Thursday, May 20, 2010

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail


Another yummy recipe from foodnetwork.com :)  Here's a link to the original recipe...


I made my cocktail sauce with three tablespoons of lemon juice (instead of three teaspoons) and two tablespoons of prepared horseradish (instead of three tablespoons).  If you like shrimp cocktail you will love this cocktail sauce.  You can serve the shrimp hot from the oven, room temperature, or chilled.  I made the cocktail sauce first and put it in the fridge to chill while I made the shrimp.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Mexican Sloppy Joe's

1 lb lean ground beef
3 TBS onion diced small
1 ½ cup tomato sauce
1 packet taco seasoning
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 TBS Ketchup
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
8 hamburger buns
1 avocado (optional)
Cilantro, sour cream, and shredded cheese (optional)

Place ground beef and diced onions in a large skillet. Cook over medium high heat until the meat is browned and the onions are translucent. Drain any excess fat from the pan. Add packet of taco seasoning and stir well. Add tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder. Stir well. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for ten minutes.
Serve on hamburger buns (cheese, avocado, sour cream, and cilantro are optional).

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Beer Battered Fish Tacos















Beer Battered Fish Tacos

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus extra for pre-coating the fish
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/3 cup beer
8 ounces tilapia fillet, cut crosswise into 1-inch wide strips
2 teaspoons canola oil
4 tortillas, warmed
pico de gallo (or salsa of your choice)
cilantro
shredded cabbage
diced avocado
chipotle lime aioli (recipe follows)


Combine 3 TBS flour, cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder, and cayenne in a medium bowl. Whisk in beer to create a batter.

Cut fish lengthwise into inch wide strips. Dust fish with a little flour (this will help the batter to stay on the fish). Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat until the oil begins to ripple. Dip the fish in the batter coating all sides. Place the coated fish in the skillet and cook for three minutes on each side. Remove to plate. Assemble tacos by placing some chipotle lime aioli on a tortilla. Top with shredded cabbage. Place the fish on top of the cabbage. Top with pico de gallo, diced avocado, and cilantro.


Chipotle Lime Aioli

2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons mayo
zest and juice of one lime
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder


Whisk together ingredients and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to let flavors blend.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Tea Time



















Savory Bacon Cheddar Scones
3 cups Bisquick
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk (plus a few tablespoons more to brush on top of the scones before baking)
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
2 scallions, sliced thin
6 slices of pepper bacon, cooked/cooled/chopped
shredded parm (optional)

Mix together the ingredients in the order they are listed.  You'll end up with a soft dough.  Form this into a ball.  Press the ball of dough flat until you have a circle that's about an inch thick.  Use a knife or a pizza cutter to cut the circle into wedges.  Place the wedges of dough on a greased baking sheet (or you can use parchment paper).  Brush each wedge with a little milk and sprinkle with shredded parm.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. 

Chicken Salad BLAT Tea Sandwiches

4 slices wheat bread
2 chicen breast, cooked and shredded (see below)
1/4 cup diced tomatoes (I cut grape tomatoes into quarters)
4 slices of pepper bacon, cooked/cooled, and chopped
1/4 cup diced avocado
1/2 cup mayo

Juice and zest from half a lemon
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp whole grain or dijon mustard
lettuce
You can use any cooked chicken for these sandwiches. If you have leftover roasted chicken or grilled chicken you can shred it up and use it for this sandwich (as long as it isn't seasoned in a way that would clash with the cranberries). I like to cut up a carrot, celery stalk, and an onion and put them in a pot with a bay leaf and a chicken breast (and some fresh thyme if I have it). Then I add water to cover everything and bring it to a low boil. When the chicken is cooked through I remove it from the liquid, shred it, and put it in the fridge. Once it's cooled I add the tomato, and bacon. In a small bowl mix together the mayo, lemon juice, lemon zst, seasonings, and mustard until blended well.  Add the seasoned mayo to the chicken mixture a few tablespoons at a time.  Add as much or as little as you like for your chicken salad.  Place the chicken salad on white bread with lettuce.  Add diced avocado and top with another slice of bread.  Cut off crusts and cut into finger sandwiches.
 
 
Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches

I posted a recipe for this chicken salad a while back.  To make them as tea sandwiches just cut off the crust and cut them into small squares or triangles.  Here's a link to the recipe I posted before...


