A long awaited yummy meal!

As well as all of my holiday baking today (see below) I also made a pretty tasty dinner today with some yummy homemade quick bread. My Husband really liked this one and I thought it was pretty tasty too!

Basil Cheese Bread
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter or margarine
1 cup grated, sharp cheddar cheese
1 ½ tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon grated onion
¾ cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease well a 9x5x3” loaf pan.Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cheese, onion and dill weed; mix well. Combine milk and beaten egg; pour into flour mixture and stir just to moisten. Turn into prepared pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes and turn out onto wire rack to cool


Stuffed Shells
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz white button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced finely
1 15 oz ricotta cheese - I used low fat
1 egg
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (divided)
1/2 cup of fresh spinach, chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (divided)
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp dried basil
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3 cups of tomato sauce
12 jumbo pasta shells, cooked per instructions


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the mushrooms and onions and sauté until golden brown (about 5-6 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the ricotta, 1/4 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the egg, the spinach, 1/2 the parsley, fresh basil, the nutmeg, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly then add the mushrooms and onion sauté and combine. Taste mixture and re-season if needed.

Pour 1/2 cup of marinara in the bottom of a baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Place the 12 cooked shells in the pan. Stuff each shell with the ricotta and mushroom mixture.
Pour the remaining sauce over the stuffed shells. Add the last 1/2 cup of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Sprinkle the dried basil on top.

Holiday Baking

Ok, so I know I have been an awful food blogger by neglecting it for the past several months. I do have a good excuse, click here for my other blog that explains the circumstances. I do feel bad and since we had a huge snow storm today and I couldn't go anywhere I did some serious holiday baking and I decided I'd actually get an update on here. So here we go!

Caramel & Chocolate Covered Pretzels

1 pkg. pretzel rods
1 pkg. caramels
1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. milk chocolate chips
2 squares premium white chocolate

Break rods in half. Melt caramels according to directions. Dip rods into caramel about half way. Place on greased cookie sheet. Freeze about 15 minutes to set. mix both kind of chips and melt; dip cold rods into chocolate to cover caramel. Place on greased cookie sheet. Melt white chocolate and drizzle over chocolate rods. Refrigerate to set.

White Chocolate Trail Mix

Peanut M&Ms
Pretzel Sticks
Rice Chex
Corn Chex
Dry Roasted Unsalted Peanuts
White Chocolate Chips

Combine 1 large bag peanut m&ms, half a bag of pretzel sticks, 1/2 box each of the chex cereals, and 8 oz. peanuts in a large bowl. Stir all together. Separate into four batches. Melt four squares of almond bark for each batch according to the package directions. Pour over trail mix. Working quickly, spoon out clumps of the trail mix onto wax paper. Let sit until chocolate has set.

Rice Crispy Treats (at my Hubby's request)!

Shrimp Pesto Pasta

I saw this recipe with Salmon in it on a different blog (thewaythecookiecrumbles). I thought I'd try it with shri and it turned out well. I really liked it but Jimmy didn't love the lemon flavor. It was easy to through together and I'll make it again for sure.

Shrimp Pesto Pasta

For the pesto:
¼ cup pine nuts
5 medium cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 cups fresh packed basil leaves, rinsed thoroughly
2 tbsp. fresh parsley leaves (optional)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
pinch of table salt
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

For the pasta:
1 bag frozen, cooked shrimp
12 oz. salmon
salt and pepper
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. lemon juice
5 oz. evaporated milk
grated Parmesan, for serving

To make the pesto, toast the pine nuts in a small skillet, stirring frequently until just golden and fragrant, 4-5 minutes. Transfer the nuts to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the unpeeled garlic to the skillet, shaking the pan occasionally, and toast until fragrant and the color of the cloves deepens slightly, about 7 minutes. Let the garlic cool, then peel and add to food processor bowl. Process the nuts and garlic until finely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients except the cheese; process until smooth, stopping as necessary to scrape down the bowl. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl, mix in the cheese and adjust salt, if necessary. (Can be covered with a sheet of plastic wrap directly over the surface or filmed with oil and refrigerated up to 5 days).

In a medium bowl mix the shrimp with the lemon juice, zest and olive oil and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil and cook pasta till al dente; drain. Pour evaporated milk into the empty pot and simmer over medium heat until reduced to ¼ cup. Add cooked pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the shrimp to the pot and stir over medium heat until hot. Remove from heat and stir in the pesto. Top with grated Parmesan.

Fruit Tarts

These are such an easy little dessert to make and are always impressive at a summer dinner party. They are oh so tasty too! I like to make individual tarts but 1 big tart is beautiful also. You do have to get a little down and dirty with the crust but it's worth it!

Fruit tarts

Preheat oven to 350

For the crust-

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1 1/2 cubes butter, softened and sliced

In a large bowl mix the flour and sugar together. Make a well in the center and add the butter. Using your hands mix in the butter into the flour mixture until incorporated. The dough will be loose but when you squeeze it in your hand it should stick together.

Press the dough into your tart pans making sure to reach into the grooves in the edges. The crust should be about 1/2 inch thick.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until the crust is lightly browned.

For the filling-

1 80z package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 t vanilla

Mix all ingredients together with a wish or electric mixture until smooth. Spread evenly over cooled crusts.

For the fruit-

Use whatever fruit you like and that is in season. Slice and lay in a pattern on top of the tart filling.

For the glaze-
1/2 cup Fruit preserves

Use whatever fruit preserves you like. In this case I used blueberry. Heat the preserves in the microwave for about 30 seconds until they are warm and spreadable. Brush the top of the fruit with the preserves.

Cover and chill for 1 hour before serving.

Enjoy!

Polenta Bites

I've made these a few times as a quick and tasty appetizer. They are very tasty little things and they are very versatile because you can add any topping on them you like. Last night I topped them with goat cheese and olive tapenade but they would be great with feta and tomatoes or mozzarella and pesto, the possibilities are endless!

