Hi everyone! We had Jackson's t-ball banquet today and of course it poured. Right now, it's totally sunny out. This weather this spring has just been weird.
Sunday is my nephew Alex's 2nd birthday party so we'll be going to that and then we are going our to dinner afterwards. I'm not sure where yet but probably somewhere in the Tukwila area. So, I have nothing for you tonight. However, I have included a couple other recipes that we love.
First is called Our Favorite Meatloaf and yes, it's another meatloaf recipe. I know you're probably thinking that we like all meatloaf but it's not true. With as many recipes I've given you, there have been 5 or 6 that we've tried that haven't passed the test. This one is my cooking friend Cyndi's recipe and it's your typical meatloaf recipe. There's nothing weird or tricky about this one. As always, with meatloaf I recommend you use a really lean ground meat, like 7-10% fat. And as always, don't over mix. This can be the difference between great meatloaf and terrible meatloaf. The fun thing about Cyndi's recipe is she cooks it in the microwave. I always do mine in the oven but if you're ever in a hurry, you can give her way a try!
Our Favorite Meatloaf
Cyndi
2 lbs hamburger, very lean
1 onion
1/4 cup cracker crumbs (or Italian bread crumbs)
1 or 2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Sauce:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 can tomato sauce
1 tsp mustard
Combine sauce ingredients and set aside half of the sauce. Mix all together, including half of the sauce mixture. Put in a bundt pan (microwave) or loaf pan (oven). Pour remaining sauce on top.
Cook 12 to 15 minutes on high in microwave or for about 1 1/2 hours at 350º in the oven.
The second recipe is for Orange Glazed Blueberry Scones. These are really yummy. This does call for unsalted butter so if you use regular butter I would recommend cutting the salt down by half but you don't have to. I'm just picky about the salt in foods. Also, if you don't have buttermilk, you can substitute 1 tbsp vinegar plus 1 cup milk. In this recipe, they only want 3/4 cup milk so you'll have to adjust that a little bit. I never roll the blueberries in flour when I make these so you can do that or not. This is a Food 911 recipe (from the Food Network) and I've made these for adults and kids and everyone loves them! The glaze recipe is at the end of the recipe so don't forget to look at that if you're going to shop for ingredients!
Orange Glazed Blueberry Scones
Amy - amylz
courtesy Tyler Florence Food 911
2 cups unbleached flour, plus more for rolling berries
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut in chunks
3/4 cup buttermilk or cream
1 egg
1 pint fresh blueberries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar; mix thoroughly. Cut in butter using 2 forks or a pastry blender. The butter pieces should be coated with flour and resemble crumbs. In another bowl, mix buttermilk and egg together, and then add to the flour mixture. Mix just to incorporate, do no overwork the dough. Roll blueberries in flour to coat, this will help prevent the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the scone when baked. Fold the blueberries into batter, being careful not to bruise. Drop large tablespoons of batter on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until brown. Cool before applying orange glaze.
Orange Glaze:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 oranges, juiced and zested
To prepare Orange Glaze: combine butter, sugar, orange zest, and juice over a double boiler. Cook until butter and sugar are melted and mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and beat until smooth and slightly cool. Drizzle or brush on top of scones and let glaze get hazy and hardened.
Amy
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
World's Best Shepherd's Pie, New Potato Summer Salad, Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding
Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great Friday! I had my last day of helping cook in Jackson's kindergarten class today and I can't believe there are only 2 more weeks of school. Where has this year gone?
Saturday night we're having a shepherd's pie. This is also from Family Fun Magazine. The instructions are pretty self explanatory and it's all basic ingredients that you should have. I am considering this a complete meal. There are a ton of steps and ingredients but don't let that scare you. This is a very basic Shepherd's Pie and not difficult at all once you're making it. Sure, you could cheat and use instant or frozen potatoes if you don't want to take as much time but truly, making your own mashed potatoes is really easy and tastes so much better!
World's Best Shepherd's Pie
Amy – amylz
Family Fun Magazine
Filling:
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 1/4 pounds ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup beef broth
1 cup diced canned tomatoes or crushed tomatoes in puree
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Mashed Potato Topping:
6 cups peeled and chopped potatoes
2 teaspoons salt, plus salt to taste
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
1 to 1 1/2 cups grated white Cheddar cheese
Paprika
Step 1 Cook the corn according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Step 2 Start the potatoes for the topping. Put them in a large pot with enough water to cover them by a couple of inches. Add about 2 teaspoons of salt to the water. Bring the potatoes to a boil, uncovered, over high heat. Cook them for 10 to 13 minutes. Meanwhile, make the meat filling.
Step 3 Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion and celery in the butter, stirring often, for about 5 to 6 minutes.
Step 4 Add the ground beef to the pan and break it up with a wooden spoon as it browns. Remove the skillet from the stove and, resting it on a heatproof surface so it won't feel so heavy, tilt the pan so that the excess fat runs to the side. Carefully spoon out the fat and discard it (this will make the dish leaner and healthier, as well as lighter tasting).
Step 5 Put the skillet back on the burner and set the heat to medium low. Stir the garlic and flour into the beef mixture. Stir in the beef broth, then the canned tomatoes, then the herbs, reserved corn, and Worcestershire sauce.
Step 6 Gently simmer the mixture for several minutes, partially covered, then add salt (1/4 teaspoon, give or take a little) and pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to a large buttered casserole. Set the oven to 400°, and while it heats, check to see if your boiling potatoes are done.
Step 7 To test the potatoes, use a slotted spoon to transfer a cube from the water to a cutting board and allow it to cool for 30 seconds or so. If you can slice through the chunk easily with a butter knife, the potatoes are done.
Step 8 Set a large colander in the sink and drain the potatoes in it (this job can generate a lot of steam, so it is best done by an adult or under adult supervision). Transfer the drained potatoes to a large mixing bowl and scatter the butter pieces over them. Spoon the sour cream here and there over the hot potatoes as well. Wait several minutes for the butter to melt and the sour cream to warm so the ingredients will be easier to blend, then partially mash the potatoes with a hand masher.
Step 9 Switch to an electric mixer set at medium speed and continue to mash, adding enough milk to make medium-soft mashed potatoes. Don't make them too soft, however; you want them to have some body.
Step 10 Salt the potatoes to taste and spoon them evenly over the filling. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, then sprinkle on some paprika (be sure to wash your hands right afterward so you don't accidentally rub any of the spice in your eyes). Bake the pie on the center oven rack for about 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Cool for several minutes before serving. Makes 5 to 6 servings.
Today I've included a recipe for New Potato Summer Salad. We're really particular about the potato salads we like and this one is a winner at our house. You can use any potatoes really but I like to use the yellow potatoes. I've also used grape tomatoes or a diced whole tomato when cherry tomatoes are super expensive. I only use Best Foods Mayo (never Miracle Whip). You want to make this with plenty of time for it to sit in the fridge!
New Potato Summer Salad
Melinda (MamaToKC)
3 lb. new potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 of a small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup Real Bacon Bits
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup Zesty Italian Dressing
1/4 cup MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
COOK potatoes in boiling water 10 to 12 min. or until fork tender. Drain. TOSS potatoes, onion, tomatoes, bacon bits and basil in large bowl. MIX remaining ingredients. Pour over potato mixture; toss lightly. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
The second recipe is for a wonderful dessert called Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding. Seriously, this is not your mama's recipe. It's soooo good. The cookies can be found on the cookie aisle and every store should have them. When you read the recipe, it may seem unimpressive but trust me, this is superb! If you can't find French Vanilla pudding, just use regular vanilla.
Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding
(idMayMom)
2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream
Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top. In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Amy
Saturday night we're having a shepherd's pie. This is also from Family Fun Magazine. The instructions are pretty self explanatory and it's all basic ingredients that you should have. I am considering this a complete meal. There are a ton of steps and ingredients but don't let that scare you. This is a very basic Shepherd's Pie and not difficult at all once you're making it. Sure, you could cheat and use instant or frozen potatoes if you don't want to take as much time but truly, making your own mashed potatoes is really easy and tastes so much better!
World's Best Shepherd's Pie
Amy – amylz
Family Fun Magazine
Filling:
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 1/4 pounds ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup beef broth
1 cup diced canned tomatoes or crushed tomatoes in puree
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Mashed Potato Topping:
6 cups peeled and chopped potatoes
2 teaspoons salt, plus salt to taste
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
1 to 1 1/2 cups grated white Cheddar cheese
Paprika
Step 1 Cook the corn according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Step 2 Start the potatoes for the topping. Put them in a large pot with enough water to cover them by a couple of inches. Add about 2 teaspoons of salt to the water. Bring the potatoes to a boil, uncovered, over high heat. Cook them for 10 to 13 minutes. Meanwhile, make the meat filling.
Step 3 Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion and celery in the butter, stirring often, for about 5 to 6 minutes.
Step 4 Add the ground beef to the pan and break it up with a wooden spoon as it browns. Remove the skillet from the stove and, resting it on a heatproof surface so it won't feel so heavy, tilt the pan so that the excess fat runs to the side. Carefully spoon out the fat and discard it (this will make the dish leaner and healthier, as well as lighter tasting).
Step 5 Put the skillet back on the burner and set the heat to medium low. Stir the garlic and flour into the beef mixture. Stir in the beef broth, then the canned tomatoes, then the herbs, reserved corn, and Worcestershire sauce.
Step 6 Gently simmer the mixture for several minutes, partially covered, then add salt (1/4 teaspoon, give or take a little) and pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to a large buttered casserole. Set the oven to 400°, and while it heats, check to see if your boiling potatoes are done.
Step 7 To test the potatoes, use a slotted spoon to transfer a cube from the water to a cutting board and allow it to cool for 30 seconds or so. If you can slice through the chunk easily with a butter knife, the potatoes are done.
Step 8 Set a large colander in the sink and drain the potatoes in it (this job can generate a lot of steam, so it is best done by an adult or under adult supervision). Transfer the drained potatoes to a large mixing bowl and scatter the butter pieces over them. Spoon the sour cream here and there over the hot potatoes as well. Wait several minutes for the butter to melt and the sour cream to warm so the ingredients will be easier to blend, then partially mash the potatoes with a hand masher.
Step 9 Switch to an electric mixer set at medium speed and continue to mash, adding enough milk to make medium-soft mashed potatoes. Don't make them too soft, however; you want them to have some body.
Step 10 Salt the potatoes to taste and spoon them evenly over the filling. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, then sprinkle on some paprika (be sure to wash your hands right afterward so you don't accidentally rub any of the spice in your eyes). Bake the pie on the center oven rack for about 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Cool for several minutes before serving. Makes 5 to 6 servings.
Today I've included a recipe for New Potato Summer Salad. We're really particular about the potato salads we like and this one is a winner at our house. You can use any potatoes really but I like to use the yellow potatoes. I've also used grape tomatoes or a diced whole tomato when cherry tomatoes are super expensive. I only use Best Foods Mayo (never Miracle Whip). You want to make this with plenty of time for it to sit in the fridge!
New Potato Summer Salad
Melinda (MamaToKC)
3 lb. new potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 of a small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup Real Bacon Bits
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup Zesty Italian Dressing
1/4 cup MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
2 tsp. Dijon Mustard
COOK potatoes in boiling water 10 to 12 min. or until fork tender. Drain. TOSS potatoes, onion, tomatoes, bacon bits and basil in large bowl. MIX remaining ingredients. Pour over potato mixture; toss lightly. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
The second recipe is for a wonderful dessert called Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding. Seriously, this is not your mama's recipe. It's soooo good. The cookies can be found on the cookie aisle and every store should have them. When you read the recipe, it may seem unimpressive but trust me, this is superb! If you can't find French Vanilla pudding, just use regular vanilla.
Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding
(idMayMom)
2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream
Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top. In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Amy
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Vermont Cheddar Soup, Chocolate Chip Carrot Cake, Mixed Berry Crisp
Hi everyone! John is going to a Mariner's game tomorrow night so I get to make something that only I would like. Woo hoo! Actually, Jackson is going to be mad because he too hates cheese but he can deal. I'm not a totally mean mom, I have some leftover noodles in the fridge that I'll let him have. He'll think that's fabulous.
For dinner I'm making Vermont Cheddar Soup. I got this from the Family Fun Magazine. I know quite a few of you read that. Ok, it calls for unsalted butter and it's really important in recipes that you pay attention to that. In baking it can make a big difference but in dishes like this, you can get away with using regular butter if it's all you have. Just make sure that you omit the salt or use less if you use regular butter. I always have regular butter, unsalted butter and margarine on hand. I keep it all in the freezer and then pull out 3-4 sticks of each to keep in my fridge. Leeks are easy to find at the grocery store. They're over by the zucchinis. They're kind of like a giant green onion. They're tricky to clean though. You'll want to chop them up and then put them in a bowl of water and swish them around and let them sit a minute. All the dirt will sink to the bottom. Then just get them out of the bowl and they'll be ready. If you're afraid you will hate leaks, you could use green onion but I encourage you to try the leeks because they're really delicious! You don't have to use Vermont Cheddar cheese if you don't want to pay the price but do use a sharp cheddar. You won't find Pippin apples here either so the McIntosh will be fine. Oh, and for the chicken stock, one of those big giant cans will be the perfect amount. You won't need it all but just pour the extra into a plastic container and keep it in your fridge. It will last a couple weeks that way. One final thing, they do tell you to puree this soup but I like it better with the chunks of veggies. It's up to you how you want to do it. I'll likely take a potato masher and mash it all up a bit at step 3 but that's it.
Ok, and since it's Friday, I always make a dessert on Friday. I'll be making Chocolate Chip Carrot Cake. If you don't have fresh nutmeg (really, who besides Rachael Ray ever does?) then just use the nutmeg you have. I won't be using the nuts since we're nut free but I encourage you to if your family likes that. Also, I always have a bag of baby carrots in the fridge so I'll just be using those. You will need a food processor to make this following the recipe exactly. If you don't have one, you could probably still do it by hand but it will just take a lot more work. I have a Cuisinart Food Processor (from Costco) and I couldn't live without it. I always say in a fire (assuming my family wasn't home) I'd grab my Cuisinart and KitchenAid mixer and run for it!
Vermont Cheddar Soup
Amy – amylz
Family Fun Magazine
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
3 small leeks, light green and white part only, cleaned and finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 medium celery stalks, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup half-and-half (or light cream)
1/2 lb. Vermont sharp cheddar, shredded
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste
1 Pippin (or Macintosh) apple, peeled, cored and finely diced
Step 1 Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks, carrot and celery and sauté until tender or about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for 3 minutes, making sure to cook the flour evenly.
Step 2 Add the chicken stock slowly, whisking to evenly combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Step 3 Puree the soup in a blender, food processor or with a handheld mixer. Strain into a clean saucepan. Bring to a simmer.
Step 4 Add the half-and-half, cheese, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until the cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.
Step 5 Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet. Sautee the apple pieces until they start to turn brown, about 3 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each serving with a sprinkling of the sauteed apple.
Chocolate Chip Carrot Cake
OP???
A surprise taste within this old standard...
CAKE:
2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1 lb (about 6 medium) carrots
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1½ cups canola oil
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract
1 cup chopped walnuts or sliced almonds, toasted (optional)
1 cup mini chocolate chips
FROSTING:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup butter, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1½ cups powdered sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan with oil, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt in a large bowl. 3. Shred the carrots in a food processor. Add carrots to the flour mixture.
4. Fit the processor with a metal blade. Combine the white and brown sugars and eggs in the food processor and process to mix. With the motor running, add oil and extracts through the feed tube in a steady stream. Process until well mixed and emulsified, about 30 seconds. Scrape into the bowl with the carrots and flour mixture. Stir by hand until well mixed. Fold in the nuts and chips. Scrape into the prepared baking pan.
5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack.
6. To make frosting, combine cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a food processor and process until blended. Scrape down the work bowl, add the powdered sugar, and process until smooth. Spread on the cooled cake.Yield: One 13 x 9-inch cakeRecipe SourceServing Up the Harvest
The extra recipe today is for a Mixed Berry Crisp. This is super quick and easy. It's a nice go to dessert when you need something in a hurry. Plus, you can make it with any kind of berries you want. This is especially good in the winter months when fresh berries aren't for sale.
MIXED BERRY CRISP
(Jill)
The frozen berries aren't thawed before you use them, so this dessert is super fast.
2 12-ounce packages frozen mixed berries (such as blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries; about 6 cups), unthawed
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, diced
Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine berries, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour and lemon juice in large bowl; toss to blend well. Transfer berry mixture to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Combine remaining 3/4 cup flour, oats, brown sugar, spices and salt in medium bowl. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until topping holds together in small moist clumps. Sprinkle over berry mixture.
Bake crisp until berry mixture bubbles thickly and topping is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 6.
