chicken & dumpling soup

from cook's country
perfect for a cold winter's night ... and makes enough for leftovers.

1 1/2 C flour
2/3 C water
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
salt & pepper
3 TB unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped fine
2-3 carrots, peeled & sliced thin
1 celery rib, sliced thin
8 C low-sodium chicken broth
1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, shredded into bite-sized pieces

whisk flour, water, eggs, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper in bowl; set aside.

melt butter in dutch over or stockpot (med-high heat). cook onion, carrots & celery until lightly browned. stir in broth and bring to boil. reduce heat to med-low and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender (10-15 min).

stir in chicken, season with salt & pepper. return to simmer. use spoon to drop small (1/2-1 tsp size) dollops of dough into soup. simmer, covered until dumplings are set (1-2 min).

** if you forget to slightly beat the eggs before you add them to the flour, it will still work.

Chip Chop Cookies

I've been craving these lately. I think we will make these ones for santa. ; )

2 cubes butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups oats (floured)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 bag milk choc chips
1 bag peanut butter chips

Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. I like to make these on the small side so you can just pop them in your mouth.

Alyson- I need your choc chip cookie recipe that you make with the pudding. Please share!

Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad

I'm a nerd...I watch Everyday Food on PBS. This one comes from them and I really like it. I really like that you toss the lettuce with the dressing before you assemble the salad instead of pouring the dressing on top.

ingredients:
6 slices bacon, cut into pieces
1 medium head romaine lettuce, cut
2 to 3 Tablespoons vinaigrette (see below)
Garlic Marinated Chicken Cutlets, thinly sliced crosswise (see below)
Feta cheese, crumbled
2 plum tomatoes, cut
1 avocado, sliced
Salt and Pepper
-Cook bacon
-In a large bowl toss lettuce with vinaigrette. Place lettuce on platter and arrange ingredients on top. Season with salt and pepper.

Garlic-Marinated Chicken Cutlets:
2 T olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3 T fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
chicken cutlets
-Whisk together, add chicken and marinate 10 minutes at room temp.
-Lift chicken from marinade and grill until cooked through.

Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
1/2 cup olive oil
salt
pepper
- shake together

Yum!

spicy* chicken soup

* or not so spicy, if you are so inclined. From allrecipes.com.

4 C water
2.5 chicken bouillon cubes
4 chicken breasts
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 TB dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
2 TB chili powder
1/2 onion, chopped
1 1/2 garlic cloves, chopped
8 oz. chunky salsa
1 can peeled/diced tomatoes
1/2 condensed tomato soup
1 can black beans
1/2 can corn (or equiv. frozen)

Put everything in the crockpot/slow cooker except beans & corn. Cook on low for 8 hours. After 6 hours remove chicken & shred, add back to pot. Add beans and corn.

Serve with dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado and/or tortilla chips.

Adjust anything to your taste; this one's pretty fool proof! I've forgotten the corn & beans and it still tasted uber-good. You could also sub the water/bouillon for 4 cups chicken broth.

White Bean Chicken Chili

(From: Giada At Home - Giada de Laurentiis)

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 pounds ground chicken (I used leftover Thanksgiving turkey and it was delicious!)
* 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
* 2 tablespoons ground cumin
* 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
* 1 tablespoon dried oregano
* 2 teaspoons chili powder
* 3 tablespoons flour
* 2 (15-ounce cans) cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 bunch (about 1 pound) Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces (I left this out because certain members of my family wouldn't eat it if I added it, but I'm sure it'd be delicious... I was also thinking of using spinach, but it probably wouldn't hold up as well as the swiss chard)
* 11/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
* 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I added this to simmer, rather than garnishing with it at the end)

Directions

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground chicken, 1 teaspoon salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir the flour into the chicken mixture. Add the beans, Swiss chard, corn, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 55-60 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. (The simmering is super important before you start adding more seasoning... you need to give the fennel seeds time to work their magic.) Add the red pepper flakes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the chili into serving bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Delicious!

bran muffins

this one's from allrecipes.com. these muffins were my latest attempt at a quick breakfast solution. i made a batch on sunday and took two with me to work every morning. and with a little butter or honey they're extra delicious. i'm sure you could modify any number of ways ... nuts ... raisins ... whatevah.

1 1/2 C wheat bran
1 C buttermilk*
1/3 C vegetable oil
1 egg
2/3 C brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 C flour**
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

oven @ 375

mix together wheat bran and buttermilk; let stand for 10 minutes.

beat together oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and add to buttermilk/bran mixture. sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. stir flour mixture into bran mixture until just blended. spoon into prepared muffin tins (greased or lined with muffin cups).

bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

* if you don't have buttermilk, combine 1 C milk and 1 TB lemon juice. let stand 5 min.
** i used whole wheat flour.

mahi mahi & jamaican rum butter sauce

Another lovely from my friend Mel . . .

