Recipe Wednesday

Recipe Wednesday

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law Holly!  It's a meal that will last all week in your lunch box if you take your lunch to work like I do.  It was fantastic and I can't wait to make it again! :-)

After it is done in the oven...camera flashes and tinfoil do not mix!

Best. Sandwich. EVER! 

Stuffed Deli Sandwich

1 loaf french bread

1/2 lb. thin sliced deli ham (honey ham)

1/2 lb. thin sliced turkey (peppered s best)

1/2 lb. thin sliced roast beef

Deli swiss cheese to cover the length of bread

1-2 cans of drained mushrooms

Topping

1 stick of butter

2 tsp. minced onion

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. dry mustard

ground rosemary

Cut bread lengthwise.  Stack meat, mushrooms, and cheese on the bottom half of the loaf.  Top with other bread 1/2.  Put in tin foil pouch or make your own pouch...make sure that you have it sealed up tight on the bottom if you make your own.  Melt butter and add rest of topping ingredients and blend well.  Pour butter mixture over bread in foil.  Wrap up well and bake @ 350 degrees for 35-40 min. 

*Next time I make it, I will probably just do a spread or something different with the topping...not sure yet!

Recipe Wednesday

Recipe Wednesday

Easy Chicken Santa Fe

I was totally sold on the when I saw "easy." 

And I am throwing this together as I speak type...lets hope it is delicious!

EASY CHICKEN SANTA FE
From: http://www.recipegirl.com/

One (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed & drained
One small bag frozen sweet corn (or 2 cans, rinsed & drained)
1 cup bottled chunky salsa
6 skinless chicken thighs (or 6 skinless chicken breasts- see tips below)
One (8 ounce) package cream cheese (low fat is fine), cut into chunks
1 cup shredded cheddar

1. In a slow cooker, mix beans, corn and 1/2 cup salsa. Top with chicken and pour remaining salsa over the chicken. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours, or until chicken is tender and cooked throughout.

2. Remove chicken to a cutting board and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return chicken to slow cooker along with cream cheese. Stir and let cream cheese melt into the mixture to create a creamy sauce.

3. For serving: You can serve the chicken & sauce over rice with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese on top. Or you can serve these as tacos with cheese and a couple of taco fixings such as lettuce and tomato.
Serves: 4 to 6
Cooking Tips:

*For chicken, the thighs will turn out more moist and tender than the breasts in a slow cooker. I used bone-in thighs and removed the skin. After the 3 hours, I removed the thighs, cut off the chicken, discarded the bones and returned the chicken to the slow cooker. You can use breasts too, just be sure not to overcook them or you’ll run the risk of drying them out.

*If you’re watching your weight, you can most certainly leave out the cream cheese. It makes an awfully yummy sauce, but the corn/beans/salsa/chicken mixture would also make for an excellent dinner over rice or inside tortillas.

Recipe Wednesday.

Recipe Wednesday

Brownies.....

They seriously make my day...

And I TRY to stay away from them...

Because otherwise I usually eat WAYYY more than I should. 

So, my best advice to you if you happen to swoon over brownies as I do...make a pan, take them to somewhere that will have lots of hungry people, eat one, let them eat the rest. 

I made these for my mom's birthday cake...her birthday was on the 9th, Sunday.  I have 4 brothers and 1 little sister...the brownies disappeared quick. 

My plan worked!

Also, I have one kind of boxed brownie that I truly love...it's a Hershey's kind...otherwise...not a fan of the boxed variety...I like to be able to pronounce what is going into my food.  And when you make things homemade, this is possible!

Ok, here it is.

Molly's Most Absolutely Favorite Brownies

In a glass mixing bowl, combine:

• 3/4 cups melted Butter
• 4 squares un-sweetened baking Chocolate ( I used cocoa, the crossover is on the side of the cocoa container.)
Microwave Butter and Chocolate until melted (on high about 2 minutes)

Add:
• 2 cups Sugar, then mix
• 3 large Eggs, then mix
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1 cup Flour, then mix
• 1 cup large Walnut pieces and chunks of premium-grade Bar Chocolate (Gently fold in – don’t over-mix)

Stir Sugar into Chocolate until well blended – stir in Eggs and Vanilla, mix in Flour, stir in Nuts and Bar Chocolate. Pour into a 9×13 buttered baking dish and bake 30-35 minutes and 350° (325° in glass pan), until toothpick in center comes out with fudgy crumbs (do not over-bake).

Recipe Wednesday

Recipe Wednesday

I made these for the cheerleaders Christmas party tonight, Jason tried one to "make sure they were ok"...Thanks Jason! : )

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1 3/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
 
1. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth. Beat in 2 eggs, pumpkin, and 1/3 cup water until well blended, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. In another bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg; stir or beat into butter mixture until well blended. Spread batter evenly in a buttered and floured 10- by 15-inch baking pan.



2. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, remaining egg, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until smooth.