Bon Appétit Too Busy To Cook? August 1999 Joan Brett, Boulder, CO
Amy
For dinner I'm making Vermont Cheddar Soup. I got this from the Family Fun Magazine. I know quite a few of you read that. Ok, it calls for unsalted butter and it's really important in recipes that you pay attention to that. In baking it can make a big difference but in dishes like this, you can get away with using regular butter if it's all you have. Just make sure that you omit the salt or use less if you use regular butter. I always have regular butter, unsalted butter and margarine on hand. I keep it all in the freezer and then pull out 3-4 sticks of each to keep in my fridge. Leeks are easy to find at the grocery store. They're over by the zucchinis. They're kind of like a giant green onion. They're tricky to clean though. You'll want to chop them up and then put them in a bowl of water and swish them around and let them sit a minute. All the dirt will sink to the bottom. Then just get them out of the bowl and they'll be ready. If you're afraid you will hate leaks, you could use green onion but I encourage you to try the leeks because they're really delicious! You don't have to use Vermont Cheddar cheese if you don't want to pay the price but do use a sharp cheddar. You won't find Pippin apples here either so the McIntosh will be fine. Oh, and for the chicken stock, one of those big giant cans will be the perfect amount. You won't need it all but just pour the extra into a plastic container and keep it in your fridge. It will last a couple weeks that way. One final thing, they do tell you to puree this soup but I like it better with the chunks of veggies. It's up to you how you want to do it. I'll likely take a potato masher and mash it all up a bit at step 3 but that's it.
Ok, and since it's Friday, I always make a dessert on Friday. I'll be making Chocolate Chip Carrot Cake. If you don't have fresh nutmeg (really, who besides Rachael Ray ever does?) then just use the nutmeg you have. I won't be using the nuts since we're nut free but I encourage you to if your family likes that. Also, I always have a bag of baby carrots in the fridge so I'll just be using those. You will need a food processor to make this following the recipe exactly. If you don't have one, you could probably still do it by hand but it will just take a lot more work. I have a Cuisinart Food Processor (from Costco) and I couldn't live without it. I always say in a fire (assuming my family wasn't home) I'd grab my Cuisinart and KitchenAid mixer and run for it!
Vermont Cheddar Soup
Amy – amylz
Family Fun Magazine
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
3 small leeks, light green and white part only, cleaned and finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 medium celery stalks, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup half-and-half (or light cream)
1/2 lb. Vermont sharp cheddar, shredded
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste
1 Pippin (or Macintosh) apple, peeled, cored and finely diced
Step 1 Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks, carrot and celery and sauté until tender or about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for 3 minutes, making sure to cook the flour evenly.
Step 2 Add the chicken stock slowly, whisking to evenly combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Step 3 Puree the soup in a blender, food processor or with a handheld mixer. Strain into a clean saucepan. Bring to a simmer.
Step 4 Add the half-and-half, cheese, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until the cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.
Step 5 Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet. Sautee the apple pieces until they start to turn brown, about 3 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each serving with a sprinkling of the sauteed apple.
Chocolate Chip Carrot Cake
OP???
A surprise taste within this old standard...
CAKE:
2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1 lb (about 6 medium) carrots
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1½ cups canola oil
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract
1 cup chopped walnuts or sliced almonds, toasted (optional)
1 cup mini chocolate chips
FROSTING:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup butter, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1½ cups powdered sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan with oil, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt in a large bowl. 3. Shred the carrots in a food processor. Add carrots to the flour mixture.
4. Fit the processor with a metal blade. Combine the white and brown sugars and eggs in the food processor and process to mix. With the motor running, add oil and extracts through the feed tube in a steady stream. Process until well mixed and emulsified, about 30 seconds. Scrape into the bowl with the carrots and flour mixture. Stir by hand until well mixed. Fold in the nuts and chips. Scrape into the prepared baking pan.
5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack.
6. To make frosting, combine cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a food processor and process until blended. Scrape down the work bowl, add the powdered sugar, and process until smooth. Spread on the cooled cake.Yield: One 13 x 9-inch cakeRecipe SourceServing Up the Harvest
The extra recipe today is for a Mixed Berry Crisp. This is super quick and easy. It's a nice go to dessert when you need something in a hurry. Plus, you can make it with any kind of berries you want. This is especially good in the winter months when fresh berries aren't for sale.
MIXED BERRY CRISP
(Jill)
The frozen berries aren't thawed before you use them, so this dessert is super fast.
2 12-ounce packages frozen mixed berries (such as blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries; about 6 cups), unthawed
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, diced
Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine berries, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour and lemon juice in large bowl; toss to blend well. Transfer berry mixture to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Combine remaining 3/4 cup flour, oats, brown sugar, spices and salt in medium bowl. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until topping holds together in small moist clumps. Sprinkle over berry mixture.
Bake crisp until berry mixture bubbles thickly and topping is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Serves 6.
Bon Appétit Too Busy To Cook? August 1999 Joan Brett, Boulder, CO
Amy
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
SLOW COOKER RAVIOLI, Macaroni with 4 Cheeses!
HI everyone! I've had a few new people join lately so I might start repeating some tips. I hope you old timers don't mind. If any of you have anyone who ever wants to be added to the email, feel free to let me know. You know I love to pass on my dinner menus. I put enough work into them, I'm glad there are others who find them useful! Susan has suggested I do a blog and I don't know if I should or not. I'm not really familiar with them so I don't know if people like that format better. You'll have to let me know what you think.
So, tomorrow is Thursday and I ALWAYS grocery shop for the week on Thursdays. There is no special reason for Thursday but the key is that I only shop once a week. It really saves on our grocery budget this way. Plus, it requires that I plan ahead so I don't buy a bunch of food that we don't need.
I looked at the Safeway ad (I only shop off the first page) and it looks like this would be a decent week to stock up on Round Steak. You have to buy it in the value packs but this is a good steak to slice and then freeze that way for stir fries and fajitas. You could also chunk some and freeze it for kebobs and stuff like that. This isn't my favorite cut of meat for an actual steak but for things like I mentioned, it's great. The Pork Loins are on sale too. There is a coupon on the front page for a 12 ct large eggs for only $1. That's a steal these days on eggs. I imagine if you go to the store before Friday, you'll be able to get an ad at the store and can snag a coupon. Sometimes by the weekend they are out of ads so that's why you should go early. I might snag a few extra ones and get 3-4 packs of eggs at that price. Eggs really will last a long time. There is also a coupon for 4 lbs of strawberries for $4. If your kids are like mine, they love strawberries and this is a really good deal!
For Thursday's dinner, we're having Slow Cooker Ravioli. This is really easy (who doesn't love the crockpot) and you can adapt it to your family's likes. For instance, you pick the ravioli you like. You don't have to use beef or cheese, pick and flavor that looks good. I thin the intent here is to use frozen ravioli but you can buy the fresh and then freeze it. My family doesn't love ravioli but they like tortellini so I'm going to use those. You want to only cook this for 4-5 hours so this isn't a great meal to throw in at 8AM and forget about all day. You could easily convert this to an oven dish by layering it all in a casserole pan and then baking for probably 45 minutes to an hour. Serve this with a side salad and you've got a complete meal! The bags of salad are on sale for $1 this week so it's the perfect thing to eat this week.
SLOW COOKER RAVIOLI
Amy- AClark234
1 (25 ounce) bag beef or cheese ravioli
1 (26 ounce) jar pasta sauce
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Pour about half of the pasta sauce in the bottom of slow cooker. Add frozen ravioli. Pour additional pasta sauce, tomato sauce, and water over ravioli. Sprinkle cheese on top. Turn slow cooker on low and cook for four to five hours (until ravioli are tender).
Today I included a super yummy macaroni and cheese dish. I know, I have said before that I don't like to cook meals by Emeril because they're too complicated but this one is really easy. If you don't have white pepper, don't worry, just use regular pepper. Same with the hot sauce, just use what you have. For all the cheese, here's a tip, I buy the big bag of parmesan cheese at Costco and then I divide it into quart size freezer bags and freeze it. Then I just keep one bag at a time in the fridge. It's way cheaper buying it in bulk. You should have no trouble finding Fontina cheese at Safeway and I always use swiss instead of Gruyere in recipes because it's much cheaper and basically tastes the same. Remember too that you should be storing your bread crumbs in the freezer as this keeps them fresher much longer! This Macaroni & Cheese is excellent! It has a nice kick to it too with the Creole seasoning. I love that!
Macaroni with 4 Cheeses!
Amy – amylz
Emeril Lagasse, 2002
4 tablespoons butter, plus 2 tablespoons, plus 1 tablespoon
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups half and half
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon Emeril's Red Hot Sauce
8 1/2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, or other good-quality parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)
1 pound elbow macaroni
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
4 ounces grated cheddar cheese
4 ounces grated fontina cheese
4 ounces grated gruyere cheese
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon Essence or Creole Seasoning
In a heavy, medium saucepan melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the half and half little by little. Cook until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, season with the salt, pepper, hot sauce and 4 ounces of the grated parmesan. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Cover and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add salt to taste and, while stirring, add the macaroni. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to a low boil and cook for about 5 minutes, or until macaroni is very al dente (slightly undercooked). Drain in a colander and return the macaroni to the pot. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the garlic and stir to combine. Add the bechamel sauce and stir until well combined. Set aside. Using the remaining tablespoon of butter, grease a 3-quart baking dish or casserole and set aside. In a large bowl combine 4 ounces of the remaining parmesan cheese, cheddar, fontina and gruyere cheeses. Toss to combine. Place one-third of the macaroni in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with one-third of the mixed cheeses. Top with another third of the macaroni and another third of the cheese mixture. Repeat with the remaining macaroni and cheese mixture. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, remaining 1/2 ounce of grated parmesan, and the Essence and toss to combine. Sprinkle this over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the macaroni and cheese is bubbly and hot and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Amy
So, tomorrow is Thursday and I ALWAYS grocery shop for the week on Thursdays. There is no special reason for Thursday but the key is that I only shop once a week. It really saves on our grocery budget this way. Plus, it requires that I plan ahead so I don't buy a bunch of food that we don't need.
I looked at the Safeway ad (I only shop off the first page) and it looks like this would be a decent week to stock up on Round Steak. You have to buy it in the value packs but this is a good steak to slice and then freeze that way for stir fries and fajitas. You could also chunk some and freeze it for kebobs and stuff like that. This isn't my favorite cut of meat for an actual steak but for things like I mentioned, it's great. The Pork Loins are on sale too. There is a coupon on the front page for a 12 ct large eggs for only $1. That's a steal these days on eggs. I imagine if you go to the store before Friday, you'll be able to get an ad at the store and can snag a coupon. Sometimes by the weekend they are out of ads so that's why you should go early. I might snag a few extra ones and get 3-4 packs of eggs at that price. Eggs really will last a long time. There is also a coupon for 4 lbs of strawberries for $4. If your kids are like mine, they love strawberries and this is a really good deal!
For Thursday's dinner, we're having Slow Cooker Ravioli. This is really easy (who doesn't love the crockpot) and you can adapt it to your family's likes. For instance, you pick the ravioli you like. You don't have to use beef or cheese, pick and flavor that looks good. I thin the intent here is to use frozen ravioli but you can buy the fresh and then freeze it. My family doesn't love ravioli but they like tortellini so I'm going to use those. You want to only cook this for 4-5 hours so this isn't a great meal to throw in at 8AM and forget about all day. You could easily convert this to an oven dish by layering it all in a casserole pan and then baking for probably 45 minutes to an hour. Serve this with a side salad and you've got a complete meal! The bags of salad are on sale for $1 this week so it's the perfect thing to eat this week.
SLOW COOKER RAVIOLI
Amy- AClark234
1 (25 ounce) bag beef or cheese ravioli
1 (26 ounce) jar pasta sauce
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Pour about half of the pasta sauce in the bottom of slow cooker. Add frozen ravioli. Pour additional pasta sauce, tomato sauce, and water over ravioli. Sprinkle cheese on top. Turn slow cooker on low and cook for four to five hours (until ravioli are tender).
Today I included a super yummy macaroni and cheese dish. I know, I have said before that I don't like to cook meals by Emeril because they're too complicated but this one is really easy. If you don't have white pepper, don't worry, just use regular pepper. Same with the hot sauce, just use what you have. For all the cheese, here's a tip, I buy the big bag of parmesan cheese at Costco and then I divide it into quart size freezer bags and freeze it. Then I just keep one bag at a time in the fridge. It's way cheaper buying it in bulk. You should have no trouble finding Fontina cheese at Safeway and I always use swiss instead of Gruyere in recipes because it's much cheaper and basically tastes the same. Remember too that you should be storing your bread crumbs in the freezer as this keeps them fresher much longer! This Macaroni & Cheese is excellent! It has a nice kick to it too with the Creole seasoning. I love that!
Macaroni with 4 Cheeses!
Amy – amylz
Emeril Lagasse, 2002
4 tablespoons butter, plus 2 tablespoons, plus 1 tablespoon
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups half and half
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon Emeril's Red Hot Sauce
8 1/2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, or other good-quality parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)
1 pound elbow macaroni
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
4 ounces grated cheddar cheese
4 ounces grated fontina cheese
4 ounces grated gruyere cheese
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon Essence or Creole Seasoning
In a heavy, medium saucepan melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the half and half little by little. Cook until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, season with the salt, pepper, hot sauce and 4 ounces of the grated parmesan. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Cover and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add salt to taste and, while stirring, add the macaroni. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to a low boil and cook for about 5 minutes, or until macaroni is very al dente (slightly undercooked). Drain in a colander and return the macaroni to the pot. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the garlic and stir to combine. Add the bechamel sauce and stir until well combined. Set aside. Using the remaining tablespoon of butter, grease a 3-quart baking dish or casserole and set aside. In a large bowl combine 4 ounces of the remaining parmesan cheese, cheddar, fontina and gruyere cheeses. Toss to combine. Place one-third of the macaroni in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with one-third of the mixed cheeses. Top with another third of the macaroni and another third of the cheese mixture. Repeat with the remaining macaroni and cheese mixture. In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs, remaining 1/2 ounce of grated parmesan, and the Essence and toss to combine. Sprinkle this over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the macaroni and cheese is bubbly and hot and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Amy
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Maple-Glazed Pork Chop's, Rice, Black Bean & Feta Salad, RICH CHEDDAR CHEESE BREAD, Lemon Cream Pie, Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great day. I took Caden to The Bouncy Place so that wore us both out. It was fun though!
Tomorrow, we're having friends for dinner and I'm making pork chops, a salad and bread. The chops are called Maple-Glazed Pork Chops. This is pretty easy. You bake the pork chops and then pour on the glaze. Make sure if you use boneless chops that you adjust the baking time. It won't take as long to cook boneless pork chops. The salad is Rice, Black Bean and Feta Salad. My family would hate this so I love when we have company so I can make stuff like this. This is very easy to throw together. You want to make sure you're using a good quality Italian dressing. I think this will be better the longer it sits so you might want to make this in the morning. The bread I'm making is called Rich Cheddar Cheese bread and you make it in the bread machine.
Maple-Glazed Pork Chop's
Cyndy-Taste of Home
1/2 C all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
4 bone-in pork loin chops (1" thick)
2 TB butter
1/4 C cider vinegar
1/3 C maple syrup
1 TB cornstarch
3 TB water
2/3 C packed brown sugar
1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine flour, salt and pepper. Add pork chops and shake to coat. In a skillet, brown chops on both sides in butter. Place in ungreased 13x9x2 baking pan. Bake, uncovered at 450* for 20-25 mins or until juices run clear.
2. Meanwhile, in a skillet, bring the vinegar to a boil. Reduce heat; add maple syrup. Cover and cook for 10 mins. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the maple mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 mins or until thickened.
3. Place chops on a broiler pan; sprinkle with brown sugar. Broil 4" from heat for 2-3 mins or until sugar is melted. Drizzle with maple glaze.
Rice, Black Bean & Feta Salad
Erika (anthromomma) from recipezaar.com
5 servings
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (brown)
1 (3 1/2 ounce) package crumbled reduced fat feta cheese
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup Italian dressing
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
Mix all ingredients
Refrigerate
Serve
RICH CHEDDAR CHEESE BREAD
Jojobee81
Makes One (1-1/2 pound) Loaf
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 egg, large
1 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon FLEISCHMANN'S Bread Machine Yeast
Add ingredients to bread machine pan in the order suggested by manufacturer, adding cheese with flour.Recommended cycle: basic/white bread cycle; light color setting. Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.
Today I've included a super simple Lemon Cream Pie recipe that is yummy! The only trick with something like this is you want to make sure you beat the cream cheese until it's very fluffy. Otherwise, you will end up with clumps and no one wants clumps. This is a nice summer dessert. It does make 2 pies though so half the recipe if you only want one. The second recipe is delicious! It's called Loaded Baked Potato Casserole. Ok, my recipe says to use frozen mashed potatoes but that's just to make this easy. By all means, use some you make right then if you want to. It's no big deal. The spreadable cheese is referring to cream cheese. I use the hormel bacon bits for this too. It's super good! You will love this! I got this recipe from Southern Living.
Lemon Cream Pie
hgbaby
Recipe makes 2 pies
2 cans evaporated milk
2 packages (3.4 oz) instant lemon pudding mix
3 8 oz packages cream cheese softened
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate partially thawed
2 ready made graham cracker pie crusts
Whisk together evaporated milk and pudding in a bowl until thickened. Beat cream cheese at medium until fluffy. Add lemonade, beat until blended. Pour into crust, refrigerate for 4 hours. Top with cool whip!
Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
Amy - amylz
Prep: 20 min., Bake: 30 min.
1 (22-oz.) package frozen mashed potatoes
1 (6.5-oz.) container garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese
1/2 cup milk
4 cooked bacon slices, crumbled
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
Garnish: chopped fresh chives
1. Prepare potatoes according to package directions.
2. Stir in spreadable cheese and next 4 ingredients; stir until blended. Spread mixture on bottom of a lightly-greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish; top with Cheddar cheese.
3. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish, if desired.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used frozen Ore-Ida Mashed Potatoes and Alouette Garlic & Herbs Spreadable Cheese.
