Tart Reform

Seven Layer Chicken Taco Salad

2011-09-06T12:09:00.004-04:00

A while ago I picked up a used copy of Mexican Light Cooking, but had not yet had a chance to break it open until last night. Last night I made the book's Seven Layer Chicken Taco Salad. I think I used more chicken than recommended, but even still it was probably close to 400 calories (the recipe as published is 332 calories).

Flavor and texture wise, it was very good. Not the best ever, but still very good. Next time I will likely do even more lettuce and tomato and less beans. Oh, and more avocado if I feel like more delicious guac flavor :)

Seven-Layer Chicken Taco Salad
6 servings

1lb skinless boneless chicken breasts
2 cups fat free reduced sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
(I added 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, divided)
salt and pepper
3 cups (I'd use more) shredded lettuce
1 lb tomatoes, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large avocado, diced
1 cup finely diced onion (preferably red onion)
1 cup shredded reduced fat Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
(I added some lime juice)

Trim visible fat from the chicken, place in medium sauce pan, add chicken broth and enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to simmer over medium high heat, reduce heat to medium low and cook until chicken is cooked/white throughout, about 15 minutes. Let chicken remain in the liquid until it is cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken and shred it (I cubed some because it was easier). Reserve 1/3 cup of the broth. In small bowl, combine shredded chicken with parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1 tablespoon cilantro.
In a wide (preferably clear) bowl, layer lettuce, tomatoes, black beans, chicken, avocado, onion, and cheese.
In a small bowl, whisk together vingar, olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt,1/4 teaspoon pepper, reserved 1/3 cup chicken broth, remaining cilantro and a dash of lime juice. Drizzle dressing over salad and serve.

Tortellini with Peas and Prosciutto

2011-04-13T22:38:00.002-04:00

I LOVED this meal. It is so filling, and comforting, and delicious. It reminds me a lot of a carbonara sort of taste. Creamy deliciousness. All that for around 400 calories per serving with a veggie included. I would call this a success.
As always, the boy sort of had an issue with the peas. Gosh does that boy really not like peas...but he still ate it all and said that other than the peas he liked it. But the peas were so good! They add a different texture and a bright pop to the dish. Keep them in...even if you have a veggie-hating boy in your life. (plus, peas are heavy in fiber, vitamin c and iron; definitely worth keeping)
Tortellini with Peas and Prosciutto
adapted from food network magazine
serves 4

8 oz dry, spinach and cheese tortellini
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces prosciutto or pancetta, finely chopped(chops easier when really cold)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup light cream
1/2 bag (~1 1/2 cups) frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped basil
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook as the label directs.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and prosciutto and cook until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Ladle in about 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and simmer until reduced by about half, about 3 minutes. Add the peas. Add the cream and simmer until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Drain the tortellini and add to the skillet, tossing to coat with the sauce. Stir in the parsley and basil. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.

Skillet Rosemary Chicken

2011-04-05T21:54:00.004-04:00

This. Was. Amazing. The chicken was so moist and juicy. And flavorful! The lemon rosemary flavor was perfect. And along with the crispy, flavorful skin, YUM.

And the potatoes were great too! They absorbed a lot of the flavor, were soft but not mushy, and some had a nice crisp side without being burned. The only change I would make next time is to specifically salt the potatoes after boiling but before putting with the chicken because they needed more salt than the rest of the dish (not a big deal, I just salted the potatoes on my plate).

Oh, and if any of you are counting along at home, including the potatoes and crispy chicken skin, this meal is only around 415 calories. We added asparagus to that, and we were set.

"Skillet" Rosemary Chicken

adapted from Food Network Magazine
Serves 4

Ingredients

3/4 pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved, or quartered if large (for me this was only 4 potatoes)
Kosher salt
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon leaves
1 clove garlic, smashed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Juice of 2 lemons (squeezed halves reserved)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.

Pile the rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board, then mince and mash into a paste using a large knife. *note- this cannot be done in a food processor- I tried* Transfer the paste to a bowl. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Add

the chicken and turn to coat.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken; add the potatoes to the skillet and drizzle with the juice of the remaining lemon.*If you do not have an oven safe skillet, Instead of turning, move to a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil. and continue as directed.

Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet/cookie sheet; transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

Roasted Asparagus

2011-04-05T21:34:00.004-04:00

As I have previously mentioned, the boy does not like veggies. Broccoli: yes. Green beans: maybe. Anything else green (or purple, or orange...): no. So when I told him we were having asparagus tonight, he made a face, joked about the smell it would cause, and got out of the kitchen.

When dinner was served I asked what he thought. The response? "It's edible."

I'll take it!!

I thought the flavor was great. The roasting in olive oil, salt and pepper plus topping with lemon zest and parsley is great. My one issue is that I don't think the pine nuts really added much. The boy disagreed and said he liked them, so I will leave it up to you whether to use them or not, but I think for me it won't be worth the cost in the future for so little value added.

Roasted Asparagus-adapted from Food Network Magazine
serves 4

1lb asparagus
1/2 TBSP olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper
2 TBSP pine nuts (optional)
2 TBSP chapped fresh parsley
zest of 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 450. Trim asparagus. Toss with oil, salt and pepper on baking sheet. Roast until just starting to brown, 10 minutes.
Mix pine nuts (if using), parsley, lemon zest and salt and pepper. Sprinkle over asparagus.

Pho

2011-04-04T21:23:00.005-04:00

The boy and I have been focusing on eating healthy recently. Somewhere between our dietetic Ray's Hell Burger and my butter and sugar filled banana bread, this ACTUALLY healthy pho was thrown in. With around 400 calories and 4 types of veggies, this pho would make your mother proud.

Oh, and it's filling and yummy too!

Pho- adapted from Self

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

6 oz rice noodles
1 1/2 cups snow peas, ends trimmed
1 cup shredded carrots
2 cups bean sprouts
Chinese 5 spice powder to taste (~3/4 teaspoon)
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (~2 limes)
1/2 cup chopped scallions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4 sprigs basil
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

PREPARATION

Boil noodles in salted water for 3 minutes. Place snowpeas and carrots in a colander; drain noodles over them; rinse; divide among 4 bowls. Top with bean sprouts.
Bring broth to boil with Chinese 5 spice powder. Reduce heat to medium; add chicken; simmer 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls; top with remaining ingredients.

Guinness, Jameson and Baileys Cake

2011-03-05T09:31:00.006-05:00

This cake also goes by a more widely known, but also much more controvercial name. The Irish Car Bomb Cake. The name received so many comments on Smitten Kitchen, that Deb changed the name, as have I. But, whatever you call it, it is delicious!

I will warn you, this cake takes a lot of planning and time, but it is WELL worth it for a special occaision. I first made it for my birthday last year. BUT, the boy was out of town on work for my borthday, so he missed it. Shucks, guess that means I need to make it again! So, this year for his birthday I made it for him and his family.

My friends loved it. Then again, most of my friends are so wrapped up in law books they would love if someone made them a PBJ. The boy's family was the real test. Neither of his parents really drinks (for various reasons), so the novelty alone would not save the cake- it had to earn its praise.

And earn its praise it did. The boy's father raved that it was the moistest cake he had and that he loved it. His birthday was coming up, and he kept saying that he wanted a chocolate cake as moist as this one. No one said it was too alcohol-y, it just added flavor and brought out the chocolate even more. Success!

Guinness, Jameson and Bailey's Cake For the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes

To make a 2 layer, 8 inch cake

1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling

8 ounces chocolate chips (dark chocolate is best)
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (optional)

Baileys Frosting (you will likely have extra)
5 to 7 cups confections sugar
2 sticks (1cup) unsalted butter, at room temperatue
8 tablespoons Baileys (or milk, or heavy cream, or a combination thereof)

Instructions

Make the cakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil and flour 2 8" round cake pans. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among pans. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25-35 minutes. Cool slightly in pans, then remove to rack to cool completely.

Make the filling: Place chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and whiskey (if you’re using it) and stir until combined.

Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). At this point you can either spread the ganach directly onto the top of your bottom layer of cake, or, what I like to do is use a mixer to beat slightly to aerate it and make it more of a frosting consistency. If it doesn't fluff like a frosting, it is not cool enough yet and will slide off the cake. Spread on the cake as the filling between the layers.

Make the frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys (or milk) and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin (it shouldn’t, but just in case) beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.

Assemble the cakes into layers and then frost. You can also use any leftover ganache to decorate the top by piping it on with a bag.

Summer Vegetable Pasta

2010-09-15T12:52:00.002-04:00

Nothing screams summer like an abundance of zucchini, squash and basil. Put them to good use in this quick and easy pasta dish.

2 Tips for this recipe:
1. SEASON IT- this one needs salt and pepper. Do NOT skimp on the seasonings. Also, use real basil in this one, not those tubes of the chopped stuff. That works for some recipes, but not this one.
2. I make leftovers to bring to lunch. If you do so as well, do not reheat this dish. Eat it chilled and do not microwave. It ruins the consistency/texture.

Summer Vegetable Pasta

1 pound corkscrew pasta, such as rotini
1/6 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
2 zucchini, thinly sliced in 1/2 moons
1 yellow squash, thinly sliced in 1/2 moons
4 ears corn, kernels scraped off
6 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and the pot.
Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add half of the garlic and cook until golden, about 30 seconds. Stir in the breadcrumbs and remove from the heat.
In the reserved pasta pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic and cook until golden, about 30 seconds; add the zucchini and squash and cook, turning occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the corn, cooked pasta and as much of the reserved cup pasta cooking water as you like (I usually use about 1/2 cup). Add 1 cup cheese and toss; season with salt and pepper.
Stir the remaining cheese and the basil into the breadcrumb mixture and sprinkle on top of the pasta.

Beans and Pasta

2010-09-15T11:07:00.003-04:00

I have meant to post this recipe for ages. I have made it...I don't even know how many times! It's really tasty, easy and filling, as well as pretty healthy. Nowadays the Boy and I are trying to reduce our meat intake, so this bean filled, vegetarian dish is perfect.

2 cups Bowtie pasta

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 medium carrots, diced

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp basil

1 tsp rosemary

1 tsp oregano

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (19 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (19 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Parmesan cheese to serve

Directions

1. Cook until tender but firm. Drain.

2. Heat oil over medium heat in a large deep skillet.

3. Add carrots, onion and garlic to skillet. Cook until tender.

4. Add spices and tomatoes to skillet. Bring to a boil.

5. Add beans to skillet.

6. Add cooked pasta to skillet. Simmer gently for 2 minutes. Serve in soup bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Brownie Bottom Cheesecake

2010-05-17T21:09:00.002-04:00

I have not posted a dessert in a while, have I? Tsk tsk to me!

I made this absolute delight for a game night with some law school friends back during a magical time before finals. Ahhh I vaguely remember those days...Anyway, finals are done, vacation is done and now on to work for the summer. Because it seems like my summer meals have been scheduled for me by the firm, the only non-sweets you will see on here this summer will likely be ones I have already photographed and just need to post. I do intend to bake for coworkers (once I can remember how to get around the super confusing hallways to offer them said baked goods) so you may see more desserts up here in the coming weeks.

This cheesecake was super rich, but was wonderful. I would say there were about 16 of us at the game night, and we polished it off completely, but none of us could eat any more because it really was rich and a sliver was enough. The combination of brownie and cheesecake/cream cheese is a classic (see, e.g. these beauties and this brownie with a cream cheese frosting). This cake takes that combo to a whole new level- and looks super impressive to boot. The chocolate on top can cover any cracks and the end result looks like you bought it at cheesecake factory. Gotta love that wow factor when you have to correct people "No, actually I made it." "NO WAY!!"

