In My Cupboard

Coming To An End

2010-01-21T17:27:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking it over for some time and I think I will be ending this blog. I will leave this up, so that those who view the blog and come back for recipes. But I will no longer continue to post to this blog. I will still continue to post recipe on my another blog, but only when it is a delicious meal worthy of a post.

It was fun while it lasted.

Thanks.

Chicken and Dumplings

2009-12-15T07:40:00.002-06:00

The other week when I was grocery shopping I accidentally grabbed cream of celery instead of cream of chicken. I have never used cream of celery and had no idea what to do with it. I searched high and low on the internet to find a good recipe to use it in. I came across this chicken and dumplings recipe and it was delicious! It was incredibly simple and only has four ingredients, (though many reviews I read people adjusted by adding more things, but I thought it was delicious the way it is).
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 cans cream of celery
salt and pepper
1 pkg refrigerated biscuit dough

In a large pot over high heat, combine the chicken with enough water to cover, and boil for 15-20 minutes. Drain some of the water, reserving 3 cups in the pot. Remove chicken and allow to cool, then pull it apart into bite size pieces, return to pot. Reduce heat to medium, and add the cans of cream of celery. Season with salt and pepper. Pull biscuit dough into pieces, and add to the soup. Simmer over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, or until dough is cooked through. Serves 4.

California Rolls

2009-11-25T21:38:00.003-06:00

I love sushi! I could eat sushi every day. Honestly I could! For my birthday my husband bought me a sushi rolling mat, so I had to try it out. Even if you don't have a rolling mat you can make sushi too. And I didn't use raw fish. I used imitation crab, avocado and cucumber. It was delicious. It tasted like regular California Rolls, but weren't as pretty as a professionals. Rice Ingredients:

3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups uncooked Japanese medium-grain rice*
3 cups water

Sushi Ingredients:

3 sheets or sushi nori (seaweed in big squares)**
1 large cucumber
1 avocado
Fresh lemon juice
imitation crab sticks

* Only use Japanese rice in sushi making. It is a medium-grained rice and gets sticky when it is cooked. Long-grained American rice will not work because it is drier and doesn't stick together.

** Sheets of thin seaweed which is pressed and dried. As a general rule of thumb – good Nori is very dark green, almost black in color.

Making sushi rice:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Heat mixture just until the sugar dissolves (do not let it boil). Remove from heat and let cool until ready to use. Start preparing the rice approximately 2 hours before you want to make the sushi rolls. Wash rice, stirring with your hand, until water runs clear. Place rice in a saucepan with water; soak 30 minutes. Drain rice in colander and transfer to a heavy pot or rice cooker; add 4 cups water. NOTE: To improve the texture of the rice, after rinsing, let the rice drain 30 minutes in the refrigerator before cooking (put the strainer with the rice in a large bowl to catch the water). If you don't have a rice cooker, place rice and water into a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; bring just to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let rice rest, covered, for 15 additional minutes. When rice is done cooking and resting, transfer to a large bowl; loosen rice grains gently with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon by cutting and folding (do not stir, as this will crush the rice). NOTE: Either use the rice soon after preparing it, or cover it with a damp cloth to keep it moist. Do not refrigerate the cooked rice. Sprinkle the cooled rice vinegar mixture over the rice, mixing together as you sprinkle (add enough dressing to coat the rice but not make it damp - you may not need to use all the vinegar dressing). Spread the hot rice on top of a large sheet of aluminum foil and let cool.

Preparing sushi ingredients:

Wash, peel, and seed cucumber. Slice in half lengthwise, then cut into long, slender strips. Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, then remove the pit; cut each section in half again (lengthwise), and carefully remove the peel. Cut the section in long slender strips. Sprinkle the sliced avocado with lemon juice to keep from discoloring. If you are using snow, crab, remove the crab meat from the thicker portion of the legs and cut in half lengthwise. If you are using imitation crab sticks, remove the plastic wrapping and cut each in half lengthwise. Place the cucumber slices, avocado slice, and crab slices on a plate; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to use.