Polenta Bites

1 tube polenta, cut into 1/4 inch think rounds

1 T olive oil

1 4 oz log of goat cheese

1 jar of olive tapenade- or whatever suits your fancy

Preheat oven to 400. Cover a baking sheet with foil.

In a large skillet heat the olive oil over med. heat. Add the polenta rounds and fry until they are slightly crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the oil and place on foiled baking sheet.

Top the polenta rounds with the goat cheese and then the tapanede. Heat in oven until cheese is melted, about 8-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Fake OUT...

This is a variation of the old classic Beef & Broccoli. It came from Rachel Ray. I really liked it, we hardly ever eat beef in our house so it was a nice little change although it would be good with chicken too. I served this over brown rice.


Orange Beef & Broccoli

1 bunch broccoli- cut into florets
11/4 cups beef broth
2 T hoisin sauce
2 T soy sauce
2 T plum sauce
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 orange, peel grated and juice of 1/2
1 3/4 pound boneless sirloin steak- sliced into 1/4 inch think pieces
1/4 canola oil
1 jalapeno chile, thinly sliced

In a large skilled bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and boil until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the broccoli and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the broth, hoisin, soy sauce, plum sauce and 1 T cornstarch. Stir in the orange peel.

Toss the steak with the remaining corn starch. In a large skillet heat the oil over med-high heat. Add the steak and jalapeno and cook turning until the meat is barely pink, about 2 minutes. Transfer the meat to a paper towel lined plate, discard the excess oil. Add the broth mixture to the skilled and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the meat, broccoli and orange juice and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve with orange wedges over rice.

It's what's for breakfast

We drink these smoothies several times a week for breakfast. They are easy, tasty, healthy and refreshing. I usually use frozen blueberries and strawberries (organic from TJ's) but any kind of fruit would do. If you don't have apple juice it's also good with soy milk or regular milk. I buy the yogurt in larger tubs so I always have it on hand. This recipe makes 2 servings.

1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries

1 cup frozen strawberries

1`banana

1 cup low fat vanilla yogurt (or any flavor you like)

1 cup apple juice

3 T flax oil

Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Add more liquid if desired. Enjoy!

Pizza Pizza

These were such an easy and tasty dinner. I've been thinking of making calzones for a while and I was at Trader Joes the other day and picked up some pre-made whole wheat dough. I was so surprised when it was tasty and chewy. The dough really made these work. Of course you could use any kind of pizza dough you can find or make your own. I stuffed these with whatever I could find in the fridge. Be creative and use your favorite pizza toppings.

Artichoke heart, Chicken, Sun dried tomato and Pesto Calzones

1 package pre made pizza dough

1 can chopped artichoke hearts

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast - cooked, cooled and diced

1/2 cup marinara sauce

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
1 cup chopped basil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 t garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 375. Toss diced chicken with marinara, set aside. In small food processor, add basil, parm. cheese, garlic and olive. Process on high until a pesto is formed, set aside. Break pizza dough into 3rds and flatten each section out into about a 5 inch circle. On 1/2 each circle spread prepared pesto. Top with chicken, 1/3 of the the artichoke, 1/3 of the sun dried tomato, and 1/3 of the mozzarella. Fold the other half of the dough over top of the ingredients and seal the edge with your fingers. Place on a greased pan and place in oven for approx. 20 minutes.

Bourban Chicken

Bourbon Chicken
(Source: RecipeZaar.com)

2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken pieces and cook until medium heat until well mixed and lightly browned. Remove Chicken.

Add remaining ingredients, heating until all is dissolved. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. (I added 1 T flour toward the end to thicken the sauce)Serve over hot rice and ENJOY.

Forgive Me Mother For I Have Sinned!

No, I'm not into drugs and no, don't worry I haven't started selling my body. Although I may have a slight chocolate addiction. So, what have I done that is so wrong? Well...remember those chocolate chip cookies you used to make and have ready, warm from the oven when we got home from school. Yep, the Toll House ones! You know I have been a loyal Toll House eater and maker for a long time but I have to admit, I have strayed. Don't get me wrong, Toll House was always good to me and it made a good cookie but I have found something sweeter. I'm not alone in my thinking either. I found these cookies on another blog and they think they are the BEST too. Check it out...http://goodthingscatered.blogspot.com/2007/08/best-chocolate-chip-cookies.html. Anyway, I hope your not mad and maybe someday you will come to the bright side and enjoy one of these little bundles of love too.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie

2 cups plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled until warm
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Adjust oven racks to upper & lower -middle positions & heat oven to 325.Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk dry ingredients together; set aside.With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter & sugars until thoroughly combined.

Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients & beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in chips.

Place dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball.-Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft & puffy. *This took about 10-12 minutes in MY oven but start at 10 minutes and check from there. Do NOT over bake!

Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking and place on wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Salmon Cakes

This is another one of my old standby recipes that I dust off once every couple of months. Whenever I make them I always freeze at least half of the cakes and pull them out for a quick, yummy dinner every now and then. They do take a little while to put together, lot of chopping and different steps, but they are always a hit and I love having them in the freezer.

Salmon Cakes w/ Aioli

2 T olive oil

1/2 cup onion, finely diced

1/2 cup celery, finely diced

1 cup red pepper, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz cooked salmon meat

3 T fresh lemon juice

1 T dijon mustard

1 T Worcester

1 t hot sauce

2 cups ritz crackers, or equivalent

2 egg whites

2 whole eggs

3 cups panko or bread crumbs

Canola oil for frying, about 1/4 cup

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, celery and red pepper and saute until soft. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in salmon, lemon juice, dijon, Worcester and hot sauce. Beat the two egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold into salmon mixture. Mold salmon cakes using about 1/3 cup each. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Beat remaining 2 eggs on large plate. Dip the cakes in egg mixture, and then in panko.