2 mahi mahi fillets
flour, to dust
2 eggs, beaten with 2 TB milk
1 1/2 C finely ground cashews
1/4 C vegetable oil

Bread fish by dusting with flour, then dipping in egg mixture, then coat with cashews. Do breading an hour before serving, and keep fish in fridge before cooking. While fish is in fridge, make Jamaican Rum Butter Sauce.

butter sauce
1/2 vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
1 1/2 TB dark rum
1 1/2 TB light rum
1 TB fresh lime juice
1 small minced habanero pepper
2 TB sugar
5 TB butter

Put rum, vanilla, lime, pepper, and sugar in sauce pan and simmer over medium heat. Remove pan from heat and stir in butter, to form into sauce, a little butter at a time allowing each piece to melt before adding more.

Heat oil in large saute pan or skillet and pan fry the mahi. Cook fish on each side until golden brown, about 3 minutes each side.

Black Bean Soup

This is another winner from Two Peas and Their Pod... but this time I made a couple modifications.

1 Tbl olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves (or more) garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small jalepeno, minced
1 small can diced green chiles
3 cans diced tomatoes
3 cans chicken broth (fat-free, low sodium)
4 cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cans sweet corn (drained)
1/2 Tbl chili powder (or more if you like the added heat, which I don't)
1 1/2 Tbl cumin (or a bit more if you like the flavor, which I do)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
salt/pepper to taste

1. In 1 Tbl olive oil, saute the onion, garlic, green pepper, jalepeno, and green chiles until soft.
2. Add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and two cans of black beans (the other two we'll use later).
3. Before this comes to a boil, pour it in batches into the blender and puree (this will add great thickness to the soup without having to add other thickening ingredients). If you're so lucky to own one, you could use a hand blender right in the pan.
4. Pour back into pan and add the remaining two cans of black beans and the corn.
5. While it's heating add chili powder, cumin, chopped cilantro (seems like a lot, but it's delicious, unless of course, you don't like cilantro... because you're crazy), lime juice, and salt/pepper to taste.
6. Simmer to combine flavors.

I served mine with avocado and cheddar cheese, but it really is delicious on it's own as well. You could also add tortilla chips, more cilantro, more lime, or anything else your heart tells you would be delicious! :) Btw, this probably isn't a side dish... it's pretty filling. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup

Seriously, these pancakes are good, but the syrup is what really makes them delicious!!!

1 c white flour
1 c whole wheat flour
6 Tbl brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
dash ground cloves
dash nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 2/3 c buttermilk
3/4 c pumpkin
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbl melted butter

1. Mix dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl whisk the wet ingredients.
3. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and combine until smooth.
4. Pour 1/3 c at a time onto griddle and cook as you would any other pancake. :)

Cinnamon Syrup

1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
2 Tbl flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 c water

Bring all ingredients to a boil, except the flour. Once boiling, whisk in the flour. Continue boiling 5-8 minutes until thickened. Cool slightly before serving. (Left over will keep in the fridge, that is, if you have any left over... I could eat this stuff on just about anything!)

Again, this recipe is courtesy of Two Peas and Their Pod.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Muffins

These are a real winner... for real.

1 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 c pumpkin
1/2 c canola oil
2 eggs
1/4 c buttermilk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp all spice
1 c cinnamon chips (a recent discovery... like chocolate chips, but cinnamon... can be kinda hard to find)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line muffin tins. Combine all wet ingredients. Then add sugars. Next add cinnamon, nutmeg, and all spice. Then add the flour and baking soda. Finally, stir in the cinnamon chips.

Fill muffin tins to 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins.

This recipe is courtesy of Two Peas and Their Pod.

Yellow Curry Chicken

A dear friend (and old roomie) of mine reads our recipe blog (see? we have fans! hi Mel!) and has a few of her own "tried and true" recipes she wanted to contribute. Here's the first one ...

2 lbs chicken, diced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1.5 TB vegetable oil
2 TB curry powder
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can coconut milk
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
3 TB sugar

Cook curry powder in oil for approx. 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic, cook until soft. Add raw diced chicken and cook thoroughly. Add coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce & sugar.

Cover and simmer 30-40 minutes.

* If the curry sauce isn't as thick as you'd like, prepare corn starch in cold water and stir into hot mixture.

sweet potato + laughing cow = must try

Em: Just tried your sweet potato garlic-herb Laughing Cow suggestion . . .

Good crap, where have you been all my life! This is a must-try for everyone. I love sweet potatoes, but the garlic-herb (35 calories anyone?) addition hits it out of the park.

can we talk breakfast?

i am in dire need of easy breakfast. much to my chagrin, i rarely have time to whip up a neat-o breakfast. i'm open to make-ahead ideas, super-fast & delicious, whatever you got.

hit me.

flatout?

how do i not know about flatout? these wraps sound delightful.

i need more info.

stat.

