Jenn and Food, Perfect Together

Sundried Tomato and Pesto Risotto with Spicy Turkey Sausage

2011-10-10T13:51:00.005-04:00

I haven't made risotto since before my son was born. And for good reason. It's tough to stand there for 30-45 minutes with a hungry baby hanging at your leg. Thankfully my husband was able to pry him off me and I was able to make this completely delicious meal. I also had made butternut squash soup earlier in the day so we had a rich, comforting dinner. Too bad it was also 80 degrees out in the middle of October. That's ok, we still enjoyed it!

2 cups of arborio rice
1 small onion, chopped
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chopped sundried tomatoes (I prefer the dry-packed ones)
1/4 cup homemade pesto
3 hot italian turkey sausages, sliced, casings on
Salt & pepper

Cook the turkey sausage, browning on each side. Set aside.

Bring the water and chicken stock to a simmer in a separate pan.

Heat the olive oil in a large deep pan. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Stir in the rice until it becomes opaque but not browned. Mix in the garlic and saute 30 seconds, then pour in the wine and cook until the wine is absorbed. Add in the sundried tomatoes

One ladle at a time, stir in the broth until it is absorbed by the rice, being sure to almost constantly stir the rice until it is thick and soft. The rice and broth should continue to simmer throughout the process which takes between 35 and 40 minutes. When it is ready, stir in the pesto, sausage and salt & pepper to taste.

Buffalo Ranch Chicken Calzones

2011-09-19T08:22:00.001-04:00

I love buffalo chicken anything but I also need to be healthy so I usually forgo wings or anything like that when I'm out because I know they'll be fried and oh so bad for me. I do like to make buffalo-flavored dishes at home though because I'm in control of how they are made. So instead of pizza the other night, I decided to do a calzone. These were made easy by using a rotisserie chicken and shredded it--something I actually do quite a bit to save time. These were great and of course, we had leftovers the next day for lunch!

1 small can tomato sauce
3 TBSP Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1/4 cup light ranch
1 TBSP butter
Whole wheat pizza dough
4 oz. Shredded mozzarella cheese
12 oz. shredded chicken
1 egg, beaten

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan. Add the other 3 ingredients and bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Mix the chicken in the sauce well to thoroughly coat. Divide the pizza dough into 4 equal portions and roll out into a circle. Equally divide the chicken mixture among the 4 circles. Top with mozzarella cheese. Fold the dough over and pinch closed. Brush with the egg to brown the dough. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Garden Veggie Lasagna

2011-09-18T20:17:00.003-04:00

This is one of my all time favorites. It's very labor intensive though and creates a lot of dishes. But the end result is just soo good and sooo satisfying. It's worth the work. Plus now I've got it down to a science and am able to put it together easily and fairly quickly. The recipe comes from Cooking Light however I also add baby bella mushrooms to it which I mix in with the squashes. It gives it even more flavor and since I love mushrooms, it just seems natural to have them in there. I recommend making this the next time you have a free hour or so on a Sunday afternoon. It is filling, gives you lots of leftovers and is pretty darn good for you!

Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli

2011-08-31T09:14:00.001-04:00

I saw this recipe while reading Parents magazine and it really was right up my alley. Pasta - check! Chicken sausage - check! Easy - check! I've made it twice and although I made a few minor changes to it, it's a great meal for a weeknight and to have as leftovers for lunch. And of course, the 18 month old and 10 year old were very happy with it and that means success to me!

Ingredients

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups water
13 oz. tricolor pasta
1 10 oz package frozen broccoli
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
4 links (6 oz.) cooked chicken sausage with Italian flavorings, sliced
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
2 TBSP crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Bring chicken broth and water to boiling in a large pot. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Four minutes before the pasta is finished add the broccoli to the pot. Just before draining, reserve 2-3 ladles of the cooking liquid. Drain and return the pasta and broccoli to the pot.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the sausage slices until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the sausage and any olive oil in the pan to the drained pasta mixture. Stir in the lemon juice, salt, and enough of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Mix in the cheese and red pepper flakes. Makes 6 servings.

Hurricane Food

2011-08-30T09:08:00.004-04:00

As I'm sure everyone in the western hemisphere knows, the east coast was hit with a hurricane. In preparation, I made sure we had some yummy eats to help comfort us. I made Pioneer Woman's Cheddar Puffs along with my BBQ Turkey Meatballs. They hit the spot. Comforting, delicious and VERY filling! I even have extras in my freezer for another rainy day.

Pioneer Woman's came out darker, I was afraid of burning them so I think I took them out a tad too early. But they were still awesome! Even my 18 month old ate them!

Ingredients

1 loaf Crusty French Bread, Cut Into 1-inch Cubes
1/2 stick Butter
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Shallot, Minced
1-1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
8 ounces cream cheese
1-1/2 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese ( I used sharp white cheddar)
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
2 whole Egg Whites, Beaten

Preparation Instructions

Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots and saute for 1 minute. Add Dijon and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low.

Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add grated cheddar and stir until melted. Turn off heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fold in egg whites.

Dunk bread cubes in cheese, coating thoroughly. Place on a nonstick baking mat or sheet of waxed paper and freeze for 20 minutes, uncovered. Remove frozen chunks from tray and place into a Ziploc bag. Store in the freezer.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place frozen cheese puffs on a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper, and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Bolognese Sauce - my version

2011-04-13T11:09:00.002-04:00

I love a slow cooked, homemade, thick sauce. It kicks jarred sauce ass any time! But life with 2 kids and 2 full time working parents it doesn't always happen this way. However my baby boy was home sick recently and during nap time I was able to get the sauce going. And after melding for a few days in my fridge it was delicious! The prep time really isn't that bad. It just has to cook 2-3 hours (at least) so you can't really plan to go anywhere but on days when you are home with a sick baby, this is a good day to do it.

2 TBSP olive oil
2 shallots, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can tomato paste
1 cup water
1 large can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 large can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 TBSP dried oregano
1 TBSP dried basil
Salt & pepper
1 lb. ground beef (90/10)

Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron pot. Add in the carrot, celery and shallots and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add in the garlic and shallots, cook another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile in a separate pan, brown the ground beef and drain. Set aside.

In the pot, mix in the tomato paste and water in with the vegetables and cook 7-10 minutes on a low heat.

Once the tomato and vegetable mixture has thickened a bit, add in the two large cans of tomatoes and dried herbs, and salt & pepper to taste. Stir everything together and cook for one hour on a low heat, barely simmering. Stir every 15 minutes or so.

After an hour, add in the ground beef and cook another 1-2 hours until desired thickness.

It's best if you let the sauce sit at least overnight before serving to really get everything mixed together.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2011-04-05T10:16:00.003-04:00

Finally something new I wanted to make. I saw this recipe for Chicken Enchilada Casserole in March 2011's Cooking Light. However it had WAY too many steps for what really should be something quicker and easier. So I made it quicker and easier! I changed up some ingredients and reduced steps and came up with my version which was very tasty according to the oohs and aahs I got from my family. I would definitely suggest my version over theirs if you are looking to save time and still have a great meal.

