Mexican Beans and Rice

I am a bad blogger. I can't believe it's been so long! I've made stuff but I just haven't taken the time to blog. But I do want to be better so here's to starting back up. I got a new slow cooker for Christmas. My old one was only cooking on high which meant it was burning a lot of stuff. This recipe for Mexican beans and rice comes from my friend Colleen at Cooking This and That. I did my best at replicating it but due to our blizzard and the fact that I had no desire to go out, I substituted and I will say it came out great. The chipotles in adobe sauce gave it that smoky heat Dave and I both love. This was a big hit and very filling with lots of leftovers.

1 cup uncooked regular long-grain brown rice

1 cup frozen whole kernel corn

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15-ounce) spicy chili beans or black beans, undrained

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained and chopped

16-18 oz. low sodium chicken broth

2 chipotles in adobe sauce, chopped with about 2 TBSP of the sauce
1/4 cup green salsa

Combine all remaining ingredients except cheese in 4-quart slow cooker. Mix well. Cover; cook on low setting at least 5 hours.

After 5 hours, stir mixture, top with sour cream and sprinkle with Cheddar cheese.

Rotini with Cheese

This is from the November 2010 Cooking Light magazine. I love this magazine but haven't been making too many recipes from it lately because of time and not always having all the ingredients on hand. But this one was easy and I had it all. I did make a few changes to it to suit my tastes. It was good but not great. However for an easy, quick weeknight meal, I'll take it!

• 3 turkey bacon slices
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 TBSP all-purpose flour
• 1 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  
• salt & pepper
• 5 cups hot cooked rotini (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)
• 3/4 cup frozen green peas, thawed

1. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Increase heat to medium-high. Add butter and oil to drippings in pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add flour, and sauté 1 minute, stirring frequently. Gradually add 1 cup milk, stirring constantly with a whisk, and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Let stand 3 minutes. Add cheeses, salt, and pepper, stirring with a whisk until smooth.

2. Place pan over low heat. Stir in bacon, pasta, and peas; cook for 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, tossing to coat.

Rigatoni di Gregorio

I saw this recipe on Annie's Eats in my google reader and it was right up our alley. And it was a score. We love pasta but this was different and delicious. I will say I have only been to Maggiano's once in my life so I have no idea what this dish tastes like in the restaurant but I do know we all loved it at Chez Jenn.

I made a little more so we could have leftovers and I substituted the heavy cream with light cream. I didn't have fresh herbs so we made due with the dried version. Annie's picture is WAY better than mine but in my defense, my camera is giving me trouble today. Still, this was a great meal, so thanks Annie!

12 oz. rigatoni
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 3 oz. each
½ cup chopped yellow onion
4 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup Marsala wine
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup light cream
1 TBSP dried basil
1 TBSP dried oregano
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. butter

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. If necessary, turn down the heat to medium-low so the outside doesn’t brown too quickly. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. When cool enough to handle, cut into bite-size pieces.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan with the heat on medium-high. Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan and continue to cook until most of the liquid has been released and the onions are softened, about 5 minutes more. Mix in the garlic and sauté just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and add the wines, scraping with a spoon to deglaze the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the chicken broth. Return Bring to a simmer, lower the heat to medium and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half. Stir in the cream, herbs and chicken and cook until heated through. Add in the Parmesan cheese and butter; mix until well blended and the butter is completely melted.

Add the cooked rigatoni to the pan and toss with the sauce. Serve immediately with additional grated Parmesan as desired.

Broccoli Mac & Cheese

To go with the meatballs I made broccoli mac & cheese. I need to get veggies in our dinner so without making another side, I went this route. It turned out pretty darn good and the family definitely enjoyed it.

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
7 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
4 oz. swiss cheese
13 oz of rotini, penne or macaroni
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1/3 cup panko
2 TBSP Smart Balance butter
1 head of broccoli, chopped and steamed

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a large saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick (about 8 minutes), stirring constantly. Add 5 oz of the cheddar cheese and all of the swiss cheese; cook 3 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in macaroni and salt and pepper liberally.

