula Deen for many happy eaters! Half of this recipe is plenty for four people-the entire thing makes enough to freeze for another time!

3 packages frozen, chopped spinach
3 pounds ground round
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 large onions, chopped
Grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
2 jumbo eggs
1 (1-pound) package jumbo pasta shells
2 cups tomato sauce (your own or ready-made)

Place frozen spinach in a strainer and run under hot water until thawed. Squeeze all of the water out and place in a large bowl. In a large saute pan, cook the ground round until browned. Drain meat, reserving 2 tablespoons fat in the pan, and place meat in the same bowl with the spinach. Stir in the cream cheese until blended with the meat and spinach. Saute the chopped onions in the reserved meat fat until transparent. Transfer onions to the bowl with the other ingredients and stir to combine. Add grated cheese, salt, and pepper, to taste, and combine. Let mixture cool and then add the eggs. The filling can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook pasta shells in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and cool to the touch. Stuff the shells with the meat mixture. Place shells in a large baking pan and cover with tomato sauce. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 1 hour. Serve

Southwestern Goodness

2007-11-04T18:11:00.000-08:00

Some girls have been talking about southwestern eggrolls this week and it reminded me of a recipe I made a couple years ago for a copy cat version of a major chain's appetizer eggrolls. These are really good and I always have several leftover for the freezer. I broke out the fry daddy and whipped these up. I was happy I did! They need a sauce or something, but overall I had to give myself an A on this one. I encourage you to try!

Southwest Chicken Eggrolls

1 small onion peeled and chopped
1/4 cup butter or cooking oil
1 clove of garlic-crushed
1 10oz package frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry
2 chicken breasts cooked and chopped
1/2 frozen corn
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 to 1 tsp ground red pepper
1/4 tsp ground oregano
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 cup of salsa
1 tsp cornstarch
1 4oz can of chopped green chilis
egg roll wrappers
Oil for frying

Saute onion in butter along with garlic until clear. add remaining 10 ingredients and heat through slowly. Following the directions on the eggroll package, fill the wrappers with chicken filling and deep fry in veggie oil until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels

Yum!

2007-11-03T19:38:00.000-07:00

Out of all the complicated things that I have made, my husband is still happiest with the simple things. This was a recipe I got from my friend Stacey and it was winner with both of us! We could have had a veggie with it but of course we had french fries!

Cheeseburger Hoagies!

1 package (11 oz) refrigerated French bread dough
4 slices American Cheese (reduced fat), divided
12 oz ground turkey
½ cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, pressed
¼ cup ketchup
2 tsp yellow mustard
1 cup thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
1 plum tomato, sliced

1, Preheat over to 350 degrees. Place bread dough on a cutting board and stretch slightly. Cut dough into 4 equal portions. Cut 3 diagonal slits on top each portion of dough; place a seam side down and 3 inches apart. Bake 20 – 22 min or until golden brown. Set loaves on cooling rack.

2. Cut two slices of cheese into small pieces. In skilled cook and stir beef, onion and garlic over medium heat 8 – 10 min or until meat is no longer pink. Stir in ketchup, mustard and cut up cheese; stir until cheese is melted. Remove skillet from heat

3. Slice each loaf length wise, end to end, cutting halfway through to center of loaf; spread open. Fill evenly with beef mixture; place on baking stone. Bake 6 – 8 minutes or until bread is toasted and meat mixture is heated through.

4. Cut remaining cheese slice diagonally in half, top each sandwich with one cheese triangle. Top sandwiches with lettuce and tomato slices.

Fish Tacos

2007-10-28T17:14:00.000-07:00

I was cruising another foodies blog and came across a recipe for fish tacos. Nemmie went all out and made her own batter and it looks great, but I decided to take the short cut and used fish sticks. The sauce was really good and tangy with a nice kick of spices. Someone gave me a huge block of smoked monteray jack that I wanted to use up so we loaded em up with cheese too! I loved these, but the husband was not thrilled with them. He would have preferred beef tacos but it was nice to have something a little lighter.
I am just posting the yummy sauce recipe here. I simply cooked up the fish sticks and assembled them!

For white sauce:
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 lime, juiced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 tsp. minced capers
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

*I made the sauce several hours before we ate it so the spices and lime juice could marry together.

Pumpkin!

2007-10-28T17:04:00.000-07:00

I got the hubs out of the house this weekend and we took a trip out to Louisburg Cider Mill. It was packed, but we still got a cider donut and took a brief tour of the mill. I planned on getting apple butter for sure, but then my eye spied the pumpkin butter. I remembered this recipe from Williams Sonoma and knew it was meant to be. These are super good, but I would recommend springing for the mini pumpkin cheesecake pan mentioned in the recipe. I have seen it at Crate and Barrell but I thought I could wing it. They were pretty difficult to get out of the mini muffin pan that I had. These were seriously the only ones that didn't get mutilated. It didn't stop us from eating them though!
Miniature Pumpkin Cheesecakes with Cinnamon Crust
For the crust:
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbs. sugar

For the filling:
1 cup pumpkin butter
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
14 oz. cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Have all the ingredients at room temperature. Preheat an oven to 325°F. Lightly butter the wells of a miniature pumpkin cheesecake pan.