1 whole roasted chicken, skinned (buy at the store!)
1 cup frozen corn
1/3 cup low fat cream cheese
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
1 shallot, chopped
4 tsp jarred garlic
1 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup salsa verde
1/4 cup water
6 large tortillas, quartered
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Shred the roasted chicken and place in a large bowl. Mix in the cream cheese, corn and spices and set aside. In a pan, saute the half of the chopped shallots for 1-2 minutes, mix in 2 tsp garlic, saute another 30 seconds and remove from heat. Combine with the chicken mixture.

Combine the remainder of the shallot and garlic in a saucepan with the broth, salsa, and water. Simmer over a medium heat for 15 minutes. If you want, you can then blend the mixture in a food processor or blender or leave as is.

Spread a half cup of the salsa mixture on the bottom of an 8x8 saucepan, top with about 6 tortilla quarters or enough to cover the bottom. Scoop about 1.5 cups of the chicken mixture over the tortillas, top with the salsa and repeat until you end with tortillas and any remaining salsa you may have. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top and bake at 425 for 15 minutes.

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

2011-02-02T11:41:00.006-05:00

We had an ice storm last night so work gave us a delayed opening giving me plenty of time to put together my little crockpot chicken fajita creation. While putting it together I was getting so excited to eat it and kept wishing 5 pm would come fast!

4 chicken breasts, about 12 oz.
14 oz. can no salt added diced tomatoes
4 oz, can green chiles, diced
1 packet taco seasoning
3/4 cup water
8 oz. block low fat cream cheese
1 cup frozen corn

Place the tomatoes, chiles, taco seasoning, corn and water in the crock pot. Stir together well. Top with the chicken breasts but make sure to push them into the liquid so they can absorb the flavors as it cooks. Top with the block of cream cheese. When finished stir it all together and shred the chicken. Place in a tortilla, top with sour cream and eat up!

Cheese Stuffed Chicken Patties

2011-02-02T11:28:00.004-05:00

This is a version of Turkey Polpettone sandwiches that I made this past weekend. I started out thinking I'd make chicken parmesan but after thinking about it, I wanted to be more creative than that. It's not often I get more than 15 minutes to make dinner so I wanted this to be a little bit different than our norm. So I ground up the chicken and just went with it. I did make the patties way too big so we all had a half... way more portion-sized friendly. The great thing about these is everyone liked them, even my 11 month old ate one!

1 lb. ground chicken
2 cups fresh whole wheat bread crumbs
1 egg
1 TBSP worcestor sauce
2 TBSP dried oregano
1 TBSP dried basil
4 oz. mozzarella cheese
10 oz. Pasta sauce, homemade or jarred
1/4 cup of olive oil

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl and form into 12 patties. Place about a TBSP of mozzarella cheese on half the patties and then top with the remaining patties. Pinch then ends closed to keep the cheese from melting out.

Heat the olive oil in a pan. Place the patties in the pan and brown each side, approximately 6-7 minutes per side. In a separate pan, warm the sauce. Transfer the browned patties to the sauce, top with a little more cheese and cook til melted. Serve on a bun or eat on it's own.

Mexican Beans and Rice

2010-12-26T19:51:00.003-05:00

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

2010-11-30T10:04:00.004-05:00

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

2010-11-21T20:00:00.005-05:00

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

2010-11-08T09:17:00.006-05:00

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

2010-11-08T09:10:00.004-05:00

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

2010-10-17T12:36:00.004-04:00

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

2010-09-23T11:10:00.000-04:00

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

2010-09-22T11:05:00.003-04:00

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

2010-08-29T16:35:00.004-04:00

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

2010-08-25T20:57:00.000-04:00

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

2010-08-24T20:52:00.001-04:00

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

2010-08-23T20:43:00.004-04:00

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

2010-08-02T08:39:00.002-04:00

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

2010-07-30T08:31:00.005-04:00

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

2010-07-07T18:29:00.003-04:00

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

2010-06-30T19:09:00.003-04:00

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

2010-06-25T08:26:00.003-04:00

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

2010-06-12T19:10:00.003-04:00

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

2010-05-17T21:46:00.004-04:00

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

2010-04-18T19:02:00.003-04:00

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

2010-04-12T15:31:00.003-04:00

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....

2010-03-11T16:33:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-27T21:04:00.003-05:00

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

2010-02-16T19:02:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-11T13:19:00.004-05:00

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

2010-02-03T19:34:00.002-05:00

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

2010-01-27T18:17:00.004-05:00

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

2010-01-20T18:38:00.003-05:00

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

2010-01-11T18:52:00.002-05:00

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

2010-01-06T18:36:00.004-05:00

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.

Frittata or Crustless Quiche? EIther Way, Yum!

2009-12-27T19:46:00.004-05:00

As the title says, I'm not really sure what this is. A crustless quiche, because I cooked it in the oven and not stove top? Or a frittata, just because there is no crust? I'm not really sure of the definitely and yes, I could google it but I just don't feel like it. In any case, we really enjoyed this vegetarian meal for dinner tonight. We needed it after the typical holiday gorging and I feel much healthier and better after eating this.

2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
6-7 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 bag baby spinach
1 large shallot, chopped
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs
4 egg whites
1/4 cup 1% milk
Salt & pepper
Olive oil (I used a spray mister)

Preheat the oven to 425. Slice the potatoes and place them on a single layer on a baking sheet. Spray with the olive oil or cooking spray and salt. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute the shallot in olive oil or cooking spray until softened. Add in the mushrooms and cook with the onion about 5 minutes. Then add in the spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from heat.

Whisk together the milk, eggs and egg whites.

Once the potatoes are done, layer them on the bottom of a pie pan. Top with the spinach mixture, then the grated cheese, and finally pour the egg over the top. Lower the oven temp to 350 and cook 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

2009-12-27T16:13:00.003-05:00

I got an ice cream maker courtesy of my sister in law and her fiance for Christmas and all I can say is where have you been all my life? It was honestly the best ice cream I have ever had. Maybe because it was all natural ingredients, no weird stuff you can get with the stuff in the store. Whatever it is, it was delicious and I am so happy to have one. Not to mention, easy to use! This recipe is one that came with the instructions for the ice cream maker and I am very happy with it. I probably should have let the ice cream set a little better before sampling it but too bad, it was so good I couldn't wait!

1 pint fresh strawberries, stemmed and sliced
3 TBSP lemon juice
1 cup sugar, divided
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a small bowl combine the sliced strawberries, lemon juice and 1/3 cup of the sugar. Stir it together and let it sit for 2 hours and allow the strawberries to macerate (my new favorite word) in the juices for 2 hours.

In a medium bowl, combine the milk and remaining sugar. Blend with a hand mixer or whisk until the sugar is dissolved, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the cream, vanilla, and the juices from the macerated strawberries. Turn the machine on and pour the mixture into the freezer bowl through the spout and let it mix for 25-30 minutes or to desired consistency. Add in the strawberries during the last 5 minutes of mixing.

Banana Almond Waffles

2009-12-13T17:22:00.003-05:00

I've really had a thing for waffles this pregnancy so this morning I broke out the waffle maker once again for some banana almond waffles. I used a recipe from Green Lite Bites as a basis for my waffle mixture. I will say that it definitely was "diet" tasting. Not as light and fluffy as we usually like but they were still pretty good. I also doubled it because I wanted some leftovers to freeze for later, as I really hate store bought waffles. They are just so fake tasting! I do think next time I make home made waffles I'm going back to using a less dietary recipe because sometimes, it's just not worth it.