Veggie Wrap

Since we're talking wraps... I made a good one today (this recipe is courtesy of my spin instructor):

Flatout sundried tomato wrap
diced tomato (seeded)
sliced cucumber
shredded romaine lettuce

dressing (I didn't measure any of this... just sort of mixed):
mayo (a little)
plain nonfat yogurt
Mrs. Dash- tomato basil
sauteed garlic (just really quick in a pan)

I ended up mixing WAY too much dressing, so go easy on it. It was delicious!

More quick fixes...

1. Good ideas Emily... except, of course, the ones involving cream cheese (though in fairness, I wish I liked it). I'll add to the sweet potato idea by saying that I like to microwave a sweet potato, sprinkle with a little salt and cumin, and then dice tomato and avacado on top. Yum!

2. Another go to, scrambled eggs (usually 1 with the yolk and 2 egg whites), again with diced tomato and avacado on top (turns out I'm on kind of an avacado kick lately).

3. I second the peanut butter (the natural kind you have to stir, of course) and banana bit, but usually do this on a whole wheat english muffin. :) Btw, I also have pretty much completely given up bread, except for the english muffin (mostly because an entire muffin is a serving, rather than one slice of bread... makes me feel like I'm getting more bang for my buck).

4. All natural vanilla fat-free yogurt with pretty much any fruit stirred in. (I'll eat just this for lunch or a late dinner sometimes... I'm a freak.)

5. Hummus... with carrots and/or bell pepper. I think I'm going to try making my own next time. If I come across a good recipe I'll let you know.

6. Costco sells big bags of individually packaged salmon fillets. I like to defrost these one at a time. I bake it in the oven wrapped in foil for about 15 minutes (seasoned with whatever I feel like at the moment, such as season salt, garlic salt, a fish seasoning I came across, etc.). Then I add 1/2 to a mixed green salad with a little low-fat sesame ginger salad dressing, and put the other 1/2 in the fridge to do the same thing again the next day.

That's all I can think of right now... makes me realize I pretty much eat the same things every day. Emily, I love the wrap idea, and those particular wraps are delicious!

Snacks...here are a few of my favorite things

This is in response to a post oh....3 months ago. Glad to see I'm not the only slow poke.

Take a sweet potato and bake it until soft and fluffy (I do it in the microwave for ease and convenience). Then spread a wedge of Laughing Cow - light garlic & herb. So good, so legal. I usually do this for quick lunches, but throw some steamed broccoli on top and I would be completely satisfied with that for dinner. Got this bright idea from the biggest loser cookbook.

Pirates Booty. How come I didn't know about this sooner? So very good and addictive. I have no idea if it's good for you, but I find it in the health food section, so at least it makes me think I'm being good.

This seems silly to write, but I'll open a can of tuna and instead of making a sandwich with it, I'll put it on celery. I like the crunch.

This also seems silly - Peanut butter banana toast. You know, like we use to make after walking home from school together. It needs no explanation. Such a good afternoon pick-me-up. Sometimes I go crazy and use crunchy peanut butter.

I also really like to make wraps with flatout. I made a really good one today with plain light cream cheese, cranberry sauce, spinach and shredded carrot. But I am in need of some new fresh ideas to wrap if you've got them.

You'll Never See SPINACH the Same Again!

So this is exciting and a response to Alisa's snack needs for school...

I just read from a friends blog that a spinach shake saved her life the other day. She used it for kids but it is a great idea for all of us... So the foundation of the shake is a handful of fresh spinach (1cup) and milk (judge as you go). Then add whatever else you want i.e.: flavored yogurt, frozen fruit, banana, fruit juice or carrot juice, etc. I've not tried it myself yet but will be as soon as I go to the grocery store. I love liquid meals... really I love them. This is one of my little confessions. So much EASIER! If you have any other great liquid snack/meal ideas for on the go living, let me know. I love you all... miss you all.

Not that ours isn't good enough...

but here's another recipe blog that I recently came across that seems to have some winners if you want to check it out. :) Makes me want to cook ALL the time!

Two Peas and Their Pod

Caprese Salad

Since this seemed to be a hit at our little BBQ/gathering at Alyson's/Tyson's last night, I thought I'd go ahead and throw it up here. (Btw, thanks Bringhurst family for hosting such a marvelous get together!)

This is a recipe that really can be made a variety of ways, and all ingredients can be added "to taste," but here is what I did...

2 8oz containers of fresh mozzarella (the kind you buy in plastic containers soaking in water... I bought the small little balls, but you could buy the larger balls and just cut them into pieces)
6 medium to large-ish tomatoes, diced
1 package fresh basil (about 1/4 cup)
6 Tbl. olive oil
6 tsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Just mix it all together. Now for the bread...

slice 1 (or probably 2) baguettes into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick pieces
drizzle with olive oil
sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dried basil (or italian seasoning)
Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until it starts to brown around the edges just a bit

Delicious!

*As another option, sometimes this is served in little layers. If you do this you'd slice the tomato (instead of dicing) and slice large balls or mozzarella. Stack them on a plate with the basil and drizzle with the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. This is generally eaten without bread... just with a fork. But really, the possibilities are endless (add lettuce and chicken to make a salad, anyone?). :)

tomato basil pasta w/mozzarella

this is a good one for the arsenal; truly cooks in 30 minutes and super delicious.
from cook's country.

