Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

This may not be kosher, and may be a little tacky but my first recipe contribution can be found on my blog here.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas:

This is a recipe Stuart makes when we're having people over. They always ask for the recipe and I never get around to giving it to them... Today is your lucky day.

Indgredients:
12 flour or corn tortillas
¼ cup chopped onion
4 cups sour cream
1 tsp. garlic powder
2-3 cups cooked chicken, cut up
1tbs or more chili powder
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2-3 cups grated cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 large can refried beans
1 small can green chilies

In a large bowl, mix together chicken, sour cream, soups, chilies, onions, garlic powder, and chili powder.
Add 1 ½ cups grated cheese.
Mix.
Down the center of each tortilla, spread a line of refried beans, then a line of sour cream mixture.
Fold ends to middle and roll up.
Place seam side down in a 13x9” pan.
Continue with all tortillas.
Then spread remaining sour cream mixture on top.
Sprinkle remaining cheese over all.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Kimbap (Korean style sushi)

This one is a little bit exotic but is one of my most favorite healthy foods ever!

After having lived in Korea I get occasional cravings for seaweed rice roll its SO good! (I made the video for another post last summer while experimenting with my new mac!)

Basically each roll makes about eight pieces minus the end’s. Kimbap stores ok wrapped in foil and kept refrigerated. but It's best eaten right after it is made.

Good kimbap has about 7 different fillings- which ingredients I can not find here! For one simple roll kimbap you will need:

a bamboo mat to roll sushi with

1 sheet sushi nori (seaweed)

1 parboiled carrot cut into strips length wise but not too cooked, you want it with some chew to it!

1 cucumber cut strips length wise

2 fish (crab) sticks sliced in half longways

1 egg beaten lightly with a fork and fried, then cut into strips

1 smoked sausage and/or 4 crabsticks

1tsp sesame oil for brushing (tastes great and helps sesame seeds stick)

1/2tsp toasted sesame seed’s to garnish

Soy sauce to acompany

You need rice that is sticky, you can use sushi rice or.. what I do- a MUCH cheaper alternative- use pudding rice instead I wouldn’t even know the difference really after even having eaten loads of it in Korea. Rice cookers can cook the rice to perfection, otherwise I think two cups of water to every cup of rice about does it. Once rice is cooked you can mix in some rice vinegar (optional) then put the rice aside and let cool.

meanwhile parboil carrots, and slice all vegetables, smoked sausage, fishsticks, thinly scrambled eggs (whatever your filling) in long slender strips (not too chunky) I also make another one using just processed cheese and tuna that kids often prefer.

Put the seaweed on bamboo mat shiny side down and spread rice on about 1cm thick careful not to cover the edges (wetting your fingers with water will stop the rice sticking to them and make rice easier to spread!)

Put the fillings in the center of the layer of rice

Roll using the bamboo mat (this can take some practice first)

Wet the inside of the edge being rolled towards with water and roll firmly over it to seal

Before slicing, brush top with sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds

serve with a small accompaniment of soy sauce.

For more on how to roll with bamboo mat see video below.

Enjoy!

Chili and Spaghetti Squash

Thanks for inviting me, Laura. If there's one thing I enjoy talking or reading about, it's food. Tonight I made chili. It's so simple, I don't even want to share it for fear of being scoffed at. But I will anyway.

1 lb ground turkey
1 onion
1 can black beans
2 28- oz cans diced tomatoes
1 package of chili seasoning

Dice the onion. Throw the meat into a skillet. Add onions. When the meat is brown, dump it into a big pot with the rest of the stuff. I wasn't sure I added enough seasoning with all the tomatoes, so after that, I threw in some cumin, oregano, ground pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic salt without measuring. Then just before serving, I put in about 5 dashes of hot sauce, like Cholula. This is the worst recipe in the world. Then we put shredded cheese on top, the Kraft Mexican blend. I also got out the sour cream for a topping, but I was the only one who used it. So I'd say it's an option you can do without.

As for the spaghetti squash, it was my first time cooking it, so I just looked for an online recipe and the one I found was gross. It's got ricotta and sage in it. I already had some sage, that's why I went with this recipe. Don't use it! My husband ate it but he eats everything. I only finished my portion because I kept thinking it would taste better if I ate more. There's also garlic in it and you throw some roasted pine nuts on top. I spent $5 for a little package of those things. What a waste. Good thing I only wasted half the squash on that recipe. Now I've got to find something good to do with the rest of it.