2 bananas, thinly sliced
2 TBSP chopped almonds
2 eggs
1 cup milk (1%)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups whole wheat flour (or use all purpose flour)

Whisk the milk and eggs together. Add in the almonds and banana. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, powder and cinnamon and whisk together. Add in the wet ingredients and mix together with a spatula until well-incorporate. Ladle into a waffle maker and let it do it's magic!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2009-12-12T19:26:00.003-05:00

Momma wants some oatmeal raisin cookies and a big glass of milk so out to the store went my dear husband for raisins and I whipped up a batch of this delicious cookies to satisfy my craving. Thanks honey, you won't regret the trip!!

Ingredients

1/2 butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 egg whites
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a large cookie sheet with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, with a mixer set on low speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until blended. Add egg whites, egg, and vanilla; beat until smooth.
With spatula, stir in flour, oats, raisins, baking powder, and salt until combined.
Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, about 2 inches apart, on cookie sheet. Flatten dough into 3-inch circles. Bake cookies 16-18 minutes or until golden brown. With a pancake turner, remove cookies to wire racks to cool for 15 minutes. Makes about 32-35 small cookies.

Turkey Sausage, Broccoli and Cheese Pasta Bake

2009-12-03T20:35:00.003-05:00

This is my own little creation I put together for tonight. I love one-pot meals and casseroles so this is right up my alley. It's like a souped up macaroni & cheese. Dave and I both really liked it and we have plenty of leftovers.

10 oz. macaroni or other small pasta
3 links of turkey sausage, cut into small pieces and cooked
1 package frozen broccoli, thawed and chopped
1 can cheddar cheese soup
6-8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 TBSP I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
1/3 cup panko

Cook the pasta. Place the drained pasta back into the same pot and mix in the cheddar cheese soup, milk and 4-6 oz. of the shredded cheddar. Pour into a large 11 x 7 baking pan. Add in the cooked turkey sausage and broccoli and combine well. Top with the remaining cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese. In a small skillet, melt the butter. Mix in the panko until evenly coated. Spread it on top of the macaroni mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until the top is browned.

Broccoli and Mushroom Quiche

2009-11-30T17:59:00.000-05:00

Dave was out the other night so I decided to make myself a lovely vegetarian quiche. It was easy but yummy and full of flavor and veggies.

1 pie crust (like Pillsbury)
1 small head of broccoli, chopped
5 baby bella mushrooms, sliced and chopped
6 eggs
1/3 cup low fat milk
1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Preheat the oven to 350. Spread the pie crust in a pie dish. Place the broccoli and mushrooms into the crust.

Whisk the eggs and milk in a medium sized bowl. Pour over the veggies. Top with the cheese. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Homemade Meatball Subs

2009-11-29T17:53:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I made a batch of my homemade sauce and turkey meatballs specifically to make these delicious sandwiches for Dave and I tonight. After simmering the meatballs in the sauce for a couple hours yesterday and then letting them sit there overnight before reheating today really gave everything that robust flavor. Dave was happy so that makes me happy. Another successful meal!

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Rolls

2009-11-22T17:37:00.003-05:00

I got the idea for these when I recently read the Daily Deliciousness blog. I've never made an alfredo sauce so I was originally going to skip this but then I decided, what the heck, I'll go for it. I'll probably never make it non-pregnant because it's really not good for you (sorry Robyn, I hope you don't die when you read this!). Honestly, I think I made magic in the kitchen when I made it. It was so simple but SO good. I guess cheese, butter and cream are a pretty damn good combo. Anyway, these are heavy and hearty. We loved them for our Sunday night dinner. Here's how my lovely rolls came together. OH and by the way, 1 roll is plenty for one person if you have a salad with it.

Rolls

12 oz. chicken breast, poached and shredded
12 oz. part skim ricotta cheese
5 oz. chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
12 whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked according to package

Sauce

1/4 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 cups parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP dried oregano

Grease a 13x9 pan with cooking spray. In a medium sized bowl, combine the chicken, spinach, ricotta and parm cheese. Spread the mixture down the center of each noodle, leaving about an inch and a half at each end. Roll the each noodle and place it in the pan.

For the sauce, melt the butter in a small sauce pan. Whisk in the cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the parm cheese, garlic and oregano.

Pour the sauce over each noodle. Top with the 4 oz. of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes.

Exercise as soon as you can after eating these. :)

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

2009-11-21T20:53:00.003-05:00

I made this today for my good friend Sarah who recently had a little baby girl Katie. I picked it from her blog because she liked it so much. I hope her and her family enjoy it while they continue to navigate the world of new-parenthood. Of course I had to taste it and it was DELICIOUS! I did make a few very minor changes to the cooking method but I don't think it affected it at all.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Courtesy of The Joy of Cooking

2 cups (8 ounces) elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter, divided plus extra for greasing pan
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups 1% milk
1 shallot, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon paprika
3 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
1/2 cup panko

Bring 6 cups water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to rolling boil in a large pot. Add macaroni and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and put in large bowl.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Stir in onion, bay leaf and paprika. Simmer gently, stirring often, 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and remove bay leaf. Stir in 2 cups of cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in macaroni.

Pour the mixture into greased, 1 1/2-quart baking dish and sprinkle with all of remaining cheese.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and toss to coat. Sprinkle buttered crumbs over top of macaroni.

Bake at 350 degrees until bread crumbs are lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

OK, the kitchen isn't that busy lately

2009-11-18T09:27:00.000-05:00

Being 25 weeks pregnant is starting to take it's toll on me. My little guys loves to keep me up at night with his kicks and punches so I've been sort of a mess lately. I will try and get back in this weekend though. Thanks for sticking by me!

Turkey Chili in the crockpot

2009-11-11T19:51:00.004-05:00

Emma and I went to see the new movie A Christmas Carol on Monday and let me just say it was awesome. The 3-D effects were amazing. I truly felt like it was snowing on me. I do need to recommend it to everyone, young and old, although not the really young. Some parts were perhaps a little scary and creepy. Anyway, when we got back I had to get dinner together because I was heading out for my H1N1 flu shot and wasn't sure when I'd be back. In comes turkey chili in the crock pot. To be very honest I didn't measure anything but it was delicious and as usual, easy. Here are my estimates for what I threw in there but I really think chili is practically foolproof. Some meat, beans and tomatoes and spices and you're good to go

1.25 lb. ground turkey
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can red kidney beans, drained
8 oz. low sodium chicken broth
2 beef flavored bouillon cubes
1 shallot, diced
1 TBSP chopped garlic
1 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 TBSP paprika

2 TBSP corn starch
1/4 cup cold water

Combine turkey, tomatoes, beans, onion, garlic and spices into the crock pot and stir together. Cook on medium high for 4-5 hours. Right before serving, dissolve the corn starch in the water and stir into the chili to thicken it. Top with sour cream and cheddar cheese.

Panko Crusted Fish Sticks

2009-11-08T18:26:00.004-05:00

This is my second time making these courtesy of my friend Colleen at Cooking This and That. Emma loves them so I thought I'd surprise her this Sunday night after she was so good on our Turkey Trot walk this afternoon we did to help raise money for a local soup kitchen.