3 TB olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes*
5 TB chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 + salt
1 lb fusilli or campanelle**
1/3 C grated parmesan (opt)
8 oz fresh mozzarella ***

bring water to boil in a large pot.

meanwhile, heat 2 TB oil, garlic & pepper flakes over med until fragrant but not brown. stir in crushed & diced tomatoes; bring to a simmer. cook until slightly thickened (15 min). stir in 3 TB basil, sugar, 1/2 tsp salt.

add 1 TB salt & pasta to boiling water. cook until al dente. reserve 1/4 C water (for thinning sauce if necessary). drain pasta & transfer back to pot. stir in sauce and remaining TB oil. stir in mozzarella and season with salt. sprinkle with remaining basil & parmesan.

* i've used diced tomatoes with oregano & basil which is fine.
** any short pasta will work. spiral pastas hold the sauce well; i recently used radiatelle.
*** if you find the small mozzarella balls, just cut them in half. otherwise i buy the larger 8 oz balls and cut them into 1/2" pieces. ALSO after you cut the mozzarella put it in the freezer for 10 minutes. this will prevent the cheese from getting gooey like gum when you stir it in.

blueberry yogurt muffins

from cooking light magazine

a great alternative to heavy or boxed muffins. so easy and delightful! =)

2 C all-purpose flour
1/3 C sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 C unsweetened orange juice (concentrate)*
2 TB vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 (8 oz) carton vanilla low-fat yogurt
1 egg
1 C fresh or frozen blueberries
vegetable cooking spray
1 TB sugar

combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. In separate bowl, whisk orange juice and next 4 ingredients (mix well). Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. gently fold in blueberries.

divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle 1 TB sugar evenly over muffins. bake @ 400º for 18 minutes or until golden. remove muffins from pan immediately; let cool on wire rack.

* concentrate doesn't have to be totally thawed, just enough to get out what you need. for the yogurt, just use what you have on hand even if it's not low-fat (although that obviously changes things).

enjoy!

rice pudding

1 C whipping cream
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C white rice (uncooked)
4 C 2% milk

combine all ingredients in glass baking dish.
cook @ 325º for 2 hours.

serve with raspberry sauce or cinnamon sprinkled on top.

delish!

greek yogurt

i have yogurt issues lately (makes me gag!) but i can still eat greek strained yogurt. i LOVE this as a snack because it has tons of protein and is not full of sugar.

my favorite brand is fage.

i buy the 2% (the regular has a lot of fat but is oh so good!). i've tried the strawberry and honey, both are delish. i usually just buy the yogurt and add my own honey or fruit. also, don't be tempted to stir this yogurt – it's not necessary and ruins the consistency.

enjoy!

wanted: SNACKS & EASY LUNCHES

what are you go-to snacks? do you have a favorite easy/simple lunch you just throw together?

share your food tidbits to help all of us get out of the rut, but still spend minimal time putting together a tasty snack or an easy lunch.

start posting! no recipe required. :-)

raspberry lemon sorbet

i did some experimenting tonight; trust me, that's a rare feat. fortunately i had success with this little number and thought i would share! or at the very least, inspire you to do your own experimenting with summer berries and cool treats. :-)

2 cups fresh raspberries
6 oz frozen lemonade
1.5-2 TB sugar
3 oz raspberry jell-o, dissolved in 1 C boiling water

dissolve jell-o in boiling water, put in fridge or freezer until egg-white consistency (or maybe not even that thick).

meanwhile, blend berries, lemonade and sugar.

add jell-o/water to the blender and stir/blend until combined.

pour into ice cream maker and run for approx. 20 minutes, or until it looks sorbet-ish!

** this makes slightly less than 1 quart of sorbet. ours was a little tart, but we liked it. if you don't like tart, just add more sugar to your taste. super easy, fun, and delish! perfect summer delight. i could take a picture of my empty bowl, but that might be a little cruel. ;-)

** if you want to get all fancy, you could puree the raspberries first, then push the mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds. i was much too lazy for that.

sweet bean burritos

i can't believe i haven't posted this yet! it's an absolute staple; i make it at least twice a month because it's easy to throw together and tasty tasty tasty.

2-3 large sweet potatoes, peeled
1/2 onion, diced
olive oil
1 can black beans, rinsed/drained
1 can great northern (white) beans, rinsed/drained
1 garlic clove, diced
1 TB chili powder
1-2 tsp cumin
salt to taste
tortillas

microwave potatoes until tender enough to mash. meanwhile, saute onions in 2 tsp olive oil until translucent. add garlic to pan. add black beans, chili powder, cumin and salt. when potatoes are done, put in a bowl with the white beans and mash. add potato mixture to pan, combine with onion/bean mixture. divide among tortillas, roll into burritos. top with shredded cheddar.

