Entertaining My Way

Salted Caramel Corn

2012-02-12T16:34:00.000-08:00

I stole this recipe from a friend's blog. Miss P and I made it for a tea party she was invited to. Great treat for little kids and BIG kids too!

Pop 6 cups popcorn, can be air popped or microwavable {if it is microwaveable popcorn, should be consumed within 12 hours...I'm sure this won't be an issue!}

Combine in microwaveable bowl for 3 minutes on high {until bubbling}
1/2 cup butter {1 cube}
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup {or honey would do fine too}

Add below ingredients to above ingredients once boiled -- let that bubble away and DO NOT try and taste it, you'll be sorry ;)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda

Ensure your popcorn is in a HUGE bowl and pour caramel over popcorn, mix well then once it's almost set I take my sea salt {aprox. 1 tsp}and sprinkle a light dusting...this turns a relatively sweet snack into the perfect combination of salty&sweet!

if you would like it to be less chewy put on a cookie sheet and place in oven @ 200 F for 1 hour.

Tomato Tortellini Soup

2012-02-12T16:24:00.000-08:00

1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) reduced-sodium condensed tomato soup, undiluted
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups half-and-half cream
1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Additional shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine the soup, broth, milk, cream, tomatoes and seasonings. Heat through, stirring frequently. Drain tortellini; carefully add to soup. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle each serving with additional cheese if desired. Makes 10 servings (2-1/2 quarts).

Nutritional Facts 1 cup (calculated without additional cheese) equals 245 calories, 11 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 42 mg cholesterol, 756 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 10 g protein.

Receipe from tasteofhome.com

Avalanche Bars

2012-02-12T16:19:00.000-08:00

12 oz bag of White Chocolate Chips

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3 cups Rice Krispies, or “Puffed Rice” if you’re buying generic

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips + 2 Tbsp for garnish.

Lightly grease a 9×9 pan (or 8×8 if you prefer thicker bars)

1. In microwave-safe bowl dump in white chips and heat on med power for 1 minute. Stir and continue in 30 second increments until chips are melted.

2. Combine the peanut butter with the melted chips

3. Add the krispies.

4. Let cool approx 15 – 20 minutes stirring every 5 minutes or so to help cool.

5. Add the marshmallows and the mini chocolate chips and stir to combine.

6. Dump mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly, pressing lightly with the back of your spoon, but do not compact too much, otherwise they will get hard.

7. Press the remaining chocolate chips into the top for garnish.

recipe from cookiesandcups.com

Healthy Deep DIsh Cookie Pie

2012-02-12T16:12:00.001-08:00

I will be honest, the only reason I tried this recipe was because I was skeptical. You read the ingredients...you might be skeptical too!

But on a week when I was cutting out gluten, this was a welcome treat! I tried it and was surprised at how good it was. I even fed it to my parents and to guests that came for dinner the night after. Everyone had a good report. Here is my disclaimer...ITS SWEET! Take a small piece and enjoy vanilla ice cream or a glass of milk with it.

2 cans chickpeas (drained and rinsed) (500g total)
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 T canola oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 and 1/2 cups brown sugar (I might try 1/4 cup less next time)
1 cup chocolate chips

Blend everything (except the chips) very well in a good food processor (not a blender). Mix in chips, and pour into an oiled pan (I used a 10-inch springform pan, but you can use a smaller pan if you want a really deep-dish pie.) Cook at 350F for around 35-40 minutes. Let stand at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

- About 200 calories per serving

Recipe found on chocolatecoveredkatie.com

Party Punch

2011-12-29T09:20:00.000-08:00

The Party Punch
1 can frozen piña colada concentrate, thawed (Bacardi makes a good one)
1 can frozen orange pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
4 liters of lemon-lime soda
1 bag of pebble ice
1 bag of frozen raspberries

Directions:
Pour the thawed concentrates into your punchbowl and stir.
Use one of the empty cans and fill it with water four times and add it to the mixture. Stir.
Add your diet soda to the mixture.
Add about half your bag of pebble ice. Then Add the frozen Raspberries.

~From nobiggie.net

Saltine Toffee

2011-12-29T09:17:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

40 saltine crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans/walnuts, if desired (I like it without)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Line cookie sheet with saltine crackers in single layer.
In a saucepan combine the sugar and the butter. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Immediately pour over saltines and spread t cover crackers completely.
Bake at 400 degrees for 5 to 6 minutes, or until toffee is bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate and top with chopped nuts, if desired. Cool completely and break into pieces.

~From "Make Life Delicious" blog

Pecan, Brown Sugar, and Kahlua Baked Brie

2011-12-29T09:15:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

13.2 ounce wheel of Brie
2/3 cup pecans (2.5 ounces), toasted and chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons Kahlua
crackers
1-2 sweet apples (like Honeycrisp or Gala)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º F. Using a knife, score a circle around the top edge of the brie (leave 1/4 inch rim). Take a spoon and scrape the white rind off the center circle of the brie (to the inside of the 1/4" rim). Place brie on the center of and oven safe platter.
Mix the pecans, brown sugar, and Kahlua in a small bowl. Carefully place the mixture in then center of the brie and spread to the edges (staying within the 1/4" rim you left). Bake for 8-15 minutes until brown sugar/pecan mixture begins to bubble. Be careful not to overcook (the brie will literally melt and loose its shape if baked too long). You want it nice a warm.
Serve with crackers and apple slices.

~From "My Life as a Mrs" blog

Apple Dumplings

2011-12-29T09:12:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2 whole Granny Smith Apples
2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls
2 sticks Butter
1-1/2 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Cinnamon, To Taste
1 can (12 Oz.) Mountain Dew Soda

Preparation Instructions

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.
Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Ingredients

2 whole Granny Smith Apples (I used honey crisp)
2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls
1 cup Butter
1-1/2 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Cinnamon, To Taste
1 cup Mountain Dew Soda

Preparation Instructions

Berry Blish Bars

2011-12-29T09:10:00.000-08:00

3/4 cup butter, cubed
1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or dried blueberries - they were very good too!)
6 ounces white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
FROSTING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel, optional
6 ounces white baking chocolate, melted
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Directions

In a microwave, melt butter; stir in brown sugar. Transfer to a large bowl; cool to room temperature. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; gradually add to butter mixture. Stir in cranberries and chopped chocolate (batter will be thick).

Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool on a wire rack.

For frosting, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and orange peel if desired until blended. Gradually add half of the melted white chocolate; beat until blended. Frost brownies. Sprinkle with cranberries. Drizzle with remaining melted white chocolate. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

~From Taste Of Home Website

Two Layer Greek Dip

2011-12-29T09:05:00.000-08:00

8 ozs plain yogurt

8 ozs cream cheese (not spreadable)

8 ozs feta cheese (drained and crumbled)

2 cloves garlic cloves (crushed)

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup english cucumber (peeled and diced)

1/2 Cup plum tomatoes (roma, seeded and chopped) - I used Red Pepper instead

1/4 Cup green onion (chopped)

4 ozs black olive (I left them off)

black pepper (taste)

	In a food processor, process the yogurt, softened cream cheese, feta cheese, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste; mix until smooth.
	Spread mixture into a shallow serving or baking dish. Cover, and refrigerate for 3 hours, or overnight.
	To serve, scatter cucumber, tomatoes, green onion, and sliced olives on top, and season with pepper add desired. Serve with pita, crackers or veggies

Butter Chicken

2011-11-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Miracle Whip

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 Tbsp. Catalina Dressing

1 tsp. garam masala

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

8 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 lb./) cut in pieces

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
Cook chicken in a fry pan until no longer pink.

Mix first 6 ingredients in a bowl and add to fry pan. Heat on medium heat until heated through.

Serve with rice and naan

Adapted from What's Cooking Magazine Fall 2011

Crock Pot Chicken And Dumplings

2011-11-01T20:47:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth
1 onion diced (I used half of one)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 cup mixed frozen vegetables
1 pkgs flaky refrigerator biscuits

Directions:

Put the chicken, butter, cream of chicken, chicken broth, parsley and onions in the crock pot and cook on high for five hours.

As the chicken cooks and gets tender, break it up with a fork.

Just before adding the biscuits, add in the frozen veggies.

Get your biscuits and cut them into nine pieces. Stir into chicken mixture and cook for another hour.

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

2011-11-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

10 bone-in chicken thighs (2-3/4 lb./1.2 kg), skin removed

1 jar (650 mL) thick and chunky salsa

1 onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. curry powder

1/2 cup (1/2 of 250-g tub) Philadelphia Cream Cheese Spread

Directions:

Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine next 3 ingredients; pour over chicken. Cover with lid.
Cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours (or on HIGH 5 hours).
Transfer chicken to platter; cover to keep warm. Add cream cheese spread to slow cooker; whisk until cream cheese is melted and sauce is well blended. Spoon over chicken.

Recipe from What's Cooking Magazine Fall 2011

Bang Bang Chicken and Shrimp

2011-08-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

Curry Sauce
2 teaspoons chili oil (I used olive oil with a dab of siracha)
1/4 cup onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic cloves
2 teaspoons ginger
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
3 cups coconut milk
2 medium carrots, julienned
1 small zucchini, julienned
1/2 cup frozen peas

Make the curry sauce by heating the chili oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for about about 30 seconds then add the chicken broth. Add the spices (cumin, coriander, paprika, salt, black pepper, and turmeric) and stir well. Simmer for 5 minutes then add the coconut milk. Bring mixture back up to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Add the julienned carrots and zucchini, and the frozen peas. Simmer mixture for 10 minutes or until carrots become tender.

Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons water
4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili oil (I used olive oil with a dab of siracha)

Make peanut sauce by combining peanut butter, water, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, and chili oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat just until mixture begins to bubble, then cover the pan and remove it from the heat.

2 chicken breast fillets
16 large raw shrimp, shelled

You can either coat your chicken and shrimp in cornstarch and fry them until crispy or you can simply saute them.

4 cups cooked white rice

Garnish
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut

Toast the flaked coconut by preheating your oven to 300 degrees. Spread coconut on a baking sheet and toast it in the oven. Stir the coconut around every 10 minutes or so that it browns evenly, but watch it closely in the last 5 minutes so it doesn't get too dark. After 25 to 30 minutes the coconut should be light brown. Take it out of the oven and let it cool.