Once again, they were a huge success. They are easy, fast, crunchy and healthy. Instead of using tilapia as Colleen does, we use Alaskan Cod. It's a personal preference as I just like this fish better. And we don't bother with the sauce, we just use good old bottled cocktail sauce.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

2009-11-03T16:42:00.002-05:00

I have been searching for the last few days for a good broccoli cheese soup but none had all the elements I wanted. Some called for heavy cream or half and half and I just want to use milk. Some wanted me to use Velveeta. Sorry but no dice. So finally I came up with my own. I guess sometimes I'm afraid especially when it comes to exact measurements but I think I did really well with this one. It was a good blend of broccoli and cheese without all the fat of heavy cream.

4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1/2 cup all purpose flour
salt & pepper
1 large head of broccoli, about 4 cups chopped
6 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a medium sized pot, combine the chicken broth, water, milk, and flour (salt & pepper to your taste) and bring to a boil, stirring often with a whisk so the flour doesn't sink to the bottom and burn. Make sure there are no lumps too!

Once the liquid has boiled, add in the broccoli and 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese and lower the temperature and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

With an immersion blender, blend the soup until there are no large pieces of broccoli left. Mix in the cheddar and remaining parmesan cheese. Again, add salt and pepper if needed.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Waffles

2009-10-31T09:41:00.004-04:00

In honor of Halloween, I made these delicious waffles for breakfast this morning. I found the recipe on Pennies on a Platter and then adopted to fit my pregnant needs (hehehe). The pumpkin and spices mixed so well with the chocolate. And they were light and fluffy, not hard and dense like premade waffles. Certainly a treat. This makes a lot of batter so it's great for a crowd or leftover snacks. Two were plenty for me for breakfast, and considering the amount of butter in them, that made me happy. :)

1 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 large eggs
2 cups 1% milk
1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
Cooking spray for coating the waffle iron

Preheat waffle iron. Sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices. Whisk egg in a large bowl with buttermilk, pumpkin, and butter until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients just until combined.

Spray the cooking spray on the waffle iron and spoon batter (about 1 cups for each waffle) into waffle iron, spreading quickly. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Cavatelli with Veggies and Ricotta Sauce

2009-10-28T19:44:00.002-04:00

This I made based on some suggestions from fellow bloggers as to what kind of sauce to pair with the cavatelli and veggies. I decided the ricotta sauce would be best and it was certainly good. It was just enough cheese and sauce but not too much that it was overwhelming. It allowed all the other flavors to come through which I really liked

1 package frozen cavatelli, cooked to instructions
2 TBSP olive oil
3 slices turkey bacon, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 head of broccoli, chopped
5-6 baby bella mushrooms, sliced thinly
2 TBSP part skim ricotta
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 ladles starchy pasta water
Salt & pepper to taste.

Boil the water for the cavatelli and cook according to package instructions.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the bacon to it. Cook the bacon thoroughly. Drain and set aside.

To the same skillet, add the garlic, onion, broccoli and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

Add the bacon bacon into the veggie mixture. Ladle in two servings of the starchy pasta water. Add in the ricotta and parmesan cheese and stir well until everything is combined. Drain the cavatelli and add that to the skillet. Mix it all together and serve, topping with extra parmesan, salt & pepper if desired.

Chicken Pot Pie for a weeknight

2009-10-27T20:21:00.004-04:00

Okay for those who like things only from scratch, please stop reading here because I used (gasp) Bisquick Heart Smart in this one. We love it though anyway. Yes, I've made a chicken pot pie completely from scratch and if you do believe me, click here. But for a weeknight meal, it's just not possible. And this hits the spot for us. So if you aren't anti-some help, click here and try it out. I think you'll really like it!

Healthy Chicken Marsala

2009-10-20T14:16:00.000-04:00

Chicken marsala is usually made with lots of butter and cream. So it's delicious but not something I'm willing to splurge on when I'm making it at home. So I found this great recipe at Cooking Light that delivered both on taste and ease tonight. But since I didn't have any peas, I left that step out, as well as the half and half. The family still enjoyed it and we felt good about eating it.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Bolognese Sauce

2009-10-18T11:28:00.004-04:00

I got the inspiration for this meal from Proceed With Caution but I put my own spin on it. I prepared the dough a bit differently from her way because I didn't have quite long enough to bake the potatoes and I made my own version of a bolognese sauce with what I had in the house. I think they came out pretty good and I even froze the leftover gnocchi to use another time.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

1 large sweet potato
2 large russet potatoes
1-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Scrub the potatoes thoroughly and submerge in a pot of boiling water for 30 minutes. Remove from the pot and cool. Removed the skins and shred each potato using a potato ricer into a large bowl.

Add in the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, kneading the potatoes and the dough. At the end, knead in the parm cheese. The consistency should be sticky, not dry. Divide the dough into workable amounts (about 5-7 small balls) and roll them out between your hands and a cutting board into long, thin strands. Cut the gnocchi into bite-sized pieces and mark indentations in them with a fork. Place them on a floured cookie sheet to dry, approximately 30-45 minutes.

Boil a pot of water and place 1/2 the gnocchi in it and let them rise, about 3 minutes. Once they have risen immediately remove them with a slotted spoon and drain.

Sauce

2 large cans (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes with basil
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic diced
4 oz. baby bella mushrooms, chopped
Olive oil, 1 TBSP
2 TBSP dried oregano
1 TBSP dried basil
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot. Add in the onions, garlic and mushrooms and saute for approximately 5 minutes. Add in the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and the spices and mix well. Bring to a low simmer and cook 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Cream Cheese Brownies

2009-10-13T09:20:00.004-04:00

I was bored Monday night and needed something to do. So I pulled out my Best of Cooking Light cookbook and made these fabulous cream cheese brownies. Unfortunately my oven is a little hotter than what the temp says because the cream cheese topping got a little browner than I would have liked. They still tasted wonderful though!

Barbecue Meat Loaf

2009-10-12T16:27:00.000-04:00

Another great Cooking Light recipe. Perfect for a Sunday dinner with family. I served it with Scalloped Potatoes and some broccoli and cheese. I am not posting a picture because the one I took was frankly gross looking. Meat loaf just doesn't photograph well for me so you'll have to use your imagination. But anyway, what a great way to end a beautiful fall weekend!

Scalloped Potatoes - Sunday Dinner

2009-10-11T16:21:00.005-04:00

These are courtesy of my friend over at A Taste of Home Cooking. I love scalloped potatoes and have made these before. Now that the weather is cooling down, I was ready to heat my kitchen up again with them. They are simple and delicious. The oven does most of the work. I do recommend having a mandolin slicer because without it, you will be doing a lot more work. With it, it's a dream!

2 1/2 pounds of russet potatoes, thinly sliced
1 cup light cream
1-3/4 cups 1% milk
salt & pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove of minced garlic
Shredded cheddar cheese, 2-3 oz.

Combine all the ingredients into a large pot. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2 quart dish with cooking spray. Add the potato and milk mixture to the dish, spreading out the potato slices. Shred the cheese on top and cover with tin foil and bake 40 minutes. Then uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Foil Packet Potatoes

2009-10-05T19:44:00.004-04:00

I'm always a little leary of potatoes. I think it's because it scares me how long it takes them to cook. But I saw this recipe at Adventures in Home Cooking and it inspired me to try it on a weeknight. Well, we loved them. So thanks for helping me to conquer my fear!!