* this tastes great with salsa and sour cream. adjust the spices to your taste.

Delightful!

If you haven't made Emily's delightful ooey, gooey karmel bars... boy oh, boy. You should. I think I found my new favorite treat. Goodbye brownies. Hello sticky fingers. :)

(Plus, they have oatmeal, so that makes them healthy, right?)

teriyaki chicken pasta salad

This is from my friend Rebecca Mauss. I envision this would be a real winner at all sorts of showers, potlucks, etc. The recipe makes a lot and could be altered to your taste. It's delicious!

Dressing:
1 C vegetable oil
2/3 C Teriyaki sauce
2/3 C red wine vinegar
6 TB sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Blend dressing ingredients together right before pouring over pasta (otherwise it will just separate and you'll have to blend again anyway).

Salad:
16 oz farfalle (bowtie) pasta, cooked al dente
1-1/2 (10 oz) bags fresh spinach
3/4 C craisins (6 oz)
3 (11 oz) cans mandarin oranges, drained
2 (8 oz) cans sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/2 C parsley, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/3 C toasted sunflower seeds
3/4 C honey roasted peanuts (6 oz)
2 C cooked chicken, cut into small pieces

Mix dressing and cooked pasta in a medium bowl; marinate for at least 2 hours. Combine rest of ingredients in a large salad bowl, add pasta/dressing, toss to combine.

Notes: I didn't have all the spinach called for, and it was fine. The dressing was a little oily, and I don't know if the allotted amount of spinach would have helped that or not. I'm sure you could easily adjust to just 3/4 C oil.

short cut chicken pot pie

This is probably more of a winter staple, and I've been meaning to post it for a few months. It was quite comforting, easy, and tasty.

Filling:
4-6 chicken breasts
3 TB butter
1 onion
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1/3 C flour
2 C chicken broth
1 C heavy whipping cream
1 C frozen peas and carrots

Heat oven to 450. Poach chicken. Cool and cut into chunks. Melt butter in large pan. Saute onion that has been salt & peppered. Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Add the flour, stirring until bubbly (if it doesn't bubble, it will still work). Gradually add broth & cream. Bring to a boil, stirring and cooking for 1 minute. Add peas and carrots and cut up chicken. Place mixture in 9x13 pan. Top with drops of biscuit dough (recipe below) and cook for 20 minutes until biscuit topping is browning.

Biscuit dough:
1-1/2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 TB dried parsley flakes
1/3 C butter
3/4 C milk

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter or shortening. Add milk & stir until combined.

vegetable fried rice

* From Cook's Country *

6 TB soy sauce
2 TB rice vinegar
1 TB hot sauce
1 TB grated fresh ginger
4 large eggs
4 tsp vegetable oil
10 scallions, white parts sliced thin, green parts cut into 1/2" pieces
4 C bagged coleslaw mix
1 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
4 C leftover cooked rice ***

Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, and ginger in bowl. In another bowl, beat eggs with 2 TB soy sauce mixture until combined.

Heat 2 tsp oil in lare nonstick skillet over med-high heat until just smoking. Add egg mixture to pan and cook, scrambling and breaking in small pieces, until set (1-2 minutes). Transfer to plate.

Heat remaining oil in empty skillet until just smoking. Cook scallion whites, coleslaw mix, and bell pepper until just beginning to soften. Add rice and remaining soy sauce mixture and cook until liquid has evaporated and rice is heated through. Stir in egg and scallion greens and cook, stirring constantly, until heated through.

*** This won't work with just-made rice. I usually make the rice the day before and let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours.

Royal Icing

For Easter, I made some sugar cookies eggs (instead of the big chocolate eggs or the chocolate bunnies). I used this recipe for the icing. It is simple to make and easy to be creative. The icing dries with a smooth and glossy appearance.

Ingredients:

1 box (1 lb) confectioner's sugar

2 tbsp powdered egg whites

5 tbsp water

Directions:

In a large bowl, with mixer on low, beat together sugar, egg whites, and water until well combined. Increase mixer speed to high, and continue beating for 5 minutes, until stiff peaks form. If not using immediately, press plastic wrap directly on surface of icing and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before using. If icing thins, beat in extra confectioner's sugar with a spoon until thick. Makes about 3 cups

I separated it into separate bowls (for several colors). I also added a little water to get the desired consistency. This icing is easy to manipulate. For the most part, you can drizzle it where you want it to be and use your finger to smooth it out. I also used a cake decorating bag for small detail.

Oldie but Goodie

The hubbs loves to grill, and this one's a no-brainer.
Homemade BBQ sauce: (better than anything I've ever had from a bottle)

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Melt butter in saucepan over med-low heat. Add the rest of the ingredients except chicken and bring to a boil, cook until reduced to 2/3 cup (about 10-15 minutes) stirring frequently.

Grill and baste your chicken.

We had this last night with garlic mashed potatoes and oven roasted asparagus...it's a manly meal!

Peanut Butter Fudge Cupcakes

Katie - this one's for you.