Yield
Makes 6 servings
Cady Britten, Huntersville, North Carolina , Southern Living, DECEMBER 2007
Amy
Tomorrow, we're having friends for dinner and I'm making pork chops, a salad and bread. The chops are called Maple-Glazed Pork Chops. This is pretty easy. You bake the pork chops and then pour on the glaze. Make sure if you use boneless chops that you adjust the baking time. It won't take as long to cook boneless pork chops. The salad is Rice, Black Bean and Feta Salad. My family would hate this so I love when we have company so I can make stuff like this. This is very easy to throw together. You want to make sure you're using a good quality Italian dressing. I think this will be better the longer it sits so you might want to make this in the morning. The bread I'm making is called Rich Cheddar Cheese bread and you make it in the bread machine.
Maple-Glazed Pork Chop's
Cyndy-Taste of Home
1/2 C all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
4 bone-in pork loin chops (1" thick)
2 TB butter
1/4 C cider vinegar
1/3 C maple syrup
1 TB cornstarch
3 TB water
2/3 C packed brown sugar
1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine flour, salt and pepper. Add pork chops and shake to coat. In a skillet, brown chops on both sides in butter. Place in ungreased 13x9x2 baking pan. Bake, uncovered at 450* for 20-25 mins or until juices run clear.
2. Meanwhile, in a skillet, bring the vinegar to a boil. Reduce heat; add maple syrup. Cover and cook for 10 mins. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the maple mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 mins or until thickened.
3. Place chops on a broiler pan; sprinkle with brown sugar. Broil 4" from heat for 2-3 mins or until sugar is melted. Drizzle with maple glaze.
Rice, Black Bean & Feta Salad
Erika (anthromomma) from recipezaar.com
5 servings
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (brown)
1 (3 1/2 ounce) package crumbled reduced fat feta cheese
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup Italian dressing
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
Mix all ingredients
Refrigerate
Serve
RICH CHEDDAR CHEESE BREAD
Jojobee81
Makes One (1-1/2 pound) Loaf
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 egg, large
1 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon FLEISCHMANN'S Bread Machine Yeast
Add ingredients to bread machine pan in the order suggested by manufacturer, adding cheese with flour.Recommended cycle: basic/white bread cycle; light color setting. Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.
Today I've included a super simple Lemon Cream Pie recipe that is yummy! The only trick with something like this is you want to make sure you beat the cream cheese until it's very fluffy. Otherwise, you will end up with clumps and no one wants clumps. This is a nice summer dessert. It does make 2 pies though so half the recipe if you only want one. The second recipe is delicious! It's called Loaded Baked Potato Casserole. Ok, my recipe says to use frozen mashed potatoes but that's just to make this easy. By all means, use some you make right then if you want to. It's no big deal. The spreadable cheese is referring to cream cheese. I use the hormel bacon bits for this too. It's super good! You will love this! I got this recipe from Southern Living.
Lemon Cream Pie
hgbaby
Recipe makes 2 pies
2 cans evaporated milk
2 packages (3.4 oz) instant lemon pudding mix
3 8 oz packages cream cheese softened
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate partially thawed
2 ready made graham cracker pie crusts
Whisk together evaporated milk and pudding in a bowl until thickened. Beat cream cheese at medium until fluffy. Add lemonade, beat until blended. Pour into crust, refrigerate for 4 hours. Top with cool whip!
Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
Amy - amylz
Prep: 20 min., Bake: 30 min.
1 (22-oz.) package frozen mashed potatoes
1 (6.5-oz.) container garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese
1/2 cup milk
4 cooked bacon slices, crumbled
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
Garnish: chopped fresh chives
1. Prepare potatoes according to package directions.
2. Stir in spreadable cheese and next 4 ingredients; stir until blended. Spread mixture on bottom of a lightly-greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish; top with Cheddar cheese.
3. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish, if desired.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used frozen Ore-Ida Mashed Potatoes and Alouette Garlic & Herbs Spreadable Cheese.
Yield
Makes 6 servings
Cady Britten, Huntersville, North Carolina , Southern Living, DECEMBER 2007
Amy
Monday, May 26, 2008
Creamy Ham-n-Macaroni, PILLOW PIZZA, Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup, Jack Daniels BBQ Meatloaf
Hi everyone! We're home from our camping trip and we had a great time even though it poured Saturday night and part of Sunday. We were with some good friends (hi Leah) so that made it all worth it!
I never did tell you all about grocery shopping on Thursday so I wanted to tell you all to run to Safeway tomorrow for a great soda deal. It ends tomorrow so you need to go! If you buy two packs of pop (Coke or Pepsi products) then you get 2 free plus a case of Dasani water (24 pack) free. It's an awesome deal! Heck, go 2 or 3 times tomorrow for the deal! Plus, all steaks are 50% off so it's a good time to stock up for the month of June!
Ok, tomorrow I'm bringing a meal to some friends who had a baby girl last week, baby Emily. They live in Maple Valley and I need to bring them dinner in the late morning so I need something that they can stick in the fridge and then heat at night. I decided to go with Creamy Ham N Macaroni. This is so simple and it will use up the diced ham I have in the freezer from that ham I made last week. The notes at the bottom of the recipe aren't mine but I'm sure it's still good advice!
For tomorrow's dinner, we're having Pillow Pizza. This is one of those super simple throw it together dinners. It's not fancy. We'll be doing pepperoni and olives for our toppings since that's what my men love. Oh, any John will eat cheese on pizza (figure that one out) so I don't have to leave the cheese off this. Woo hoo! I'm going to serve this with a side spinach salad. I still have a ton of spinach and dressing left over from that Spinach salad recipe I gave you on Wednesday. It was delicious too...at least I thought so!
Creamy Ham-n-Macaroni
LBsMom (From Taste of Home Magazine Dec/Jan 2006)
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
¼ cup butter, cubed
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
4 tsp chicken bouillon granules
¼ tsp pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1-1/2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in the milk, bouillon and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in 1 cup cheddar cheese, ham, Parmesan cheese and macaroni.
Transfer to a greased 2-qt baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes for serving. Yield: 6 servings
Note: I usually skip the bouillon granules
I make this healthier by using Barilla Plus pasta, Smart Balance margarine and FF milk.
PILLOW PIZZA
kmas0n ~ Fix It and Forget It Quickies
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 tube (10) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
16 oz pizza sauce (I used 15 and it was plenty)
Favorite pizza toppings (I used chopped ham and onion)
1lb shredded moz cheese
*quarter the biscuits and place in the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. brown the ground beef and drain off fat. Add pizza sauce to the beef back in the skillet and mix together. pour over the biscuits. top with pizza toppings and then cheese.
*bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
The first extra recipe today is for a wonderful soup called Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup. This is very easy and it's really yummy. I think it's kind of impressive too so you could totally serve this to guests. I just buy the bulk Italian sausage and that doesn't have casings so don't worry about that. Make sure that whenever you cook with wine you use a good wine that you would actually drink and not some gross cooking wine. If you don't like to use wine, a good substitute for wine is chicken broth in a savory dish.
The second recipe is for Jack Daniel's Meatloaf. I know, another meatloaf recipe but I told you, we love it! This one is superb! It even has freezing directions at the bottom. If you like meatloaf, give this one a try!
Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
Jen(cammiemom)
Serves 4
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
5 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 cups or 4 medium chopped, seeded, peeled tomatoes (equivalent to 1 large can whole tomatoes)
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 ½ cups sliced zucchini
8 ounces or 2 cups cheese tortellini
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 medium green pepper, cut into ½ inch pieces
grated parmesan cheese
In a large soup pot, brown sausage, remove from pan and set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of drippings and sauté onion and garlic until tender.
Add beef broth, water, and all other ingredients EXCEPT tortellini, zucchini, parsley, green pepper, and parmesan cheese. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Skim off fat and add other ingredients. Simmer uncovered for an additional 5 minutes or until tortellini are tender.
Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
Jack Daniels BBQ Meatloaf
Michelle (MMmom)
1 Cup chopped onion
1 T olive oil
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
½ tsp dried thyme leaves
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1/3 Cup chicken stock
1 T tomato paste
1 pound ground beef
1 cup coarse dry bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1/3 cup Jack Daniels BBQ sauce
½ small onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a medium saute’ pan, on medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme until the onions are translucent but not browned..approx. 15 min. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temp.
Combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf in a greased pan (8x8). Spread theBBQ sauce evenly on top. Scatter the thinly sliced onions over the top of the BBQ sauce.
Bake uncovered for roughly 1 hour until meat loaf is cooked through.
Freezing instructions:
Combine onion, salt, black pepper, & thyme in a ziploc bag. Combine Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, &tomato paste in a second bag.
Place BBQ sauce in a third bag.
Combine ground beef with breadcrumbs and egg and place in a large ziploc. Place other bags inside large bag with meat. Seal, label, place in freezer.
Thaw for 2 days in refrigerator. You will need olive oil and thinly sliced onion in addition to the contents of the bag. Proceed with above instructions.
Michelle's Notes: next time I'll add BBQ sauce to the meat mixture for more flavor.
Amy
I never did tell you all about grocery shopping on Thursday so I wanted to tell you all to run to Safeway tomorrow for a great soda deal. It ends tomorrow so you need to go! If you buy two packs of pop (Coke or Pepsi products) then you get 2 free plus a case of Dasani water (24 pack) free. It's an awesome deal! Heck, go 2 or 3 times tomorrow for the deal! Plus, all steaks are 50% off so it's a good time to stock up for the month of June!
Ok, tomorrow I'm bringing a meal to some friends who had a baby girl last week, baby Emily. They live in Maple Valley and I need to bring them dinner in the late morning so I need something that they can stick in the fridge and then heat at night. I decided to go with Creamy Ham N Macaroni. This is so simple and it will use up the diced ham I have in the freezer from that ham I made last week. The notes at the bottom of the recipe aren't mine but I'm sure it's still good advice!
For tomorrow's dinner, we're having Pillow Pizza. This is one of those super simple throw it together dinners. It's not fancy. We'll be doing pepperoni and olives for our toppings since that's what my men love. Oh, any John will eat cheese on pizza (figure that one out) so I don't have to leave the cheese off this. Woo hoo! I'm going to serve this with a side spinach salad. I still have a ton of spinach and dressing left over from that Spinach salad recipe I gave you on Wednesday. It was delicious too...at least I thought so!
Creamy Ham-n-Macaroni
LBsMom (From Taste of Home Magazine Dec/Jan 2006)
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
¼ cup butter, cubed
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
4 tsp chicken bouillon granules
¼ tsp pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1-1/2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in the milk, bouillon and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in 1 cup cheddar cheese, ham, Parmesan cheese and macaroni.
Transfer to a greased 2-qt baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes for serving. Yield: 6 servings
Note: I usually skip the bouillon granules
I make this healthier by using Barilla Plus pasta, Smart Balance margarine and FF milk.
PILLOW PIZZA
kmas0n ~ Fix It and Forget It Quickies
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 tube (10) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
16 oz pizza sauce (I used 15 and it was plenty)
Favorite pizza toppings (I used chopped ham and onion)
1lb shredded moz cheese
*quarter the biscuits and place in the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. brown the ground beef and drain off fat. Add pizza sauce to the beef back in the skillet and mix together. pour over the biscuits. top with pizza toppings and then cheese.
*bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
The first extra recipe today is for a wonderful soup called Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup. This is very easy and it's really yummy. I think it's kind of impressive too so you could totally serve this to guests. I just buy the bulk Italian sausage and that doesn't have casings so don't worry about that. Make sure that whenever you cook with wine you use a good wine that you would actually drink and not some gross cooking wine. If you don't like to use wine, a good substitute for wine is chicken broth in a savory dish.
The second recipe is for Jack Daniel's Meatloaf. I know, another meatloaf recipe but I told you, we love it! This one is superb! It even has freezing directions at the bottom. If you like meatloaf, give this one a try!
Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
Jen(cammiemom)
Serves 4
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
5 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 cups or 4 medium chopped, seeded, peeled tomatoes (equivalent to 1 large can whole tomatoes)
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 ½ cups sliced zucchini
8 ounces or 2 cups cheese tortellini
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 medium green pepper, cut into ½ inch pieces
grated parmesan cheese
In a large soup pot, brown sausage, remove from pan and set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of drippings and sauté onion and garlic until tender.
Add beef broth, water, and all other ingredients EXCEPT tortellini, zucchini, parsley, green pepper, and parmesan cheese. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Skim off fat and add other ingredients. Simmer uncovered for an additional 5 minutes or until tortellini are tender.
Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
Jack Daniels BBQ Meatloaf
Michelle (MMmom)
1 Cup chopped onion
1 T olive oil
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
½ tsp dried thyme leaves
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1/3 Cup chicken stock
1 T tomato paste
1 pound ground beef
1 cup coarse dry bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1/3 cup Jack Daniels BBQ sauce
½ small onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a medium saute’ pan, on medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme until the onions are translucent but not browned..approx. 15 min. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temp.
Combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf in a greased pan (8x8). Spread theBBQ sauce evenly on top. Scatter the thinly sliced onions over the top of the BBQ sauce.
Bake uncovered for roughly 1 hour until meat loaf is cooked through.
Freezing instructions:
Combine onion, salt, black pepper, & thyme in a ziploc bag. Combine Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, &tomato paste in a second bag.
Place BBQ sauce in a third bag.
Combine ground beef with breadcrumbs and egg and place in a large ziploc. Place other bags inside large bag with meat. Seal, label, place in freezer.
Thaw for 2 days in refrigerator. You will need olive oil and thinly sliced onion in addition to the contents of the bag. Proceed with above instructions.
Michelle's Notes: next time I'll add BBQ sauce to the meat mixture for more flavor.
Amy
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Beef and Vegetable Fajita Wraps, Cowboy Spaghetti, Easy Skillet Kielbasa, Power Packed Spinach Salad
Hi everyone! We're going camping for the weekend so I'm sending you the next 5 days in one email! Woo hoo! When I camp, I still plan out all my meals so you're not missing anything. We'll be at Seaquest State Park in Castle Rock through Monday. I can't wait!
Ok, for tomorrow, we'll probably be getting into the camp ground late so we'll just get dinner on the road. I'm sure it will be Subway because that's all we ever really eat if we go out. I know, we're exciting! Really though, Subway is my most favorite place to eat in the entire world besides the Melting Pot.
On Friday, we will be having Beef and Vegetable Fajita Wraps. The recipe is for 1 serving so you need to adjust this for how many you want to make. I will be using tortillas as John would kill me if I asked him to wrap a fajita in lettuce but otherwise the recipe works for us!
We have friends joining us Saturday and I'll be making Cowboy Spaghetti for dinner. This is basically spaghetti with bacon in the sauce. The boys love this! I'll probably buy some garlic bread to fry up too (like the kind you get already to bake at the grocery store).
Sunday I'm making Easy Skillet Kielbasa. I'll serve this with a green salad. This is super easy and full of veggies. The thing that's nice about this recipe is you can use whatever veggies your family likes. It's a good way to use up stuff in your fridge too! I'm also making a Spinach Salad. This is really easy and yummy!
Monday we'll be home for dinner and we're going to a BBQ at my parent's house!
I'm not giving you any extra recipes since this is a ton! I hope you all have a terrific Memorial weekend!
Beef and Vegetable Fajita Wraps
OP????
Serving 1
2 tsp olive oil
4 oz lean sirloin beef , sliced
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 small onion(s) , sliced
1/2 small sweet red pepper(s) , sliced
1/2 small green pepper(s) , sliced
2 large leaf lettuce , greenleaf
2 Tbsp salsa
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, chili powder, onion and peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and beef is no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Wrap filling in lettuce leaves and serve with salsa.
Cowboy Spaghetti
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
1 pound spaghetti
Salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
3 slices smoky bacon, chopped
1 pound ground sirloin
1 medium onion, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
Ground black pepper
2 teaspoons hot sauce, eyeball it
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1/2 cup beer
1 (14-ounce) can, chopped or crushed fire roasted tomatoes
1 (8-ounces) can, tomato sauce
8 ounces sharp Cheddar
4 scallions, chopped
Heat a pot of water to a boil. Add spaghetti and salt the water. Cook to al dente or with a bite to it. Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and bacon. Brown and crisp bacon, 5 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon. Drain off a little excess fat if necessary. Leave just enough to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add beef and crumble it as it browns, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions, garlic and stir into meat. Season the meat with salt and pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Add 1/2 cup beer and deglaze the pan. Cook 5 to 6 minutes more then stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add hot spaghetti to meat and sauce and combine. Adjust seasonings and serve up pasta in shallow bowls. Grate some cheese over the pasta and sprinkle with scallions. Garnish with crisp bacon.
Easy Skillet Kielbasa:
(Jessica)
1 lb package kielbasa
1 16 oz bag mixed veggies with broccoli OR 1 cup of your fave combo of veggies (diced squash, bell peppers, mushrooms, diced tomatoes are good)
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
1 onion, coarsely chopped (if desired)
1 tsp garlic powder or 2-3 cloves coarsely chopped garlic (if desired)
Veggie oil or Pam spray
Salt & pepper
Slice kielbasa into 1/2 inch - 1 inch wide circles. Set aside. Lightly oil nonstick cooking pan & heat to med/high. Sautee onion and/or garlic just until onions & garlic are translucent. Add sliced kielbasa & sauté with onions & garlic just until kielbasa is lightly browned. Add all veggies. Season with salt and pepper to personal taste. Cover & reduce heat to low. Cook covered on low for 3-6 minute or until veggies are just cooked & hot. Toss/stir and serve. Serves 4.