I did make a few changes and they are here below but really I bet they'd be good with anything!

1 potato per person
Sheets of tin foil
2 T. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter per person
1 or 2 T. milk
Salt and pepper (lots)
Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 350 F.

Dice the potatoes.

Grab your tin foil and roll up the sides a bit to create a boat. Add the potatoes to the packet and top with pats of butter. Season generously with salt and pepper, and splash in milk.

Roll up sides of the packets and seal the edges tightly. Bake in oven for 60 minutes and top with the cheese and serve.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

2009-10-02T13:24:00.003-04:00

I had some pumpkin leftover from my last batch of muffins that I needed to use and I saw this recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins in my google reader at My Baking Heart and knew I'd love it. I did make a couple small changes to make these a little healthier and they came out delicious. My brother actually ate 3 at once. I know there is a shortage of pumpkin out there but if you have some and need to use a cup, this is a great way to go.

Pumpkin-Chocolate-Chip Muffins

1-1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
2 large eggs
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan and set aside

Whisk together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl; set aside. In a larger bowl whisk the pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, milk, yogurt and vanilla in a medium bowl. Stir in the dry ingredients until moistened. Then add in the chocolate chips.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 23 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Remove the muffins and cool an additional 5 minutes before serving.

Nothing in the House Baked Ziti

2009-09-29T19:48:00.003-04:00

I didn't even have mozzarella cheese! But have no fear, this baked ziti came out cheesy and delicious anyway. I even got a "you have to make this again!" Alright, you don't have to ask me twice and maybe next time I'll have mozzarella cheese.

1/2 box farfalle, prepared as directed
1 container part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, divided
1 jar pasta sauce (or 16 oz. homemade)
1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained

Cook the ground beef and add the sauce to it to warm. Add the cooked pasta into the beef and sauce, then transfer to a 9x12 baking pan. Mix in the ricotta cheese and half the parmesan cheese until well-combined. Top with the remaining parm cheese and cook on 350 for 25 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Voila!

Apple Crisp, Still Better Than Apple Pie

2009-09-21T09:30:00.001-04:00

And easier too! It's fall and time to bring the apple crisp back. The family loves it, guests love it, I love it... Need I say more? This is easy to make and can be doubled/tripled or whatever if you wanted to make this and take it to a party. I will be doing that for sure this holiday season. But if you find you need to make this sooner and try it out, you really should.

Easy Cheesy Chicken Divan

2009-09-21T09:30:00.000-04:00

I've made this before but this last time I put a little twist on it... adding in artichokes. It was a great idea! It added some tang to balance out the cheese and creaminess. My husband and his friend ate it right up. Barely left enough for me for lunch today but there was and I enjoyed it again.

Cooking spray
2-3 cups broccoli, chopped into bite sized pieces
9-12 oz. chicken breasts, cut into chunks and cooked.
2 cans cream of chicken soup (low fat)
1 can artichoke hearts, quartered
3/4 cup light mayo
3/4 cup Panko (or bread crumbs)
2 tsp I Can't Believe It's Not Butter (or any other light butter)

Cut the broccoli into bite size pieces and layer the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish with it. Top it with the artichokes and cooked chicken. Combine the soups and mayo in a bowl and spread it on top of the chicken and veggies. Pour the soup mixture onto the chicken and broccoli. Melt the butter on the stove. When melted add the panko and saute one minute. Spoon on top of the casserole. Bake on 350 for 30 minutes or until the panko is nicely browned.

Baked Cheesy Macaroni and Cheese

2009-09-19T16:44:00.008-04:00

Mac & cheese while watching my favorite team the New York Giants play just makes me happy. So last Sunday I made this to go with my BBQ crockpot meatballs for the perfect game day dinner.

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
7 oz. shredded sharp cheddar, divided
5 oz. shredded Jarlsberg light cheese
13 oz of rotini
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1/3 cup panko

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 jarlsberg light 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. Top with the remaining extra cheddar cheese and the panko. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

2009-09-12T13:48:00.004-04:00

My friend at Cooking This and That made this cake for few of us at a get together about a month ago and I loved it so I knew I'd be making it. Perfect opportunity came when my sister-in-law hosted a meet and greet with our family and her boyfriend's family. The cake came out great and was a bit hit with everyone. Thanks Colleen!

Pumpkin Raisin Oat Muffins

2009-09-12T11:20:00.004-04:00

I'm baaaaccckkk!! The weather has cooled off. I'm out of my first trimester so I'm feeling good. All I want to do is cook and bake so that's what I did this weekend. After a search on allrecipes.com for muffins I found a recipe I liked but I really wanted raisin ones so I made some small changes. These include whole wheat flour for a little added health benefit. Add to that the oats and pumpkin, I think we have something good here. And if you want to eliminate the butter, sub in some yogurt. I think they'd still come out most and delicious.

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
2/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.
Mix the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a mixing bowl until evenly blended. In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, milk, egg, and butter. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, just until all ingredients are moistened. Fold in the raisins. Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling to the top.
Bake in preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes.

Penne with Pesto and Sausage

2009-09-11T09:23:00.000-04:00

Here's a quick dinner I threw together with some pesto I had frozen a couple of weeks ago made from my very tall and growing way too fast for me to keep up basil plants. I added in 3 links of turkey sausage crumbled and whole wheat pasta to round out our meal. Another quick and well-rounded dinner for us on a weeknight.

Banana Bread - Low Fat

2009-09-10T09:11:00.003-04:00

I had two very large ripe bananas so instead of throwing them out I made banana bread. It's finally cool enough that I can turn my oven back on and banana bread is really so easy to throw together. I like this recipe because there is no oil or butter or eggs. The only really bad thing is the cup of sugar but I can accept that and you can even sub in Splenda to make it even less calorie-laden. The bread came out moist and delicious. It's a winner in our house.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 large or 3 small very ripe bananas mashed
1 cup sugar (or splenda)
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup light sour cream or low fat plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
2 egg whites

Combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium size bowl and mix together. In a separate medium sized bowl, mash the bananas and then add the remaining ingredients. Whisk them together until well-combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (I do it in thirds) and combine with a wooden spoon until the ingredients have been incorporated but don't mix too much or it will become gluey. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out dry. Let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a cooling rack before removing the bread from the pan.

Tallarene

2009-09-02T21:15:00.003-04:00

This blog has become the "I'm pregnant and hungry so feed me something good and quick" blog. Which is fine because maybe it'll bring some fast and easy recipes to others like me. Tallarene is something I had growing up and I love it. My Mom has since stopped making it but silly her doesn't know what she is missing. So thanks for passing it on Mom, you should really start making it again!

8 oz. whole wheat noodles
1 lb. lean ground turkey or beef
1 shallot, diced
1 can corn
1 can of string beans
1 can tomato soup
1 cup of water
Salt to taste

Brown the meat and onion together in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Drain. Add in the remaining ingredients and cook over a low heat, covered, for 15 minutes or until noodles are tender.

Yes, that's it!

Chicken and Avocado Quesadillas

2009-08-30T10:16:00.003-04:00

These are very simple to make but the flavors go so good together. Plus it's a quick weeknight meal and easy for just a couple.