1 box devil's food cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 cups chopped peanut butter cups, plus more to garnish

8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Beat cake mix, eggs, buttermilk and oil on low 30 seconds, then med-high 2 minutes. Fold in 2 cups of the chopped peanut butter cups.

Divide batter between lined muffin cups. Bake at 350 (honestly, I don't remember how long I baked it for...probably for however long the box said for muffins). Cool completely.

Place chopped dark chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring cream just to a boil and pour over chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts. Add peanut butter and whisk until smooth. Frost cupcakes and garnish with chopped candy.

I'm not a huge peanut butter lover, but I actually really liked this one. I adapted it from Bakerella

Mushroom Barley Pilaf

Don't knock the barley 'til you try it. Seriously... barley is delicious.

1 cup pearl barley
4 cups chicken stock (I use low sodium)
2 Tbl olive oil
3 cloves garlic (I use the chopped stuff from the jar)
salt and pepper to taste
1 package pre-sliced mushrooms (coarsely chopped)
2 chopped bell pepper (the red looked pretty)
2 green onions chopped
1/8-1/4 shredded parmesan cheese

I used a rice cooker to cook the barley with the chicken stock, but you can do it on the stove if needed (just keep an eye on it). It takes about 45 minutes in the rice cooker.

When the barley is about done, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the garlic and saute a minute or two. Add the mushrooms. Cook for a couple minutes, then add the bell pepper. Salt and pepper to taste. Saute until the mushrooms cook down a bit and the bell pepper softens up a bit. Add the cooked barley to the pan. Adjust salt as needed. Add green onion and parmesan cheese. (This made about six servings... ate it every day for a week along with the jerky chicken, though I don't actually think the flavors of the chicken go with the barley very well.)

This recipe was adapted from several websites... not sure who to site here. :)

A Jerky Chicken

• 1 teaspoon onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 habanero pepper, sliced
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch strips

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the onion, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, thyme, sesame oil, garlic, allspice and habanero pepper in the container of a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Place the chicken into a large resealable bag, and pour in 3/4 of the sauce. Squeeze out excess air, and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
2. Preheat your oven's broiler.
3. Remove chicken from bag, and discard marinade. Broil chicken for 10 to 15 minutes, turning once to ensure even cooking. Heat remaining sauce in a small pan, and pour over chicken when serving.

***I doubled the marinade because I like things saucy, BUT, I did not double the habanero pepper because I DON'T like things spicey. Also, I removed the seeds from the one habanero I did use. Clearly I used more chicken as well... probably 4 full sized chicken breasts, instead of halves. The cook time seemed a bit long... my chicken ended up a bit overcooked.

(Courtesy of www.allrecipes.com)

Mary's Chicken Penne... Yum!

I tried it. I loved it. I added yellow squash when I added the cream cheese. Delicious. :)

cincinnati 2- 3- or 4-way

an easy standby for those less-than-creative moments in the kitchen.

1 can of chili (your favorite)
spaghetti noodles
shredded cheddar cheese
diced onions

heat the chili. cook & drain the spaghetti noodles. serve chili on top of spaghetti, garnished with cheese and/or onions, or neither.

like i said. easy. no-brainer. hearty. surprisingly good. and obviously you'll make as much chili & pasta as you need to feed your brood.

skillet lasagna

Another good one from my favorite peeps & cookbook. Again, crazy easy and delish.

1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground beef (i use 1 lb ground turkey instead of this combo)
2 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (i use 1/2 tsp)
salt & pepper
8 curly-edge lasagna noodles, broken into 2" pieces (don't use no-boil noodles)
1 (26 oz) jar marinara sauce (use your fave)
2 C water
1/2 C mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese (i use italian cheese blend for the mozz & parm)
3/4 C whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/4 C minced fresh basil

Cook meat in skillet over high heat, breaking into pieces, until fat renders. Drain meat & return to skillet.

Stir in garlic, pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp salt & cook over med-high until fragrant.

Sprinkle broken lasagna noodles into skillet, then pour in tomato sauce and water over top. Cook & cover, stirring often. Adjust heat as needed to maintain a vigorous simmer. Cook until noodles are tender, about 20 minutes.

Off heat, stir in half of mozzarella and half of parmesan. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Dot heaping tablespoons of ricotta over noodles, then sprinkle remaining mozzarella & parmesan. Cover and let stand off heat until cheese melts, 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle with basil before serving.

skillet tamale pie

Another of my favorites from America's Test Kitchen & my favorite cookbook. We loooove this recipe and it's wicked easy.

2 TB vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
2 TB chili powder
salt & pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced (i usually just use 1 large clove)
1 lb. 90% lean ground beef (i always use ground turkey)
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 pkg cornbread mix, prepared but not baked (i've used krusteaz & jiffy)
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
2 TB fresh cilantro, minced

Preheat oven to 450.

Heat oil in skillet over med-high. Add onion, chili powder, 1/2 tsp salt & cook until onion is soft. Stir in garlic until fragrant (30 seconds).