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley, crumbled
2 tablespoons peanuts
2 green onions, julienned

Plating
Build the two plates (or you can divide the meal into four portions) by filling a soup bowl with 2 cups of white rice. Press down on the rice. Invert the bowl onto the center of a plate, tap it a bit, then lift off the bowl leaving a formed pile of rice in the center of each plate. Arrange an equal portion of chicken and shrimp around the rice. Spoon the curry sauce and vegetables over the chicken and shrimp, being careful not to get any sauce on top of the rice.

Drizzle peanut sauce over the dish concentrating most of it on the rice. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of crumbled, dried parsley over the center of the rice. Add a tablespoon of chopped peanuts on the parsley, then place a pile of julienned green onions on top. Sprinkle 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of toasted coconut over the chicken and shrimp and serve it up.

Caramel Popcorn Surprise

2011-08-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

Adapted from Heather Cristo Cooks

Ingredients:

8-10 cups of air popped popcorn (or 1 bag of microwaved popcorn)

1 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

½ cup corn syrup

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup M&Ms

1 cup white chocolate chips

sprinkles

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Spread the popcorn out on a sheet pan fitted with parchment paper.

Combine the vanilla and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a medium pot, add the butter, sugar, corn syrup and salt and heat them over medium heat. Cook and stir until everything is melted and bubbling. After mixture comes to a boil, stop stirring and let cook for another 4 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat, add the vanilla and stir until well combined. Immediately pour the caramel onto the popcorn. Stir well with a heatproof spatula.

Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes.

When you remove the pan from the oven, immediately sprinkle the M&Ms over the popcorn.

Melt the white chocolate in the microwave and use a fork to drizzle it over the popcorn and M&Ms.

While the chocolate is soft, sprinkle everything with pastel sprinkles.

Let the popcorn and chocolate set up and cool. Break the popcorn into chunks and serve.

Lemon Cream Bars

2011-08-15T16:10:00.000-07:00

1 can Sweetened, Condensed Milk - 14-ounce Can
½ cups Lemon Juice
1-½ cup Flour
1 cup Oatmeal
1 cup Brown Sugar
⅔ cups Butter, Melted
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 pinch Salt

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Combine milk and lemon juice. Mix well and set aside for a moment.
Mix remaining ingredients until crumbly.
Press half of the streusel (dry) mixture into a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish. Pour the lemon mixture over top. Finish by sprinkling remaining streusel over the top of the lemon filling. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely then store in the refrigerator.
~recipe found on tastykitchen.com

BBQ Chicken Salad with Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing

2011-08-13T10:48:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

Chicken:
2 chicken breasts
1/4-1/2 cup of barbecue sauce to marinade (optional, but recommended)
Salad:
1 head bibb lettuce, washed & chopped
Succotash:
1/2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lime
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili pepper
1/2 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1/2-2/3 cup frozen corn, thawed (unless you plan to let this thaw & marinade all day like I did!)
salt & pepper to taste
Dressing:
2/3 cup mayonnaise, light or regular (I used Miracle whip then left out the vinegar)
1/3 cup sour cream or nonfat greek yogurt
2 Tablespoons milk
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons white vinegar (left out when I used Miracle whip)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 BBQ sauce

Directions:

Succotash:
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add beans & corn, season with salt & pepper. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.
Chicken:
Marinate chicken in BBQ sauce about 6 hours (optional). Preheat grill (we used the George Foreman), and cook chicken until done. Remove from heat and let "rest" for about 5-10 minutes. Chicken can even be made ahead of time & refrigerated.
Make dressing:
Combine all the ingredients together and whisk (or shake, if using a jar) vigorously to combine. You could also run this through a blender to make it even more smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Assemble lettuce, black bean & corn succotash and top with chicken. Drizzle with additional BBQ sauce, followed by the Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing.

~recipe found on www.erinsfoodfiles.com

Mini Donut Muffins

2011-07-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

I made these for a birthday party. They were a hit! They are the perfect size for kids and SO easy to make.

1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup margarine/butter, melted
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup flour

1/4 cup margarine, melted
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375.
Grease 24 mini-muffin cups.

Mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup margarine, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the milk, then mix in the baking powder and flour until just combined. Fill mini muffin tin half full. Bake until the tops are lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

While muffins are baking, place 1/4 cup of melted margarine in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of sugar with the cinnamon. Remove muffins from their cups, dip each muffin in the melted margarine, and roll in the sugar-cinnamon mixture.

Serve and enjoy!

Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

2011-07-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips

For the Cheesecake Filling:
10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil allowing a little overhang and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Do not turn your oven off.
3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed, and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Using your hand to form clumps, distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter in teaspoon-sized clumps. Be sure to use all of the dough. You will cover most of the cheesecake batter.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm (the cookie dough) and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
6. Lift the bars out by the overhang; slice into desired size and store in the refrigerator. Serve cold or at room temperature

~ The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook

Chicken, Artichoke & Sundried Tomato Pasta

2011-07-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

1 tbsp olive oil
2 chicken breasts - cut in strips
1/2 cup diced white onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp thyme
1tsp basil
8 oz sliced white mushrooms
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (drained and chopped)
3/4 cup cream
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
pepper and salt to taste

Pasta of your choice cooked

1 - Heat oil in the pan and add chicken. Saute until no longer pink. Remove from pan and set aside.
2- Add onion, garlic and spices. Saute until onion is clear. Add mushrooms, saute for about 1 minute.
3- Add in sun dried tomatoes, artichokes and chicken, simmer on low heat for a few minutes so flavors can combine.
4- Add cream and nutmeg and allow to simmer until it thickens, when it is close add in the cheese as well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5- serve over pasta of your choice

Grilled Chicken Salad with Feta and Corn

2011-07-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

This recipe is courtesy the Pioneer Woman. Love her website and love her recipes. You can find her post of this recipe here.

A friend made this one first when I was over for dinner, so I had to make it at home too! Perfect for summer BBQ's, such great flavor combination. I added a few extra things to mine just to fill it out more.

Ingredients

4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Olive Oil, For Drizzling
3 stalks Celery (inner Light Green Stalks), Finely Diced (I opted out of this and replaced it with red pepper, not a huge celery fan)
2 ears Fresh Corn (I only had frozen and it was fine)
1/4 whole Medium Red Onion, Finely Diced
1-1/2 cup Blueberries
3 Tablespoons Fresh Dill, Minced
4 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
4 Tablespoons Sour Cream
1/4 cup Half-and-half
1 whole Lemon
1 teaspoon Sugar (more To Taste)
Salt And Pepper (additional) To Taste
3/4 cups Crumbled Feta

Preparation Instructions

Place chicken breasts into large plastic storage bag. Pound with a mallet or rolling pin to flatten to 1/4 inch uniform thickness. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat grill and drizzle chicken with olive oil. Grill chicken on both sides until done, about 7 minutes per side. (Rotate halfway during grilling each side to ensure pretty grill marks.) Remove from pan. Allow to cool.
(I actually just broiled mine in the oven, it was good too!)

With a very sharp knife, shave kernels off each corn cob. Combine with the onion and celery. Set aside.

Mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, feta, and half-and-half. Stir in sugar, squeeze in lemon juice, and add salt and pepper. Stir, then taste. Add more salt if necessary; do not undersalt!

Slice chicken on the bias to create flat, randomly shaped pieces. Throw into a bowl with celery, onion, and corn. Stir to combine.

Pour half the dressing over the ingredients and toss gently. Add more as desired, but don't overcoat the salad; should be light!

At the end, toss in the blueberries to lightly coat them in the dressing. Serve, then sprinkle individual helpings with feta.

Curried Cauliflower

2011-07-04T20:54:00.000-07:00

1 large head cauliflower, broken into small florets
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons curry powder
12 wheat crackers (I use premium plus)
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place cauliflower in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender but still firm. Drain, and place in a greased casserole dish.

In a large bowl, mix together soup, mayonnaise, milk, and curry powder. Pour over cauliflower. Crush crackers, and mix with butter. Sprinkle over cauliflower.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Key Lime Pie

2011-06-30T09:35:00.001-07:00

Ok, here is an easy recipe for Key Lime Pie. I sort of tweaked a few recipes to make this one. Takes about 5 mins to prep and seemed to be a real crowd pleaser.

For Filling:
5 egg yolks, beaten
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lime juice (I used bottled because I did not have fresh limes if you are using fresh you would probably need 4-5 limes, in that case, use the rind of one lime as well, that will really bring out the flavor)

Mix all ingredients together and set aside.

For crust:
1 1/2 cups graham wafer crumbs
1/2 cup sugar (you can use less if you want to)
6 tbsp butter/margarine (melted)

Mix all ingredients together and press into a 9 inch pie plate. Pour filling into the crust. Bake at 375 for 15 mins of until filling is set. Cool and then chill for an hour or until serving. Top with whip cream or whipped topping when ready to serve.

Peach Cobbler

2011-06-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

8-10 peaches sliced (6 to 8 cups)
1/4 cup bourbon (I substituted 2 tbsp each vanilla and maple syrup)
3/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks cold unsalted butter
3/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the peaches, bourbon, 1/4 cup sugar, the cornstarch and cinnamon in a large bowl and toss to coat.

Sift the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the baking powder and salt into a bowl. Cut 1 1/2 sticks of the butter into small pieces; add to the flour mixture and cut it in with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Pour in the cream and mix just until the dough comes together. Don't overwork; the dough should be slightly sticky but manageable.

Melt the remaining 1/2 stick butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the peach mixture and cook gently until heated through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart baking dish (or leave in the skillet). Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls over the warm peaches. (There can be gaps because the dough will puff up and spread as it bakes.) Brush the top with some heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar and a little extra cinnamon.

Bake in the oven on a baking sheet (to catch any drips) until the cobbler is browned and the fruit is bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm with the ice cream.