Hearty Lasgna Soup

This is a quick and really easy soup recipe I got off campbellskitchen.com.

Ingredients:


1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. dried parsley flakes
3 1/2 cups Swanson® Beef Broth (Regular, 50% Less Sodium or Certified Organic)
1 can (14 .5 oz.) diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 1/2 cups uncooked mafalda or corkscrew-shaped pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:

Cook beef, onion, garlic and parsley in 3-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat 10 min. or until beef is well browned, stirring often. Pour off fat.

Stir broth, tomatoes and Italian seasoning in saucepan and heat to a boil.

Stir pasta in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium. Cook 10 min. or until pasta is tender. Stir in cheese. Serve with additional cheese, if desired.

Picture courtesy of: campbellskitchen.com

"Bad Day Soup" ~ or ~Tortilla Soup

"Bad Day" Tortilla Soup

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1/4 bunch cilantro, well washed (cut off the stems)

2-3 garlic cloves

1/2 small onion

4 oz can of green chilies

6 cups of chicken broth
2 cups of water

2 14.5 oz cans of tomatoes (at least one diced)
1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
1 can of corn drained and rinsed
1 Small can of chopped olives (OR lol a big can of whole.you decide!)
1 cup uncooked minute rice (about really it is up to you)
1 chicken bullion cube

1 tsp. ground cumin

1tsp. salt

2 Tbsp cornstarch (dissolved in a small amount of water to make it thicker)
1-2 cups cooked chicken or..lol (or I like 3 breasts or so)
Toppings:

Monterrey Jack cheese
1-2 avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced

sour cream

salsa
(I even life some fresh chopped red onion as well)

(Corn tortillas about 10 cut into thin slices and fry them in
vegetable oil)

(When it comes to food I'm no minimalist, I include all the toppings on my plate, so I didn't list anything as optional because I believe it shouldn't be. But if you can't even read the ingredient with out your stomach flipping by all means don't include it. But you're missing out.)

Preparation:

Puree cilantro, garlic, onion, chilies and 1 can of tomatoes in a food processor.

Heat chicken stock and add pureed mixture along with cumin and salt and water.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 40 minutes.
Add the beans, the can of diced tomatoes, olives and the corn at this point :)

Stir dissolved cornstarch into stock. (Don't add if you like thinner soup, add more- which I did, if you like more)

Add the chicken & rice to the stock. Cook for about 25 more minutes.

Fry cut tortilla strips in oil in batches until crisp (I add a little salt as I fry them) drain well.

Garnish or top with shredded cheese, tortilla strips, avocado, sour cream and salsa and whatever else you prefer. I suggest going with a fresca type salsa.

The avocado and sour cream taste so creamy and cool with the warm soup then you have the creaminess of the cheese and the crunchiness of the tortilla strips and chunks of chicken and salsa. This soup is a melody of textures, temperatures and tastes - my bad days totally melt away in this soup along with the cheese~

Stuffed Mushrooms:

I made these for a fancy potluck dinner and they were delectable.

You need:
mushrooms
1 package cream cheese; softened
handful of green onions; finely sliced
1/4lb sausage, browned
pepper
1 tsp chopped garlic
hot sauce

Pull the stems out the mushrooms and chop them finely.
Heat a little butter in a frying pan and saute the chopped stems, onion and sausage with the garlic and pepper.
Once browned and nice put the mixture on a paper towel on a plate to cool.
Mix softened cream cheese with a shake of hot sauce and garlic powder if you want.
Once mushroomy mixture is cooler chuck it in the cream cheese and mix well.
Fill mushroom caps with cream cheese mixture.

Bake in a preheated oven at 400'f for 15-20 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and clear juices are visable.

You can thicken the mixture by adding some parmesan cheese if you like. I meant to but it turned out fine without.

Tip: Use a cookie scoop to get cheese mixture into mushrooms.