Rolling Sushi:

Lay the bamboo sushi rolling mat on a cutting board with bamboo strips going horizontally from you. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the bamboo mat (shiny side down). Place the nori on top of the plastic wrap . Spread a thin layer, 3/4 to 1 cup, of rice over 3/4 of the nori leaving approximately one inch of uncovered nori at each end Note: It helps to wet your fingers with cold water when you are patting the rice onto the nori. Arrange strips of avocado and cucumber along the center of the rice; top with crab meat. Lacing your fingers on the ingredients, carefully bring the bottom end of the rolling mat and the plastic wrap up and over the ingredients (tucking the end of the nori to start a roll). Pull back the rolling mat and plastic wrap, as necessary, so it does not get rolled into the sushi. NOTE: Roll tightly with firm pressure. Continue rolling the sushi and pulling back the rolling mat and plastic wrap, as necessary, until you have approximately 1 to 2 inches of the top of the nori showing. Rub a small amount of cold water on the edge of the nori and bring the nori around so that it completes the sushi roll. Gently squeeze the rolling mat around the sushi roll until it is firm and forms an even roll (be carefuly not to squeeze too hard, as you may crush the ingredients or squeezed them out). Wrap the plastic wrap around the roll and set aside until ready to cut. Refrigerate or for longer storage. Repeat with remaining nori sheets to make additional rolls.

Cutting sushi rolls:

Place rolls on a flat cutting board and remove plastic wrap. Using a sharp knife, slice the sushi roll first down the middle. From there you can cut it into 6ths or 8ths, whichever you prefer (wet the knife between each cut to make it easier to cut and keep the rice from sticking to the knife). Turn the cut California rolls on end and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with wasabi, soy sauce, and pickled ginger. Always serve sushi rolls at room temperature.

Salmon & Bok Choy

2009-11-25T21:34:00.003-06:00

I discovered this recipe from a blog I read. I really like bok choy but dont' find many recipes calling for it. The lime in the sauce is a great addition and a little bit of salt on salmon makes it taste so good. It really doesn't need anything but a little salt and pepper to make it taste amazing. It was so easy to make!

1 cup brown rice
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
4 teaspoons canola or peanut oil
4 salmon fillets (4 to 5 ounces each)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 head bok choy (1 1/2 pounds), cored and chopped

Cook rice according to package instructions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, and agave, if using. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high. Season salmon with salt and pepper and cook until opaque throughout, 1 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to a plate. Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel.In same skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium. Add garlic and bok choy; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing, until bok choy is bright green, about 3 minutes. Serve salmon and bok choy with rice and soy-lime sauce.

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

2009-11-19T11:24:00.003-06:00

My Dad came into town on business and typically he takes us out to dinner when he is here. Except this time it was a Sunday, we don't go out on Sundays, and I wanted to make dinner for him. I think I've only cooked for him one other time. He is usually up for anything and I know he doesn't get Tilapia regularly. This dish was delicious! I made some lemon rice to go with it and from Trader Joe's a frozen bag of vegetables in a balsamic buttery sauce. Yum! Tilapia is a really mild fish, and takes on the taste of the seasonings you use.

(photo courtesy of allrecipes.com)

4 tilapia fillets
3 T lemon juice
1 T butter, melted
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 t parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Rinse fillets under cool water, and pat dry with paper towels. Place fillets in baking dish. Pour lemon juice over fillets, then drizzle butter on top. Sprinkle with garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper. Bake in preheated oven until the fish is white and flakes when pulled apart with a fork, about 25 minutes.

Lemon Rice

2 cups chicken broth
1 cup white rice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons melted margarine

In a two-quart baking dish, mix together all ingredients except the broccoli. Bake at 325° F for 50–60 minutes until tender.

Alfredo Sauce

2009-11-17T08:50:00.004-06:00

I love Fettuccine Alfredo, but I never make it mostly because I think the jars of Alfredo sauce are more on the pricey side. I'm a cheap-o when it comes to grocery shopping. Why spend money on a name brand when you can by generic? Unfortunately, not all generic brands are good. So we go without. I discovered this recipe for Alfredo sauce and it's delicious and so quick and easy. And I bet you have all the ingredients sitting in your cupboard or fridge. 1/2 c butter
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
2 t garlic powder
2 c milk
6 oz grated Parmesan cheese
black pepper to taste
salt to taste
oregano to taste
basil to taste

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and seasonings. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long. Toss with hot pasta to serve.