*recipe from Food Network.com*

Homemade Lemon Filling

2011-06-20T20:39:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2/3 cups sugar
3-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
1 egg slightly beaten
1 tablespoon butter (must be butter kids)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

How to make it

Set up your double-boiler
Begin by placing water in pot and double boiler bowl on top - make sure the water from pot does not touch bottom of bowl. Turn on heat and let water come to a boil., Then turn heat to a medium, medium low so it simmers.
Place sugar, cornstarch and salt in double boiler and stir in water with whisk.
Cook over boiling water until thickened, stirring constantly.
Once it is thickened, cover with lid and cook an additional ten minutes (and yes stir occasionally - say every three minutes)
Temper your already slightly beaten egg with some of the hot mixture, then add this slowly back into the remaining hot mixture while stirring constantly.
Cook over hot (and not boiling) water for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat, taking double boiler bowl off and out of the pan that had the water.
Add butter and stir till butter has melted.
Chill, once completely cooled, then add the lemon juice and stir.

Hot & Sweet Drumsticks

2011-06-02T17:51:00.001-07:00

1 cup Apricot Preserves
1/2 cup Ketchup
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Minced Garlic
2 teaspoons Hot Pepper Sauce
3 pounds Drumsticks (about 12)

Preheat oven to 350F. In a small saucepan, combine preserves, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic and hot pepper sauce. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until preserves are melted.
Arrange drumsticks in a single layer on a 13 x 9″ baking pan. Pour sauce over drumsticks, turning to coat. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until chicken is done, spooning sauce over drumsticks while baking. Serves 6.

-Recipe from Pioneer Woman

Cauliflower Soup

2011-06-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

1 stick Butter, Divided
½ whole Onion, Finely Diced
1 whole Carrot Finely Diced
1 stalk Celery, Finely Diced
1 whole (to 2 Whole) Cauliflower Heads (roughly Chopped)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Or Dried Parsley (chopped)
2 quarts Low-sodium Chicken Broth Or Stock
6 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
2 cups Whole Milk
1 cup Half-and-half
2 teaspoons To 4 Teaspoons Salt, To Taste
1 cup (heaping) Sour Cream, Room Temperature

Preparation Instructions

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown.

Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine.

Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.
Serve immediately.

- Recipe from Pioneer Woman

Easy Red Velvet Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-05-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix (2-layer size)
1 box (4-serving size) instant vanilla pudding mix
4 large eggs
2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 ounces red food coloring
1/2 Cup sour cream

Combine all ingredients together and beat for 4 minutes on medium speed, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl several times. Grease 1 bundt pan and pour int he batter. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched in the center.

Cool cake prior to icing. Cut in half so that you can fill it with frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 box (1 pound) confectioners' sugar
2-4 tbsp milk (as needed)

Beat the butter butter and cream cheese until smooth and light. Add vanilla and confectioners' sugar; beat until smooth. Add milk until desired consistency. Spread frosting over layers and sides.

BBQ Pork Tenderloin

2011-04-15T14:13:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2-3 pork tenderloins

2 tsp (10 mL) cornstarch

1 green_onion, finely chopped

1 tsp salt

Marinade:

1/2 cup (125 mL) orange juice

1/4 cup (50 mL) tomato paste

2 tbsp (25 mL) grainy mustard

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 tsp (20 mL) chili_powder

1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) sugar

1 tsp (5 mL) each ground cumin and coriander

1/2 tsp (2 mL) Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

Preparation:

Marinade: In bowl, whisk together orange juice, tomato paste, mustard, garlic, chili powder, sugar, cumin, coriander, Worcestershire sauce and salt. Add pork, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

Remove pork from marinade, letting excess drip back into bowl. Pour marinade into small saucepan; set aside.

Place pork on greased grill over medium heat; close lid and grill, turning 3 times, until browned and just a hint of pink remains inside, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring reserved marinade and 3/4 cup (175 mL) water to boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 1 cup (250 mL), 7 minutes.

In small bowl, whisk cornstarch with 1 tbsp (15 mL) cold water; whisk into marinade. Simmer until thickened and glossy, about 1 minute. Keep warm.

Transfer pork to cutting board and tent with foil; let stand for 10 minutes before slicing across the grain. Sprinkle with onion and coriander. Serve with sauce.

Scalloped Potatoes

2011-04-15T14:11:00.000-07:00

6 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 cups milk
1 small onion,diced finely

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over low heat until melted. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Gradually stir in milk, 1/2 cup at a time. Heat to boiling. Boil and stir 1 minute.

Arrange potatoes in greased 2 quart casserole in 3 layers, topping each layer with part of the chopped onions and 1/3 of the sauce. Dot the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, broken into little pieces.

Cover and bake until potatoes are tender, about 90 minutes removing cover for the last 30 mins. Let stand 5 to 10 minute before serving.

Serves 6

Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

2011-04-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups ( 375 mL) icing sugar
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) crunchy peanut butter
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) vanilla
1 pkg (510 g) Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookies

Method:

Heat oven to 350°F (180°C).
Combine icing sugar, peanut butter and vanilla; mix well.
Press half of dough into bottom of ungreased 8 or 9-inch (20 or 23 cm) square baking pan. Press peanut butter mixture evenly over dough. Cut remaining dough into thin slices and arrange on top of peanut butter mixture.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate until chilled. Cut into squares. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

from lifemadedelicious.ca

Carrot, Butternut Squash Curry Soup

2011-04-12T11:42:00.001-07:00

I have never really liked butternut squash but I thought this would be a good recipe to try. It actually called for yellow squash but I could not find it at the market. I made it thinking, if we don't like it oh well. Can I just tell you, I think it might be one of my favorite soups. The curry with the garlic and onions make for amazing flavor!

I found the base recipe on the Pioneer Woman website and made some modifications that make it work for us.

    * 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
    * 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
    * 1 whole Large Onion, Diced
    * 4 whole Carrots, Washed And Sliced Thin
    * 2 butternut squash, peeled and sliced
    * Salt To Taste
    * 1 Tablespoon Curry Powder & 1 tsp cumin
    * ½ cups Dry White Wine (I used cooking wine because that was all I had)
    * 8 cups Chicken Broth


Preparation Instructions

Heat olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and stir to coat. Add carrots and cook for 3 minutes, or until they start to get soft. Sprinkle in a little salt.

Add squash. Stir and cook for a few minutes, until squash is soft and tender. After a few minutes, add salt to taste and the curry powder and cumin.

Pour in wine. Let evaporate for about 30 seconds, then pour in chicken broth. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover pot, and cook for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, taste and adjust seasonings. Turn off heat.

Puree soup using a hand blender, or in batches in a regular blender. Return to soup pot and bring to a simmer. Serve hot.

Makes 12 cups (3 WW points for 2 cups)

Homemade Cinnamon Buns

2011-04-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Cinnabon! The smell as you are walking through the mall....mmmmmmmm. Anyhow, last Saturday morning we were craving cinnamon buns. The house was full of family and I ventured out and made this recipe. It was really good, especially the icing! I served them all to my guests over the weekend so that I did not eat the whole batch!

Ingredients:

1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup margarine
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 cups flour

FILLING

1 cup packed brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/3 cup margarine, softened
1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding powder

ICING

8 tablespoons margarine
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Prep Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 1/4 hr

For the rolls, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl.
Add sugar, margarine salt, eggs, and flour, mix well.
Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour.
Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, until it is approx 21 inches long by 16 inches wide.
It should be approx 1/4 thick.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
To make filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
Spread the softened margarine over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the surface.
Working carefully, from the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom edge.
Cut the dough into 1 3/4 inch slices, and place in a lightly greased baking pan.
Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown.
While the rolls are baking combine the icing ingredients.
Beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy.
When the rolls are done, spread generously with icing.

Asparagus Bow Tie Pasta

2011-04-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

2 cups farfalle (bow-tie pasta), uncooked

1 lb. fresh asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into 1-inch lengths

1/2 cup halved orange pepper strips

1/4 cup julienne-cut oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (I drained them, the original recipe says not to)

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 oz. Cream Cheese (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.), softened (I used light cream cheese)

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)

1 cup Shredded Italian Three Cheese Blend (I used 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese instead)

COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding asparagus to boiling water for the last 2 min. Drain. MEANWHILE, cook peppers and tomatoes in large skillet on medium-high heat 2 to 3 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently. ADD pasta mixture, broth, cream cheese and oregano to skillet; mix well. Cook and stir 5 min. or until sauce is slightly thickened. Top with cheese; cook 2 to 3 min. or until cheese begins to melt. -Kraft What's Cooking Magazine Spring 2011

Tomato Bisque

2011-02-24T18:25:00.000-08:00

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons flour
2 (14.5-oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups reduced-sodium canned chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp cumin
dash cayenne pepper
1 cup light cream or milk(I use fat free half and half)
Salt and pepper

In a large nonreactive saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and carrot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes without allowing to color. Add tomatoes with their juices, broth and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer stirring frequently, 15 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.
In a food processor or blender, puree soup in batches until smooth. Return to pan and stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes, and serve.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2011-01-13T17:37:00.000-08:00

5 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed and cooked

1 onion diced
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 doz. corn tortillas
Big bunches grated cheese
1 can diced green chili (sm. or lg. to taste)
Salt, pepper & garlic to taste

Saute meat with onion and set aside. Mix with enchilada sauce, soups, chicken, chili, garlic, salt and pepper; mix well. Layer sauce with tortillas and cheese leaving off last layer of cheese. Put cheese on top the last 5 minutes or baking. Cover and bake 45 minutes in 350 degree oven.

This freezes really well too - pull it out and defrost. Cook for about an hour.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

2011-01-02T20:26:00.000-08:00

This is great served as an entree as well. It is good both warm and cold.

2 cups water
2 cubes chicken bouillon
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 large cooked chicken breasts - cut into bite size pieces
1 large red onion, diced and cooked with chicken
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

Bring the water, bouillon cubes, and garlic to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the quinoa, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard the garlic clove and scrape the quinoa into a large bowl.
Gently stir the chicken, onion, bell pepper, feta cheese, parsley, chives, and salt into the quinoa. Drizzle with the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. Stir until evenly mixed. Serve warm or refrigerate and serve cold.

Curried Quinoa

2011-01-02T20:20:00.000-08:00

I made and served this with chicken tikka, it had great flavor and was a great addition to the Indian chicken dish. I am sure you could substitute the quinoa for brown or white rice as well.