Eggnog Cream Pie

Eggnog cream pie

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, chilled, divided
1 tablespoon cold water
1 cup whole milk
1 cup eggnog
1/2 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus additional for garnish
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, plus additional for garnish
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons rum, brandy or whiskey (optional)


In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup of the flour and the salt. Add the chilled cubed butter. Use your hands or a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour until the butter pieces are slightly smaller than a pea and the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add the water and gently stir the mixture together with your hands or a fork just until the mixture is moist but not sticky. If the mixture is too dry, add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
Alternatively, in a food processor combine 1 cup of the flour and the salt. Pulse to mix. Add the chilled cubed butter and pulse until the butter pieces are slightly smaller than a pea and the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add the water and pulse until the mixture is moist but not sticky. If the mixture is too dry, add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter and turn the dough onto it. Push the dough together to form a ball and wrap well in the plastic. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.
Heat the oven to 400 F.
Lightly dust the counter with flour. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to about 1/8 -inch thickness. Transfer dough to a 9-inch pie plate and press it gently into the plate.
Trim the overhanging dough to about 1 inch all around the edge. Fold the overhang under itself so that it rests on the lip of the pie plate and decorate the edges as desired.
Use a fork to prick the bottom of the pie crust several times. Line the crust with a piece of foil large enough to hang over the edges. Fill the shell with enough baking weights or dried beans to cover the bottom and go halfway up the sides.
Bake the crust until pale golden brown, about 15 minutes, then remove the foil and baking weights and continue baking until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Transfer the pie shell to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature.
To make the filling
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the milk, eggnog and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks, remaining 1/4 cup of flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. When the milk and eggnog mixture is at a simmer, remove the pan from the heat.
While whisking, slowly pour about 1 cup of the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture. Then pour the egg mixture into the pan with the remaining milk and eggnog.
Return the pan to a medium heat. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook the mixture until it thickens to consistency of a heavy pudding, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into the cooled pie shell and place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top, gently pressing so it touches the surface of the cream. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
Before serving the pie, whip the cream and liquor (if using) together until the cream holds stiff peaks. Remove the plastic wrap from the surface of the pie and evenly spread the whipped cream over the surface. If desired, lightly dust the top of the pie with cinnamon and nutmeg. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes 8 servings.

Baked Potato Soup!

It's that time of year for comfort foods. The air is crisp and the skies are getting crowded. Here's one of my many winter recipes.



Baked Potato Soup

The indredients are: 6 To 8 slices bacon
1 cup Diced yellow onions
2/3 cup Flour
6 cups Hot chicken stock
4-6 cup Diced -- peeled baked Potatoes (Yeah I said baked. MUCH better flavor)
2 cup Heavy cream
1/4 cup Chopped parsley
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp Dried basil
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Coarse black pepper
1 cup Grated Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Diced green onions -- white Part only
Additional chopped bacon -- Grated cheese and Chopped parsley for Garnish

I Fry bacon until crisp. Chop bacon and reserve drippings. Cook onions and garlic in remaining drippings over medium-high heat until transparent, about 3 minutes. Add flour, stirring to prevent lumps. Cook 3 - 5 minutes until mix just begins to run golden. Add chicken broth gradually, whisking to prevent lumps, until liquid thickens. Reduce heat to simmer and add potatoes, cream, chopped bacon, parsley, basil, salt, and black pepper. Simmer 10 minutes; DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL. Add grated cheese and green onions. Heat until cheese melts smoothly.

Garnish with chopped bacon, grated cheese and chopped parsley.


Try it in a bread bowl and let me know how ya like it!

Pork Chops with a twist

So last night, I defrosted some pork chops and went to get my can of chicken broth or cream of chicken (I have used both) and I didn't have either one!! (I know what is this world coming to?)
Anyway I had to cook them because I was not going to waste the $7 of meat. This was what I came up with.


4 pork chops
1 can of broccoli and cheddar soup
1 can of milk (I just filled the soup can with milk and poured it in)
1 cup of rice
some frozen broccoli (maybe 1/2 cup)
water

I put the soup and the milk together so it's mixed. Poured it into a 9x13 pan. Put the defrosted pork chops in there. Scattered the rice and frozen broccoli. And put enough water in there to cover the pork chops.

Put it in the oven at 375 for 15 minutes. Stirred it, making sure the broccoli was covered with water and put it back in for 10 more minutes.

