Elizabeth's Dutch Oven

Sweet and Sour Cocktail Meatballs

2012-02-01T11:09:00.002-06:00

Meatballs are the perfect thing for a superbowl party. I basically just took my recipe for Cocktail Wieners and put Meatballs in place of the Wiennies. It was delicious as suspected.

Sweet and Sour Cocktail Meatballs
From: Eet Smakelijk
Prep time: 5 min
Cook Time: 20 min in pan, 2 hours in crockpot on low

Ingredients:
bag of frozen precooked meatballs
Grape jelly (12 oz jar)
2 jars Chili sauce

Directions:
1. Heat Jelly and Chili sauce and bring to a boil.

2. Add meatballs and simmer for 20 min. (all can be done in slow cooker if desired)

Sticky Fingers Wrap

2012-01-28T17:44:00.001-06:00

Sometimes I'm just looking for a quick lunch/dinner that I don't have to plan ahead to far. This recipe is just that. A tasty quick meal when you don't feel like slaving over a huge meal.

Sticky Fingers Wrap
From: Life as a Lofthouse
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 20 min

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp Franks original Hot Sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp water
8 breaded chicken fingers (I bought a bag of frozen ones)
flour tortillas
shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tomato, chopped
Lettuce

Directions:
1. If using frozen chicken fingers, start by baking them according to package directions.

2. In a medium saucepan heat the hot sauce, brown sugar and water over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and sauce is heated thoroughly. About 5-10 min.

3. Place cooked chicken fingers in a large Tupperware. Pour in the sauce - seal shut with lid and shake to coat all chicken fingers with sauce. (I actually just put the chicken in the pan with the sauce to save on cleaning another dish.)

4. Place two sauce - coated chicken fingers onto the tortilla. Add desired amount of cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and any other desired toppings. Wrap and serve. Can serve with ranch for dipping.

Kit Kat Cracker Bars

2012-01-24T16:37:00.000-06:00

Bill and I both like Kit Kats so I was drawn to this recipe. The people who commented on the recipe on Tasty Kitchen said they thought the bars were really good but that they didn't taste like Kit Kats. I have to agree, they are very delicious - additively so, but they don't taste very similar to Kit Kats. Bill said he liked them and thought they tasted very similar to Scotcheroos. I think that next time I will cut down on the butterscotch chips or maybe cut them out all together if I don't happen to have them at home.

Kit Kat Bars
From: Chloe from Tasty Kitchen
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 30 min

Ingredients:
2 sticks Butter
1/2 cup Milk
1 Cup Milk
1/2 cups white Sugar
2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 box (16oz) Club Crackers
1 cup Chocolate Chips
1 cup Butterscotch Chips
2/3 cups Peanut Butter

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add milk, brown sugar, and white sugar. Bring that to a boil and add graham cracker crumbs. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5-6 minutes.

2. Put a layer of Club crackers on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Pour half of the graham cracker mixture over that. Add another layer of crackers, then the other half of the graham cracker mix, followed by a third layer of crackers.

3. Melt chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter. Use to frost the bars by spreading it evenly over the top layer. Chill. Cut

Corn Ooh La La

2012-01-21T15:44:00.000-06:00

These pictures do not do it justice, and please excuse the rim of the container, I guess I forgot to wipe down the edges before I cooked it!

A Coworker of mine told me about this recipe she makes at all their Holiday dinners. Since I'm a sucker for corn, I decided I would make it for our Christmas Eve dinner. It was quite tasty, perfect comfort food! Although I think next time (and there will be a next time) I will let it cook a little bit longer so it gets just a bit more crispy!

Corn Ooh La La
From: Renee
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 30 min

Ingredients:
3 cans corn
1 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp green onion
2 Tbsp Green Pepper
4-8 strips of Bacon, chopped
2 Tbsp Butter
Parsley (for garnish)

Directions:
1. Saute Bacon, green onion, and green pepper.

2. Add butter and flour, mix. Then add sour cream. Mix, then add corn. Stir until all mixed.

3. Place in a large baking dish. Place in oven at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until it looks crispy and not watery. Garnish with bacon and parsley if desired.

Taco Corn Bread Casserole

2012-01-17T13:01:00.001-06:00

A Mexican casserole that includes corn bread? Sign me up! This was very easy to make and was very good comfort food! I did the meat a little bit different because she had already prepared taco meat and I didn't (my changes are in the recipe below), but I think it turned out great!

Taco Corn Bread Casserole
From: Debbie Does Dinner (via Pinterest)
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 35 min

Ingredients:
1 package corn bread mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1/3 cup salsa
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup sour cream, light
1 cup shredded cheese - I used Mexican 4 cheese
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 can black olives, sliced (optional)
1 avocado, cubed (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the corn bread, egg and milk until blended. Spread into an 8x8 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

2. While corn bread is baking, brown taco meat. Add taco seasonings, 1/2 cup of water and salsa and black beans. Let simmer until corn bread is done baking. Add more salsa if desired.

3. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, 3/4 cup cheese, and onion. When corn bread is done baking take out of oven and spread meat mixture over bread, then spread sour cream mixture over beef.

4. Put dish back in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with tomato, lettuce, cheese, and olives and avocado if desired.

Baked Avocado Fries

2012-01-14T10:46:00.002-06:00

I saw these on Pinterest and since I love avocado, I was intrigued. The only reason I took so long to make them is I wasn't sure if they would be as good as an avocado is by itself. Then when I made them, turns out I was right, to me it wasn't worth wasting an avocado. I still wanted to post this though because I think some people would absolutely LOVE these even though I didn't. I'm more of a purist with avocado and I feel like the Panko is too overpowering for me. I'll stick with Oven Baked Pickle Fries instead!

Baked Avocado Fries
From: More than Mary via Pinterest
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min

Ingredients:
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cup panko
2 firm-ripe medium avocados, pitted, peeled, and sliced into 1/2 in. wedges
grated Parmesan for serving (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Coat avocado slices into the flour, then egg, then panko. Shake off extra and then place on cookie sheet. Spray the top of the wedges with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, then bake for about 20 minutes at 450 or until they are golden brown. Top will Parmesan if desired.

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

2012-01-10T17:27:00.002-06:00

This is another Pinterest Recipe (what did I do before Pinterest!) that was originally from Food and Wine. This was really easy to make, although I used a bunch of pans. I ended up cooking some chicken to cut and go with this because Bill always says my veggie pasta dishes can always use chicken. This was really lite and super delicious. I really liked the flavor or the oven roasted asparagus with pasta. I preferred it without chicken and Bill liked it with Chicken. I will definitely make this again!

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter
From: Food and Wine via Pinterest
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 15 min

Ingredients:
1 lb asparagus
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 pound butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Take the ends off the asparagus and cut into 1 inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the oil and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Cook the penne according to directions on box. drain pasta.

3. Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 Tbsp remain. Stir in brown sugar and remaining 1/4 tsp pepper. Remove from heat.

4. Toss pasta with butter, vinegar, asparagus, Parmesan and remaining 1 3/4 tsp salt. Serve with additional Parmesan.

Baked Pickle Fries

2012-01-07T21:07:00.000-06:00

Lately I have been loving fried pickles and when I saw this recipe I knew I had to make them especially since I had everything in the house and could use some of the pickles I canned this fall. They turned out great and I added a little bit of hot sauce to some ranch dressing for dipping. While I do like these for an easy and healthier version of fried pickles, nothing beats a true fried pickle. :)

Baked Pickle Fries
From: Healthy Tipping Point
Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook time: 20 Min

Ingredients:
1 jar of pickles
1 egg (beaten)
Dill (I didn't use this)
1 cup panko crumbs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In food processor combine panko crumbs and dill unless well-mixed. pour onto plate (I omitted this step)

3. Dip slice of pickle in egg then coat in crumbs. Place pickle on greased cookie sheet. Repeat.

4. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, flip and bake for 5 more minutes until golden brown.

Black Bean Patties with Corn Relish and Avocado Cream Sauce

2012-01-03T20:09:00.001-06:00

I saw this and knew I had to make it ASAP. Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients and directions, it actually comes together pretty easily and is soooo good! This recipe makes 10 patties, so I cut it in half for us and it was perfect.

Black Bean Patties with Corn Relish and Avocado Cream Sauce
From: Pennies on a Platter
Time: 40-45 min
Serves: 4-5 (makes 10 patties)

Ingredients:
For Black Bean Patties:
2 (14 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 roasted red bell peppers from a jar
2 eggs
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
2 cloves garlic
1/2 chipotle in adobo sauce
1 red onion, finely diced
1/2 - 2/3 cup Panko (or cornmeal or breadcrumbs)
salt & pepper to taste
canola oil

For Avocado Cream Sauce:
1 Avocado, pitted
1/2 cup sour cream (can use light)
Juice of 1 lime
salt & pepper to taste

For Corn Relish:
2 tsp canola oil
2 cups corn
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 jalapeno, minced
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. I the bowl of a food processor fitted with blade, process 1 can black beans, 1 roasted red pepper, eggs, oregano, cumin, garlic, and chipotle pepper until smooth. Add the onion and pulse to combine. Add the additional can of beans and the other roasted red pepper, then pulse a e more times until combined, but not completely smooth.

2. Pour black bean mixture into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Stir in 1/2 cup panko. Stir until combined, then mix in more as needed to form a firm mixture that is the consistency of ground meat and can be rolled into a ball between your hands. Cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. While Black bean mixture is chilling, clean food processor and puree all avocado cream sauce ingredients until smooth. Scrape sides of bowl as necessary. Set aside until ready to use. Chop tomato, jalapeno, garlic, and cilantro to get ready for corn relish

4. Remove black bean mixture from fridge and shape into 3 inch patties. Heat canola oil in a large non-stick skillet. Cook patties in batches over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, flipping once.

5. While patties are cooking, heat canola oil in skillet. Add corn and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and jalapenos and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients.

6. To serve, top cooked patties with corn-relish and avocado cream sauce. Serve immediately.

Eggs Benedict/ Hollandaise Sauce

2011-12-30T08:13:00.001-06:00

Eggs Benedict always looks and sounds so delicious while at the same time it scares me a little bit. The thought of the Hollandaise weirds me out a little bit, mainly because of all that butter and that if done wrong it can scramble the egg yolks. But I decided I had some time over the Christmas weekend so I gave it a shot. It came out delicious! and the timing wasn't nearly as difficult as I expected.

I did add a slice of tomato on each one and used deli ham instead of Canadian Bacon because I didn't have any and it was divine. I think I might try to do one with asparagus soon. mmmm so many combinations - why have I waited so long!

Eggs Benedict/Hollandaise Sauce
From: Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
2 English Muffins
4 slices Canadian Bacon
4 Whole Eggs & 3 Egg Yolks
2 Sticks Butter
1 Whole Lemon, Juiced
Cayenne Pepper to Taste
(Makes 4 English muffin halves)

Directions:
1. Boil water. While the water is coming to a boil toast English muffins in Toaster or broiler. Can broil the ham with the muffins.

2. When water boils use either an egg poaching pan (which I don't have) or swirl water with a spoon in regular pan and drop in eggs (I slide them out of a ramekin to help the process). Cook eggs for about 2 1/2 - 3 minutes.

3. Melt 2 sticks(!) of butter until melted and sizzling but not boiling/burning. Separate 3 egg yolks and place them in the blender. Blend yolks together and then with the blender on low, SLOWLY pour in hot butter into the blender in a thin stream. When butter is gone, immediately begin adding lemon juice into blender. Then add Cayenne pepper (I didn't add very much, but will try adding more next time).

4. Place English muffins on the plate face up, layer on Canadian bacon (or ham) on each half. Then I added a slice of tomato on top of the ham. Place egg on top and then top with a generous helping of Hollandaise sauce.

Honeymoon Bacon

2011-12-27T10:42:00.000-06:00

I tried several new recipes over Christmas, some turned out fantastic, like this Honeymoon Bacon, and some turned out horrible (like a crockpot oatmeal I tried).

I have to be honest, I don't LOVE bacon like so many people do (like my brother David). I know there is a huge bacon craze going on right now, but I just can't get fully on board... mainly because sometimes the smell of bacon grease makes my stomach turn, but David has made us this honeymoon bacon several times and I loved it despite my weird aversion to bacon.

I decided to give this a try over the Holiday weekend since I decided to try a bunch of new recipes. It was so easy - just as delicious as I remembered! It is sweet and salty with a little bit of spice from the red pepper flakes. And since the bacon is baked it didn't make the whole house smell like bacon grease! I'm going to have to start making this more often - is everyday too often? Thanks Dave!