Sloppy Joes

2009-11-04T20:58:00.003-06:00

Whenever I hear sloppy joes, I think of the SNL skit with Adam Sandler singing, "slop, slop, sloppy joes." Anyone else? No? Nevermind. I typically don't enjoy sloppy joes. It reminds me of a child's food, but then again whose to say I can't enjoy simple foods. However, I don't think I've ever had homemade sloppy joes. I normally have Manwich or the likes. So if you typically snub sloppy joes, first try this recipe. It was so yummy! It had a nice sweet taste. I actually doubled the recipe because I like mine, "extra sloppy" (billy madison? anyone?)

1 lb ground beef
1/4 c chopped onion
1 t garlic powder
2 t mustard
1 1/2 c ketchup
6 t brown sugar
salt to taste
black pepper to taste

In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef and onion; drain off liquids. Stir in garlic powder, salt, pepper, mustard, ketchup and brown sugar; mix thoroughly. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Stir Fry with Szechwan Sauce

2009-10-31T15:02:00.003-05:00

I used to make stir fry a lot with using the sauce in a jar from the grocery store. I didn't really like the taste so I stopped making stir fry all together. Until a few months ago I came across this recipe for a Szechwan sauce. It makes stir fries delicious! It's spicy, so it's not for the weak! I made it with shrimp, but you can do any type of meat, and I use a frozen bag of mixed vegetables. You can usually find a bag that is specific for stir fries. Either serve with rice or noodles. 3 T olive oil
red chili peppers
2 t ginger
2 t garlic
5 T sugar
5 T ketchup
5 T vinegar

Mix all the ingredients together. I use a seasoning of red chili peppers and I put about a teaspoon in, but depending on how spicy you want it add more or less. When making it into a stir fry cook your vegetables and meat and toward the end add the sauce and let it simmer with the vegetables and meat.

Corn Chowder

2009-10-28T14:18:00.004-05:00

A few weeks back I attended a church activity and they instructed us on how to make corn chowder. The original idea was to serve it in a pumpkin or instead of bowls us acorn squash that's been cooked, but I did neither of those. I typically don't like corn but I really like this corn chowder and it's so simple to make and it makes a lot. 1 pint cream
1/2 lb bacon
2 cans creamed corn
2 cans corn (or a frozen bag)
2-3 potatoes
Cajun seasoning
parsley
basil
salt and pepper

Peel and cut potatoes into small cubes. Place in a pot with water covering the potatoes. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. Meanwhile cook bacon and chop. Drain half of the water. In a crock pot add all ingredients and potato water and season to taste. Let cook for 3 hours.

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

2009-10-14T21:11:00.004-05:00

A friend of mine just had her first baby, so I offered to make her dinner one night. Enter the tricky problem, she has a gluten allergy and cannot eat pretty much most of my good recipes. Well I headed to Trader Joe's because their aisle are full of gluten free products. Dinner was planned, but I had to include a dessert, that's the best part. Luckily while I was visiting in Utah I was browsing a magazine and came across this recipe for flour less chocolate cookies. I went ahead and made them and guess what?! They are yummy! I really enjoyed them. The only problem was I put the dough on wax paper and they stuck, horribly stuck to the wax paper. My suggestion, grease the cookie sheet and skip the wax paper.

3 c powder sugar
2/3 c Dutch process cocoa powder
1/2 t coarse salt
5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 c chopped nuts

preheat oven to 325. in a large bowl whisk together sugar, cocoa, and salt. Stir in chocolate and nuts. Add egg whites and stir just until incorporated (do not over mix). Drop dough onto two parchment lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake 25 minutes.

Rice with Roasted Shrimp

2009-09-25T14:23:00.003-05:00

week 2/day 4
This recipe was good but it could have been better. It calls for arborio rice, but since I have a lot of long grain white rice I decided I'd just use that. Which it worked but I would eliminate the white wine (or the white wine vinegar I substituted with). I think a green vegetable along the side would make this meal even better. And a warning, when you bite into a grape tomato that's been in the oven, it's VERY hot.