Brownie Bottom Cheesecake (adapted from AllRecipes)

Ingredients

1 box of brownie mix for 8x8"pan (I used Ghiradelli Triple Chocolate Mix)
Ingredients for brownie mix
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips- if brownie mix does not include chips
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom only of 10-inch springform pan. Prepare brownie mix as package directs for chewy brownies. If chocolate chips are not included in brownie mix, mix in the chocolate chips. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake 35 minutes or until set.
In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.
Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Bake about 60 minutes or until set and beginning to become golden at edges. Cool. Chill thoroughly (very important! do not try to remove from pan while at all warm). Remove side of springform pan. Melt chocolate and drizzle over top (do after cake is removed from pan or else the chocolate will stick to the edges and rip your top if you are not careful). Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Pioneer Woman's Spaghetti and (Turkey) Meatballs

2010-05-15T14:55:00.001-04:00

Since I made this dinner for 2 of my good friends, I will let them give you an intro into Pioneer Woman's Spaghetti and (Turkey Version) Meatballs:

J: The meatballs were really really really moist and delicious

K: I liked it very much.

Neither minded that I made the meatballs with all turkey, and in fact, one said she preferred it to the typical, all-beef meatball

The Sauce for the meal came out WONDERFULLY. I had twice before tried to make homemade pasta sauce with either tart or bland results. This came out great (though I did tweak a little to get there).

Also of note- these freeze very well. Which is good since it makes way way WAY more than the 3 of us could eat.

Pioneer Woman's Spaghetti and Meatballs- Turkey Version

Ingredients

Meatballs:

1.5 lbs ground turkey
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
¾ cups Bread Crumbs
2 whole Eggs
¾ cups Grated Parmesan
¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced- I used a little less and used some dried
dried basil to taste
¼ teaspoons Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Splash Of Milk
½ cups Olive Oil

Sauce:

1 whole Yellow Onion, Diced
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole (28-ounce) Can Whole Tomatoes
1 whole 28 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
pinch of red pepper flakes
½ cups Red Wine
¼ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Sugar
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
dried basil, parsley and oregano to taste
¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
8 whole Fresh Basil Leaves, Chiffonade
2 pounds Spaghetti, Cooked To Al Dente

Preparation Instructions

To make the meatballs, combine meat, garlic, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, basil, and a splash of milk in a mixing bowl. Mix together well with hands. Roll into 25 1 1/2-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet into the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes (or fridge for about 30 min) to firm up.

To brown the meatballs, heat olive oil in a heavy pot or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs 5 at a time, turning to brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel after each batch. Set meatballs aside.

In the same pot, add the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes, or until translucent. Pour in whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, red pepper, and wine. Add salt, pepper, sugar, dried herbs and parsley. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat for 20-30 minutes.

Add meatballs to pot and stir in gently. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring very gently a couple of times during the simmer.

Just before serving, stir in basil if using.

Serve over cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan.

Turkey Tetrazzini

2010-04-18T11:50:00.003-04:00

Back in late October I hosted a pre-Thanksgiving supper club dinner. Because I hosted, I made the entree, a turkey breast. A whole, bone in turkey breast. For 4 girls. To say I had leftovers is an understatement. I found this recipe on AllRecipes and tweaked it to my liking. LOVED IT.

After Christmas, my mom was asking if I had any recipes for leftover turkey, and I told her about having made this with the leftover supper club turkey. She loved the idea, so we made it, and she, too loved it.

Now I bring the recipe to you in case you ever find yourself with so much leftover turkey and no clue what to do with it. It makes a sort of turkey casserole. The sauce for it is great though, so much better than some canned "cream of" soup as a base. I would even recommend trying the sauce for tuna noodle casserole as a way to avoid the canned soup base. Much yummier (and probably a LOT less sodium too).

Each time I have made this I halved in and baked in a 9" round cake pan or an 8x8 cake pan. If you make the whole recipe, use a 9x13 pan I think. The entire recipe should make about 6-8 servings.

Turkey Tetrazzini

Ingredients

1 package uncooked rotini
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp minced garlic
dried parsley, basil and oregano to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 2/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups chopped cooked turkey
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rotini, and cook until al dente. Drain, and place in the prepared baking dish. Add turkey.
Melt butter with garlic, pepper and parsley/oregano/basil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly for a minute or so until a thick roux forms. Mix in chicken broth and milk. Cook and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir in about 1 1/3 cups Parmesan cheese, and remove from heat.
Mix chicken broth mixture (to taste: I used about 1/2 of it, but other people prefer theirs saucier and should use more) with rotini and turkey. Top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until surface is lightly browned.

Swiss Apple Grilled Cheeses

2010-04-18T00:16:00.002-04:00

As I previously mentioned, I hosted a friend's birthday a while back and made various snacks, including these Swiss Apple Grilled Cheese triangles. My friend said it tasted like her favorite fondue (swiss with apples, who would have thought?!) Basically, very good.

I have made these like regular grilled cheese in a pan (with olive oil instead of butter) and in a panini press without any oil, and I think I liked the panini press better, but you can certainly make them as you would make a regular grilled cheese.

Grilled Apple Swiss Cheese

Ingredients
2 slices whole wheat bread
1/4 Granny Smith apple - cored and sliced
1/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Directions
Preheat the panini press to medium heat. Place 1 slice of bread onto the press, and arrange the apple slices evenly over the top. Sprinkle the Swiss cheese over the apple, then top with the remaining slice of bread. Cook until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Cut into diagonal qurters for finger food.

Pizza Dip

2010-04-17T22:17:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago I hosted a friend's surprise birthday party. Now I am studying for finals. Guess which was more fun? TOTALLY finals, right?

While, sadly, the fun awesome time of the party is past, I would like to share what I made. I made the Italian grilled cheeses, swiss apple grilled cheeses, pigs in a blanket (ALWAYS disappears!! I made 150% of what I thought we'd need and there was still not a single one left), bean dip, chocolate chip cookies, the black forest cake and this pizza dip.

Hot Pizza Dip

Ingredients

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups pizza sauce
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 ounces sliced pepperoni, cut into 1/4s

Directions

A day or 2 before you want to serve, do steps 1-3. Do step 4 right before serving. Spread pepperoni on a few layers of paper towels on a microwave safe plate. Cover with another paper towel and microwave 30 sec-1min to get the grease out. Pat dry and let cool.
In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, oregano, parsley, garlic and basil.
Spread mixture in the bottom of an 8x8 microwave-safe dish. Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese on top of the cream cheese mixture. Spread the pizza sauce over all. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, then top with bell pepper and pepperoni. Cover and refrigerate for a day or 2 until ready to serve (the flavors mesh well during this time).
Cover, and microwave for 6 minutes. Serve hot with crackers (bread may also be good).

Cashew Chicken

2010-03-04T20:51:00.001-05:00

Normally I take forever to post something, but I JUST finished eating this and had to post. 2 reasons: 1. it was absolutely delicious and 2. I had to make a number of changes to the recipe, so I wanted to get it down while I remember. But mostly #1, bucause it really was good.

Because of the number of changes I made, I won't even go through it here. Just trust me on the changes. Also note: most of my recipes make 4 servings, this makes 2. Keep that in mind.

Cashew Chicken (adapted from Williams-Sonoma: The Weeknight Cook)
Serves TWO (2)

Ingredients
3TBSP soy sauce
1 1/2 TBSP white wine
1 tsp ginger
2 chicken cutlets cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp cornstarch
1/2 head of broccoli cut into small florets
1 TBSP canola oil
2 green onions, chopped
3/4 cup salted cashews
steamed rice, to serve

Method
1. Marinate Chicken: in bowl, combine 2 TBSP soy sauce, 1 TBSP wine, and ginger. Stir in chicken and allow to marinate for 15-30 min.
2. Make the sauce: in a small bowl, combine 1TBSP water, remaining 1TBSP soy sauce, remaining 1/2 TBSP wine, Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, sugar and cornstarch and stir to dissolve sugar and cornstarch,
3. Stir Fry the chicken. Steam the broccoli very briefly (about a minute) in the microwave so that it is not undercooked at the end. Heat oil in frying pan over medium high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and drain well, discarding marinade. Add chicken to pan and stirfry until slightly brown. Add cashews and stirfry another 30 seconds or so. Using a slotted spoon, move the chicken and nuts BUT NOT THE OIL to a bowl. Heat pan to medium high and stirfry green onions about 30 seconds until fragrant, add chicken and nuts and broccoli. Stir the sauce and add to pan. Stir until sauce thickens slightly (this happened very fast for me). Serve over the rice.

Quick Black Forest Cake

2010-02-24T08:42:00.001-05:00

I appologize for the photos. I brought this cake to school and it was devoured, so the only pics I got were from a friend's IPhone. Trust me, it was good, and looked a lot better than these pictures show. It was a friend's birthday, but I had about 100 pages of reading for the night, so this quick, easy and delicious cake did not dispoint on any front. Also, it was the best cake batter I have ever tasted. I likely could have eaten the whol cake's worth of cake batter...not that I thought about that or anything...

Quick Black Forest Cake
1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
scant 1/2 cup water
scant 1/2 cup oil
1 tablespoon almond extract
1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
1 cup chocolate chips (I used Hershey's Special Dark chips to make it even more chocolatey)
chocolate frosting (I used a storebought one, but homemade is always better if you have time)
marachino cherries
almond extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Mix together: cake mix, beaten eggs, oil, water, almond extract, cherry pie filling and chocolate chips. Stir until just combined. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 inch pan.
Bake in a 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let cool. While cooling, you can drizzle some of the marachino cherry juice over the cake to soak in.
Combine frosting, about a teaspoon of the cherry juice and about 1/2 teaspoon of the almond extract to taste, being careful not to make the frosting watery. Frost the fully cooled cake. Drain the cherries and decorate the top of the cake with them. Eat within a day as the marachino cherries start to release their juice after a while.

Baked Crab Rangoons

2010-02-15T00:12:00.004-05:00

Happy Valentine's day to all. Or in my case, a Happy "Girls Night In" Day. The boy will be back in a bit, but for tonight I was without him, so I used the opportunity to make a thank you dinner for one of my single gal pals. Did I just say "gal pals"? Forgive me, must be the strawberry margaritas speaking.
Anyway, I made a 3 course thank you dinner. It started with these baked crab rangoons. Followed by a Chinese chicken salad with a home made sesame soy dressing and ending with a brookie (brownie cookie, aka cookie in a brownie). While all parts were good, I think the crab rangoons were best. I made 13 rangoons and the 2 of us ate every last one.
These guys are SO easy too. Mix, place in won tons in muffin cups, bake. Done.

I was really afraid that these would be really gross once I opened the can of crab meat. I have never used canned crabmeat before, so I was shocked to open it and find that it smelled a little like canned tuna. Not what you want in your crab rangoon. After I drained it and mixed it with the other ingredients though, it tasted nothing like that smell, and was really good. Just make sure to drain it.

