Food Finds II

A few more food finds - that I've been using forever... so much so that I forgot they are "food finds" just b/c I've known about them for years doesn't mean you do! First up - Kirkland Cibo Naturals Fresh Basil Pesto. I divide this up into 1.2 cup Rubbermaid containers and freeze to use whenever dinner needs a little brightning up! Next - Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomatoes (Julienne Cut). I buy the 2lb size. I divide about half the bottle of julienne cut tomatoes into these neato Rubbermaid 1.2 cup size containers. The cool thing about these containers is that they have screw on lids - so you know it has a good seal. Then, I take the other half of the tomatoes and use my immersion blender to blend them up and divide them between the same 1.2 cup containers. I put one of each the julienned and blended containers in my fridge and the rest go in the freezer. They only take a couple of hours to defrost in the freezer to be used. I use them for appetizers and for most anything I use tomatoes in - marinara sauce, lasagna, stuffed chicken, etc. I like to make my own breads - but I don't always have time. That is where these babies come in. Le Petit Francais Baguettes. I buy them in the frozen foods isle in a box of 10. Each pack has 2 baguettes. You get them out of your freezer and thaw them on your counter for 15 minutes. Then cook at 400 degrees for 8 minutes - what could be easier? Oh - AND they are fat and sugar free:)

Hummus. Yummus. This is my favorite kind. I often add a bit more pine nuts to it - b/c I love a bite.

There you go!!

Corned Beef and Cabbage

I got this recipe from a dear family friend who made it for my husband on a St. Patrick's Day many, many, many years ago. This is a meal that Maisie looks forward to every year!!

I used to make it all in one pot with carrots and potatoes - but not for the last several years.

I cook all the veggies separately. I boil the cabbage, make mashed potatoes the traditional way and roast the carrots.

Corned Beef and Cabbage 

4 lbs corned beef + seasonings that come with it

2 1/2 quarts cold water 

1 head green cabbage cut into wedges

Salt and pepper to taste

Remove corned beef from the package. Put it and the juices and seasonings in your biggest stock pot and cover with the water. Bring the water to a gentle boil. Skim off and discard any impurities (foam). Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 90 minutes per pound of beef (that would be 6 hours for this recipe). 

Remove the corned beef from the pot and cut into thin slices. Serve a few slices of corned beef along side all those delish veggies.

The Perfect Pork Chop

I wanted to make a special dinner for my husband tonight. I called him and asked him if he could have anything in the world to eat - what would it be. This happens pretty regularly, so he tries to mix it up. He requested Scalloped Potatoes and a Pork Chop. Usually I delight in the challenges he presents me. Not this one.

He was raised on this meal. He luuuuves his pork chops. Me, on the other hand have never met a pork chop I liked. My Mom made pork chops all the time when I was growing up but they were waaay over cooked and took 25 minutes to chew one bite - stupid pork chops...

I have recently learned the importance of premium meat. So, first thing first. I went to my local organic butcher and bought 2 pork chops. Premium pork chops baby. Since I have never cooked a pork chop in my life, I did some research. I googled "how to cook pork chops" and read on several different sites - several different methods/ideas and I settled on this one on Wikihow HERE. I edited the verbage and didn't use rosemary as in the original recipe.

The Perfect Pork Chop
Pork chops
Kosher salt
Cracked black pepper
EVOO
Butter
Chicken Stock

Use a heavy pan - cast iron, anodized aluminum, or a good stainless steel pan is best. Non-stick pans will suffice, but they won't give you as good of a crusty caramelized exterior.
Heat the pan on the stove top on medium high. Season the chops with salt and pepper.
Add the oil. Don't add oil to a cold pan.
Add the chops gently. Be careful not to splatter yourself with hot oil in the process!
Leave the chops alone for 3 to 5 minutes. Once the edges of the chops start to come up slightly from the pan, it's time to flip the chops. DO NOT use a fork, only use tongs or a metal spatula. If you try to flip too early, the pork could be stuck to the pan and tear, making the pan very hard to clean and ruining the caramelization.
Cook the chops on the new side until the edges come up from the pan, like before - about 5 minutes.
*MY NOTE You can tell they are done with the "touch test." They should be firm. If you are unsure, use your knife and make a slit in the middle of the chop to make sure it is no longer pink.*

When they are done, take them out of the pan and set aside on a warm plate.
Add some water, wine, or broth to the pan and scrape up the browned bits on the pan. This will deglaze the pan. The liquid will boil shortly and begin to evaporate off. In cooking terms, this is called "reducing". In fat guy terms, this is called "making gravy". Once the liquid has boiled almost all the way off, you'll notice a new sound. Now is your time to spring into furious action!
Grab a couple pats of butter and start swirling the liquid around the pan to combine. Add the chops back to the pan with the juices that have run out. Flip the chops and coat the other side.

*MY NOTE Make sure you drizzle that delicious pork chop with that heavenly gravy.

So, Mr. Pork Chop Expert finished his dinner and said "Top 3 best meals I have ever had in my life" TOP 3!! AND guess what! I ate that pork chop with all that delicious gravy and thought to myself - Oh. My. Gosh! Where have you been all my life!?! AND all 3 of my kids loved them. I am officially adding pork chops to the Vietti household 'regulars'.

Emeril's Scalloped Potatoes

Proceed with CAUTION. These potatoes are rich, delicious and creamy... and should only be made on occasion OR after you've had one of the best workouts of your life. Otherwise you may blow up to look like Marlon Brando...
I followed this recipe almost exactly the only substitution I made was that I didn't use Swiss cheese I used this delicious, wonderful Irish white cheddar... mmm...mmm...

Emeril's Scalloped Potatoes

1 teaspoon unsalted butter
4 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 to 3 1/4 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
8 ounces Swiss cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish with the butter and set aside.
Place the cream in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper, and stir well. Add the potatoes, adding more cream if necessary to completely cover the potatoes. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are barely fork tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat.
With a large spoon, transfer 1/3 of the potatoes with some of the cream to the prepared dish, forming an even layer on the bottom. Top with 1/3 of the cheese, and continue layering the potatoes and cheese, ending with cheese on top. Place on a baking sheet and roast until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Mexican Chicken Lasagna

I made both chicken and bean burritos for dinner the other night. One of my sons fav things for dinner is a bean burrito (black beans and refried beans mixed up together, microwaved, topped with cheese and then folded burrito style). We had a bunch of left overs (including the chicken) so I came up with this simple recipe that satisfied us all...
Mexican Chicken Lasagna
3 c cooked rice (cooked in chicken stock is ALWAYS the way to go OR mexican rice would be awesome)
2 boneless skinless grilled chicken breasts, diced
1 c corn (I love Bybee Foods Organic frozen corn)
16 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
16 oz refried beans
1 large onion, diced
1 large tomato, diced (or 16 oz canned diced tomatoes)
2 cloves garlic (or 1 t of the minced in a jar)
3 T chili powder*
1 1/2 T paprika*
1 1/2 T cumin *
Tomatillo sauce
Flour tortillas
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (or if you don't have little ones a mix of cheddar and pepper jack would be delish)

Sautee onion, tomato and garlic until the onions start to soften. Add chili powder, paprika, cumin, chicken, black beans and refried beans. Mix well.