If freezing cakes stop at this point. Store in air tight container and freeze.

Heat 2 T of canola oil in large saucepan over med-high heat. Add 3-4 salmon cakes and fry until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Continue to fry cakes working in batches heating more oil each time.

Serve with Aioli.

Aioli

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

3 T fresh lemon juice

1 T Worcester

1/2 t hot sauce

1t dijon mustard

1 t garlic salt

Mix together well and serve atop salmon cakes.

Enjoy!

Mojito Chicken

I spend a lot of time at our local Trader Joes and have become very familiar with their products. I've started doing most of my weekly grocery shopping there. If they don't have it, I usually omit it from a recipe. Other than a monthly trip to Costco (they have the cheapest organic chicken and my husband is obsessed with buying things in bulk) Trader Joes is basically the only store I go to. Their products contain the most natural ingredients, no trans fats or high fructose corn syrup, limited preservatives and often they are organic. With that said, they have some great pre-made sauces that come in very handy when making a quick, healthy dinner. I always keep a few of them on hand and this Mojito Sauce is no exception. This was a great, easy, nutritous meal.

Cuban Mojito Chicken

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cubed

1 can Cuban Mojito Sauce

1 T jerk seasoning

1/4 cup light rum- if you don't have this on hand you can omit it

1 T olive oil

2 T onion, chopped

1 T garlic, minced

2 cups fresh spinach

1 can Black beans, drained

1 cup TJ's frozen succotash (another TJ's item I can't live without. Frozen shelled edamame, red pepper and corn. Obviously substitue whatever frozen veg you would like)

3 cups brown rice, cooked

Place cubed chicken, 1/4 jar of the Mojito Sauce and the jerk seasoning into bowl and mix. Let marinade for 10 minutes, up to an hour.

Heat large skillet over med-high heat. Add marinaded chicken and saute 5 minutes. Add the rum (be careful, it may flame) and cook an additional 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.

Return skillet to the heat and saute garlic and onion in olive oil. Add the black beans and saute 1-2 minutes. Add the frozen vegetables, spinach and the remainder of the sauce. Saute 5-7 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pan. Serve over brown rice.

Enjoy!

The Cheese is Sad...

Or maybe it's just blue! I've been eyeing this Blue Cheese Walnut Cole Slaw for a while now. We had lunch for dinner and I decided it would work perfect with a buffalo chicken panini. The cole slaw was amazing and super easy to throw together. For the panini (since I know people will ask) I just sauteed up chicken and put it between 2 pieces of bread with mozzarella cheese, blue cheese crumbles and a generous helping of bar-b-que sauce. Then I toasted on the panini maker and it was ready! Very easy dinner :-)

Blue Cheese Walnut Cole Slaw

1 head Napa or Savoy Cabbage, shredded
1 shallot, sliced super thin
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 t white sugar (I used honey instead)
1 t white vinegar
1/4 cup candied walnuts, chopped
1 cup blue cheese crumbles
salt and pepper

Combine the mayo, sugar and vinegar. Season generously with pepper and a touch of salt.

Pour the mixture over the shredded cabbage and shallots. Toss to coat. Add the walnuts and blue cheese. Gently incorporate. Let rest for at least 15 minutes and serve.

African, Chicken, Peanut Soup...OH MY!

This is a soup that warms you up from the inside out. The flavors are all so tasty together but very different. My mom first turned me on to this and I've adapted it slightly since. I like to serve it with toasted pita for dipping and over brown rice but it would be good over cous cous too.

African Chicken Peanut Soup
2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into thick strips

2 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 T ginger, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cups chicken broth

3 T peanut butter

3 T soy sauce

1 1/2 T balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 t sesame oil

1 1/2 t curry powder

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cups spinach, chopped coarsely
3 cups cooked brown rice

In a large, deep skillet, place 1 T oil over medium/ high heat. Add half the garlic and ginger and heat for 10 seconds. Add the chicken breasts and saute for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Flip the chicken over and saute another 2 minutes on the other side. Remove the chicken and allow to cool. Once cool enough to work with dice the strips of chicken into 1/2 inch cubes. Set aside.

Reduce the heat to low and add the remaining oil. Add the onion, remaining ginger and garlic and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the cooked chicken to the pot and top with the chicken broth. Let simmer 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, tomato paste and curry powder to create a thick paste. Add this mixture to the pot and simmer another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the spinach, stirring it into the soup so it is thoroughly covered and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the spinach is soft and tender.

Serve the soup over brown rice and top with a scoop of yogurt or sour cream.

Enjoy!

Stuffed

This is a tasty and easy weeknight chicken recipe. I'm a big fan of goat cheese so I use quite a bit of it. I make my own pesto with whatever I have on hand. Sometimes it's cilantro and pine nuts, this time it was basil and walnuts but you can be creative and use whatever kind of herb and nut you have. If your in a time crunch or don't feel like creating your own you can also use store bought pesto. I also use a small Cuisinart mixer for both the cheese mixture and the pesto. If you don't have one of these, chop all ingredients finely and combine or use a blender. Tonight I served this chicken with sauteed spinach and baby tomatoes (just sauteed in olive oil and s&p) and baked fingerling and sweet potatoes (recipe below).

Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken w/ Pesto Crust

4 boneless/ skinless chicken breasts

6 0z goat cheese

1/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes (I used oil packed but just dried will work also)

1t dried Italian seasoning

1T olive oil (if using oil pack tomatoes, use 1T of the oil in jar)

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup walnuts

1 garlic clove

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the largest portion of the chicken breast cut a pocket about 2 inches long and 1 inch deep. Make sure the cut does not open to the other side of the breast. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

Combine goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning and olive oil in the food processor. Pulse the ingredients on high until combined. Stuff the goat cheese mixture into the pocket of each of the chicken breasts, pressing the cheese far enough in that it won't fall out while cooking. Set aside.