To make the crusts, in a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, butter and sugar and stir until blended. Divide the mixture among the prepared wells. Using a shot glass or other small glass, press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the wells.

Bake until the crusts are set, about 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

To make the filling, in a small bowl, stir together the pumpkin butter, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the cream cheese and sugar on low speed until smooth, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the vanilla. Add the pumpkin mixture and beat until completely blended, about 1 minute. Pour the batter into the crusts, dividing it evenly among the wells.

Bake until the filling is set and puffed but not cracked, 23 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before unmolding.

To unmold, press an index finger through the hole in the base of each well and push up to remove the cheesecake and the metal disk. Carefully slide a small spatula underneath the cheesecake to remove it from the disk, then transfer to a platter. Makes 12 miniature cheesecakes.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Mmm, booze and chocolate

2007-10-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

I have been toying with brownies a lot lately. They tend to be on the easier side of baking and the variations on endless. Today I tried these Irish Cream Brownies and I have to say-they were not my favorite. Hubs loves them, but that just didn't flip my trigger. I don't know if my Baileys wasn't fresh enough or what. I loved the combination of the hint of coffee in the brownie part and the irish cream liquer. Regardless, its fun to try new things and I even drug out my new coffee pot to make the 1/4th cup I needed for this recipe. I can't seem to locate the recipe right now, if you want it-just email me and I will send it your way!

Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins

2007-10-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

These were sooo good. They taste like a cinnamon sugar donut. They were easy to make and the buttermilk gives them a great texture. My only complaint is that this recipe only makes 9 muffins and Chris wouldn't take them to work because there wasn't enough to go around!
For the muffins:
7 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the topping:
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease 9 standard muffin cups with butter or butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray; fill the unused cups one-third full with water to prevent warping.

To make the muffins, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well until pale and smooth.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Add to the butter mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each three-fourths full. Bake until the muffins are golden, dry and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins and let stand until cool enough to handle.

To make the topping, in a small, shallow bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Put the melted butter in another small bowl. Holding the bottom of a muffin, dip the top into the melted butter, turning to coat it evenly. Immediately dip the top in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, coating it evenly, then tap it to remove excess sugar. Transfer the muffin, right side up, to the rack. Repeat with the remaining muffins. Let cool completely before serving. Makes 9 muffins.

I heart the crockpot!

2007-10-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

While I was baking today, the crockpot was working on dinner. I have always wanted to try my hand at short ribs and this recipe from crockpot.com sounded really good. Luckily, I had most of the ingredients on hand! I served this with some jasmine rice..yum.
Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs

Ingredients:
4 to 4 ½ pounds beef short ribs
¼ cup chopped green onions with tops
¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
¼ cup beef broth or water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
Hot cooked jasmine rice
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

Directions:
Place ribs in the Crock-Pot® slow cooker. Combine green onions, soy sauce, broth, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and pepper in medium bowl; mix well and pour over ribs. Cover Crock-Pot® slow cooker; cook on Low 7 to 8 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours or until ribs are fork tender.
Remove ribs from cooking liquid, cool slightly. Trim excess fat. Cut rib meat into bite-sized pieces discarding bones and fat.
Let cooking liquid stand 5 minute to allow fat to rise. Skim off fat.
Stir sesame oil into liquid. Return beef to Crock-Pot® slow cooker stoneware. Cover; cook on Low 15 to 30 minutes or until mixture is hot.
Serve with rice and garnish with sesame seeds

Same brownies, different light

2007-10-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

I spent this evening putting together my lightbox (thanks Nemmie) and wanted to take some comparative pics of the brownies from my last post. What do you think? I think its going to be a winner come this winter when I can't (and don't want to) take food out on the deck when its snowing outside!

2007-10-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

This recipe is courtesy of Cara's Cravings!
Pumpkin-Spice Cheesecake Brownies
Brownie Batter
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon

Cheesecake Batter
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each ground ginger and ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8x8" square metal baking pan.

Beat together melted butter, sugar, and vanilla, then beat in eggs one at a time. Combine dry ingredients and then gradually stir into butter mixture with a wooden spoon. In separate bowl, beat together cheesecake batter ingredients.

Spread about 2/3 of chocolate batter into prepared pan, and spoon cheesecake batter over. Dollop remaining brownie batter over cheesecake batter. Swirl the batters together by running a butter knife back and forth through the pan.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until center is set. Cool completely on wire rack and chill before cutting and serving.