3. Drop cream cheese mixture in 24 evenly spaced 1-tablespoon portions over batter. Pull a knife tip through filling to swirl slightly into batter.


4. Bake in a 350° oven until center of pumpkin batter (not cream cheese mixture) springs back when touched, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan, then cut into 24 bars.

Recipe Wednesday

Recipe Wednesday

What have I got for you today??  Well, it is a one ingredient kind of recipe....one frozen banana!!  Sometimes I add a spash of milk if my food processor is whining...

It is creamy, silky, and healthy...I am in love.  Also, one banana makes a TON of whipped banana...ah..so good

Here's the mix...
Place a peeled, cut into chunks banana into a ziploc baggie and insert into your freezer.  I usually let mine freeze overnight.  Next, take out food processor and place banana in and whip...it will look like nothing is going to happen and it is just going to stay like little chunks of banana, but keep processing, and you will get a creamy delectable dessert that is guilt free!!  Add some milk while processing if your food processor is screaming and not getting the job done, that should take care of it!

Add ins that are optional:  chocolate chips, peanut butter, peanut butter chocolate chips, you get the idea??  I want some NOW!! Enjoy!!

Recipe Wednesday

Recipe Wednesday

I love love looooovee no bake cookies.  They are seriously, just might possibly be...my most favorite cookie, eva.  No lie.  And the best part is they are so EASY!  Here's a recipe for you to try, sometimes I make them into bars instead and they are a little easier to store. 

1 3/4 cups white sugar

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.

Recipe Wednesday-Thanksgiving Style!

Recipe Wednesday

Hello! Happy Thanksgiving a day early to you all! Here's today's recipe...it's my favorite Thanksgiving food!

Pumpkin Pie



1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
1 piece pre-made pie dough
Whipped cream, for topping

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.



Recipe Wednesday

Recipe Wednesday

This was AH-MAZING!  Make it NOOOOOWWWW!!! : )  You will want it for supper every night! I found it on How Sweet It Is. 

(Sorry for the awful flash picture!) (Need to invest in better picture taking lighting in our kitchen!)

Crunchy Honey Chicken Stir Fry

1 pound thinly sliced, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 egg whites
1/3 cup cornstarch (or flour – for dredging)
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
a handful of sugar snap peas (about 3/4 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare and slice all veggies – feel free to add whatever you would like. In 2 separate bowls, add the egg whites (lightly beaten) and the cornstarch or flour. (The cornstarch will yield a “crispier” chicken). Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add veggies with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add in olive oil and stir so veggies are coated. Remove from skillet and set aside in a bowl.

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat the same skillet (or you can use a different one, I just use the same to make it easier) over medium-high heat and add remaining olive oil. Dip chicken pieces in egg whites and then lightly dredge in cornstarch. Add to the skillet and let brown for 2-3 minutes, then flip. Continue with remaining chicken pieces, and do so in batches if needed.

Once chicken is cooked, add veggies back in the skillet. Add honey and thoroughly mix to combine. Taste and season with salt, pepper, additional honey or soy sauce. Serve with rice.

Recipe Wednesday

Recipe Wednesday

Have the weeks been flying by for you like they have been for me?  Man, I feel like I just can't keep up with what day it is anymore... :) 

Anyway, here is your recipe for Wednesday...I have been meaning to make these for a long time, but just haven't buckled down and done it yet!  So maybe Friday?  Hmmm... we shall see! :)

Ingredients

Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour


2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda


Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.


To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Recipe Wednesday

Recipe Wednesday

Today I have recipe for you that I have not tried yet, but decided to post about anyway.  It is called Jalapeno Bread.  My future sister in law Bridget told me about it, as she had tried it and loved it!  I hopefully will be able to give this recipe a try in a few weeks!  I just need to buys some yeast and jalapenos...as I have neither!

Cheddar Jalapeño Bread

Ingredients
1 teaspoon active dry yeast (less than a 1/4-ounce package)
1 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon warm water (105-115°F)
4 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh jalapeño, including seeds and ribs, plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh jalapeño,
without seeds and ribs (from 3 medium total)
5 ounces coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar (1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons)
1 1/2 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (3/4 cup)
1 large egg, beaten with a pinch of salt
Special equipment: a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment

Prep:
Stir together yeast and 1 tablespoon warm water in a small bowl; let mixture stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If it doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
Mix together flour, salt, oil, yeast mixture, and remaining 1x cups warm water in bowl of mixer at low speed until a soft dough forms. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 3 minutes more. Add jalapeño, 1 1/2 cups Cheddar, and 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano and mix until combined.
Scrape dough down side of bowl (all around) into center, then sprinkle lightly with flour. Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) to keep a crust from forming and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled in bulk, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. (Alternatively,let dough rise in bowl in refrigerator 8 to 12 hours.)
Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and gently form into a roughly 11- by 8-inch rectangle with floured hands.
Fold dough in thirds (like a letter) with floured hands (dough will be sticky), pressing along seam of each fold to seal.
Put dough, seam side down, in an oiled 9- by 5-inch loaf pan. Cover pan with same clean kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until dough completely fills pan and rises above it slightly, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
Brush loaf with egg, then sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons Cheddar and remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano down center of loaf.
Bake until bread is golden and sounds hollow when tapped on bottom, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Run a knife around edge of pan to loosen loaf, then remove from pan to test for doneness.