Cucumber & Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches

These are too simple to really write a recipe for ;)  All you do is spread cream cheese on two slices of white bread.  Top one slice with thin slices of cucumber.  Put the other slice of bread with cream cheese on top.  Trim the crusts off of the bread, and cut into small triangles.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Salmon BLT with Lemon Aioli

Why a salmon BLT?  Because you can't go wrong with bacon :)  It makes everything better...even things that are already yummy on thrir own.

12 oz salmon filet
4 slices of pepper bacon, cooked until crispy
cajun seasoning
pepper
butter lettuce (you can use whatever lettuce you like or have on hand)
one tomato
Lemon Aioli (recipe below)
4 slices of sourdough bread, lightly toasted

For this sandwich I made the salmon using my Blackened Cajun Salmon recipe.  Once the salmon is cooked allow it to cool for about five minutes.  Then remove the skin by sliding a spatula or a knife between the salmon and the skin. 

Toast four slices of sourdough bread.  Spread the lemon aioli on one side of each slice.  Top two slices with lettuce, salmon, bacon, tomato, and another slice of bread. 




Lemon Aioli

1/2 cup mayo
Juice and zest from half a lemon
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1 tsp chili powder
1 dash hot sauce (if you want a little heat)

Whisk all of the ingredients together and set aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  This makes a great sandwich spread or a dip for veggies and/or seafood.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Mini Calzones and Spinach & Artichoke Dip

This recipe is a combination of a few different ideas,  and ended up making two dishes instead of one.  The recipe for the filling came from the show 'Every Day Italian' on the Food Network.  Giada made these veggie stuffed pancakes...and while the filling looked yummy I just couldn't wrap my head around putting it in a pancake.  I'm sure it's good I just thought it'd be even better in a calzone ;)  They turned out to be preety darn yummy.  A great way to hide some veggies from the kiddos...or yourself ;)  What I should have realized was that the original recipe made WAY more filling than I needed....so I ended up using that to make spinach & artichoke dip...which turned out to be pretty yummy too :)  If you wanted to just make the calzones you could cut the amount of veggies...or you could make a bigger batch by using two things of pizza dough.


And here's how I made it:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup
1 (8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (plus another 1 cup for the dip)
8 oz. sliced pepperoni
1 package refridgerated pizza dough
1/2 to 3/4 cups whole milk
galic salt
pepper
olive oil
Your favorite pizza sauce or marinara sauce and/or ranch for dipping
Directions

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, carrots, and garlic and saute until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large bowl. Add the basil, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and mascarpone cheese. Stir the mixture until well mixed.

Roll out the refridgerated pizza dough on a lightly floured surface.  Using a large cookie cutter or a drinking glass cut circles out of the dough.  Once you've cut as many circles as you can pickup the extra dough and roll it out again to cut more circles.  You should be able to get 18-20 circles. 

Preheat according to the teperature on the pizza dough package.  Lightly grease a 9 by 12-inch baking dish (or individual baking dishes). Using about half the vegetable mixture fill the calzones. Lay one circle of dough down on a work surface, top with a tablespoon of vegetable mixture, a slice or two of pepperoni, and sprinkle with some mozzarella cheese. Fold the dough in half around the vegetable mixture and place in the baking dish. Crimp the edges closed with a fork and poke a few holes in the top.  Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with shredded parm.  Continue with the remaining dough, placing in the baking dish about an inch apart.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.


Spinach Artichoke Dip:
Place the remaining vegetable mixture in a blender with 1/2 cup whole milk. Blend until smooth.  Return to the pan.  Add 1/4 cup shredded parm and 1 cup shredded.  Heat over medium low heat until cheese is melted.  Season with garlic salt and pepper to taste.  Place in a serving dish.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.  Serve with chips and/or sour dough bread.






yummy

Seared Ahi Lettuce Wraps

I have always wanted to make seared ahi, but I was a little intimidated by it.  I wish I had tried a long time ago....it was actually really easy and SOOOOO good.  This would make a great appetizer, but for two people it was a meal.

One 8 to 10 oz. ahi tuna steak
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 TBS honey
2 TBS mirin
2TBS rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground pepper
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 TBS vegetable oil
Head of butter lettuce
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 scallion sliced thin
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1 cup cooked brown rice

In a shallow dish whisk together the soy sauce, honey, mirin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and pepper.  Add the ahi and let it marindae in the fridge for at least an hour.  Place the sesame seeds on a plate or in a shallow dish.  Press the marinated ahi in to the sesame seeds.  Turn the ahi to coat it in the sesame seeds.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet....you want it super hot...the oil should be starting to ripple, and about to smoke.  Add the ahi and let it sear for about a minute each side.  Remove from the pan and let cool for 5-10 minutes.  Slice against the grain. 