Also, I think this is a great base recipe for a crab dip. Add old bay, maybe replace the green onion with regular onion, add some cheese and bake in a casserole dish and it should be great. Just a thought from a girl who loves crab dip a little too much (what can I say, I am always a Marylander at heart).Baked Crab Rangoons

Ingredients

1 (170 gram) can crabmeat- drained well
125 grams (a little more than 1/2 package) Brick of Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup Mayo (I used the olive oil based mayo as it is all I buy nowadays)
12 wonton wrappers
Optional: Sesame seeds and/or green onions for garnish

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix crabmeat, cream cheese, onions and mayo.
Spray 12 muffin cups with cooking spray (not too heavily). Gently place 1 won ton wrapper in each cup, allowing edges of wrappers to extend above sides of cups. (I realized it is best not to try to bend the middle parts onto themselves to make it flat, let the insides be bumpy, it firms up better) Fill evenly with crabmeat mixture.
Bake 18 to 20 min. or until edges are golden brown and filling is heated through. (I then placed them on paper towels for a few minutes to absorb the extra oil and firm up) Serve warm. Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

We'll call them Franken-Muffins

2010-01-24T21:49:00.001-05:00

I found this GREAT post a while ago on tastespotting. It was a basic muffin formula that you adapt for whatever type of muffin you wanted to make, and it gave some suggestions for combinations. But really, give me time to peruse the grocery store and I can come up with my own combination rather easily. And that's just what I did. Introducing, the delicious and rather healthy Franken-muffin. OK, so the name may not work, but my combination of ingredients did!

Here is MY Version:
Dry ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp spice cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Wet ingredients
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
scant 1 cup white sugar
1 egg, beaten
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cups grated zucchini
3/4 cups grated apple

PROCEDURE
Preheat oven to 375˚F.
Grease a muffin tin (12 count- I needed about 14 muffin cups if they had all been full size, or 12 regular muffins and 12 minis) with grease spray or butter.
Get two big bowls. In the first bowl combine the dry ingredients except the dry muffinhancers.
In the other bowl combine yogurt, sugar, salt, melted butter, egg and extract. Mix it all up until it’s good and smooth. Now mix in both the wet and dry Muffinhancers and stir to distribute.
Make sure your oven is set and the muffin tin is greased up before you combine the wet and dry. It’ll need to happen pretty quickly.
Pour the dry mix into the wet bowl and fold gently with a spatula while you count slowly to 15-20. The result should be a very lumpy batter, with frequent dry floury spots. It’s better if it’s not a smooth batter.
Now use an ice-cream scoop or just a big spoon to fill the muffin tray evenly. Fill it up almost to the top of the tray. Bake for 20-25 minutes (about 13 minutes for the minis). When they are done, turn it over onto a clean tea towel to let them cool.

And here is the basic formula:
Dry ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp spice (cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ground ginger, ground coriander, etc)
1 cup of dry Muffinhancers (can be chopped nuts, dried fruits, toasted coconut, chocolate chips, etc)

Wet ingredients
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup melted butter (or vegetable oil)
1 cup white sugar
1 egg, beaten
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups of wet Muffinhancers (can inc: mashed banana, grated zucchini, grated carrots, grated apple, frozen berries, mango puree, chopped up orange, etc)

PROCEDURE
Preheat oven to 375˚F.
Grease a muffin tin (12 count- I needed about 14 muffin cups if they had all been full size, or 12 regular muffins and 12 minis) with grease spray or butter.
Get two big bowls. In the first bowl combine the dry ingredients except the dry muffinhancers.
In the other bowl combine yogurt, sugar, salt, melted butter, egg and extract. Mix it all up until it’s good and smooth. Now mix in both the wet and dry Muffinhancers and stir to distribute.
Make sure your oven is set and the muffin tin is greased up before you combine the wet and dry. It’ll need to happen pretty quickly.
Pour the dry mix into the wet bowl and fold gently with a spatula while you count slowly to 15-20. The result should be a very lumpy batter, with frequent dry floury spots. It’s better if it’s not a smooth batter.
Now use an ice-cream scoop or just a big spoon to fill the muffin tray evenly. Fill it up almost to the top of the tray.
Bake for 20-25 minutes (about 13 minutes for the minis).
When they are done, turn it over onto a clean tea towel to let them cool.

Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper-Feta Sauce

2009-12-15T21:20:00.004-05:00

Ready for the shock of your (and my) life. The boy really liked this. He ate all of it. Why is this shocking? Let me count the ways:
1- red peppers. They are a vegetable. They are also the PRIMARY ingredient here. The boy doesn't eat many vegetables, including bell peppers. He picks around the tiny pepper bits in the Chicken Caesar Casserole. Yet he ate these
2- Feta. Turns out he loves the stuff. He who thought my Greek salad was weird (because it wasn't Caesar with Parmesan) loves feta now. This makes life- and Greek salad making- much easier
3- It was fettuccine. The boy likes angel hair/cappellini. I love fettuccine and hate angel hair. Yet again, the boy still liked this.

Clearly this was some good stuff. And, not terribly bad for you, even with the cheese. Mmmmm, feta cheese....

Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper-Feta Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 (16-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock stock (can also use vegetable)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese or a 6-ounce block
1 pound whole-wheat fettuccine
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes. Add roasted peppers and saute until heated through. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Place mixture in the bowl of a food processor with stock and all but 2-4 tablespoons of the feta (recipe says 2, but I really like having more feta on top, so omit more now). Process until combined and smooth, about 30 seconds.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Toss pasta with sauce (or as much sauce as you want. I don't think I added all the sauce), adding pasta water by the tablespoon, if needed. Sauce should cling nicely to pasta. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide among pasta bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and remaining feta cheese.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2009-12-13T20:59:00.008-05:00

You know it is finals time when: I randomly decide to poke my head out of my study hole and post.

This summer some friends and I initiated a dinner club. Each month 1 of us would host a dinner, come up with a theme and assign menu items. This was the dessert for out Mexican themed night (more Cal-Mex, but I certainly did not mind!). I was terrified it wouldn't work out and I would be left with a 9x13 pan of ick and no dessert to bring. Thankfully I was TERRIBLY wrong, and I had a 9x13 pan of deliciousness and a great dessert for my dinner club.Sadly, my dear friend and dinner club peer, Sam, is leaving for the Big Apple, so dinner club will likely fall to the way-side. If anyone in the No.VA area wants in to take her spot, let me know ;)

Pineapple Upside Down Cake
from laughingduckgardens.com

canola oil to grease the pan
12 tablespoons (i.e. 1.5 sticks) of unsalted butter (not margarine), soften to room temperature, and divided into 9 T for the caramel/topping and 3 T for the batter
1.5 cups brown sugar
12pineapple rings - about 1-2 15-oz cans pineapple rings in juice (not in syrup)
4oz (1/2 of 8 oz jar) jar maraschino cherries, pitted and stemmed
1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoons of whole milk
Skimpy 1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoons strong vanilla extract
1.5 cups + 3 tablespoon of all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
Heaping 1 cup sugar
3 eggs

Instructions:

1. Turn oven on to a temperature of 350 F

2. Oil the pan with a pastry brush (or your fingers) using up to 2 tablespoons of the canola oil. Make sure to get the corners and sides well. Do not be stingy as you want the cake to unmold easily. Roughly chop 9 tablespoons of butter and scatter at the bottom of pan. Put pan in oven while it’s preheating. Keep an eye on it, and take it out of the oven as soon as butter is melted. It should do so before the oven reaches 350 F. Put the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a very large bowl on the stove where it’s warm to help it soften.

3. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with the brown sugar evenly, again making sure to reach all sides and corner. Lift the pineapple slices from the juice (reserve the juice) and arrange them in a grid pattern. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the pineapple juice over. Sprinkle 1TBSP of maraschino liquid from the jar over the pineapple. You could push one cherry in the center of each ring now, if you want, but they’ll look better if you do this after the cake has been baked.

4. In a bowl, combine milk, the skimpy 1/2 cup canola oil and vanilla. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

5. In the very large bowl where you set it to soften, beat together the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter (which should be very soft by now) and the sugar until light and pale lemon colored. It will look “mealy”. Beat in the eggs, one by one, then add the milk mixture, and the flour mixture (1 cup at a time) beating well after each addition. Pour batter over the pineapple rings, smoothing it out as necessary. It may looks like there is no enough batter: there is!

6. Bake in the preheated oven until cake is golden and a toothpick or skewer comes out clean. I am not sure how long exactly, I believe about 40 min-1 hour ( I did not keep good track of time). It Will be about this color:

Remove from oven, let cool until you feel comfortable handling the pan.

7. Now comes the tricky part: inverting the cake. Position the cake inside a rimmed cookie sheet (rim facing up). Put another rimmed cookie sheet on top of the cake (rim facing down). The cake is now sandwiched between two rimmed cookie sheet. Clamp the two cookie sheets together and invert the cake quickly and decisively but carefully. Remove the pan from the cake carefully. If necessary, use a spatula to remove any stuck ring and put it back on the cake. Scrape any caramel from the pan and put it on the cake.

8. Push one cherry in the center of each ring.

9. Let cool and cut into squares, one for each ring

Pesto Chicken Packets

2009-09-15T14:26:00.005-04:00

This summer the boy and I went camping with a friend from college and his friends. These have to have been some of the nicest, most patient people. You see, and this is embarrassing, I hadn't been camping since girl scouts. Clearly I had no clue what to expect or what to do, but these wonderful people helped me survive, and even enjoy, my first camping trip as a person over the age of 10.
Don't worry, I'm not here just to tell you about my trip, but also the food. I knew going into it that there would be roasted marshmallows and s'mores. And there were indeed marshmallows and s'mores galore. Loved it!
So perhaps those marshmallows were a tad too toasty, but you get the point.

The way we did food is we had a different couple make dinner for everyone each night. After a REALLLLLY long drive, the boy and I were welcomed to camp by bratwurst and steaks. The next night was our turn to cook. By "our turn" I mean "my turn"- but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I had made a Caesar-pesto pasta salad and snickerdoodles before we left home, so I only needed to make the main meal on site. To go with the pasta salad (which I will post next time I make it), I made Pesto Chicken Packets from Rachael Ray. Chicken, zucchini (and in my version squash), tomatoes, green onion and pesto baked or grilled in individual serving aluminum foil packets.I apologize, as good as these were, I just could not for the life of me get a good picture. The lighting as well as my hunger did not support a great photo shoot! You will just have to trust me that everyone liked it, or check out the professional picture on Rachael Ray's website.
***UPDATE: I have since made these for a friend and was able to get slightly better pictures. The aluminum foil is still not a great photography medium, but at least this time I had light and more time. See the pictures below. ALSO I have added comments to the recipe where I adjusted stuff***Pesto Chicken Packets
4 servings

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling (TIP- do not use; the pesto will give off a fair amount of oil during cooking)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast cutlets
Salt and pepper
1 cup pesto (don't use nearly this much)
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 yellow squash thinly sliced
4 plum tomatoes, chopped (or about a pint of grape tomatoes halved)
8 scallions, trimmed (and cut into 1/2- 1" sections)

Directions:

Preheat a grill to medium or oven to 450. Cut four 12-inch-long sheets of heavy-duty foil. Drizzle 1 teaspoon (or no) olive oil into the center of each sheet.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay 1 piece of chicken in the center of each sheet and spread (from 2 teaspoons to) 1 tablespoon pesto on top.
Mound one-quarter of the zucchini, tomatoes and scallions over each chicken breast. Dollop 2 tablespoons (no more than 1tsp) pesto over each mound. Fold the foil over the chicken and vegetables; pinch the edges to seal.
Cover and grill over indirect heat or bake the packets for 25 minutes. Remove from the grill or oven and open carefully.
Serve with rice or pasta to absorb the extra juices. (also GREAT with garlic bread-put the tomato bits on the garlic bread and it is DELICIOUS)

Hostess Cupcake Cake- The Success

2009-09-15T08:20:00.003-04:00

This one is digging back in the archives. The "Sam" in question has a March birthday. Yes, a little late. But, well worth it. This is the (in)famous hostess cupcake cake- but this year it stood!!