Power Packed Spinach Salad
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy There's a Chef in My Family! by Emeril Lagasse, published by HarperCollins, 2004
8 slices bacon
10 cups fresh spinach, rinsed, stemmed, and patted dry
2 cups white button mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed, and sliced
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges, optional
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and thinly sliced, optional
Dressing, recipe follows
Position rack in center of oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the bacon strips on it. Bake until brown and crispy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Using oven mitts or pot holders, remove the bacon from the oven and let cool, about 15 minutes. Crumble into bite-size pieces. Combine the spinach, bacon, mushrooms, and onion in a large mixing bowl and toss. Divide the spinach mixture among 4 large plates or 8 small plates (either 2-cup or 1-cup portions). Garnish with tomato wedges and or sliced hard-boiled eggs if desired. Drizzle with the dressing and serve.
Dressing:
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine the honey and mustard in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Slowly add the oil in a steady stream, whisking until blended and smooth. Add the lemon juice, white pepper, and salt and whisk to blend.
Yield: 1 cup
Amy
Ok, for tomorrow, we'll probably be getting into the camp ground late so we'll just get dinner on the road. I'm sure it will be Subway because that's all we ever really eat if we go out. I know, we're exciting! Really though, Subway is my most favorite place to eat in the entire world besides the Melting Pot.
On Friday, we will be having Beef and Vegetable Fajita Wraps. The recipe is for 1 serving so you need to adjust this for how many you want to make. I will be using tortillas as John would kill me if I asked him to wrap a fajita in lettuce but otherwise the recipe works for us!
We have friends joining us Saturday and I'll be making Cowboy Spaghetti for dinner. This is basically spaghetti with bacon in the sauce. The boys love this! I'll probably buy some garlic bread to fry up too (like the kind you get already to bake at the grocery store).
Sunday I'm making Easy Skillet Kielbasa. I'll serve this with a green salad. This is super easy and full of veggies. The thing that's nice about this recipe is you can use whatever veggies your family likes. It's a good way to use up stuff in your fridge too! I'm also making a Spinach Salad. This is really easy and yummy!
Monday we'll be home for dinner and we're going to a BBQ at my parent's house!
I'm not giving you any extra recipes since this is a ton! I hope you all have a terrific Memorial weekend!
Beef and Vegetable Fajita Wraps
OP????
Serving 1
2 tsp olive oil
4 oz lean sirloin beef , sliced
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 small onion(s) , sliced
1/2 small sweet red pepper(s) , sliced
1/2 small green pepper(s) , sliced
2 large leaf lettuce , greenleaf
2 Tbsp salsa
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, chili powder, onion and peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and beef is no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Wrap filling in lettuce leaves and serve with salsa.
Cowboy Spaghetti
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
1 pound spaghetti
Salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
3 slices smoky bacon, chopped
1 pound ground sirloin
1 medium onion, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
Ground black pepper
2 teaspoons hot sauce, eyeball it
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1/2 cup beer
1 (14-ounce) can, chopped or crushed fire roasted tomatoes
1 (8-ounces) can, tomato sauce
8 ounces sharp Cheddar
4 scallions, chopped
Heat a pot of water to a boil. Add spaghetti and salt the water. Cook to al dente or with a bite to it. Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and bacon. Brown and crisp bacon, 5 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon. Drain off a little excess fat if necessary. Leave just enough to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add beef and crumble it as it browns, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions, garlic and stir into meat. Season the meat with salt and pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Add 1/2 cup beer and deglaze the pan. Cook 5 to 6 minutes more then stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add hot spaghetti to meat and sauce and combine. Adjust seasonings and serve up pasta in shallow bowls. Grate some cheese over the pasta and sprinkle with scallions. Garnish with crisp bacon.
Easy Skillet Kielbasa:
(Jessica)
1 lb package kielbasa
1 16 oz bag mixed veggies with broccoli OR 1 cup of your fave combo of veggies (diced squash, bell peppers, mushrooms, diced tomatoes are good)
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
1 onion, coarsely chopped (if desired)
1 tsp garlic powder or 2-3 cloves coarsely chopped garlic (if desired)
Veggie oil or Pam spray
Salt & pepper
Slice kielbasa into 1/2 inch - 1 inch wide circles. Set aside. Lightly oil nonstick cooking pan & heat to med/high. Sautee onion and/or garlic just until onions & garlic are translucent. Add sliced kielbasa & sauté with onions & garlic just until kielbasa is lightly browned. Add all veggies. Season with salt and pepper to personal taste. Cover & reduce heat to low. Cook covered on low for 3-6 minute or until veggies are just cooked & hot. Toss/stir and serve. Serves 4.
Power Packed Spinach Salad
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy There's a Chef in My Family! by Emeril Lagasse, published by HarperCollins, 2004
8 slices bacon
10 cups fresh spinach, rinsed, stemmed, and patted dry
2 cups white button mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed, and sliced
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges, optional
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and thinly sliced, optional
Dressing, recipe follows
Position rack in center of oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the bacon strips on it. Bake until brown and crispy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Using oven mitts or pot holders, remove the bacon from the oven and let cool, about 15 minutes. Crumble into bite-size pieces. Combine the spinach, bacon, mushrooms, and onion in a large mixing bowl and toss. Divide the spinach mixture among 4 large plates or 8 small plates (either 2-cup or 1-cup portions). Garnish with tomato wedges and or sliced hard-boiled eggs if desired. Drizzle with the dressing and serve.
Dressing:
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine the honey and mustard in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Slowly add the oil in a steady stream, whisking until blended and smooth. Add the lemon juice, white pepper, and salt and whisk to blend.
Yield: 1 cup
Amy
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Low-fat Oatmeal Muffins, Comforting Smothered Chicken, Dill Potato Wedges, Hot Spinach-Artichoke Dip, Italian Chicken Packets
Hi everyone! I took Caden to the Family Fun Center today to play and it was craziness! There were two schools there and all I know is I'm thankful I don't have 100's of elementary school kids living with me.
Tomorrow I am hosting playgroup (Caden is in a playgroup and we meet once a week). I like to have something to nibble on so I'm making Oatmeal Muffins. These are easy and you probably have all the ingredients on hand. Muffins are a great thing to make and then freeze. Then you just pull one out at a time for a quick breakfast or snack. The recipe I'm using is low-fat so it calls for egg substitute or egg whites but feel free to use the whole egg. You just want to equal 1/2 cup. And remember, if you don't want to buy Buttermilk, the substitution is 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 cup of white milk to equal 1 cup of buttermilk.
For dinner, we're having Comforting Smothered Chicken and Dill Potato Wedges. The chicken is basically chicken with gravy. It has easy directions and you really can't mess this up. The potatoes are actually a Boston Market recipe and the recipe is for 1 serving so you need to adjust for how much you want to make. These are so simple but the recipe might be confusing because it's explaining how to make these and then keep them warm like if you were in a restaurant. For all of us, just follow the first half of the first sentence. You just cook the potatoes, slice, and season. That's it! I love dill so I love stuff like this!
Low-fat Oatmeal Muffins
(CalTrentMom - Barbara)
(makes 18 muffins)
1 1/2 cups oats (rolled or instant)
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup liquid egg substitute (or egg whites)
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons brown sugar (for topping)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray 18 muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray, or line with paper cups. Set aside. Place the oats in a small bowl and cover with the boiling water. Set aside. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the egg substitute and sugar together for about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, oil and buttermilk, and beat well. Stir in the oatmeal (2 cups of leftover oatmeal can be substituted), then add the flour mixture, stirring only enough to moisten. Do not over mix. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, filling each cup 3/4 full, and top each muffin with 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar. Bake the muffins for about 15 minutes, or until a sharp knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins on racks. Per muffin: 104 calories, 3 g fat, trace of cholesterol, 147 mg soduim, 17 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 1 g fiber.
Comforting Smothered Chicken
(meltort)
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 small onion, sliced
2 cups chicken broth, low sodium
Season flour with salt and pepper and mix well. Coat chicken completely with the seasoned flour. Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add chicken and brown on each side (about 4 minutes per side). Remove and set aside. Add sliced onions to the pan drippings and cook for 1 minute. Add remaining flour continue to stir until onions and flour begin to brown. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, stir until incorporated and return chicken to the gravy, cover skillet, reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until gravy is thick and chicken is tender
Dill Potato Wedges
Amy - amylz
Boston Chicken®-Style
1 medium Whole new potato; unpeeled -- cooked
Pam
Garlic salt
Dry dill weed
Cut potato into lengthwise wedge and spray the cut sides in Pam. Dust in garlic salt and a little dry dill weed and keep warm in Pam-sprayed baking dish, placed inside a slightly larger baking pan (metal, not glass) that contains about an inch of water. Keep warm in 300 degree oven up to an hour. Use 1 potato per serving. Do not freeze.
Today I'm giving you another Spinach-Artichoke recipe. This is different from the one I posted a few weeks ago. This one is from Paula Deen and it's my most, most, most favorite. This is made with Pepper Jack Cheese and that extra spice is fabulous! Trust me, this is a great dip to impress people! The second recipe is for Italian Chicken Packets. I love these because they're easy, there's no clean up and it's healthy! My kids actually like this too. I love the way the onions come out, yum! You should give these a try!
Hot Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
2 (13 3/4-ounce) cans artichoke hearts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a casserole dish with nonstick spray. Heat the spinach in a microwave oven on high for 5 minutes and squeeze dry. Drain the artichoke hearts and coarsely chop in a food processor. Combine all the ingredients except the jack cheese in a large bowl. Stir well. Scrape into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the jack cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with bagel chips.
Italian Chicken Packets
Amy - amylz
This super easy one dish meal foil packet combining chicken breasts with vegetables and salad dressing is cooked on your grill.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 yellow pepper, seeded and sliced
1 red onion, sliced
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
Prepare and heat grill. Tear off four 18" x 12" sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil. Divide chicken and vegetables evenly among sheets. Divide salad dressing among sheets. Seal packets with a double fold, allowing space for heat expansion.
Place packets on grill, 4" from medium heat. Grill, covered, for 18-23 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked, turning packets once during cooking.
4 servings
Calories: 290
Fat: 16 grams
Carbs: 9 grams
Vitamin C: 54% DV
Amy
Tomorrow I am hosting playgroup (Caden is in a playgroup and we meet once a week). I like to have something to nibble on so I'm making Oatmeal Muffins. These are easy and you probably have all the ingredients on hand. Muffins are a great thing to make and then freeze. Then you just pull one out at a time for a quick breakfast or snack. The recipe I'm using is low-fat so it calls for egg substitute or egg whites but feel free to use the whole egg. You just want to equal 1/2 cup. And remember, if you don't want to buy Buttermilk, the substitution is 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 cup of white milk to equal 1 cup of buttermilk.
For dinner, we're having Comforting Smothered Chicken and Dill Potato Wedges. The chicken is basically chicken with gravy. It has easy directions and you really can't mess this up. The potatoes are actually a Boston Market recipe and the recipe is for 1 serving so you need to adjust for how much you want to make. These are so simple but the recipe might be confusing because it's explaining how to make these and then keep them warm like if you were in a restaurant. For all of us, just follow the first half of the first sentence. You just cook the potatoes, slice, and season. That's it! I love dill so I love stuff like this!
Low-fat Oatmeal Muffins
(CalTrentMom - Barbara)
(makes 18 muffins)
1 1/2 cups oats (rolled or instant)
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup liquid egg substitute (or egg whites)
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons brown sugar (for topping)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray 18 muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray, or line with paper cups. Set aside. Place the oats in a small bowl and cover with the boiling water. Set aside. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the egg substitute and sugar together for about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, oil and buttermilk, and beat well. Stir in the oatmeal (2 cups of leftover oatmeal can be substituted), then add the flour mixture, stirring only enough to moisten. Do not over mix. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, filling each cup 3/4 full, and top each muffin with 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar. Bake the muffins for about 15 minutes, or until a sharp knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins on racks. Per muffin: 104 calories, 3 g fat, trace of cholesterol, 147 mg soduim, 17 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 1 g fiber.
Comforting Smothered Chicken
(meltort)
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 small onion, sliced
2 cups chicken broth, low sodium
Season flour with salt and pepper and mix well. Coat chicken completely with the seasoned flour. Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add chicken and brown on each side (about 4 minutes per side). Remove and set aside. Add sliced onions to the pan drippings and cook for 1 minute. Add remaining flour continue to stir until onions and flour begin to brown. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, stir until incorporated and return chicken to the gravy, cover skillet, reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until gravy is thick and chicken is tender
Dill Potato Wedges
Amy - amylz
Boston Chicken®-Style
1 medium Whole new potato; unpeeled -- cooked
Pam
Garlic salt
Dry dill weed
Cut potato into lengthwise wedge and spray the cut sides in Pam. Dust in garlic salt and a little dry dill weed and keep warm in Pam-sprayed baking dish, placed inside a slightly larger baking pan (metal, not glass) that contains about an inch of water. Keep warm in 300 degree oven up to an hour. Use 1 potato per serving. Do not freeze.
Today I'm giving you another Spinach-Artichoke recipe. This is different from the one I posted a few weeks ago. This one is from Paula Deen and it's my most, most, most favorite. This is made with Pepper Jack Cheese and that extra spice is fabulous! Trust me, this is a great dip to impress people! The second recipe is for Italian Chicken Packets. I love these because they're easy, there's no clean up and it's healthy! My kids actually like this too. I love the way the onions come out, yum! You should give these a try!
Hot Spinach-Artichoke Dip
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
2 (13 3/4-ounce) cans artichoke hearts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a casserole dish with nonstick spray. Heat the spinach in a microwave oven on high for 5 minutes and squeeze dry. Drain the artichoke hearts and coarsely chop in a food processor. Combine all the ingredients except the jack cheese in a large bowl. Stir well. Scrape into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the jack cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with bagel chips.
Italian Chicken Packets
Amy - amylz
This super easy one dish meal foil packet combining chicken breasts with vegetables and salad dressing is cooked on your grill.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 yellow pepper, seeded and sliced
1 red onion, sliced
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
Prepare and heat grill. Tear off four 18" x 12" sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil. Divide chicken and vegetables evenly among sheets. Divide salad dressing among sheets. Seal packets with a double fold, allowing space for heat expansion.
Place packets on grill, 4" from medium heat. Grill, covered, for 18-23 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked, turning packets once during cooking.
4 servings
Calories: 290
Fat: 16 grams
Carbs: 9 grams
Vitamin C: 54% DV
Amy
Monday, May 19, 2008
Toddler mini meatballs, Red Potato Salad, Hot Bacon Cheese Dip, Hot Dog Noodle Casserole
Hi everyone! We went and visited our friend's new baby, Carson, this evening and that was fun. New babies are so precious! It's really amazing to think they start from almost nothing and turn into a human being! Amazing!
Tomorrow for dinner, we're having meatballs and potato salad. The meatballs are actually called Toddler Mini Meatballs. I'll be using ground beef but ground turkey breast would work great too. I'll just use regular bread crumbs instead of making my own. I bought a bag of fresh spinach to use but if you have frozen spinach, that would work too. Then you just mix it all by hand or use a mixer. Make little meatballs and bake. Trust me, if you mince your veggies enough, your kids won't know they're even in there. You could serve these with spaghetti sauce or just with ketchup.
The potato salad is called Red Potato Salad because it's made with red potatoes. Fancy! We are mayo free at our house so I love recipes that don't use it. You'll want to make this a day ahead of time or even in the morning so that it had a chance to sit and blend the flavors!
Toddler mini meatballs
1 lb. Ground beef ; or turkey
2 slices Whole wheat bread ; ground into crumbs (I use a food processor for this)
1/2 cup Spinach ; finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup V-8 juice
1/8 cup Carrot ; finely minced
-= Instructions =-
I put the meat, bread crumbs, veggies, and seasoning into the electric mixer, mix them up, then add V-8 till it's easy to work with. Then I shape it into one-inch balls and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Check for doneness by cutting a meatball in half and making sure the pinkness is gone. Ds likes these either plain or dipped in some mild barbecue sauce.
Red Potato Salad
Grace (TigMode)
I like this as a nice alternative to the traditional mayonnaise heavy potato salad.
6 large red potatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives or green onions (I like it better with green onions, personally, having made it both ways)
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper
Scrub potatoes (don't peel). If large, cut in half or in quarters. Boil potatoes in their skins until fork-tender. Drain, dry and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. In a salad bowl, combine the potatoes, sour cream, yogurt, and chives; and toss gently to coat. Add salt, and pepper to taste; refrigerate until chilled.....it's good if you can let this sit at least a couple hours so the flavors blend.
Today I've included a recipe for Hot Bacon Cheese Dip. This is so good and great for when you need to bring a snack to share. The second recipe is total comfort food. It's Hot Dog Noodle Casserole and I know that sounds like kid food but heck, it is but you'll like it too. This was sooooo good. I saw it on the Food Network and had to try it. I'm not even a hot dog fan and I enjoyed this.
Hot Bacon Cheese Dip
Sandy (~*~Sandy~*~)
12 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 loaf round bread (such as sourdough)
Mix all ingredients except bread in a large bowl. Set aside. Cut off top of bread round and hollow out to make a bowl. Place mixture into bread round. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.