Hashbrown Quiche

2007-09-30T17:13:00.001-07:00

We love, love this recipe because its super easy and it can be modified to whatever you happen to have in the house. Sunday is typically a day when I clear out the fridge so this fit right into the plan! I originally got this recipe from good old Paula Dean, but I have never made it exactly the way she does. Oh, and one more thing! This dish is great to make ahead. I make the crust and cover it and set it aside the morning I am going to make the quiche. I mix up the filling and put it in a large zip lock bag. When we are 30 minutes from being ready to eat-I just dump the zip lock into the crust and bake!

Hash Brown Quiche

3 cups hash browns (I use a package of the simply hash browns that are already thawed and dried out. If you use frozen-make sure you thaw them and press them between paper towels)

1/2 stick of butter(melted)

salt

pepper

1 cup of shredded cheese (I use whatever i have-tonight I even threw in some asiago I had)

1/2 cup of diced ham or some other filling (I sauteed some mushrooms I had-no meat)

3 eggs

1 cup of half and half

Preheat oven to 450. Toss melted butter with hashbrowns to coat. Pour hashbrowns into a 9" pie plate making sure to get them up the sides to create a "crust". Bake crust in the oven for 20-25 minutes until well browned. *I almost alwasy have to turn the broiler on at the end to get it the way I want it.

Meanwhile, wisk eggs and half and half in a large bowl. Add other ingredients and cheeses to bowl. When crust is ready, lower heat to 350 degrees.

Pour egg mixture into crust and bake for 30 minutes or until quiche is puffed and firm to touch in center. Let it set for a few minutes before cutting...

Caution: You could gain 5 pounds

2007-09-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

Simply reading this post! I ask the Mr. what he wants for dinner. I leave the door wiiiide open. He could say filet minon, lobster, soufle, something very complicated. What did he say? "hamburgers and macaroni and cheese". Ok, but I am going to at least make the macaroni from scratch-and I did. I have made mac and cheese before but it always ends up dried out by the time it gets out of the oven. This recipe was perfect and I would definately make it again. The burgers were pretty basic. I did dress mine up with a little gouda that I bought today.

Mac and cheese by me!

8oz dried macaroni or short cut pasta

5 T butter

nutmeg

1 1/2 cups milk

salt

pepper

5 T flour

2 1/2 cups of cheese (I used shredded cheddar and some more gouda)

Preheat oven to 350. Start preparing water for pasta. In seperate saucepan, melt butter. Add flour and wisk continuously for about a minute to cook the flour. Slowly start adding milk 1/2 cup at a time until all of it is in. Wisk, wisk, wisk until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat to avoid burning the roux. Add a dash of nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Return to low heat and add cheeses. Stir until combined.

Finish cooking pasta to el dente and drain. Add pasta to cheese mixture and stir to combine. Pour macaroni mixture into medium baking vessel (something slightly smaller than a 9x13) and bake for 20 minutes.

I did not make this...

2007-09-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to go out to dinner with my friend Heather this weekend. Heather is from Chicago and is familar with way cool cuisine-much finer than what we have to offer here in KC. I was out to impress though. After giving her Christopher Elbow chocolates, we dined at La Bodega! A greg tapas bar in KC on Southwest Boulevard. We started out with some awesome sangria and then moved on to our first round of tapas:

Tortilla Espanola: Spanish omelet of potato & onion with red pepper aioli and
Entrecote a la Plancha: Seared 8oz tenderloin steak in a red wine sauce. Accompanied with chef potatoes and Espinacas Catalanas

our next choice was...

Alubias Blancos con Pimiento: White bean puree, rosemary & roasted red peppers and
Albondigas Caseras: Meatballs in a spicy garlic cream sauce

These were soooo good but we had to have a sweet something of:
Flourless chocolate cake with strawberries in cinnamon cream sauce...

Soup and Sammy

2007-09-20T19:03:00.001-07:00

I realized a few things while making this dinner a few nights ago and I would like to pass these tips on to you my faithful readers..

1) You don't have to have a panini maker to make paninis! (As much as I oggle the fancy cuisinart model at Williams Sonoma, I couldn't bring myself to buy one or even register for one. I knew that I would use it occasionally and it would sit in extra storage outside the kitchen with the rest of the occasional attachments and appliances I have. ) All you need is a trusty grill pan (I recommend Caphalon) and something heavy to place on top of your said sandwich to get those fancy grill marks. I used a heavy serving bowl that we got as a wedding gift!