2 T olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 c rice
1 c dry white wine (or white wine vinegar or disregard)
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 lb frozen peeled deveined shrimp
2 pints grape tomatoes
thyme
2 cloves garlic, sliced

Heat oven to 400. Heat 1 T of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft. Add the rice and wine and cook, stirring, until the wine is absorbed. Add 2 c water and salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, over low heat until the water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the shrimp, tomatoes, thyme, garlic and remaining oil and salt and pepper. Roast until the shrimp are cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Serve over rice. Serves 2.

Steak with Potato-Parsnip Mash

2009-09-25T14:05:00.004-05:00

week 2/day 3
This was your basic steak and potato meal with a slight variation. I have never had parsnip before. Basically I think it taste like a carrot. It looks like a carrot only white, but it was a nice addition to the mashed potatoes. We added some grated cheese on top and it made it delicious. Why is cheese so good? It was super quick and easy to make. Perfect for a busy day.1/2 lb Yukon potatoes, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 lb parsnip, cut into 1 inch pieces
kosher salt
black pepper
1/2 c milk
2 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 1/2 lbs sirloin steak

Place potatoes and parsnip in a large pot. Cover with cold water an bring to a boil. Add 2 t salt, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 15-18 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Mash with milk, butter, salt and pepper. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season steak with salt and pepper. Cook to desired doneness, 4-6 minutes per side for medium rare. Serve with potato-parsnip mash. Serves 4.

Pork Chops and Garlicky Broccoli

2009-09-23T11:16:00.003-05:00

week 2/day2
I was brave enough to have pork chops again. Every time I hear the words "pork chop" I think back to when my parents wouldn't let my sister leave the table until she ate her pork chop. btw she hates pork. Anyways, this was a quick fix dinner. I didn't think the broccoli was very garlicky. If you want it more add 2 more cloves of garlic. Otherwise it's a really simple meal when you are running low on time.1 c white rice
3 T olive oil
4 pork chops (original recipe called for bone-in, I used boneless)
kosher salt
black pepper
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T soy sauce

Heat oven to 400. Cook the rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat 1 T of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with salt and pepper to taste and cook until browned on both sides. Transfer to a baking dish and place in oven let cook about 20 minutes or until cooked through. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli, garlic, soy sauce and 1/3 c water. Cook covered, until broccoli is tender. Serve with pork and rice. Serves 4.

Chicken Posole

2009-09-22T10:27:00.005-05:00

week 2/day 1
I love Mexican food. LOVE IT! The husband, not so much! But with following the Real Simple menu for a month we ate it. I really liked chicken posole. Definitely a meal for a cool day (which was not yesterday). I made some adaptions to the chicken. The recipe called for shredded rotisserie chicken, which would have been a lot easier, but my way was cheaper. I took about six chicken breasts and thawed them. Then seasoned with red pepper and oregano, wrapped in three different tin foil packets and baked at 450 for about 30 minutes. Then I used a fork to shred the chicken. Yum! Chicken posole has a nice spiciness to it and the lime added some good flavor. 1 T olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
black pepper
32 oz chicken broth
1 can 28 oz diced tomatoes
1/4 crushed red pepper
2 cups shredded chicken
1 can hominy, rinsed (you can find hominy in the Mexican aisle and it comes in a 29 oz can, at least that's all I found, and I used the whole can)
1 lime, cut into wedges

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/4 t of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in the chicken and hominy and simmer until heated through. Serve with lime. Serves 4.

Roasted Pork with Brussels Sprouts and Apricots

2009-09-19T08:01:00.003-05:00

week 1/day 4
I took a chance with this recipe. I don't like pork and I have never had Brussels sprouts but have not heard good things about them. I took a greater risk by having dinner guest over for dinner. However everyone really enjoyed it. My mother-in-law said the Brussels sprouts were the best she's ever had, the apricot was great with them. The corn and cornbread (batter left over from the night before) were a great addition to the meal.
2 T olive oil
1 1/4 lb pork tenderloin
Kosher salt
black pepper
12 oz Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
1/4 c dried apricots, chopped

Heat oven to 400. Heat 1 T of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the pork with 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 6-8 minutes. Transfer pork to a baking dish and place in the oven and roast until cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Rest before slicing. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts, apricots, 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper and cook, tossing until the Brussels sprouts are just tender. Serve with the pork. Serves 6.