Use one lettuce leaf as your "cup".  Place a few spoonfuls of brown rice in the cup.  Top it with carrot, scallion, cilantro, avocado, and place a few slices of the ahi on top.

For a dipping sauce combine 3 TBS soy sauce, 1 TBS rice vinegar, a tsp sesame oil, a tsp honey, a tsp garlic salt, and a pinch of crushed red pepper.

Penne with Chicken, Asparagus, and Tomatoes

The original recipe was just for penne with asparagus and tomatoes, which would make a good side dish....but I decided to add chicken to make it a main dish. 

For the chicken I just seasoned two chicken breasts with dried basil, dried oregano, garlic salt, and pepper.  Then I sauteed it in a few tablespoons of olive oil.  Then I set it aside while I followed the rest of the recipe.  Once the recipe was complete I sliced the chicken up and added it on top of the pasta.  Then I sprinkled some shredded parm on top and ate it up :)

Here is a link the original recipe...


When I make this again I think I'll be adding one more garlic clove and a tiny bit of crushed red pepper.

Honey Soy Broiled Salmon

This is a yummy and quick way to enjoy your salmon, and goes great with a little steamed rice.  Here is a link to the recipe...


Boozy Beef Stew With Caramelized Onions

Ok...the original name for this recipe is "Beef Stew With Caramelized Onions and Amber Lager" and it calls for a 12 ounce bottle of beer.  I ended up using a 12 ounce bottle of beer and a half a cup of wine....so it's a little more boozy than your average stew ;)


And here is how I made it....

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 lbs beef stew meat, preferably chuck, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 bottle (12 fluid ounces) good-quality amber lager or pale ale
1/4 cup red wine
1 cup (8 fluid ounces) beef or chicken broth
Salt and ground pepper

Directions

In a large, heavy pot, warm the oil over high heat until hot but not smoking. Season the meat with a dash of salt and pepper.  Working in batches, brown the meat well on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the meat from scorching. Transfer the browned meat to a plate and repeat until all the meat is browned.

Add the onions and butter to the pot and stir over high heat until the onions start to soften, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and sprinkle in the sugar. Continue to cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the flour, thyme, rosemary and carrots and raise the heat to high. Stir for 1 minute, then pour in the lager or ale and wine, letting it come to a vigorous boil. Stir in the broth and return to a boil.
Return the meat and any accumulated juices on the plate to the pot.  Add the potatoes and let the liquid come just to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meat is tender when pierced (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on warmed individual plates.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Spicy Orange Garlic Shrimp

Another yummy recipe from thepioneerwoman.com.  The great thing about this recipe was how little time it takes to make.  There's very little prep, and the shrimp cooks quickly.  Plus you really cannot go with a shrimp recipe that includes butter and garlic ;) 

I like to keep a bag of peeled/de-veined shrimp in the freezer for a quick dinner because they defrost quickly and you can do a lot of different things with them.  This receipe used things I always have on hand so I am sure I'll be making it again :)

Here's a link the the recipe...


The only change I made to the recipe was to cut back on the cayenne pepper.  I only used about an 1/8 of a teaspoon.  That gave it a little heat, but nothing too crazy.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Teriyaki Salmon & Citrus Rice

Citrus Rice
1 TBS vegetable oil
¼ cup onion, diced very small
1 cup long grain white rice
1 cups chicken broth
1 cup orange juice
1 TBS soy sauce

Heat oil over medium high heat. Add dice onion and sauté until they start to become translucent (stirring often). Add rice and stir well. Add broth, orange juice, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Follow package directions from the rice for cooking time. I cooked mine for 20 minutes, removed it from the heat and let it sit for five minutes. Then I fluffed it with a fork and served it 

Teriyaki Salmon
Salmon Filet
Kikkoman Roasted Garlic Teriyaki Sauce/Marinade
1 tsp Ground Ginger
1 tsp pepper
2 TBS Canola oil

For the salmon pour enough teriyaki marinade to coat the salmon and have it ½ submerged. Marinate for ten minutes then flip and marinate for another ten minutes. Sprinkle ginger and pepper on the top of the salmon. Then heat the oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add the salmon skin side up and cook for five minutes. Turn and cook for another five minutes (the thicker your salmon filet the longer you'll need to cook it).