1 Cup Quinoa

1½ Tbsp. Vegetable Oil

½ Onion Diced

1 Tsp. Grated Fresh Ginger Root

1 dash cayenne pepper

1 Heaping Tsp. Cumin

1 Heaping Tsp. Coriander

¼ Tsp. Ground Cinnamon

1¾ Cups Water

½ Cup Fresh or Frozen Peas

Salt to Taste

Rinse quinoa with cold water.
Place oil and diced onions in a heavy saucepan. Saute the onions on medium high heat for four to five minutes.
Add the ginger root and quinoa. Cook for one minute stirring constantly.
A fine, white spiral appears around the grain as it cooks.
Stir in the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne and salt. Cook for one minute stirring constantly.
Add the water and bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in peas. Cover and cook for four or five minutes or until peas are tender and all the water has been absorbed.
Fluff with a fork before serving.

Turkey Korma

2010-11-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

Meat balls

1 pound ground turkey (you can use beef if you want)
1 egg
1/4 cup panko (or bread crumbs)
1 tsp each cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Mix all ingredient together and form small meat balls and saute on high in a frying pan until cooked through

1 cup frozen peas
1 bottle prepared Korma sauce (I use VH)

Stir in peas and sauce with cooked meat balls and saute until heated through. Serve over basmati rice with Naan.

Thai Corn and Shrimp Chowder

2010-11-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from the Best of Bridge cookbook, Bravo. I have made it with shrimp but have had it in a Thai restaurant with thinly sliced chicken.

1 tbsp butter

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 small potato peeled and diced

1 medium red or yellow bell pepper, seeds and membranes removed, finely chopped

1/2 tsp Thai red curry paste

2 cups corn kernels, frozen or fresh

2 cups chicken stock

1 can coconut milk (14oz)

1 tsp packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

24 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined

1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1 tbsp lime juice

In a large, heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
When it has foamed, stir in the onion, pepper and potato and saute for 5-7 mins. Add curry paste and stir for 15 seconds. Add corn, chicken stock, , brown sugar and coconut milk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 mins. Stir in the, shrimp, salt and pepper, and cilantro and gently simmer until the shrimp are just, cooked through 3-4 mins. Do not overcook the shrimp.
Stir in cilantro and lime juice, taste and adjust seasonings with brown sugar, salt and lime juice.

Garnish with a few cilantro leaves in each bowl.

Classic French Bread

2010-11-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine gave me this recipe. It is so easy to make and tastes great too! I have half of the dough for 1 loaf of bread with soup and the other half another day for pizza crust.

5 1/3 cups flour
2 tsp salt (1 tbsp coarse salt)
2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
2 Cups lukewarm water

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Use a large spoon and stir for 1 minute until the dough comes together and all the flour is combined. (you can use 1-2 tbsp more water if needed). Sough will be "shaggy". Let it rest uncovered for 5 mins. Oil hands and stretch and fold 4 times. 1. Top over 2. Right side over 3. Left side over 4 Bottom over. Turn it over and place a bowl over the dough and let it rest for 10 mins. Repeat stretching process 3 more times with 10 minutes between. Dough should feel smooth and springy (you may still see little bits of yeast, that is ok). Place dough ball in a lightly greased bowl with a lid and put it into the fridge for up to 4 days.

On Baking Day
2 hours before you plan to back it, remove the amount of dough you want to bake from the fridge. Lightly oil your work space (counter). Divide dough into equal parts for rolls or loaves and shape. To shape into loaves, roll it like you are rolling a sleeping bag.

Lightly flour your counter where your dough is going to rise or proof. If you are using a metal pan, you can flour the pan and let the dough proof on it. Cover the loaves/rolls loosely with plastic wrap and let it proof for 1 hour. Remove plastic wrap and let it proof for 45-60 mins. Preheat oven to 550 F or as high as it will go. When the dough is ready to bake turn the oven down to 450. Take a sharp knife and slash the loaves or rolls to allow the gas to escape. Slide your loaves or rolls into the oven. Bake 10-12 minutes, rotate the pan and bake another 10-15 minutes (less for rolls)

Couscous salad with black beans, mushrooms and corn

2010-06-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup Israeli couscous (you can use regular couscous or orzo pasta, too)
course salt and ground pepper
1/2 lb sliced button or cremini mushrooms
1 small bunch scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
1 1/4 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears of corn)
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 jalapeno (optional, but delicious in it) thinly sliced (I chopped it)
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and sliced

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add couscous and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown and fragrant (about 4 minutes).

Add 1 1/2 cups water, season with salt, and bring got a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and couscous is tender (about 15 minutes)

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tsp oil over medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until golden brown (about 5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper and then transfer to a large bowl.

Add 1 tsp oil to the skillet and cook the scallion whites and corn, stirring occasionally, until scallions are soft and corn is browned (about 5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper and then add to the mushrooms.

Add couscous, black beans, lime juice, jalapeno (if using), and scallion greens to the mushroom mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve with avocado slices on top.

Recipe found in the "Everyday Food" Magazine

Confetti Quinoa Salad

2010-06-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 cups 25%-less-sodium chicken broth

1 cup quinoa, uncooked

1 cup cooked fresh corn

1 each green, yellow and red pepper, chopped

1/3 cup Kraft Signature Mandarin Orange with Sesame Dressing

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1/4 cup Back to Nature Sea Salt Roasted Almonds, coarsely chopped

How to:

Bring broth and quinoa to boil in saucepan on high heat; simmer on medium-low 15 min. or until liquid is absorbed. Spoon into large bowl; cool.

Add all remaining ingredients except nuts; mix lightly.

Top with nuts.

Nutrition information:

Calories 170 , Total fat 6, Dietary fibre 3
Makes 8 servings, 3/4 cup (175 mL) each

Recipe from What's Cooking.com

Chicken/Turkey-Patty Pockets

2010-06-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

1 pound ground dark-meat chicken (I used ground turkey)
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced garlic (I used 1 large clove fresh garlic)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons olive oil

Pita pockets, for serving
Lettuce, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, for serving
Minted yogurt sauce (optional, below), for serving

FOR THE MINTED YOGURT SAUCE

1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves (I substituted cilantro for mint because I did not have any, it was great too!)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1.Heat broiler, with rack in highest position. In a large bowl, combine chicken, egg whites, breadcrumbs, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, and spices and mix until well blended. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Divide chicken mixture into 8 portions (about 2 1/2 to 3 ounces each) and place on sheet. Shape each into an oval patty and use your hand to flatten slightly. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over patties.

2.Broil until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, about 4 minutes more. Serve in pita pockets, with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and minted yogurt sauce if desired.

3.Make the minted yogurt sauce: In a small bowl, stir together yogurt, fresh mint leaves, and fresh lime juice. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, up to 1 hour, to allow flavors to come together.

From Everyday Food, April 2010

Poppy Seed Squares

2010-05-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

There is a German Bakery in our area that makes the most amazing poppy seed squares. They are a favorite of ours. I used to work around the corner from the bakery and as a treat, I would bring them home. Now that I no longer work there, we don't have them very often because it is about a 45 minutes drive away. So I decided to see if I could make them. I took a number of different recipes and combine them to make something that is fairly close.

Filling:
1 12 1/2-ounce can poppy seed filling for cakes, pastries and desserts

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg white

Top & Bottom:
2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 large egg

1/4 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 8-inch square baking pan. Mix poppy seed filling, lemon juice, lemon peel and vanilla in medium bowl. Beat egg white in small bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold white into filling. Set aside.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Using fingertips, rub butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix egg and sour cream in small bowl. Add to flour mixture; stir until moist clumps form. Gather dough together; divide in half. Press 1 dough piece onto bottom of prepare pan.

Bake crust until golden, about 15 minutes. Spread filling over crust. On floured surface, press second dough piece out to 8-inch square. Place atop filling; press to adhere.

Bake until crust is golden, about 35 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.

Top with an icing glaze. I used 2 Cups powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla (you could use lemon too for a different flavor), 1/8 Cup milk (more if you want it a little thinner). Mix together and pour over slightly warm squares. Cut into squares and serve.

Bulk of the recipe found at www.epicurious.com

Grilled Balsamic Chicken

2010-05-26T15:53:00.000-07:00

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces

MARINADE

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon cracked pepper
1/3 cup chopped green onion

Rinse and dry chicken pieces. Place breasts, thighs and drumsticks in a large ziplock bag. (Save the back and wings for Homemade Chicken Stock.) Mix marinade ingredients and pour over chicken. Seal bag and refrigerate for 24 hours, keeping meat submerged, turning if needed.

Preheat oven to 325F. Place chicken in a baking dish in a single layer, pour marinade over top. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes. (If making in advance, cover and refrigerate. Return to room temperature.)

Heat grill, wipe rack with wad of paper towels dipped in vegetable oil. Finish chicken on the grill, cooking each side 4 - 5 minutes, brushing with marinade.

***I used chicken breast, not whole chicken***

Recipe Found on the Kitchen Parade Website.

Quinoa & Black Bean Salad

2010-05-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe when I was searching for summer BBQ ideas. It intriqued me because I have always wanted to try Quinoa.

The flavor is really fresh and I think it would be a real crowd pleaser. I am going to take this to the next BBQ we go to. I did not have the jalepeno, so I did not include it the first time I made this, but I will definately try it next time.

3 cups water
1-1/2 cups quinoa
2 teaspoons table salt

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Zest & juice from 3 limes (about 5 tablespoons juice)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1-1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
15 ounces canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1-1/2 cups frozen corn (no need to thaw or cook)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, minced
2 cups cilantro (about 1 bunch), chopped

Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan over medium high. Rinse quinoa well under cold running water. Add salt and quinoa to water, return to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Transfer to colander to drain and cool slightly.

Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add quinoa. Taste and add salt if needed. Let cool at least 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 8 cups
NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Half Cup Serving: 153 Cal; 5g Protein; 5g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 23g Carb; 4g Fiber; 449mg Sodium; 0mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 3 points
Recipe found on the Kitchen Parade Website.