Honeymoon Bacon
From: David

Ingredients
Bacon
Brown Sugar
Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with foil. Place bacon on foil and put brown sugar over each strip of bacon, then sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

2. Cook bacon for 20-30 min. Place in broiler for 1-2 min if you like bacon crispy. Serve.

Rudolph Cake Pops

2011-12-19T15:00:00.001-06:00

After making the Pumpkin Cake Pops for Halloween, I knew I wanted to try some for Christmas. I found this version on Pinterest. They seemed simple enough so I did my rendition of them. I think they turned out quite cute (although I had a hard time taking a picture of them in the plastic bags). I'm sure if I had more patience they would have turned out a little more uniformed.

Rudolph Cake Pops
From: adapted from Bakerella

Ingredients:
Cake Mix (and eggs and oil according to directions)
One can frosting
1 lb milk chocolate candy melting wafers
Red m&ms
black food safe markers
sucker sticks
light brown pipe cleaners (I cut mine in half)

Directions:
1. Bake cake according to directions in 9x13 pan. Let cool completely.

2. Crumble cake very small into large bowl. Add about 2/3 can of frosting and mix together with hands until evenly moist. May need to add a little more frosting if needed, but should not be overly moist.

3. Shape mixture into balls and place on wax paper on a cookie sheet. Refrigerate for an hour or freeze for at least 15 min.

4. Melt the milk chocolate wafers. Dip end of sucker stick in melted candy coating and then into the cake ball. place back on cookie sheet and repeat with rest of balls (this part helps keeps the stick in the cake ball).

5. Then dip each ball in the melted wafers and tap lightly to remove excess candy coating. Place bake on the cookie sheet and gently pus a red m&m to the front of the ball.

6. After candy coating has hardened, draw on eyes food safe markers. Place each cake ball in a small clear bag and tie with pipe cleaners and mold into antlers.

Breakfast To Go

2011-12-15T08:29:00.001-06:00

I usually just bring a hard boiled egg to work for breakfast (yes as my friends pointed out, I'm 'that girl' that brings and egg and stinks up the office), but occasionally I mix it up and make smoothies before work. Until I get sick of the mess I have to clean up with the smoothies. And every once in a while I want to branch out from my 2 old standby weekday breakfasts. This one caught my eye a while back on Tasty Kitchen. I really enjoy the heartiness of these and the mixture of a bunch of different items. These are a great fall back when I'm in a rut for breakfast ideas!

Breakfast To Go
From: matthewsfam via Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 cup Fat Free Milk
1 Pinch salt
1/2 cup dry Whole-wheat Couscous
Frozen Mixed Berries
12 oz, weigh vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup granola

Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, bring milk and salt just to boiling stir in couscous. Reduce heat and let stand, covered, or 5 minutes.

2. Divide couscous among six plastic cups or to-go containers with lids. Top each with frozen berries and yogurt.

3. Cover and chill overnight. Top with granola before serving.

Scotcheroos

2011-12-12T08:25:00.000-06:00

I made Scotcheroos a couple weeks ago and couldn't believe I hadn't posted them yet. These are a family favorite and are perfect for the upcoming holidays!

Scotcheroos
From: My Mom

Ingredients:
1 cup white Karo Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups rice crispies
6 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
6 oz Butterscotch chips

Directions:
1. In a large pot add Karo Syrup, Sugar, and peanut butter. Turn heat to medium high and stir until bubbly.

2. Once bubbling, remove from heat and stir in rice crispies until all Rice Crispies are covered. Spread into 9x13 inch pan

3. Heat Chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in the microwave at 30 second intervals until melted. Spread over rice crispy mixture. Let stand until bars have cooled. Cut and serve.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

2011-12-08T08:00:00.002-06:00

I've had bacon wrapped dates at several friends' houses and always wanted to try them. I made them a couple weeks ago and they were so easy and delicious. They would be a great app for a holiday party!

Bacon Wrapped Dates
From: Elizabeth

Ingredients:
Pitted dates
Parmesan cheese
Bacon (cut each slice in thirds)

Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Place foil on a cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray.

2. Cut a slit in each date. Stuff with Parmesan and wrap a piece of bacon around each one. Secure with a toothpick and place on pan.

3. Place in the oven for 5 minutes and flip. Then cook for 243 minutes more until bacon is at desired crispiness.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

2011-12-05T08:46:00.002-06:00

This is a smoothie that Bill and I will make for breakfast sometimes. We do different variations of this, but this is the base of both of them.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie
From: Elizabeth

Ingredients:
Orange juice
Vanilla Yogurt
Frozen (or fresh) strawberries
1 banana
ground flax seed
3-4 ice cubes

Directions:

1. Add 3 large spoonfuls of vanilla yogurt and 1-2 cups of orange juice to the blender. Add 1 banana, 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries (or fresh if you have them), 1 Tbsp ground flax seed, and 3-4 ice cubes to blender and blend all together until smooth.

Slow Cooker Creamy Tacos

2011-12-01T09:00:00.000-06:00

I'm a fool for anything Mexican, and slow cooker tacos are right in my wheelhouse. I loved that I could take 5 minutes in the morning, and when I got home I just got out the tortillas and toppings and was ready for dinner. I had been wanting to try the Philadelphia cooking creme, and was glad to try it out. The Santa Fe flavor was delish, but I may try using a different kind of tomatoes next time... maybe Rotel?

Slow Cooker Creamy Tacos
From: A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients:
2 Lb chicken breast (mine were frozen)
1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted tomatoes
1 (10 oz) container Philadelphia cooking creme - Santa Fe flavor
tortillas and taco fixins
Optional add ins: 1 cup frozen corn, 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)

Directions:
1. Place chicken in a 4 quart slow cooker. Add the entire can of tomatoes. Scrape out all the cooking creme and add to slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours (mine was more like 9-10). Shred chicken with a fork, stir well and serve in tortillas with toppings.

Buffalo Crock Pot Chicken

2011-11-28T09:00:00.001-06:00

My friends Nate and Darren gave me this recipe last spring. It is really easy and quite delicious. I'm really glad they gave me this recipe, I just wish I tried it sooner!

Buffalo Crock Pot Chicken
From: Nate Van Heest

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 bottle of buffalo wings sauce
1 packet of dry Ranch seasoning mix
Hoagie Rolls
Sliced Provolone if desired

Directions:
1. Place chicken in crock pot and sprinkle ranch packet and pour wing sauce over chicken. Reserve some of the wing sauce for later. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (longer if using frozen chicken).

2. When finished cooking, pull apart with 2 forks. Then serve on rolls (or I had mine over a salad). Top with reserved sing sauce if desired. We also topped with some banana peppers.

The Whole Enchilada Chicken Soup

2011-11-25T16:08:00.000-06:00

This is another recipe from Hungry girl that my sister-in-law introduced me to. I was skeptical at first because it includes a can of pumpkin, but it turns out that it is a perfect hint to the soup. This soup is super easy and is quite tasty (man do I need to get some more adjectives besides tasty, yummy, and delicious!). It is great for the cool winter months slowly starting to descend on us her in Chicago - plus, in my book you can't go wrong with anything with a hint of Mexican!

The Whole Enchilada Chicken Soup
From: Hungry Girl

Ingredients:
3 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup diced sweet yellow onion
3 cups green enchilada sauce
1 can 15oz can pure pumpkin
10oz cooked boneless skinless lean chicken breast, chopped and shredded
1 cup frozen corn
optional toppings: shredded fat-free cheddar cheese, crushed baked tortilla chips

Directions:
1. In a large pot, bring broth to a low boil on the stove. Add celery and onion, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until slightly tender.

2. Stir in enchilada sauce and pumpkin. Once soup returns to a low boil, add chicken and corn, and mix well. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, until soup is heated throughout.

3. Add a dash or more hot sauce if desired. Serve and, if you like, top with shredded cheese and/or crushed chips

Black Bean Soup

2011-11-17T08:08:00.003-06:00

I love black beans but had never made black bean soup. I finally made this one I saw on Ashley's blog and it was so good, I could eat it every day (or at least once a week). It was so simple, that I just might. I didn't even need anything with it - although Bill had a sandwich with it.

Black Bean Soup
From: Ashley

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped (I used a small can of green chiles because I didn't have a jalapeno)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
dash of cayenne
2 (15oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups beef broth
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeno and garlic and cook until soft, about five minutes. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and cayenne.

2. Add beans and broth and simmer for fifteen minutes.

3. Use hand blender to puree soup about halfway (or remove 1 1/2 cups of the soup and puree in a blender then return to pot.

4. Remove from the heat and stir in lime juice. Ladle into individual bowls and add a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with Tortilla chips.

Crock Pot Korean Beef Tacos

2011-11-14T08:43:00.003-06:00

Bill had some Korean Tacos when we were at Brownstone Tavern last week and really liked them. So when this recipe showed up on Stephanie's blog, I knew I had to try them. These were so easy and really good. I pre-cut all my veggies to make it super easy in the morning. We also cut it in half since there was only two of is, and it gave us dinner and leftovers for 2 days worth of lunches.

Crock Pot Korean Beef Tacos
From: A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients:
3-4 lb beef roast (I used Chuck Roast) - cut off all fat on edges)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 head garlic (peeled but cloves in tact
1/2 onion, diced
1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sesame Oil
1 Whole jalapeno, diced

Directions:
1. Put all ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8-10.

2. Shred beef and serve on tortillas with cabbage.

*** She suggested mixing 1 bag shredded cabbage (coleslaw mix with 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and 2 Tbsp rice vinegar). I made it once with the dressing and once with plain cabbage, and liked both, but will probably just do the plain cabbage since it is easier and tastes just as good!. :)

Caprese Quinoa

2011-11-10T08:27:00.001-06:00

In September (yes I realize I'm posting this way late), I bought a ton of heirloom tomatoes when I was at the farmers market in my hometown in Michigan because they were $2.99 a pound. A POUND! 'Round these parts the are more than twice that when they are in season. After I had made several rounds of my favorite salad I thought I would try something new. I already had all of the ingredients for this in the house, so I knew it was meant to be. I didn't end up doing the infused basil oil Jessica called for, but I still think it was great. I served it with butternut squash soup and it was a great Meatless Monday (although I think it was actually a Thursday).

Caprese Quinoa
From: How Sweet It Is

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
16 oz container of grape tomatoes, quartered
3/4 cup fresh mozzarella pearls cut in half
10 large basil leaves, cut into ribbons
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar

Directions:
1. Prepare quinoa according to directions on box (which is most likely: 2 cups water + 1 cup quinoa, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 min).

2. Depending on whether you want your quinoa hot or cold either let it cool completely or immediately add in the tomatoes, cheese, basil, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Layered Tex-Mex Taco Salad

2011-11-07T09:16:00.001-06:00

I have never been a traditional layered salad fan. Straight up mayo over top of peas and lettuce, not really my thing. However, when I saw this layered tex-mex taco salad, I was intrigued. I had to bring a salad for an event at church and thought I would give it a shot, and figured, hey, if it is no good, at least I'm not stuck with the whole thing myself. Turns out it is really tasty! the whole thing got eaten up and I even had two servings. I feel like it tastes like a layered taco dip, just with more lettuce so it is healthy. I recommend it.

I do apologize for 2 things though. One, I layered all wrong. The cheese should be under the dressing layer. Two, I had to add the avocado right before serving, so I cut it and added it while at church, so the only pictures I have of it are what Bill took on his phone with horrible lighting - so the pictures aren't even as good as my normally mediocre pictures.

Layered Tex-Mex Taco Salad
From: Kraft Recipes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayo or miracle whip
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 Tbsp Taco Seasoning Mix
1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed
6 cups coarsely chopped iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup sliced red onions
1 1/2 cups Mexican style finely shredded four cheese
1 cup tomatoes chopped
1 avocado
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro

Directions:
1. Mix first 3 ingredients until well blended.

2. Layer beans, lettuce, onions, cheese and tomatoes in large bowl.

3. Spread dressing mixture over salad. Refridgerate 2 hours.

4. Chop avocado; spoon over salad just before serving and sprinkle with cilantro

Easy Acorn Squash

2011-11-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

This is one of the dishes I remember my mom making every fall. I reminds me of home when I make it and having something sweet (especially a vegetable) is always a huge plus. I'm so glad that so many foods and smells remind me of home and growing up with my family.

Easy Acorn Squash
From: My Mom

Ingredients:
1 Acorn Squash
1-2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp Brown sugar
Maple syrup (optional)

Directions:
1. Cut squash in half, remove seeds and gunk. Place in glass dish with cut side up with 1/4 - 1/2 inch of water in the bottom.

2. Microwave on high for 4 1/2 minutes, check, rotate, and microwave for 4 1/2 minutes more or until fork goes through easily.

3. Add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp Brown sugar to the squash cavity and drizzle with maple syrup. microwave for 1 minutes more until butter is melted and serve.