2 chicken breasts, about 3-4 oz. each, chopped small
1 avocado, sliced thinly
4-5 oz. shredded mexican cheese
4 tortillas

Cook the chicken on the stove top. I used a garlic tex/mex spice mix to flavor it. Top a tortilla with 1/2 the chicken, 1/2 the avocado and half the cheese. Place the other tortilla on top and cook either on your stovetop until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese has melted or if you have a Quesadilla maker, it will do it for you. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Spicy Vodka Shrimp

2009-08-23T20:20:00.004-04:00

I thought of making this for dinner tonight while lying in bed this morning. It sounded so good and I knew I had everything I needed and it would be easy. It was. We had my brother over for dinner and this served us three with leftovers. Definitely one to try.

I do have to add that using uncooked, unpeeled shrimp is much better in my opinion than the precooked ones. They come out way less tough and chewy.

18 frozen, unpeeled, uncooked shrimp
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp butter
3 cups of vodka sauce
2-3 TBSP red pepper flakes
8-10 oz whole wheat spaghetti

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Place the frozen shrimp in a bowl of very cold water with some salt for about 30 minutes or until they have defrosted. Remove and peel the shrimp. I also cut the tails off to make them easier to eat. Pour about 1 TBSP of olive oil into a pan and cook the shrimp until pink, 2-3 minutes on each side. Add in the butter and garlic into the pan and saute about 1 minute. Stir in the vodka sauce and red pepper flakes and heat through. Serve over the pasta.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

2009-08-17T20:04:00.003-04:00

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It's my turn with these. They've been floating around the What's Cooking board and blogs I visit so I figured it was time to try them. They were great. The recipe I got was from Elly Says Opa but I did change it a bit to suit what I had in the house. Today was about 95 degrees so I grilled them on my indoor George Foreman grill and it was a success. Definitely an easy grilling dinner.

Burgers

1 lb. ground chicken breast
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp chopped garlic

2 TBSP pasta sauce per burger
Shredded mozzarella or sliced mozz or provolone (4 slices)

Mix together the burger ingredients. From into 4 patties and set aside to let the flavors meld. I let mine sit in the fridge for about 5 hours.

Grill on each side about 7 minutes. Top with the cheese and melt. Top with the sauce and enjoy!

Blueberry Pancakes

2009-08-16T19:42:00.002-04:00

This morning my stepdaughter Emma and I made some homemade blueberry pancakes. I am normally a pancake-from-a-box person but I wanted to make the effort to be more natural and have some fun with Emma so I found this recipe on the Cooking Light web site and it was perfect. It made 6 large pancakes for us. They were juicy and filling and we paired it with some scrambled eggs just to balance out breakfast a little. I did make one change, using fat free organic blueberry yogurt instead of plain and that just made it even sweeter. I also mixed the blueberries right in, instead of topping the pancakes with them on the griddle.

Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup vanilla fat-free blueberry yogurt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh blueberries

Combine the dry ingredients (first 7) in a large bowl and stir well with a whisk. In a separate smaller bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, except the blueberries, and mix well together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and combine with a spatula until there is no loose flour. Add in the blueberries and mix well.

Heat a griddle and cook until the pancakes are dry on the inside. There's nothing worse than a raw pancake! Sorry for the picture, I forgot to take one until right before we were going to eat!

Zucchini Pancakes

2009-08-13T19:53:00.005-04:00

I've made these before and for dinner a few nights ago I had the urge to have them again. This time I added a little more flour and they turned out perfectly. Not soggy at all!

1 zucchini, grated
3/4 cup of whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until well incorporated, making sure there is no loose flour in the bottom. Form into patties and cook in a pan on each side, about 7 minutes.

Turkey Spinach Meatballs

2009-08-02T18:24:00.002-04:00

I wanted meatballs but I also knew I needed veggies in my dinner. Enter the most wonderful creation--frozen chopped spinach. For $1 this is a true bargain. Not only in quantity but time-saving. Imagine chopping all that spinach... no thanks!

1- 10 oz. package chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of all it's excess water
1 package (1.25 lbs) of ground turkey
1 egg
3/4 cup bread crumbs
Fresh basil (as much as you desire, I used a little less than 1/4 cup)

Preheat the oven to 325. Combine all the ingredients well in a large ball. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Grab about 2 TBSP full and roll the mixture in your hands to form a ball and place on the cookie sheet. You should get about 18-20 meatballs out of this. Cook for 25 minutes in the oven. Remove and serve with your favorite sauce... in this case, vodka sauce! And of course serve with whole wheat pasta.

Spinach Meatballs and Vodka Sauce

2009-08-02T18:19:00.002-04:00

The neverending pasta parade. Maybe I should rename my blog. But whatever, I don't care, it's all delicious! I was in the mood for spaghetti and meatballs today but because I can't just throw a jar of sauce on frozen meatballs and pasta, I had to make my own. And it was worth it.

Vodka Sauce

1/4 cup butter
2 shallots, diced
1 cup vodka
2 cans of crushed tomatoes
1 pint of light cream

Melt the butter and saute the shallots until soft. Add in the vodka and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add in both cans of crushed tomatoes and simmer for another 30 minutes. Finally, stir in the cream and simmer for 30 minutes. You can add in garlic, crushed red pepper... whatever your heart desires, to give this sauce an extra kick but it's perfectly good on it's own.

See the previous post for the turkey and spinach meatballs that went with this.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-07-26T19:04:00.003-04:00

Simply delicious. I never liked the store bought cookies. Way too hard and fake tasting. And today I had the motivation to make them. And they are... simply delicious.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt

Evenly position 2 racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. on convection setting if you have it. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. If you only have 1 baking sheet, let it cool completely between batches.

Put the butter in a microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave on medium power until melted. Cool slightly. Whisk the sugars, eggs, butter and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.

Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon; take care not to over mix. Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared pans. Wet hands slightly and roll the dough into balls. Space the cookies about 2-inches apart on the pans. Bake, until golden, but still soft in the center, 12 to 16 minutes, depending on how chewy or crunchy you like your cookies. Transfer hot cookies with a spatula to a rack to cool. Serve.

Help Brooke, Joe and their Triplets!

2009-07-24T11:29:00.001-04:00

Brooke is a friend I met through a cooking board online. She is a wonderful woman and recently had 3 beautiful little babies premature. We're helping to raise money for the family to support the babies both in the hospital and when they get out. If you can spare a few extra dollars, it would be a wonderful way to help this loving family.

Chicken Parmesan

2009-07-22T18:29:00.003-04:00

I saw a recipe for eggplant parm the other day and I immediately knew I had to make it. Problem is I didn't have eggplant. So I went with the next best thing: chicken parmesan. It was awesome. Double dipping the egg and bread crumbs really gives it a good coating. And cooking it in so little olive oil makes you feel less guilty too!

3 TBSP olive oil
2 eggs and 2 egg whites, whisked
4 chicken breasts, 3-4 oz. each
1 cup of italian style bread crumbs
1/2 cup of 2% mozzarella cheese
Tomato sauce, whatever kind that floats your boat

Heat the oil in a large pan. Dip each chicken breast in the egg mixture letting the excess drip off. Then press into the bread crumbs. Repeat this process once and place in the hot pan. Cook the chicken on each side for 7 minutes. Top with the cheese at the end. Serve with your favorite pasta and sauce.