This year, I made a 3 layer cake instead of a 4 layer cake. I was also REALLLLLLY careful in how I made sure the cakes exited their pans. I sprayed the pans with a lot of pam and then tried coating them in a LOT of either flour or cocoa powder. You can see the difference between the cakes covered in cocoa and the coke covered in flour. I far prefer the appearance of the chocolate cakes coated in cocoa, the flour would be better for a vanilla cake. I also made sure to cool the cakes a good bit before taking them out of the pan and to keep them on COMPLETELY flat surfaces (meaning no dinner plates, etc).

I only removed the center of the middle cake, and I had already chosen the sturdiest looking cake as the middle one.

And it stood. And it was good. And we rejoiced.

For the recipe, see here. Multiply the cake recipe by 1.5 to make 3 round cakes. Fill with the vanilla filling, but use frosting or filling in between the layers (I did one of each). Go heavy on the frosting in between layers (for flavor and making sure it stays together).

Enjoy

Black Bottom Cupcakes

2009-09-13T22:17:00.000-04:00

I've made 2 versions of the black bottom cupcake and these were by far my favorite. The other was not nearly dark enough or chocolatey enough to balance the cream cheese center. These were perfect- as most things by David Lebovitz and Smitten Kitchen are. They were a soft, rich, sweet chocolate cupcake, balanced by a firm, tart cheese cake filling. Phenomenal.

My more recent attempt was while I did not have internet access, but did have a Rachael Ray magazine which featured a similar cupcake. I used her version, but, as I previously mentioned, was not impressed. The people I baked for still loved it, but I did not. What can I say? I'm picky.

Black-Bottom Cupcakes

Yield: approx 12 full-size cupcakes

For the filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 ounces chocolate chips

For the cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the filling: Beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside.

Make the cupcakes:
1. Adjust the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line the muffin tin with paper muffin cups.
2. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, stirring until just smooth.
4. Divide the batter among the muffin cups- about 1/2 way full. Spoon a few tablespoons of the filling into the center of each cupcake, dividing the filling evenly. This will fill the cups almost completely, but still leave some room to puff.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown.

Chicken Caesar Casserole

2009-09-13T21:52:00.000-04:00

Much like my Harlequin Chicken, this is one of those recipes that I kept putting off making. I felt like I wasn't in the mood, or it took too much time, or something, but it kept being put off. Finally I made it and I am glad I did. It was delicious. Last night I even had a huge craving for it! It was so good!!

Caesar Chicken Casserole

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked, cut into 1/2" to 1" pieces
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/3 cup light creamy caesar dressing
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese, grated
1 12-oz package tubed pasta (such as penne), cooked and drained
1/2 cup croutons

Combine all ingredients but croutons. Pour into a 2 quart baking dish or about 5 small aluminum grill pans. Crush croutons and sprinkle on top. Allow to cool and freeze, or continue to next step.

From freezer: Thaw casserole. Bake in 350F preheated oven for 30 minutes or until topping is browned and casserole is bubbly

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

2009-09-12T22:09:00.002-04:00

I am well aware that I fail as a regular blogger. I won't even dare to comment on how long it has been since my last post except to say that it has been too long. I hope that my next post comes far sooner. However can I make it up to you? How about some chocolate chocolate chip muffins?

I baked these during the school year when I somehow ended up with buttermilk in my fridge, and I needed a way to use some of it up. A google search revealed these little delights that satisfy a sweet tooth. But don't go claiming "they're muffins! They must be healthy and a great breakfast!" because, well, they are in no way healthy. But, when it comes to chocolate, healthy is not something I personally look for. I cared more about the fact that they were moist and soft with a slight crunch at the top and they fulfilled my chocolate craving perfectly.

I ended up bringing these to my classmates, and it seems my positive review was universal. One girl in my section declined a muffin for her diet's sake, then, after hearing the raves from the others sitting next to her, she retracted her refusal and gobbled down one of the scrumptious muffins. These are diet-breaking good.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins

INGREDIENTS
1 bag, chocolate chips, divided
1/3 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with papers.
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt 1/2 of the chocolate together with the butter. Let stand until cooled, about 10 minutes.
Lightly beat the egg. In a small bowl, stir together the chocolate-butter mixture with the buttermilk, sugar, egg, and vanilla, until blended well.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, soda, and salt. Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the chocolate mixture, and stir until just combined. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the lined muffin cups.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove muffin tin from oven and let stand at least 5 minutes, before removing the muffins and letting them cool on a wire rack.

*Note- recipe says these can be frozen, though I have not yet tried it. They were all gone within a day!

Caramel Brownies

2009-01-27T20:24:00.003-05:00

WOW! These were some of THE BEST brownies I have ever had!! I don't know how to praise them enough. Dense, chocolatey brownies filled with gooey caramel and a layer of melted chocolate chips. Ya, I went there.

It was adorable. The first time I made these, I brought them to a dinner party at a friend's place. One of my friends asked "how did you get the caramel to go around and under some of the brownie." I gently explained that it was not a feat of gravity or magic, but that you don't pour all the brownie in at first. His surprise made the recipe all the better. Oh, and he loved the brownie! As did the host who kept a large part of the pan to enjoy after I left.

Speaking of dinner parties, All Things Edible is holding a housewarming party, and I am bringing these scrumptious bites. Hope everyone has a sweet tooth!

Caramel Brownies

1 pkg. (18.25 oz.) chocolate cake mix
1 cup Evaporated Milk (a little less than a can), divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
35 (1-10oz. pkg.) soft/chewy caramels, unwrapped
2 cups (1-12oz. pkg.) chocolate chips

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
COMBINE cake mix, butter and 2/3 cup evaporated milk (batter will be thick). Spread half of batter into ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
BAKE for 15 minutes.
HEAT caramels and remaining evaporated milk in small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until caramels are melted. Sprinkle chocolate chips over brownie; drizzle with caramel mixture.
DROP remaining batter by heaping teaspoon over caramel mixture. (I found it looked best if you shaped large spoonfuls of dough into flat circles in your hand, then laid the circles over the caramel. Created a less craggy surface. Compare 1st and 2nd pictures at top)
BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cuts easiest if set overnight or in the fridge for a bit.

Couscous Lentil Dinner

2009-01-09T18:28:00.003-05:00

OK, so it isn't photogenic, but it was good and super quick and inexpensive. And tasty. And good for you... Wow, sounds pretty good to me

I am entering this couscous lentil dinner into Legume Love Affair.

Couscous Lentil Dinner

1 tbsp oil

½ cup onion, chopped

3 cups water

2 1/2 cups vegetable cocktail juice

2 cups brown lentils

2 bay leaves

2 cups couscous

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

2 tsp basil

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes

1. Saute oil and onion in large pot until onion is tender

2. Add water, juice, lentils and bay leaves. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 25-30 minutes until lentils are soft but not mushy. Remove from heat and discard bay leaf

3. Add couscous, cheese, basil and tomatoes to pot and mix in. Cover and let stand about 5 minutes until couscous is soft. Fluff with fork and serve

Baked Pesto Chicken

2009-01-08T18:39:00.004-05:00

"I think this is the best thing you have ever made"- The boy

Enough said? If not, let me just tell you it is phenomenal! Chicken, basil pesto, fresh tomatoes and mozzarella. So good.

If you take the chicken and put it in a ziploc bag, you can pour the pesto in and then freeze it. Then, just defrost it overnight, put it on the baking sheet and continue as directed.

Baked Pesto Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken cutlets
1/2 cup basil pesto
2-3 plum tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line baking sheet with foil.
Place chicken on pan and spoon pesto over it. Once all chicken cutlets have pesto on them, smooth the pesto all over the surface (do this afterward so that you don't contaminate the pesto)
Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.
Remove from oven; top with tomatoes and cheese.
Bake for an additional 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

I am entering this pesto chicken into Foodie Films: Italian.

S'mores Bars

2009-01-05T13:27:00.002-05:00

Isn't this the cutest idea? They are basically portable s'mores! Dense graham cracker crust, melted chocolate chips, topped with fluffy browned marshmallows and cut into perfect 3-bite squares. They're also super simple! I'm entering it in "recipes for the rest of us."

The only downside of these is that they are a little messy. Have a napkin nearby, because the first bite is a little explosion of graham cracker yummyness. Delicious, but not pretty when wearing a black shirt ;)

S'mores Bars
10 ounces graham crackers (18 whole crackers, or two cellophane wrapped stacks)
1 1/2 sticks butter
1-2 pinches of salt
A few handfuls (a little less than 1 bag) chocolate chips
a few handfuls mini marshmallows

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large resealable bag (or in a food processor), smash graham crackers until finely ground. Add salt. Melt butter and combine with graham crackers and salt.

2. Press into a 13×9″ pan to make a tight layer that fills the bottom. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven.

3. Sprinkle on chocolate chips. Drizzle can of condensed milk over graham crackers; follow with marshmallows.

4. Bake for 20 minutes more, until marshmallows are lightly browned. Let cool completely.

Dinner Rolls

2009-01-02T07:16:00.000-05:00

After many test runs of different rolls, I made these for Thanksgiving. Glad I did because they were received by rave reviews. I love when that happens.

Tips: while the above picture shows it a bather dark gold, you should probably not let it get quite so dark or else you will likely burn the bottom. If I had any clear pictures from Thanksgiving I would show you, but it is more of a pale golden brown.

Dinner Rolls

2 cups milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature, plus more for bowl and baking sheets
1 envelope active dry yeast (1 scant tablespoon)
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees)
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

Directions

Bring milk, sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons butter to a simmer in a large saucepan, stirring until sugar and salt have dissolved and butter has melted. Remove from heat, and let cool to 110 degrees.
Meanwhile, sprinkle yeast over warm water in a small bowl, and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir into milk mixture. Add 5 cups flour, and stir until a stiff dough forms (if dough is too sticky, add more flour, 1/4 cup at a time).
Turn out dough on a lightly floured work surface, and knead until smooth. Transfer to a large buttered bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
Divide dough into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth ball. Space 2 inches apart on buttered baking sheets, and cover each with a towel. Let rise until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and lightly brush on top of rolls. Bake until light golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Rolls can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days or can be wrapped and frozen.

Mandarin Chicken

2008-12-29T21:33:00.003-05:00

I am once again restocking my freezer with meals so that I can eat quickly but well during the semester. I look forward to bringing out this really easy dish during one of those hectic days.

Looking at these pictures, I am starting to wonder if I forgot to add the flour. I don't think so, I am pretty sure I added it, but sometimes my mind plays tricks on me. The sauce as I had it was a little runny, so I used a slotted spoon to serve the chicken. Perhaps this is a sign that I forgot the flour? If so, I am ok with that because it was tasty as is...just don't pour all the liquid over your rice.

Mandarin Chicken

5 cups cooked chicken, cubed
4 tsp flour (did I use it?)
1 1/3 cups chicken broth
1 can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup sliced green onions
2 chicken bouillon cubes

On serving day:
2 (11 ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained
Hot cooked rice

Combine flour (?), broth, frozen orange juice concentrate, green onions and chicken bouillon cubes over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and add chicken, simmering uncovered for 3-4 minutes. Cool and pour into freezer containers.