PAM a casserole dish. Pour in your Tomatillo sauce - just to coat. Put a layer of tortillas on top of the sauce. Layer the tortillas with rice. Then layer the rice with 1/2 the cheese. Then cover the cheese with the layer of chicken and bean mixture. Layer with more tortillas. Layer the tortillas with corn and then layer the corn with the rest of the cheese.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese is all melty and crusty on top.

My son tore the top layers of tortilla, corn and cheese off the top in one piece and started mackin' on that - he told me that part was his favorite Mexican food ever (I swear it's that sweet corn!) next to bean burritos of course...

*These 3 ingredients make up your average Taco Seasoning mix - but without all the silicone dioxide, monosodium gluteamate, etc. You can substitute them for your fav Taco Seasoning mix.

**I just want to say that I absolutely don't intend to sound judgy. It is easy to take short cuts - I've taken short cuts all my life. With that said, through my "food knowledge" journey I have realized that there are several easy substitutes for pre-packaged seasoning mixes. Not judging - just sharing knowledge here...

Adult Grilled Cheese Sammie

I was a short order cook tonight. I gave the kids their 'grilled sammie' options. My son wanted a plain old grilled cheese sammie. Both my daughters wanted tuna melts. Since I stumbled on this recipe for Tuna Sammies - it's the only way the tuna base is made in our house - the tuna, mustard, w-sauce, mayo, salt and pepper part. I made a tuna melt for my husband this past weekend and he said "growing up on tuna sandwiches and loving them is one thing. Eating tuna sandwiches this way - is just the best sandwich ever."

I didn't have either the grilled cheese or the tuna melt - I opted for an invention of my own...
Adult Grilled Cheese Sammie
2 slices sourdough bread 1" thick
Butter
Mayonnaise
Tomato, thinly sliced
Red Onion, thinly sliced
Basil Leaves
Mozzarella, shredded or sliced
Havarti, shredded or sliced
Salt & Pepper

Spread mayonnaise on one slice of bread. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with Havarti cheese. Top with tomatoes, onions and basil. Then top with Mozzerella and the other slice of bread. Butter the outsides of the bread. Grill in a panini - or cook in a skillet and use a heavy pan to smoosh the bread down. Cook until the cheeses are all melty and the bread is nice and golden.

This sandwich was a toothy bite. It could definitely feed 2 adults - depending on which part of the sourdough loaf you get your slices from - mine were from the middle - A HUGE sandwich!

Snacks

Muriel, my super awesome friend asked me for some ideas on after school snacks for her kids - some of these are SUPER obvious - so bear with me...

I also recently read an article via O magazine on Jessica Seinfeld (the author or Double Delicious and Deceptively Delicious) did she has a ton of great ideas and has given me lots to think about. She gives a lot more great ideas for after school snacks HERE.

Fav's around my house:
Jicama Chips
Sweet Peppers
Sweet corn (I buy the Bybee Foods Organic Sweet corn frozen at Costco - when they want a snack, I just get a little bowl full out of the bag and run them cool water to thaw. That way they are still nice and cold and delish!)
Whole Wheat tortillas (my kids love to warm them up in the microwave for 15 seconds - then they roll them up and eat away)
String Cheese
Yogurt
Hard Boiled eggs
Ants on a Log
Peanut butter or Sunbutter on everything from crackers to whole wheat toast
Cucumbers drizzled with lime juice and sprinkled with chili powder
All kinds of nuts
'Ann's House' brand Soy Energy Blend (which I personally do not like - but my husband and son love)

Things to dip in your favorite salad dressing or honey
Baby Carrots
Sugar Snap Peas
Cucumbers
Radishes

What are your favorite go to snacks? Share!
*We also do fruit snacks, granola bars, Cheerios, etc.
**I save the fruit for dessert - a much better alternative...

I don't know how many of you read the comments - so I am going to post them right here for all of you to see - we are all looking for great snack ideas!!

From Wendymo: My favorite go-to snack right now is trail mix. My favorite has unsalted peanuts, dried pineapple, dried cranberries, raisins, and mini white chocolate chips. So tasty!

I also eat whole wheat toast with a wedge of light Laughing Cow Swiss cheese spread over it instead of butter. It's delish!

Thanks Wendymo!!

Food Allergies

We found out my oldest (almost 8!) was allergic to eggs when he was 3 years old. Through careful monitoring his diet and complete abstinence - he grew out of that allergy. He is still gun shy about eggs in general. At this point, he'll eat things made with eggs (like pancakes and waffles) but I'd never be able to talk him into eating an egg salad sandwich.

Because of his food allergy, I have been very sensitive to my other kids likes/tastes/reactions to food. My 6 year old has no allergies whatsoever - but my baby (now 3) started showing signs of eczema when she started eating solids. I was suspicious that she also had food allergies - but as far as food allergies go - doctor's won't 'test' for it until the child is atleast 1 year old.

I got her tested as close to her 1st bday as possible and found out that she was allergic to eggs and peanuts. When your child tests allergic to peanuts at such a young age, they suggest you abstain from all tree nuts as well - just to be safe.

We moved out of state right after my kids were tested - proving that my oldest had grown out of his egg allergy and proving that my youngest was allergic to eggs and peanuts. Since we moved, I have tried several times to locate a doctor that specializes in children's food allergies. I have come up empty handed. It's crazy. And frustrating. And annoying. And infuriating.

Children diagnosed with egg allergy often grow out of that allergy - as my oldest did - and more recently (although not 'tested' in a dr's office - tested in my house under my supervision) my youngest also outgrew her egg allergy. She is thrilled to be able to eat cakes, cookies, pancakes, etc.

Children diagnosed with peanut or tree nut allergies are most likely NOT able to grow out of that allergy. The great thing is that since I caught this food allergy when she was at such a young age - if she accidentally ingests a peanut or tree nut - her exposure has been so minimal that her symptoms are managable. I can't imagine being a Mom to one of those kids that goes into anaphylactic shock when a bag of peanuts is opened - bless them:)

Since my approach with the egg allergy has been complete abstinence - I took the same approach with my youngests peanut and treenut allergies. Until recently...

Through this whole "food knowledge" quest I am going through (which I promise to post about!) I have realized that abstinence in the traditional manner isn't the way to go. She will most likely have this peanut and tree nut allergy her entire life - so substitution is important.