Hot Dog Noodle Casserole
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy Marvel Albitz
1 (10-ounce) box frozen broccoli
1 (8-ounce) package egg noodles
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 pound beef hot dogs, sliced
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook broccoli according to package directions; set aside. Cook egg noodles according to package directions, drain, and set aside.
In a 9-by 13-inch baking dish, spread broccoli evenly across the bottom and top with egg noodles. In a large mixing bowl, combine soup, milk, sour cream, cheese, and hot dogs. Mix well and pour mixture over noodles. Cover dish with foil and bake until heated through and bubbly, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle top with bacon and bake just until bacon is heated, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Amy
Tomorrow for dinner, we're having meatballs and potato salad. The meatballs are actually called Toddler Mini Meatballs. I'll be using ground beef but ground turkey breast would work great too. I'll just use regular bread crumbs instead of making my own. I bought a bag of fresh spinach to use but if you have frozen spinach, that would work too. Then you just mix it all by hand or use a mixer. Make little meatballs and bake. Trust me, if you mince your veggies enough, your kids won't know they're even in there. You could serve these with spaghetti sauce or just with ketchup.
The potato salad is called Red Potato Salad because it's made with red potatoes. Fancy! We are mayo free at our house so I love recipes that don't use it. You'll want to make this a day ahead of time or even in the morning so that it had a chance to sit and blend the flavors!
Toddler mini meatballs
1 lb. Ground beef ; or turkey
2 slices Whole wheat bread ; ground into crumbs (I use a food processor for this)
1/2 cup Spinach ; finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup V-8 juice
1/8 cup Carrot ; finely minced
-= Instructions =-
I put the meat, bread crumbs, veggies, and seasoning into the electric mixer, mix them up, then add V-8 till it's easy to work with. Then I shape it into one-inch balls and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Check for doneness by cutting a meatball in half and making sure the pinkness is gone. Ds likes these either plain or dipped in some mild barbecue sauce.
Red Potato Salad
Grace (TigMode)
I like this as a nice alternative to the traditional mayonnaise heavy potato salad.
6 large red potatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives or green onions (I like it better with green onions, personally, having made it both ways)
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper
Scrub potatoes (don't peel). If large, cut in half or in quarters. Boil potatoes in their skins until fork-tender. Drain, dry and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. In a salad bowl, combine the potatoes, sour cream, yogurt, and chives; and toss gently to coat. Add salt, and pepper to taste; refrigerate until chilled.....it's good if you can let this sit at least a couple hours so the flavors blend.
Today I've included a recipe for Hot Bacon Cheese Dip. This is so good and great for when you need to bring a snack to share. The second recipe is total comfort food. It's Hot Dog Noodle Casserole and I know that sounds like kid food but heck, it is but you'll like it too. This was sooooo good. I saw it on the Food Network and had to try it. I'm not even a hot dog fan and I enjoyed this.
Hot Bacon Cheese Dip
Sandy (~*~Sandy~*~)
12 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 loaf round bread (such as sourdough)
Mix all ingredients except bread in a large bowl. Set aside. Cut off top of bread round and hollow out to make a bowl. Place mixture into bread round. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.
Hot Dog Noodle Casserole
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy Marvel Albitz
1 (10-ounce) box frozen broccoli
1 (8-ounce) package egg noodles
1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 pound beef hot dogs, sliced
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook broccoli according to package directions; set aside. Cook egg noodles according to package directions, drain, and set aside.
In a 9-by 13-inch baking dish, spread broccoli evenly across the bottom and top with egg noodles. In a large mixing bowl, combine soup, milk, sour cream, cheese, and hot dogs. Mix well and pour mixture over noodles. Cover dish with foil and bake until heated through and bubbly, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle top with bacon and bake just until bacon is heated, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Amy
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Sausage Casserole, Parmesan Breadsticks, Honey Wheat Bushman Bread, Honey-Lime Pork Chops
Hi everyone! I hope you had a great weekend! We were super busy but that's always a good thing!
For tomorrow's dinner, we're having a sausage casserole and since it's Monday, I'm baking breadsticks. The casserole is kind of like a breakfast casserole but it doesn't have eggs so it's perfect for dinner. You want to use the standard 32oz package of hashbrowns for this. Everything else is self explanatory. You just mix it all and bake. John won't eat anything with corn in it (but he likes corn) so I'm going to make half this casserole and then just serve all the other half of the ingredients to John on a plate. I don't consider that making two dinners (which is against my rules).
The breadsticks are called parmesan breadsticks and they're so easy. If you don't want to knead it all by hand, you can use your Kitchen Aid.
Sausage Casserole
Dottie (Hokiesmom)
1 bag of frozen hashbrowns
1 can cream corn
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can of Cream of Chicken soup
1 pkg of Polish sausage
8 oz sour cream
Cheddar cheese, grated as much as you like!
Combine all ingredients in a big baking dish. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
**My recipe calls for smoked sausage, but the Polish sausage has a better flavor. AND I semi-drain my whole kernel corn, ya need some of the liquid but not all of it.**
Parmesan Breadsticks
Kristy
2 packages active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
3 TBS sugar
3 TBS PLUS 1/4 cup butter – softened and divided
1 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups flour (4 1/2 to 5 1/2)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (I used about double this)
1/2 tsp garlic salt
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, 3 TBS butter, salt, and 2 cups flour and beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Punch the dough down, turn onto a floured surface and divide into 36 pieces. Shape each piece into a 6 inch rope and place 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes. Melt remaining butter, brush over dough and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans onto wire racks.
I'm also giving you an excellent recipe for bread called Honey Wheat Bushman Bread. It's the Outback Steak House bread and it really comes out looking and tasting just like it. It's so yummy and this makes 6 little loaves. When making bread, it is important to use the flour they ask for or at least substitute accordingly. In this recipe, it calls for bread flour and whole wheat flour. I really think you should always keep some bread flour in your cupboard because the substitution is a pain (substitute 1 cup all purpose flour plus 2 teaspoons Gluten flour for 1 cup unsifted bread flour). I mean, if you're going to keep gluten flour, you might as well keep bread flour. Ok, for whole wheat flour, you can substitute 1 cup minus 3 tablespoons all purpose flour and 3 tablespoons wheat germ for 1 cup whole wheat flour. I know, not everyone had wheat germ but you never know. I always have whole wheat flour at home. I keep all my different flours in big plastic containers (like those Glad disposable containers) labeled in the cupboard. It's stays fresher much longer than in the bags the flour comes in! Anyway, for this bread, I never do the food coloring and it still comes out a beautiful honey brown color. There are instructions at the bottom for using your bread machine to make the dough if you don't want to do it by hand! Let's face it, kneading dough is work!
The second recipe is for Honey Lime Pork Chops. These are easy and delicious! There is a sauce that goes with these that is optional but it's good. It would be really good with rice.
Honey Wheat Bushman Bread
Sandy~~*~Sandy~*~ Top Secret Recipes
Outback Steak House
DOUGH
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 pkg.) yeast
2 cups bread flour
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons molasses
COLORING (optional, I eliminate this)
1 1/4 teaspoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon yellow food coloring
1 teaspoon blue food coloring
cornmeal for dusting
1. Mix sugar with warm water, then dissolve the yeast in the solution. In five minutes the solution will begin to foam as the yeast begins its gassy dance party.
2. While the yeast is waking up, mix the flours, cocoa, and salt in a large bowl. Mix butter into the dry mixture with your hands. Make an impression in the middle of the dry mixture. Add the honey and molasses into the well. Mix the food coloring with the yeast solution, then pour the solution into the well. Stir from the middle bringing the dry mixture into the wet stuff, slowly at first, then quickly as you incorporate all the ingredients. You will eventually have to use your hands to combine everything. Knead the dough for 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface, then roll the dough into a ball and place it into a covered bowl in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
3. When the dough has doubled, separate it into 6 even portions. Roll each dough portion into logs that are 6 inches long and 2 inches wide. Pour cornmeal onto your rolling surface. Moisten your hands then rub water onto each dough log and roll it in the cornmeal. Arrange the rolled dough on a baking sheet and cover it with plastic wrap. Set the dough in warm spot to rise for another hour or so until the loaves have doubled in size.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the dough and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes in the hot oven. When the bread is done, take it out of the oven and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve the bread with a sharp bread knife and butter on the side. If you want whipped butter, like you get at the restaurant, just use an electric mixer on high speed to whip some butter until it's fluffy.
Makes 6 small loaves.
Tidbits
If you'd like to use a bread machine to knead the dough, just add the ingredients in the following order: Mix the food coloring with the water, then add the colored water to the bread pan followed by the flours, sugar, salt, butter, cocoa, honey, molasses, and yeast. Set the machine to knead and walk away. When the dough's done kneading and rising, go to step #3 of this recipe and take it from there.
NOTES : Sandy's note: I usually divide the dough into four loaves (rather than six) and we eat a whole one for dinner! The extra loaves I wrap individually, first in plastic wrap or foil and then in a freezer bag. You can warm it in the oven and it's just about as good as fresh...
Mix ingredients: 30 min
First rising: 90 min
Roll out/Divide dough: 15 min
Second rising: 60 min
Bake: 40 min
Cool: 15 min
Honey-Lime Pork Chops
(Kathie, high_meadow)
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
2 minced garlic cloves
6 boneless pork chops
Combine in a Ziploc bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours (I usually put them in in the morning and leave them all day). You can either grill or broil them, 6-7 minutes per side.
Sauce: (I don't always make this but it is good.)
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 tsp lime juice
dash pepper
1 1/2 tsp honey
1/8 tsp browning sauce
Combine in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Combine 2 tsp cornstarch and 2 Tbsp water till smooth. Stir into broth. Return to a boil; cook & stir 1-2 minutes.
Amy
For tomorrow's dinner, we're having a sausage casserole and since it's Monday, I'm baking breadsticks. The casserole is kind of like a breakfast casserole but it doesn't have eggs so it's perfect for dinner. You want to use the standard 32oz package of hashbrowns for this. Everything else is self explanatory. You just mix it all and bake. John won't eat anything with corn in it (but he likes corn) so I'm going to make half this casserole and then just serve all the other half of the ingredients to John on a plate. I don't consider that making two dinners (which is against my rules).
The breadsticks are called parmesan breadsticks and they're so easy. If you don't want to knead it all by hand, you can use your Kitchen Aid.
Sausage Casserole
Dottie (Hokiesmom)
1 bag of frozen hashbrowns
1 can cream corn
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can of Cream of Chicken soup
1 pkg of Polish sausage
8 oz sour cream
Cheddar cheese, grated as much as you like!
Combine all ingredients in a big baking dish. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
**My recipe calls for smoked sausage, but the Polish sausage has a better flavor. AND I semi-drain my whole kernel corn, ya need some of the liquid but not all of it.**
Parmesan Breadsticks
Kristy
2 packages active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
3 TBS sugar
3 TBS PLUS 1/4 cup butter – softened and divided
1 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups flour (4 1/2 to 5 1/2)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (I used about double this)
1/2 tsp garlic salt
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, 3 TBS butter, salt, and 2 cups flour and beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Punch the dough down, turn onto a floured surface and divide into 36 pieces. Shape each piece into a 6 inch rope and place 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes. Melt remaining butter, brush over dough and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans onto wire racks.
I'm also giving you an excellent recipe for bread called Honey Wheat Bushman Bread. It's the Outback Steak House bread and it really comes out looking and tasting just like it. It's so yummy and this makes 6 little loaves. When making bread, it is important to use the flour they ask for or at least substitute accordingly. In this recipe, it calls for bread flour and whole wheat flour. I really think you should always keep some bread flour in your cupboard because the substitution is a pain (substitute 1 cup all purpose flour plus 2 teaspoons Gluten flour for 1 cup unsifted bread flour). I mean, if you're going to keep gluten flour, you might as well keep bread flour. Ok, for whole wheat flour, you can substitute 1 cup minus 3 tablespoons all purpose flour and 3 tablespoons wheat germ for 1 cup whole wheat flour. I know, not everyone had wheat germ but you never know. I always have whole wheat flour at home. I keep all my different flours in big plastic containers (like those Glad disposable containers) labeled in the cupboard. It's stays fresher much longer than in the bags the flour comes in! Anyway, for this bread, I never do the food coloring and it still comes out a beautiful honey brown color. There are instructions at the bottom for using your bread machine to make the dough if you don't want to do it by hand! Let's face it, kneading dough is work!
The second recipe is for Honey Lime Pork Chops. These are easy and delicious! There is a sauce that goes with these that is optional but it's good. It would be really good with rice.
Honey Wheat Bushman Bread
Sandy~~*~Sandy~*~ Top Secret Recipes
Outback Steak House
DOUGH
1 1/4 cups warm water
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 pkg.) yeast
2 cups bread flour
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons molasses
COLORING (optional, I eliminate this)
1 1/4 teaspoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon yellow food coloring
1 teaspoon blue food coloring
cornmeal for dusting
1. Mix sugar with warm water, then dissolve the yeast in the solution. In five minutes the solution will begin to foam as the yeast begins its gassy dance party.
2. While the yeast is waking up, mix the flours, cocoa, and salt in a large bowl. Mix butter into the dry mixture with your hands. Make an impression in the middle of the dry mixture. Add the honey and molasses into the well. Mix the food coloring with the yeast solution, then pour the solution into the well. Stir from the middle bringing the dry mixture into the wet stuff, slowly at first, then quickly as you incorporate all the ingredients. You will eventually have to use your hands to combine everything. Knead the dough for 10 minutes on a lightly floured surface, then roll the dough into a ball and place it into a covered bowl in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
3. When the dough has doubled, separate it into 6 even portions. Roll each dough portion into logs that are 6 inches long and 2 inches wide. Pour cornmeal onto your rolling surface. Moisten your hands then rub water onto each dough log and roll it in the cornmeal. Arrange the rolled dough on a baking sheet and cover it with plastic wrap. Set the dough in warm spot to rise for another hour or so until the loaves have doubled in size.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the dough and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes in the hot oven. When the bread is done, take it out of the oven and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve the bread with a sharp bread knife and butter on the side. If you want whipped butter, like you get at the restaurant, just use an electric mixer on high speed to whip some butter until it's fluffy.
Makes 6 small loaves.
Tidbits
If you'd like to use a bread machine to knead the dough, just add the ingredients in the following order: Mix the food coloring with the water, then add the colored water to the bread pan followed by the flours, sugar, salt, butter, cocoa, honey, molasses, and yeast. Set the machine to knead and walk away. When the dough's done kneading and rising, go to step #3 of this recipe and take it from there.
NOTES : Sandy's note: I usually divide the dough into four loaves (rather than six) and we eat a whole one for dinner! The extra loaves I wrap individually, first in plastic wrap or foil and then in a freezer bag. You can warm it in the oven and it's just about as good as fresh...
Mix ingredients: 30 min
First rising: 90 min
Roll out/Divide dough: 15 min
Second rising: 60 min
Bake: 40 min
Cool: 15 min
Honey-Lime Pork Chops
(Kathie, high_meadow)
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey
2 minced garlic cloves
6 boneless pork chops
Combine in a Ziploc bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours (I usually put them in in the morning and leave them all day). You can either grill or broil them, 6-7 minutes per side.
Sauce: (I don't always make this but it is good.)
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 tsp lime juice
dash pepper
1 1/2 tsp honey
1/8 tsp browning sauce
Combine in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Combine 2 tsp cornstarch and 2 Tbsp water till smooth. Stir into broth. Return to a boil; cook & stir 1-2 minutes.
Amy
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Herbed Pork Chops in Mushroom Sauce, Holiday Potato Casserole
Hi everyone! Seriously, it's hot! Geesh!
Well, we're not eating at home on Sunday so I'm not cooking anything. We are celebrating my niece, Cassie's, 3rd birthday and my SIL, Mary's, birthday at Red Robin. My husband's family celebrates almost EVERY birthday and we have a ton between now and July 4th. I'm telling you, this time of year kills me!
I am giving you a couple great recipes though. The first is a Campbell's recipe (so simple) called Herbed Pork Chops in Mushroom Sauce. This is served over rice. The second recipe is called Holiday Potato Casserole but you can eat it anytime. It's just called that because it's so festive looking for Christmas. This is yummy! It's basically mashed potatoes with green onion and pimientos in it. It also calls for green pepper but I always leave it out. I don't know why but I do. I put my own notes in parenthesis as I have changed the amounts a bit.
Herbed Pork Chops in Mushroom Sauce
OP???from Campbell's Kitchen
Prep/Cook Time: 20 min.
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. dried basil leaves OR thyme leaves, crushed
4 boneless pork chops, 3/4" thick
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's(R) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup OR 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/4 cup milk
Hot cooked rice
Directions:
MIX garlic powder, paprika and basil. Coat chops with garlic powder mixture.
HEAT oil in skillet. Cook chops 10 min. or until browned.
ADD onion and cook until tender.
ADD soup and milk. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 10 min. or until chops are done. Serve with rice. Serves 4.
Holiday Potato Casserole
Amy - amylz
3 pounds potatoes, peeled & quartered
1 cup butter
2 (3oz) pkg cream cheese, softened (I use 8oz)
1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (2oz) jar pimiento, drained (I use 4 oz)
1 small green pepper, finely chopped (I leave this out)
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
Cook potatoes in boiling water to cover 15 minutes or until tender; drain and mash. Add butter and cream cheese; beat at medium speed with and electric mixer until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese and next 6 ingredients; spoon into lightly buttered 11x7x1 1/2 inch baking dish. Bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes, or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
You may prepare the night before (except for cheese topping) and refrigerate, covered, overnight. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking.