Stir in ground beef, beans & tomatoes; bring to a simmer breaking up meat. Meanwhile, mix cornbread batter according to package instructions.

Stir cheddar & cilantro into filling & season with salt & pepper to taste. Dollop cornbread batter evenly over filling & spread into even layer.

Bake until cornbread is cooked through center (10-15 minutes). Serve with sour cream (or not).

Marinated Pork Chops... well, at least the marinade.

So I tried out the marinade for the Marinated Pork Chops posted a while back. I used a pork roast in the slow-cooker instead. Yum! I made a few alterations for the slow-cooker. The pork roast was cooked on low for about 9 hours in just water (about half covered), minced garlic, lemon juice, and worcestershire sauce. Then when I came home, I shredded the meat, drained most of the liquid, and added a triple recipe of the marinade (it was just over a 3 pound roast). Stir, stir, stir. Yum! I ate it on a sandwich today like pulled pork. Last night I ate it with whole grain chips (FoodShouldTasteGood.com... thanks Alisa!), avocado, corn, and tomato. Delicious!

Anyhoo... tried and true, though slightly changed. Thanks for sharing!

Chinese Chicken Pasta Salad

I was recently reminded of this fabulous recipe I got from Alisa when I visited her in San Diego. I don't have a picture, and haven't made it in years, but since I dug it out I thought I'd go ahead and throw it up on the blog so you all can enjoy! :) Thanks Alisa!!!

Chinese Chicken Pasta Salad

1/4 c. sesame seed fried in 1/4 cup oil (though I've made it without the seeds before and it's still good)
12 oz. corkscrew pasta, cooked and drained
3 cups cooked, diced chicken
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 Tbl. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Marinate 4-8 hours or overnight.
Last minute add...
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup green onion
8 cups spinach

Brazilian Lemonade

Holy smokes this stuff was good! I got it from one of my very favorite recipe blogs: ourbestbites

4 juicy limes (try and find ones with thin, smooth skins; they're the juiciest and the thin skin cuts down on the chance of your drink being bitter)

1 c. sugar

6 c. cold water

6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.

Wash limes thoroughly with soap; you need the soap to get the wax and pesticides off of the limes because you're using the WHOLE lime, baby. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths.

Place 1/2 of the limes in your blender.

Add 1/2 of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you'll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and stuff in the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk; DO NOT leave this step out unless you will die of a horrible sweetened condensed milk allergy because this is the secret ingredient! You may want to taste test it at this point, if it's bitter, just add some more sugar and maybe a little more milk.
Serve immediately over lots of ice. Serves 4.

FYI- this is not my picture...this picture belongs to ourbestbites. i just don't want to get myself into some blogger lawsuit over a silly picture.

oatmeal crispies

*I promise I cook more than dessert. :)

This recipe is from allrecipes.com and I forgot to take a picture. oops. I made these for a Superbowl party and they were gone gone gone. This recipe makes at least 3 dozen cookies. They're delicious when you want cookies but are a little tired of chocolate chip (like i was).

2/3 C shortening
1/3 C butter, softened
1 C packed brown sugar
1 C white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 C oats
1 C finely chopped pecans

Cream together shortening, butter and both sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour, salt, baking soda until combined. Add oats and nuts, mix until combined evenly. Shape dough into 2-3 log rolls on wax paper. Roll in the wax paper and chill in the fridge or freezer. Slice dough logs into 1/4" rounds. Bake @ 350 for 10 minutes, or until golden.

*Notes: I used 1 stick of butter and only 1/2 C of shortening and it worked fine. I left my dough logs in the freezer for about 10 minutes to harden a little because I was cooking these right then. You could also just freeze the logs for later. Chilling is a key step bc it's easier to cut the rounds. I also did a little bigger than 1/4". They spread quite a bit so keep that in mind, also.

Wanted!!

Do any of ya'll have a good *Baked Potato Soup* recipe. I've never made this, but it's sounding oh so good to me right now. I'd be much obliged...

chocolate chip cookie dough brownies

as delicious as they sound...

thank you betty!

1 pkg betty crocker original supreme brownie mix
1 pkg betty crocker chocolate chip cookie mix

prepare brownie mix as detailed on the box; pour into 9x13 pan. prepare cookie dough as detailed on the box. put dollops of cookie dough into the brownie mix; pushing down slightly on the dough. bake @ 350 for 35-40 minutes - until a toothpick comes out almost clean. let cool before frosting. frost with your favorite chocolate frosting or ganache.

chocolate ganache
3/4 c cream
4-5 TB butter
12 oz chocolate chips (or semi-sweet baking chocolate)

heat cream and butter in pan until butter is melted and mixture is hot but not boiling. whisk cream mixture with chocolate chips in a separate bowl until well combined. let stand 20 seconds before spreading on brownies. let it set at least 1 hour before cutting.

i'm sure this whole operation could be done with homemade brownie batter & cookie dough. get aggressive if you will, cheat if you must.