Peanut butter is a great source of protein for my older kids - I lamented the fact that my youngest didn't get that yummy protein in her snacks like the other kids did. Who doesn't love celery with peanut butter (and raisins aka ants on a log) or peanut butter and apple slices or pretzels dipped in peanut butter?

I found this awesome peanut butter substitute through my research. It is made from sunflower seeds (which are seeds and not nuts) AND it has just as much protein and good fat as your run of the mill peanut butter does...
AND I found it at my local Wal-Mart. I know! I have several 'shopping lists' on my iPhone - one for the Asian market, one for Whole Foods, one for Wal-Mart, one for the gourmet store, etc. and although my shopping lists are seperate - I look for obsure ingredients wherever I shop. I was surprised and excited to find this at Wal-Mart.

To be honest, it doesn't taste like peanut butter. But, it is the same texture, and it has a peanut butter 'quality' about it AND my daughter loves it. She is so excited to be able to have peanut butter toast, PB&J's, pretzels, apples and celery with it. So - although it is more expensive - it's totally worth it.

Steak...

Per the post below, my husband and I packed up the kids - drove for an hour up to the only year round Farmers Market to buy some grass fed beef. It's was our first time buying and eating grass fed beef and let me tell ya - IT. WAS. GOOD.
I saw this video on how to make the perfect steak - and that is just how we made ours - only we cooked it on the grill. Perfect.

Check out this great MSN video: Perfectly simple steak

and by the way... if you want your kids to eat mushrooms - sautee them up with onions and butter. My kids will eat mushrooms for days made that way!

Weekly Carrots

I decided to call these Weekly Carrots because we have these so often. Sometimes we go through phases where we have these carrots 2 or 3 times a week!

Weekly Carrots
1 c butter
1 c packed light brown sugar
1 Costco size baby carrot bag
Kosher salt & black pepper

Heat the butter & sugar in the microwave at 30 second intervals. Put the carrots on a baking sheet, add the sugar & butter liquid and toss to coat. Salt and pepper liberally. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes

Are You A Supertaster?

My husband actually told me about this. He was out of town and needed a place to work on his computer to send emails and quotes as well as eat. He ended up at what he called "the nicest, cleanest, greatest, SUBWAY shop ever." It was pretty vacant (great for working) and they had a tv there tuned to the Rachael Ray Show. They had a segment titled "Are you a SUPERTASTER" that peaked his interest.

As I've said a million times - my son is honestly the pickiest eater on the planet. My husband and I have struggled through the years with that. We've done everything you can think of to get him to just eat his darned dinner!

After watching that segment, my husband thought to himself "WOW! I'll bet Jen and Jack are both Supertasters! It explains SO much!"

If you are a picky eater - or know someone who is - I strongly suggest checking out the link.

Cheesy Potato Soup

Want to make a delicious, satisfying soup in no time? Yes. You. Do.

This soup was so good - even my 7 year old pickiest eater (hates potatoes) exclaimed "this is really delicious Mom! Maybe I do like potatoes..."
Cheesy Potato Soup
1 11 oz pkg Bear Creek Potato Soup

16 oz Velveeta, cubed

16 oz Ore-Ida Southern Style Hashbrowns (freezer section)

1 onion, diced

1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

Get your bacon going. Many years ago I learned a little trick from a wonderful friend. Get your largest cookie sheet and line up your bacon on it. Put it in a cold oven, turn the temp up to 425 and set your timer for 20 minutes. Perfect. Bacon. Every. Time.

Dice your onion and sautee it in a little EVOO in the bottom of your biggest stock pot. This step is 2 fold. Cooking the 'bite' out of your onions and seasoning the pot. When the onions are nice and tender, take them off the heat and set them aside (in another vessle). Then, follow the directions on the back of the Bear Creek Soup (bring 8 c water to a boil, wisk in soup mix. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered 15 min. stirring occasionally.)

Follow the directions on the back of the hashbrown pkg. Cook them until they are nice and browned. Then add the hashbrowns, sauteed onion, crumbled bacon and cubed Velveeta. Stir often until the Velveeta is melted.

Delish!

*I cracked a little black pepper on top

Sweet's Ribs

My hubs (who I call Sweetness/Sweet's) and I were talking about the (NFL) playoffs this year. After this weekends games - we are left with America's teams. Teams that have been in the hearts and homes of Americans for generations. The Jets, Packers, Steelers - and of course, my Bears. This years playoffs are unequalled in the recent past.
Anyway... because of the games (I assume) my Sweetness wanted to make some "Man Food" some good ol' football watchin' man food. He decided on ribs. He is the greatest breakfast short order cook - and the best grillin' man I know - but it's been a while since he's had to cook - so he asked me for tips (if you knew us 10-15 years ago you would be laughing your head off). I gave him some tips (based on my go to rib recipe) and then let him go hog wild - pun totally intended...

Sweet's Ribs

Rack pork ribs*

Fav BBQ Sauce

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Put ribs in a large pot with enough water to cover them. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.

Take your ribs out of the water and season them. Sweet's seasoned half of the ribs with his go to dry rub - salt, pepper and garlic powder - enough to cover the ribs. The other half of the ribs he brushed with our fav BBQ sauce. Then he took them out to the grill and grilled them for about 15 minutes. Boiling them cooks them thoroughly, grilling (or broiling) them gives you that crispy factor and helps the seasoning do it's job.

Tonight's dinner was hands down the single most relaxing, quiet, peaceful dinner we have had since my oldest was born. Seriously.

There was no whining, no complaining, no burping, no talking about burping, no giggling incessantly about burping, no poking, no bugging, no "how many more bites do I have to take before I can be excused?" no tears, no rambling on and on and on and not eating - it was (almost) COMPLETE SILENCE.

The only noise at the table was lip smackin'. At one point during dinner, Sweets turned to me with honest to goodness tears in his eyes and said "this may be the best day ever. You watched football w me all day AND we had the most pleasant, peaceful dinner in the history of our family." They really were that good...

*We get our ribs at Costco - now that I've typed that for the millionth time - I'm thinkin' Costco needs to give me a free membership and do a fun giveaway for all my readers for all the free advertising I give them! LOL.

Ham & Fontina Panini

I was trying to decide what to make for lunch today and I came up with this absolutely delicious sammie. While I was eating it I actually thought to myself "this is the best sandwich ever!" And even better - it's so freakin' easy!
Ham & Fontina Panini
2 slices deli ham*
Fontina, shredded
Mayonnaise
Salt
Pepper
Good bread
Butter

To make a really good sammie, you HAVE to start with good bread. Sourdough, ciabatta, whole wheat, today it was an Everything Bagel. Spread one side of the your sammie with mayo and season with salt and pepper (if I was making this for my hubby I would also add mustard). Top with ham and fontina (as much as you'd like). I've said it before and I'll say it again - fontina was born to melt. It's ooey gooey deliciousness gets me everytime. Top with your other slice of bread.