Cheesy Mac with Vegetables

2009-07-15T09:21:00.000-04:00

Okay, I think I need to stop posting pasta recipes for a while. It's getting a little out of control. Anyway, this one deserves a post because it is good and easy for a weeknight meal. I took Emma to the pool after we got home from work/camp today and still sat down to dinner before 6:30. Not too shabby. The recipe serves 5-6 generous portions and it is filling and yummy.

10 oz. whole wheat macaroni
1 bag of frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflower, defrosted and drained
1 can 98% fat free broccoli cheese soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1/2 cup shredded 2% cheddar cheese
1 cup of milk
2 tsp. mustard

Cook the macaroni according to directions. In the last minute, add the vegetables to the water, then drain it all together. In the same pot, add in the soups, milk, mustard and cheese and stir well. Heat under a low flame until the cheese melts. Mix in a large bowl or in the same pot the pasta and veggies back into the cheese mixture.

BLT Pasta Salad

2009-07-14T21:13:00.003-04:00

I saw this recipe for a BLT Pasta Salad on Elizabeth's edibles and I had to try it. What a great idea! It made a very large batch so tons of leftovers and it definitely satisfies the pasta craving and is ideal for the summer 'cause it serves cold.

12 ounces corkscrew-shaped whole wheat pasta
12 ounces lean bacon
3 medium ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
6 tablespoons chopped scallions
2 cups of lettuce, chopped

Cook the pasta according to directions. At the same time cook the bacon until crispy. Set aside to drain and cool. Add the tomatoes and garlic to the pan and saute for a minute. Crumble the bacon and toss in a large bowl with the pasta and tomato mixture. Blend together the mayo and sour cream and add to the bowl along with the scallions. Mix with the pasta until well combined and serve chilled.

Fancy Beefaroni

2009-07-09T21:06:00.002-04:00

Have I ever said I love pasta? Or can you just tell? Well I do. So again the other night, pasta was on the menu. I jazzed it up this time with some of my defrosted vodka sauce. I cooked up some ground beef (about 8 oz.) and combined it with some whole wheat elbows and the vodka sauce and voila. Delicious! I can't say enough about making a big batch of homemade sauce and freezing it. You'll thank yourself.

BBQ Indonesian Chicken

2009-07-05T12:03:00.006-04:00

I saw the marinade recipe at the blog Dinners for a Year and Beyond and since I knew we'd be BBQing chicken tonight I thought it would be perfect for us tonight. I used 5 drumstick and 4 chicken thighs skin on, bone in and we loved it. I left the chicken in the marinade for 6.5 hours and it seemed to be a good amount of time. I did make a few small changes to the original marinade to give it a more BBQ sauce flavor so here are my edits.

Marinade:

Combine the following ingredients in a bowls and whisk them together. Pour over the chicken into a large resealable plastic bag and marinate for 6 hours to overnight.

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tsp powdered ginger
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoons cumin
2 TSBP lime juice

Grill the legs for 20-30 minutes and the thighs for 45 minutes turning occasionally until the juices run clear and chicken is no longer pink. At the end brush on a small amount of BBQ sauce onto both sides of the chicken.

I'm at it again... pesto

2009-06-28T17:44:00.002-04:00

I love pesto. Have I said this already? I also have basil plants that are growing fast with all this rain so today I made 2 batches of sundried tomato pesto. One for dinner this week and one for the freezer. Make this, you won't be sorry.

Cold Spinach and Artichoke dip

2009-06-28T17:38:00.002-04:00

My sister moved into her new house this weekend so my husband and I made the (long) drive up to visit her and I brought some yummy cold spinach and artichoke dip. It was perfect for hanging out on the deck of her new home.

1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 package of frozen spinach, thawed (10 oz)
1 packet of Knorr vegetable soup mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1 container of light sour cream

I know it's easy but sometimes we forget that delicious doesn't always have to be hard!

Pepperoni and Cheese Calzones

2009-06-17T19:32:00.005-04:00

I am now into making my own whole wheat pizza dough so I used some that I had thawed for our calzones tonight. I split a ball into thirds and stuffed them with a blend of ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese. I layered pepperoni in them and baked them at 400 for 15 minutes. Perfect!

Baked Rotini Ziti with Turkey Sausage

2009-06-17T10:10:00.003-04:00

Can you tell I love pasta? As much as I tell myself I shouldn't eat it this much, I can't help it. At least I eat the whole wheat kind and always pair it with a salad so I don't over eat. Anyway, I made this on Sunday for dinner while we were waiting for our new refrigerator to arrive. I had to cook up the sausages and I'd been wanted baked ziti for a while anyway. It was delicious, cheesy and made 6 meals!

10 oz. whole wheat rotini (I used Heartland brand)
3 links of turkey sausage
1 egg
1 cup part skim ricotta
6 oz. 2% mozzarella cheese divided
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3-4 cups of homemade pasta sauce or your favorite jarred sauce

Cook the pasta to al dente. Cut the sausages into bite-sized pieces and brown until thoroughly cooked. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg, ricotta, 4 oz. of mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. Mix the sauce and pasta in with the sausage in the pan. Then mix in the cheeses until well blended. Pour into a 9x12 pyrex pan or other large baking pan and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Cook at 350 for 25 minutes.

Pasta with Sundried Tomato Pesto and Peas

2009-06-13T17:26:00.003-04:00

I used the sundried tomato pesto I made over the weekend to have a quick and easy late night meal. I cooked some chicken in a pan, added the pesto and frozen peas and presto, dinner!

Review: Green Pan

2009-06-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

I bought a Green Pan this weekend at Target on recommendation from my friend Robyn. The large one was $34.99 so I figured I'd try it. I always knew the non-stick stuff (mostly teflon) on pans was toxic but I just couldn't give up my non-stick. Stainless steel for me always turned into a mess so sadly, I stuck with my toxic, teflon pans. Well, now that there is an affordable version, I figured why not. Well, I loved it. I cooked my quinoa in it on Sunday night and it was easy to clean, cooked my food beautifully and performed just as my other pans.

I would highly recommend these if you're looking to become not just more healthy but also more environmentally friendly. Next week I'm going to go buy the small, omelet size pan. The only negative is that it didn't come with a lid and my other lids didn't fit. So I will need to find something but for now, I'm happy with what I've got. Thanks Robyn!

Greek Style Quinoa

2009-06-07T17:50:00.003-04:00

This was my first time making quinoa and I'm in love. It tastes surprisingly good (I thought it would be blah). It was easy too. I was actually scared of it because it was so small. I had no idea what it would turn into! But alas, I succeeded and everyone was happy. This definitely won't be the last time I make it. I do apologize for the picture. My camera just doesn't do extreme close ups but trust me, this is good.

1/3 cup quinoa, washed
1 cup low sodium organic chicken broth
1 shallot, diced
1-2 garlic cloves diced
1/3 cup feta cheese
1/2 cucumber, chopped
8-10 sundried tomatoes, chopped

Heat some olive oil or cooking spray (I used my olive oil mister from Williams Sonoma) and saute the shallot and garlic until it begins to brown. Add in the quinoa, salt & pepper and pour the broth over it. Cover and cook for 20-22 minutes or until all the liquid has been soaked up. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl to cool. Meanwhile, chop the cucumber and the sundried tomatoes (I had to reconstitute mine in boiling water for 5 minutes because they had dried out). Mix together the quinoa with the cucumber, feta and sundried tomatoes and refridgerate. Serve chilled.