It was sooooooo good. My hubby asked me to make it next week.

I went to take a picture and it was all gone. Someone (my hubby) had gone back for thirds!

Apple Streusel Muffins/Bread

My mother-in-law gave us a HUGE box of apples, so I am desperately trying to find ways to use them all. I found this really good recipe for apple bread/muffins.

I doubled this recipe because I was trying to use as many apples as possible. I also made some changes to it to make it more heart healthy. I used wheat flour for 1 cup of the flour needed, splenda for the sugar, half applesauce for the oil, and egg whites instead of eggs. It turned out SO good!

1 1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup apple, pared & shredded

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg, beaten

Streusel topping:

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 TB flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 TB butter

Voila!

Chinese spare ribs:

Mmmmm! I made these a while ago but think I should share on here.

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 clove garlic minced
1/4tsp pepper
chunk of ginger
squirt of honey
squirt of hot sauce

Mix it all up and pour over meat - you could go as far as marninating it overnight.
Put meat and saucy juices in pan and bake at 400'f for 1 hour or BBQ the suckers.

Tom Venuto’s “pumpcakes” (pumpkin pancakes).

7.5 oz (212 g) of canned pumpkin
1/3 cup (27 g) oatmeal dry
1/3 cup (40 g) multigrain or whole wheat pancake mix
1 scoop (26 g) vanilla (or plain) protein powder
4 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
Sweetener (brown sugar, stevia or splenda): Optional
Yield: makes 2 large (5 inch wide) pancakes

Nutrition information for 2 pancakes, unsweetened
Calories: 507
Protein: 44.1 g.
Carbs: 69.7 g.
Fat: 5 g.

Stuffed Mushrooms

In the picture in the post below there's some stuffed mushrooms that are delicious and super easy. The recipe is here.

Stuart's Blackened Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients:
chicken breasts
1 cup diced red pepper
1 cup chopped scallions
1 cup button mushrooms (sliced)
2 Tbsps. olive oil
buttersalt & pepper
Cajun spices to coat chicken
Pasta sauce
pasta.

So all you have to do is cut the chicken up (I do one breast per person) and throw it in a ziplock bag with the cajun spices to coat the chicken. If you want more of a coating add more spices. I also like to use shrimp in place of the chicken.

Heat up a pan at about med-high and add about 4 tbls of butter to the pan. You may need to add more depending on how much chicken you are cooking.

After the chicken cooked set it aside and keep it warm.

Now it's time to cook the mushrooms. in a pan at medium heat add the olive oil, mushrooms and scallions.

Just sautee the mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. I use an alfredo sause out of a jar, ragu works well.

While cooking everything else I have my pasta boiling.

After the pasta is done and the sauce has been heated serve and enjoy.

Chicken Parmesan

Okay...well this is the cheater version that I made up the other day...& it only takes about as much time as it takes to boil your noodles.


Ingredients:
Noodles
Sauce
Frozen Chicken Patty (the kind that is breaded)
Parmesan



1. Boil your noodles...how ever much you normally cook when making spaghetti. I actually used cheese ravioli the other day because it sounded really good.



2. Cook up your chicken patties...I would say one per person & I cook mine in the toaster oven so that they aren't soggy. Once it's cooked I like to cut it up into strips just so it doesn't look like a chicken patty.



3. Heat up your sauce...I just use the stuff out of a bottle and nuke it for a bit.



4. Put some noodles on your plate, put some sauce on top, put the chicken on top of that and then add some parmesan.



5. Eat. I promise this is super good, and just as good as the real stuff from a restaurant.



This isn't the most appealing picture, but it get's the point across.

The best Roast EVER!!

Hi girls!

K I don't have the recipe for this Best Roast EVER....cuz it's pretty-gosh-darn- easy!!

List:

Roast (we buy the cheap kind and about as big as a football)
<--A jar of pepperoncini (or banana peppers as Subway like to call them)
A can of beef broth
some water
Salt and Pepper
Red Peppers (like from a pizza place)


1. Put roast in the crockpot first. (It's okay if it's a little frozen in the center. I usually take it out of the freezer the night before and put it in the fridge.)

2. Pour the juice and everything of the pepperoncinis.

3. Pour in beef broth.

Add salt and pepper and red peppers, if you like.