On cooking day, thaw orange chicken mixture. Heat chicken in a saucepan until heated through and bubbly, then add mandarin oranges, continuing to heat mixture. Serve over rice.

Garlic Bread Twists with Cheese

2008-12-23T18:24:00.004-05:00

You know those times when you try a recipe and you know you will be making it forever? This is one of those times. I have already made this recipe 4 times, and 2 of those times I made a double batch.

I don't know how, but these rolls come out so soft and almost buttery, yet there is no butter in them! They certainly remind me of restaurant quality rolls, and my friends who have had them seem to agree.

Garlic Bread Twists with Cheese

3 cups all-purpose flour, divided use
2 ½ tsp active dry yeast
1 TBSP granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ¼ cups warm water (110F)
1 TBSP canola oil
1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
olive oil for brushing

1. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside.
2. Combine half of the flour with yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl; add warm water (110F) and oil; mix until smooth.
3. Stir in garlic and as much of the remaining flour as needed to make a stiff dough (usually I need all of it).
4. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times or until smooth and elastic.
5. Divide dough into fourths; shape each portion into a ball then divide each ball into 10 portions. Shape each portion into an 6-inch stick. Brush 1 stick with water and twist it with another stick, pressing at the top and the bottom. Arrange the twists on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining sticks.
6. Place twists 2-inches apart on baking sheet. Brush the twists with olive oil and sprinkle cheese on top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 50 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake until lightly browned (just a very light brown in places), 12 to 15 minutes.

Tip: after baking, can wrap and store in freezer bag. Reheat in microwave.

Baked Tortellini

2008-12-22T07:46:00.003-05:00

When I was in high school, I was a dork. My friends are probably reading this going "Was??" Ignore them, I prefer the past tense. But I was a dork. I was involved in Odyssey of the Mind, Destination Imagination (what OM became in my area after corporate struggles), Mock Trial, and, of course, FFA. Now you may say to yourself that I surely did not have time and these are certainly not related, and yet they are all related, and they all lead to this fabulous meal.

Were it not for Mock Trial, I may never have decided to go to law school. If I didn't go to law school, I would not have searched for a quick and delicious meal to keep me full through on of my class days that went until 7:15pm. Were it not for FFA I would not have come to love cheese so much and I may not have thought to top tortillini with cheese and bake it. Were it not for OM and DI teaching me "creative problem solving" and "effective use of materials" I may not have been so resourceful, and may have instead just opened a can of soup. But what can of soup can compete with warm cheese tortellini tossed with tomato sauce, topped with mozzerella and baked until browned. No soup can come close. Sorry, Campbells.

Baked Tortellini

1/3 package of dried cheese tortellini

pasta sauce to taste

about a tablespoon of milk (optional)

about a tablespoon of pesto (optional)

mozzerella cheese to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Cook trotellini according to package directions. Drain. Mix with sauce, milk, and pesto (if using). Pour into grilling pan (can double recipe and cook in 8x8pan). Top with cheese. Bake until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

2008-12-21T23:58:00.002-05:00

So, I am back from the no-man's land that is law school finals. WOOO! I have a life again. WOO! I still don't have time to blog. Boo... Oh well, at least I am kind of back.

This chicken dish definately helped me get through finals. I made a big batch and froze it back when I had time, so during finals, I would just defrost it overnight and have dinner with 1 minute of active work while studying. Easy enough! And so good! I love the parmesan and oats together! Delicious! This is even good with or without the sauce.

I recomend this delicious meal as a keep on hand item, replacing those store-bought chicken strips with these cutlets will make you feel so much better during those rushed days, which, let's be honest, we ALL have far more frequently than we would like to admit ;)

Parmesan Crusted Chicken (Adapted from Robin Miller's Quick Fix Meals)
Vegetable oil spray
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
4 chicken cutlets
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
2 teaspoons salt-free garlic and herb seasoning
Sweet-N-Hot Mustard Dip (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it with vegetable oil.

In a shallow dish or plastic bag, combine the flour and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the chicken and turn or shake to coat completely.

Whisk the egg and water in a separate shallow dish. In a third shallow dish, combine the Parmesan, oats, garlic seasoning and remaining salt and pepper.

Dip the flour-coated chicken into the egg, then transfer to the Parmesan mixture, turning and pressing to coat completely.

IF STOPPING TO FREEZE: wrap in plastic wrap and freeze. Thaw completely in fridge before baking.

IF COOKING: Place on the prepared pan and spray with vegetable oil. Bake until crust is golden brown and chicken is cooked through, about 20-25 minutes, turning half way through.

Serve with dipping sauce.

SWEET-N-HOT MUSTARD DIP

1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
2 packs of Chinese mustard (like you get with Chinese take out)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Stir together all ingredients for the dip.

Makes 4 servings

Sorry

2008-12-10T08:07:00.001-05:00

Sorry for my absence. This 1L is in finals mode and will emerge from under her covers on Friday.
FYI-BarBri's online lectures ROCK and have saved my bum. I am willing to be a walking spokesperson after realizing that the guy who wrote my civpro textbook did the civpro lecture!

Three Bean Cassoulet

2008-11-26T18:11:00.004-05:00

I don't know whether I would call this a stew or a solid entree, but whatever it was, it was good! I really did not think I would like it, I made it just because it would be cheap, but it was sooooo good! I ate it with a crusty roll and a spoon as my utensils and loved every moment if it.

Need MORE reasons to make this dish?
-its good for you! Very high in fiber and protein and counts as 2 or 3 veggie servings if you eat an entree size portion
-super easy. Chop. Mix. Bake, mixing occasionally.
-freezes well. I froze the leftovers in individual portions and microwave them for a great quick lunch
-Did I mention it is cheap and delicious? It cost about $5 to make 5-6 dinners that I loved!
-It makes an entry for Legume Love Affair

Three Bean Cassoulet

2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) stewed tomatoes
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can (15-1/2 ounces) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) butter beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme- I didn't have, so I used oregano
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

In an ungreased 3-qt. baking dish (I used a 9x13 pan), combine all ingredients. Cover and bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaf.

One more thing...

2008-11-22T23:36:00.002-05:00

So I mentioned how I spent this weekend so far sick and writing a memo, but I neglected to mention that I got roped into watching part of a soccer game on TV. As the boy and I were watching, he tried to explain how this one coach starts off very poorly with each team he coaches, but he does get better.

Insert law school commentary that ran through my head in rapid-fire:
-I don't know about in England, but here in the US his request to get a guaranteed multi-year contract, so that he can improve, would have to be signed and in writing or else it would violate the statute of frauds (See e.g. Elizabeth Arden)
- well wait, the restatement and the UCC both require a signed writing for contracts over a year (correct me if I am wrong, I have not reviewed my contracts outline yet), and Dell did not sign the warranty for my lovely yellow laptop. This is probably OK because I bet it is on Dell letterhead which counts as a signature.
-Would my Dell purchase fall under the UCC (products) or common law restatements (if it is a service) (See e.g. Princess Cruises). Do I have a seperate contract for the warranty as from the purchase of the computer, or is it all one?

I told the basic gist of this to the boy. His response "Ya...but the coach isn't in the US."
Sometimes you need a clear, non-law school head to make the connections seem so silly.

This happened to me the other day when riding the metro, but I will save that fun diatribe for another day. Hint: It's a tort theory based on being a common carrier!

M&M Cookies

2008-11-22T23:09:00.002-05:00

My weekend thus far has included being sick, writing a memo and being slightly less sick. Oh for it to be winter break. I'm especially looking forward to winter break because 2 days after my last final, my friends are hosting a Christmakkah party! I love the holidays! Good food, fun, and finally spending quality times with friends!

Perhaps I will bring these cookies to the holiday party. Joelen is hosting a cookie swap, and I think these would be perfect. They are M&M cookies from sophistimom. They are so simple and yet good. I made these at the boy's apartment, meaning without the help of an electric mixer of any sort. I put the boy and his friend to work beating the butter and sugar with just a wooden spoon. It took a while, but that is what manual labor is for. The making of the cookies with no kitchen gadgets is really a testimony to their true ease.

M&M Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks room temperature butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
1 regular package (2 ounces or 55g) M&M candies

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. With an electric mixer, cream the butter on high until smooth and light, about 2 minutes. Next add the sugar and continue beating until light in color and fluffy. With the speed on low, add eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Beat until smooth.
4. Turn off the mixer and scrape down sides of bowl. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated.
6. Scoop out dough by 2 tablespoonfuls and place about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Press 5-8 M&M’s on each ball of dough. Flatten each ball of dough slightly with the bottom of a glass. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until barely golden brown on the edges.
7. Remove from oven and let rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters

2008-11-17T12:13:00.002-05:00

Kind of in a hurry to finish up my torts outline, so this will be quick. I got this recipe from the Tuesdays with Dorie group and it is delicious. Was a huge hit. I describe them as kitchen sink cookies because they are the 3 best cookies mashed together (PB, oatmeal and chocolate chip, yum!). I was even able to freeze these and just bring to room temp or microwave to have a dessert in an instant.

Tips: Don't overcook. About 12 minutes is perfect. I baked them in cold balls without flattening so that they didn't become any thinner then they needed to. Any more and they tended to get hard and too crispy for my tastes. Also, I liked adding a few peanuts to the top to add to the peanut butter look and taste.

3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter--I used chunky and would do so in the future as well.
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 1/2 cups store-bought chocolate chips or chunks

Whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, spices and salt.

Beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, beating only until blended. Mix in the chips. If you have the time, cover and chill the dough for about 2 hours or for up to one day.

Preheat oven to 350 and line cookie sheets w/ parchment.

If the dough is not chilled, drop rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets. If the dough is chilled, scoop up rounded tablespoons, roll the balls between your palms and place them 2 inches apart on the sheets.

Bake for 11 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 7 minutes. The cookies should be golden and just firm around the edges. Lift the cookies onto cooling racks with a wide metal spatula - they'll firm as they cool.

Easy Banana Roll Ups

2008-11-13T07:28:00.002-05:00

Forgive me for my drool. These little wraps may not look all that impressive, but man are they good. They are closely derived from a recipe I learned back in highschool. One of my good friend's dad ran a BBQ biz on the side, and one day he needed some extra help, so my friends and I became day labor. I learned so much that day from how to make rocking, fresh cut french fries, a seafood boil and these lovely wraps. At the BBQ I think we used hershey bars instead of chocolate chips, and we did them on a griddle type surface, but the yumminess from that day stuck with me.

These could NOT be easier. 4 ingredients (3 if you don't count the cooking spray). About 5 minutes of work. Easy Peasy and so great tasting. The Boy loves these, which makes me happy because they are a way to sneak a banana into a less than vitamin filled diet.

Easy Banana Roll Ups
2 servings

1 large banana
2 handfuls chocolate chips
1 large or 2 small flour tortillas
cooking spray

1. Slice bananas on a diagonal. Lay banana slices in an even line about 1/3 of the way into the tortilla (like you would for a burrito or taco). Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Roll like a burrito ( fold in the top and bottom and then roll sideways).
2. Heat a skillet to medium, medium high. Spray with the cooking spray. Add the roll up, seam side down. Cook a minute or 2, until golden brown. Turn and repeat until browned all over and chocolate has melted.