Cajun Chicken Pasta

This is a great website for all kinds of yummy recipes...


Each recipe has step by step instructions with pictures!  This is the first recipe I've tried from this site, but I will be trying many more.  I had to change the the recipe a little bit....I had a bunch of penne pasta so I used that instead of fettucine.  Instead of adding cream to the sauce at the end I used a third of a cup of lactose free milk, and I skipped the cyanne pepper all together.  I am sure that the recipe is awesome the way it's written, but in light of my husbands heart burn and my dairy allergy I had to tweak it a little ;)

Here's a link to the recipe....


Broiled Salmon With Herb Mustard Glaze



We are trying to eat fish at least once a week. We usually end up getting salmon so I am always looking for new ways to make it. I found this recipe on foodnetwor.com. It was a hit with my husband so I am sure we'll be having it this way again.


Here is a link to the recipe....

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/broiled-salmon-with-herb-mustard-glaze-recipe/index.html

I made a few changed...instead of putting everything in a mini food processor I just made sure I cut everything up as small as I could. Then I just whisked everything together. I also added two tablespoons of lemon juice to the sauce before I mixed it all together.

Sliders Two Ways




My husband found these little Sarah Lee Slider Buns at the store so I decided to make sliders two ways.  The buns came in a package of twelve so I made six mini "everything" burgers...mayo, mustard, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and cheese.  The other six had melted swiss cheese and caramelized onions. Sooo good!  Twelve sliders fed me, my husband, and my older brother.

Everything Sliders
1/2 lb lean ground beef
4 oz. can diced green chilies
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
garlic salt and pepper to taste (I used 1 TBS garlic salt & 1 tsp pepper)
2 slices of cheddar cheese cut into quarters
lettuce, tomato, avocado (optional)

Mix everything but the cheese, lettuce, tomato and avocado in a mixing bowl.  Divide into six small patties.  Cook in skillet over high heat or on the grill.  These are small so they will only need a few minutes on each side.  Top the burgers with cheese while they are still hot. 

Caramelized Onion & Swiss Sliders
1/2 lb ground beef
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 TBS A1 Steak sauce
Garlic salt and pepper to taste (I used 1 TBS garlic salt & 1 tsp pepper)
2 slices of swiss cheese cut into quarters
1/2 of one medium yellow onion, sliced into very thin "half moons"
2 TBS butter
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

In a small skillet melt butter over medium high heat.  Add sliced onion.  Cook until translucent.  Add salt and pepper.  Continue to cook over medium heat until onions are nice and brown (about ten minutes) stirring often.

For the burgers mix the ground beef, worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, garlic salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl.  Divide into six equal patties.  Cook in a skillet or on the grill over medium high heat.  Just a few minutes on each side will do the trick.  Top with swiss cheese and your caramelized onions...yummmy!




 

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Chicken-Zucchini Fettuccine Alfredo















Hooray for a guilt free fettuccine alfredo recipe!  I pretty much followed this recipe to the letter....I added a little extra pepper at the end, but no major changes.  I think I will try a variation of this with asparagus and blackened cajun chicken.

Here's a link to the recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/chicken-zucchini-alfredo-recipe/index.html

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Shredded Beef Soft Tacos

We had some extra shredded beef leftover from making enchiladas so I decided to make some tacos last night.  Shredded beef, black beans, lettuce, tomato, jack cheese, and some salsa.  Very fast and VERY yummy :)  I love cooking once and eating twice ;)

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Shredded Beef Enchiladas















I usually make chicken enchiladas but I wanted to try my hand at making them with shredded beef.  This recipe is a "weekend" recipe for me becayse it's a little time consuming....but it's well worth it. 

Here is a link to the recipe I used....


I ended up using an 8 ounce can of diced green chilies instead of a fresh green chili.  I didn't cook the tortillas in oil before rolling the enchiladas.  My husband found some white corn tortillas that are part corn and part whole grain wheat.  They were really pliable so I was able to skip the oil all together. 

Friday, February 19, 2010

Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad Sandwich

Earl Grey Tea Mannor in Old Sacramento made these great Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad tea sandwiches.  Before I had them I didn't even like chicken salad sandwiches.  Now this is one of my favorites.  When they went out of business I started making them myself.  I've been told they are very tastey...actually I was told I would be kicked very hard if I showed up to a party without them ;)  I think that means they're good...