Spoon mixture into a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Mix in the broccoli. Top with the remaining extra cheddar cheese and the panko and dab the butter on top. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Crockpot BBQ Meatballs Take 2

I've made these crockpot BBQ meatballs before and they never fail to be delicious. This time I changed it up a bit so here's the updated version.

1 lb. lean ground turkey
3/4 cup no salt bread crumbs
1 egg
1 packet veggie soup mix
1 TBSP worcestshire sauce

Roll into meatballs and bake in the oven for 30 minutes on 375.

Sauce

Sauce:
1 cup chopped onion
2 cans tomato paste (12 ounces total)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chicken broth

Add all sauce ingredients to Crock Pot and stir well. Add meatballs and cook, covered, on low 3 hours.

Farfalle with Vodka Sauce and Grilled Chicken

I love un-jarred sauce but life isn't always cooperative so sometimes you gotta just use it. However on Saturday I took the time to make us a nice sauce at home. Dave said it was my best one yet. Go me! I didn't have a lot of cream so it's a dark sauce but still so delicious. Add more cream for well, a creamier, sauce.

1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 TBSP unsalted butter
1/2 cup vodka
2 large cans crushed tomatoes
1 pint light cream
1 TBSP dried oregano
salt & pepper

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Pour in the vodka and cook another 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has cooked out. Add in the 2 cans of tomatoes and salt and pepper (to your taste). Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Pour in the light cream and simmer another 30 minutes. Add in more salt & pepper and dried oregano during the final simmer.

PW's Bacon Wrapped Japalenos

Finally after probably a year of wanting to make these, I did it. And she was right, bacon wrapped jalapenos rock. Dave did suggest some sort of a dipping sauce next time. I'm thinking something sweet and sour to balance the spicy-savory of the appetizer. I'll have to do some searching but in the meantime, MAKE THESE for your next party. They will go fast though so make extra!

Chicken Milano Sandwiches

One of my favorite restaurants, the Dunellen Hotel, makes these great sandwiches--grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella and pesto. We don't get there as often these days so I don't get to enjoy all their yummy sandwiches. However, I did recreate their Chicken Milano and I think I did a pretty damn good job. I used pesto I had made and frozen and then put it all together easily. Voila! A great dinner!

Baby Food--Avocado

I was lucky enough to have been given this Kid Co. electric food mill to puree baby food at home. Of course a regular food processor would work but this little contraption is smaller and easier to clean up and use. I've experimented so far with sweet potatoes, bananas and now avocados which were a winner. Just ask Owen! There's no real recipe which is why I think it's a wonderful idea to make it at home. I just used two avocados and about 1/4 cup of water and blended it all together. I froze the leftovers in ice cube trays so we can have avocados in about 30 seconds! I do wonder why baby food companies don't make avocado...but I digress. So go ahead and try it! I think your baby (and your wallet) will thank you!

Pasta with Walnut Pesto

Fresh basil, mmm. Nothing like a good pesto. Unfortunately sometimes I just can't bring myself to pay the astronomical price of pine nuts, so this time I bought walnuts. I think it is just as fabulous.

Pesto:

2 cups basil leaves
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1 TBSP butter
1 garlic clove
3 TBSP parmesan cheese
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
olive oil ~1/4 cup

Cook rotini pasta according to the directions, reserving 1 ladle full of the cooking water to add to the pesto.
Combine all the pesto ingredients, except for the olive oil, in a food processor. Blend, pouring in the olive oil as it goes, creating a paste-like texture. Combine the pesto, pasta and pasta water in a large bowl and mix together.

Lentil Soup

I'm making a commitment to using my crock pot more. I love lentil soup and have always wanted to make it. When I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, I though it was perfect for me. After making it I realized that A. my crock pot I think only cooks on one setting--high and B. this was more like a lentil side dish than a soup--all the liquid was soaked up and had been cooked out. Still it is really good. I froze a bunch for the future and I also gave some to my mom and sister.

Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

We love buffalo anything in our house. I think my husband falls in love with me all over again when I make something buffalo style. When I saw this on Running Mama Cooks, I knew we would have to have it. I had to improvise with some of the ingredients but I can honestly say I think mine came out better than I've ever had in a restaurant. Here's my version... go ahead and try it. You won't be disappointed.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 bottle buffalo sauce ( I used Ken's)
1/2 cup hot sauce
1 small can tomato sauce (8 oz)
1/4 cup ranch dressing

Place the breasts in the crockpot and top with the remaining ingredients. Cook for about 3-4 hours on medium. About an hour before they are done, shred the chicken in the crockpot and mix it around so that it soaks up the sauce. Serve on fresh rolls topped with monterey jack cheese.

Caprese Salad

Caprese salad came onto my radar in the past 5 years or so. I love it but I find it's not always on the menu at restaurants. It's so easy to make but for some reason, I never tried. My Mom gave me some fresh basil from her garden yesterday though and it popped into my mind to have for dinner. I had just bought tomatoes at the Farmers Market and I knew I had some mozzarella cheese. I quickly made a balsamic reduction and voila, half of our dinner was ready. The balsamic reduction was the hardest--all that whisking! But well worth it.

Chicken in Wine Sauce

I made Chicken and Wine Sauce over pasta last night for dinner and it was excellent! The sauce was clean and light, perfect for summer. And I just love anything with mushrooms and artichokes so this was right up my alley. I did add more broth to make it more of a sauce since I was putting it over pasta and made a few minor cooking changes. It was delicious though and a good summer evening meal.

• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
  
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons safflower oil
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 8 or 9 ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and halved lengthwise (I used canned)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

1. In a shallow dish, stir together flour, sage, pepper; reserve one tablespoon of flour mixture. Coat chicken in remaining flour mixture.

2. In a large skillet cook chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat for 6 minutes on each turning only once to ensure each side is browned. Remove chicken from skillet; cover and keep warm. Drain off any excess oil in skillet.

3. In the same skillet, cook mushrooms and artichoke hearts in the butter over medium heat for 3 minutes or until artichokes are tender.

4. In a small bowl stir together reserved flour mixture, wine, broth, and 1/8 teaspoon salt until smooth. Add wine mixture to skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Pour sauce over chicken.

Cheesy Tomato Chicken Skillet

I got this recipe from my friend Brooke's blog. As a working Mom, I don't have much time to come home and make dinners but this one was fast and easy, and might I add, delicious! Thanks Brooke! And I don't mind using the cream of ... soups. They are a great help to us busy ladies! But I do wish I had a short pasta to go with this, but no matter, it was still good.

Cheesy Tomato Chicken Skillet

2 cups of pasta
3/4 lbs chicken, cut into pieces
1 can Healthy Request cream of chicken soup
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup of milk
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Cook the pasta as directed. Heat 10 inch skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken & cook thoroughly. Reduce heat to medium; stir in soup, tomatoes, milk and seasonings. Stir in cooked pasta. Cook about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until bubbly & heated through. Sprinkle with cheese. Reduce heat, cover & let stand about 5 minutes.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

This recipe comes directly from the Pioneer Woman. I've had it starred in my reader since April and tonight I finally got inspired to make it. And happily, we really liked it. I will say, I didn't quite brown my chicken or vegetables enough and I did use light cream instead of heavy. I didn't have the cayenne pepper to season it so we used crushed red pepper and it did the job. It was a very yummy dinner and although without the crushed pepper I do believe it would have been bland, we enjoyed this one.

Creamy Taco Mac

It's my turn on this recipe that's been making it's way around the blogosphere. I spotted it through my friend's blog, Lauren's Kitchen, which she in turn got it from Delish. And I can't agree more, it was delish. And very family friendly. I'm happy I was able to make this one and I recommend it to everyone!

1.25 lbs ground turkey
12 oz macaroni plus 1 cup reserved pasta water
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 packet of mild taco seasoning
3 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
salt & pepper
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta per directions. Reserve one cup of pasta water.