Again using the food processor combine basil, olive oil, garlic, walnuts and Parmesan cheese. Pulse on high until all ingredients are combined and pesto is formed. Spread the pesto on top of each piece of chicken, coating the entire breast.

Cook chicken in pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Baked Fingerling and Sweet Potato Fries

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick strips

1/2 lb fingerling potatoes, not peeled, cut in half

2T olive oil

2T butter (I use Smart Balance, non dairy butter substitute)

1t blackening seasoning (if you don't have this you can use Chile seasoning and cumin)

1t Italian seasoning

s&p

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large saute pan heat oil and butter over med-high heat. Add the potatoes and begin to saute. Add all seasoning and combine well while continuing to saute for about 2 minutes. Turn potatoes out onto a greased baking sheet and cook in oven for about 15 minutes or until they become crispy.

Enjoy!

The BEST Quesadilla Ever

I decided to mix quite a few yummy flavors in between a couple of tortillas and came up with an excellent quesadilla. The sweetness of the potato and the melted cheese with chicken were very tasty. The ingredients may seem like an odd combination but trust me...they work! You could omit any of the items or add anything to this and I'm sure it would be just as good. I cooked this on my Cuisinart Griddler but just on the stove in some olive oil would work. I also used some whole wheat wraps from Trader Joes for my tortilla but whatever you have or pick up will do.

The Best Quesadilla Ever (Sweet Potato, Chicken Quesadilla)

4 large size tortillas

3 boneless/ skinless chicken thighs

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 can black beans, drained

1/4 onion, diced

2 cups fresh spinach

1 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup Pepita's (pumpkin seeds)

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup olive oil

1 t cinnamon

2 t cumin

2 t chili powder

1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350. Season chicken thighs with 1 t chili powder and 1 t cumin. Place in an oven safe dish and cook for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Cool and chop into 1/2 inch think cubes. Set aside.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add sweet potato and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Strain potatoes and mash with a whisk until smooth. Add 1 t cinnamon, 1 t chili powder and 1 t cumin to mashed potatoes, set aside.

Drain beans and place in a bowl. Add chopped onion and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Add chopped cilantro, Pepita's, garlic and olive oil into food processor and grind until a pesto is formed. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a small skilled heat 1 T olive oil over medium heat. Add spinach and saute until wilted. Set aside.

To assemble:

Lay 1 tortilla flat on clean work surface. Spread 1/2 of sweet potatoes in an even layer on tortilla. Top with 1/2 of the wilted spinach. Top spinach with 1/2 of the bean mixture. Top the bean mixture with 1/2 of the diced chicken. Top the chicken with 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. On the 2nd tortilla and spread 1/2 of the pesto mixture on 1 side of the tortilla. Place the tortilla pesto side down on top of the other tortilla.

Repeat with the other 2 tortillas.

Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat or heat grill over medium heat. Brush olive oil on the outside both sides of the tortillas if using grill.

Place Quesadillas in oil or on grill, flip after about 5 minutes or when browned if in pan. Remove when heated through and crispy on both sides.

Cut into 6 triangles and serve with sour cream.

The Perfect Little Cupcake

I made these for St. Patrick's Day, hence the green frosting, although the only thing Irish about these is the green color. This is the perfect little vanilla cupcake with a tasty cream cheese frosting and would be excellent for any occasion. Both of the recipes are from Martha Stewart.

Vanilla Cupcakes

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated and scraping down sides of bowl, beat in vanilla.

Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl to assure the batter is thoroughly mixed. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling papers about 2/3 full. Bake on the center rack of the oven until tops spring back to touch, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Shiny Cream Cheese Frosting

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium-low speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add butter, and cream until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners' sugar on low speed, and mix until completely combined.

Beat frosting on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Transfer to an airtight container, and chill until firm, 3 hours or overnight.

Take your creative liberty and frost/color cupcakes however you would like.

Enjoy!

St. Paddy's B-Day!!

As many of you know my Husband's birthday is on St. Patrick's Day. It's always a party that usually includes green beer and car bombs...but no this year. Today Jimmy wanted to stay in and have the old Irish stand by, corned beef and cabbage. I've never made this Irish creation and honestly wasn't all that excited about eating it. I was pleasantly surprised. It was tasty and very easy. The beef was tender and shredded and the veggies were flavorfull. I also made a tasty little mustard sauce to serve with the beef. I have a feeling this will become our St.Paddy's Day/B-day tradition.

Corned Beef

1 pre-packaged corned beef with spices.

3 carrots, peeled and chopped in 2 in. pieces

8 small yellow or red potatoes, chopped in half

1/2 green cabbage, diced in 8 pieces

Cook the Beef according to package directions. When the beef only has about 1/2 hour left, add the carrots & potatoes. Remove the beef after the vegetables have sauteed for 30 minutes and cover with foil and set aside. Add the cabbage to the other vegetables adding water to make sure it is covered with liquid. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until it is done for your liking. Remove the vegetables from the liquid and serve with the beef.

Mustard Sauce

4 T mustard

1 1/2 cups catsup

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

12 T cider vinegar

12 T water

Whisk all ingredients together. Pour half over beef before serving and serve the other half along side the meat.

Enjoy!

Soft Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls

Whole wheat flour - 3 cups
Cake Flour- 2 cups
Salt - 1 ¼ t
Quick rising yeast- 1 ½ packages
Warm milk (120°F)- 1 ½ cup
Butter, melted- ¼ cup
Large egg, lightly beaten- 2
Evaporated cane sugar- ¼ cup
Canola oil- ¼ cup
Wheat Germ- 2 T

Have all ingredients at room temperature to start. In a medium bowl, mix the whole wheat flour, 1 ½ cups cake flour, salt and yeast. In a large bowl mix the warmed milk, melted butter, sugar, oil and 1 lightly beaten egg (save the 2nd for later). Beat until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix until incorporated. The batter should be sticky.