Crock-Pot Baked Apples

2011-10-31T07:28:00.003-05:00

This just sounded so good and easy that I knew I had to try it this fall. They taste like an apple pie without the crust! It was very easy, delicious, and made the house smell great! I highly recommend trying them - it will warm you up on a cold Halloween night! Happy Halloween!

Crock-Pot Baked Apples
From: Skinny Chef

Ingredients:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
2 Tbs butter
1 tsp cinnamon
6 Gala or Macintosh apples, cored
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
2 Tbs orange liquor (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat a large crock-pot on high heat. In a bowl, mix brown sugar, walnuts, butter, and cinnamon.

2. Fill apples with the filling and place them in the crock-pot. Pour in the apple juice/cider and liquor if using it.

3. Cover and cook 2 1/2 - 3 hours on high heat until the apples are soft and begin to collapse.

Fried Apples

2011-10-26T08:13:00.003-05:00

My soon to be sister-in-law sent me this recipe and it sounded so good. The recipe suggests serving with pork or with breakfast, but we just had them as a snack and they were delicious. Soft and sweet but not overly sweet with a great tart apple flavor! I cut it in half for us and it still made a lot, although that didn't stop us from eating every last bite!

Fried Apples
From: Natalie Walten

Ingredients:
8 Granny Smith Apples, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Directions:
1. Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir to coat apples.

2. Saute 15-20 min, or until apples are tender.

Pumpkin Cake Pops

2011-10-23T19:25:00.001-05:00

I've been wanting to try cake pops for a long time and I thought pumpkins might be the easiest to start with. These were quite easy, although time consuming. They were also really delicious. They would be perfect for a Halloween party - although I just made them to give to my family and friends. I may have to try to make them at Christmas if I come up with a Christmas themed one as easy as the pumpkins to make.

Pumpkin Cake Pops
From: Bakerella and others

Ingredients:
Cake Mix (and eggs and oil according to directions)
One can frosting
1 lb orange candy melting wafers
Green apple tic tacs
black food safe markers
sucker sticks (my Hobby Lobby was all out so I used straws)
Styrofoam block

Directions:
1. Bake cake according to directions in 9x13 pan. Let cool completely.

2. Crumble cake very small into large bowl. Add about 2/3 can of frosting and mix together with hands until evenly moist. May need to add a little more frosting if needed, but should not be overly moist.

3. Shape mixture into balls and place on wax paper on a cookie sheet. Refrigerate for an hour or freeze for at least 15 min.

4. Melt the orange wafers. Dip end of sucker stick in melted candy coating and then into the cake ball. place back on cookie sheet and repeat with rest of balls (this part helps keeps the stick in the cake ball).

5. Then dip each ball in the melted wafers and tap lightly to remove excess candy coating. Lightly push one tic tac in the top of the cake ball. Then stick into styrofoam block.

6. After candy coating has hardened, draw on Jack-o-lantern face with food safe markers (If you don't have food safe markers you could just make pumpkins instead of jack-o-lanterns.

Butternut Squash Soup

2011-10-18T09:01:00.003-05:00

I love fall soups so I knew I had to try this recipe when my Cooks Illustrated came this fall. At first I was a little skeptical about microwaving the squash instead of roasting it, but the soup turned out soooo good (and faster than roasting it)! It had fantastic flavor and made a big pot of creamy goodness even though didn't have any cream or milk. I only wish my pictures were better of it. I guess that is as good as it gets when I take pictures of my food in my kitchen with no windows, at night, with a point and shoot camera that my dog recently chewed up! But believe me, this soup is fantastic!

Butternut Squash Soup
From: Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pound butternut squash (about one whole squash) peeled, seeded, and cut into 2 inch chunks
2 Tbsp butter
1 leek, white and light green parts only, quartered lengthwise, sliced thin, and washed thoroughly
4 cups vegetable broth
1-2 cups water
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
pinch cayenne pepper
sour cream

Directions:
1. Place squash in bowl, cover, and microwave until paring knife glides easily through flesh, 14-18 minutes, stirring halfway through. Carefully transfer squash to colander set in bowl (squash will be very hot) and drain for 5 minutes; reserve liquid.

2. Melt butter in dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash, leek, and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until squash pieces begin to break down and brown fond forms in bottom of pot, 10-13 minutes.

3. Add 2 cups broth and scrape bottom of pot to loosen and dissolve fond. Add remaining 2 cups broth, reserve squash liquid, 1 cup water, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and cayenne. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until leeks are fully tender, 6-7 minutes.

4. Remove and discard bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Working in batches, process soup blender until smooth 1- 2 minutes (or use your immersion blender like I did). Return soup to pot and bring to simmer, thinning with up to 1 cup water to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste; serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Slow Cooker Mexican Black Beans

2011-10-12T22:03:00.001-05:00

I'm always looking for more ways to cook black beans and using a slow cooker to cook them while I'm at work is right up my alley. I really liked the different flavors of this dish, the tomatoes and spices really added a little extra something to the beans. This would be perfect for a family, but it made a TON for only 2 people. I ended up freezing some of it, and hopefully they will be just as good frozen as they were fresh.

Slow Cooker Mexican Black Beans
From: A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients:
1 lb bag black beans
6 cups Chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
5-6 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with or without chilis
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Chili powder

Directions:
1. Soak beans overnight and drain. Put drained beans into 6 quart slow cooker, then add chopped garlic, broth, tomatoes, cumin, and chili powder. Stir well to combine.

2. Cover and cook on low for at least 8 hours (mine ended up cooking for about 11 hours). Serve alone or with rice or tacos.

Mexican Baked Eggs

2011-10-08T08:00:00.002-05:00

If you couldn't tell by now, I love Mexican food. When I saw these eggs at Closet Cooking I immediately looked in my pantry and had almost everything so I made it with what I had. And it was fantastic! I did overcook the eggs a little bit so I will have to perfect that the next time (and there will be a next time). Below is the variation of the recipe I used based on what I had in the house, which I found to be perfect!

Mexican Baked Eggs
From: Closet Cooking and Kalyns Kitchen
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chipotle chili powder (I used Chili powder)
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
1 can rotel (or diced tomatoes with chiles)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp oregano
1 handful cilantro, chopped
4 -6 eggs
1/4 - 1/2 cup grated cheese

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat

2. Add onions and saute until tender

3. Add the garlic, cumin, chipotle chili powder, and jalapeno saute until fragrant, about one minute.

4. Add tomatoes and black beans and bring to a boil Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 10-20 min.

5. Remove from heat and stir in cliantro. Place half of mixture into one or more baking dishes sprayed with cooking spray, top with the eggs and spoon the remaining mixture around the eggs.

6. Bake in preheated 350 oven until the eggs just start to set, about 5-8 minutes.

7. Top with the cheese and broil until it melts, no more than a minute or so. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Banana Bread

2011-10-05T09:18:00.000-05:00

Growing up, my mom made the best banana bread. It is one of the few breads I enjoy eating. I also like that I have all the ingredients in the house anytime I have a couple of overripe bananas!

Banana Bread
From: Mom

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine (softened)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
3 ripe bananas

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time.

2. In food processor blend milk and bananas together

3. Stir in vanilla, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt alternately with banana misture.

4. Grease ad flour loaf pan and pour mixture into pan. Bake for 1 hour or until wooden pick instered in center comes out clean.

Baby Back Ribs

2011-10-02T13:49:00.002-05:00

I have a really good ribs recipe that I like, but unfortunately you have to have a lot of time on your hands to make it. So I looked for a recipe that would at least cut the time in half. This recipe got rave reviews on All Recipes so I gave it a try when my parents were in town. My mom helped me with diner and they were very good and not very complicated. Bill, my parents, father-in-law, and sister-in-law all liked them! I will definitely make them again!

Baby Back Ribs
From: All Recipes

Ingredients:
3 lbs Pork Back Ribs, cut into serving size pieces
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp liquid smoke flavoring

Directions:
1. Place Ribs into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium and simmer until tender, about 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, stir the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, salt, and liquid smoke in a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring frequently until thickened, about 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 400 line baking sheet with foil.

4. Drain the ribs and place meaty-side-up onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush ribs with half of the barbeque sauce. Cook until sauce has turned sticky and lightly browned about 7-10 minutes. Turn ribs over and brush with remaining sauce. Continue to bake until sauce has turned sticky, about 7-10 more minutes.

Gratineed Tomatoes with Asiago and Fresh Herbs

2011-09-27T09:10:00.000-05:00

As I previously mentioned, my mother-in-law has had a huge crop of tomatoes this year. One of the recipes I tried with them is this one. It is so simple and a great summer/fall side dish. I have made this several times. Surprisingly I have only taken one picture of them, and that was on Bill's phone. I guess I have been so excited to eat them every time that I haven't had time to think about taking a picture. They are pretty good to say the least.

Gratineed Tomatoes with Asiago (or Parmesan) and Fresh Herbs
From: The Bitten Word

Ingredients:
Olive Oil
3 medium beefsteak tomatoes, sliked 1/4 inch thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely grates Asiago cheese (I used Parmesan Cheese)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp coarsely chopped fresh thyme

Direction:
1. Turn on broil in oven. Lightly oil baking dish. Arrange the tomato slices in the baking dish in a single, slightly overlapping layer. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, thyme, 2 tsp. olive oil, a pinch of salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over the tomatoes.

3. Broil until the breadcrumbs are a deep golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Drizzle with more olive oil and serve immediately.

Savory Creamed Corn

2011-09-24T08:19:00.000-05:00

I love corn in any way shape or form so most easy corn recipes catch my eye and this one was no different. It was easy, tasty, and I got to use fresh corm and fresh basil. Very tasty! I would definitely make this again and might even try a little spice to it to make it a little like Elote

Savory Creamed Corn
From: Kraft Family

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp butter
4 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 8 ears)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

Directions:
1. Heat butter in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add corn and cook 6 min., stirring frequently.

2. Stir in sour cream; cook and stir 3 min. or until heated through.

3. Remove fro heat; stir in cheese and basil.

Dill Pickles

2011-09-21T16:40:00.001-05:00

Since I was going to do the bread and butter pickles I figured I may as well try my hand at Dill pickles as well. These were very easy to do, however I have no idea if they will be any good since you have to wait 4-6 weeks until you open them. I will have to update it when I open them. The recipe called for grape leaves, but I didn't have any so I did it without them. I also did one jar that has jalapenos in it, so I hope those turn out well!

Dill Pickles
From: Insightful Nana

Ingredients:
1 peck of pickles (at room temperature)
1 gallon of white vinegar
fresh dill
Alum
Salt (not iodized or it will make it cloudy, but still tasty)
1 clove of garlic for each bottle

Directions:
1. Mix 1 quart vinegar, 3 quarts water, and 1 cup salt and bring to boil, then turn down heat.

2. In each sterilized and warm place one peeled garlic clove, 1 pinch of alum, and several stems of dill.

3. Place in a large frying pan with boiling water and let the steam come up around them. (make sure lids and rims are in a little pan of water boiling and sterilizing.

4. Fill one jar with vinegar solution (leave 1/4 - 1/2 inch head room at the top). Wipe top of jar with clean cloth, place lid on jar and then tighten rim and set bottle aside. Repeat until all are filled.

5. Leave on the counter for at least 24 hours. Then store for 4-6 weeks before opening. Any jars that don't seal can be stored in the fridge but use them first.

Bread and Butter Pickles

2011-09-18T15:40:00.000-05:00

My mom told me she made some bread and butter pickles earlier this summer. I tasted them, and I was so jealous and knew I wanted to try it myself ASAP. So I got her recipe and stole some of her jars and set aside some time to make my own. I got a bunch of pickles from the farmers market and decided to also make some dill pickles (that recipe to come). It was very easy and all of my jars sealed! I love hearing the popping noise after canning, makes me feel like a job well done.

Bread and Butter Pickles
From: My Mom

Ingredients:
6 qts. sliced pickles
3 medium onions, sliced
1 cup salt
9 cups cold water
3 pts. vinegar
6 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 tsp alum
1 Tbs tumeric
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp celery seed

Directions:
1. Slice pickles and onion. Mix salt and cold water together and pour over pickles and onions. Let sit 3 hours in refrigerator.

2. Sterilize jars, lids and rings, either in dishwasher or pot of boiling water.

3. In a large pot combine vinegar, sugar, alum, tumeric, mustard seed, and celery seed. Drain pickles and onions and add to pot. Heat mixture, but do not boil

4. Take one heated jar, fill with pickle and onion mixture, bringing liquid up to 1/2 in from top. Seal with sterilized lid and screw ring on tightly. Leave on Counter 24 hours before moving to a cool dry place.