2)If you are inclined to break out your immersion blender for the first time-you might want to reference the handy directions before firing it up. You see, I was using a high sided skillet to make my soup and knew I could blend up the tomato bits and fresh basil with ease-not having to transfer to a messy conventional blender. I did not, however, pay attention to how much "submersion" the blender needed before turning it on. Things were going swimmingly until I realized that my shirt had red splatter on it. Taking my eyes away from the soup, I notice that EVERYTHING within about 2 or three feet of the pot is covered with a fine misty tomato rain.

Those are my tips for the week. Please enjoy: Creamy Tomato Basil Soup and Turkey/Havarti Paninis safely!

INGREDIENTS
4 tomatoes - peeled, seeded and diced
4 cups tomato juice
14 leaves fresh basil
1 cup heavy whipping cream (I halved this)
1/2 cup butter (halved this as well)
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Place tomatoes and juice in a stock pot over medium heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the tomato mixture along with the basil leaves, and return the puree to the stock pot.
Place the pot over medium heat, and stir in the heavy cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Do not boil.

The paninis were simply home made bread-courtesy of my mom and deli turkey and left over Havarti cheese. mmmmmmmm.

I love wine

2007-09-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

I don't cook with wine very often-1)I don't know how to open a bottle of wine without splitting the cork and 2)I am not a big wine drinker and I spend all that money on a bottle and then I end up throwing it out. A few weeks, however, I discovered that several wine makers created four packs of wine in a twist off/single serve design. I love! I can use the 1/3 cup I need and then drink the rest of it now or some other time if I want to. I am very tired tonight. I did so much around the house, made cupcakes, laundry, cleaned some of the house and cooked dinner. I decided it was ok for me to drink wine while making risotto-and I did.
I had a peice of havarti cheese that I bought a while back that was unopened and I was itching to use it. I also had a half package of risotto that I was anxious to try again-so tonight we had Havarti Chicken and Basic Risotto with peas and parm. It was really good-but I am risotto'd out for a while. The flavor of both complimented each other really well and I loved the baby bella mushroom sauce that goes on top of the chicken. It got two thumbs up around here. It even got Chris's attention away from the football game that was on tonight. Enjoy!

Baked Havarti Chicken
INGREDIENTS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
2 (4 ounce) cans whole green chili peppers, drained, and sliced lengthwise
4 ounces sliced Havarti cheese with dill
Italian dressing
Greek seasoning (optional)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon white cooking wine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Marinate chicken in Italian Dressing and Greek Seasoning, if using, for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Place chicken in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle top with additional Greek seasoning, if desired, and bake in preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until no longer pink in center and juices run clear.
Shortly before chicken is done, melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until bubbling. Pour in wine, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic salt, and bring to a boil. Stir in mushrooms. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt as needed.
Remove chicken from the oven. Lay green chili slices on top of each breast, then top each chili with a slice of cheese. Return to the oven until cheese has melted.
Remove chicken from the oven, top with mushrooms and their pan juices, and serve.

Another Sunday-Another Baking Project

2007-09-16T15:19:00.001-07:00

I decided a few weeks ago to use football filled Sundays to practice baking. It keeps me out of the malls and I am still here to hang out with my husband and get stuff done around the house. So far, my two attempts have worked out pretty well! Nothing had to be thrown out and I didn't use self rising flour instead of all purpose (like I have been guilty of in the past). I saw this fun fall cupcake decorating kit at wal-mart today. It inspired me to try a recipe I have been watching for a while-Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes. I have cupcakes coming out of my ears! The recipe made 24 large cupcakes. Looks like I will be taking treats to work tomorrow!

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe follows)
Directions:1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans. 2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. 3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings. VARIATIONS:ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost. BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes. "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa3 cups powdered sugar1/3 cup milk1 teaspoon vanilla extractMelt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

More Comfort Food Please!

2007-09-13T15:06:00.000-07:00

I used to cook semi healthy meals. I am not sure what has happened lately, but that is not my forte anymore! I am going to make an effort to get back on track, but in the meantime I made these mini meatloaves and taters. They are one of Chris's favorites and I there wasn't any guessing whether or not they would be good-they are! This is probably the best meatloaf recipe I have found so far. Not sure if it's the mixture of sauce and salsa or the grill seasoning. I also love the fact that everyone gets a good piece of meatloaf with a fair amount of the yummy crusty topping!

Tips: I cut this in half for two or three people. I also buy a set of the foil muffin pans from the store so that I can throw it out when I am done.