Amy
Well, we're not eating at home on Sunday so I'm not cooking anything. We are celebrating my niece, Cassie's, 3rd birthday and my SIL, Mary's, birthday at Red Robin. My husband's family celebrates almost EVERY birthday and we have a ton between now and July 4th. I'm telling you, this time of year kills me!
I am giving you a couple great recipes though. The first is a Campbell's recipe (so simple) called Herbed Pork Chops in Mushroom Sauce. This is served over rice. The second recipe is called Holiday Potato Casserole but you can eat it anytime. It's just called that because it's so festive looking for Christmas. This is yummy! It's basically mashed potatoes with green onion and pimientos in it. It also calls for green pepper but I always leave it out. I don't know why but I do. I put my own notes in parenthesis as I have changed the amounts a bit.
Herbed Pork Chops in Mushroom Sauce
OP???from Campbell's Kitchen
Prep/Cook Time: 20 min.
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. dried basil leaves OR thyme leaves, crushed
4 boneless pork chops, 3/4" thick
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's(R) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup OR 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/4 cup milk
Hot cooked rice
Directions:
MIX garlic powder, paprika and basil. Coat chops with garlic powder mixture.
HEAT oil in skillet. Cook chops 10 min. or until browned.
ADD onion and cook until tender.
ADD soup and milk. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 10 min. or until chops are done. Serve with rice. Serves 4.
Holiday Potato Casserole
Amy - amylz
3 pounds potatoes, peeled & quartered
1 cup butter
2 (3oz) pkg cream cheese, softened (I use 8oz)
1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (2oz) jar pimiento, drained (I use 4 oz)
1 small green pepper, finely chopped (I leave this out)
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
Cook potatoes in boiling water to cover 15 minutes or until tender; drain and mash. Add butter and cream cheese; beat at medium speed with and electric mixer until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese and next 6 ingredients; spoon into lightly buttered 11x7x1 1/2 inch baking dish. Bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes, or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
You may prepare the night before (except for cheese topping) and refrigerate, covered, overnight. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking.
Amy
Friday, May 16, 2008
Honey Ham and Vegetables, Grilled Bruschetta Chicken, Grilled Marinated Pork Chops
Hi everyone! I hope you're all staying cool! I have never complained about all our rain as I am not a huge fan of hot weather. So, I don't really love this. I think about 68 degrees and blue sky is perfect! Jackson and I really thanked God for our A/C when we prayed! I'm glad he gave someone the wisdom to create it!
Ok, this is going to be a shocker but I didn't grocery shop yesterday. This is probably the first time in a year I didn't shop on Thursday but I just didn't have time yesterday. So, I went today. Safeway is having a pretty good sale on meat this week. Ground beef, steaks, pork chops and chicken breasts are all 50% off. If you like to stock up, I would say this is a good time. Shrimp is at a great price at $9.99 for the big bag. These are the giant raw shrimps that are great to throw on the barbecue! And I don't know why but Safeway is offering you 10% back if you cash your stimulus check there. I read the fine print and there doesn't seem to be a catch. So if you're getting one, you may want to do that!
For dinner on Saturday, we're having a dinner in the crockpot. When it's really hot, the crockpot is your best friend. It won't hear your hot up the way the oven and stove will and sometimes it's just too hot to even use the BBQ (not according to my husband but I think so). I'm making Honey Ham and Vegetables. I like to buy a fully cooked sliced ham but it doesn't matter if it's sliced or not. We also don't care for sweet potatoes so I'm going to do turnips or parsnips or whatever looks good. You want to do a root vegetable though. Squash would even be good (like acorn, not zucchini). I am considering this a complete meal.
Honey Ham and Vegetables
Amy - amylz
3 pounds Ham, fully cooked
3 medium Sweet Potatoes, unpeeled
3 medium Baking Potatoes; quartered, (see note below)
1 bunch Carrots;peeled, chunked
1 cup Ginger Ale
Glaze:
1/2 cup Honey
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
1/2 teaspoon Dry Mustard
Scrub the sweet potatoes, trim. Scrub baking potatoes, quarter. Peel carrots and slice diagonally in 2" lengths. Place vegetables on the bottom of the crockpot, place ham on top and pour ginger ale over all. Cover and cook on LOW for about 9 hours, or until veggies are tender. Mix about 2 tablespoons of liquid from the pot with the glaze ingredients in a buttered measuring cup and pour over ham. Continue cooking on LOW for 1 or 2 hours, basting often. Slice ham in thin slices, serve with vegetables.
NOTE: If you do not like white potatoes which taste sweet, cook them separately in the microwave or oven before the ham is done.
I've added a recipe that is great for grilling! It's called Grilled Brushetta Chicken and it's so easy and delicious. Ok, once again, you might have a hard time finding the Kraft Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing but just do your best to find something similar. You can marinate the chicken for longer than 10 minutes, I think the longer the better. We leave off the cheese but it's awesome with it too!
The second recipe is called Grilled Marinated Pork Chops! These are yummy too! If you don't want to buy two limes and just use bottled lime juice, I'm guessing you'll want about 1/4-1/3 cup. You can even get the recommended wine at Safeway and it's really worth it!
Grilled Bruschetta Chicken
Michelle (MMmom) from Kraft Food & Family
1/4 cup KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing, divided
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil leaves
PLACE large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of grill grate; preheat grill to medium heat. Pour 2 Tbsp. of the dressing over chicken in resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with the dressing. Refrigerate 10 min. to marinate. Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade.
GRILL chicken on uncovered side of grill 6 min. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, cheese, basil and remaining 2 Tbsp. dressing.
TURN chicken over; place, cooked-side up, on foil on grill. Top evenly with tomato mixture. Close lid. Grill an additional 8 min. or until chicken is cooked through (170ºF).
Amy’s Notes: We leave off the cheese.
Grilled Marinated Pork Chops
Amy - amylz
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil;
juice of two limes;
2 Tablespoons dry white wine;
3 garlic cloves - minced;
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro;
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley;
1/2 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano;
1 teaspoon chili powder;
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional);
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;
4 pork loin chops, 1/2 thick
Directions:
1. In a large nonreactive mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, wine, garlic, cilantro, parsley, oregano, chili powder, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Rub each chop thoroughly with the marinade and place back in the bowl. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, heat a charcoal grill or stove-top grill until hot. Grill the chops over high heat approximately 7 minutes on each side, to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
* Wine suggestions: Chateau Ste. Michelle Johannisberg Riesling or Late Harvest White Riesling. (*Recipe Courtesy of, "John Sarich at Chateau Ste. Michelle For Cooks Who Love Wine").
Amy
Ok, this is going to be a shocker but I didn't grocery shop yesterday. This is probably the first time in a year I didn't shop on Thursday but I just didn't have time yesterday. So, I went today. Safeway is having a pretty good sale on meat this week. Ground beef, steaks, pork chops and chicken breasts are all 50% off. If you like to stock up, I would say this is a good time. Shrimp is at a great price at $9.99 for the big bag. These are the giant raw shrimps that are great to throw on the barbecue! And I don't know why but Safeway is offering you 10% back if you cash your stimulus check there. I read the fine print and there doesn't seem to be a catch. So if you're getting one, you may want to do that!
For dinner on Saturday, we're having a dinner in the crockpot. When it's really hot, the crockpot is your best friend. It won't hear your hot up the way the oven and stove will and sometimes it's just too hot to even use the BBQ (not according to my husband but I think so). I'm making Honey Ham and Vegetables. I like to buy a fully cooked sliced ham but it doesn't matter if it's sliced or not. We also don't care for sweet potatoes so I'm going to do turnips or parsnips or whatever looks good. You want to do a root vegetable though. Squash would even be good (like acorn, not zucchini). I am considering this a complete meal.
Honey Ham and Vegetables
Amy - amylz
3 pounds Ham, fully cooked
3 medium Sweet Potatoes, unpeeled
3 medium Baking Potatoes; quartered, (see note below)
1 bunch Carrots;peeled, chunked
1 cup Ginger Ale
Glaze:
1/2 cup Honey
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
1/2 teaspoon Dry Mustard
Scrub the sweet potatoes, trim. Scrub baking potatoes, quarter. Peel carrots and slice diagonally in 2" lengths. Place vegetables on the bottom of the crockpot, place ham on top and pour ginger ale over all. Cover and cook on LOW for about 9 hours, or until veggies are tender. Mix about 2 tablespoons of liquid from the pot with the glaze ingredients in a buttered measuring cup and pour over ham. Continue cooking on LOW for 1 or 2 hours, basting often. Slice ham in thin slices, serve with vegetables.
NOTE: If you do not like white potatoes which taste sweet, cook them separately in the microwave or oven before the ham is done.
I've added a recipe that is great for grilling! It's called Grilled Brushetta Chicken and it's so easy and delicious. Ok, once again, you might have a hard time finding the Kraft Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing but just do your best to find something similar. You can marinate the chicken for longer than 10 minutes, I think the longer the better. We leave off the cheese but it's awesome with it too!
The second recipe is called Grilled Marinated Pork Chops! These are yummy too! If you don't want to buy two limes and just use bottled lime juice, I'm guessing you'll want about 1/4-1/3 cup. You can even get the recommended wine at Safeway and it's really worth it!
Grilled Bruschetta Chicken
Michelle (MMmom) from Kraft Food & Family
1/4 cup KRAFT Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing, divided
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil leaves
PLACE large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of grill grate; preheat grill to medium heat. Pour 2 Tbsp. of the dressing over chicken in resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with the dressing. Refrigerate 10 min. to marinate. Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade.
GRILL chicken on uncovered side of grill 6 min. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, cheese, basil and remaining 2 Tbsp. dressing.
TURN chicken over; place, cooked-side up, on foil on grill. Top evenly with tomato mixture. Close lid. Grill an additional 8 min. or until chicken is cooked through (170ºF).
Amy’s Notes: We leave off the cheese.
Grilled Marinated Pork Chops
Amy - amylz
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil;
juice of two limes;
2 Tablespoons dry white wine;
3 garlic cloves - minced;
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro;
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley;
1/2 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano;
1 teaspoon chili powder;
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional);
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;
4 pork loin chops, 1/2 thick
Directions:
1. In a large nonreactive mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, wine, garlic, cilantro, parsley, oregano, chili powder, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Rub each chop thoroughly with the marinade and place back in the bowl. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, heat a charcoal grill or stove-top grill until hot. Grill the chops over high heat approximately 7 minutes on each side, to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
* Wine suggestions: Chateau Ste. Michelle Johannisberg Riesling or Late Harvest White Riesling. (*Recipe Courtesy of, "John Sarich at Chateau Ste. Michelle For Cooks Who Love Wine").
Amy
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Grandma's Chocolate Cake, Grandma Strike's Chili
Hi everyone! Believe it or not, I have another night of no cooking planned. We have Jackson's school BBQ tomorrow night so we'll be eating there. I will leave you with a couple of recipes that we love though! The first is for a chocolate cake and it's wonderful! This is my go to chocolate cake. The squares of chocolate refer to baking squares and the frosting does have a raw egg in it. Don't worry, it's still delicious! The second recipe if called Grandma Strike's Chili and this is soooooo easy and really good. The BBQ sauce adds something to it that makes you go "yum, this is different." It's kind of a sweet chili, especially if you use a sweet BBQ sauce but trust me, this is worth trying. For something so simple and quick, you'll be impressed with yourself!
Grandma's Chocolate Cake
(nickelmommy)
2/3 cup Cooking
1 1/2 cup Sugar
3 eggs
2 squares Chocolate - Melted
1 cup of Cold Water
2 cups of Flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat Oven to 350. Mix together the Oil & Sugar, beat eggs into oil/sugar mixture, add melt chocolate and water. Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to Oil/Sugar mixture and moisten. Stir in Vanilla
Pour into a 9 x 13 cake pan, lightly greased. Again I don't know how this would work in round - I'm guessing 2 rounds.
Bake for 20-30 minutes until toothprick is clean.
Grandma's Chocolate Frosting(Nickelmommy)
1/2 cup of butter
2 square chocolate - melted
1 1/4 cup powder sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Beat together and spread until cooled cake.
Grandma Strike's Chili
(Amy – amylz)
Ingredients
· 2 15-ounce cans of stewed tomotoes
· 2 15-ounce cans of kidney beans
· 1 pound of ground beef
· 1/2 cup of barbeque sauce
· 1/2 cup of Worcestershire sauce
· 1 cup of chopped onions
Brown ground beef in a deep dutch oven. Drain oil from cooked mixture and cook onions with drained ground beef for five minutes. Add complete contents of the two cans of stewed tomatoes and the two cans of kidney beans. Stir. Add barbeque sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to boil. Serve.
Amy
Grandma's Chocolate Cake
(nickelmommy)
2/3 cup Cooking
1 1/2 cup Sugar
3 eggs
2 squares Chocolate - Melted
1 cup of Cold Water
2 cups of Flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat Oven to 350. Mix together the Oil & Sugar, beat eggs into oil/sugar mixture, add melt chocolate and water. Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to Oil/Sugar mixture and moisten. Stir in Vanilla
Pour into a 9 x 13 cake pan, lightly greased. Again I don't know how this would work in round - I'm guessing 2 rounds.
Bake for 20-30 minutes until toothprick is clean.
Grandma's Chocolate Frosting(Nickelmommy)
1/2 cup of butter
2 square chocolate - melted
1 1/4 cup powder sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Beat together and spread until cooled cake.
Grandma Strike's Chili
(Amy – amylz)
Ingredients
· 2 15-ounce cans of stewed tomotoes
· 2 15-ounce cans of kidney beans
· 1 pound of ground beef
· 1/2 cup of barbeque sauce
· 1/2 cup of Worcestershire sauce
· 1 cup of chopped onions
Brown ground beef in a deep dutch oven. Drain oil from cooked mixture and cook onions with drained ground beef for five minutes. Add complete contents of the two cans of stewed tomatoes and the two cans of kidney beans. Stir. Add barbeque sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to boil. Serve.
Amy
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Barbecue Joes, Red Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Crockpot BEEF Enchiladas, Delilah's 7 Cheese Mac and Cheese
Hi everyone! Sorry I didn't send this out last night, I was bridesmaid dress shopping and got home too late!
Tonight we're having Barbecue Joes and Red Garlic Mashed Potatoes. The Barbecue Joes are basically a sloppy Joe that meets Barbecue Sauce. These are super fast to make! You can use ground turkey breast to make this a bit healthier or just stick with ground beef. Use whatever BBQ sauce you like! We are having mashed potatoes again because I love them. These are really easy and again, I'll throw everything in my mixer but it's very easy to mash potatoes with a potato masher too. If you cut the potatoes into small cubes (like 1 inch pieces) then you'll have a really easy time mashing by hand. Make sure you leave the skin on too, that's where all the vitamins are. I've been told that these are better if you leave the sugar out so I don't put it in but the person who wrote the recipe says to use it so you can decide for yourself!
Barbecue Joes
Amy - amylz
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Makes 8 servings.
Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey or ground beef
1 package McCormick® Sloppy Joes Seasoning Mix
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
8 hamburger rolls
Directions:
1. Brown ground turkey or beef in large skillet on medium-high heat. Drain fat.
2. Add remaining ingredients; stir to mix well. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes.
3. Serve over hamburger rolls.
Red Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Amy – amylz
All Recipes
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 35 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
8 medium red potatoes, cubed
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup half-and-half cream
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon steak seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
DIRECTIONS:
1. Place the potatoes into a large pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon of the crushed garlic to the water for flavor. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork.
2. Drain the potatoes, and add the butter. Mash until the butter is melted. Mix in the half-and-half, sugar, steak seasoning, garlic powder and remaining garlic. Mix potatoes with an electric mixer until smooth.
NOTES: People say it’s better without the sugar!
This next recipe is really easy and in the crockpot. It's called Crockpot Beef Enchiladas and it really does turn out great. I've even made this when I've had company over. You do need to cook everything before it goes in the crockpot but it's worth it. Oh, and in case you're not sure, Rotel is a brand of tomatoes and you can find them everywhere. At our Safeway, they're on aisle 10 in the tomato section.
The second recipe will kill you if you eat it often but every once in a while should be ok. It's called Delilah's 7 Cheese Mac and Cheese and this was the winner on the Food Network last year for the best mac & cheese. This is so good! My husband loves it! This recipe makes a ton. I always half the recipe and it still fills a 10X13 pan to the very top. You can get Asiago cheese on aisle 17 with all the other bags of cheese. I always use swiss in place of the Gruyere and I just get a few slices of muenster cheese from the deli and then cube it up. The rest of the cheeses you should have no trouble locating on aisle 17.
Crockpot BEEF Enchiladas
Dottie (hokiesmom)
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion -- chopped
1 green pepper -- chopped
1 can black beans -- drained and rinsed, optional
1 can Rotel
1/3 cup water
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups shredded cheese (Monterey jack, cheddar or a mixture of both)
4 flour tortillas
In a skillet, cook beef, onion, and pepper until beef is browned and vegetables are tender. Add next 7 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 min.
In a 5 qt. crockpot, layer beef mixture, one tortilla, and some cheese. Repeat layers 3 more times. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or high for 3 hours.
Serve as wedges along with chips, salsa, and sour cream.