Turkey Chipotle Meat Loaf

2010-05-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a recipe that I made last week. It was really a 'throw it into a bowl' sort of thing, but here are some rough measurements. Adjust to your taste.

2 pounds ground turkey (you can use beef too)
1 egg
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 packgage dried onion soup mix
1/3 cup BBQ sauce
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tsp ground chipotle chilli pepper spice (you can also add drained, chopped chipotle chilli's from a jar)

Mix all ingredients together (I use my kitchenaid mixer so I don't have to get my hands messy). Place in greased loaf pan and cover with foil.

Top with:
1/4 cup BBQ sauce

Bake at 375, covered for 45 mins. Remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes, topping with more BBQ sauce if necessary. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, flip out of loaf pan and serve.

Spice Rub for Meat

2010-05-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons white sugar
4 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pinch dried oregano
1 pinch dried thyme

Directions:
1.In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, paprika, mustard, pepper, oregano and thyme.
2.To use: coat meat in mixture, and then grill as desired.

Found at Allrecipes.com

Overnight Raspberry French Toast

2010-01-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from the new Best Of Bridge Bravo. I made it this morning and it was great. Because I did not have enough for thought to make it last night, I dipped the bread cubes in the liquid and then added them to the pan, this way I new they were absorbed; still worked really well

8 slices white Bread, cubed
1 package (8 oz) of cream cheese, cubed
1 c. fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 c. sliced and toasted almonds
8 eggs
1/2 c. sugar (divided)
1 c. half and half (10%) cream
1 t. cinnamon

Grease a large 9 x 13 pan and scatter about 2/3’s of the bread on the bottom. Layer on evenly the raspberries, almonds and cream cheese and finish with the remainder of the bread.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1/2 of the sugar,cream and cinnamon and then carefully and evenly pour over the bread. Sprinkle the other half of sugar and a bit more cinnamon in the top.

Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

When you’re ready to bake it, preheat the oven to 350 and bake, with the foil on, for about 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for about another 30 minutes.

Serve with maple syrup.

Peanut Butter Balls

2009-12-20T21:27:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
3 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup softened butter

Directions
1.in large bowl blend PB, sugar and butter until completely blended
2.Once blended well ad rice krispies and mix for 10 seconds then fold by hand
3.form in 1/4 cup balls
4.chill for 30 min or don't! and enjoy!

Land Of Nod Cinnamon Buns

2009-11-26T19:36:00.000-08:00

These are a Christmas morning tradition. After we open our gifts and get the kids to bed, I take 3 minutes and put these together. Then Christmas morning, I put them in the oven and 25 mins later pure yuuuuummmmm!!

Ingredients:
20 frozen dough rolls (or 1 frozen bread loaf, thawed (approx. 1 hour) until sliceable and cut into 12 pieces
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vanilla instant pudding
1-2 Tbsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins (optional)
1/4-1/2 cup melted butter

Instructions:
Before you put the cat out and turn off the lights, grease a 10" bundt pan and add frozen rolls. Sprinkle with brown sugar, pudding powder, cinnamon and raisins. Pour melted butter over all. Cover with a clean, damp cloth. (leave out at room temperature). Turn out the lights and say goodnight!

In the morning, preheat oven to 350 F. and bake for 25 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes and then turn out on a serving plate.

Best Of Bridge - Best Of The Best and Aces Cookbooks

Morrocan Chicken Vegetable Soup

2009-09-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

3 lbs. chicken
2 large red onions, chopped
6 carrots, peeled and sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced (yes, all of it)

2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin

8 -10 cups chicken broth, depending on how thick you like your soup

1/3 cup couscous
1/2 cup sliced green onions

In a large pot, put all ingredients, except for the couscous and green onions (they go in at the last). Bring to a boil, then simmer about 1 hour. Stir occasionally.

Take the chicken pieces out and break into bite-sized pieces. I shred it with a fork. Put the chicken back into the pot. Now add the couscous and green onions. Simmer till heated through.

(original recipe taken from The Best of Bridge:
The Best of the Best)

Hamburger Soup

2009-09-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 medium onion,finely chopped
1 - 28 oz. can tomatoes
2 cups water 500 mL
3 - 10 oz. cans consomme
1 - 10 oz. can tomato soup
4 carrots, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
3 sticks celery, finely chopped parsley
pepper to taste
1/2 cup pot barley 125 mL

Instructions:
Brown meat and onions. Drain well. Combine all ingredients in large pot. Simmer covered, at least 2 hours, or all day. Serves 10.

Plum Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Streusel

2009-09-10T18:52:00.001-07:00

For the streusel:
2-1/4 oz. (1/2 cup) flour (I used whole wheat)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tbsp ground Cinnamon
1-1/2 oz. (3 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted; more as needed

For the cake:
4 oz. (8 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces; more softened for the pan
6-3/4 oz. (1-1/2 cups) flour; more for the pan ( i used whole wheat)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
1/4 cup whole milk (I used skim)
1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/2 tsp. ground Cinnamon
3 firm-ripe medium plums, each pitted and quartered

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Make the streusel:
Put the flour, sugar, kosher salt, and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl and stir the ingredients with a fork until thoroughly combined. Drizzle the melted butter over the mixture and stir with the fork until the mixture resembles a clumpy dough. Using your fingers, break the mixture into pistachio-size clumps and large crumbs. (If the streusel is sandy and won’t clump, add a little more melted butter, 1 tsp. at a time.) Refrigerate the streusel while you prepare the cake batter.

Make the cake:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter and flour an 8x8x2-inch straight-sided cake pan.

Beat the eggs lightly in a small mixing bowl. Whisk in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla until well blended. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, table salt, and cinnamonuntil well blended. Add the butter pieces to the bowl and cut them into the flour with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles a very coarse meal strewn with pieces of butter the size of small peas and oat flakes.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. With a wooden spoon, fold and stir the ingredients together until it’s a thick batter speckled with visible lumps of butter, 45 seconds to 1 minute.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Break up the streusel mixture with your fingers and sprinkle half of it evenly over the batter. Arrange the plum quarters skin side down on the batter, with each piece at a 45-degree angle to the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the remaining streusel evenly over the cake.

Bake the cake for 20 minutes and then rotate the pan. Continue baking until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, 15 to 20 minutes more.

Cool the cake in its pan on a rack for at least an hour before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pad Thai

2009-09-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

1 Pkg Thai rice noodles
Soak in warm water for 2-3 hours

2 cloves garlic
2 eggs
3 Tbsp oil
In a wok, heat oil, add garlic and egg and scramble.

Drain noodles and add to the wok along with the following ingredients
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp paprika
Mix together and add to the noodle and fry until noodles are softened.

Add 4 cups bean sprouts to noodles and cook

Once noodle and sprouts are cooked, add
2 green onions cut in small slices
1/2 cup ground peanuts
cooked chicken or baby shrimp meat

Serve warm

Chicken Panaga Curry (THAI)

2009-09-08T12:30:00.001-07:00

1 Tbsp Sugar
1/2-1 Tbsp red curry paste
4 chicken breast in cubes
Heat pan, add sugar and curry paste stir until smooth. Add chicken and cook

1 Can coconut milk
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp fish sauce
Bay leaf
1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper cut in small pieces
Add to chicken and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-20 mins

Mix 2 tbsp cornstarch in 3 tbsp water and pour in to thicken curry sauce.
Remove bay leaf
Add 2 tbsp peanuts and serve

Thai Chicken Satay

2009-09-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

4 chicken breasts cut in small enough pieces to scewer.
Scewer 4 pieces onto each scewer.

Marinade
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup soya sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp oil
Mix together and place in a plastic container with chicken scewers. Marinade for 1-2hours and then grill.
Server with Thai Peanut Sauce

Thai Peanut Sauce

2009-09-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

•1/3 cup peanut butter, softened
•3 tbsp water
•2 tbsp soy sauce
•juice from 2 limes
•1 tbsp fresh minced ginger
•1/2 tsp brown sugar
•1 clove garlic, minced
•1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
•salt to taste

Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Heat over low heat for a few minutes or until the peanut butter softens it up.

Serve with Chicken Satay's

Whole Wheat Pasta Dough

2009-08-31T12:44:00.001-07:00

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt

Using My Kitchenaid Mixer:

I combine all ingredients and mix with the dough hook.
Once combined enough, I process through the pasta attachment.

Alternate Method:

In a large glass bowl and with a wooden spoon mix together the flours and salt.
Make a well.
Whisk together the eggs and water, and pour into the well and begin to mix well until a ball is formed.
Turn out onto a floured board and knead for 20 turns.
5Wrap in waxed paper and let rest for 30 minutes.
Cut to manageable shape and follow directions for a manual pasta machine or roll out to desired thickness and cut to desired shape.

Apple-Walnut Salad with Honey-Balsamic Dressing

2009-08-11T19:54:00.000-07:00

1 Head Romaine Lettuce, cut in bite size pieces
1/2 Cup blueberries
1 granny smith apple, cut in bite size pieces
1/4 cup Goat cheese crumbled
1/4 cup walnuts

Layer all ingredients in a bowl, serve immediately.

Dressing:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; stir well

Chickpea Potato Curry

2009-08-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
One 14 1/2-ounce can fire-roasted or stewed tomatoes with chiles (If you can't find canned tomatoes with chiles you can add half a 4-ounce can of diced green chiles to a 14.5 ounce can of tomatoes.)
6 baby (new) Yukon Gold potatoes (about 12 ounces), cut in bite sized pieces
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Method
1. In a large pot, combine all the ingredients. Stir to mix and nestle the potatoes into the liquid.

2. Set the pot, uncovered, over medium heat. Simmer vigorously for about 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add more salt to taste. Serve the curry in bowls over Jasmine rice or with Naan bread.

Amish Starter Caramel Cake and Frosting

2009-07-07T21:33:00.001-07:00

In a bowl combine:
1 cup Amish Starter
1 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

In a separate bowl combine the following dry ingredients and mix well:
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 box instant butterscotch pudding
1/2 tsp salt

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix and pour into a well greased bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 mins - 1 hour. Cool.

Caramel Cream Frosting:

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Place 2 tablespoons sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and becomes golden brown in color. Set aside. Combine remaining 1 cup sugar, butter, and cream in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in caramelized sugar, and return to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Beat until frosting has a good spreading consistency. Pour over cooled cake.