Over medium heat, brown ground turkey until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning and diced tomatoes. Allow to simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Add cooked pasta, reserved water, cream cheese and sour cream. Give it a good stir until cheeses are melty and incorporated. Simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt & pepper, as desired. Top off with cheddar cheese for extra cheesy goodness.

Blue Chicken Burgers

This definitely is not a complicated recipe, or really a recipe at all. I just really love how all these flavors go together to create one of my most favorite burgers. Build one for yourself and eat it slowly because you will want to savor every bite.

Ground chicken, shaped into patties
1 TBSP blue cheese per burger
Avocado slices
BBQ sauce, Sweet Baby Ray's is preferred!
Lettuce
Fresh toasted buns

Cook the chicken patties 7-8 minutes on each side, added the blue cheese to the second side when you have about 5 minutes left. Build your burger and eat it up!

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Chicken

I finally got to make something I thought was blog worthy. While Owen slept I prepped the chicken. It really was very simple but yummy. I served it simply with some whole wheat pasta mixed with olive oil and parmesan cheese. I didn't measure but here are my estimates. Enjoy!

4 chicken breast, about 3 oz. each
4 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
4 TBSP light cream cheese
1 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 TBSP dried basil
1 TBSP dried oregano

Lay the chicken on a cutting board and cover with a piece of saran wrap and pound with a kitchen mallet until they are about 1/4 of an inch thick. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Spread 1/4 of the mixture on each breast. Roll up and secure with a toothpick or two. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Firecracker Enchiladas

This recipe is from my friend Colleen's blog and I've made a few times. They are really delicious and were pretty easy, not to mention, they aren't all that bad for you. These days, with a 6 week old baby, I'm really not trying to make things all that difficult. I did make a few changes, as I didn't have green chiles nor a 29 oz. can of sauce so I supplemented with Frank's Hot Sauce and added more water. But they came out great and we were even able to eat them all together while Owen napped! Definitely recommend these!

Cheesy Baked Pasta with Spinach and Artichokes

I finally got my butt back in the kitchen after seeing this recipe in my latest issue of Real Simple and got inspired to cook something. I'm sure my family was happy to finally eat something that I actually made. I would definitely make this one again for an easy go to meal. I did make some changes to the original recipe so here is my version.

12 oz. Smart Taste elbows
1 can (14 oz.) quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 10-oz. package frozen creamed spinach, thawed
1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated parm cheese
2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided

Cook the elbows and drain. Put back in the pot and stir in the ricotta cheese, artichokes, spinach, parm cheese and 1-1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese. Combine well and transfer into a baking dish. Top with the remaining cheddar and cook at 350 for 25 minutes.

The best thing I ever cooked....

My son! Born 3/3/10. We are just home from the hospital for a few days now and I couldn't be happier. I am so in love with my new role as a Mom I think I'm going to concentrate on that for a little while but will be back soon I'm sure. Thanks for sticking with me!

Slight Cooking Hiatus

I'm 5 days away from my due date and cooking has taken a back seat to napping, relaxing and waiting for this baby. Hopefully soon after I get into the groove of motherhood, I'll be back in the kitchen. Maybe I'll even have a surge of energy this week! Thanks for reading and following me. I'll be back!

Fabulous French Onion Soup

I made this recipe again today and plan to freeze the leftovers. It was delicious, as it always has been in the past. This time I topped it with mozzarella cheese instead of guyere because my store didn't have any and it was just as good and cheesy.

Chicken and Broccoli Pockets

For our dinner on the night of the big Blizzard 2010, I made this yummy and homey chicken and broccoli pockets. Of course they have cheese in them and made us feel all cozy eating them.

Makes 3 large pockets, cut in half, serves 6.

1 ball pizza dough, store bought
9 oz. chicken breast, diced or shredded
1 large head of broccoli, chopped
6-7 mushrooms, sliced
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 TBSP oregano

Salt & pepper both sides of the chicken. In a pan, cook the chicken for 7 minutes on both sides and shred or dice and set aside in a medium bowl. Add the broccoli and mushrooms to the same pan and cook another 3-4 minutes. Mix together the vegetables, chicken, cheese and spices.