Mini Meatloaves with BBQ sauce and Mashed Potatoes
Recipe courtesy of Rachel Ray

1 2/3 to 1 3/4 pounds ground sirloin
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
2 ribs celery from the heart of the stalk, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper
1 large egg plus a splash of milk, beaten
1 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
1 cup smoky barbecue sauce
1/2 cup tomato salsa
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil

Smashed potatoes and cream cheese, recipe follows
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Put ground beef into a big bowl. Put onion and celery into a food processor. Cut the bell pepper in half, rip out the seeds and throw them into your garbage bowl. Cut the pepper into a few pieces and add to the food processor. Pulse the processor blades to finely chop the vegetables into very small pieces then add them to the meat bowl. Add egg, beaten with milk, bread crumbs and grill seasoning to the bowl. Next, mix together the smoky barbecue sauce, the salsa and the Worcestershire sauce. Pour half the sauce mixture into the bowl with the meatloaf mix. Mix the meatloaf together with your hands. Wash up. Brush a 12-muffin tin (1/2-cup each) with vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil. Use an ice cream scoop to help you fill meat into a each tin. Top each meat loaf with a spoonful of extra sauce. Bake about 20 minutes. Cut open 1 muffin to test that the middle is cooked through. While meatloaf muffins bake, make green beans in the microwave. Serve meatloaf with Smashed Potatoes and Cream Cheese on the side, too.
Smashed Potatoes and Cream Cheese: 2 1/2 pounds small red potatoes or baby Yukon gold potatoes 1/2 cup half-and-half or whole milk 8 ounces plain cream cheese or veggie cream cheese, cut into pieces 10 chives or 2 scallions, chopped or snipped with kitchen scissors Salt and pepper
Boil potatoes until tender, 15 minutes. While the water boils and when the potatoes are cooking, you can be working on the meatloaf recipe.
When the potatoes are tender, drain them and return them to the hot pot to let them dry out a bit. Mash potatoes with half-and-half or milk using a potato masher. Add in the cream cheese and smash until the cheese melts into the potatoes. Then add chives and scallions and season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

Fall has Fell

2007-09-10T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of the year where you can smell fall in the air. It was overcast and windy, slightly cool. I suddenly had the urge to go home and get out all my sweaters and get em ready! We had a very popular recipe for dinner tonight-Pulled BBQ Pork in Root Beer. Honestly, the first 40 times I heard people talk about it I thought it sounded vile, but decided there must be something good about it. My instincts were correct! This was super easy and tasted really good-like I spent a lot more time than I did. We got two dinners out of this recipe which is always welcome too!

Pulled Pork in Root Beer

2 pound pork loin roast
12 oz can of Root beer
Buns
18oz bottle your favorite bbq sauce

Put roast in crockpot and pour in root beer. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. When very tender, shred with forks. Drain liquid off of meat and return to crockpot. Stir bbq sauce into meat and stir. Simmer on low another hour and enjoy!

The Chiefs suck :(

2007-09-09T12:22:00.000-07:00

But these cookies are awesome! I was trying to soften the blow of the disappointing Chiefs game today with a chocolate chip cookie. The kitchen is the safest place for me to be when the game is not going our way :)
I am always scared to bake anything. I am not a baker. It doesn't matter what the circumstances, it never turns out the way its supposed to whether its my fault or not. I have probably wasted hundreds of dollars worth of ingredients attempting to break this streak....until today! I found these cookies courtesy of Katie. The recipe was very different from any cookie recipes I had ever seen. Instead of creaming butter and sugar together, melted butter is used and there is an extra egg yolk and flour. They turned out great and I bet they would be great with peanut butter chips too. Get the milk ready!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled until warm
1 c brown sugar, packed
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
-Adjust oven racks to upper & lower -middle positions & heat oven to 325. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
-Whisk dry ingredients together; set aside.
-With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter & sugars until thoroughly combined.
-Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until combined.
-Add dry ingredients & beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in chips.
-Roll scant 1/2 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball.
-Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft & puffy (about 17 minutes in my oven).
-Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking and place on wire rack to cool.
Makes about 24 give or take how much batter you eat before they get in the oven! ;)

Risotto Bawlz

2007-09-08T15:55:00.000-07:00

Using the left overs from my previous post, I made these yummy bites of goodness. I don't think I will ever be able to make risotto again and not make these too. They were relatively easy and moms and I pan fried them instead of deep fry and they still turned out great. I could almost see myself making a complete batch of risotto just so I can make a crap ton of these and pass them out to everyone I know :)

Risotto Balls or Arancini

2 cups of leftover risotto (chilled)
2 eggs whisked
1/2 cup parm cheese
1 1/2 cup of Italian bread crumbs
Oil for frying
Mozzeralla cheese-cut into 1 inch squares (I used string cheese sticks)

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, risotto, parm cheese and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs. Mix well. Have other cup of breadcrumbs on plate or shallow dish nearby. Scoop two tablespoons of mixture into a ball. Press square of cheese into center of ball and close opening. Dredge each ball into breadcrumbs and set aside. Heat oil for frying to 350 degrees. If you deep fry, you will need at least 3 inches of oil. I pan fried mine and we used about 3/4 cup of oil in a saute pan. Cook risotto balls for 3 or 4 minutes on each side until very golden brown and somewhat firm.