Caprese Salad

2011-09-15T08:30:00.001-05:00

Another recipe for all the tomatoes that have been growing! I love Caprese in any way shape or form, but I like this one because it is nice and bite sized.

I learned how to make a balsamic glaze at my cooking class and I will definitely try that on my next caprese salad, because it tasted even better!

Caprese Salad
From: Elizabeth

Ingredients:
Cherry or grape tomatoes
Fresh Mozzarella Balls (small)
Fresh Basil, chopped
Sea Salt and pepper
Olive Oil
Balsamic vinegar (or balsamic vinegar reduction)

Directions:
1. Cut tomatoes and mozzarella in half (or quarters). Place in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add Basil and drizzle with olive oil and Balsamic vinegar (or glaze).

- To make balsamic glaze/reduction heat balsamic vinegar and reduce by half. Keeps for 1-2 months.

- I've also recently fell in love with this Alaea Sea Salt from Whole Spice when we were visiting my brother in California. It is fantastic especially on tomatoes!

Artichoke & Roasted Red Pepper Linguine

2011-09-13T07:30:00.001-05:00

At the farmers market recently I bought some homemade pasta. I bought a couple kinds and both came with recipes. This is the first one I tried. I think it would be delicious with regular Linguine as well. Bill and I both really liked it, but Bill said (like he does with all veggie pasta dishes I make) that it would be better with chicken. I do agree though, chicken would be a delicious add!

Artichoke and Roasted Red Pepper Linguine
From: Pasta Pappone

Ingredients:
12 - 16 oz Artichoke Linguine Pasta (or plain Linguine)
2 cups artichoke hearts
1 cup roasted red bell peppers
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp dill

Directions:
Can use roasted peppers in a jar, but if you want to make your own roasted peppers like I did, place the whole peppers on a cookie sheet and bake them at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, or until charred on all sides (turning halfway through). Then place in a paper bag to cool for at least 15 minutes. Then gently remove skin by sliding off. Cut off tops and de-seed.

1. Boil pasta according to instructions

2. In Saute pan, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil and add artichoke hearts and bell peppers. Saute on high heat for 2 minutes. Reduce heat

3. Add lemon juice, dill, and heavy cream. Heat until cream starts to boil. Add cheese and stir thoroughly to mix.

4. When water is boiling, add pasta and cook to package directions. When al-dente, strain and toss with sauce. Serve piping hot with additional parmesan cheese.

Rustic Italian Cooking Class

2011-09-11T09:20:00.007-05:00

Last week I went to a cooking class at Olives 4 You for Rustic Italian Cooking (found it through Groupon). It was a great experience. The chef was born in France, but his grandmother lived in Italy and taught him traditional Italian cooking. It was an absolutely fantastic meal and I learned a lot of little technique hints in addition to the recipes. One thing I learned is that Alfredo sauce is not actually a cream sauce. It consists of only butter, Parmesan and pasta water. And it was fantastic. Of course with that much butter and cheese why wouldn't it be. Here is a quick look at what he made and we ate (some don't have great presentation since most were just serving size for each person).

Caprese Salad (left) & Pan Seared Wrapped mozzarella with sun-dried tomato Bruschetta (right)

Ravioli Florentina with Crema Rosa Wine Sauce

(loved the egg yoke that broke into the sauce once cut open... not sure if I could actually make this work at home)

Traditional Fettuccini Alfredo

Sauteed Chicken Scallopini in Marsala wine sauce

Tiramisu

Roasted Tomato Soup

2011-09-07T14:30:00.001-05:00

My Mother-in-law has a lot of tomato plants which have been producing a LOT of tomatoes this year and she has been kindly sharing them with me so I have been trying a lot of different tomato recipes. I also received an immersion blender from my Mom for my birthday - so the logical thing to make is tomato soup! I looked at a couple recipes, but didn't love any of them, so just kind of did my own thing. I really liked how it turned out and will definitely make it again. It was great with grilled cheese on a cool late summer/early fall evening.

Roasted Tomato Soup
From: Elizabeth

Ingredients:
3 lbs of Tomatoes (I used a mixture of beefsteak and cherry)
3 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/4 cup onions, sliced
5-6 sprigs fresh Thyme
1/2 - 1 tsp Italian seasonings
5-6 leaves fresh basil
5-6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut tomatoes in half (or quarters if they are large) and squeeze out some of the seeds. Lay out on cookie sheet with cut side up. Place garlic and onion slices in between the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, thyme and Italian seasonings.

2. Roast tomatoes for 30 minutes, removing the garlic around 20 minutes if getting soft. After 30 minutes place tomatoes and garlic (after unpeeling) in a large pot. Add chicken broth and blend tomato mixture into the broth with immersion blender. I made mine quite smooth but next time might try it with leaving some tomato chunks in. If you don't have an immersion blender you can use the food processor before adding the tomatoes to the pot.

3. Heat soup and let simmer for 20 minutes. Season with Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in basil and cream and turn off heat.

Southwestern Tossed Salad/Dip

2011-09-05T17:02:00.000-05:00

A blog I read called Boo Mama occasionally hosts a Diptacular - in which everyone can share links to their favorite dips. She usually does this right around football season to get (and give) some ideas for dips. This one is the first one I tried this year and I'm sure there will be many more to follow from this site because they all look so good! This is one Boo Mama shared and it was very fresh, light, and delicious. I tried it both as a dip and a salad and I liked it better as a dip, but my in-laws preferred it as a salad. So it is great as both!

*** This picture is missing several ingredients... I guess I wasn't thinking before I took the picture.

Southwestern Tossed Salad/Dip
From: Boo Mama

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh, frozen, or canned corn kernels
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2-3 roma tomatoes, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado, diced
4 ounces of feta or cotija cheese, crumbled (I used tomato & basil feta because boo mama suggested it)

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp grated lime zest (about 1 - 1 1/2 limes)
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1 - 1 1/2 limes)
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Combine all of the dressing ingredients and set aside.

2. Combine the salad ingredients (all except avocado) and pour the dressing over it. Marinate in refrigerator for several hours (up to overnight). Add avocado right before serving. Serve as salad or with tortilla chips as a dip.

Blackened Tilapia with Mango Salsa

2011-08-31T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is another nice light fish recipe we got from Men's Health. It called for Snapper, but I opted for Tilapia because that is what I happened to have. I like that it has avocado, lime, and cilantro to give it a bit of a latin flavor and it includes mango for some sweetness. Even better... that it is EASY. And it went really great with a side of Chilean Rice!

Blackened Tilapia with Mango Salsa
From: Men's Health

Ingredients:

2 Tilapia fillets

1 Mango (Peeled and cubed)
1 ripe avocado (cubed)

Juice of 1 lime

1 Tbsp blackening spices

1/4 cup minced onion (I might try red onion next time)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

salt and pepper

olive Oil

Directions:

1. Combine the mango avocado, lime juice, onion and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper

2. Preheat a large saute pan over high heat and add enough oil to coat.

3. Rub the fillets with enough of the blackening spice to thoroughly cover each side.

4. When the oil is hot, carefully add the fillets to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side (until a nice, dark crust has developed - fish is done when it flakes easily with light pressure from your finger)

5. Top each fillet with the mango salsa.

Mexican Bean and Tortilla Pie

2011-08-29T10:37:00.003-05:00

*** Please excuse the photo quality. These were taken a long time ago and the lighting is horrific***

My dad gave me a cookbook a while back that had a compilation of recipes from the town I grew up in. One of the first ones that appealed to me was the Mexican Bean and Tortilla Pia... a Mexican dish... shocking I know, something new for me. I have to be honest. I made this a long time ago and forgot all about that I hadn't posted it until I came across pictures of the dish. If memory serves, it was quite tasty and I will need to make it again asap to ensure it is just as delicious as I remember (and maybe take some better pictures).

Mexican Bean and Tortilla Pie
From: More Mentoring Masterpieces

Ingredients:
1 cup canned tomato sauce
3/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
5 medium corn tortillas (6")
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained, rinsed and mashed
1 (8oz) can chopped green chiles
1/2 cup low-fat cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine tomato sauce, salsa, cilantro, chili powder and cumin in a small bowl.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook each tortilla 1 minute, turning once, until lightly toasted.

4. Spoon 1/4 cup of tomato sauce mixture on on bottom of 9 inch pie plate. Top with a tortilla and 1/4 cup more sauce. Spread with 1/2 cup mashed beans. Top with 2 Tbsp green chiles and 1 Tbsp cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients to corm 3 more layers.

5. Top with remaining tortilla, sauce and cheese. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

6. Uncover and bake 5 minutes, until heated through and sauce is bubbling around edges. Cut into 6 wedges and serve with sour cream and avocados.

Italian Baked Salmon

2011-08-24T13:00:00.000-05:00

This is a really easy Salmon recipe I got from my mom. It is nice and light and citrisy - great for a summer evening. I usually do it in the oven, but it would be great in some foil on the grill as well!

Italian Baked Salmon
From: My Mom

Ingredients:
2-4 (8oz) Salmon Fillets
1 (7oz) packaged dry Italian Style dressing mix
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter 9x13 pan

2. Combine Italian dressing mix, water, and lemon juice.

3. Arrange salmon in a single layer on pan. Pour dressing mix over Salmon. Top with sliced mushrooms.

4. Bake covered for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes basting occasionally with cooking liquids.

Pickled Beets

2011-08-03T07:05:00.000-05:00

I have been getting beets from the farmer's market a lot lately so I decided to try this recipe for Pickled Beets from Ashley. Her recipe called for canned beets, but I figured fresh ones would be even better. These will really tasty.. I've since made them several times.

Pickled Beets
From: Ashley

Ingredients:
2 cans sliced beets, drained - or use fresh and boiled beets, peeled and sliced
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
dash caraway seeds
3 whole cloves
1 whole white onion, sliced very thin

Directions:
1. If using fresh beets - boil, peel, and sliced

2. Boil the vinegar and sugar in a saucepan for five minutes. Pour over beets and add in the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. cover and let marinate overnight. Serve

Stellatini

2011-07-29T15:56:00.002-05:00

Last week, my sister, Carrie, and nephews were in town and while they were here I decided to host a Stella and Dot party. Carrie is a Stella and Dot stylist and it was so much fun to have friends over and try on all her jewelry (and of course buy some for myself!). She also suggested we make a batch of 'Stellatinis' for the party. We made a big pitcher of it and they turned out to be a really refreshing and light drink - perfect for an especially HOT week in Chicago. Everyone said they were really tasty! I will definitely make this again and thought it would be fitting to post it today since it is my 30th birthday and this is a great drink to celebrate it with! Enjoy!

Stellatini
From: Carrie

Ingredients:
1 jug Pink Lemonade (or Strawberry Lemonade)
1 1/2 - 2 cups sprite
1 1/2 - 2 cups Vodka

Directions:
1. Mix Lemonade, Sprite, and vodka. Serve with lemon for garnish, and if desired add sugar around the rim of the glass.

Easy Brown Sugar Baked Carrots

2011-07-22T09:20:00.000-05:00

I like carrots, but I feel like other than eating them raw in salads or with dip, I never really know what to do with them. When we recently visited my brother he made carrots (and summer squash) like this recipe below and they were really good. Sweet, but not overly sweet and cooked perfectly (I hate mushy carrots). I have made them this way twice since then and I think it is safe to say this is my preferred method of making carrots now.

NOTE: you can substitute Olive oil instead of Butter but you will not get as good of a glaze at the end.

Easy Brown Sugar Baked Carrots
From: David

Ingredients:
Carrots
Brown Sugar
1 - 2 Tbsp Butter
Salt to taste

Directions:
1. Clean Carrots and cut into desired size sticks. Place on cookie sheet and cut 1 Tbsp into small chunks and place on Carrots. Sprinkle with salt and brown sugar.

2. Bake at 350 for 20 - 25 minutes depending on carrot size. Remove from oven and turn oven to broil. Add remaining Tbsp butter (cut into small chunks) and sprinkle again with desired amount of brown sugar to make it as sweet as you would like. Broil for 3-5 minutes until carrots have a nice glaze. Removed from oven and serve.

Mustard & Brown Sugar Salmon Glaze

2011-07-19T07:20:00.000-05:00

My mom gave me this recipe. It is a simple glaze for salmon and it is really yummy! I will definitely be making this again and again, especially because I always have the ingredients for the glaze in the house. Thanks mom!

(ignore the thyme pictured here - I did not use it)

Mustard and Brown Sugar Salmon Glaze
From: Mom

Ingredients:
Dijon Mustard
Brown sugar
Dill
Salmon

Directions:
1. Brush Salmon with Dijon Mustard and sprinkle with brown sugar and dill.