Then cover roast with water.
(It will depend on how big you crockpot is, on how much water you put in. Don't worry about how much. All the flavor will stick around and the water will go away.)

Turn on low for 6 hours OR high for 4 hours.

This is a perfect Sunday meal. You stick in the crockpot just before you get ready to go to church. When you come home, make some mashed potatoes and you are set for dinner! Gotta love it!!

Tell me if you make this, and let me know what you think!PS This isn't my picture...I can't find mine...but it looks just as good, if not better!

PSS Leftovers are GREAT on sandwiches with melted cheese...I'm just saying!! YUM!

Spanish Style Beef and Rice

I didn't have green pepper (that's a first), so I used red instead.
From Rachael Ray

I've taken this to pot lucks and gotten rave reviews.

2 cups beef stock
1 3/4 cups water
1 T butter
2 cups white enriched rice
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb ground sirloin
Salt and pepper
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley


Heat beef stock, water and butter to a full boil. Add rice, reduce heat and cover pot. Cook 20 minutes, until tender and liquids are absorbed. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat, 2 or 3 minutes. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, Worcestershire. Cook together 5 to 7 minutes, until veg are just tender. Add tomato sauce, cloves, cumin and parsley. Bring mixture up to a bubble and reduce heat to low. Combine cooked rice with meat mixture and serve.

This recipe is very versatile, you can even use it to stuff peppers.

Delicious Cabbage Rolls!

Vola!


They look like this after you roll them



And this just before the oven

Ingredients
Sauce:
2 teaspoons butter
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes and their juices
3/4 to 1 cup cream
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 head cabbage, cored and scalded in hot water until soft and easy to separate
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 cup cooked long-grain white rice
2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and sugar and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning to taste.

Separate the cabbage leaves and remove the hard spine from each leaf. Spread on paper towels and pat dry. Set aside.

To make the stuffing, in a medium skillet melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until very wilted and starting to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Lay the cabbage leaves, rib side down, on a flat work surface. Spread a thin layer of the sauce over the bottom of a baking dish. In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, rice, Essence, salt, pepper, egg, and cooked onions. Mix well with a heavy wooden spoon or your hands.

One at a time, spoon the filling into the center of the cabbage leaves, about 1/4 cup in each, depending upon the size of the leaves. Roll each into a neat cylinder and place in a layer on the sauce in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, stacking the cabbage packages, as necessary. Pour the remaining sauce over the rolls, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake until the meat is cooked through and the rolls are tender, about 2 hours. Remove from the oven and serve the rolls with the sauce spooned over the top.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

I had been craving my Grandmas homemade cabbage rolls for weeks, and finally tried to make some. These were sooo good, and easy to make too! I might even go as far as they were a little better then Grandmas! lol I added one more tablespoon vinegar and one more tablespoon sugar into the sauce, just because I like that flavor. I also used short grain rice because I didn't have the other. yum

Paula Deen's Creamy Mac & Cheese

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8-ounce box isn't quite 2 cups)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stuck) butter, cut into pieces
2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes.
Drain.
In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese.
Stir until the cheese melts.
In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well.
Then add drained macaroni and stir again.
Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.


Smelling this whilst it cooks will drive you insane. Mmmmm. I do prefer my own macaroni from scratch but it was nice to have this in the crock pot whilst going about my daily business and it tasted quite close to my own...

Fettuccine Alfredo

I have an actual recipe today for you and it is sooo good and sooo easy! My sister-in-law actually gave it to me a long time ago and I never made it until the other day. It was really yummy & I should have used it sooner.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb. fettuccine (uncooked)
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breats, cut into strips (dont make the strips too small)
1 1/4 C chicken broth
4 tsp flour
4 oz (1/2 of 8oz pkg) Cream Cheese, cubbed
3 Tbs Parmesan Cheese (or more)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Cook pasta as directed on package.
Meanwhile heat large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high head. Add chicken; cook 5-7 min. or until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet. Mix broth and flour in same skillet. Stir in Cream Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, garlic powder and pepper; cook 2 min., stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in chicken. (add more water or broth if too thick)
Drain pasta; place in large bowl. Pour chicken mixture over pasta; toss to coat. Sprinkle with more Paremsan Cheese.

EAT AND ENJOY!