Labor of Love

2007-09-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

I have heard how good risotto is but I was always scared about the cooking process. I knew it was time consuming and sounded like it was something that was delicate and easily screwed up so I avoided up until tonight. I had a dream about risotto last night-not sure why, but I figured someone was trying to tell me something. It was actually pretty easy and I have alread been thinking about some variations that I can make with this versatile rice. My feet were killing me by the time it was ready and I had drank way more than 1/3 cup of the wine I put into the dish but it was well worth it! I also made Rose's Parmasean Dijon Chicken with it and both myself and the husband were stuffed without much food on our plates. There are lots of leftovers, which brings me to my next blog entry sometime soon....risotto balls. Stay tuned-but enjoy this recipe in the meantime!

Mushroom Risotto with Peas Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Show: Everyday Italian
Episode: Risotto Cravings

8 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
8oz baby bella mushrooms-finely chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or short-grain white rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, optional

Bring the broth to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the porcini mushrooms. Set aside until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Keep the broth warm over very low heat.
Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the white mushrooms and garlic. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the porcini mushrooms to a cutting board. Finely chop the mushrooms and add to the saucepan. Saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and let it toast for a few minutes. Add the wine; cook until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, adding more broth by cupfuls and stirring often, about 28 minutes (the rice will absorb 6 to 8 cups of broth). Stir in the peas. Mix in the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
*I halved this recipe and I still have at least two cups of risotto left over. We were only able to eat 1/2 cup each-its very filling!

It doesn't get any better than this kids...

2007-08-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

Lasagna! This is the best lasagna I have ever made-and maybe the best I have ever had (sorry mom). I am typically not a fan of meat sauces but this is what makes this recipe so flippin fabulous. The combination of sausage and beef is hard to beat and it was fun cooking a sauce that simmered and got us even more excited about what was to come. My husband had two and a half peices of it and I could almost see the smoke coming off of his fork :)You must make this immediately...

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving

This is healthy shiz...

2007-08-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

Meet the Cherry Almond Cluster. Instead of reaching for candy and chips lately I make up a little concoction of dried cherries, raw almonds and a few dark chocolate chips-but this was getting old. I needed to kick it up a notch so I dug out an Ellie Krieger recipe I have been wanting to try for a while. This recipe intrigued me because its actually quite good for you. Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants and the dried fruit and nuts are equally nutrient rich. I am loving these because they took less than 15 minutes to make and I was stuffing one in my mouth after another 15 or so in the fridge to set up! I will definately be making these again. These are also only 155 calories each!

Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond Clusters

1 cup almonds in the raw-roughly chopped

1/2 cup of dried cherries-roughly chopped

6oz dark chocolate (I used chips and it was about half a bag)

Melt the chocolate-using either a double boiler or microwave like me. Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the nuts and fruit. Drop mixture onto sheet pan lined with wax paper. This recipe should make 12-but I was a little generous.

My Husband is SPOILED!

2007-08-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

I ask him almost everyday what he wants for dinner and 99% of the time he says "I don't care". What I want him to say is something new and interesting that we can try. He is a creature of habit I guess. Today he sent me an email and asked ME what was for dinner. He followed it up by asking if chimichangas were on our diet. He is referring to the deep fried, fat ladened pocket of love at our local mexican place. I replied "no sir" and went about my day. The more I got to thinking about it though, I knew there was a way that I could recreate it for him without as much calories and fat. Please to enjoy:

Chicken Chimichanga-Light(er)

Cooked chicken
Monterey Jack and/or cheddar cheese
Fat free refried beans
Low fat sour cream
Burrito size flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Lay out one tortilla. In the center, put 1/2 ish cup beans, lay some of the chicken on top, top with cheeese-I like lots o' cheese :)
Fold two sides of the tortilla in around the filling then tuck the other ends under. Place in a baking dish and brush with melted butter or olive oil.
Bake for 30 minutes until crispy!

Smoking Pot-Pie

2007-08-10T16:12:00.000-07:00

The title was Chris's idea so I am not responsible and I can pass a drug test any day of the week! I got some small ramikens as a wedding gift and was itching to use them. Chris loves him some chicken pot pies so I decided to give that a try. I researched several different recipes and tried to come up with one that I could modify a little bit to fit these small bakers. Chris really liked them and even though they were small, they were pretty rich and we only had to eat one.

Individual Chicken Pot Pies!