Put ½ cup cake flour on clean work surface and turn the dough onto the flour. Knead the dough until all of the flour is incorporated, about 1-2 minutes.

Spray a bowl with non-stick spray and transfer the kneaded dough into bowl. Spray the top of dough, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 1 ½ hours until doubled in size.

Coat a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan with cooking spray. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; pat into a rough 7-by-10-inch rectangle. Cut lengthwise into 4 equal strips using a bench knife or butter knife. Then cut each strip crosswise into 6 equal portions. (Each portion will weigh 1 1/4-1 1/2 ounces.)

Working with one portion of dough at a time, gather and pinch the edges together, shaping the dough into a rough ball. The spot where the edges come together is the bottom of the ball. Place each ball, bottom down, on a clean work surface. With a slightly cupped hand, move the ball around in a circular motion, keeping the bottom in place while tucking the loose edges into it and stretching the surface of the dough tight. (If the outer skin breaks, set the roll aside and let it rest while rounding the remaining rolls. Reroll once the dough relaxes.)

Arrange the rolls in the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap. (If following make-ahead instructions, refrigerate the rolls now.)once the dough relaxes.) Arrange the rolls in the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap. (If following make-ahead instructions, refrigerate the rolls now.)
Let the rolls rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size, about 1 1/4 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk the remaining egg in a small bowl, and brush the tops of the rolls with it (you'll have some left over); sprinkle with wheat germ. Bake the rolls until light brown on top, about 15 minutes (watch closely and be careful not to overbake).

Enjoy!

More chicken...

We really like chicken at our house...can you tell? Anyway, this is a really simple chicken salad with a very tasty/tangy dressing I came up with. We had it for dinner with soup but it would be a great salad for lunch as well. With no mayo it makes great left overs to take to work.

Cranberry Chicken Salad w/ Ginger Sage Dressing

3 chicken breasts, baked & diced (I season mine with poultry seasoning & garlic salt)

1 cup pecans, toasted & roughly chopped

1 cup cranberries, dried

Combine all ingredients and toss with dressing.

Ginger Sage Dressing

3/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 T Dijon mustard

1 T honey

2 T dried sage

2 T minced ginger

1 1/2 t cinnamon

Salt & pepper

Wisk all ingredients together and toss with Chicken mixture. Serve over romaine lettuce.

Enjoy!

Shepards Pie...kind of...

In honor of my St. Patricks Day and my husband's birthday (on St. Patricks Day) I tried my hand at my 1st Irish dish. Although I made it a little different then the traditional version, it was surprisingly good. The vegetables were crunchy, potatoes were sweet and the sauce was perfect for sopping up with a roll. This was a great, healthy take on an old Irish classic. This recipe was in the Oct. 2007 issue of Rachel Ray shown here with a few modifications.

Turkey Sweet-Potato Shepards Pie

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 T olive oil

1 lb ground turkey

1 small onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 t poultry seasoning

2 T butter

2 T flour

1/2 cups chicken or turkey broth

2 T Worcestershire

1 bag frozen, chopped green beans

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

2 T tomato paste

1/3 ripe banana, sliced

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I didn't use this but I'm sure it would be good)

In a large saucepan, combine the sweet potatoes and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, salt the water and cook until tender, 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

While the sweet potatoes cook, preheat the oven to 425°. In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the turkey and cook, breaking up with a spoon. Stir in the onion, carrots, celery and poultry seasoning. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.

In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the turkey broth and season with salt, pepper and the Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for a few minutes until thickened, then stir into the turkey mixture. Stir in the green beans, tomatoes and tomato paste and remove from the heat.

Add the banana to the sweet potatoes and mash or place in mixer and mix until combined and season with salt.

Place turkey mixture into 9 by 13 inch baker and top with the sweet potato mixture and smooth the top. Cover the sweet potatoes with the cheddar and bake until the cheese is completely melted, about 5 minutes.

Serve with dinner rolls.

Enjoy!

Blueberry, Bran, Flax Muffins

To my surprise my husband actually requested these. I was pleased to make them for him but I was worried that if I made a whole wheat, bran muffin it would be really dry. I added yogurt to it to moisten it up a bit and they are moist and delicious and I feel really good about eating them!
Blueberry Bran Flax Muffins

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup unprocessed wheat bran
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup blue agave natural sweetener (if you don't have this add 1/4 cup extra honey)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1 large egg, beaten lightly
2 cups of frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350. Makes 12 muffins

Sift together the flour, flax, wheat bran, baking soda, baking powder and salt. After awhile the coarser bran and flax will remain in the sifter. Just turn over the sifter at this point and add it to the sifted flour and other dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl mix the oil and honey (measure the oil first in a liquid measuring cup then use the same cup to measure the honey and the honey will stick less), add the egg, milk, lemon rind and lemon juice.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry. Mix only enough to wet the dry ingredients--don't vigorously beat.

Add the frozen berries and mix lightly to blend.

Put in muffin cups (good to use the papers--so the muffins don't stick) and bake for 30-35 minutes (until a knife goes into the muffin and comes out basically dry--if it comes out with wet batter, the muffins are not done enough).

Don't over bake--they simply are not good when you do! Let cool for a 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Enjoy!

Black Bottom Coconut Bars

FOR CHOCOLATE BASE
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

FOR COCONUT TOPPING
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 package sweetened shredded coconut (7 ounces), 1/2 cup reserved for sprinkling

For chocolate base:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a slight overhang; butter bottom and sides of foil (not overhang).