Spread butter on the outside of both slices of bread. Put in your panini press, George Foreman Grill, what have you and cook it until the cheese has reached it's maximum potential:)

*Ham - I get mine at Costco - it's fairly thick - none of that so thin you can see through it stuff
**You can also use a sautee pan with a heavy pan on top to get that 'squished' effect, some people even use bricks wrapped in aluminum foil to weigh their sandwiches down.

Homemade Sugar Scrub

**I made some more - put them in these little tupperware jars and gave them to my kids teachers! Sharin' the love baby:)
A few years ago I saw a tub of sugar scrub on clearance (just saying that word makes me giddy) marked down from $39 to $5 and I snatched it up before anyone else could. I had never used sugar scrub - but at that price - I was willing to see what the hooplah was about.

I fell in love. My fav thing to do is scrub it on my legs and rinse off before I shave them. It's a total luxury item. I was so sad when I was I ran out that I went to Target and found a different sugar scrub for $17. Although I usually wouldn't spend that much on a 'luxury item' I was so addicted to that darn scrub that I bought it.

That tub ran out a few months ago. This morning I was noticing how dry my hands are and I started thinking about that lovely stuff. Then I thought to myself... I bet I could MAKE IT MYSELF! And that's what I did. And you can too...
I googled a few sugar scrub companies and read their ingredients online and went from there. I'm not sayin this is the greatest recipe for sugar scrub - but it's a good, cheap one that certainly does the trick!

Homemade Sugar Scrub
1 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 T Vanilla extract

Add sugars together and combine well. Add EVOO a bit at a time. Add a big dollup to the sugars and use a spoon to incorporate it. Keep it up until you get the consistency you want. Add the vanilla last - just based on your preference (you can add any fragrance you want). I added a little more EVOO than I will next time - but that was planned. You see - my skin is so dry that I wanted that extra EVOO to help repair my skin and get it back in shape!!

Now go - get off the computer - grab those ingredients out of your pantry and soon you'll be living in the lap of luxury!!

Goat Cheese and Herb Sweet Pepper Appetizers

I posted about these Sweet Pepper Snacks that I make for my kids all the time. Last time I made them, I read the recipe on the back of the bag and made them today for me! It's pretty much the grown up version...
Goat Cheese & Herb Sweet Mini Peppers
Sweet peppers
Goat cheese
Herbs - chives, tarragon, basil, thyme - whichever you've got

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Leaving them stem intact, cut a slit along the top of each pepper and remove the seeds. In a small bowl, combine goat cheese and snipped herbs. Spoon cheese mixture into prepared peppers. Arrange filled peppers close together on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is heated through and peppers are crisp-tender. Serve warm.

I made these with basil today - delish!

Country Corn

I found this recipe in one of my new cookbooks Taste of Home Contest Winning Annual Recipes 2010 My hubby and I weren't very hungry tonight (Saturday) so I decided just to make Macaroni and Cheese (out of the box) for my kids. Then, I started feeling guilty about the whole out of the box dinner and decided to whip up this side dish to ease my guilt and boy howdy was it good.

It was so good in fact that the kids kept asking for more helpings and when it was all gone they begged for more. My hubby (who wasn't hungry) grabbed one of the last bites and also suggested I make another batch - so he could have some too! So I made another batch and when that was gone - all the little bellies in my house were full and the macaroni hadn't been touched.
Country Corn
6 green onions, chopped
3 T butter
3 c frozen corn, thawed
2 t cornstarch
1/2 c half and half cream
1/4 c water
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 c grape tomatoes, halved

In a large skillet, saute the onion in butter for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Stir in the corn; cover and cook for 4-5 minutes or until heated through.

Mealwhile, in a small bowl, combine cornstarch, cream, water, salt and pepper until smooth. Grandually stir into the corn mixture. Bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the tomatoes.

*The recipe calls for 2 cups frozen corn, but the second batch I made it with 3 cups and it was much better. Also, I didn't have grape tomatoes and it was STILL good!

**The pic is of my hubby's plate - he had leftover Spice Coated Pork Tenderloin with his corn.

Cobb Salad with Cucumber Ranch Dressing

I got this recipe from one of my new cookbooks Annual Recipes 2008.

When I serve salads to my family, I serve them 'buffet style' that way everyone gets only what they want and I don't hear any complaints.

Cobb Salad with Cucumber Ranch Dressing
5 c mixed greens (I used Romain today)
1 large tomato, diced
1 medium avocado, diced
2 breasts grilled chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1 c crumbled blue cheese
1/4 c green onions, diced
1 c crumbled bacon
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced

Dressing:
1 c cucumber ranch dressing
1 small cucumber, seeded and finely chopped (I just used an English cucumber)
2 T chopped fresh dill

No directions necessary (I hope!)

Sweet Pepper Snacks

Atleast once a month I grab a big bag of sweet mini peppers at Costco for a healthy, crunchy, tasty, juicy snack.

I make them the way they are pictured. Cut off the tops and remove the seeds, fill with a dab of cream cheese and top with chives or any herb I have on hand. My kids mack these up! In fact, my 3 year old absolutely couldn't even wait for me to take a picture - so I had to wait until she was sufficiently satiated. These are the last few that hadn't been devoured (yet)...

Sweet Pepper Snacks

Sweet Peppers

Cream Cheese

Herbs

Cut off the tops of the sweet peppers and clean out the seeds. Squeeze a little dallop of cream cheese into each pepper and top with whatever herbs you have on hand. I usually use chives - today it was parsley. My son likes them sans herbs but with a little salt.

Tuna Puff Sandwiches

I found this little gem in my new cookbook Taste of Home Contest Winning Annual Recipes 2010. I have to be honest, although I am a fan of tuna melts, a few ingredients in this recipe made me a little nervous - BUT, considering this is an award winning recipe, I stuck to the recipe and was pleasantly surprised. This is an awesome kicked up version.
Tuna Puff Sandwiches
3/4 c mayonnaise, divided
2 T chopped green pepper
1 1/2 t grated onion
1 1/2 t prepared mustard
1/4 t Worcestershire sauce
1 pouch (7.1 oz) tuna (I used a can)
3 hamburger buns, split
6 slices tomato
3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 c mayo, green pepper, onion, mustard and W sauce; stir in tuna. Spread over each bun half; top each with a tomato slice. Arrange sandwiches on a baking sheet.

In another bowl, combine the cheese and remaining mayo; spoon cheese misture over tomato. bake at 400 degrees for 11 - 13 minutes or until topping is puffy and golden brown. Yeild 6 servings.