2. Broil for 8-10 minutes. Serve.

Roasted Figs with Honey

2011-07-16T17:20:00.002-05:00

I found some figs at the farmer's market last week, and even though figs aren't really native to IL, I figured I would give them a try. I ate some of them raw, but wanted to cook up some as well to go with the cheeses we bought. I found a bunch online, but since this is the only one that I had all the ingredients for in the house, it won. It was delicious... but I feel like I can never go wrong with a cheese plate.

Roasted Figs with Honey
From: The Kitchen

Ingredients:
(I cut this in half)
1 pint fresh figs
1/3 cup honey
4 large sprigs fresh rosemary or Thyme
Fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 375. Wash and stem the figs. Slice in half (or quarters like I did) and arrange cut side up in a baking dish. Drizzle the honey over top and cut the sprigs in half and tuck between the figs. Grind fresh pepper over everything.

2. Roast for about 10 - 15 minutes, or until the honey is just being to get dark and caramelized. The figs should not be too soft - you need to be able to pick them up with your fingers. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle the juices and honey left in the baking dish over the figs.

As a side note - the cheeses below is one called Campo De Montalban... it was fantastic. one of our new favorites.

Poppy Seed Bread

2011-07-07T21:59:00.000-05:00

Here's a secret... I don't really like most bread. I know it isn't a well kept secret since I have mentioned it a few times. I usually only serve bread when we have company (much to Bill's dismay). But one bread I do like is Lemon Poppy Seed. When I saw Ashley's recipe for Poppy Seed Bread I knew I wanted to give it a try. I have actually been wanting to try this for a while but since it makes 2 loafs I wanted to make it when we were having a gathering of people, so I waited to make it for a bridal shower my mom and I hosted in May. It doesn't have lemon in it but it was still delish and the glaze was perfect (and surprisingly easier than the ingredients look). I may try adding lemon next time though - I think it would be spectacular.

Poppy Seed Bread

From: Ashley's Cooking Adventures

Ingredients:

For the Bread

1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla flavoring (I used my homemade vanilla extract)
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring
1 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds

For the Glaze
1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream oil and sugar together in an stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer. Add eggs and mix well. Mix the vanilla, almond, and butter with the milk. In a small bowl mix flour, salt, and baking soda.

2. Alternately add in milk and dry ingredients to the sugar/egg mixture. Mix well after each addition. Add in poppy seeds and mix.

3. Pour into 2 large greased and floured bead pans.

4. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes. While baking make the glaze by whisking all ingredients together. After removing bread from the oven, punch holes in the top with a fork. Pour glaze over bread and let sit for at least 20 minutes.

5. Remove from bread pans. Slice and serve.

Chicken Marinade

2011-06-30T21:44:00.001-05:00

I made this marinade tonight and it was perfect - flavorful and juicy but not overbearing.Plus I had all the ingredients at my house. It is great for the grill or oven (we baked it this time, but will be trying it on the grill next time for sure! Would be perfect for a summertime BBQ! I have been looking for a go-to marinade for chicken and this is now it.

Note: I did follow some readers suggestions and cut out the salt. The soy sauce had plenty of salt for us.

Chicken Marinade
From: Allrecipes

Ingredients:
1 - 1 1/2 lb chicken breasts
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp minced fresh parsley (or can use dried)

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix together oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and lemon juice. Stir in mustard powder, salt, pepper and parsley.

2. Marinate chicken a couple hours up to over night (I put my chicken in the marinade in the morning before work). The longer you marinate, the more flavor it will have.

3. Grill or bake as desired and discard marinade (I baked ours at 350 for 35 min).

Parmesan Baked Artichokes

2011-06-20T08:31:00.002-05:00

When I saw this recipe on How Sweet It Is it reminded me of my mom's artichoke dip recipe. Since I love that dip, I was pretty sure I would like this recipe especially as a side. It was really easy and if you like artichokes it is a must try!

I realized when I was posting these that I haven't ever posted my mom's artichoke dip... I can hardly believe it. I make this all the time with lots of variations so I will have to post this soon!

Parmesan Baked Artichokes
From: How Sweet It Is

Ingredients:
1 14oz can artichokes in water, drained
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning (I only used about 1/2 Tbsp)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 oz freshly shaved parmesan

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375. Layer artichokes in a baking dish. Drizzle olive oil on top. Season with salt, garlic and Italian seasoning. Add Bread Crumbs and 1/4 cup Parmesan on top.

2. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove artichokes from oven and turn on broiler. Top with shaved parmesan and broil for 1-2 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown.

Asparagus Soup

2011-06-13T21:01:00.000-05:00

I love asparagus in the spring and I like to make this soup at least once during asparagus season. This time it was a little more thin than normal, but still absolutely delicious.

You may have noticed I haven't been posting as much - although some of you probably don't think I post much anyway or didn't even notice! There are several reasons for this. One, I'm in between laptops right now. Two, I'm very busy lately (as usually at this time of year), and three I am going to try to spend less time on the computer when I'm not at work. So I will probably posting less at least for a while.

Asparagus Soup
From: Joan DeWilde
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. chopped leeks (about 3)

2 lbs asparagus - cleaned and cut up, tips separate
3 cans chicken broth
1 c. half & half
2 Tbs butter
Lemon

Directions:
1. Saute leeks in butter until translucent, add asparagus (except tips) and broth.

2. Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Blanch tips in boiling water for 1 minute and cool, reserving water.

3. Puree simmered ingredients in blender or with electric hand blender. Add 1 c. half & half and heat. May add reserved water to blender or after to desired consistency. Give a good squeeze of lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste.

4. When serving sprinkle reserved tips on top of bowl.

Mozzarella, Tomato and Avocado Salad

2011-05-31T08:00:00.001-05:00

My mom recently gave me pots of basil, cilantro, parsley, and thyme and I have been itching to find just the right recipe to use them in for the first time. When I saw this recipe posted on Ashley's blog, I new I would be making it as soon as possible.

I made it for our Memorial Day celebration and it was a great cool salad to have on a 90 degree day here in Chicago. About half the people ate it as a salad on its own, and half put it on slices of bread, and it was great both ways!

Mozzarella, Tomato and Avocado Salad

From: Ashley

Ingredients:

1 container cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quartered if large

1 carton fresh mozzarella cheese pearls, drained (cut in half if desired)

1 avocado, peeled and diced

1/3 cup basil, julienned

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Baguette - optional

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and parsley. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl whisk the lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper. Pour over tomato mixture. Toss to coat.

3. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

4. Just before serving stir in the chopped avocado. Serve with a slotted spoon and bread.

Orange/Lemon Julius

2011-05-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

When I was younger I use to get Orange Julius often, but I haven't had it in a long time. When I saw this recipe to make it myself I knew I had to give it a try. I also made it with Lemon (which is what these pictures are of) both were good, but makes quite a bit so make sure you have someone to share with you!

Orange/Lemon Julius
From: shirleyelizabeth via Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
3/4 can concentrated orange juice (or lemon juice)
1/3 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups milk
8 cups ice
Top with whipped cream if desired

Directions:
1. Combine the concentrate, sugar, vanilla, and milk in blender.

2. Add the ice and blend to desired consistency. Pour into cups and stop with whipped cream if desired.

Buffalo Chicken Burger

2011-05-22T19:55:00.000-05:00

Bill really likes burgers, but I tend to get sick of having the same thing all the time, so when I saw this recipe I knew we needed to give it a try. It was so easy and delicious so it will definitely be making it into our burger rotation on a regular basis!

Buffalo Chicken Burgers
From: How Sweet It Is

Ingredients:
1 lb ground chicken breast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 Tbp Italian Seasoning
1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Cheddar Cheese
Ranch dressing and buffalo wing sauce for topping
Whole wheat buns

Directions:
1. Preheat grill or skillet. In a large bowl combine ground chicken, salt, pepper, italian seasoning, parmesan and buffalo wing sauce. Mix until just combined. Combine into patties

2. Grill or pan fry patties until brown on both sides and cooked through, about 8-10 min. In the last 2 minutes, place 1/2 oz of cheddar cheese on each burger (I used shredded because that is all we had in the house). Place burgers on buns and top with ranch and/or buffalo wing sauce.

Hot & Sweet Drumsticks

2011-05-11T09:48:00.000-05:00

I saw this recipe on Tasty Kitchen and it looked so easy and tasty that I knew I had to try it. They turned out great! Next time I might do a little less of the apricot preserves because while I loved how sweet they were, it was a little too sweet for Bill. Also, be ready to have lots of napkins (or wet wipes) they are very sticky! :) I will definitely be making these again!

Hot and Sweet Drumsticks
From: Terri Via Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup Ketchup
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
2 tsp Minced Garlic
2 tsp Hot Pepper sauce
3 lbs. Drumsticks (about 12)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 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.

2. Arrange drumsticks in a single layer on a 13 x 9" pan that is covered in foil. Pour sauce over drumsticks, turning to coat. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until chicken is done, spooning sauce over drumsticks while baking.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

2011-05-07T19:09:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone who commented and are now followers! Since I'm not all high tech, I wrote everyone's names on slips of paper and put them in a bowl....

and the winner is... Jacquelyn Bos! Congrats! I will ship you the gift card asap!

Jacquelyn said...: Congratulations on 3 years! I would have to agree with you on the salad and another one of my favorites is the Mexican Lasagna!

See below for the video of picking the winner... (thanks to my computer savy husband!)

On a side note - I ran my first 5k today and am very proud of myself since I am NOT a runner! :)

3 Year Blogiversary and Giveaway!

2011-05-03T08:15:00.007-05:00

(Above is My absolute favorite salad - so glad tomato season is coming soon!)

I can hardly believe it has been 3 years since I started by blog! I'm so glad to have a place to organize my recipes, try new recipes, and share them with others. I will never claim to be a chef, just someone who loves food, loves to cook, and can read a recipe! Thanks to everyone who reads, comments, or tells me personally what they have made and liked (or didn't like!).

Unfortunately, the computer I usually do all of my posting from is DEAD, so I don't have easy access to most of my pictures. So instead of sharing a new recipe today, I'm taking a look back at all my posts in the last three years and sharing links to some of my favorite recipes.

GIVEAWAY
As you can tell from the title I am doing a give away to celebrate! This is not sponsored by anyone other than myself, but I wanted to give one lucky reader a token of my appreciation: a $25 gift card to Williams-Sonoma.

2 Ways to Enter:
1. Look through the recipes (doesn't have to be from my list of favorites) and leave a comment on THIS post telling me which recipe looks good to you or just say hello!

2. Click on the right and follow me. If you already follow me you are already entered in the giveaway!

Rules: 1 comment per person, no entries after 9 pm CST May 6th, and the winner will be randomly selected... good luck!

My Favorite Recipes:

Appetizers: Guacamole, Pickle Wraps, Tortilla Roll Ups, Not Your Average Rotel

Soup/Salad: My Favorite Salad, Asian Noodle Salad, Mimi's Chili

Breakfast: Huevos Rancheros, Fruity Baked Oatmeal

Dessert: Chocolate Eclair Dessert, Peppermint Pie, English Trifle

Mexican: Fish Tacos, Southwest Bake, Mexican Lasagna , Vegetable Pizzaz, Chicken Tacos

Sides/Veggies: Rice and Black Beans (a staple at our house), Party Potatoes, Killer Marinated Tomatoes, Kale Chips, Any type of Risotto

Entrees: BBQ Ribs, Pulled Chicken BBQ, Fish in a Bag, Poor Man's Lobster, Turkey Burgers, Turkey Lettuce Wraps, Spinach and Artichoke Pasta, Chicken Turnovers, Spicy Chicken Peanut Noodles, Stromboli, Picadillo

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

2011-04-26T08:23:00.001-05:00

My sister-in-law Olga introduced me to the Year of Slow Cooking blog (which has a lot more than just one year) and I'm a little addicted. I bookmarked about 15 different recipes. Although a lot of them only require cooking time of 4-5 hours which doesn't work for me since I'm gone all day, so I may have to adjust some.

This recipe is a mix of my new love for Crock Pot meals and an my ever present love for Mexican food! With this recipe, all you have to do when you get home is cook up some rice - or not, if you want to make it low carb or are just too lazy to cook up rice! I also served it with sour cream, additional salsa, and tortillas in case anyone wanted to make a taco.

I really liked that I could use frozen chicken for this recipe since I hardly ever think so far ahead as to defrost the chicken ahead of time. In my case it was almost better that it was frozen because it cooked for closer to 10 1/2 hours since I'm was at work all day. Also, if you use chicken breast (like I did) make sure to add extra salsa (at least 1/2 cup) so the chicken doesn't dry out.