Two sliced wheat bread
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (see below)
2 TBS chopped walnuts
3 TBS dried cranberries
1 TBS celery, diced very small
3 TBS light mayo
pepper to taste

You can use any cooked chicken for these sandwiches.  If you have leftover roasted chicken or grilled chicken you can shred it up and use it for this sandwich (as long as it isn't seasoned in a way that would clash with the cranberries).  I like to cut up a carrot, celery stalk, and an onion and put them in a pot with a bay leaf and a chicken breast (and some fresh thyme if I have it).  Then I add water to cover everything and bring it to a low boil.  When the chicken is cooked through I remove it from the liquid, shred it, and put it in the fridge.  Once it's cooled I add the chopped walnuts, cranberries, celery, mayo, and pepper.  The amounts listed above will make two sandwiches.  They are pretty filling, very tastey, and a great way to use up leftover chicken.

Chicken & Black Bean Tostadas

This is one of my husbands favorite things to have for dinner :)  They are pretty easy to put together, and you can customize them for everyone in your family.  If your kids are old enough they can even assemble their own.

Tostada shells
Low fat refried black beans
Avocado
Cooked Chicken (see below)
Shredded cheddar cheese
Diced tomatoes
Sour Cream
Cilantro
Salsa

You can use any kind of cooked chicken for this.  I like to put a few chicken breasts in a pot with a chopped carrot, a chopped celery stalk, and a small chopped onion.  Then I bring it to a low boil until the chicken is cooked through.  Then I shredd the chicken.  It's perfect for enchiladas, tacos, pasta shells, chicken salad, tostadad, etc.

Vegetarian Taco Salad

Normally this is a salad I would top with sliced grilled chicken or even some taco meat.  It makes a nice light dinner.  For the dressing you can mix one part salsa with one part ranch dressing (sounds a little odd, but it's good), or you can use a store bought dressing (I like Brianna's Chipoltle Cheddar).

I made this for lunch the other day and decided to skip the chicken.  It was still pretty filling, and took less time to make...

Romaine lettuce
Avocado, diced
Cilantro, chopped
Grape tomatoes
Yellow bell pepper
Red Onion
Whole black beans, drained/rinsed

Pumpkin Spice Muffins















I’ve been planning on making some Pumpkin Spice Muffins for a while now. I had a recipe all picked out and I THOUGHT I had all of the ingredients….turns out I needed more eggs than I had in the house. So I did some searching and found a recipe that I had almost all of the ingredients. Normally I don’t change recipes for baked goods (I’ll add things but not substitute). I ended up changing this one a little based on what I had on hand. The original recipe calls for whole grain pastry flour, unsulphered molasses, canola oil, buttermilk, and pumpkin seeds. I had enriched cake flour, apple sauce, peanut oil, 1% milk, and chopped walnuts. I thought I’d try to make it work with what I had on hand and they turned out great. They’re really moist, and not too sweet. I think I am going to try adding raisins, dried cranberries, or diced apples next time….maybe I’ll divide the batter into three batches and try all three to see which way works best.


Here’s a link to the original recipe…

(http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/pumpkin-muffins-recipe/index.html)

Here is the recipe as I made it…

• Cooking spray (or you can use paper muffin tin liners)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup enriched cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons apple sauce
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup 1% milk
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray or use paper lines like I did….what can I say…anything I can do to make clean-up faster;).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.

In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, apple sauce, oil and 1 egg until combined. Add the other egg and whisk well. Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla. Whisk in the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the milk. Whisk just until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan and sprinkle with the chopped walnuts (press them into the batter a little bit with your finger tip or the back of a spoon). Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of 1 of the muffins comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold….unless you liners…then you can just remove them from the muffin tin and let them cool on the rack


Semi-Homemade Mushroom & Meat Marinara















I used to make my own marinara sauce, but I haven’t had as much time lately…what with the toddler and infant and all ;) I tried going back to regular store bought sauce from a jar, but after having the homemade version the store bought version tasted like it was missing something. So this is what I do to make it almost like homemade…


1 lb Lean ground beef
1/2 an onion, diced small
3 garlic cloves, diced small
1 TBS dried basil
1 TBS dried oregano
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 Cup sliced mushrooms
3 TBS red wine (optional)
1 Jar store bought marinara sauce
Your favorite pasta, cooked
In a mixing bowl combine ground beef, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, red pepper, salt, and pepper. Mix well to even distribute everything though out the meat. Place in a skillet or large sauté pan. Cook on medium high heat breaking up the ground beef as it browns.  When the meat is browned and onions are translucent drain the fat from the meat and return to stove. Add sliced mushrooms and red wine and stir frequently for two to three minutes (you could also add other veggies here…like zucchini). Add jar of marinara sauce and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for at least ten minutes (I like to let it simmer for about 20 minutes when I have time) stirring occasionally.