One good sized cooked boneless, skinless, chicken breast cubed into small pieces ( I used a leftover from previous post)
2 medium red potatoes diced
½ cup frozen peas
1 package of frozen puff pastry
½ stick unsalted butter
Salt
Pepper
1 rib of celery-trimmed and cut into small pieces
¼ cup all purpose flour
2 cups of chicken broth

Bring about 4 cups of water to a rapid boil. Throw in potatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Pop frozen peas into same boiling water with potatoes and boil another 3 minutes. Drain saucepan and transfer peas/potatoes to a bowl. Set aside. In a small saucepan, heat chicken broth. In a separate, larger saucepan melt butter.
In the meantime, get one sheet of frozen puff pastry out to thaw-40 minutes.
Saute celery in melted butter for a few minutes to soften it. Add flour to butter/celery and cook on low heat for a 3 minutes to cook off taste. Add hot chicken broth to roux-slowly. It will start to thicken right away! Kind of surprised me. Add a little at a time until it’s the consistency that you want. Add the chicken, peas/carrot mixture, salt and pepper and stir.
Ladle mixture into four ramekins.

Preheat oven for 400. Unfold sheet of puff pastry and cut into four equal pieces. Lay a piece of pastry over the top of each ramiken. Place them on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the pastry has puffed and is golden brown!

Happy Hump Day!

2007-08-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

Its the middle of the week. Monday is behind us and the weekend is just around the corner! I wanted to make something that I knew we already liked. I didn't feel like experimenting...but check back in a few days. I have a special something I am working on as we speak! I got this recipe for Oven Friday chicken courtesy of my friend and fellow Reallie-Scaredbride. Its super easy to put together and you can jazz it up to suit your pallet. I had some shredded parm on hand so I used that instead of grated-the flavor was not as intense and salty as grated parm, but it worked in a pinch.

*Tip o' the for this recipe: I cook it on a cooling rack with a baking sheet underneath. This helps it stay crispy all the way around!

Oven Fried Chicken

10 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup bread crumbs

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 tablespoons fresh parsley (I use dried)

3/4 cup low calorie Italian dressing

Melted Butter

1) Combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder, pepper, and parsley. 2) Dip the chicken in the Italian salad dressing and then roll in bread crumbs. 3) Place Chicken in baking dish that has been coated with vegetable cooking spray. Brush lightly with butter.

Two times in one week!

2007-08-03T18:03:00.000-07:00

I am trying to make up for all the lost time I wasn't posting and am actually making a concerted effort to post twice in one week. Things have been pretty good at our house. We are trying to connect with family and new friends. My mom and Tony came over tonight and thought it was a great opportunity to try out one of my Social Supper meals that I made a few weeks ago. I don't know the exact recipe but I could wing it if I wanted to make it again. You can even use frozen chicken breasts! It was really yummy and I highly recommend it! I also made a light lemon spaghetti to go with it.

Chicken Saltimbucca and Lemon Spaghetti

6 chicken breasts

1 cup of white wine

1/3 cup of cream

2 T capers with juice

ground oregano

6 slices of procuitto ham

6 slices of provolone cheese

1 cup of artichoke hearts

1/2 pound of uncooked spaghetti

1/4 cup of grated parm cheese

pepper

salt

2 T olive oil

Juice of one lemon

For chicken, arrange breasts in a 9x13, sprinkle with ground oregano. lay a peice of provolone cheese on top followed by a slice of procuitto ham. In a seperate bowl wisk together wine, cream, capers. Pour mixture over the chicken breasts. Add artichokes to top. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. *If using frozen chicken breasts, cook 30 minutes covered and 30 uncovered.

For the sauce:

Stir together lemon juice, olive oil and parm cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss with cooked pasta and garnish with more parm cheese! I used angel hair and everyone loved it!

I have been very bad...

2007-07-30T17:10:00.000-07:00

Its been way too long since my last post, but thanks for Chris for helping me get my pictures organized I am back with the program! Here are a few things I have made over the last couple weeks. Thanks KSU for this delicious recipe for Tequila Lime Chicken. It was winner at our house!

Applebee's Tequila Lime Chicken

4 chicken breasts

1 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

2 cups crumbled corn chips

Marinade:1 cup water

1/3 cup teriyaki sauce

2 Tbsp. lime juice

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. mesquite liquid smoke

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. tequila

Mexi-Ranch Dressing:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 Tbsp. milk

2 tsp. minced tomato

1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. minced canned/jarred jalapeno slices

1 tsp. minced onion

1/4 tsp. dried parsley

1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. paprika

1/8 tsp. dried dill weed

1/8 tsp. cumin

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp. chilli powder

dash garlic powder

dash ground black pepper

1. Prepare the marinade and let the chicken soak for 2-3 hours.2. Make the mexi-ranch dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well until smooth, then cover and chill until needed.3. When ready to prepare entree, preheat oven to high broil. Also preheat the grill to high heat.4. When the grill is hot, cook the chicken for 3-5 minutes per side.5. Arrange chicken in a baking pan. Spread a layer of the dressing over each piece, followed by 1/4 cup of cheese. Broil chicken for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

I also made this Parmesean Crusted Tilapia a few weeks ago. Its a staple at our house. I did start a small kitchen fire the last time I made this however :) Watch how close you have the fish to the broiler! Note to self: Get a fire extinguisher!