FYI- I was in a hurry and just used spaghetti noodles, and cut out the chicken so I could be fast and it was real yumy still.

Guacamole

The following recipe is taken from the Rick Bayless cookbook, Authentic Mexican. This man is a genius! He's been on Iron Chef, has a plethora of books and has even hosted his own show on PBS. After you make this guacamole, you'll never buy any from the dairy section again.


1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno or 2 serrano peppers, stemmed seeded and finely chopped
1 ripe, medium large tomato, cored and very finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and very finely chopped
10 sprigs of fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped
3 ripe, medium avocados
salt, about 1/2 teaspoon
1/2 lime, juiced

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the finely chopped onion with the peppers with the tomato, garlic and coriander.

2. Close to the time you are going to serve, halve the avocados lengthwise from cutting from the stem to the flower ends, around the pits. Twist the avocado in opposite directions to loosen the meat from the pits, then scoop out the pits then reserve.

3. Using your hand or a spoon, roughly mash the avocado while mixing in the other ingredients , making a course, thick mass. Flavor with salt, then enough lime juice to add a little zing, if you wish. Return the pits to the guacamole and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap pressed directly ont0 the surface of the mixture. Set aside for a few minutes to let the flavors blend.

Returning the pits to the guacamole with help slow down the browning -- if it lasts that long.

4. The guacamole is very attractive in a pottery bowl or Mexican mortar, sprinkled with chopped onion, coriander, radish slices and crumbled fresh cheese; radish roses really dress it up.

QUICK Chicken Tortila Soup

Okay well I am not a very technical cook. I just sort of add until it tastes good. Therefore it's sort of hard for me to give exact measurements, but here are my best directions:



3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Chicken Broth
Rotel (or something with stewed tomato and green pepper)
Crushed Red Pepper
Minced Onion
Cheese
Corn Tortilas or Chips


Okay hopefullly this will make sense...sorry for not having EXACT measurments, but really I don't think you can screw this up...especially if I can do it.

Okay put your chicken in your soup pot and add your broth. As to how much broth to use: make sure that your chicken is covered. Your pot should be about half full of broth....make sense? Haha. Okay. Then your going to cook the chicken. Once it is cooked through I pull out the chicken breasts and shred it up into smaller pieces...you could cube it if you prefer that way. Then put your chicken back into your boiling broth. I then add a couple shakes of Crushed Red Pepper and a couple shakes of dehydrated onion in there, but you could use a real onion too, I just normally don't have a real one on hand.

It should look something like this:

Okay then you will add your Rotel. I used 2 cans of Rotel and this is what it looked like after I added it:

Then bring it back to a rolling boil.

Then while my soup is boiling I start to make some crunchy things for the soup. I like to use corn tortillas and kinda fry them up in vegetable oil until they are golden brown. I like this way better than chips because they stay crunchier longer when they are sitting in your soup, but I have used tortila chips before and that works great as well.

Check your soup, and by check I mean stick a spoon in there and taste it. If it tastes too salty or condensed add some more water and bring it to a boil again. If it still doesn't taste right add some more onion or maybe some chicken boulion cubes until it tastes yummy.

Once your soup is done put some of your crunchy things in your bowl and pour your soup over them. Then sprinkle some cheese over top.

Did that make any sense? It might sound harder than it actually is, but really it shouldn't take too long and it's really good!

I've also done this in my crockpot as well and that works too. If you want to do a longer version then instead of Rotel use fresh tomato, green pepper, and onion...it will take longer to cook, but it's really good as well.

Eggs Benedict.

The trickiest part of this meal is the hollandaisse sauce. It takes a little attention but is absolutely worth it. I'll break down the recipe seeing as you'll have 3 different things going at once. You need to make sure you have your wits about you so you don't get flustered!

Hollandaisse Sauce:
2 tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice.
4 tablespoons boiling water (I pull this from the pot for the double boiler before placing the bowl in it.)
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon cayenne or hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Method:

Melt the butter and keep it warm.

Heat the vinegar or lemon juice until just warmed.

Boil water in a small pot for double boiler. *Bowl placed in it should not touch the water

When water is boiling dunk in a measuring cup and pull out enough for 4 tablespoons.

Place the top of the double boiler over hot water.