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
From: A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients:
6-9 Chicken thighs or 2-3 chicken breasts
1 can rinsed black beans
1 1/2 - 2 cups chunky salsa
1 cup frozen corn

Directions:
1. Put your chicken in the crock pot, Top with black beans, salsa, and corn.

2. Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours. Cooking time will vary depending on whether or not your chicken is frozen, and how big the pieces are.

Vegetarian Black Bean Burritos

2011-04-22T08:38:00.001-05:00

I saw this recipe on Ashley's Blog a while back and knew I wanted to try it because I love anything with black beans. Also, I like to find recipes that are vegetarian but will be enough that Bill will be satisfied with it as a full meal. These are definitely filling, have great flavor and they make a LOT, but they were a little heavy for me even using 1/3 less fat cream cheese. I think next time I might try using less cream cheese to lighten it up a little.

Vegetarian Black Bean Burritos
From: Ashley and All Recipes

Ingredients:
6 (10 inch) Tortillas
Olive Oil
2 small onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
3 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp jalapeno peppers, minced
8 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Place onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapenos in the skillet and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour beans into the skillet and cook for 3 minutes, stirring.

2. Cut the cream cheese into cubes and add to skillet with salt. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir cilantro into mixture.

3. Spoon mixture evenly down center of warmed tortilla and garnish as desired with salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese or avocado. Serve immediately.

Rosemary Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2011-04-19T09:23:00.000-05:00

I love sweet potatoes but Bill doesn't love them as much as I do so when he was gone for a couple weeks this winter I mainly had meals of all vegetables and tried out this recipe. I really enjoyed the sweetness of the potatoes with the mix of spices. I also didn't think I would like the honey on them but it really added a nice flavor. I liked these a lot and they are so simple, I pretty much have all the ingredients in the house. I will have to make them again and see if I can get Bill to like them as much as I do.

Rosemary Roasted Sweet Potatoes
From: the country cook via Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
2 Whole Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 Inch Rounds
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
1//2 tsp Chili Pepper
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Directions:
1. In a bowl, toss all ingredients together until well coated. Place sweet potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet covered in foil and coated with cooking spray. Place in cold oven. Turn oven to 425 degrees and cook for 30 minutes.

2. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and remove the top layer of foil. Place it back in the oven and cook for 10-25 more minutes, or until the bottoms of the potatoes are golden.

3. Serve drizzled with honey if desired.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2011-04-16T09:19:00.001-05:00

When we had a blizzard here in Chicago back in February I wanted to make cookies but I was hoping to make them at least a little healthy so I tried out this recipe. They were really good, although I'm convinced my oven cooks hotter than it reads and my cookies ended up a little over done, but were still really good especially on a snowy day.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
From: All Recipes

Ingredients:
2/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 (6oz) package Dried Cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or Chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well.

3. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.

4. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken

2011-04-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

I've been venturing into the world of slow cooking and this one caught my eye. I really liked how it turned out and it was great on tacos. Bill thought it was a little too sweet for him, and while I didn't mind the sweetness I will probably cut back a little on the brown sugar and maybe use diced tomatoes with Jalapenos to mix it up a bit.

Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken
From: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (14oz) can petite or regular diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:
1. Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker.

2. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Pour over the chicken.

3. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-9 hours.

4. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Return to the slow cooker and mix the chicken with the juices from the tomato/brown sugar sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with tortillas with toppings of choice: lettuce, sour cream, cheese, avocados, etc.

Shredded and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Almonds and Parmesan

2011-04-10T09:41:00.000-05:00

I've made several Brussels Sprout recipes this winter, and when I saw this one I thought it would be another good one. I think I may have liked this one the best so far, but probably because it includes Parmesan cheese and everything is better with Parmesan Cheese!

Shredded and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Almonds and Parmesan
From: Kalyns Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 lb brussels sprouts
1 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1-2 Tbsp coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 Tbsp toasted slivered almonds (toasted if desired)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim stem end from brussels sprouts, then cut them crosswise into thin strips about 3/8 inch wide. Place in a bowl. Whisk together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then toss the brussels sprouts with oil-vinegar mixture and season with a generous amount of fresh ground pepper and some salt.

2. Spray pan with cooking spray or cover with aluminum foil and arrange the brussels sprouts on the pan in a single layer. Roast until the brussels sprouts are nicely browned on the edges and tender, about 25 minutes shaking them every 7-10 minutes.

3. When brussels sprouts are cooked through and browned as much as you'd like, toss the hot sprouts with coarsely grated Parmesan. Sprinkle almonds over and serve.

Arroz Con Leche

2011-04-07T08:53:00.000-05:00

I have always wanted to try Arroz Con Leche (Mexican Rice Pudding) but thought it would be too hard. But this recipe was really easy and turned out delicious! I liked it warm and cold.

Arroz Con Leche (Mexican Rice Pudding)

From: Monster Mama

Ingredients:
2 c cooked white rice
1 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c sweet condensed milk
2 quarts whole milk
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tbsp vanilla
cinnamon for tops

Directions:
1. Bring whole milk to a boil and add cinnamon sticks. Stir in rice and cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and remove cinnamon sticks then add condensed milk and sugar. Stir until well incorporated. Return to heat and simmer for another 5 minutes or so until it starts to thicken (mine took about 10 minutes).

3. Remove from heat and add your vanilla. Sprinkle with cinnamon and eat or chill to eat later.

Slow Cooker Black Beans

2011-04-05T06:27:00.001-05:00

I love black beans, and when I saw this recipe for Crock Pot Black beans with cilantro I couldn't pass it up. Her recipe made a lot of beans so I cut it in half (the halved recipe is below). Next time I think I will use fresh garlic and maybe add some chopped onion, but it turned out great!

Slow Cooker Black Beans
From: Kalyns Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 pkg dried black beans (
3 cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp dried cilantro
2 tsp garlic powder (or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh garlic)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1. The night before you plan to cook this, rinse beans and pick out broken pieces. Place beans in a large pot, cover with cold water by several inches and soak overnight.

2. The next morning, drain beans, then place beans, chicken stock, dried cilantro, and garlic powder in slow cooker. Cook all day on low, 8-10 hrs.

3. When beans are well softened, turn off Crock Pot and stir in fresh cilantro. Serve Immediately, garnish with additional chopped cilantro if desired. I served it over brown rice.

BBQ Chicken Salad with Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing

2011-04-01T07:50:00.023-05:00

When I saw this salad it kind of reminded me of the Southwest Chicken Salad I used to get form New Holland Brewery in Holland. It was really delicious!

BBQ Chicken Salad
From: Mels Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
Salad:
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups BBQ Sauce
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cored and chopped
2 romaine hearts, chopped
1/2 red onion diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
4 -8 oz shredded cheese

Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise, light or regular
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/4 - 1/2 cup BBQ sauce

Directions:
1. Combine all the ingredients for dressing together and whisk (or shake, if using a jar) vigorously to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

2. Combine cooked chicken and BBQ sauce in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. In a large bowl, toss together lettuce, red onion, cilantro, corn, black beans and cheese. Toss the mixed salad with about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the dressing, if desired. Or serve dressing on the side. Place salad on plates and top with BBQ chicken and additional dressing.

Roasted Cabbage with Lemon

2011-03-30T08:02:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to try different types of vegetables and this one caught my eye. I love lemon so these are right up my alley. They could maybe even use more lemon in my opinion.

Roasted Cabbage with Lemon
From: Kalyns Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 medium-sized head of green cabbage
2 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a roasting with non-stick spray or olive oil or cover with aluminum foil.

2. Cut the head of cabbage into 8 same-size wedges, cutting through the core and stem end. Then carefully trim the core strip and stem from each wedge and arrange wedges in a single layer on a pan.

3. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice. Then use a pastry brush to brush the top sides of each cabbage wedge with the mixture and season generously with salt and pepper. Turn cabbage wedges carefully, then brush the second side with the olive oil/lemon juice mixture and season with salt and pepper.

4. Roast cabbage for about 15 minutes, or until the side touching the pan is nicely browned. Then Turn each wedge carefully and roast 10-15 minutes more, until the cabbage is nicely browned and cooked through with a bit of chewiness remaining. Serve hot, with additional lemon slices to squeeze lemon juice on at the table if desired.

Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad

2011-03-28T08:13:00.002-05:00

With the coming of spring I have been really wanting to make more salads. This one really sounded good to me. It was light, filling with a little crunch. I really liked the addition of cabbage and the Asian dressing was really delicious. My pictures of it don't really do it justice, but the pictures on the Dashing Dish are much better!

***Note: You can see the first time I shredded my own cabbage and carrots. The second time I used a package of mixed cabbage. Both tasted great, but of course the package makes it that much easier!

Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad
From: Dashing Dish

Ingredients:
1/3 cup light Asian salad dressing of choice (I used Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Salad Dressing & Marinade)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tsp Honey
1/2 head of lettuce
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup cabbage mix (pre-packaged kind with carrots and different kinds of shredded cabbage)
1 cup snow peas, washed and trimmed (I didn't add these)
1 red bell pepper, washed and thinly sliced
1/3 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp sliced almonds or 1/3 cup Asian noodles
Optional Variations: 2 scallions, thinly sliced, 2 Tbs sesame seeds, toasted, 1 small can mandarin oranges rinsed and drained

Directions:
1. For dressing, combine Asian dressing, chopped cilantro, soy sauce, and honey in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Set aside in the fridge to chill.

2. In a large bowl place salad greens, chopped chicken, cabbage mix, snow peas, red pepper, red onion together and toss gently.

3. Sprinkle almonds (or Asian noodles) on top and toss gently with dressing if serving immediately.

Roasted Chick Peas

2011-03-25T14:14:00.000-05:00

I have been looking for healthier snacks and I really love chick peas, so when I saw this recipe I was intrigued. It reminded me of roasted pumpkin seeds I make every year after carving my pumpkin (can't believe I haven't posted a recipe for those yet!). I pretty much love anything salty, crunchy and snacky so I gave this a try. They turned out really good. I over cooked some of them, and others were undercooked so I will need to make sure I really dry them before roasting next time, but overall they were very good and exactly what I was looking for. This made a lot, and since Bill wasn't really into them I would probably only do one can next time because after a few days they don't taste quite as good.

Roasted Chick Peas
From: Let's Dish Recipes

Ingredients:
2 (15oz) cans chick peas
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp cumin
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse and drain chickpeas; dry well on paper towels.

2. Place chick peas on lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and shake. Return to oven for another 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine garlic salt, cumin, cayenne and black pepper in a small bowl. Remove chick peas from oven and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with spices and shake pan again to coat chickpeas with olive oil and seasonings. Return to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until chickpeas are browned and very crunchy.

Stoplight Corn Chowder

2011-03-22T14:23:00.000-05:00

I seem to be on a Soup kick! I guess with winter winding down, I realized there were a lot of soup recipes I have wanted to try and post. I always love a good corn chowder and was really excited when Ashley posted this one from Food and Whine. It was really easy and I really liked the flavor and consistency. I like that it included beans and left out potatoes, I also liked the red, yellow, and green (stoplight!) colors.

Stoplight Corn Chowder
From Ashley's cooking adventures

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 cups corn
1 can navy beans
2 vegetable or chicken bouillon cubes
3 Tbsp flour
3 cups milk
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
optional for garnish: crushed tortilla chips,cilantro, sliced green onions

Directions:
1. In the bottom of a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add pepper and onions and saute until softened (about 5 minutes). Stir in corn.

2. Crumble bouillon over pepper and corn mixture. Sprinkle flour atop peppers. Whisk in milk.

3. Stir over medium heat until chowder begins to thicken (about 10 min). Add cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Garnish if desired before serving.

Lentil Soup

2011-03-20T07:48:00.000-05:00

I love soup and this lentil soup is so hearty and delicious. I got this recipe from my Sister-in-law Olga, and it is pretty similar to what her Mom makes - which I also like but don't have the recipe for. I changed it up a little bit, mainly because I didn't have everything in the house, but still think it turned out great!

Lentil Soup
From: Olga

Ingredients:
1 cup lentils
6 1/2 cups stock or water
2 onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 large carrots, chopped
6 oz lean ham
4 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
salt and pepper
9oz potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp ground allspice
chopped scallions or chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Directions:
1. Place the lentils and stock in a large pan and let soak for 1-2 hours

2. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, ham, tomatoes, and bay leaves and season to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 1 hour, or until the lentils are tender, stirring occasionally to prevent the lentils sticking to the bottom of the pan.

3. Add the potatoes and continue to simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes and ham are tender.

4. Discard the bay leaves. If desired, remove some of the ham and process soup in blender until smooth. I usually do not blend it though. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, and add the vinegar and allspice and add the reserved chopped ham. Simmer gently for an additional 5-10 minutes. Garnish with scallions and serve.