Serve sauce over your favorite pasta and enjoy :)

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Garlic Ginger Soy Chicken & Not Fried Rice















 
Garlic Ginger Soy Chicken
1 Cup soy sauce
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup chicken broth (or white wine)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBS fresh ginger, grated  (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 thin sliced chicken breasts
Scallions for garnishing (optional)

Pre-Heat oven to 400 degrees

Combine everything but the chicken in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Boil for two minutes then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Place chicken breasts in a baking dish (I lined mine with foil to make clean up easier).  Top with the sauce from the pan.  Place in the oven.  Bake for 20 minutes.  If you are using whole chicken breasts you'll need to increase the cooking time to 45 minutes.

Not Fried Rice
2 Cups Brown Minute Rice
1 Carrot, peeled & diced
1 TBS fresh ginger, grated (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
1 TBS vegetable oil
2 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS rice vinegar
1/4 cup frozen peas
2 scallions, sliced thin

Heat oil, carrots, and ginger in a sauce pan until carrots begin to soften.  Add rice, soy sauce, vinegar, and peas.  Stir well.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat to medium low for five minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit for five minutes.  Fluff with fork, stir in scallions, and serve.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Salmon with Lemon, Capers, and Rosemary & Ozo















I wanted to find something that would use up the rest of the capers so I made this salmon.  It's a Food Network recipe, and I pretty much followed it to the letter.  The only difference was that instead of making a foil packet for each filet I lined a pan with foil...then after everything was all put together I placed foil over the top of the pan.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/salmon-with-lemon-capers-and-rosemary-recipe/index.html

This was the first time I ever made orzo.  I thought it turned out great.  I wanted to do something a little different than rice with the salmon.  I needed a bunch of different herbs for other recipes for the week and I HATE wasting the extras.  This was a yummy way to use more fresh herbs.  The recipe calls for parsley and dill.  I used a few tablespoons of parsley, a tablespoon of rosemary, and a tablespoon of basil.  You could really use whatever herbs you like best.  I didn't add parmesan in at the end, but I did top Anthony's with a little shredded cheese :)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/orzo-with-herbs-recipe/index.html

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Chicken Breasts with Roasted Lemons and Capers















I found this recipe on foonetwork.com when I was looking for some healthy recipes....

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/eating-well/chicken-breasts-with-roasted-lemons-recipe/index.html

We eat boneless/skinless chicken breasts a lot, so I am always looking for something different.  I really liked how this turned out.  Roasting the lemons and then adding them to the dish made the sauce less tart than most lemon chicken recipes, but it still had a ton of citrus flavor.  I made some angel hair pasta to go along with it.  I cooked the pasta according to the directions on the package.  Then in a small sauce pan I heated 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium low heat.  I added 3 minced cloves of garlic, a quarter cup of chopped fresh parsley, the zest of two lemons, and salt and pepper to taste.  I let that simmer for about a minute and then added a quarter cup of white wine (you could also use chicken broth).  Then I added the pasta and tossed it to coat it in the sauce.  You could add a pinch of crushed red pepper when you add the garlic if you like a little heat.  You could also top the pasta with some shredded parm :)

The only down side to this meal was that it's not something you can put in theoven or on the stove and then leave.  It doesn't take very long to make, but if you have little ones like I do this is the sort of meal you should make when someone else is home to handle the kids while you concentrate on dinner ;)  If you are flying solo when you make this I suggest doing cutting and chopping ahead of time so they are ready to go when you need them.