Place butter in a large microwave-safe bowl; melt in microwave. Add sugar and salt; whisk to combine. Whisk in egg, then cocoa and flour until smooth. Spread batter in prepared pan.
Bake just until sides begin to pull away from edges of pan, 10 to 15 minutes (do not overbake). Let cool slightly while preparing coconut topping. Keep oven on for topping.

For coconut topping:
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla. Gently mix in flour and coconut (except 1/2 cup reserved for sprinkling).
Drop mounds of mixture over chocolate base; spread and pat in gently and evenly with moistened fingers. Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup coconut.

Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Lift cake from pan, peel off foil, and cut into 24 bars.

Store in an airtight container 3 to 4 days.

Tuxedo Cookies

2cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/4 teaspoon salt
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder

Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Mix in egg yolk and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture; mix until just combined, about 1 minute.

Remove half of the dough; set aside. Add cocoa powder to remaining dough; mix on low speed until well combined. Turn out chocolate dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a 10-inch log, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Repeat with reserved vanilla dough. Wrap each log in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until slightly firm, at least 30 minutes.

Press handle of a long wooden spoon into side of chocolate log, making an indentation along its length. Roll handle into and then away from log, creating an apostrophe shape. Repeat with vanilla log. Fit logs together; press lightly to seal. Gently roll into a 2-inch-diameter log. Wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut log into 1/4-inch-thick rounds; space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. If dough becomes too soft to slice cleanly, return to freezer until firm.

Bake until firm to the touch, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

Sweet Treats

I spent the entire afternoon baking today. Tomorrow is my Grandma's birthday party and as always, I had nothing for her. I couldn't think of anything to go out and get for the woman who has it all. She has a pretty big sweet tooth so I decided to bake her present. These are are the 3 treats I came up with. I hope she likes them, I thought they all tasted pretty good! I got all 3 of the recipes from the Martha Stewart website.

Macadamia Maple Sticky Bars

1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for dish
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted macadamia nuts, (about 4 ounces)
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons maple sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons heavy cream

Butter an 8-inch square baking dish; line with parchment, allowing a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Butter lining (not overhang); set aside. Whisk flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup nuts in a bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup brown sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in flour mixture and 1 teaspoon maple syrup. Press dough evenly into bottom of prepared dish. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Bake until set in center and pale golden, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool slightly.

Put remaining 6 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup nuts into a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until butter is very foamy and nuts are fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, the ginger, maple sugar, corn syrup, and cream. Boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Spread over crust. Let cool completely. Lift out of dish by overhang. Cut into sixteen 2-inch squares. Bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Garlicky Bean and Chicken Enchiladas

I found the recipe for the Garlicky Bean Enchiladas in the March '08 issue of Rachel Ray. I decided to add shredded chicken to them and they were excellent. My husband said "we could have gone to a mexican restaurant and our meal wouldn't have been nearly as good"! I have to agree, they tasted like they came from a gourmet mexican restaurant. I put my chicken in the Crock Pot with 1 packet of taco seasoning and about 1/2 cup of chicken broth and let it cook about 4 hours until it shredded on its own. I made homemade spanish rice to go along with this and used brown rice to make it a bit healthier. Boxed spanish rice would also work.

Garlicky Bean & Chicken Enchiladas

2 chicken breasts, shredded

1/2 cup plus 2 T olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans cannelloni beans, drained

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

12 6 in. round corn tortillas

2 cups store bought salsa verde

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 T oil over medium heat. Ad the garlic and cook until just golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook for 1 minute. Season w/ salt and pepper and mash with the back of a fork while continuing to cook for about 7 minutes. Take off heat and add the cilantro. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a small skillet heat 2 T of oil. Fry tortillas 1 at a time for about 5 seconds per side until starting to bubble. Add more oil as needed. Transfer fried tortillas to paper towels to drain (I tried to skip this step but the tortillas crumble if they are not fried first). Place about 1/4 cup of the beans and 1/4 cup of the chicken on 1 tortilla and roll to close. Transfer to a prepared 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Repeat with the remaining beans, chicken and tortillas. Pour the salsa over the filled tortillas Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake until the cheese is melted and the salsa is bubbling, about 20 minutes.

Serve with sour cream.

Spanish Brown Rice

1 T olive oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups brown rice

1 package taco seasoning

1 can diced tomatoes w/ liquid

2 cups chicken broth

In a medium pot heat oil on medium heat. Add garlic and onion and saute until they become opaque. Add rice and saute for 2 minutes. Add taco seasoning and mix. Add tomatoes w/ liquid and the chicken broth. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until rice is tender, approximately 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Chicken & Dumpling Soup

I have to admit, this meal was better the 2nd day. It was great on day 1 too but on day 2 it kind of turned into a stew and it was delicious with a little dollop of sour cream on top. For the chicken in the soup, I put 2 chicken breasts in the crock pot for about 5 hours on low with a package of dry chicken gravy and about 1/2 cup of chicken stock. When they were done they fell apart and easily shredded. You could also just use cooked, diced chicken breasts if you don't have the time to slow roast them. Rather then real dumplings I used large gnocchi which are potato dumplings. I used pesto & cheese filled frozen gnocchi from Trader Joes and they were soft, plump and flavorful.

Chicken & "Dumpling" Soup

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
2 T olive oil
1/2 of a medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 bay leaf
2 T poultry seasoning
2 T Italian seasoning
2 T all purpose flour

1 qt chicken stock

2 cups water

5 small yellow potatoes, diced
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen green beans, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 package fresh or frozen gnocchi
Salt & Pepper

Heat olive oil over medium heat in large pot. Add garlic, onion, carrot and celery and cook for 5 minutes until vegetables start to become tender. Stir the bay leaf, poultry seasoning & italian seasoning into to the vegetables. Mix in the flour until combined. Add the chicken stock and water and mix well. Add potatoes, corn and green beans and simmer soup for about 30 minutes until all vegetables are cooked. Season soup with salt and pepper. Depending on whether you are using low sodium chicken stock or not, it may need quite a bit of salt. Add gnocchi and basil and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve immediately with crusty bread for dipping.