Blueberry Muffins

2008-11-06T23:08:00.010-05:00

If you are like some of my dear friends and you don't like the romantic stuff, I suggest just skipping to the bottom for the recipe (it's worth it!). These muffins were a gift. For the boy. For...our four year anniversary...FOUR YEARS. Take that in for a moment. You may be shocked at the dating for four years part, but I think most people are shocked by the fact that my gift to him for the occasion was... a pan of blueberry muffins?

But it was more than blueberry muffins. The weekend before, he had been over at my place, and, as is the norm, Food Network was on in the background. It was some Paula Deen special and she was making blueberry muffins. The boy started drooling and commenting about how he hadn't had blueberry muffins in ages and how he used to love them.

And, while we had agreed not to get each other gifts (paying an obscene amount for school each year takes a toll on your wallet), I could not help but whip up a batch to show him that I cared. Cue the sappy music.

His reaction? He loved them. He devoured them. My reaction? I'll just keep 2 of them for myself, he'll never realize it was a batch of 16 ;)

They really were good. I decided to hold back a handful of the berries when mixing and then top each muffin with a few so that some stayed at the very top to make them pretty. And they were both pretty and delicious.

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups frozen blueberries

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 16 paper liners in muffin pans.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, yogurt, and milk.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until just mixed. Fold in all but a handful of the blueberries with a spatula and be sure the batter is completely mixed.

4. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each cup just over the top. Sprinkle the remaining berries on top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on top and a cake tester comes out clean.

Apple Dumplings

2008-11-02T22:30:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I admit the ingredients in this one sound a little weird. Ok, more than a LITTLE weird. Sprite? Crescent rolls? Oh what did I get my self into? But I first saw a version of this recipe over on Pioneer Woman Cooks, and then Rachaelf Ray mag had another version, so I HAD to try it. Wow...it was actully pretty good. More than pretty good, it was great. Not great for my arteries, but that's what the run the next afternoon is for. So enjoy it, but make it up to your heart later.

Despite the odd list of ingredients, these babies end up sweet and tender, not at all sour like the sprite/mountain dew would suggest. The apples tenderize and are covered in what becomes an almost apple flavored caramel sauce. Definately worth a try!

Apple Dumplings
flour for dusting
1 can (of 8) crescent rolls
1 large apple cut into 8 wedges
1 stick butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon.
3/4 cup Mountain Dew (I used sprite because it was on hand. worked fine)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. On a surface dusted with flour, unfold the rolls. Place an apple wedge on the wide edge of each piece of dough and roll up; place the dumplings in an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter with the sugar and cinnamon over medium heat; stir in the Mountain Dew. Pour the mixture on the dumplings. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes; remove the foil and bake 15 minutes longer.

Mexican Baked Potatoes

2008-10-31T08:33:00.000-04:00

Look how cute these are! They are like twice baked potatoes, Mexican style! Love it! While these were not "quick" (baked potatoes never are), they were REALLLY easy and very good. Because I use vegetarian fat-free refried beans, I don't think these are too unhealthy either. All in all, I would call these babies a success!

I used refried black beans this time, but I don't like the dark color it gave the inside, so if I were serving these to guests, I would probably use normal refried beans so that it was more of a brown and less of a burnt looking black. Then again, I always love the taste of black beans, so who knows, maybe I'll stick with it.

Oh, but about the vegetarian fat free refired beans? Come on, they are so much better for your arteries and still taste just as good. I feel fine eating them since the 2nd ingredient isnt "lard." Heeby Jeebies to that one.

I am entering this recipe into My legume love affair. Check out here and here for details if you are interested in entering.

Mexican Baked Potatoes
4 large russet potatoes, washed
3/4 cup vegetarian fat-free refried beans
2 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
1 Tbsp taco seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
3/4 cup mild or medium salsa
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
sour cream and/or guacamole (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Prick the potatoes with a fork and bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour, or until tender. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and let the potatoes cool at room temperature for about 15 minutes before handling.
2. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the potato pulp, transferring to a small bowl and leaving a shell about 1/4 inch thick. Add the refried beans, scallions, taco seasoning, salt and pepper to the potato pulp; mash well to thoroughly blend. Stuff the mixture back into the potato halves and transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. (potatoes can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for 24 hours before continuing)
3. Top each potato half with about 1 1/2 Tbsp of salsa. Bake in the center of the oven, about 15 minutes (about 20 minutes if they have been refrigerated), or until heated through. Sprinkle each half with 2 Tbsp of the cheese. Return to oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serve at once, with the toppings (if using).

Penne with Butternut Squash Cream Sauce

2008-10-27T07:30:00.000-04:00

I am so hungry right now. I was already hungry before I started typing because my lunch was tiny, but then add in that I am looking at pictures of this REALLY good dinner from last week and I am positively drooling. Please forgive me while I salivate at the screen. Last week I saw the recipe for pumpkin cream sauce on penne in Rachael Ray, but not liking pumpkin much I immediately switched to Butternut squash and never looked back. The nutty and almost sweet roasted butternut squash with the cream...oooh and cheese. So good! And, it was even better the next day because a lot of the sauce was absorbed by the pasta, so it was all flavored with the butternut squash. It was just very good and very rich and filling. And really not that bad for you (ok, I know it has cream and cheese, but still, all that squash!)

I am submitting this dish to Celebrate Autumn: AYE.

Penne with Butternut Squash Cream Sauce (Adapted from Rachael Ray)
1 lb penne or ziti pasta
2lb butternut squash
2 TBSP butter
1 onion, chopped
salt and pepper (crucial, do not skimp)
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup parmesan plus more to top
parsley
1. Preheat oven to 400. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Place cut side down on a roasting sheet and roast about 45 min until tender. When done, let cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, remove any dark areas from the cut edge, then spoon the rest of the flesh into a bowl. Puree with your handy dandy imersion blender (or in a regular blender) until smooth.
2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup pasta cooking water.
3. Meanwhile, in another large pot or pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper (remember, do not skimp!) ; cook, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the squash and half and half and bring to a boil. Mix in the pasta and the reserved pasta cooking water. Stir in the parmesan; season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve. Top the pasta with the parsley and more parmesan.

Stuffed Shells

2008-10-08T10:44:00.002-04:00

Now THAT'S what I call a frozen or TV dinner! Stuffed shells in a wine tomato sauce. Not only is it delicious, but this dinner was on my table in 20 minutes last night. Before school started I made a big batch of stuffed shells and froze all but one portion of them for easy school night dinners. And it worked out beautifully. These taste just as good out of the freezer as they do fresh!

I will admit, they certainly are not photogenic, but isn't taste what really matters? These babies have the taste down, but looks...well the first time I made them I was afraid they would taste horrible because the look is less than grand. I think the reason they look different is because I used ground chicken instead of beef and chicken is a much lighter color. It tasted just great, but maybe next time I would use ground turkey, just for appearances sake.

Also, you will note that I used regular size pasta shells, not jumbo shells. I did this because my tiny, city grocery store does not sell the jumbo shells and I was far too lazy to travel to get them. But, that being said, I think I will use the normal shells again, just because I love pasta and this upped the pasta to filler proportions. If you don't have time or want more meat to your pasta, bump it back up to jumbo shells, but whenever I have time I will certainly keep making it with these small ones

I am submitting this recipe to Monthly Blog Patrol: Sauces for the great tomato red wine sauce that you pour over top. I would gladly use it on any pasta!

Stuffed Shells (adapted from Blog Chef)
Ingredients:
1lb ground chicken (or perhaps turkey)
1 large onion (diced)
1 garlic clove (minced)
1 (8oz) bag shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
¼ cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
1 egg (beaten)
1 (26 oz) jar of spaghetti sauce
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 box large pasta shells (I used the large, not the jumbo)
salt and pepper (to taste)
1/3 cup dry red wine

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Cook shells according to package directions. Meanwhile in a pan brown ground chicken, garlic and onion. Drain off any excess fat and let cool. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Step 2: Combine chicken, mozzarella cheese, egg, breadcrumbs, parsley and season with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Mix spaghetti and tomato sauce in a medium bowl and pour 1/4 of it into the bottom of a 13×9 inch oven safe dish (I used about 5 "grilling pans" to make individual portions)
Step 4: Stuff the cooked and drained pasta shells with the meat mixture and place on top of the sauce in the pan. Add red wine to the remaining sauce, mix well, and pour over the top of the shells. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Step 5: Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

Note: If you are freezing, stop after step 4, wrap in 2 layers of aluminum foil, put in a ziploc freezer bag and freeze until ready to use. When ready to use, defrost in fridge the night before, then bake as directed.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

2008-10-05T23:47:00.005-04:00

Man, I must be all about the stuffed peppers! Switching gears from Italian to Mexican this time though, for yet another meal that is friendly to a law student budget (aka cheap). I got this recipe from Thursday Night Smackdown. I foresee many other recipes coming from there thanks to the "cheap a** mondays." Good stuff, too. Check it out.

This recipe (if it can be called that thanks to its versatility and ease) was delicious! I made what was supposed to be 3 servings (one and a half peppers stuffed with rice-y goodness), but it was so good, I ended up making it only 2 servings (I was really hungry and could not resist the cheesy goodness!). Even after making the 3 servings, I had plenty of rice mix leftover which I popped in single serving size baggies in the freezer to be used on other, cheap eats nights.

This recipe will be the first one entered into my 3 new categories: cheap, easy and frozen. While the first 2 sound like a high school boy's ideal date, they are really categories many full grown boys are looking for in dinner. I was talking with the boy this weekend and he mentioned how he never knew which recipes he could pull off, so the "easy" section is for him. If it were 1950 and home-ec was still only taught to girls, I would call it the "boy capable food" section. But, welcome to the 2000s! The cheap category is pretty self explanatory and will hold the food I will make on weeks when the loans start running out. Finally, frozen will be the category of food that freezes well for quick meals later. Hope this helps!

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

serves 2 plus leftover rice stuffing for later

1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and halved
2 cups cooked yellow rice
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 10 oz. can black beans, drained
1 10 oz can corn, drained
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
handful of cilantro, chopped
5 oz. shredded Mexican four cheese

sprinkling of taco seasoning

Pre-heat your oven to 375.

Put the cooked rice, 4 ounces of the cheese, and the cilantro into a large bowl. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the filling.

Add the olive oil to a medium skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until just turning golden, 6-7 minutes; add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the beans, corn, cumin, chili powder and cook for a few minutes to combine the flavors. Check the seasoning and adjust the salt.

Add the bean mixture to the rice, cheese and cilantro and stir to combine.

Lay the pepper halves in a baking dish and heap with stuffing. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Sprinkle with taco seasoning. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until peppers are crisp-tender. Turn on the broiler for the last few minutes of cooking to brown the cheese, if you like.

Put any leftover filling in single serving size ziplocs and freeze. When ready to use, defrost in the fridge overnight and fill peppers as directed and top with cheese and bake.

Pasta Filled Peppers

2008-09-25T23:10:00.005-04:00

Easy. Good for you. Delicious. Ya, this one's a keeper. I had 1/2 a bell pepper laying around and about to go bad, so instead of throwing it into the pasta sauce, all chopped up and indistinguishable, I decided to make a bell pepper boat for pasta. It worked SO well.
I baked the pepper a little before stuffing just so that it was not too hard when the pasta went in, but you could probably omit the pre-baking if you want a crisper pepper. I highly recommend a pasta sauce that has a hint of roasted pepper in it to help pick up the flavors and take it to another level. Even with your basic pasta sauce though, this is definitely worth a try.