French Onion Soup

2011-03-17T16:24:00.000-05:00

This winter I wanted to try my hand at French Onion Soup. It is something I have always wanted to make, but felt especially in the winter. It is a little time consuming, but overall fairly easy to make. I think it turned out pretty good and with time and practice (and making sure I read the directions correctly), I really think it could be great. I accidentally forgot to leave to pot ajar and forgot to stir after that as well, so they onions probably were a little bit more overdone than they should have been, but still delicious. My pictures aren't great and really don't do it justice!

I forgot to take a picture of the ingredients, but I'm sure you can imagine it... fairly basic stuff! :)

French Onion Soup
From: The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp butter, cut into 3 pieces
6 large yellow onions (about 4 pounds), halved and cut into slices
salt
2 cups water, plus extra for deglazing
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups beef broth
6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
1 bay leaf
ground black pepper
1 small baguette, cut into 1/2 inch slices
8 oz shredded Gruyere cheese (or provolone or mozzarella)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Generously spray inside of a heavy-bottomed large Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray. Place butter in pot and add onions and tsp salt. Cook, covered, 1 hour.

2. Remove pot from oven and stir onions, scraping bottom and sides of pot. Return pot to oven with ld slightly ajar and continue to cook until onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hr longer, stirring onions and scraping bottom and sides of pot after 1 hour.

3. Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat. Cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until liquid evaporates and onions brown (make sure to use oven mitts - pot will be hot).

4. Stir in 1/4 cup water, scraping pot bottom to loosen crust, and cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed a dark crust, about 6-8 minutes. Repeat process of deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until onions are very dark brown.

5. Stir in wine and cook, stirring frequently, until wine evaporates, about 5 minutes.

6. Stir in broths, 2 cups water, thyme, bay leaf, and 1/2 tsp salt, scraping up any final bits of browned crust on bottom and sides of pot. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Remove and discard herbs, then season with salt and pepper.

7. While soup simmers, put bread covered with cheese in broiler and broil until cheese is melted and bubbly. Place in soup and serve.

Easy Cookies and Cream Frozen Pie

2011-03-15T07:19:00.001-05:00

This recipe appealed to me because it is has 3 things going for it: 1.It's easy 2.It's 'light' 3.It's a dessert that looks delicious. And it ended up being all those things and I'm so glad I found it. I will definitely be making this again and again.

Easy Cookies and Cream Frozen Pie
From: The Dashing Dish

Ingredients:
1 cup skim milk
1 pkg chocolate instant pudding mix (regular or sugar free)
1 tub fat free cool whip (de-thawed)
2 Tbs Hershey's syrup (optional)
2 pkg 100 calorie Oreo crisps, crushed (optional)
1 Oreo pre-made pie crust

Directions:
1. Whisk together milk, pudding mix, cool whip, syrup, and oreo crisps in a large bowl until everything is well combined.

2. Pour mixture into the pie crust, and smooth out the top.

3. Place in the freezer for 4 hours or overnight - until pie filling is thick and frozen to your liking. Top with Whip Cream and drizzle Chocolate syrup if desired.

Roast Beef Sandwiches Au Jus

2011-03-11T09:00:00.000-06:00

I made these on New Years day because I was looking for something easy, filling, tasty, and good football type food that wasn't too unhealthy. These fit the bill. These aren't from scratch and aren't super fancy, but they are still very delicious! I would definitely make these again!

Roast Beef Sandwiches Au Jus
From: Food.com

Ingredients:
1 10oz can French onion soup
1 10oz can beef consomme
1/2 - 1 lb thinly sliced deli roast beef
provolone cheese slices (or swiss)
4 hoagie rolls (you can tell from the picture that I didn't get the right kind)
garlic powder and mayonnaise (optional)

Directions:
1. In a medium pot simmer roast beef slices, consomme, and soup until fully cooked.

2. Meanwhile, slice hoagie rolls in half lengthwise, sprinkle with garlic and toast until golden brown.

3. Once the meat has heated through and cooked down, place on half of the hoagie rolls and top with slices of cheese as needed to cover meat.

4. Broil untl cheese melted and bubbly.

5. Serve with Au jus on the side and mayonnaise if desired.

Fancy Broccoli

2011-03-07T07:00:00.001-06:00

On a blog I read (Big Mama) she raved about this broccoli as the best broccoli she ever had. Bill is a fan of broccoli and it is one of our go-to sides, however, I never seem to know what to do with it, so I usually just steam it - BORING! So when I saw this recipe I knew I needed to give it a try. It was really delicious - might even be the best broccoli I have ever had and can you really go wrong with garlic, lemon and Parmesan? I had never really tasted broccoli cooked like this before and I'm glad I tried it. It is slightly more work than just steaming it, but not that much more and it is worth it. Also I think you could easily leave the cheese out if you wanted to make it a little healthier, but I love me some Parmesan! I have definitely been using this occasionally to spice up our broccoli options!

Fancy Broccoli
From: Amateur Gourmet via Big Mama

Ingredients:
Broccoli (2 bunches or more)
Olive oil
salt and pepper
2-4 cloves of garlic (peeled and sliced)
lemon
Parmesan cheese
Pine nuts, if desired (I left those out)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 and cut broccoli into florets (but relatively big ones). Wash if desired but make sure you thoroughly dry them before cooking. Put broccoli on an foil lined cookie sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add garlic slices and toss all together.

2. Roast in the oven 20 minutes or until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned. Shake halfway through cooking

3. When it's done, take it out of the oven and zest a lemon over the broccoli, squeeze half lemon juice over the broccoli, add 1 1/2 Tbsp more olive oil if desired, and 3 Tbs toasted pine nuts (I left those out), and 1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese.

Better than Crack Brownies

2011-03-02T15:00:00.004-06:00

When I saw the recipe for Better than Crack Brownies on Jessica's blog, I knew I wanted to try them. How could I not with a name like that. However, I wanted to make them sometime for a group of people because I didn't want to end up eating an entire pan all myself. I made these last weekend for family and they turned out great! I couldn't tell you if they are better than crack, but they are definitely brownies that are maxed out on chocolate and peanut butter and so rich that you feel like you can't eat more than one, but at the same time you wan to eat the whole pan!

Notes:

- I only did nuts on half of the brownies because my brother doesn't like nuts, and both halves were delicious!

- I also used semisweet chocolate chips instead of milk because that is what I had, plus, I like darker chocolate better anyway.

Better than Crack Brownies

From: Jessica at How Sweet It Is

Ingredients:

1 batch brownies (I just used a box mix, but you could make them homemade)

1/2 cup salted peanuts

1 cup chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups

1 1/2 cup milk (or semisweet) chocolate chips

1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 tablespoon butter

1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

Directions:

1. Mix brownies according to directions, and bake for 20-25 minutes in a 9 x 13 baking dish.

2. Remove and top with peanuts and peanut butter cups, and bake for 4-6 minutes more.

3. While they are finishing baking, melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Stir in cereal.

4. Remove brownies from oven and evenly pour chocolate mixture over top.

5. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Store in refrigerator.

Kale Chips

2011-02-28T09:00:00.002-06:00

Lately I have heard a lot of people talking about eating Kale and Kale Chips. So I thought I would give it a shot. It sounds like people mainly just keep it simple with olive oil and salt, so I decided to do the same. They surprisingly turned out delicious. Crunchy, light, salty, and good flavor. I definitely recommend trying them! But just be warned, they are a little addicting... I have made them 3 times in the past 2 weeks!

Kale Chips
From: All Recipes

Ingredients:
1 bunch Kale
1-2 Tbsp Olive oil
Sea Salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Rinse and thoroughly dry. Then cut the main stem off of the stems and cut leaves into small pieces.

2. Place on a foil covered cookie sheet. Toss with olive oil and sea salt, back at 30 for 10-15 minutes until leaves are crisp and edges start to brown.

Seared Sirloin with 'Shrooms

2011-02-24T08:00:00.001-06:00

In the summer any steak we have is usually cooked on the grill. In the winter though we like to make this steak on the stove a lot. It is quick, easy, and delicious.

Seared Sirloin with 'Shrooms
From: Men's Health

Ingredients:
2 Sirloin Steaks
1/4 cup red wine or chicken stock
1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp dried Thyme
1 clove garlic - minced
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Sear the Steaks in a skillet on medium high (about 2-3 minutes per side), seasoning each side with a pinch of salt and pepper as the other side cooks. Remove the steaks from the skillet, and reduce the heat to medium

2. Put Olive oil, thyme, and garlic in the skillet, stirring frequently and scraping with a spoon to release the brown bits left behind by the meat. (about 30 seconds)

3. Add the stock and mushrooms, stirring often until the mushrooms soften (about 3 minutes)

Sesame-Soy Salmon

2011-02-21T08:13:00.003-06:00

This was the very first recipe I made when I got my Cast Iron Dutch oven from my mom a while ago. I saw it first on Ashley's blog and thought it looked delicious and realized it was in the cookbook my mom gave me (Glorious One-Pot Meals). I made this again yesterday and realized that I never posted it when I made it the first time. I love making the entire meal in one pot (and I especially love using my cast iron dutch oven) and this one was really tasty. I was surprised at how light it was as well as how well the avocado worked with the Asian flavors. I might double mixture that gets put over top for flavor though next time to amp it up a little.

Sesame-Soy Salmon
From: Glorious One-Pot Meals and Ashley

Ingredients:
2 1/2 tsp sesame oil or canola oil spray
1 cup jasmine rice
1/2 to 3/4 pound salmon fillet
2 carrots, julienned
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1/8 tsp sugar
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 head red cabbage, shredded (about 2 cups)
1 avocado, sliced

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Coat the inside and lid of a cast-iron Dutch oven with 2 tsp of the sesame oil or spray with canola oil.

3. Rinse the rice in a strainer under cold water until the water runs clear. Tip the rice into the pot. Add 1 cup plus Tbsp water (or broth) and stir to make an even layer. Place the salmon in the pot and scatter the carrots on top of the fish.

4. In a small bowl, mix the remaining sesame oil, the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and lemon juice. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour half of the mixture into the pot

5. Layer in the cabbage and top with the avocado. Pour the rest of the soy sauce mixture over the top.

6. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Lava Cakes

2011-02-18T06:43:00.000-06:00

I made these for Valentine's Day this year. I happened to have all the ingredients in the house and I figured if I was going to make a dessert on a weekday, when better than on Valentine's! I got this recipe from a coworker and I have made it a few times, but never took any pictures. Of course this time I took pictures, but I ended up over cooking the cakes a little too long so the lava wasn't flowing quite as much as it had in previous times, but still very delicious!!!

Chocolate Lava Cakes
From: Kelly

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp Butter (room temp) - 1 Tbsp to grease the muffin tins
1/3 cup sugar and more for tins
3 eggs
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (Melt in the microwave in 20 seconds intervals until fully melted)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter tins, sprinkle w/ sugar and tap off excess

2. In bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. With mixer on low, beat in flour and salt until just combined, scraping down sides as needed. Fold in melted chocolate

4. Divide batter among 6-8 muffin cups. bake just until tops are set (9-11 minutes)
- VERY IMPORTANT - As soon as the tops are set, it's done. It won't look like a cupcake or anything. It should ooze chocolate when you cut into it.

Guac 'n Roll

2011-02-16T03:25:00.001-06:00

My sister-in-law, Olga, gave me this recipe from her Hungry Girl book. I am a sucker for anything with avocados, and especially love guacamole, so this was right up my alley. This adds peas to the mix to make a little more, it is also a little creamier with the addition of the greek yogurt. I liked it, but I also like my old standby Guac Recipe!

Guac 'n Roll
From: Olga from Hungry Girl

Ingredients:
1 15oz can peas, drained
1/2 cup mashed avocado (about medium-small avocado's worth)
1/3 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup fat-free greek yogurt
4 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp chili powder
Optional: chopped cilantro or jalapenos

Directions:
1. Place drained peas in a medium bowl and mash thoroughly with a potato masher or fork. Add avocado and mash.

2. Add all other ingredients except tomatoes, onions and optional items continue to mash until blended.

3.Stir in the tomatoes, onions and if you like, some chopped cilantro and/or jalapenos. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed.

Red Velvet Cake

2011-02-14T06:59:00.002-06:00

Last year I made a Red Velvet Cake for Valentine;s day. I was going to post it, but to be honest, who wants a red velvet cake recipe the day after Valentine's day? So I was going to post it in time for this Valentine's day, but I realized I don't even remember what recipe I used! Then I remembered the cake didn't turn out as great as I had hoped. The cake ended up a little dry, and I added so much red food coloring and it still wasn't a red as I had hoped (although the homemade cream cheese frosting was as good as ever!). So here is hoping your red velvet cake turns out better than mine! If you have a fool proof recipe for this, please let me know. Happy Valentines Day!