Here Bridgette waits patiently for the fish to slide right off the plate.....

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets
DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish

An old fave-Italian style

2007-06-12T16:17:00.000-07:00

I had forgotten about this recipe until someone reminded me this week on the real brides board. I love it because its somewhat light and you can mix and match what veggies you want to eat. I am particularly fond of the zucchini and could easily make the entire batch that way. This recipe is courtesy of Giada.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, grated

1 large egg

3 tablespoons ketchup

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano

1/4 cup dried plain bread crumbs

1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat

2 zucchini, ends removed, halved lengthwise and crosswise

1 short orange bell pepper, halved and seeded

1 short red bell pepper, halved and seeded

1 short yellow bell pepper, halved and seeded

1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly drizzle the olive oil into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Whisk the onion, parsley, egg, ketchup, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese and bread crumbs. Mix in the turkey. Cover and refrigerate the turkey mixture. Using a melon baller or spoon, carefully scrape out the seeds and inner flesh from the zucchini, leaving 1/8-inch-thick shells. Be careful not to pierce through the skin. Fill the zucchini and pepper halves with the turkey mixture, dividing equally and mounding slightly. Arrange the stuffed vegetables in the baking dish. Pour the marinara sauce over the stuffed vegetables. Bake uncovered until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown and a thermometer inserted into the filling registers 165 degrees F, about 45 minutes. Transfer the stuffed vegetables to a platter and serve.

Fagetaboutit!

2007-06-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

I know this pic is blurry-not sure what was going on with my camera today-BUT it does not overshadow the joy we experienced from eating tonight. I wanted to make something in honor of the Sopranos series finale and after much research, found a recipe for a dreamy fettuccini alfredo. The alfredo, notorious for being loaded with cream and butter, is often shunned from regular rotation at most households. That time is over. I found this recipe courtesy of Cooking Light and decided to give it a shot. I am not kidding-it was richer and thicker than any alfredo I have ever had in a restaurant. No one will ever know the difference!
It says four servings, but we quickly made two out of this...its too good.

Fettuccini Alfredo-Light?

Ingredients
1 T butter
1 T flour
1 1/3 cup 1% milk
1 1/4 grated parm cheese (I used a asiago, reggiano blend)
2 T 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/2 tsp salt
8oz hot cooked fettuccini
Cracked black pepper

PreparationMelt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook 6 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, cream cheese, and salt, stirring with a whisk until cheeses melt. Toss sauce with hot pasta. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and chopped parsley. Garnish with black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.
Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
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Nutritional Information
CALORIES 399(30% from fat); FAT 13.5g (sat 8g,mono 3.4g,poly 1.1g); PROTEIN 21.3g; CHOLESTEROL 34mg; CALCIUM 451mg; SODIUM 822mg; FIBER 2g; IRON 2.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE

2007-06-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

I also wanted to try something new for his arrival-but nothing complicated. My friend Rockstar sent me this recipe a while back for tater tot casserole and it was the perfect one! You can't beat meat, potatoes and cheese all baked into one yummy casserole! Kids would love this dish too. We liked it so much we had it for breakfast today!

Tater Tot Casserole

1/2 onion chopped

1 lb ground beef

Bag of thawed tater tots

6 slices american cheese

Can of cream of mushroom soup

Seasoning for beef-I used McCormicks grill seasoning

Brown the beef with the chopped onion. When done, stir in the can of soup and pour mixture into baking dish. Arrange a single layer of tater tots on top of meat mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Arrange cheese slices on top and bake another 10-15 minutes until bubbly!

First Post Dedicated to....

2007-06-02T06:28:00.000-07:00

Comfort food! My husband has been in the hospital for a week or so with a broken leg and I knew when he came home he was going to be ready for some comfort food. I started off with this deviled egg recipe I got from my mom several years ago...the secret is the finely chopped onions. This also worked out because I finally got to use the Crate and Barrell deviled egg plate that we got as a wedding gift!

Perfect Deviled Eggs

12 eggs

1/2 cup of mayo or salad dressing

2 T finely chopped onion

1 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

For perfect eggs with no green center (caused by over cooking) place 12 eggsin a large pan and cover with 3" water. (any ammount of eggs, samedirections) Do not use hot water. Place on burner over medium high heat andimmediately start timing for exactly 20 minutes.When eggs begin to boil hardturn heat to medium.Cracking eggs while still hot makes the shells easily slip off.Slice in half and scrape out yolks into a mixing bowl. Blend remainingingredients well and fill egg halves. Sprinkle with additional paprika, chillwell.