*I made a few substitutions: I didn't have green pepper, I used diced red onion instead of grated onion and I used half of an 'everything' bagel instead of a hamburger bun. YUMMMMMMM
**Also, I never ate tuna until I met my hubby. He taught me that you don't just eat "Chicken of the Sea" usually packed in oil - that you eat "Solid White Albacore Tuna packed in water" it seriously makes a world of difference.

Mozzarella, Raspberry and Brown Sugar Panini

I found this in a magazine as part of a bunch of brunch recipes by Giada De Laurentis - it's good!! This is her recipe word for word from the magazine - I'll tell you my substitutions at the end.
I had to take a picture of my rosemary. One of my good friends has an ENORMOUS rosemary bush in her front yard (like 5 feet around and 3 feet high!) and I go over to her house to cut fresh rosemary when I need it - it's like living next door to Ina Garten:)

Mozzarella, Raspberry and Brown Sugar Panini

8 (1/2-inch thick) slices bakery-style white bread
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup raspberry jam
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
8 ounces (2 balls) fresh mozzarella, drained and patted dry
Kosher salt, optional
2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Preheat the panini press.
Using a pastry brush, brush the bread on both sides with the oil. Spread 1 side of each slice of bread with the raspberry jam. Sprinkle the rosemary over the jam. Cut the mozzarella into 8 slices. Place 2 slices of cheese on 4 of the bread slices. Season the cheese with a pinch of salt, if using. Place the remaining slices of bread on top, jam-side down. Sprinkle the tops with the brown sugar. Press in the panini press for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden and crispy.
Cut the panini in half and serve.

*Instead of raspberry jam, I used Roasted Raspberry Chipotle sauce (the one I love and post about all the time!)

Also, if you don't have a panini press, you can cook it on the stove top in a sautee pan with a heavy pan on top to get that 'squished' effect, some people even use bricks wrapped in aluminum foil to weigh their sandwiches down.

Pumped Up Bean Dip

My 7 year old (crazy picky eater) requests only a few things when I ask him what he would choose for dinner. Top Ramen, Shell macaroni or bean burritos - then he specifies "just beans and a tortilla - remember that Mom"
Since I am not the kind of Mom that likes to cook out of a box, so I am constantly challenging his pallet. This one is a winner - even for him:)

Pumped Up Bean Dip
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can refried beans
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c sour cream
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 c cheddar cheese, shredded
1 c Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 medium onion, chopped

In a large microwave the cream cheese and sour cream for about 30 seconds to soften them up and make them easier to blend together. Then add all other ingredients and combine them together. Put it into an 8x8” casserole dish. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

I usually serve this as a dip with chips – but my kids often request this in a warmed up tortilla served burrito style.

Raspberry Chipotle Tacos

I made these the other night and they were such a delicious spin on your run of the mill taco's.
Raspberry Chipotle Tacos
3 or 4 chicken breasts
Fischer & Weiser Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce*

Add ingredients to your crockpot. Make sure you use enough sauce to cover the chicken completely. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours. About 30 minutes before you are ready to eat, shred chicken and add shredded chicken back into the sauce.

Serve in a taco sauce or flour tortilla and top with all your favs. I topped mine with sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and shredded cheddar. Delish.

*I use this sauce all the time. I buy it at Costco. It's the perfect quick appetizer for unexpected guests - just put out a brick of cream cheese and pour the sauce right on top. Serve with tortilla chips. I've used it in several other applications - a definite must buy and try.

Christmas Eve Menu

We have a great arrangement between my extended family and my husbands extended family for Christmas. We spend Christmas Eve with my husbands family, Christmas morning at home with the kiddos and Christmas afternoon/dinner with my family.

Every Christmas Eve for the last 15 years we have gone to dinner with my husbands extended family to Olive Garden. They are a big Italian family and that is a tradition they've had.

Since I love tradition, but I'd rather spend our money on gifts and fun rather than food - we are going to keep the spirit of that tradition alive by having an "Italian Dinner" for Christmas Eve.

I asked my hubs and kids to tell me what he would order if we were going to go to Olive Garden so I could recreate that at home.

On The Menu:
Italian Salad
Garlic Breadsticks
3 Cheese Tortellini & Bechamel Sauce with Prosciutto
Mizithra Cheese & Browned Butter Pasta

3 Cheese Tortellini & Bechamel Sauce with Prosciutto

Here is my stand by Bechamel sauce with prosciutto - via Giada DeLaurentis - the Italian queen of cooking.
3 Cheese Tortellini & Bechamel Sauce with Prosciutto
Bechamel sauce:
1 stick unsalted butter (4 ounces)
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart whole milk, at room temperature
Pinch fresh nutmeg
Sea salt and white pepper
1 cup grated fontina
1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto, julienned
Fresh Butoni 3 cheese tortellini (in your refrigerated section)

Bechamel sauce:
In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Always stirring, gradually add the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, 1/2 cup fontina, prosciutto and season with salt and white pepper. Set aside.

In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Drain tortellini and fold gently into bechamel sauce. DOUBLE YUM!

Christmas Dinner Menu

This is the first year that we won't be "home for the holiday's" Hubs and I were both born and raised in Salt Lake City, but relocated out of state 2 years ago. I have eaten the same Christmas Dinner (for the most part) for as long as I can remember. Seriously. I am big on tradition so I love the idea that this year I am going to stick with tradition. Here are the 'traditional dishes' on the menu: Honey Baked Ham Funeral Potatoes Jen's Thanksgiving Rolls and the addition of Onion Beet Salad this year! I'm super excited!! What are you making for dinner??

Jack's 3 Bean Soup

Twice a month each of my kids is chosen to make dinner for the family. Today was my 7 year old Jack's turn. Since "Jack Dinner" has been listed on the chore board all week, he's been thinking about what to make. Tonight, I gave him 3 options of what to make for dinner (always easy - as I am the sous chef). He said "actually, I've been thinking about what I'd like to make. I have some ingredient ideas already and then we can figure the rest out together." ALRIGHT!
He is a creative little kiddo so I was interested in hearing what he was thinking about tonight's menu. His ingredient list was: black beans, pinto beans, corn & taco seasoning. He thought of those ingredients because "I really like bean burritos and tacos" yet another idea was "since it snowed today (never snows here!) I think it should be a warm soup" so far so good! This is what we came up with - and it was good!

I served his in our "Super Star" bowl - because what a little super star!

Jack's 3 Bean Soup
1 medium onion, diced
2 T butter
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
2 cans (or 15 oz) corn - we used frozen
4 c chicken broth
1 packet taco seasoning
crunched up tortilla chips

Add butter and diced onion to your stock pot. Cook until the onion is tender and transparent. Add black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, corn, chicken broth and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes.