Delilah's 7 Cheese Mac and Cheese
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy Delilah Winder
2 pounds elbow macaroni
12 eggs
1 cup cubed Velveeta cheese
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, melted
6 cups half-and-half, divided
4 cups grated sharp yellow Cheddar, divided
2 cups grated extra-sharp white Cheddar
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
1 cup grated Asiago
1 cup grated Gruyere
1 cup grated Monterey Jack
1 cup grated Muenster
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until slightly al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to keep warm.
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until frothy.
Add the Velveeta, butter and 2 cups of the half-and-half to the large bowl of eggs. Add the warm macaroni tossing until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the remaining half-and-half, 3 cups of the sharp yellow Cheddar, the remaining grated cheeses, and salt and pepper, tossing until completely combined in the large bowl.
Pour the mixture into 9 by 13-inch casserole or baking dishes (approximately 3 (3-quart) baking dishes) and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of sharp yellow cheese and bake until golden brown on top, about 30 minutes more.
Serve hot.
Amy’s notes: I half this recipe since it makes a lot! I’m serious, it makes a ton. By halving it, it fills a 10X13 pan to the brim!
Amy
Tonight we're having Barbecue Joes and Red Garlic Mashed Potatoes. The Barbecue Joes are basically a sloppy Joe that meets Barbecue Sauce. These are super fast to make! You can use ground turkey breast to make this a bit healthier or just stick with ground beef. Use whatever BBQ sauce you like! We are having mashed potatoes again because I love them. These are really easy and again, I'll throw everything in my mixer but it's very easy to mash potatoes with a potato masher too. If you cut the potatoes into small cubes (like 1 inch pieces) then you'll have a really easy time mashing by hand. Make sure you leave the skin on too, that's where all the vitamins are. I've been told that these are better if you leave the sugar out so I don't put it in but the person who wrote the recipe says to use it so you can decide for yourself!
Barbecue Joes
Amy - amylz
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Makes 8 servings.
Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey or ground beef
1 package McCormick® Sloppy Joes Seasoning Mix
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
8 hamburger rolls
Directions:
1. Brown ground turkey or beef in large skillet on medium-high heat. Drain fat.
2. Add remaining ingredients; stir to mix well. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes.
3. Serve over hamburger rolls.
Red Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Amy – amylz
All Recipes
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 35 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
8 medium red potatoes, cubed
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup half-and-half cream
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon steak seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
DIRECTIONS:
1. Place the potatoes into a large pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Add 1 teaspoon of the crushed garlic to the water for flavor. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork.
2. Drain the potatoes, and add the butter. Mash until the butter is melted. Mix in the half-and-half, sugar, steak seasoning, garlic powder and remaining garlic. Mix potatoes with an electric mixer until smooth.
NOTES: People say it’s better without the sugar!
This next recipe is really easy and in the crockpot. It's called Crockpot Beef Enchiladas and it really does turn out great. I've even made this when I've had company over. You do need to cook everything before it goes in the crockpot but it's worth it. Oh, and in case you're not sure, Rotel is a brand of tomatoes and you can find them everywhere. At our Safeway, they're on aisle 10 in the tomato section.
The second recipe will kill you if you eat it often but every once in a while should be ok. It's called Delilah's 7 Cheese Mac and Cheese and this was the winner on the Food Network last year for the best mac & cheese. This is so good! My husband loves it! This recipe makes a ton. I always half the recipe and it still fills a 10X13 pan to the very top. You can get Asiago cheese on aisle 17 with all the other bags of cheese. I always use swiss in place of the Gruyere and I just get a few slices of muenster cheese from the deli and then cube it up. The rest of the cheeses you should have no trouble locating on aisle 17.
Crockpot BEEF Enchiladas
Dottie (hokiesmom)
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion -- chopped
1 green pepper -- chopped
1 can black beans -- drained and rinsed, optional
1 can Rotel
1/3 cup water
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups shredded cheese (Monterey jack, cheddar or a mixture of both)
4 flour tortillas
In a skillet, cook beef, onion, and pepper until beef is browned and vegetables are tender. Add next 7 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 min.
In a 5 qt. crockpot, layer beef mixture, one tortilla, and some cheese. Repeat layers 3 more times. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or high for 3 hours.
Serve as wedges along with chips, salsa, and sour cream.
Delilah's 7 Cheese Mac and Cheese
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy Delilah Winder
2 pounds elbow macaroni
12 eggs
1 cup cubed Velveeta cheese
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, melted
6 cups half-and-half, divided
4 cups grated sharp yellow Cheddar, divided
2 cups grated extra-sharp white Cheddar
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
1 cup grated Asiago
1 cup grated Gruyere
1 cup grated Monterey Jack
1 cup grated Muenster
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until slightly al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to keep warm.
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until frothy.
Add the Velveeta, butter and 2 cups of the half-and-half to the large bowl of eggs. Add the warm macaroni tossing until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the remaining half-and-half, 3 cups of the sharp yellow Cheddar, the remaining grated cheeses, and salt and pepper, tossing until completely combined in the large bowl.
Pour the mixture into 9 by 13-inch casserole or baking dishes (approximately 3 (3-quart) baking dishes) and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of sharp yellow cheese and bake until golden brown on top, about 30 minutes more.
Serve hot.
Amy’s notes: I half this recipe since it makes a lot! I’m serious, it makes a ton. By halving it, it fills a 10X13 pan to the brim!
Amy
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
I'm not cooking!
Hi everyone! I want to wish Zoë a very happy birthday! I hope it was a great one!
I am not cooking dinner tomorrow because we are going out to dinner. So, I have nothing for you. We all need a day off from time to time!
Amy
I am not cooking dinner tomorrow because we are going out to dinner. So, I have nothing for you. We all need a day off from time to time!
Amy
Monday, May 12, 2008
Beef Noodle Casserole, Dragon Dip
Hi everyone! I hope you're all doing well! I need a major pep talk. I'm just so blue with all this "bad" baby news in the lives of my friends lately. I feel so useless in these situations. It makes me want to bake and I don't need to bake! However, I wanted to give a shout out for the fried chicken I made tonight, it was great! It was in yesterday's email and I really recommend it!
For dinner tomorrow, we'll be having Beef Noodle Casserole and Classic French Bread. I know, I normally make bread on Mondays but I thought it would be better to make it Tuesday this week just for timing reasons. The casserole is pretty simple, beef, soup and an onion. Then you serve over egg noodles. This is one of those go to recipes when you can't be creative, you have no time and you just want to get dinner over with! I'm also making French Bread in my bread machine. There's nothing exciting about this! It's the recipe out of my bread machine's instruction book so I'm not posting it here. If you have a bread machine, you likely have a French bread recipe in the booklet it came with.
Beef Noodle Casserole
OP?????
1 lb ground beef
1 can cream mushroom soup (regular or reduced fat)
1/2 - 3/4 bag of egg noodles
1 sm onion finely chopped
Brown ground beef and onion in skillet. Drain. Meanwhile cook egg noodles to al dente or a little firmer. Drain noodles. Mix noodles, ground beef & onion mixture together with the can of Cream of Mushroom soup and pour into a lightly greased covered casserole dish about a 2 quart size. Place in oven w/o cover at 325-350 for 20 -30 minutes. Serve w/ salad and rolls. Can make this ahead of time and keep in fridge. Cook a little longer putting the top on the dish for the last 10 - 15 minutes so it does not get too brown.
I'm including a recipe today for a dip that is excellent! It's called Dragon Dip and it's a hot dip. This is great for when you need to bring an appetizer somewhere. I don't have a chafing dish so I just reheat it when it needs to be. It's really yummy!
Dragon Dip
Angie~ribbon04
This garlic-cheese dip should be served warm in a chafing dish with chips, crackers, or better yet, with fresh vegetables.
1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz)
6 T half and half
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 tsp onion salt
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 drops Tabasco
6 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
Mix all ingredients except bacon in top of double boiler. Cook, stirring until smooth and blended. Add bacon and heat through. Place in chafing dish and serve with dippers.
Amy
For dinner tomorrow, we'll be having Beef Noodle Casserole and Classic French Bread. I know, I normally make bread on Mondays but I thought it would be better to make it Tuesday this week just for timing reasons. The casserole is pretty simple, beef, soup and an onion. Then you serve over egg noodles. This is one of those go to recipes when you can't be creative, you have no time and you just want to get dinner over with! I'm also making French Bread in my bread machine. There's nothing exciting about this! It's the recipe out of my bread machine's instruction book so I'm not posting it here. If you have a bread machine, you likely have a French bread recipe in the booklet it came with.
Beef Noodle Casserole
OP?????
1 lb ground beef
1 can cream mushroom soup (regular or reduced fat)
1/2 - 3/4 bag of egg noodles
1 sm onion finely chopped
Brown ground beef and onion in skillet. Drain. Meanwhile cook egg noodles to al dente or a little firmer. Drain noodles. Mix noodles, ground beef & onion mixture together with the can of Cream of Mushroom soup and pour into a lightly greased covered casserole dish about a 2 quart size. Place in oven w/o cover at 325-350 for 20 -30 minutes. Serve w/ salad and rolls. Can make this ahead of time and keep in fridge. Cook a little longer putting the top on the dish for the last 10 - 15 minutes so it does not get too brown.
I'm including a recipe today for a dip that is excellent! It's called Dragon Dip and it's a hot dip. This is great for when you need to bring an appetizer somewhere. I don't have a chafing dish so I just reheat it when it needs to be. It's really yummy!
Dragon Dip
Angie~ribbon04
This garlic-cheese dip should be served warm in a chafing dish with chips, crackers, or better yet, with fresh vegetables.
1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz)
6 T half and half
6 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 tsp onion salt
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 drops Tabasco
6 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
Mix all ingredients except bacon in top of double boiler. Cook, stirring until smooth and blended. Add bacon and heat through. Place in chafing dish and serve with dippers.
Amy
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Sour Cream Potato Cass, Lemon Brownies, Bucket O' Chicken, Apple and Onion Stuffin' Muffins, Famous Potato Bacon Soup, Finger-Lickin' Pulled Pork
Hi everyone! I hope your Mother's Day was extra nice! Mine was busy but I enjoyed being with my boys!
Monday is Mops and it's my turn to bring food. I'll be bringing Sour Cream Potato Casserole and Lemon Brownies. The potatoes are your basic potato casserole with the corn flakes on top. This recipe actually calls for fat free everything, even the cheese, but I won't be doing that. I'm sorry, fat free cheese is gross and I refuse to cook with it! The Lemon Brownies are something I found on my friend's recipe site and I thought I'd give the a whirl. I think they're going to come out like, well, lemon brownies but without the chocolate. If you're at Mops, you'll have to try them. It looks easy enough though!
We'll call Monday night Rachael Ray night. I'm making two recipes I saw on her show. First is Bucket O' Chicken with Ranch Dip. Remember, if you don't have buttermilk, you can just use regular milk and then add 1 tbsp of white vinegar for every 1 cup of milk. I highly recommend using the fresh herbs and they can all be found by the mushrooms in the produce section at Safeway. Well, the parsley is by the cilantro over by the green peppers but the others are in the back. You really want to use chicken tenderloins (the package will say chicken tenders in the chicken section right next to the chicken breasts) but if you already have a ton of chicken breasts that you want to use up, just slice them into strips and that will work. I know this recipe looks like a lot of work but it's not as bad as you think. The outcome is great too so I would say it's worth it!
The side dish is Apple and Onion Stuffin' Muffins. This is easy and you make the stuffing in a muffin pan. It's cool and the kids love it this way! It's actually a pretty good stuffing recipe though.
Sour Cream Potato Casserole
Amy - amylz
Casserole:
32 ozs frozen hash browns -- thawed
1/2 c onions -- chopped
10 3/4 ozs low-fat cream of mushroom soup
1/3 c honey
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 pt fat-free sour cream
1 c fat-free cheddar cheese -- shredded
Topping:
1/4 c reduced fat margarine -- melted
1 c corn flake crumbs
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a 9 x 13" pan with cooking spray; set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine hash browns, onions, soup, honey, salt, black pepper,
sour cream, and cheese. Mix well. Place mixture in prepared pan. In a small bowl,
combine margarine and crumbs. Top evenly over casserole. Bake for 45 minutes.
Lemon Brownies
Recipe Girl
BROWNIES:
One 18-ounce box lemon cake mix
One 3-ounce package lemon gelatin (small box of jello mix)
½ cup vegetable or canola oil
3 large eggs
GLAZE:
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
½ cup fresh lemon juice
1 Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 13x9-inch pan.
2 In a medium bowl, mix brownie ingredients with electric mixer (batter will be thick). Spread into prepared pan.
3 Bake 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and slightly firm to touch.
4 While brownies are baking, mix sugar and lemon juice with a wire whisk until smooth.
5 Poke holes into hot brownies with a toothpick. Spoon glaze all over the top.
6 Cool cake completely, and then cut into squares.
Bucket O' Chicken With Ranch Dip
Amy – amylz
Recipe from Rachael Ray
4 cups buttermilk
2 cloves garlic, grated
A few dashes of hot sauce
4 tablespoons (a large palmful) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
4 tablespoons (a large palmful) fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons (about a palmful) fresh chives, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds chicken tenderloins
Canola oil
2 cups flour, plus more as needed
8 to 12 scallions, depending on size, trimmed of roots
1/2 cup sour cream
Assorted sliced vegetables, such as seedless cucumbers, celery and carrots
Yields: 4 servings
In a large bowl, mix together the buttermilk, garlic, hot sauce, parsley, dill, chives and lemon juice. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Season the chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and place in a shallow dish or large disposable plastic bag. Pour about 1/3 of the buttermilk ranch over the chicken pieces then cover the dish with plastic wrap or seal the bag and marinate for 10 minutes or up to an hour in the refrigerator. Reserve the remaining buttermilk dressing in the fridge.
To cook up the chicken, place a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add an inch of canola oil to your pan and get it hot. Place two high-sided dishes on the counter and fill one with flour and the other with 1/3 of your reserved buttermilk ranch. Dip the trimmed scallions into the buttermilk ranch, then into the flour; then back into the buttermilk ranch and back into the flour. Once they're double-coated, shallow fry them in the oil until they are golden brown on each side, then place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Repeat the process with the remaining scallions.
When the scallions are finished frying, repeat the process with all the chicken strips, adding more flour to the dish as needed.
While the last batch of chicken tenders is cooking up, stir the sour cream into the remaining reserved buttermilk ranch and transfer it to a serving dish. Put your chicken strips and scallions in a bucket and serve the dipping ranch and sliced veggies alongside.
Apple and Onion Stuffin' Muffins
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 stick butter, softened
1 fresh bay leaf, available in produce department
4 ribs celery and greens, from the heart, chopped (save time and purchase celery already washed, trimmed and cut into sticks, this makes chopping fast work)
1 medium to large yellow skinned onion, chopped
3 McIntosh apples, quartered and chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
8 cups cubed stuffing mix (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)
2 to 3 cups chicken stock, available in paper containers on the soup aisle
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil to skillet and 4 tablespoons butter. When butter melts, add bay leaf and add the vegetables as you chop them, celery, onions then apples. Sprinkle the vegetables and apples with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Cook 5 to 6 minutes to begin to soften vegetables and apples then add parsley and stuffing cubes to the pan and combine. Moisten the stuffing with chicken broth until all of the bread is soft but not wet.
Butter 12 muffin cups, 2 tins, liberally with remaining butter. Use an ice cream scoop to fill and mound up the stuffing in muffin tins. Remove the bay leaf as you scoop the stuffing when you come upon it. Bake until set and crisp on top, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove stuffin' muffins to a platter and serve hot or room temperature.
Ok, you must make the Famous Potato Bacon Soup. I serve this to company all the time and people literally scrape the crockpot clean. My friend Amy came up with this. You need to cook the bacon first but then you just throw everything in the crockpot and you're good. I've even used the Hormel bacon pieces that are already all cooked in this when I didn't have time to cook bacon. I always mash it right before we eat with a potato mashed to make it nice and thick. This is yummy!
The second recipe is also terrific. It's Finger-Lickin Pulled Pork and you just throw it in a crockpot and wait for it to be done. If you're not familiar with chili sauce, you get it on aisle 10 at Safeway and it's near the ketchup. It even looks like Ketchup and the one I use is by Heinz. Make sure you use Apple Cider Vinegar too. The vinegar is also on aisle 10 and you will have no trouble finding apple cider vinegar. This is great served on those big onion buns!
Famous Potato Bacon Soup (crock pot)
Amy (ajays)
8 cups coarsely chopped peeled potatoes
1 small onion, shopped (1/3 cup)
1/2 pound bacon, crisped, drained, and crumbled
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3 cans (14.5 oz) each reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 tsp. pepper
In a 4-qt. crock, stir together the potatoes and onion. Stir in the bacon. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, and the pepper. Add the mixture to the crock. Cover and cook the soup on low heat for 8-10 hours or on high heat for 4-5 hours. If you like, mash the potatoes slightly for a thicker consistency before serving.
Finger-Lickin' Pulled Pork
Cchristee1 from Good Housekeepings Quick and Simple Magazine.
1 sweet Vadallia onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
12-oz bottle chilli sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 lbs. boneless pork roast
In a slow cooker, combine all the pork ingredients and mix well to coat the meat. Cover and cook on low for at least 10 hours, until pork is very tender and falls apart when stirred. When done, transfer pork from slow cooker to a bowl and shred it with a fork. Return meat to slow cooker and mix well with sauce. Serve with cornbread or on buns.