Amish Starter Banana Chip Bread

2009-07-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

In a bowl combine:
1 cup Amish starter
1 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 mashed bananas (I use the defrosted ones from my freezer)

In a separate bowl combine the following dry ingredients and mix well:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 - (5.1 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix and pour into two well greased bread pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 mins - 1 hour.

Amish Starter Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

2009-07-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 cup poppy seeds
1package instant vanilla pudding mix
1package lemon jello mix
1 cup Amish Friendship Bread Starter
Zest of one lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:
In a large mixing bowl blend together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, poppy seeds, Jello & pudding mix. Make a well in the center of the bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix together the Amish starter, eggs, milk, applesauce, vanilla, and vegetable oil. Add to dry ingredients and blend until just combined. Pour batter into 2 greased loaf pans or 1 Bundt cake pan.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 mins - 1 hour. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove cake from pan.

OPTIONAL:

I glaze with a lemon glaze (here are the rough estimates, I stir until it is a glaze consistency and tastes not too sour)

2 tbsp or more lemon juice
1 cup icing sugar (add more to thicken)
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Amish Friendship Cinnamon Bread

2009-07-07T21:21:00.000-07:00

In a bowl combine:
1 Cup (or a bit more) Amish Starter
1 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

In a separate bowl combine the following dry ingredients and mix well:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 - (5.1 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup nuts (optional)
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix and pour into two well greased and sugared bread pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

Amish Friendship Starter

2009-07-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

This is a 10 day process to make a "sour dough" like starter for breads and cakes.

Making the starter:
Soften 1 pkg active dry yeast with 1/4 cup warm water for 10 minutes.
Stir with a wooden spoon.

In a non-metal bowl, combine:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar.
Mix, slowly adding 1 cup warm milk and the softened yeast. Cover loosely with clean cloth and leave at room temperature until bubbly.

Important Note: Don't use metal spoons or equipment. Do not refrigerate. Use only glazed ceramic or plastic bowls or containers. (I put it in a Ziploc bag and squish to stir)

Day 1:
Do nothing with the starter.
Days 2-5:
Stir with a wooden spoon.
Day 6:
Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Stir with a wooden spoon.
Days 7-9:
Stir with a wooden spoon.
Day 10:
Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Stir. Take out 3 cups and place 1 cup each into three separate plastic containers. Give one cup and a copy of this recipe to three friends.

Strawberry Cake

2009-06-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

I am always looking for good cake recipies. Something from scratch is always so much more moist and delicious.

I had to take something to Paige's preschool grad reception. I had all the ingredients for cupcakes so decided that was what I was going to make. I stumbled upon a recipe for strawberry cake, changed a few things and here is what I came up with. I added vanilla frosting and they taste great!

2 cups white sugar
1 package strawberry flavored gelatin
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs (room temperature)
2 3/4 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup milk
3/4 Cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup strawberry puree

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and dry strawberry gelatin until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. Blend in vanilla and strawberry puree.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans ot into a cupcake pan.

For the cake bake 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a small knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in their pans over a wire rack for at least 10 minutes, before tapping out to cool completely. For cupcakes bake 18-20 mins.

Sex In A Pan - THE DESSERT!!!!!

2009-06-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

CRUST:

1/2 c. butter
1 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar

Cut butter into flour and sugar. It should resemble fine crumbs. Press into 10 inch square or 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Let cool.

1ST LAYER:

2 pkgs. (250 gr. each) cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tub Cool Whip (500 ml.)

Beat sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Stir in vanilla and Cool Whip. Spread on base.

2ND LAYER:

3 c. milk
1 pkg. (6 portion size) chocolate pudding (instant)
1 pkg. (6 portion size) vanilla pudding (instant)

Mix each pudding with 1/2 of the milk. Mix until thickened. Fold two puddings together just until marbled effect. Spread over first layer.

3RD LAYER:

1 (250 ml.) Cool Whip or whipped cream
1 Chocolate bar grated

Spread Cool Whip over 2nd layer. Sprinkle with chocolate. Refrigerate until served

Grilled Pizza

2009-06-07T12:04:00.000-07:00

I watched this cooking show last night all about grilling. One of the things I have never tried was pizza on the grill. I was making lunch for my family and thought I would give it a try. It was really easy.

PREPARING THE DOUGH

You can find my dough recipe here. Once you have prepared it and let us rise, turn on your BBQ and heat to about 400 degrees.

Roll out your dough. (I divided it into four smaller pizza's since I was doing a few different kinds.)

Once BBQ is up to temperature, brush one side of dough with olive oil, place that side down right on the grill. Leave for about 2 minutes or until it bubbles and is firm enough to flip with a metal flipper. Make sure to brush with olive oil before turning over. Cook for about 2 more minutes and take it off the grill.

Load on your toppings and either return to the grill (I would turn it down to low about 250 degree) or put it in the oven at 375 until toppings are warmed and cheese is melted.

PIZZA VARIATIONS

Pesto Chicken

I spread about 1/4 cup pesto on the pizza dough
Top in order with:
1/8 cup mozza cheese
Balsamic onions (1/2 red onion, sauteed in olive oil. Add 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar when cooked).
1/8 cup Sun dried Tomatoes (drained)
1 Thinly Sliced grilled chicken breast (I grill it with basil and garlic salt)
Mozza cheese (your desired amount
1/8 cup feta

Mexican Pizza

Brush onto crust, 1 tbsp olive oil mixed with 1 Clove minced garlic
Top in order with:
1/8 cup mixed mozza and cheddar cheese
1 Thinly sliced Mexican chicken breast (2 tsp each chili powder and cumin, 1 tsp each Cayenne and paprika, mix together and coat chicken before grilling)
Mozza and cheddar cheese (as desired)
Cook

Before serving cut pizza into pieces and top with fresh salsa, sour cream and avocado slices.

Frozen Grasshopper Squares

2009-06-07T11:57:00.000-07:00

28 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, divided
1 container (1-1/2 qt.) mint-chocolate chip ice cream, softened
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
1 square BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, grated

LINE 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Crush 20 cookies; sprinkle crumbs onto bottom of prepared pan.

SPREAD ice cream evenly over crumbs in pan; top with COOL WHIP and grated chocolate.

FREEZE 3 hours. Remove from freezer 15 min. before serving. Let stand at room temperature to soften slightly. Lift dessert from pan with foil handles; cut into 16 squares. Cut remaining cookies in half; place 1 on each square.

::: from Kraft.com:::

Frosty Orange Creme Layered Dessert

2009-06-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

2 cups orange sherbet or sorbet, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

LINE 9x5-inch loaf pan with foil. Spread sherbet onto bottom of prepared pan to form even layer. Freeze 10 min.

MEANWHILE, beat cream cheese in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Gradually add condensed milk and juice, beating until blended. Gently stir in COOL WHIP. Spread over sherbet in pan.

FREEZE 3 hours. To unmold, invert pan onto plate; remove foil.

:::From Kraft What's Cooking Spring 2009

Peanut Butter & Fudge Swirl Pie

2009-05-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

1-1/4 cups OREO Baking Crumbs
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, melted
1 pkg. (250 g) PHILADELPHIA Brick Cream Cheese, softened (I use light or fat free)
1/2 cup sugar (I use Spenda)
1/4 cup KRAFT Smooth Peanut Butter
1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (I use light)
3 Tbsp. chocolate fudge dessert topping

MIX crumbs and margarine; press onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate to form crust. Beat cream cheese, sugar and peanut butter in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gently stir in Cool Whip until blended.

SPOON into crust; drizzle with fudge topping. Swirl gently with knife.

REFRIGERATE 4 hours or until firm. Refrigerate leftovers.

:::from Kraft What's Cooking Magazine:::

Low Fat Bran Muffins

2009-05-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

In a Large Bowl mix the following ingredients:
5 Cups whole Wheat flour (or a combo or white and whole wheat)
5 Tsp baking soda
1 1/2 C brown sugar
2 Cups Natural Bran
3 Cups All Bran Cereal (I use Bran flakes cereal at times too if I don't have All Bran)
Optional: I add 2-3 Tbsp of ground flax seed

In another bowl, mix together wet ingredients:
2 eggs
1 Cup Applesauce (I use unsweetened)
1/4 cup molasses
4 cups buttermilk (I use 4 cups skim milk + 4 tbsp vinegar to sour it)
1 1/2 C water

Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. I add Craisins, raisins, blueberries or other fruit at the time of baking.

Bake 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees Yields 5 dozen

You can refrigerate this mixture for weeks and make as much as you need when you need it.

Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Maple-Chipotle Sauce

2009-05-02T22:05:00.000-07:00

Pork:
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
2 teaspoons olive oil

Sauce:
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce
1/2 cup maple syrup (I use sugar free)
3 tablespoons fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Preparation
1. To prepare pork, combine first 6 ingredients; sprinkle evenly over pork. Place in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and refrigerate 3 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 375°.

3. Remove pork from bag. Place pork in a roasting pan; drizzle with oil. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in center of pork registers 155°. Remove pork from pan; cover and let stand 10 minutes.

4. To prepare sauce, remove 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from can of chiles; reserve remaining chiles and sauce for another use. Add 2 teaspoons adobo sauce, syrup, broth, and vinegar to roasting pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Place pork in pan, turning to coat. Remove pork from pan, reserving sauce in pan. Cut pork into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Strain sauce through a fine sieve into a bowl; serve with pork.

::: from Cooking Light March 2008

Steak with balsamic mushroom sauce

2009-05-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

4 Beef steaks (your desired cut)
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp pepper divided
2 tsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups sliced mushroom caps (you can mix different kinds)
1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp water
1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce

Sprinkle steaks with 1/2 of the salt and 1/2 of the pepper.

Grill steaks to desired degree of doneness.

Heat pan over medium heat. Add butter coating the pan, cook until the foam subsides (about 15 seconds). Add garlic, saute for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, 1/2 tsp thyme, remaining salt and pepper. Saute mushrooms for 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in vinegar, soy sauce and water; cook one more minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates. Top steaks.