Return bread (not in pan) to oven and turn on its side, then bake 10 minutes more to crisp crust. Cool completely on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.



Recipe Wednesday

Recipe Wednesday

This week I decided to make a casserole.  It turned out good, and of course I adapted the recipe to my own taste I chose to make an Italian Pasta Bake.  It is really quite tasty, not hard to make, and keeps well. 

Ok, so obviously this is NOT my picture, but it looked very similar to this one!  My lighting for my pictures of my bake was not good...so sorry! 

Here's the recipe!  I used whole wheat pasta, and it wasn't ziti, but it was tube shaped like those are.  Rotini maybe?  And I did not have any turkey italian sausage, so I used ground turkey.  I think it would have been really good with turkey sausage though! 

Italian Pasta Bake

Ingredients

1 (1-pound) package uncooked ziti (short tube-shaped pasta)
1 pound hot turkey Italian sausage links
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese


Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain the pasta, and set aside.

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

I had a request to make a certain recipe for next week, so I think I will give it a try...if you have a recipe you want me to try leave a comment and I will see what I can do!

Recipe Wednesday...I didn't forget!

Recipe Wednesday

Well, I made last weeks recipe (Cannoli French Toast), but used some different ingredients for filling. 
Check it out!

Have you ever had Greek yogurt?  It has a different consistency than regular yogurt, more creamy I guess, thicker for sure.  Anyway, I used one of these instead of the ricotta that the recipe called for.  This was a strawberry yogurt, and it made breakfast awesome!  I didn't add any powdered sugar to the filling because the yogurt was already sweet.

Sprinkled with powdered sugar...yum!

Just the right consistency for Cannoli French Toast!  I have also used the plain Greek yogurt in place of mayo when I make tuna and chicken salad.  It takes out ALL the fat!  And my husband couldn't tell the difference! 

My favorite thing about Greek yogurt is how much protein is in 5oz...10 grams!  That's huge!  With only 80 calories this is a great product to use!

Ok, on to the real star of this post...this weeks RECIPE!

Monster Cookies...who doesn't love them?!  I adore monster cookies!  I found this recipe and noticed that it does NOT contain corn syrup, not something I have seen before, and it also has zero flour, only oatmeal, and oatmeal is a whole grain...so they must be healthy right?? Are you with me! So I tried it! 

These. Cookies. Rocked. 

They were still chewy, with a crunchy outside...and the batch makes a TON! 

I put M&M's, chocolate chips, and Jason wanted to put in chocolate covered raisins, so we did...and they were a hit!  Here's the recipe!

Monster Cookies

1C. softened butter

2 C. brown sugar

2 C. granulated sugar

18 oz. peanut butter (I use creamy)

6 eggs

4 t. baking soda

9 C. quick cooking oatmeal

12 oz. of chocolate chips

8 oz. M&M's

optional

1 C. raisins

1/2 C. walnuts

Cream butter and sugars together; mix in pb, eggs, and baking soda until smooth.  Stir in oatmeal, then stir in choc. chips, M&M's, and raisins/walnuts if desired.

Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.  These cookies can be frozen very well...it makes a lot of them so watch out! 



Recipe Wednesday...it's something new!

Recipe Wednesday

Have you ever had a cannoli?  I hadn't had one until Jason and I went to New York last year in December to visit his cousin Michelle and her boyfriend Jack.  They took us to a pastry shop in Little Italy and we had one there...they.are.so.gooooood!

Seriously...get your hands on one of these...

Now, back to Recipe Wednesday...this is a recipe I found that I am for sure going to try maybe Sunday morning.  It is called Cannoli French Toast, and it looks yummmy!!

Cannoli French Toast

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar plus more for dusting

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

12 slices sandwich bread, crusts removed

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Sift confectioners' sugar into a small bowl, then stir in ricotta cheese. In a medium bowl, beat together 2 eggs and 1/2 cup milk.

Trim the crusts off 12 slices of sandwich bread and using a rolling pin, roll out the bread to flatten. Add 1 Tablespoon of the sweetened ricotta cheese to each slice, fold over and pinch the edges together. (The edges will seal during cooking.)

In a large skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive over medium heat. Working in 3 batches, dip the stuffed bread slices in the egg mixture and transfer to the skillet. Cook, turning once, until puffed and golden, about 3 minutes. Dust with more confectioners' sugar before serving. Syrup is good too.

So, as for Recipe Wednesday, be prepared to see some food I have either made or plan on making in the near future.  Hope you enjoy!