The last 2 minutes or so, add the crunched up tortilla chips (a little trick I learned from Rachael Ray) the starch will thicken up the broth a bit and add salt.

Serve with shredded cheddar, sour cream or whatever you want on top!

*Vegetarian option if you use veggie broth instead of chicken broth.

Mindi's Sausage Bread

My husbands sister makes this delicious bread every Thanksgiving - either for brunch or as one of the appetizers before dinner. We all LOVE this bread - but since it's just the 5 of us in my house and we wouldn't get to dinner if this was on the table before the turkey was ready, we've decided to promote this delicious baby to be the star at the brunch table on St. Nikklaus Day.
Mindi's Sausage Bread
1 1/2 lbs Jimmy dean Sausage (ground)
2 Rhodes frozen bread dough loaves
Mozzarella cheese
12 slices of provolone cheese
2 t garlic
2 T EVOO
2 T Butter

Leave bread out the night before. Brown sausage and set aside. Saute garlic in butter and EVOO. Roll out bread dough (on a floured surface) into approx 9x13 rectangle. Brush half garlic mix over bread. Add one layer each of sausage, provolone and mozzerella. Roll up. Brush with remaining garlic mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly and then slice as you would bread. DELISH!

Thanksgiving Feast

Alright - I've done it. I know it's several days after Turkey Day - but I've done it. I posted all my Thanksgiving recipes and I honestly loved every single one of them and plan to use these same recipes again next year.

I truly am sorry that I didn't post these recipes prior to Turkey Day - but I had to test them out to make sure I could put my guarantee on them - especially b/c we are talking about the most important meal of the year.

PLUS, you can always use these recipes for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years, a special Sunday dinner - or an amazing surprise dinner for your spouse or another loved one!!

First up: Appetizer Tray
Main Course: Sausage and Herb Stuffing
Decadent Mashed Potatoes
Thanksgiving Rolls
Patty's Beet Salad
Alton Browns Super Tasty, No Fuss, Time Tested, Totally Foolproof Bird (with a bonus section from Bobby Flay about how to carve your turkey.)

Since I've already posted about this tried and true blue fav - I won't repost. Just follow the link for Decadent Mashed Potatoes and then join me in my crusade to bathe in a vat of this decadence.
And another shot of Patty's Beet Salad - seriously delish. My 7 year old pickiest eater son usually has this salad sans the beets or the Feta (gorgonzola is preferred - but when you are dealing with kids - it's the best substitute) Anyway... said 7 year old tried these (warm off the grill beets) and exclaimed that they were his new fav veggie. BOO YA!

Appetizer Platter

My husband is the greatest short order breakfast cook in the universe. Breakfast is his gig. The kids know that M-F it's toast, cereal and yogurt but when Saturday, Sunday or a holiday roll around - Daddy brings out the big guns and it's a breakfast lovers dream!

I really should've taken a pic of breakfast - this year for Thanksgiving we had the usual - omelettes, pancakes and bacon.

Since I planned to eat dinner around 4:30 - I wanted to do a light snacky lunch. I set this platter of yummies (no assembly required by me!) on the kitchen table and everytime my little peeps came by - they'd grab a little snack.
We had: pear apple slices (Costco - cheap and delicious!), cubed cheddar and mozzerella, carrot sticks with ranch dip, green olives and raw asparagus wrapped in cream cheese and ham. Yummy and light.

There was another layer of asparagus/ham rolls before I took the pic - but my kids are just too fast for me. And yes, I did just say kids and asparagus in the same sentance:)

Sausage and Herb Stuffing

UPDATED: it's now 2019 and I've done Thanksgiving for 9 years now - so we're in a sweet spot. My son (now 16) makes the dressing, my 11 year old makes the mashed potatoes, my husband does the smoked turkey and I'm just left with the rolls, gravy and brussels sprouts - it's a breeze! I should also mention my mother in law also makes a traditional turkey and stuffing (with the giblets) and my sister in law makes a salad and does the sweet potatoes.

Sausage and Herb Stuffing
16 cups 1-inch bread cubes, white or sourdough (1 1/2 pound loaf)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups medium-diced yellow onion (2 onions)
1 cup medium-diced bok choy
3 bins of sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 lbs sweet sausage and spicy sausage
1 cup chicken stock

*try using 1/2 stick more butter, poultry seasoning, 2 t fresh rosemary and 2 T fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Place the bread cubes in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 7 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the bread cubes to a very large bowl.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, melt the butter and add the onions, bok choy, mushrooms, parsley, salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add to the bread cubes.

In the same saute pan, cook the sausage over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a fork while cooking. Add to the bread cubes and vegetables.

Add the chicken stock to the mixture, mix well, and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, until browned on top and hot in the middle. Serve warm.

A FEW NOTES:
In doing my research, all the 'foodies' on the food network, cookbooks, etc. The 'newschool' way of thinking is NOT to stuff the turkey. Logic being that stuffing the bird brings down the temp of the oven, and by the time the stuffing is done, the turkey has been over cooked and is dried out. SO... I followed the rules and was VERY pleased with the outcome.

*I used a great cheat this year. My local grocery (Harmons) has stale bread already diced up for you! I bought 2 bags.

**I use bok choy instead of celery due to an allergy

Thanksgiving Rolls

I have also posted about my sister Megan's Famous Rolls - which are very similar and also delish - but after making BOTH my and my sisters recipes on 3 separate occasions - the verdict is in and I came out on top (thank you Kenny and Davis families!) I also prefer this recipe b/c it doesn't have eggs in it - and 2 of my kids have egg allergies... I should also tell you that I made 2 dozen (what this recipe yields) they were hot out of the oven as we sat down to dinner and were gone by breakfast the next morning (that's only 2 adults and 3 kids under 7 folks) Thanksgiving Rolls

2 T yeast

3/4 c warm water

2 2/3 c warm water

1/4 c sugar

1 T salt

3 T vegetable oil

7 - 8 c flour

Dissolve yeast in 3/4 c warm water. Add this to the rest of the water in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingred except flour and mix together. Add flour 1 c at a time and stir until you have to use your hands to mix. Knead dough for about 5-8 minutes, adding a little flour at a time to help dough not to be too sticky. Flour your hands as well as the surface you are working on. Place in bowl and cover with a dish towel, let rise about 1 hour.

Punch down dough and divide in half. With a rolling pin roll out one of the dough balls into a circle about 12" in diameter. Spread dough with melted butter. Cut into 12 pieces. Roll each wedge from the fat end inward. Repeat with other dough ball. Place crescents on cookie sheets, 12 to a sheet. Cover with dish towel and let rise until double (about 1 hour). Bake in preheated oven at 425 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes. Brush with melted butter.