Enjoy

A Balanced Meal

These are three of my old standby recipes that are all excellent. Each are good on their own but tonight I made them together for the full meal deal effect. All three are also healthy and easy to make. Definitely crowd pleasers.

Chicken Tenders

1lb chicken tenders
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 T honey
1 T olive oil
11/2 cups panko
1 T dried basil
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix dijon, honey and olive oil in large bowl. Season chicken with salt & pepper. Add all tenders to the dijon mixture and toss to coat. On a large plate combine panko & basil and season with salt & pepper. Dredge each chicken tender in the panko mixture. Arrange all coated tenders on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.


Orzo Salad
For this one I use the Harvest Blend from Trader Joes that includes orzo, quinua, couscous & garbanzo beans. Plain orzo will work just fine too. You could also add diced chicken to this salad to make it main course.

2 cups harvest blend
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 can artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 T dijon mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 T honey
salt and pepper


Cook orzo or harvest blend per directions. Once cooked add 2 T olive oil to the cooked pasta to prevent sticking. Add chopped spinach, basil, tomatoes & artichoke hearts. Add Parmesan and salt & pepper to taste.

Whisk dijon, vinegar, olive oil and honey in a bowl until combined. Pour over pasta and toss to combine.

Can be served immediately warm or refrigerate up to 24 hours and serve chilled.


Roasted Balsamic Sweet Potatoes
These are from the April 2007 issue of Bon Appetit

4 large red skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled and cut into cubes
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
4 T brown sugar
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
2 t salt

Preheat oven to 400°F. In large skillet over medium heat, bring balsamic vinegar and brown sugar to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer until vinegar thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Add butter & olive oil and salt and stir until butter melts. Add potato pieces to skillet; toss to coat. Season potatoes with freshly ground black pepper. Spread potatoes evenly on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are tender and golden, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Transfer potatoes to large platter or bowl and serve.


Enjoy!

Valentine Balls of Love

These are so easy, so tasty and very cute little things! They are a delightful little addition to any party or holiday. It's pretty tough to go wrong with Oreo Cookies and cream cheese. I was first introduced to them by my Aunt Julie around the Christmas holidays. She topped them with crushed candy cane. You can decorate them for any season, party or holiday!

Oreo Balls

1 package Oreo Cookies
1 80z package cream cheese, softened
1 package white chocolate chips

Grind Oreo cookies in food processor in batches until they are all finely ground. Add softened cream cheese and beat or mix well. Roll the Oreo and cream cheese into small balls and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

Melt the white chocolate in microwave or over a double broiler until melted and smooth. Stick a toothpick in the bottom of each of the chilled Oreo balls and dip the top in the melted chocolate. Decorate as desired.

Enjoy!

Chop Chop

I was craving one of those chopped salads that so many restaurants serve these days. The kind that has a lot of different textures and flavors all wrapped up in a crispy, fresh salad...Yum! After rummaging through my fridge and pantry this is what I came up with. It was very tasty and I can't wait to eat the leftovers!

Chop Chop Salad

1 head ice burg lettuce, finely chopped
2 pears, peeled and diced
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
Dijon Vinaigrette- recipe below

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Dijon Vinaigrette

1 garlic clove
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 T dijon mustard
3 T honey

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until combined and dressing is creamy.

Toss with Chop Chop Salad

Green With Envy

Green is my favorite color and I decided I would make a meal with everything green I could find in my kitchen. I probably should have waited until St. Patricks Day for this one but it was so good I think I'll make it again then! I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs but breasts would also work fine. I served the chicken with baby bok choy and spinach sauteed with sesame oil and soy sauce and some couscous. The greens accompanied the chicken perfectly.

Green Chicken

1 cup cilantro

1 1/2 cups coconut milk (I used lite)

1 cup baby spinach

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1/2 of a jalapeno (seeded for less heat)

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

2 cloves garlic

1 T olive oil

1 pound skinless boneless chicken (thighs or breast)

In a blender liquefy the cilantro, coconut milk, pumpkin seeds, jalapeno, spinach, chicken stock and garlic.

Salt and pepper chicken. Place in a large bowl and coat with the cilantro mixture. Marinade for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Heat olive oil medium heat in large saute pan. Remove chicken from the green sauce. Saute chicken in olive oil until starting to brown on both sides. Add the cilantro mixture to the chicken and cook for approximately 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with greens, rice, couscous, etc...

Enjoy!

Mocha Chiffon Cake

I haven't been baking much lately. Mainly this is because there is no one in our house to eat my baked goods except for me. I'm completely afraid that I don't have the will power to not eat the whole loaf, batch or even batter. Therefore, it is easier to just stay away! I did have an opportunity to share my baking with others recently for a birthday for our dear friend Mark Williamson. I volunteered my services to make him a birthday cake which I was happy to do and I got my sugar and flour fix! This is a Southern Cooking Recipe and it was very good.

Mocha Chiffon Cake

3/4 cup boiling water

1/2 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

1 3/4 cups cake flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 large eggs, separated

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Chocolate-Coffee Buttercream Filling- See recipe below

Chocolate Fudge Frosting- See recipe below

Stir together first 3 ingredients until blended; cool.
Combine flour and next 3 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add cocoa mixture, egg yolks, oil, and vanilla; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Fold into batter. Pour batter into 4 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
Bake, 2 layers at a time, at 325° for 17 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool on wire racks covered with plastic wrap or wax paper to prevent layers from adhering to racks.
Spread about 1/2 cup Chocolate-Coffee Buttercream Filling between layers. Frost with Chocolate Fudge Frosting. Garnish, if desired. Store in refrigerator.