Pasta Filled Peppers
Serves 1
1/2 a bell pepper, cored and seeded
a large handful of short pasta (I used gimmelli, but I think penne or macaroni would work)
about 1/3 cup of pasta sauce
3TBSP shredded mozzarella
2TBSP Parmesan cheese
1TBSP breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Place pepper, cut side up, on a square of aluminum foil. Fold and crimp the foil so that it will hold the pepper upright. Bake on a cookie sheet or in a baking dish for 10 min.
3. Combine pasta, mozzarella and sauce and pour into the baked pepper.
4. Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan and sprinkle on top of pepper. Push down lightly to adhere. Bake in the oven for another 15-20 minutes until topping is golden brown.

Irish Brownies

2008-09-23T11:33:00.004-04:00

I made these a long time ago and I have no clue why I have not made them since. Imagine: brownies. Good. Brownies with caramel. Better. Brownies with caramel Irish cream liqueur. BEST. The only person who didn't like these was a person who hates Bailey's already, but if you have any inclination to like Bailey's you will LOVE these.
Irish Brownies (Adapted from the Treasury of Home Baking cookbook)
4 oz chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup Irish cream liqueur (I used the Bailey's Creme Caramel)
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Irish Cream Frosting (recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8 inch square pan.
2. Melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in sugar.
3. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, with wire whisk. Whisk in Liqueur.
4. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Stir into chocolate mixture just until blended. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
5. Bake 22-25 min. Cool completely before frosting.Irish Cream Frosting
1/4 cup (2oz) cream cheese
2 TBSP butter, softened
3 TBSP Irish cream liqueur
~1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (I almost always use less than whatever is recommended because I don't want it too sweet)
Optional: Chocolate shavings

Beat cream cheese and butter in a small bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Beat in liqueur. Gradually beat in sugar until smooth. Spread on cooled brownies. Chill at least 1 hour until set before serving. Can top with chocolate shavings

Oozing Chocolate Cake

2008-09-19T15:58:00.005-04:00

Can I say how awesome my friends are? Forgive me for bragging for a moment, but I have a friend who works for the local news channel, a friend who works for a sports lobbying group (and plays on the senate softball league, lol), a friend who is currently working at a theater in the woods in Kentucky, and oh, yes, one who gets me free cookbooks. Actually, she works, get this, in the TV section of the Washington Post! Awesome by itself, but add the fact that the people who do book reviews give away books, and it gets even cooler. When she sees cool cookbooks in the give away pile, she sometimes brings some home for me. One time she brought home a cookbook that I have so far only used twice. Once was kind of a dud, but the other. WOW. I made this oozing chocolate cake for a girly night in and it was perfect. So soft and chocolatey. I would not change a thing...well, maybe I would serve with vanilla ice cream, but last time we all dug in and devoured it so fast, there was no time for ice cream scoopers! The recipe is from "Without Reservations"by Joey Altman. I don't know whether or not to reccomend it, having only tried 2 recipes, but I can sure reccomend this one! Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich friend, thank you. I do have the coolest friends!Oozing Chocolate Cake
serves 6
8oz chocolate chips
1 stick butter
3 large eggs, seperated
1/2 cup sugar
cooking spray

1. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler over simmering water. Set aside to cool
2. In medium bowl, whisk the yolks with 1/4 cup sugar until pale and light, about 5 min
3. Whip the whites in a large, clean, dry bowl until thick and frothy, then add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue whipping until they form soft peaks; they shouldn't be dry or hard
4. Fold yolks into chocolate then fold that into the whites. Cover and refridgerate between 1 and 24 hours (i reccomend a higher number to make the center colder and more lava like when done)
5. Preheat oven to 400. Spray 6 6oz ramekins with cooking spray and divide the batter between them. Bake until set on the outsides but runny when inserting toothpick in center (15min).
6. Cool 1 minute, run a knife around the outside to loosen, put a plate on top of the ramekin and flip to remove.

Pineapple Kiwi Chicken

2008-09-16T11:45:00.004-04:00

Because I have found myself a TAD bit busy (somewhere between torts briefs, training to run a 5k and trying to have a life, my schedule got crowded) this post is going to be an exercise in brevity. Trust me, I can use all the help I can get in staying brief; my current memo is over 7 pages and there is a 5 page limit! Law school is phenomenally interesting and I love it, but people are not kidding when they say there is a lot of work. Oh well, here is a quick and FANTASTIC recipe from last night. The ease of this recipe was much appreciated, but so were its spicy sweet flavors. I adapted this recipe from Robin Miller's seared pork version.
Pineapple Kiwi Chicken
serves 4

1 cup diced pineapple (fresh or canned in juice)1 cup peeled and diced kiwi (about 2 or 3 whole kiwi)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (I used a jalapeno from a jar [technically pickled?] I rinsed it off, pulled out the seeds, rinsed the inside and dried it off to use, then I used less than called for because I didn't want too much spice)
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 chicken breasts, each cut into chicken strips
chili powder to taste
cooked brown rice

In a medium bowl, combine the pineapple, kiwi, cilantro, jalapeno, and lime juice and toss to combine. Season, to taste, with salt and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season one side of each of the chicken strips with salt, pepper and chili powder. Put the seasoned side down into the pan. Spice the other side with salt, pepper and chili powder. Once the first side is cooked, turn the strips over and cook until done. Serve the chicken over the rice and spoon the pineapple kiwi salsa over top.

English Muffin Bread and Garlic Herb Butter

2008-09-16T11:20:00.003-04:00

This has been floating around my "to be blogged" area for a while. It is a great bread (crusty outside, firm but not at all hard inside) and it is super easy to make (put ingredients in the machine). I served it with baked ziti and the tomato and green bean salad and it perfectly complemented both flavors. You can add any spices you like, but as I note below, my favorite so far is oregano and garlic.
Bread Machine English Muffin Bread (from "The Bread Machine Baker")
1 cup minus 1 TBSP water
1/8 tsp baking soda
2 TBSP nonfat dry milk powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
oregano to taste
garlic powder to taste
2 cups bread flour
2 tsp active dry yeast
Add all ingredients to machine in order listed. Choose regular crust and press start. Also works on rapid or quick bread setting.

I highly recommend this butter for...ANYTHING. I first used it as a spread for crackers and baguettes at the engagement party. Then I used the leftovers as the butter for Italian grilled cheese. Finally, it would certainly work on the above bread!

Roasted Garlic Butter with Chives

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 heads roasted garlic, recipe below
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1/2 tsp. salt

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well.

Take a large piece of parchment paper and pile the butter at one end of the paper, forming it into a log as best as you can.

Begin rolling the paper and the butter up, jelly-roll style, rolling tightly as you go and smoothing the log.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Roasted Garlic
Preheat oven to 350
Take 2 heads of garlic and cut off about one-third of the top of each head. Place them each on a piece of aluminum foil and drizzle each with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and then wrap loosely in the foil.
Place them on a baking sheet in the center of the oven.
Bake the garlic for about 40 minutes. Check the garlic. It’s done once the cloves become soft and the head of garlic can be easily squeezed. Don’t burn the garlic.
Let it sit overnight wrapped in the foil and use the following day.

South West Pasta Salad

2008-08-28T08:32:00.005-04:00

So I am more than a little behind on posting this one. It is another one from the old picture folder of "remember that time I hosted an engagement party?" This was the version of pasta salad I decided to do. No Italian dressing here! It is covered in flavors of lime, cilantro and cumin. I really enjoyed it, and, an added bonus, the dressing for the salad also makes a great chicken marinade. It is definitely best fresh, but can be stored (w/o the cilantro) overnight in the fridge if you want.

I'm entering this South Western take on pasta salad into the newest Recipe Remix. Enjoy!

South West Pasta Salad (Adapted from Allrecipes)

1/2 (16 ounce) package gimelli pasta
just under 1/3 cup vegetable oil
just under 1/3 cup lime juice
1-2 tablespoons chili powder, to taste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 can of corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 diced green bell pepper
1/2 diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup chopped roma (plum) tomatoes
green onions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a large bowl combine oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt and garlic. Stir in pasta and set aside to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
Stir in corn, beans, green pepper, red pepper and 1/2 of the cilantro leaves. Spoon onto a platter and garnish with tomatoes and remaining cilantro and green onions. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad

2008-08-26T10:39:00.004-04:00

This one was such a winner. I want to send a HUGE thank you to Smitten Kitchen for this delicious and healthy side dish idea. I served it alongside baked ziti and home made bread. The bread with the salad was delicious. I used it to soak up all the extra dressing. If I was not serving with a crusty bread, I would likely halve the dressing recipe, because it was far too much dressing for JUST the veggies. So great and easy, you have to try it!
I am submitting this wonderful recipe to Joelen's Tasty Tools roundup because you need your whisk to get the dressing right. I reccomend using a very small whisk because of how little you need to mix up.
Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad

1 pound green beans
1 pound cherry tomatoes
1/4- 1/2 an onion
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Top and tail the beans (I also halve the big ones at this stage), and parboil them in salted water until tender (2-4 min). Drain and immediately spread them out to cool. Stem the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Can do up to here in advance, but do not move ahead before you are ready to eat.

For the vinaigrette, dice the onion fine and put it in a bowl with the vinegar and salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust the balance with more vinegar, oil, or slat, as needed. Toss the cherry tomatoes in with the vinaigrette; this can sit for a while. Do not add the green beans until just before serving or they will discolor. Toss and serve.

S'mores Cupcakes

2008-08-15T09:37:00.003-04:00

Dhanggit is hosting a party and I'm bringing dessert! Ok, so maybe this dessert wasn't just for Dhanggit. Maybe I made them for the engagement party I hosted, but they were still great party food!

I made s'mores cupcakes with a chocolate cake base, graham cracker and marshmellow frosting and graham cracker topping with a hershey bar piece stuck in. Yum! And so cute, no? The idea was from Sew Darn Cute and the recipes are from her and Martha Stewart.

Cupcakes
Makes about 30

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla; mix batter until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.
Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about one-third full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Frost with marshmellow topping and top with graham cracker crumbs and chocolate bar pieces.

Here's where it got interesting. If you frost the cupcakes with the fresh frosting, the frosting spreads and droops. See Below.

Lesson learned: Mix graham crackers into the frosting to make it more solid and then refridgerate until it will hold it's shape. Ah, much better!

Marhmellow Frosting and Toppings
2 sticks butter, room temperature

1 lb. (2 cups) confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
16 oz. tub of marshmallow cream (Fluff)

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

30 hershey bar pieces

Cream the butter on high until it's light and fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, and beat until fluffy each time. Beat in the vanilla until incorporated. Add the Fluff (this takes patience and a little ingenutiy) and mix until creamy. Add 1/2 cup graham cracker. Transfer to Ziploc bag and put in fridge for a little over an hour and up to overnight. When ready to use, cut off tip, pipe onto cupcakes. Top with graham cracker crumbs and a candy bar piece.

Frozen Lime Pie

2008-08-07T22:59:00.004-04:00

Can I tell you about my new crush. R.R. will always have my heart, but Robin Miller is now finding a place in my kitchen. More specifically, my freezer. I had a Barnes and Noble gift card right around the time they were having an awesome sale, so I picked up a bunch of books including a very cheap copy of Miller's "Quick Fix Meals." I now LOVE this book. I put my tabs in it, and about half the pages are marked! I love her "double duty" efficiency! Call me type A but the planning in it makes me so happy. With crazy law school days ahead, i have taken to making dinners and making extra to freeze, so Robin Miller's book is right up my alley. Expect to see a lot more from her in days and weeks ahead. For the record, I have already frozen chicken tortilla soup and baked ziti.