Chicken with Olives

2011-02-08T11:24:00.001-06:00

I LOVE any kind of olives, so when I saw this recipe for Chicken with Green Olives on the Pioneer Woman, I knew I had to try it. Plus I got to use my Dutch Oven which I adore using. This was darn easy and really hearty. I will definitely be making this again!

Chicken with Olives
From: Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp Butter
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
6 pieces Chicken (I used Legs only) with skin
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 whole Green peppers, seeded and chopped into large pieces
1 28oz can whole tomatoes, completely drained and juice squeezed out, chopped (I only had a 15 oz can, so I added a couple fresh tomatoes)
1 cup white wine (or Chicken broth)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cups Heavy Cream
1 cup Whole Green Olives
12 oz weight Linguine, cooked All Dente and Drained (I used whole wheat noodles)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large ovenproof skillet or dutch oven, melt butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown on both sides. Remove chicken to clean plate.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions, garlic, and green bell pepper to the pan. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for a minute or two. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in wine and stir. Add Chicken pieces back to pan, cover with lid, and place into the oven for 45 min.

3. Remove pan from oven and remove lid. Add whole green olives and heavy cream (drizzle evenly over the top). Put on lid and shake the pan to 'stir' in the cream. Return to the oven for 15-20 minutes to thicken the sauce. Remove from oven and keep lid on until ready to serve.

4. Place pasta into a large serving bowl or onto a large serving platter. Arrange chicken pieces on top of the pasta, then pour all of the sauce over the top. Can sprinkle with minced fresh parsley and parmesan, if desired (I didn't have any, so I didn't sprinkle anything on top and it was still delicious)!

Sweet and Sour Cocktail Wienies

2011-02-05T09:00:00.002-06:00

Eet Smakelijk (dutch phrase meaning eat well and with taste) is a dutch cookbook from Holland, MI - where I grew up. You can see it in the ingredients pictures below. It has quite a lot of Dutch recipes and one I found for meatballs but re-purposed it for the cocktail wieners. They are quite tasty, very easy and a great appetizer for a Super Bowl party. :)

Sweet and Sour Cocktail Wienies
From: Eet Smakelijk

Ingredients:
Lil't wieners cocktail wieners
Grape jelly (12 oz jar)
2 jars Chili sauce

Directions:
1. Heat Jelly and Chili sauce and bring to a boil.

2. Add Wienies and simmer for 20 min. (all can be done in slow cooker if desired)

Three Amigos Chili

2011-02-02T16:32:00.000-06:00

This is another recipe from the Men's Health Abs Diet. It was a great light turkey chili with a lot of protein. Great for a wintery blizzard like we just had here in Chicago!

Three Amigos Chili
From: Men's Health Abs Diet

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 small onion, diced
1 lb ground turkey breast
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with Jalapenos
1 can (10 oz) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (10oz) Black beasn, rinsed and drained
1 can (10 oz) Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Hot sauce (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 3-5 min. add turkey and cook, breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 min.

2. Add the tomatoes with juice, beans, broth, and spices. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with hot sauce and avocados if you had them (like we did!).

Coconut Chicken Tenders

2011-01-19T09:25:00.003-06:00

This recipe is another one I found on Tasty Kitchen. I really like these, but are only an occasional treat since they are fried in a lot of oil. I didn't have peanut oil so I had to use vegetable oil, which is probably why the coconut always gets a little extra crispy. The dipping sauce is quite sweet, but I added some Siracha hot sauce to make it a sweet and spicy sauce and it was excellent.

Coconut Chicken Tenders
From: savorysweetlife via Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
2 lbs Chicken Tenders
1/2 cups Orange Juice
1/2 can Sweetened, condensed Milk
1 whole Egg
1 cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut
1 1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
Peanut Oil For Frying (I didn't have Peanut oil and used Vegetable instead)
Salt and Pepper

For Dipping Sauce
1/2 cups Honey
1/2 cups Orange Marmalade
Dash of Siracha hot sauce if desired

Directions:
1. On a cookie sheet, season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside. In a medium bow, mix orange juice, condensed milk, and a beaten egg until your 'wet' mixture is well incorporated. In another bowl, mix coconut and panko crumbs.

2. Heat oil in a medium pan or skillet on medium-high heat. Fill pan with about 1/2" of oil. Dip and fully coat each tender in the egg mixture first and then the panko/coconut mix.

3. Fry each tender for 6-8 minutes until golden brown. Serve with Honey Marmalade dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Honey Marmalade Dipping Sauce Instructions:

In a small bowl, add honey and marmalade. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir everything until well mixed and serve with coconut chicken tenders.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

2011-01-16T15:00:00.000-06:00

My mom sent me this recipe from All Recipes. It was really easy to make and super delicious. I took the suggestions on the website and put a seasoning on my fish before coking it. I used the Chesapeake Bay Seasoning I got from Ashley, but I think you could use old bay seasoning or just salt and pepper if you wanted. Also the recipe listed a few spices that I didn't have (like celery salt), so I added a couple things I thought would be good, like Smoked Paprika, I have fallen in love with smoked paprika and use it whenever I can. You could also use regular paprika. The picture below doesn't show exactly what I used but I did make sure the ingredients section did.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan
From: All Recipes

Ingredients:
2 pounds tilapia fillets (we actually only used 2 fillets)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter softened
3 Tbsp Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Old Bay/Chesapeake bay seasoning

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.

3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan and sprinkle with Old bay/Chesapeake bay seasoning. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes.

4. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Artichoke Hummus

2011-01-13T20:53:00.002-06:00

My sister-in-law Olga brought this Hummus over to our house on Christmas eve and it was really good I especially loved the addition of artichokes (I'm a sucker for artichokes). She recently got a recipe book called 'Hungry Girl: 200 under 200' and this was a recipe from it. It is 200 recipes under 200 calories. I promptly made this myself the next week to bring to work and have with veggies as a snack since I had all the ingredients already in my pantry.Thanks Olga for hooking me up with a new recipe for a healthy snack!

Artichoke Hummus
From: Olga & Hungry Girl

Ingredients:
1 15 oz can chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 cup canned artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup fat-free vegetable broth or chicken broth
1/4 cup plain fat-free greek yogurt
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika)

Directions:
1. Using a potato masher or a for, thoroughly mash chickpeas. Transfer to food processor and all other ingredients.

2. Puree until smooth, stopping and stirring if blending slows.

3. For best flavor, refrigerate hummus for several hours. Before serving, garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and parsley if desired. Serve with vegetables or crackers.

Tasty Taco Salad

2011-01-10T10:00:00.005-06:00

This is a recipe we got from a Men's Health book called The Abs Diet. The book has a lot of healthy but delicious meals. This was the first one we tried and it was very tasty. It was great as a dinner, and the left overs were also good for lunch. I really like taco salad (again my love for Mexican food shows through), but this has such a tasty light dressing that it makes it even more healthy.

Tasty Taco Salad
aka - A Thinner Mexican Dinner
From: Men's Health - The Abs Diet

Ingredients:
For Meat:
3/4 lb lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can Black beans - drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp Chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/3 cup water

For the dressing:
4 medium tomatoes, diced
2 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Lime Juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

For the Salad:
Romain Lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 ounces baked corn tortilla chips (optional)
Avocado (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown beef. Add the garlic and beans and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the chili powder, cayenne, and water and stir until well-combined and most of the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat.

2. Mix dressing ingredients in a bowl.

3. Divide the lettuce among dinner plates, top with the beef mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Spoon the dressing over each salad and crush tortilla chips on top (we left out the chips but added slices of avocado due to our love of avocados and that we happened to have a bunch).

Southwest Chicken and Rice Bake

2011-01-07T07:31:00.013-06:00

This casserole of sorts sounded delicious and not overly heavy like some casseroles can be. It was delicious, but then again I tend to like anything 'Southwestern.' I found this recipe from How Sweet It Is, and it is a great one shot meal and really quick to cook up (especially if you use a rotisserie chicken).I would definitely make it again (and again!).

Southwest Chicken and Rice Bake
From: How Sweet It Is

Ingredients:
2 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast - shredded (or from a rotisserie chicken like I did)
2 cups cooked brown rice (can use instant - I did)
3/4 cup frozen corn
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup plain greek yogurt (or low fat sour cream)
1 4oz can green chilies
1/2 cup chunky salsa
1 cup grated cheddar and monterey jack cheese
Cilantro for garnish if desired

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for cilantro and mix thoroughly to combine. Make sure the yogurt and cheese is stirred in throughout the entire bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Transfer to a 1 1/2 quart oven-safe dish and top with extra cheese f you would like. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through. Garnish with chopped cilantro if desired.

Updating

2011-01-04T21:06:00.000-06:00

I decided to do a little updating to my blog. I figured in with the New Year, may as well do some cleaning in the ole blog. Most people won't notice, but I felt it needed a little organizing/cleaning up. People (also known as my mom) have mentioned sometimes it is hard to find a recipe they are looking for, so I added the search button at the top right to help.

I also added a title under the main recipe and listed who it was from, and if applicable, a link. I did this for all of them, so it took a while, but hopefully it will help. And if it doesn't help the 10 people who read this, it will at least help me. :) I've been trying to add a facebook like/share button to the blog, but I haven't found just the one I want yet, but I have one up there for now! I also got rid of a few things on the sides, but nothing anyone will miss!

More recipes soon! I tried a bunch over the Holidays and can't wait to share them! In the mean time, Here are some of the recipes I made over the holidays that are already on my blog!

Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp

Peppermint Pie

Tortilla Roll Ups

Pickle Wraps

Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa (from My fresh avocados!)

Christmas Egg Casserole

Rosemary Rolls

Peanut Butter Bars

Frosted Mint Bars

Tuna Pasta Salad

White Chocolate Chex Mix

Mom's Rice Casserole

Huevos Rancheros (again with the avocados)

Some of Our New Years Eve Tapas Table!

Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp

2011-01-01T23:21:00.001-06:00

This is a recipe made on New Year's Eve when we made tapas. It is a recipe from the Pioneer Woman, and it was super easy and turned out great (and I'm not even a huge lover of Shrimp). I will definitely be making this again. There is quite a bit of butter in the recipe, but don't be scared off, they don't seem that heavy. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the ingredients, but the list of ingredients is short so I think we don't need it. Also, the original recipe says to use shrimp still in the shell, but I didn't want everyone to have to peel them so I used ones that were already shelled and I think they turned out just as well.

Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp
from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
2 pounds Raw Frozen Shrimp, deveined (with or without shells - I used ones without shells)
2 sticks cold Unsalted Butter cut into pieces
1 tsp Kosher Salt
4 cloves Garlic, Peeled
1/4 cups Fresh Parsley
1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
1 Whole Lemon, Juiced

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse frozen shrimp to separate, then arranged in a single layer on baking sheet.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, add cold butter, garlic, lemon juice, salt, parsley, and red pepper. Pulse until combined. Sprinkle cold butter crumbles over the shrimp.

3. Bake until shrimp is opaque and butter is hot and bubbly (about 20 min).

4. Serve with hot crusty bread. Peal and eat shrimp (if not already peeled) then dip the bread into the butter at the bottom of the pan.

Tuna Pasta Salad

2010-12-27T17:00:00.002-06:00

This salad is a recipe from my grandma Mimi. She used to make this every Christmas and served it in the exact same bowl every year. The same bowl I serve it in now. I like it most of all because it reminds me of her, but also because it is so tasty and a change of pace from all the heavy holiday foods. It is also great for several days after when you have had it up to your ears in sweets! Mimi was very special to me and I'm glad that every year at Christmas this recipe (and bowl!) reminds me of her.

Tuna Pasta Salad
From: Mimi

Ingredients:
1 large can tuna (drained)
3 - 4 celery stalks (diced)
1/2 onion (diced)
1/2 green pepper (diced)
radishes for color (optional - I didn''t use them)
6-8 hard boiled eggs (chopped)
1 box small shells (boiled and drained)
1 small can baby peas
Mayo (to taste and consistency)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Mix together all ingredients adding the boiled eggs and peas last.

2. Refrigerate for several hours. Sprinkle paprika on the top if desired and serve!

Avocado Special Delivery

2010-12-26T09:30:00.004-06:00

I received a very special delivery from my Brother 3 days before Christmas. He got a big box of avocados straight from the grower and sent me about 10 of them! What an excellent Christmas surprise. I love avocados but we usually don't see any good ones around here during the cold winter. The first one was ripe enough to eat on Christmas and you better believe this week will be jammed packed full of avocados for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Thanks David! What a great and generous surprise!

Also - here is a picture of Buckley digging into her Christmas stocking yesterday!