::: recipe found in Cooking Light April 2008

Edamole

2009-05-02T21:36:00.000-07:00

3/4 cup frozen edamame, thawed & shelled
3 tablespoons water
1/2 a ripe avocado
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 garlic clove, halved

Combine all ingredients in a food processor & process until smooth.

Cover & chill. Serve with raw veggies or whole wheat pita.

Seafood Salad

2009-04-28T17:29:00.000-07:00

1 pound shrimp, cooked (I saute in 2 cloves garlic and a little butter)
Meat from 1 fresh crab or 1 tin crab meat
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
4 tablespoons fat free sour cream
1/2 cup finely diced cucumber
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup freshly snipped dill or 1-2 tsp dill weed
2 tsp anchovy paste
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Salt to taste

Place the shrimp cucumber and dill in a large mixing bowl.
Whisk together the rest of the ingredients except
the salt, and add the seafood mixture.
Toss well. Taste the salad and add salt, if needed.
Serve over romaine lettuce. Toss well and serve.

Ham & Split Pea Soup

2009-04-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

2 pkgs dried green split peas
1 ham bone and 2 cups ham chopped
16 cups water
1-2 small onions chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut up
4 carrots, chopped in small pieces
1 stalk celery, chopped in small pieces
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
3 tsp cumin

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot. Boil until peas are soft, stir often to avoid burning at the bottom of the pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer for a few hours, stirring occasionally. Remove ham bone and bay leaf before serving. Freezes really well.

Berry Crumble Phylo Dessert Pizza's

2009-03-22T20:02:00.000-07:00

1/4 C ground almonds
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 C oatmeal (ground)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 C butter
1 granny smith apple
1 C blueberries

8 phyllo sheets/leaves
1/4 C melted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a food processor, grinder or blender, grind oats and almonds. Mix in sugar and cinnamon. Cut butter into the dry mixture. Set aside.

Peel and thinly slice the apple. Rinse and dry fresh blueberries. If you are using frozen; thaw drain and pat dry.

Take 1 sheet of phyllo and lightly brush it with melted butter. Lay another sheet of phyllo over top of it and brush with butter again. Fold in half and then in half again. Using a 6 inch pot lid (the smallest in the set) press down to make an imprint on the phyllo. I then cut out the phyllo circle.

Spray baking pan with cooking spray or lightly grease it with butter. Set 4 phyllo rounds on the pan. Take 1 tbsp of oat mixture and top the phyllo round. Then divide apples and blueberries between the 4 phyllo rounds. Top with the remaining oat mixture.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until fruit is cooked and phyllo is golden brown. Cut in 4 slices with the pizza cutter and top with ice cream or cool whip. Serve warm.

Sesame Chicken

2009-03-19T16:52:00.001-07:00

3 skinless boneless chicken breasts
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. plus 1 tbsp. water, divided
2/3 c. unsweetened apple juice
4 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. ketchup
3 tbsp. dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tbsp. sliced green onion
Dash ground red pepper (I was out so I used a sprinkle of red pepper flakes)
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. sesame seeds

The Steps...

Spray a wok style pan with nonstick cooking spray and set over medium heat. (I used 2 tsp sesame oil for a better flavor)
Add chicken and cook, turning until chicken is browned on all sides, about 4-6 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl combine 1/2 cup water with the juice, soy sauce, scallion, ketchup, sugar, garlic and red pepper, mixing well. Pour into pan.

Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low.

Put chicken back into pan. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm, reserving liquid in pan .

Dissolve cornstarch in remaining water and add to liquid in pot. Cook until sauce is thickened (3-4 minutes).

Pour sauce evenly over chicken and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

I steamed broccoli and served it over rice.

Beef & Veggie Stir Fry

2009-03-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

3/4 - 1 lb steak (I use flank or sirloin), cut into slices
1/2 purple onion, sliced
2 C fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 med red pepper, cut in strips
1 Zuchinni, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced in 4
2 tsp. beef bouillon or 2 cubes
1/3 c. water
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
2 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. sugar
4 Tbsp oil, divided

Stir together soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch and sugar. Disolver bouillon in water and pour into soy sauce mixture. Set aside.

In large skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat; add garlic and cook a few seconds. Add meat and stir-fry 2 minutes (meat will be slightly pink in center). Remove meat and juices.

In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add vegetables and stir-fry 2 minutes over high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon to the edge of the skillet; add meat and juices, then bouillon mixture. Stir; cover and cook 2 minutes. Stir to serve over rice or noodles.

Char's Dill Dip & Dressing

2009-03-03T13:09:00.000-08:00

We had a number of people over for the Bachelor Finale so I made a cheese and meat tray as well as veggies and dip. We all know that veggies are only as good as the dip that goes along with them. This one is my favorite. I use it as a salad dressing as well. TD, this one is for you.

1 Cup Sour Cream
1 Cup Mayo
1 Clove garlic, minced (you can use dehydrated too if you want)
1-2 Tbsp dried dill weed (fresh is even better)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste.

Mix all the ingredients together and chill in the fridge.

Slow-Cooker Orange-BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2009-02-26T11:31:00.000-08:00

I love my "What's Cooking" magazine. It is a free publication from Kraft Foods. You can also find great recipes on their website.

This recipe comes from the magazine and is on the website. I have made it a few times. It is quick and easy; it would be great if you are having company over for dinner and you are out all day.

1 C BBQ sauce
1/4 C pure orange marmalade
3lbs boneless pork shoulder (I use 3-4 boneless pork loin chops

1/2 C miracle Whip
Sandwhich rolls, split and toasted (I use WW kaiser buns)

MIX barbecue sauce and marmalade in small bowl. Place meat in slow cooker; top with barbecue sauce mixture. Cover with lid.

COOK on LOW for 8 to 10 hours (or on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours). Remove meat from slow cooker; cut into small pieces or shred with fork. Return meat to slow cooker; stir until meat is evenly coated with the barbecue sauce mixture.

SPREAD dressing onto cut sides of buns. Fill rolls evenly with meat mixture.

:::I also grill some onions and serve that on top of the pork buns:::

I have served it over wild rice with a side of green beans, that was good too!

Sole Phyllo Packets with Dill Cream Cheese

2009-02-19T15:23:00.000-08:00

We went to dinner at friends last weekend and K&S made halibut in phyllo. It was such a great idea. The phyllo is a great flavor with fish. I had sole in the freezer, so I found a couple of recipes and combine them to make it work. I served it with asparagus and a salad.

6-8 oz (3/4 - 1 Cup) Cream cheese, Softened
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp Fresh lemon juice
8 Sole fillets
Cooking spray, butter Flavored
4 Phyllo leaves, thawed

>Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well, and set aside.
>Place 1 sheet of phyllo on a damp towel (keep remaining phyllo covered).
>Lightly coat phyllo with cooking spray; fold in half crosswise.
> Place 1 fillet on phyllo; Spread one-fourth of cheese mixture on top of the first fillet and the top with the second fillet.(I used 2 fillets so that there was some substance to the package - 1 just was not enough)
>Fold phyllo over fish; fold lengthwise edges in about 1 inch, and roll up, jellyroll fashion.
>Lightly coat phyllo packet with cooking spray; place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
>Repeat procedure with remaining phyllo, cheese mixture, and fillets.

Bake at 375F for 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter.

Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Sherry Sauce

2009-02-16T13:05:00.000-08:00

We had a friend join us for dinner so I made this. I served it with garlic mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli and cauliflower with homemade cheese sauce and a spinach salad.

Beef Tenderloin

2-3 lb beef tenderloin roast
2 tsp each thyme, seasoning salt, Montreal steak seasoning. Rub the roast or steaks with seasoning and let stand until room temp. (about an hour)

I use the convection/roast setting on my oven and roast at 400 degrees. I cook it until the internal temp is 120 degrees, that is med rare. The most important thing to remember is to let the cooked meat rest for 10-15 minutes. It will still cook in this time and the juices will settle as well.

Sherry Mushroom Sauce

2 teaspoons butter
1 1/2 cups pre-sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water

Sauce:

Melt butter in pan. Add mushrooms, shallots, and garlic to pan; saute 3 minutes. Stir in broth and sherry. Combine cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Serve with cooked beef.

Some corrections for the Morton's Chocolate Cake Recipe

2009-02-15T08:19:00.000-08:00

I posted a recipe for Morton's Signature Chocolate Cake aka Lava cakes. I just wanted to let you know that I did try them for our V Day dinner at home. They were fantastic however there are a few things that I wanted to mention.

First off, it says they make 6 servings, they actually made 12. I have ramekins that are the size of the cup in a muffin tin. So I made six of those and them used three of my smallest white corning ware dishes (maybe 4 inch) and made double portions with the rest of the batter. Next time however, I will half the recipe.

I used dark chocolate instead of semi sweet and that was really good.

Thursday night madness

2009-02-12T15:30:00.000-08:00

Thursday night is always a crazy night to get dinner on the table. My daughter has ballet that runs right over the dinner hour. Needless to say, if I am not organized prior to leaving for ballet, it is a take out night...

All week I have been craving Greek food, so here is what we had. I prepared all of this ahead of time so it was ready to put together upon our return.

Greek 'salsa'

1 red pepper - chopped
1/2 long English cucumber - chopped
1 clove garlic - minced
Olive Oil (I just dumped, but if I am guessing...) 3 TBSP
1 TBSP Greek Seasoning (I buy the big container of it at Costco)
Feta Cheese - crumbled - as much as desired

Mix all ingredients together and cover with saran and let marinade in the fridge. Serve either in a pita with hummus and chicken or alongside your souvlaki.

Souvlaki

Bamboo Skewers (about 8)
Store Bought tzatziki

3 Chicken Breasts (You can use steak, lamb or shrimp too)- cut into 1-1 1/2 inch cubes
Sea Salt (enough to lightly season chicken)
After cutting the chicken, season with the salt and let rest while you mix up the marinade.

About 4 TBSP Olive Oil
2 TBSP Lemon Juice
2 TBSP Greek Seasoning
Mix these three ingredients together in a bowl. Add salted chicken cubes and coat. Put 6 cubes onto each skewer. Place in a container or on a plate (with saran) and let them rest in the fridge until ready to cook. This will allow the flavors to really get into the chicken

Cooking them on the BBQ gives them a nice char-broiled taste. But you can cook them in the oven by broiling them. Simply place them on a broiling pan and broil at 450 degrees for about 10-15 mins (or until cooked through). I would suggest rotating them half way through to get them cooked evenly. Serve hot with tzatziki.