Grandma Winder's Cheesy Potato Soup

I got this recipe off of Good Things Utah a few years back.

It looks like a lot of work, but it cooks fast and if you double it,

it will feed for a number of people one night

or many nights for a few people.

Ingredients

4 c. peeled and cubed potatoes (or cubed frozen potatoes)

1/2 c. chopped onion

1 c. chopped celery

1 c. shredded carrots

2 c. uncooked small shell pasta

4 chicken boullion cubes

1 tbsp parley flakes

1/4 c. butter

2 tsp all-purpose seasoning

1 tsp salt

3 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1 c. whipping cream

Directions:

Heat 8 cups of water to boiling.

Add everything except the pasta, cheese and cream.

Cook for 2 minutes, then add the pasta.

Turn heat down to medium and cook until tender (about 8-10 minutes).

Stir often.

When the pasta is done turn off heat.

Stir in the cheddar cheese.

When the cheese is melted, stir in cream.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Worthy Notes: I doubled the recipe and it made enough for three nights of dinner. The 2 extra dinner helpings, I double bagged (placing seams opposite of each other) and put in the freezer and just used another bag this week. To cool the remaining soup, I left mine in the fridge overnight before bagging. To defrost, put the frozen soup in the fridge overnight. You can place the bags in a sink full of hot water to help (be careful of breaking it up, it will smash the pasta and potatoes). I then poured it into a pot and reheated on the stove. Stir it often. Enjoy, night after night after night.

mary's "real" italian lasagna

yield: 2, 8x8 pans or 1, 9x13 pan

1 pkg Barilla lasagna noodles (regular or no-bake)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 recipe besciamella sauce (below)
2 zucchini or yellow squash (or combo) shredded
2 carrots peeled & shredded
6 mushrooms, shredded
1 pkg mozzarella cheese
1/2 C fresh (or packaged) parmesan cheese, reserve for top
basil for garnish

Besciamella [white] sauce
1/2 C butter
4-5 TB flour
1/2 C milk
1 pint (2 C) cream [can use all milk]
salt & pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350. Grate all veggies and cheese.

Prepare besciamella sauce: melt butter in pan and add flour to make thick past. Add milk 1/2 cup at a time until sauce reaches alfredo-like consistency. Let it boil for 1 minute (reduces the flour taste). Add salt & pepper to taste and take off stove.

In pan layer spaghetti sauce, noodles, white sauce, veggies, ham, spaghetti sauce, cheese, noodles, white sauce, veggies, etc. etc. Top layers should be noodles, red and white sauce, cheese parmesan, & basil.

Cover with lid or foil and cook for 25-30 minutes. Remove lid or foil and cook for an additional 10+ minutes until top is golden and cheese is melted.

* I used a packaged Italian cheese blend for each layer and it was great - probably 2 C total. I also used regular lasagna noodles and as long as they're surrounded in sauce they'll cook fine. I can vouch for using all milk in the white sauce, which is how I always make white sauce. You can also make the white sauce in the microwave which is less time consuming and won't burn. This is delicious!

better than sex cake (or trifle*)

aka: skor cake, better than making out on the couch cake

1 box devil's food cake mix, prepare according to package directions
1 jar caramel topping
1 jar hot fudge topping
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3-5 skor candy bars, crushed
cool whip

bake cake in 9 x 13 pan. when cake is still hot, use a straw to poke holes all over the cake then pour entire can of sweetened condensed milk evenly over cake. pour caramel & hot fudge evenly over cake. use approx. half the jar of each, or whatever looks tasty to you. when cake is cool, spread cool whip evenly over top of cake like frosting..again, as much as you want. sprinkle broken candy bars on top of cool whip.

* for trifle: pour milk over hot cake and allow to cool. cut cake into small squares to layer in trifle. in a trifle bowl layer cake, caramel, hot fudge, cool whip, candy bar in several layers depending on the size of your dish.

** sorry the picture sucks. should have thought of taking it before we devoured it!

Hot Cranberry Punch

This is a Wassail type beverage...most have given it a try.
Ingredients:
1 lb. canned Cranberry sauce (jellied or strained & 1 lb. = 1 can)
2 cup Water
2 cup Apple Juice
1 stick (1/4 tsp) Cinnamon (can be substituted with a smaller amount of Allspice)
4 whole cloves (1/4 tsp)
1 cup Orange Juice
1 orange slice to garnish

Directions:
Mash cranberry sauce in a saucepan. Gradually beat in water with beater. Add apple juice & spices. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add orange juice. Serve hot with orange slices.

Large group Conversion (approx. 18-20 1-cup servings)
3 cans Cranberry sauce
6 cups Water
6 cups Apple Juice (1 can of apple juice concentrate prepared)
3/4 tsp Cinnamon
3/4 tsp Whole cloves
3 cup Orange Juice

Crockpot version: Mash cranberries, add ingredients in order to the crockpot and heat on high until ready (I don't know the time it takes). Enjoy!!