Amy
Monday is Mops and it's my turn to bring food. I'll be bringing Sour Cream Potato Casserole and Lemon Brownies. The potatoes are your basic potato casserole with the corn flakes on top. This recipe actually calls for fat free everything, even the cheese, but I won't be doing that. I'm sorry, fat free cheese is gross and I refuse to cook with it! The Lemon Brownies are something I found on my friend's recipe site and I thought I'd give the a whirl. I think they're going to come out like, well, lemon brownies but without the chocolate. If you're at Mops, you'll have to try them. It looks easy enough though!
We'll call Monday night Rachael Ray night. I'm making two recipes I saw on her show. First is Bucket O' Chicken with Ranch Dip. Remember, if you don't have buttermilk, you can just use regular milk and then add 1 tbsp of white vinegar for every 1 cup of milk. I highly recommend using the fresh herbs and they can all be found by the mushrooms in the produce section at Safeway. Well, the parsley is by the cilantro over by the green peppers but the others are in the back. You really want to use chicken tenderloins (the package will say chicken tenders in the chicken section right next to the chicken breasts) but if you already have a ton of chicken breasts that you want to use up, just slice them into strips and that will work. I know this recipe looks like a lot of work but it's not as bad as you think. The outcome is great too so I would say it's worth it!
The side dish is Apple and Onion Stuffin' Muffins. This is easy and you make the stuffing in a muffin pan. It's cool and the kids love it this way! It's actually a pretty good stuffing recipe though.
Sour Cream Potato Casserole
Amy - amylz
Casserole:
32 ozs frozen hash browns -- thawed
1/2 c onions -- chopped
10 3/4 ozs low-fat cream of mushroom soup
1/3 c honey
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 pt fat-free sour cream
1 c fat-free cheddar cheese -- shredded
Topping:
1/4 c reduced fat margarine -- melted
1 c corn flake crumbs
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a 9 x 13" pan with cooking spray; set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine hash browns, onions, soup, honey, salt, black pepper,
sour cream, and cheese. Mix well. Place mixture in prepared pan. In a small bowl,
combine margarine and crumbs. Top evenly over casserole. Bake for 45 minutes.
Lemon Brownies
Recipe Girl
BROWNIES:
One 18-ounce box lemon cake mix
One 3-ounce package lemon gelatin (small box of jello mix)
½ cup vegetable or canola oil
3 large eggs
GLAZE:
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
½ cup fresh lemon juice
1 Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 13x9-inch pan.
2 In a medium bowl, mix brownie ingredients with electric mixer (batter will be thick). Spread into prepared pan.
3 Bake 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and slightly firm to touch.
4 While brownies are baking, mix sugar and lemon juice with a wire whisk until smooth.
5 Poke holes into hot brownies with a toothpick. Spoon glaze all over the top.
6 Cool cake completely, and then cut into squares.
Bucket O' Chicken With Ranch Dip
Amy – amylz
Recipe from Rachael Ray
4 cups buttermilk
2 cloves garlic, grated
A few dashes of hot sauce
4 tablespoons (a large palmful) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
4 tablespoons (a large palmful) fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons (about a palmful) fresh chives, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds chicken tenderloins
Canola oil
2 cups flour, plus more as needed
8 to 12 scallions, depending on size, trimmed of roots
1/2 cup sour cream
Assorted sliced vegetables, such as seedless cucumbers, celery and carrots
Yields: 4 servings
In a large bowl, mix together the buttermilk, garlic, hot sauce, parsley, dill, chives and lemon juice. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Season the chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and place in a shallow dish or large disposable plastic bag. Pour about 1/3 of the buttermilk ranch over the chicken pieces then cover the dish with plastic wrap or seal the bag and marinate for 10 minutes or up to an hour in the refrigerator. Reserve the remaining buttermilk dressing in the fridge.
To cook up the chicken, place a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add an inch of canola oil to your pan and get it hot. Place two high-sided dishes on the counter and fill one with flour and the other with 1/3 of your reserved buttermilk ranch. Dip the trimmed scallions into the buttermilk ranch, then into the flour; then back into the buttermilk ranch and back into the flour. Once they're double-coated, shallow fry them in the oil until they are golden brown on each side, then place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Repeat the process with the remaining scallions.
When the scallions are finished frying, repeat the process with all the chicken strips, adding more flour to the dish as needed.
While the last batch of chicken tenders is cooking up, stir the sour cream into the remaining reserved buttermilk ranch and transfer it to a serving dish. Put your chicken strips and scallions in a bucket and serve the dipping ranch and sliced veggies alongside.
Apple and Onion Stuffin' Muffins
Amy - amylz
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 stick butter, softened
1 fresh bay leaf, available in produce department
4 ribs celery and greens, from the heart, chopped (save time and purchase celery already washed, trimmed and cut into sticks, this makes chopping fast work)
1 medium to large yellow skinned onion, chopped
3 McIntosh apples, quartered and chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
8 cups cubed stuffing mix (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)
2 to 3 cups chicken stock, available in paper containers on the soup aisle
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil to skillet and 4 tablespoons butter. When butter melts, add bay leaf and add the vegetables as you chop them, celery, onions then apples. Sprinkle the vegetables and apples with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Cook 5 to 6 minutes to begin to soften vegetables and apples then add parsley and stuffing cubes to the pan and combine. Moisten the stuffing with chicken broth until all of the bread is soft but not wet.
Butter 12 muffin cups, 2 tins, liberally with remaining butter. Use an ice cream scoop to fill and mound up the stuffing in muffin tins. Remove the bay leaf as you scoop the stuffing when you come upon it. Bake until set and crisp on top, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove stuffin' muffins to a platter and serve hot or room temperature.
Ok, you must make the Famous Potato Bacon Soup. I serve this to company all the time and people literally scrape the crockpot clean. My friend Amy came up with this. You need to cook the bacon first but then you just throw everything in the crockpot and you're good. I've even used the Hormel bacon pieces that are already all cooked in this when I didn't have time to cook bacon. I always mash it right before we eat with a potato mashed to make it nice and thick. This is yummy!
The second recipe is also terrific. It's Finger-Lickin Pulled Pork and you just throw it in a crockpot and wait for it to be done. If you're not familiar with chili sauce, you get it on aisle 10 at Safeway and it's near the ketchup. It even looks like Ketchup and the one I use is by Heinz. Make sure you use Apple Cider Vinegar too. The vinegar is also on aisle 10 and you will have no trouble finding apple cider vinegar. This is great served on those big onion buns!
Famous Potato Bacon Soup (crock pot)
Amy (ajays)
8 cups coarsely chopped peeled potatoes
1 small onion, shopped (1/3 cup)
1/2 pound bacon, crisped, drained, and crumbled
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3 cans (14.5 oz) each reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 tsp. pepper
In a 4-qt. crock, stir together the potatoes and onion. Stir in the bacon. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, and the pepper. Add the mixture to the crock. Cover and cook the soup on low heat for 8-10 hours or on high heat for 4-5 hours. If you like, mash the potatoes slightly for a thicker consistency before serving.
Finger-Lickin' Pulled Pork
Cchristee1 from Good Housekeepings Quick and Simple Magazine.
1 sweet Vadallia onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
12-oz bottle chilli sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 lbs. boneless pork roast
In a slow cooker, combine all the pork ingredients and mix well to coat the meat. Cover and cook on low for at least 10 hours, until pork is very tender and falls apart when stirred. When done, transfer pork from slow cooker to a bowl and shred it with a fork. Return meat to slow cooker and mix well with sauce. Serve with cornbread or on buns.
Amy
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Dianne's Beef Fajitas
Hi everyone! I hope you've all had a nice Saturday! I spent most of mine cleaning but it needed to be done.
Sunday is Mother's Day and I'm not cooking anything! Well, I did whip up some desserts this morning for tomorrow but that doesn't count. I'm in charge of bringing the beer and wine (which I purposely volunteered for so I wouldn't have to cook).
I didn't want to leave you empty handed though so here's a super easy recipe we like for fajitas. It's called Dianne's Beef Fajitas (I have no idea who Dianne is). You just dump the 4 ingredients in a crockpot and you're good. Use whatever salsa you like and use whatever meat you like too. I usually just buy whatever steak is on sale and slice it up. Then you will obviously need tortillas and whatever else you like on your fajitas! Ole!
Dianne's Beef Fajitas
Amy - amylz
1 1/2 Lb flank steak (trimmed of the fat) and cut into 6 pieces
1 jar Pace Thick and Chunky Salsa (heat your family prefers--we use medium)
1/2 a sweet onion, chopped
1/2 a cup of green and red bell pepper cut in slivers
Place all in crockpot --stir well. Cook on low about 8 hrs or high 4-5 hours. Remove meat shred with two forks. Serve in warmed flour tortillas with any or all of the following; grated cheese, chopped tomatoes, sliced black olives, shredded lettuce, sour cream, avocado slices or guacamole served two "normal" adults and one teenaged football player.
Amy
Sunday is Mother's Day and I'm not cooking anything! Well, I did whip up some desserts this morning for tomorrow but that doesn't count. I'm in charge of bringing the beer and wine (which I purposely volunteered for so I wouldn't have to cook).
I didn't want to leave you empty handed though so here's a super easy recipe we like for fajitas. It's called Dianne's Beef Fajitas (I have no idea who Dianne is). You just dump the 4 ingredients in a crockpot and you're good. Use whatever salsa you like and use whatever meat you like too. I usually just buy whatever steak is on sale and slice it up. Then you will obviously need tortillas and whatever else you like on your fajitas! Ole!
Dianne's Beef Fajitas
Amy - amylz
1 1/2 Lb flank steak (trimmed of the fat) and cut into 6 pieces
1 jar Pace Thick and Chunky Salsa (heat your family prefers--we use medium)
1/2 a sweet onion, chopped
1/2 a cup of green and red bell pepper cut in slivers
Place all in crockpot --stir well. Cook on low about 8 hrs or high 4-5 hours. Remove meat shred with two forks. Serve in warmed flour tortillas with any or all of the following; grated cheese, chopped tomatoes, sliced black olives, shredded lettuce, sour cream, avocado slices or guacamole served two "normal" adults and one teenaged football player.
Amy
Friday, May 9, 2008
Chicken Cacciatore, Garlic Crusted Salmon, Glazed Beef Tenderloin with Herbed Red Potatoes
Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great Friday and have some fun plans for this weekend! I'm sending this out early tonight because I'm heading out for the evening.
Saturday we are having Chicken Cacciatore. I consider this a complete meal. This recipe is made in the crockpot so we love that! I haven't tried this recipe before so I'm not sure how it will be but I'm hoping it's good!
Chicken Cacciatore
Amy - amylz
The Everything Slow Cooker Cookbook
Serves 4
3 pounds chicken
3 garlic cloves
1 cup fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 yellow onion
1 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups tomato juice
1 12 ounce can tomato paste
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons table salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Cut the chicken into serving sized pieces. Mince the garlic. Clean the mushrooms and cut into quarters. Slice the onion into rings. Drain the olives. Place the flour and chicken in a plastic bag and shake to coat. Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat and brown the chicken. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours. Serve over hot spaghetti noodles.
Today I've included a recipe for Garlic Crusted Salmon. Again, John loves this! It's so easy. The second recipe is for Glazed Beef Tenderloin with Herbed Red Potatoes. We love this recipe too! It’s very easy and you grill it all on your barbecue. The cooking time given is for medium rare so adjust the time if you want your meat more done than that. Feel free to use dry herbs if you don't want to buy fresh. I like to cook with fresh herbs but I don't really think it makes much of a difference.
Garlic Crusted Salmon
Sandy~~*~Sandy~*~
Salmon, cut into pieces
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Coarse salt
Preheat broiler with rack in the middle of oven. Line a broiler pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
Place the salmon on the lined broiler pan. Lightly brush (or spray) the top with some olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic and then with a healthy pinch of the coarse salt. Broil for about 5-10 minutes or until the top becomes slightly golden and looks like it developing a crust. Flip the pieces over, brush with more oil, garlic and salt. Continue broiling until done.
The meat should be light pink throughout when done, no dark pink areas. Do not overcook!
Sandy's notes: The last time I made this I used a piece of salmon that had the skin on, therefore I didn't want to flip it. I put the fish skin side down on a foil lined cookie sheet on a rack in the middle of the oven (not too close to the broiler). I probably let it cook at least 15 minutes (maybe 20), but I didn't time it - just kept checking the top until it was bubbling and starting to look a little crisp. When I figured it was about done I pulled it out of the oven and cut it into four pieces, checking to see if it was light pink throughout (dark pink isn't quite done).
The cooking time depends on the thickness of your fish, this last time my filets were probably 3/4" at their thickest point. I try to tuck the thinnest part underneath so it doesn't overcook.
If you're ready to serve and find a bit of dark pink flesh, you can always microwave for a few seconds (maybe 30 sec) until done...
Glazed Beef Tenderloin with Herbed Red Potatoes
(Amy - amylz)
1/3 cup steak sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
4 beef tenderloin steaks, about 1 inch thick (4 oz each)
8 small Red potatoes (1 lb), cut lengthwise in half
2 tablespoons water
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crumbled
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1. In shallow glass or plastic dish, mix steak sauce and brown sugar; reserve 2 tablespoons sauce. Add beef to remaining sauce (about 1/4 cup); turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate, turning beef 2 or 3 times, at least 1 hour but no longer than 24 hours.
2. Heat gas or charcoal grill.
3. In 2-quart microwavable casserole, place potatoes and water; cover. Microwave on High 3 to 5 minutes or until potatoes are just tender. Place potatoes on sheet of heavy-duty foil. Spray potatoes with cooking spray; sprinkle with rosemary, thyme and paprika. Wrap securely in foil.
4. When grill is heated, place beef and packet of potatoes on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill over medium coals; cover grill. Cook 7 minutes. Turn beef and potatoes; brush reserved sauce over beef. Cover and grill about 6 to 8 minutes longer for medium beef doneness; remove from heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over potatoes.
Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker Website!
Amy
Saturday we are having Chicken Cacciatore. I consider this a complete meal. This recipe is made in the crockpot so we love that! I haven't tried this recipe before so I'm not sure how it will be but I'm hoping it's good!
Chicken Cacciatore
Amy - amylz
The Everything Slow Cooker Cookbook
Serves 4
3 pounds chicken
3 garlic cloves
1 cup fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 yellow onion
1 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups tomato juice
1 12 ounce can tomato paste
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons table salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Cut the chicken into serving sized pieces. Mince the garlic. Clean the mushrooms and cut into quarters. Slice the onion into rings. Drain the olives. Place the flour and chicken in a plastic bag and shake to coat. Heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat and brown the chicken. Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours. Serve over hot spaghetti noodles.
Today I've included a recipe for Garlic Crusted Salmon. Again, John loves this! It's so easy. The second recipe is for Glazed Beef Tenderloin with Herbed Red Potatoes. We love this recipe too! It’s very easy and you grill it all on your barbecue. The cooking time given is for medium rare so adjust the time if you want your meat more done than that. Feel free to use dry herbs if you don't want to buy fresh. I like to cook with fresh herbs but I don't really think it makes much of a difference.
Garlic Crusted Salmon
Sandy~~*~Sandy~*~
Salmon, cut into pieces
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Coarse salt
Preheat broiler with rack in the middle of oven. Line a broiler pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
Place the salmon on the lined broiler pan. Lightly brush (or spray) the top with some olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic and then with a healthy pinch of the coarse salt. Broil for about 5-10 minutes or until the top becomes slightly golden and looks like it developing a crust. Flip the pieces over, brush with more oil, garlic and salt. Continue broiling until done.
The meat should be light pink throughout when done, no dark pink areas. Do not overcook!
Sandy's notes: The last time I made this I used a piece of salmon that had the skin on, therefore I didn't want to flip it. I put the fish skin side down on a foil lined cookie sheet on a rack in the middle of the oven (not too close to the broiler). I probably let it cook at least 15 minutes (maybe 20), but I didn't time it - just kept checking the top until it was bubbling and starting to look a little crisp. When I figured it was about done I pulled it out of the oven and cut it into four pieces, checking to see if it was light pink throughout (dark pink isn't quite done).
The cooking time depends on the thickness of your fish, this last time my filets were probably 3/4" at their thickest point. I try to tuck the thinnest part underneath so it doesn't overcook.
If you're ready to serve and find a bit of dark pink flesh, you can always microwave for a few seconds (maybe 30 sec) until done...
Glazed Beef Tenderloin with Herbed Red Potatoes
(Amy - amylz)
1/3 cup steak sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
4 beef tenderloin steaks, about 1 inch thick (4 oz each)
8 small Red potatoes (1 lb), cut lengthwise in half
2 tablespoons water
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crumbled
1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1. In shallow glass or plastic dish, mix steak sauce and brown sugar; reserve 2 tablespoons sauce. Add beef to remaining sauce (about 1/4 cup); turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate, turning beef 2 or 3 times, at least 1 hour but no longer than 24 hours.
2. Heat gas or charcoal grill.
3. In 2-quart microwavable casserole, place potatoes and water; cover. Microwave on High 3 to 5 minutes or until potatoes are just tender. Place potatoes on sheet of heavy-duty foil. Spray potatoes with cooking spray; sprinkle with rosemary, thyme and paprika. Wrap securely in foil.
4. When grill is heated, place beef and packet of potatoes on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill over medium coals; cover grill. Cook 7 minutes. Turn beef and potatoes; brush reserved sauce over beef. Cover and grill about 6 to 8 minutes longer for medium beef doneness; remove from heat. Sprinkle salt and pepper over potatoes.
Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker Website!
Amy
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