Erika's Swiss Chicken















Erika made this for us after we brought Lena home from the hospital, and it was so good I had to try to make it. I didn't make it exactly to her recipe...partly because I made a few changes...and partly because I didn't read the recipe right. I used thin sliced chicken breasts to cut down the cooking time, I added garlic salt and pepper, and I doubled the amount of cheese (because there is no such thing as too much cheese). The original recipe only calls for a cup of stuffing mix...but somehow I read a BOX ;) So the amount of butter had to be increased. Luckily it turned out great. The chicken is really moist, there's a great amount of cheese, and the stuffing has a soft layer and then a crunchy top layer.


I think I might try a dairy free version of this with no cheese and golden mushroom soup instead of the cream of chicken.

4 Thin sliced skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Garlic salt & Pepper to taste
8 slices swiss cheese
1/2 can (10.75 oz) can of condensed cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoons milk
1 Box chicken Stove Top Stuffing mix
5 tablespoons butter, melted


Preheat oven to 350 degrees


Arrange chicken in a greased 12x8x2 baking dish. Season to taste with garlic salt and pepper. Top with swiss cheese slices (two per chicken breast).

Combine soup and milk and stir well. Spoon mixture over chicken and sprinkle with stuffing mix. Drizzle butter over crumbs.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes! Enjoy! :)

Accidentally Vegetarian Chili















Normally the first step to making this chili would be browning one pound of lean ground beef.  I guess I had a senior moment when writting my shopping list because I forgot the ground beef.  Soooooo I decided that if this was going to be vegetarian I would add a few veggies to make it a little heartier.  Normally (in the recipe that includes meat) there would be no olive oil, carrot, or celery.

2 TBS Olive oil
1 Small onion
2 Cloves of garlic, diced
1 Carrot, peeled and diced
1 Celery stalk diced
1 (28 oz) Can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14.5 oz) Can diced tomateos with green chilies
1  (4 oz) Can diced green chilies
1 (15 oz) Can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) Can Pinquitos (pinto beans seasoned with cumin, garlic, etc.), undrained
2 (15 oz) Cans Black beans, drained and rinsed
1 to 3 tsp Chili powder (depending on how spicy you like your chili)
1 tsp Ground cumin
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1/3 Cup chopped cilantro

Heat olive oil in a large pot.  Add diced onion, garlic, carrot, and celery.  Cook until onions are translucent and carrots start to soften.  Add all remaining ingredients except for the cilanto.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer uncovered for 30-45 minutes.  Add chopped cilantro a few minutes before serving.  Top with shedded cheese and/or sour cream, eat it plain, or put it on top of a plain hot dog in a bun.

Crispy Potato Skins















This was another Super Bowl treat for the hubby...

2 Medium sized potatoes
2 Cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
4 Strips of pepper bacon
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Sour cream
Chives

Pre-Heat Oven to 425 degrees. 

Wash the potatoes and dry them off.  Poke a few holes in the potatoes with a fork or a knife.  Rub the potatoes with olive oil and then sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake in the oven for 45 minutes (or until cooked through). 

While the potatoes are baking cook the bacon until crispy and set aside.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them sit until they are cool enough to handle (about 10-15 minutes).  Slice the potatoes in half length wise.  Use a spoon to scoop out the middle of the potato leaving about a 1/4 inch of potato on the skins.  Fill the potatoes with cheese.  Crumble the bacon and place it on top of the cheese.  Put the potatoes back in the oven for about ten minutes (or until all the cheese has melted).  They will be really hot so let them sit for five to ten minutes.  Then you can top them with sour cream and chives. 

Pepperoni Twists















I made these for my hubby on Super Bowl Sunday. Very simple and oh so yummy :)



1 Can refrigerated pizza dough
2 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz. sliced pepperoni
Garlic powder (optional)
Shredded parmesan cheese (optional)
Your favorite marinara sauce or pizza sauce for dipping.

I lined a baking sheet with foil and then sprayed it with cooking spray. Then I unrolled the pizza dough and covered half of it with a cup of shredded mozzarella. Then I layered sliced pepperoni on top of the cheese. Then I covered the pepperoni with the remaining cheese. Then I folded the half without any toppings over the half with toppings. I pressed down on the dough a little so everything would stay put. Then I used a pizza cutter to cut 1 inch strips. Then I twisted the strips and placed them on the baking sheet. Then I dusted them with garlic powder. If I had some shredded parm I would have sprinkled that on too. I followed the baking instructions from the dough (425 degrees for 13 minutes). I warmed up some pizza sauce for dipping and they were ready to go. This made 8 twists which was enough for two or three people to share. If I was making these for a party I would probably cut the strips in half to make smaller twists.