For right now, though, I currently have a frozen pie from the book in my freezer. Delicious, cooling and SO easy you wouldn't believe. And really, isn't that all you could ever ask for?

Frozen Lime Pie
from Robin Miller's Quick Fix Meals
8oz tub coolwhip, slightly thawed
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice
6 oz prepared graham cracker pie crust
*I added green sprinkles and food coloring for color*

Combine first 3 ingredients (plus sprinkles and coloring if using) until smooth. Spoon into pie crust and smooth the surface. Freeze at least 30 minutes and up to 3 months.

I am entering this yummy treat into A Southern Grace's Beat the Heat event.

Chicken Parmesan Rollups

2008-07-30T07:54:00.004-04:00

One of my roommates has been making this recipe for about a year now, but I just recently got around to trying it. It really is a great recipe. It's a little bit time consuming, but it is very good tasting, hands off for a large part of the time, would become really easy with some practice of dipping the rolls in the eggs/crumbs and, my favorite part, got the boy to eat spinach!! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the boy ate TWO or THREE servings of vegetables in this meal. He at spinach, he ate a side of broccoli AND he had the tomato sauce. Behold, the power of cheese.

Because of the chicken, the cheese and the spinach in this meal, I'm submitting it to Eat Healthy: Protein Rich. It has about 22 g of protein per serving.

Chicken Parmesan Bundles
Adapted from Kraft
6 Servings

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, softened

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained (would use less unless you LOVE spinach) (I would also like to try it with chopped frozen broccoli)

1-1/4 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

6 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

6 chicken cutlets, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

1 egg

10 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1/2 cup)

1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, heated

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF. Mix cream cheese, spinach/broccoli, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 3 Tbsp. of the Parmesan cheese until well blended; spread evenly onto chicken breasts. Starting at one of the short ends of each breast, roll up chicken tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks, if desired. Set aside.

BEAT egg in shallow bowl or pie plate. Mix remaining 3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese and the cracker crumbs in separate shallow bowl or pie plate. Dip chicken bundles in egg, then roll in crumb mixture. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish covered with aluminum foil and sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through. Remove and discard toothpicks, if using. Serve topped with the spaghetti sauce and remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.

6 Word memoir

2008-07-29T16:59:00.004-04:00

A LONG time ago I was tagged by Katie at CupcakeRN for a 6 word memoir. I had to come up with 6 words that describe me. Should NOT have taken so long. Katie, I am VERY sorry I delayed so long. All you do is list 6 words to describe yourself and then tag 6 others.

I am:
emotional
giggly
type-A
overly-thoughtful
stubborn
overdressed

I think that covers a lot about me!
I am tagging, oh this is hard cuz I hate sending these to people who don't want them. If you don't want to do it, don't feel bad, just think of it as a shout out:
Sweetnicks
Taste and tell
All Things Edible
Run-Girl-Run
Gigi Cakes
Picky Palate

Lemon Chicken

2008-07-25T07:55:00.006-04:00

Oh me, oh my I liked this one. I even liked it for lunch the next day, so lemony and refreshing. It’s a takeoff of chicken piccatta, minus the capers. The chicken itself isn’t lemony (though you could certainly add lemon zest to the breadcrumbs if you wanted) but, in my version, the vegetables and pasta that the chicken is served with are delightfully lemony.

A few words of advice though:

1. I used chicken breasts cut in half to make cutlets and still had to pound them thinner to get them to cook through. Make sure they are reallllly thin.

2. Do not skimp on the oil. The 1st batch of oil is needed for browning and to avoid chicken sticking to the pan. The 2nd is so the pasta doesn’t clump and has a sort of sauce. You really need it.

3. Use whatever veggie you like. The recipe says greenbeans, I used broccoli and I could even imagine using carrots! Have fun and tweak to your taste.

Because chicken is a healthy source of protein (12g) and this is a quick and easy meal, I am entering it in Eat Healthy: Protein Rich.

Lemon Chicken

Adapted From Better Homes and Gardens

Makes 4 servings.
4 chicken cutlets
1 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard

salt and pepper
1/4 cup seasoned fine dry bread crumbs

4 TBSP olive oil, divided
8 oz. green beans (or broccoli or other vegetable)
2 lemons, 1 sliced and 1 juiced
1 Tbsp. capers (optional)

Cooked Pasta of choice

Directions
1. Place one chicken breast half between sheets of plastic wrap. Lightly pound with flat side of meat mallet to even thickness. Repeat.

2. Brush chicken with mustard; sprinkle evenly with salt, pepper, and bread crumbs to coat.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add chicken. Cook 4 minutes per side or until no pink remains. Transfer to plates.

4. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to skillet. Cook green beans/other veggie in oil 2-4 minutes or until crisp-tender; add lemon slices. Add juice and capers (if using)to skillet; heat through. Add pasta and toss. Serve chicken on top of the pasta and vegetables.

Shrimp and Macaroni Salad

2008-07-21T08:06:00.004-04:00

I must confess something. I have lied to you all. My sidebar may say I'm from DC, but it lies to you. I'm from Maryland. Pretty soon I will actually live in DC, but I think I will always consider myself a Marylander. Why? Is it because of my Terps? Yes, but not just that. The fact that I know that Jada Pinket Smith, David Hasselhoff and Edward Norton were from the Old Line State? Again, yes, but not exactly. Is it cuz I LOVE me some Old Bay...ya, that's gotta be it.

I LOVE Old Bay. I love it in crab soup and crabcakes, on spicy shrimp and even on chicken. Now I found that I like it in my shrimp and macaroni salad. I tried making this without the old bay and the lemon juice but something was just missing, it was flat. A sprinkle of old bay and some lemon juice later and the seafood really stands out, along with all the well-meshing flavors.

I am submitting this recipe to Eat Healthy:Protein Rich because of its 10grams of protein per serving.

Shrimp and Macaroni Salad
about 5 servings
2 cups macaroni
1/2 pound shrimp (cooked and peeled, then cut into large, bite sized pieces)
3 TBSP chopped onion
1/3 of a cucumber, chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup mayo, to taste
1/4 cup chopped carrots
squirt of lemon juice
Old Bay seasoning to taste

Cook pasta according to package. Drain pasta and run under cool water until room temp. Combine all ingredients. Serve immediately or refrigerate before serving.

Roasted Red Pepper Chicken

2008-07-21T07:50:00.005-04:00

I think this is another miracle recipe where you can do anything you want to butcher it, yet it still tastes great! This meal was from, or at based off of A Piquillo Pepper Chicken with Spanish Rice from the Everyday with Rachael Ray mag. I say "based off of" because I did not make the spanish rice, I used roasted red peppers, I used white wine instead of sherry, I all but eliminated the butter, AND I used dried parsley. Yet, we loved it. Like a lot of R.R. recipes, this one works great as is, or as an idea to work with to your preferences and availability. I am going to just list the recipe as we had it below.

I am entering this in Eat Healthy: Protein Rich for its 14.5 g or protein per serving.

Roasted Red Pepper Chicken
4 servings
* 2 cups rice
*4 cups water
* 2 TBSP Olive Oil
*4 boneless, skinless chicken cutletts
* Salt and pepper
* 1 jar roasted red peppers, drained well and sliced
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 1/2 tablespoon butter
* 1TBSP dried parsley, divided
* A handful of sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Preparation

Cook rice with water to package instructions.

While the rice cooks, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Remove the chicken and reserve. Add the peppers to the pan and heat them through. Add the wine to the pan and reduce for a minute or two. Add the butter and half of the parsley to the skillet, then turn off the heat and stir to melt the butter.

Cut chicken into strips and place atop rice. Spoon the peppers and sauce over chicken. Add the remaining parsley and almonds on top.

Shrimp Saganaki

2008-07-16T14:52:00.004-04:00

Wow. So considering that I have MANY notes on this recipe about what I had to change and how i potentially butchered it, this dish came out spectacularly. It is shrimp baked with tomatoes and cheese in a Greek style. Yum-O! So good! I served with orzo and grilled, greek spiced squash. All around phenomenal. I am submitting this healthy dish to Eat Healthy: Protein Rich for its 31g of protein.Here's the fun part, the many things I changed. I recommend trying it the original way if you can, but my way (noted in parenthesis) is easier and still great. I used cooked frozen shrimp instead of fresh, uncooked shrimp. I used goat cheese instead of feta. I used canned diced tomatoes instead of chopped tomatoes. Still, this saganaki somehow survived in great shape.
Shrimp Saganaki
serves 6
1/4 cup olive oil plus oil for drizzling
1/2 cup diced onion
salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1tsp oregano plus extra for sprinkling
1 cup diced, peeled, seeded tomatoes (instructions below)
1/4 cup white wine
1 28oz can chopped (used diced) tomatoes with juice
parsley
1 1/2 lbs shrimp, peeled, deveined (recipe says to keep tail on, but this makes it messier, just take the tail off too) (I used cooked, still frozen shrimp. Just rinse with enough water to seperate, but use still frozen.)
3/4 cup diced feta (used goat cheese)

To Peel Tomatoes
Bring pot of water to boil. Core and lightly score tomato skin in quarters. Place scored tomato in boiling water for 30 sec. Remove and place in ice water. Using a paring knife, carefully pull off skin.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat 1/4 cup oil in large pan over med heat. Add onion and pinch of salt. Cover and cook, stirring occaisoonally for 8 min. Add garlic and saute for another min. Stir in oregano and pinch of salt. Add diced tomatoes and wine and simmer for 3 min.
2. Stir in canned otmatoes and juice, raise heat to medium high and again bring to simmer. Simmer 6 min and then fold in parsley. Season with salt and pepper, noting that cheese will add saltiness.
3. Spoon just enough tomato sauce into an oven safe, round pan or 9x13 baking dish to cover the bottom. Working from outside in, make concentric circles of shrimp (place tail to head, just touching). Spoon remaining sauce over top. Sprinkle cheese on top, drizzle with olive oil and oregano.
4. Bake for 20 min or until hot and bubbling with golden brown cheese.

Greek Squash
1 squash
olive oil
greek seasoning
Combine greek seasoning and oil. Slice squash into rounds. Brush oil onto the squash. Grill squash until tender.

Tzatziki Chicken

2008-07-14T21:45:00.003-04:00

I was super impressed with this meal! It was so easy to put together, was really healthy and everyone really enjoyed it and said I should make it again. Sounds like a success to me!

When I say healthy, I mean it! Low fat chicken, low fat yogurt, spinach, and whole wheat pita scream "feel free to eat more! I'm good for you!" I am also entering this recipe in Eat Healthy: Protein rich for its 25g of protein.

Tzatziki Chicken
serves 4

1/2 cucumber, seeded then grated
1/2 tsp salt
4oz plain low fat yogurt
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1tsp dry mint
4 chicken cutlets
pinch of greek seasoning
4 whole wheat pitas
baby spinach

1. Sprinkle the grated cucumber with the salt. Let set for 10 min, drain, mix with yogurt, lemon juice and mint.
2. Season chicken with greek seasoning. Grill until cooked through. Wait a minute and then slice
3. Cut Pitas in half and open each half up. Insert spinach into each 1/2 pita, spread with tzatziki sauce and top with chicken strips.