Alton Brown's Super-Tasty, No-Fuss, Time-Tested, Totally Foolproof Bird

You are totally sold right? I didn't even make up that Recipe name - that is what it's actually called!!
I know I am totally posting late - but this is the first year I've done Thanksgiving dinner all by myself - so I wanted the recipes to be tested and guaranteed delicious before posting - keep this one in mind for Christmas, a fancy Sunday dinner or a nice surprise for your loved one's birthday... def making this turkey again!!!

Alton's Super-Tasty, No-Fuss, Time-Tested, Totally Foolproof Bird
1 14-16lb turkey (he calls for frozen – but I used fresh and it was fantastic!)

For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water

For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

2 to 3 days before roasting:
Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.
Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:
Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining. *Don't be too worried about the 'brine time' I put my turkey in the brine on Wed afternoon and didn't take it out until 24? hours later. Brine is like a marinade - as long as you give it the minimum amount of time - you are fine.*
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.
Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

**I know what you are thinking - Why did you stuff the bird with aromatics instead of stuffing?? To see that answer - link here.
AND WE CAN'T FORGET ABOUT CARVING THE PUMPKIN! *Oh. My. Goodness. It's been 3 weeks since I posted this and while looking for a different recipe - I noticed that I wrote "PUMPKIN" when I really meant "TURKEY" durrrr...
Bobby Flay’s carving tips:
He used the tip of his knife to separate both breasts from the bird. Then he seperates the legs and as far as the dark meat goes, he just pulls it off (looks like shredded chicken) with his fingers. Then, he slices the breast into chunky pieces (probably 1 ½” thick) and plates. Then – see below.
Leave yourself time between roasting and carving. "Let the turkey rest for at least 45 minutes," suggests Bobby, "so the juices stay in tact when you cut it."
Cut thick slices. "I never could understand why people like to slice the turkey thinly," Bobby says. "You really want to keep the moisture in by actually cutting it thicker." He says that cutting it in thin slices makes the meat dry out very quickly.
Give the turkey a soak before serving. "The key to thanksgiving is one ingredient: Chicken stock!" Bobby reveals. "[Have] Hot chicken stock on your stove so that when you've [carved] this a half an hour ahead of time ... it brings back the moisture and makes it hot!"

Meatballs

My daughter had her birthday this week. In our family the birthday honoree gets to choose what the family eats for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This year she requested Spaghetti and Meatballs for dinner.

Everytime I make meatballs - I just kinda wing it - I mean how hard can it be? It's meat and you roll it into a ball!! LOL. This time, I decided to write down the recipe for my own knowledge and I'm sharing it with you!

This makes A LOT of meatballs - but with my family of 5 (all 3 kids are under 8) there were NO leftovers...

Jen's Meatballs

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey

1 1/2 lbs ground italian sausage (I use mild b/c of my kids - but feel free to go crazy!)

2 c Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

2 T Emeril's Essence (original Bam)

2 t parsley

2 t oregano

EVOO

Fav Marinara sauce

Get your hands in there and mix all those ingredients together. Use your Tablespoon to help you eyeball your meatballs size wise. I use a generous, heaping Tablespoon full for each meatball.

Fill the bottom of a large pan - about 1/4 inch full - of EVOO. Heat the oil on medium for just a minute or two before adding your meatballs. Cook a couple of minutes on all sides (you know when one side is done - it'll be nice and brown.

Make sure your pan isn't too hot - if it is, you will end up with nice browned meatballs and all sides - but they will be raw in the middle. You want to really let those meatballs take their time to cook so that the outside and insides are cooking evenly. I have a very large pan, so I only had to do 2 batches. I poured out the oil in between batches - just out of preference. If you do swap out your oil, make sure to clean up any oil that dripped over the side/bottom of your pan. If you don't carefully check that - that oil will catch on fire. Are you scrred? Don't be - I'm just giving you a few tips to make everything easy peasy and have everything run smoothly.

Meanwhile, in another pan (large enough to include the meatballs) heat your fav marinara sauce. When all of your meatballs are finished, add them to the marinara and let simmer just a few minutes - you don't want your meatballs to get too soggy. SERVE!!

Stuffed Shells

I read an article in the November issue of Martha Stewart Living about stuffed shells. The author put her recipe in the issue - and also gave some great tips. Since I was at the doctor's office - I couldn't bring her recipe home with me - but I did bring her tips home (in my head) and I'm here to share them with you!!

Her tips were: Fill them with anything and everything your family loves. Always cook a double batch of shells b/c they freeze extremely well and so does whatever you stuff them with. She said in particular that cheese freezes very well (something I'd never thought about).

S0 - on my way home, I dropped by the store and grabbed some jumbo shells and some ricotta and made these babies...
Stuffed Shells
12 oz box of Jumbo Shells
16 oz Ricotta cheese
8 oz Mozzerella cheese either shredded or diced into small cubes
1/2 c Parmesan, shredded
2 T parsley
salt and pepper
Fav pasta sauce

Cook pasta per directions on box. Meanwhile, add all other ingredients and mix until combined. *I looked up a few recipes for stuffed shells and all of them included 1 or 2 eggs used as a binder - I chose to omit eggs b/c my kids have egg allergies and we didn't miss it one bit!*

PAM a casserole dish (size depends on how many you are serving - I guesstimated 3 shells per child and 6 per adult) After the shells are cooked, stuff them with a big spoonful of cheese mixture and set them in the casserole dish. Cover with your favorite pasta sauce (marinara is traditional - but I promised my 5 year old that next time I'd make them with alfredo). Sprinkle with more parm and more parsley.

Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until sauce is nice and bubbly.

**You can really go crazy with the 'stuffing' you can use any cheese you like - next time I think I'll try Fontina in lieu of Mozzerella just to kick it up a bit. You can also add any meat, onions, leeks, what have you!!

Pesto Aioli

TOTAL CHEATER HERE!!

The other night I made salmon and wanted to mix it up a bit. So - I got my go to Kirkland brand pesto sauce and the mayo out of my fridge. I mised equal parts together and VOILA! Pesto Aioli!!

Serve on top of Simple Salmon - gourmet dinner in less than 5 minutes flat!

Cheesy Onion Soup

I've been making this soup for a few years and I haven't come up with a better name - any suggestions??

I came up with this soup because of my love affair with onions - and my love of cheesy, hearty soups...

Roux
3 T butter
3 T flour
1 1/4 c half and half
Soup
1 medium onion thinly sliced
2 T butter
16 oz chicken broth
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/3 c diced Velveeta (packed down)

Make the roux first. In a small sauce pan, on medium heat, let the butter melt and add the flour - whisking so there are no lumps and whisk until the mixture becomes thick and comes away from the side of the pan. Slowly add half and half stirring constantly. Set aside.