Pita & Hummus

Nothing fancy here... I have made my own hummus at times, but honestly, I have not found a recipe that compares to the store bought kind (let me know if you have one I can try). I cut the pita into 6 pieces and lightly cover with butter. I then heat them in the oven until butter is melted and the pita is heated through (a toaster oven works great for this). I then serve with hummus.

LEFTOVER IDEA - I use leftovers to make a stuffed pita. Simply cut open one side of the pita, spread hummus and tzatziki on the pita, add chicken and Greek salsa and close to enjoy for lunch or dinner. You can have this cold or hot. Add a bit of extra feta for some more flavor.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2009-02-10T16:37:00.000-08:00

Pizza is such a family favorite. I made this the other night when my cousin came over for dinner. It turned out really well. I made the dough around lunch time, let it rise and then added the toppings and let it rest for the afternoon. It still rose a bit, but that made the dough really nice and fluffy when we cooked it for supper. I would stress that you grease the pan, especially if you are going to leave it rest for a time. I forgot to and the crust did not get as crispy as I would have liked and it stuck in a couple of places.

Using the pizza dough recipe, roll out your dough to fit the pizza pan.

Ingredients for 1 pizza:
1/4-1/2 Cup BBQ sauce
1 cooked chicken breast - sliced
1 large Red Pepper - cut in strips or small pieces (whatever your preference)
5 or 6 small mushrooms - sliced
2 cups (or more if desired) grated Mozza Cheese (I use partly skimmed mozza)
OPTIONAL - grilled onions

Spread BBQ sauce over the dough, arrange chicken, red pepper mushrooms and onions (optional) over the BBQ sauce. Top with cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 mins.

Pizza Dough

2009-02-10T12:35:00.000-08:00

1 package dried yeast (1½ tsp or 8ml)
1/2 tsp sugar
1½ cup lukewarm water
3½ cups flour (I use a mixture of whole wheat 2.5 Cup and buckwheat 1 Cup - however next time I would only use WW)
2 TBSP Italian seasoning (optional)
1½ tsp salt
1 large egg - beaten
olive oil

Sprinkle yeast and sugar into warm water and stir together. Let rest for 10 minutes until mixture starts to bubble.

In the meantime, combine flour, salt and Italian seasoning in large bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in yeast mixture and beaten egg. I use my Kitchenaid mixer with the dough hook to mix and kneed the dough into a ball.

You can use your hands too, just gradually work in the flour to make a dough.
Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead thoroughly until smooth and elastic -at least 5 minutes. Limit your flour , just use enough so the dough will not stick to the counter.

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn dough around so that it becomes covered with oil. Then cover with a clean cloth and allow to rise for 45 mins or doubled in size.

Divide the dough in half and roll out to fit two pizza pans. Make sure you grease the pizza pans or your crust will stick after it has cooked. Top with desired sauce and toppings; cook at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cooked all the way through.

Valentine's Day Entertaining

2009-02-10T10:08:00.000-08:00

Please note that I have posted an update on this recipe here

With Valentines Day just around the corner, I thought it would be an idea to look for some Valentine-y treats. I have not tried this recipe yet, but I thought that they sounded really good. I think I will add it to our dinner on V Day.

V Day is usually spent at home. I find litle romance in a crowded restaurant. I would rather spend evryday day celebrating my love; I mean I don't love my hubby any more on Feb 14th. Not to say that we don't celebrate though... So on the actual day, I usually make a special dinner for my hubby kids and at times friends, in the comfort of our home.

I found this here

Morton’s Signature Hot Chocolate Cake
SERVES 6

Recipe
Unsalted butter and granulated sugar, to grease ramekins
1-1/2 cups/ 375ml unsalted butter, at room temperature
12 ounces/375 g bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 large egg yolks
7 large eggs
1-1/2 cups/375 ml confectioners sugar
3/4 cup/ 175 ml all purpose flour
18 fresh raspberries
Vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Generously butter six 6-ounce ramekins and sprinkle each with granulated sugar. Tap out excess sugar.
In the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate together. Remove the top of the double boiler pan from the heat.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and set on low speed, beat the egg yolks and eggs for about 2 minutes, or until light and smooth. With the mixer running, pour the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl and mix for about 2 minutes longer.

Put the confectioners' sugar and flour in a fine mesh sieve and sprinkle into the chocolate mixture. With the mixer on medium speed, beat for 30 seconds, or until well mixed.

Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins cups, leaving about 1/4 inch (5 mm) of space below the rim. Set the soufflé cups on a baking sheet and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until puffed and about 1 inch higher than the rim. The centers will be soft but not sticky.

Remove the cakes from the oven and immediately invert each onto a serving plate. Remove the cup and garnish each plate with three raspberries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Chicken Corn Chowder

2009-02-09T21:56:00.000-08:00

I have made this one for many years. It is an adaptaition of a number of recipes. It is comfort food for a cool evening. I made it this evening for a group of friends. We coupled it with caesar salad and garlic bread.

4 chicken breasts cubed and cooked.
4 strips bacon cut into pieces - fried up (I use Turkey bacon)

1/2 Large Cooking Onion Chopped
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 Cloves Garlic - Minced
Fry together until tender

2 Large Potatoes - peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
4 Carrots - peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp sage
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cajun Seasoning to taste
1 litre chicken stock (4 Cups)
Add cooked chicken and bacon
Add to the onion mixture and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes and carrots are tender.

3 Cups Milk (I use skim to cut the calories and fat)
2 Cups frozen corn
Add to the stock mixture and bring to a boil

4 tbsp flour and 4 tbsp water. Mix together in a container with a lid and shake until there are no lumps. Add it to the soup to thicken. Serve hot.

Blender Hollandaise Sauce

2009-02-05T11:05:00.000-08:00

This is one that I got from the 'Best Of Bridge' cookbooks. I use it often, over asparagus, eggs Benedict and other dishes.

1 Cup butter
In a pan melt and bring to a boil. DO NOT brown.

4 egg YOKES
1/4 tsp each of salt, sugar, Tabasco & dry mustard
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Mix all ingredients together in the blender. Add melted butter a little at a time while blending at a low speed.

Serve hot.

You can reheat this in a pan to use later.

Plantation Supper

2009-02-04T22:35:00.000-08:00

1 lb ground beef
1 Onion, Chopped
Fry beef and onion together until cooked

Cook Pasta of your choice (I like whole wheat rigatoni for this one)

1 Can mushroom soup (fat free is fine)
3/4 Cup of milk (skim is fine)
1 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1 8oz pkg cream cheese (light or fat free are fine)
1 Cup corn (canned or frozen)
Add all ingredients to the cooked beef mixture and stir until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.

Pour beef mixture over cooked, drained pasta and serve. I add a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and some fresh ground pepper to finished it off. Serve with a salad.

Salmon Pie

2009-01-31T13:02:00.000-08:00

Need a quick and easy dinner full of protein...here it is.

3 Cups grated cheddar cheese
1 Can Salmon (I use tuna as well)
1 Cup Bisquick
2 Cups Milk
4 Eggs
1 tsp seasoning salt

Mix all ingredients together and bake in a pie plate for 20-30 mins at 400 degrees

Italian & Maple Chicken Marinade

2009-01-25T16:20:00.000-08:00

I tried this marinade for an outdoor birthday party that we had for about 30 people, last summer. I used to to marinade chicken breast for BBQ-ing. It is sweet and savory, which makes it loved by all.

I have even tried as a marinade for grilled shrimp. Another alternative is to pour it over chicken or pork and bake it in the oven and serve the remaining liquid over rice.

1 Cup Italian Dressing
1/4 Cup honey
1/4 Cup Maple syrup(I use sugar free)
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp dijon Mustard
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Mix well and marinade (overnight for best results) in the refridgerator.

Mesa Chicken Salad

2009-01-20T19:13:00.000-08:00

In a bowl prepare a head of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped. Set aside for later.

3-4 chicken breasts cubed
2 tbsp taco seasoning.
Sprinkle 2 tbsp taco seasoning over the chicken and cook in a frying pan. Set aside to cool

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups corn
1 large red pepper, cubed into small pieces
1/2 purple onion chopped into small pieces
1 avocado, cut into small pieces
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Add chicken
combine together in a bowl

Dressing:
1 Cup salsa
1 Cup ranch dressing
4 tbsp taco seasoning

Plate lettuce and bean/chicken mixture on individual plates, add desired amount of dressing to taste.

Cream Corn

2009-01-13T10:05:00.000-08:00

This is by no means a low fat recipe but it has become a quick favorite at our family gatherings. It has been added as a side dish for our traditional Christmas Dinner.

5 cups frozen corn (let stand at room temp for about 30 mins)
1 cup whip cream*
1/2 cup milk*
1 tsp salt
6 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
add all these ingredients together and bring to a boil

Mix 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp flour together. Stir into the corn mixture, simmer to thicken. Serve hot.

* or 1 1/2 cups half and half

Sechwan Green Beans

2009-01-10T21:57:00.000-08:00

4 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
4 cloves finely chopped fresh garlic
saute together for 2 mins

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
add to above and cook for one more minute

2 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp brown sugar (or sugar substitute)
3 Tbsp Oyster sauce
add to ginger and garlic and cook until thick.

Add green beans (about 2 cups)***

***If using frozen beans, rinse to thaw. If you use fresh, Blanche them first

Entertaining My Way

2009-01-09T21:42:00.000-08:00

I love to entertain, I love to cook. However there are many days when I open the freezer door and the thought washed over me "What am I going to make for dinner?" I have tried several times to make 'cook books' or record my meal plans, all without much success. What I do ok with is blogging; this is number three (crazy I know).

So I had this thought, maybe if I record my recipies here, when I hit that wall of "what shall I make?", I can come here and remind myself of some of the things I like to create for my family and friends.

So there it is - the premise for this blog. For now, this is a simple journal of some of the things I love to cook and a reminder of what I enjoy to serve others.