Chocolate-Coffee Buttercream Filling

2/3 cup butter, softened

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 teaspoons instant coffee granules

2 teaspoons coffee liqueur*

Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.
Microwave whipping cream at MEDIUM (50% power) until warm (do not boil). Stir together warm cream and coffee granules until dissolved; cool. Add whipping cream mixture and liqueur to butter mixture, beating until smooth.

*Note: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract may be substituted for liqueur.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

1 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup cocoa

6 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add remaining ingredients, beating until smooth.
Note: To a make a torte, cut each cake layer in half horizontally with a serrated knife, and use 1/4 cup Chocolate-Coffee Buttercream Filling between layers. Frost as directed.

Whatever is in the fridge Quiche

I think quiche is a great meal because you can really put anything in it and it tastes good. What wouldn't surrounded by eggs, cheese and pie dough? Therefore I usually just take whatever I have in the fridge at the moment and stick it in. This time it was spinach, a chicken breast and goat cheese so I'll give you the recipe for those ingredients. Feel free to go ahead and add whatever you happen to have in your fridge. Yum!

Quiche

1 pie shell- see recipe below

1 chicken breast, cooked and diced

1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup goat cheese

1 cup mayonnaise (I use 1/2 cup regular & 1/2 cup low fat)

1 cup milk

4 eggs, beaten

2 T corn starch

Preheat oven to 375. Spread the chicken, spinach and goat cheese into prepared pie shell. Pour egg mixture over top making sure it gets under the meat and cheese. Bake for about an 1 hour or until browned.

Pie Dough

31/2 cups four

1/2 cup Bisquick

3/4 cup shortening

2 T sugar

3/4 t salt

1 T apple cider vinegar

1 egg

1/2 cup cold water

Mix all together with a pasty blender. Will make 3 large balls. Can be frozen.

Enjoy!

Healthier Banana Bread

The banana bread I usually make is more like a cake. Don't get me wrong, I love it but I usually feel like I am eating dessert instead of a bread. I decided to try a healthier recipe and it turned out great. It has 1/4 of the oil and 1/2 of the sugar of my previous recipe. The blue berries also give it a fun little twist. My husband likes this for breakfast with a big glass of cold milk and I don't feel guilty for eating it. This ones a keeper!

Healthier banana bread

1 cup whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur)
1 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 T baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 egg
1 egg white
1 t vanilla
3 ripe mashed bananas
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries (I like the wild frozen blueberries from Trader Joe's because they are small and tasty)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Lightly beat the egg and egg white in a small bowl. Add vanilla, bananas, oil and yogurt to eggs and mix.

Add dry ingredients to the wet ones and stir until just combined. Add blueberries and gently mix. Spread batter into greased pan and cook for approximately 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted is clean.

Enjoy!

Asian Fusion

This is one of my husband's favorite meals. He really likes the lettuce wraps and I really like the black bean cakes. The sauce is by far the best part. If you make them together there is quite a bit of chopping involved but many of the ingredients overlap and it is worth a sore wrist!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into 1/4 inch cubes

2 T oyster sauce

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

2 T sesame oil

2 t minced fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup diced carrots

1 cup shitake mushroom (crimini also work), diced

1 can water chestnuts, diced

1 T rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

2 T sugar

1 head iceberg lettuce, leaves separated

Place chicken in a bowl with the oyster sauce and let stand 10 minutes. Heat large pan over high heat and add walnut pieces. Toast 1-2 minutes or until slightly colored. Remove and set aside. Heat wok over high heat, add 1 T of the sesame oil. Add ginger and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add chicken and stir fry for 1 minute. Add garlic, carrots, mushrooms and water chestnuts. Stir fry 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 T sesame oil, rice vinegar and sugar. Cook to heat through. Add walnuts, toss to coat. Remove from heat. Spread about 2 T hoisin sauce onto lettuce cups before spooning on chicken mixture. Wrap and serve.

Black Bean Cakes w/ Spicy Cilantro Sauce

2 T olive oil

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 can black beans, drained

2/3 cups fine dry bread crumbs

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 large egg

1 cup yellow cornmeal

canola oil for frying

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook stirring occasionally, until softened. In a bowl, mash 1 can of the beans with the back of a fork and stir in the remaining beans, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the egg.

Form bean mixture into 8 patties (mixture will be wet and soft). Gently dredge patties in corneal and transfer to a plate. Refrigerate the cakes for 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.

Pour enough canola oil in a skillet to coat bottom. Heat the oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. working in batches, cook the patties, turning once, until browned, about 1 12 minutes per side. Transfer the cakes to paper towels to drain.

Serve with the sauce:

Spicy Cilantro Sauce

3/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1/3 cup canola oil

3 T soy sauce

1 garlic clove

1 T fresh lime juice

1/2 jalapeno chili, roughly chopped

salt and pepper

Add all ingredients to food processor and blend until combined. Serve with Black Bean Cakes.

Enjoy!

Comfort Food

I was thinking grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup sounded good for dinner tonight. Such a comforting, easy meal that is always tasty. Since I had all the ingredients and some spare time I decided to go for it and make it all myself (sorry Campbell's, not tonight). It was great, healthy and very filling.

Homemade Tomato Soup

1 T olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

3 T tomato paste

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 chopped large tomato

3 cans tomatoes with liquid (stewed, chopped, anything will do)

2 T sugar

Salt and pepper

2 T basil, chopped

sour cream and cheese for garnish

Heat oil in large pot. Saute chopped onions, celery, carrots and garlic until they are beginning to get soft. Mix in bay leaf, tomato paste and chicken stock. Stir in all tomatoes, sugar and salt and pepper. Simmer soup for about 1/2 hour. Remove bay leaf and blend soup with immersion blender until thick. Stir in chopped basil and serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.