In a large sauce pan sautee butter and onions until the onions are transparent - but not browned (careful here!) Add chicken broth, boullion cubes and salt and pepper to taste. Add the roux (white sauce) and Velveeta cheese. Simmer on medium to low heat until cheese is melted and all ingredients are blended. Turn the heat up to medium and let cook an additional 30 minutes stirring occasionally.

Garnish with shredded cheese.

Butternut Squash Soup with Fontina Cheese Crostinis

I got this recipe from Giada De Laurentis on Food Network - yummy!!
Butternut Squash Soup with Fontina Cheese Crostinis
Ingredients
Soup:
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 to 8 cups)
6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crostini:
1/2 baguette, sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1 cup (2 ounces) grated fontina cheese
Kosher salt
Directions
In an 8-quart stockpot, add the butter and oil and melt together over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the squash and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sage. Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat.

For the crostini: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sage. Sprinkle the cheese on top and season with salt, to taste. Bake until the cheese has melted and the bread is light golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the cheese crostini.

Cook's Note: The cooked vegetable mixture can also be pureed (after cooling for about 5 minutes) by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.

Chinese Simmer Chicken

I got this recipe from my brother in law a long, long time ago. It's his claim to fame.
Chinese Simmer Chicken
2 lbs chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 c soy sauce
1/4 c cooking sherry (which I never use)
1/2 c water
2 T ketchup
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 bunch of green onions, diced
1/2 t red pepper

Thickening agent:
2 T cornstarch
2 T water
1 t sesame oil

Mix the first 9 ingredients together and let marinate for at least an hour. Place in sauce pan and heat to boil. Reduce to simmer over until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan once it is cooked. Bring sauce back to a boil. Slowly add the thickening agent mix, constantly stirring until desired thickness.

Serve on top of rice or noodles. Sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds (if you've got them).

I usually make this without the red pepper flakes b/c of my little kiddos. After everyone is served, I add red pepper flakes to both my plate and my husbands to add that little kick.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup Deluxe!

I am waaaay too excited for fall. It has been in the high 80's here until... Wednesday, when the temp dropped to the low 70's and it rained all day long. I was so excited that I made "Veggie Chow-da".


With my excitement out of control - I also got a serving of pureed sun dried tomatoes and a serving of pesto out of the freezer and into the fridge just so I could make this soup. Even though the weather returned to the high 80's the next day - this was so delicious!


I posted this recipe for Creamy Tomato Basil Soup a while ago. I varied the recipe from the original this time. I wanted to add a few more layers of flavor to give the soup a bit more depth and subtle notes of flavor (woot! listen to me talkin about food - I think I'm so cool - LOL)

I swear that I posted my 'gourmet cheats' but after looking through the blog - I couldn't find it. I'll post it again and it will help this recipe make more sense to you.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup Deluxe!

1/2 c (1 stick) butter

1 c all purpose flour

4 c chicken broth

4 c half & half*

1 1/2 c marinara sauce

1 14.5 can diced tomatoes or 8 to 10 small vine ripened tomatoes, diced

1 c sundried tomatoes, pureed

1/2 c prepared pesto

Coarse salt and ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and stir for 5 minutes to slightly brown the mixture and create a roux. Wisk in the broth. Increase the heat and cook and stir until thickened. Decrease the heat to low, stir in the half and half and simmer for 20 minutes.Stir in the marinara sauce, tomatoes, sundried tomatoes and pesto and cook until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*I have used both full fat and fat free half & half - since it is used as a thickening agent, the taste is nearly the same using either.

Veggie Chow-da

I didn't realize that Krystal had posted a recipe for her Garden Veggie Chowder already. They are similar - but with enough differences that I thought I'd post.

I looked in my freezer and realized that I had so many veggies just begging to be eaten! I have been trying to do a Veggie entree at least once a week - so I came up with the 'recipe' while on my walk this morning...

*you can use any and all veggies you have - this is just what I threw in the pot today!

Veggie Chow-da
Asparagus, blanched or steamed (or thawed), cut into 1 - 2" pieces
Carrots, diced
Celery, diced
Onion, diced
Broccoli, blanched or steamed (or thawed)
Corn, drained (or thawed)
Potatoes (I use frozen square hashbrowns - and I don't even thaw them)
2 - 3 T EVOO (olive oil)
32 oz (4 cups) stock (veggie, chicken - what have you)
4 T flour
1/3 c butter (softened or room temp)
2 1/2 - 3 c half and half
Garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste

Put EVOO in a large stock pot. Add onions. Cook them down until they are translucent. Add all veggies and stock. Bring up to a boil then turn down to a simmer for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime, add butter and flour in a small sauce pot and whisk until combined and smooth. Add slowly to the veggie and stock soup you have working. Let simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Add half and half - continue to simmer for another 10-15 minutes to bring up the soup to temp and also to give the half and half time to thicken the soup.

Garnish with shredded cheese and serve with a big ol' hunk of bread to dunk in this delish soup!

Evans Broccoli Salad

I got this recipe from my sister's Mother In Law. She makes it for every 'special' dinner they have - it's tried and true!
Evans Broccoli Salad
1 lb sliced mushrooms
1 or 2 heads broccoli
1 bunch green onions

Dressing:
3/4 c sugar
2/3 c rice wine vinegar
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 t salt
1 t celery salt
1 t onion powder
1 t paprika
1/8 t pepper

Combine ingredients for dressing and set aside.

Prepare the remainder of the ingredients - combine with dressing. Let refrigerate a few hours before service.

*I didn't use mushrooms - which I usually do. I also make this salad with cucumbers instead of mushrooms - my kids like it better that way!

**I also added toasted almonds for a little 'crunch.' Sun flower seeds would be a good topper too:)

Freezing Veggies

I've probably posted something similar - but it's such a basic that not a lot of people research. I hate to waste food. I've tried to only buy 2 or 3 veggies per week so that they get eaten and don't go bad. BUT, there are always those weeks...

I have a great menu planned for this week - but my husband just told me that he is leaving today to go out of town and won't be back until Friday. That makes a big difference as far as consumption goes.

I usually buy my veggies in bulk (from Costco) and since he won't be here this week - I froze the veggies that won't get eaten this week.

Today, I seperated portions of asparagus and broccoli that will get eaten by me and the kiddos this week - and froze the rest. These instructions go for both:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in veggies (broccoli or asparagus in this case). Par boil them for 3-5 minutes (they will be bright green). Drain the veggie and "shock" them in a bowl of cold water (I put ice cubes in mine to speed the process and lock in that great color). Let the veggie's sit in the cold water for a few minutes. Drain again and put in a freezer safe container or Ziplock bag.

To thaw: set them out on the counter a few hours before you need to use them OR put them in a sink of cold water to thaw them out quicker.