Roll out the dough into a rectangle and divide into 3 pieces. Fill each piece generously with the chicken mixture and fold over, sealing the edges. Brush with olive oil (optional).

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is browned

Slipping the Veggies in - Turkey and Spinach Meatballs

I love slipping spinach into meatballs. What a great tasting way to get veggies. I make these often enough and everyone enjoys them. It's not really hiding the veggie as much as it is making it a part of the meal but I think it makes it better and of course better for you. And of course I bake, not fry which is even better!

1 lb. ground turkey (I used Nature's Promise brand)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
5 oz or 1/2 package of frozen spinach, defrosted
1 egg
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

With your hands mix all the ingredients until well-combined. Shape into small to medium sized balls (about 18) and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Pasta with Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Sauce

So originally I set out to make Giada's Rigatoni with Creamy Mushroom Sauce that I saw her make on TV today. However it morphed into something completely different and it was still delicious. I knew I wanted more veggies in it and that I wanted some kind of protein so I just started adding things to it. Plus I didn't want to run out for mascarpone cheese when I had cream cheese here... oh and no wine since I'm 8 months pregnant, no wine was open. So basically, it's a whole different recipe. But hers still looks really good. :). This one serves 4.

8 oz. whole wheat rotini or other short pasta, cooked al dente
3 links turkey sausage
1 shallot, diced
1 clove, garlic (crushed), I used my awesome Pampered Chef garlic press
5 oz. (1/2 a box) of frozen spinach, defrosted
1 package, about 8 oz., mushrooms sliced
5 oz. light cream cheese
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
salt & pepper
Olive oil

Chop and brown the turkey sausage in cooking spray. Set aside. In the same pan, pour in a little olive oil and add in the shallots and garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add in the spinach and saute it all together another 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and stir in the cream cheese. Cook until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce begins to thicken. Return the sausage to the pan and salt and pepper and top with the parmesan cheese. Stir in the pasta and coat it well with the sauce. Top it with more parm cheese if desired and eat it up!

Corn and Potato Chowder

I was in the mood for a corn chowder today so I did some searching around and found a few recipes and then decided to make my own. Emma gave it 5 stars so I think it's definitely a winner. Plus it was super fast. I started making it at 5:30 and was done by 6. Not bad for a soup!

1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 TBSP Smart Balance Butter Light
1 tsp. seafood seasoning
1-1/4 cups water
1-1/2 lbs baking potatoes, cubed and diced (about 2 small)
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1-1/4 cups half and half
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt & pepper

Melt the butter in a dutch oven and saute the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the water, potatoes, corn, seasoning and salt & pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Add in the half and half and shut off the heat. Using an immersion blender, thicken the soup by giving the blender a few whirls in the soup, being careful not to completely emulsify everything 'cause you still want pieces of potato and corn in there. Top with a little of the cheese and serve!

Thai Chicken Wraps

I've had a recipe sitting in my recipe holder forever for these and then the other day my friend Dana posted about eating thai chicken wraps and I decided I wanted one too! So this is what we had for dinner tonight. Very simple and even my 8 year old stepdaughter Emma ate it so I knew it had to be pretty good.

9-12 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast strips
Salt & pepper
Cooking spray
1 carrot, julienned (I used my mandolin slicer)
1 cucumber, cut into strips
3 TBSP all natural creamy peanut butter
1.5 TBSP low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground ginger
3 whole wheat wraps

Salt & pepper the chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add in the carrots and cook another two minutes. Don't let the carrots get soft!

In a small pot whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger and heat. Whisk constantly until creamy and heated through and remove from heat.

Layer a wrap with the chicken and carrots, cucumber and 1-2 tablespoons of sauce. Wrap up and enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie on a cold day

Chicken pot pie, oh how delicious you are. Now that I am working from home Wednesdays I can have more time to cook and I can spread it out since my 7 month pregnant body doesn't always like me standing for long. Luckily this one isn't too bad and it's low fat (read: No butter) unlike store bought or restaurant pot pies. The family loved it which makes me happy. This is a remake from last year so click here for the recipe.