Place the egg yolks in the top of double boiler and whisk until they begin to thicken.

Add 1 tablespoon of boiling water. Continue to beat the sauce until it begins to thicken. Repeat with remaining 3 tablespoons of water, one tablespoon at a time and beating mixture after each addition.

Now add the warmed vinegar or lemon juice.

Remove double boiler from the heat.

Beat the sauce briskly with a wire whisk.

Continue to beat the mixture as you slowly pour in the melted butter.

Add salt and cayenne and beat sauce until thick.

Serve immediately.

Poached Eggs:
Set a saucepan to boil that is about two-thirds full of water.

Add a dash of white vinegar.

Crack the egg into a small bowl.

Spin the boiling water to cool down the water before you drop in the egg.

Drop the egg into the center of the whirlpool. Make sure that you do not drop the egg into boiling water or they'll come out tougher.

Wait 3-4 minutes until cooked.

Remove with a slotted spoon being sure to drain off any water.

Serve immediately.
* If you crack the yolk before putting it in the water don't. That egg's a goner.


Prepare toast fried bread, biscuit or an English muffin.

Add a slice of ham or a rasher of bacon, slice of cheese etc...

Put egg on top and then top with sauce.

Don't forget to season it.

Nachos

We are nachos lovers in this house. Usually we just do the normal doritos, cheese, sour cream and salsa BUT this time we mixed things up a bit.

We used Sweet chili doritos, cheese, black beans, corn, salsa, sour cream and thick and creamy ranch. Mmmmm...

Peanut Butter Popcorn

1 bag of popcorn popped
1 c. white sugar
1 c. light corn syrup
1 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Put popcorn in a large bowl - make sure to shake it so the unpopped ones go to the bottom of the bag.
Combine sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan over low heat; bring to a boil stirring constantly.
Remove from heat; stir in peanut butter and vanilla.
Pour over popcorn; stir well.

You can make them into popcorn ball or like me, just pour it all out on a sheet of wax paper on the table and let cool. Then eat it all at once and feel sick. :)

I add some chocolate chips or chopped up peanut butter cups to mine :)

Cream Cheese stuffed Jalapeno Poppers.

These are simple and delicious.

Get a bunch of decent sized Jalapeno Peppers - 2-3 inches long,
Slice them in half length ways and scoop out the seeds - you might want to wear goggle when you do this :S
Fill them up with cream cheese and then wrap them in a 1/3 of a rasher of bacon,
Use a toothpick to spear the whole creation together.

Bake them at 375'f for 20-25 minutes.

Peanut Butter Truffle Cookies.

1 cup Peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1-2 cups chocolate chips
Mix Peanut butter, brown sugar, baking soda and egg.
Add chocolate chips and mix well.
Drop onto greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350’ for 9 minutes.
Be sure to cool for 5 minutes before moving to cooling rack - they're crumbly/truffly soft.

Cake mix cookies

1 Cake mix - any kind. I like Cherry Chip
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1/3 cup oil
1 cup choc. chips/ nuts/ coconut or whatever else you fancy

Mix cake mix, water, egg and oil well.
Add 1 cup of whatever (or 1 cup of nothing, that works too) mix well.
Drop by the tablespoon onto a cookie sheet.

*I use a 1 tblsp cookie scoop and get about a dozen and a half cookies from one batch.

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350'f

Belgian Waffles

In honor of Conference Weekend, I'm making Belgian Waffles, homemade!

They are soo light and yummy!

This makes about 8 waffles.

3 egg whites, beaten stiff
(I always start with these in my Kitchen Aide cuz it takes awhile to get stiff)

1 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp Baking powder
3 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Mix these things together. (The recipe says sift but I don't have a sifter and they still turn out great.) Set aside.

3 egg yolks, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup milk

Combine these together. Then mix in with flour mixture.

CAREFULLY fold in egg whites. Do NOT overmix. It will be lumpy-the bigger lumps the better.

Pour approx 2/3 cup batter to griddle.

So yummy! We have put strawberries on them, or the regular butter and syrup.

Have a great weekend!!

Welcome!

This here is a recipe blog for us all to share and steal recipes from each other!
Including pictures with your recipes are encouraged - you know you'll skip the recipe in the book if there's no picture... or is that just me?