French Toast

2009-06-07T17:43:00.003-04:00

My husband made us French Toast on Saturday thanks to his inspiration, watching the Food Network. I know there was cinnamon and powdered sugar on my bad boys but I also topped them with my own little strawberry sauce concoction. I took about 5 organic, frozen strawberries and mixed the with a teaspoon of sugar and about 3 tablespoons of water. I microwaved it for about 30 seconds and voila, a delicious topping for my French Toast!

Sundried Tomato Pesto

2009-06-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

I love pesto. I grow my own basil so I can have it whenever I want. I made some today to have during the week. Easy, requires just a small chopper, no cooking, minimal clean up. What else could you ask for?

1 cup basil leaves
2 TBSP toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
5 sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 clove of garlic
1/4-1/3 cup of olive oil

Wash and clean the basil. Place it in a chopper or food processor and top with the remaining ingredients. Pulse to your desired consistency. Freezes easily too!

Asian Chicken with Sesame Peanut Dressing

2009-05-31T19:53:00.003-04:00

I love Asian food. It rivals Italian food and I'm not really sure which is my favorite. I think it just depends on the day. Anyway, when I found this recipe on the Northwest Noshings web site, I knew it was something we had to have. I've made many versions of peanut sauces over the past couple years and this one definitely scored high on our list. I did make a few small changes to the original recipe so here's mine. Make this.... you won't be sorry!

2 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalepeno chiles, seeded, minced
1 1/2 cups unsweetend light organic coconut milk
1/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 TBSP lime juice
2 TBSP oriental sesame oil
2 TBSP minced, fresh ginger
1 TBSP honey
1 1/2 tsp hot sauce
1 small diced red bell pepper
1 shallot, diced
1 head of broccoli, chopped
9 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/4 inch wide strips
12 oz. whole wheat spaghetti
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Heat a little oil in a pan. Add the garlic and jalepenos, and saute until tender, about 3 minutes.
Combine the coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, ginger, honey and Tabasco in a medium-sized bowl and whisk until smooth. Add it to the garlic and jalapenos. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Heat the remaining oil in pan. Add the chicken and cook through, then add in the broccoli and sliced shallot and saute about 3 inutes. Put the sauce back into the pan and stir it together.
Top the pasta with 1/4 of the mixture and top with about a tablespoon of sesame seeds.

Lemon Pasta with Chicken and Asparagus

2009-05-26T19:14:00.002-04:00

I saw the original recipe for this on The Smitten Kitchen web site. I immediately tagged it, knowing it was right up my alley. Tonight I went to work and put my own spin on it and it was delicious. I used fresh basil instead of tarragon which we love and really brought out the lemon flavors. And because I didn't have goat cheese and didn't feel like going out to buy it, I though cream cheese would be a great substitute. And it was!

Serves 4

10 oz. Smart Taste rotini pasta or similar
1/2 pound asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into bite sized pieces
1/8 - 1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
4 oz. softened light cream cheese, broken up
6 oz. chicken, grilled or sauteed on the stove with seasoning
2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 lemon, juiced

Combine the lemon peel, basil, cooked chicken, lemon jice and cream cheese (break into pieces) in a large bowl. Cook the pasta according the directions and add the asparagus in for the last 2 minutes. Do not drain the pasta! Add two ladels of pasta water into the bowl. Now drain it! Pour the pasta and asparagus into the bowl and mix it all together well. The cheese should melt forming a nice creamy sauce. Salt & pepper and serve!

Memorial Day Dinner

2009-05-25T12:42:00.003-04:00

Happy Memorial Day everyone! As someone who is married to a veteran, the daughter of a veteran, and who has had many relatives serve and a few even die, this day does mean something to me. So to all veterans and families of those who have served and do still serve our country, a very special Thank You for all you've done to keep the USA free.

Now onto the dinner I made last night. I will confess, I've never bought bone in chicken. But Stop & Shop had a good price on their Nature's Promise brand so I went for it and bought some bone-in chicken thighs. I couldn't have been happier. It was so delicious and most, I am making this more. I cooked it on a medium to high heat on the grill for about 45 minutes, flipping them about every 10 minutes and then the last 5 minutes, we slathered both sides with BBQ sauce. It was too easy.

We had fresh corn bought that day from the market as well, along with a pasta salad with avocados and turkey bacon. I don't think any of us spoke while eating except to say how good this was.

Banana Berry Smoothie

2009-05-20T11:53:00.006-04:00

It's a warm and beautiful day here in NJ and after doing some house work, I needed something cold and filling. A smoothie it is! I love my immersion blender because it makes having one of these practically mess-free. Very little clean up, unlike a blender. I highly recommend one. If you prefer your smoothie a little thicker than just leave out the milk from the step below.

1 banana, sliced
6-8 mixed frozen organic berries
1 cup fat free organic strawberry yogurt
2 TBSP organic 1% milk

Place the ingredients in a large cup and blend to desired consistency.

Simply Delicious Tomato Sauce

2009-05-17T19:35:00.004-04:00

I've been working on perfecting tomato sauce for a couple years now. Originally my friend had passed along a recipe from her friend so I've been using that as my basis. I've made some changes and I think today's batch may just have been the best so far. Maybe it was the fresh basil I picked from the yard about 5 minutes before adding it in, maybe it's the organic tomatoes, or maybe I just got the measurements down. In any case, this one was good!

2 TBSP olive oil
1 small can tomato paste
1-1/2 cups of water
2 large (28 oz) cans of organic crushed tomatoes
2 shallots, diced
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 TBSP dried oregano
Salt & pepper, about 1 tsp of each

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven. Saute the shallots and carrot for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add in the garlic and saute another 3-5 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add in 1 cup of the water and the can of tomato paste. Mix thoroughly and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Then add in the crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt & pepper and the remaining water. Mix together well and put the heat on low. Slowly simmer for 1-2 hours or until the sauce has thickened. This makes quite a bit of sauce, almost a half gallon, so go ahead and freeze some in containers for later use. It will still be just as good!

Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks

2009-05-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

My friend Colleen over at Cooking This and That gave me this great recipe for baked fish sticks. My family loves them but I have a hard time buy them because they are so unhealthy. These are the perfect way to health-ify fish sticks. They are baked, not fried and the panko breading makes them so crispy. My step daughter Emma proclaimed that we MUST have these soon again. We loved them. Colleen's original recipe used tilapia but for ours, I used Wild Caught Alaskan Cod that I got at Trader Joe's (love that place).

For our dipping sauce, I mixed organic ketchup with horseradish and voila--cocktail sauce!

Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks
Makes about 3 servings

1 large egg
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cups panko
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning (I used seasoned salt)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound cod filets

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F, with racks in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil.

Cut cod filets in half lengthwise, and then again the other direction. If they are still too thick. Cut them in half again.

Crack egg into shallow bowl, add about a tablespoon of water and lightly beat with fork. Season with salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, combine panko, Old Bay, and olive oil.

Dip each tilapia stick into egg, shaking off the excess; then into panko mixture, pressing mixture so that it sticks.

Place on prepared baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes, until panko is lightly browned and fish is cooked through. And PS, they shrink so if you want bigger ones cut your filets only lengthwise.