Spicy Orange Glazed Drumsticks with Green Beans

2009-09-17T20:00:00.004-05:00

week 1/day 3
The only suggestion I have for this, is it needed more of an orange flavor and it definitely wasn't spicy. Besides that it was really good. It's a keeper. I've been racking my brain on how I can make it have a more orange flavor. I would suggest doubling the orange sauce and to put the sauce on again right after you take it out of the oven. I made the cornbread from scratch and it was a great, easy recipe. This is most definitely a kid friendly meal.

1/4 c orange marmalade
1/2 t chili-garlic sauce
8 chicken drumsticks
Kosher salt
black pepper

Heat oven to 400. In a small bowl, mix the marmalade and chili-garlic sauce. Season the chicken with 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper. Roast on a foil-lined baking sheet until cooked through, 35-40 minutes, brushing with the marmalade mixture during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Serves 4.

Cornbread

1 c all-purpose flour
1 c yellow cornmeal
2/3 c white sugar
1 t salt
3 1/2 t baking powder
1 egg
1 c milk
1/3 c vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into a muffin pan or a lightly greased 9 inch round cake pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serves 12.

Beef and Bok Choy Stir Fry

2009-09-16T20:17:00.004-05:00

Week 1/Day 2
Another success! We are two for two. Again this was a simple, quick dinner. This was the first time I've use flank steak. I'm still learning the many different cuts of meat and this was a new one for me. I got it London broil and wasn't quite sure how to cut it so it ended up in pieces instead of strips. Nonetheless it was delicious. The sauce had a strong ginger taste, which I liked. I'll definitely be using it again.

1 c rice
1 T olive oil
1 lb flank steak, thinly sliced
kosher salt
black pepper
4 heads baby bok choy, quartered
1/4 c soy sauce
2 T rice vinegar
1 T ginger
1 T brown sugar

Cook the rice according to the package directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the streak with 1/4 t each salt and pepper and cook, turning often, until cooked through, 3-4 minutes. Transfer the steak to a plate. Whip out the skillet. Add the bok choy and 1/4 c water and simmer, covered, until tender, 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and sugar. Add to the bok choy in the skillet and bring to a boil. Add the steak and any accumulated juices and cook, tossing, until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Serve over rice. Serves about 4.

Tilapia with Bell Peppers and Olives

2009-09-15T18:42:00.004-05:00

Week 1/ Day 1
It's official we've kicked off our month of ALL NEW recipes. First up was fish. I was a little nervous for this because I really only like salmon. I figured this could go two ways a) good b) horribly bad. Luckily it was the first. It was good. We both liked it, well minus the olives for dearest husband. It didn't have an overly fishy taste. Really it took on the taste of the other ingredients. I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a fish entree. I reduced the amount of bell peppers and onion because two peppers and a whole onion would be way too much for us. I used a half of each and since I had sliced green olives I used what I had. I will probably make it again. Especially since Tilapia was cheap!

2 T olive oil
2 tilapia fillets
kosher salt
black pepper
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c pitted green olives
1/2 c parsley
2 T fresh lime juice

Heat 1 T of oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season fish with 1/4 t each salt and pepper and cook until opaque throughout, 4-5 minutes per side. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a second skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the peppers and onion, stirring frequently, until tender, 8-10 minutes. Stir in olives, parsley and lime juice. Serve with fish.

A Menu For a Month

2009-09-10T16:28:00.001-05:00

...starting next week I will be following the dinner menu schedule that Real Simple has put together for a month, minus a week I'm in Utah. I will post EVERYTHING on ...In My Cupboard... so that you all can try it too. I will do my best at keeping it up to date. Forgive me if I don't get it up the day after, I have a active 6 month old that thinks he needs to roll, crawl, scoot all over the place.
There are only a few meals I won't make because they include goat cheese or gnocchi (I had a bad experience with that). I will find substitutes for those. The magazine provides five meals for four weeks. The greatest thing about this they lay out my grocery list. To not think about a grocery list for four weeks will rock! Stay tuned...

Grilled Salmon

2009-09-09T07:03:00.005-05:00

Okay, technically, I didn't grill this. We don't have a grill. If you'd like to donate one to us I would be happy to take it. So I used the trusty oven. (Though if you have a grill, grill it). As you can tell we love Salmon in this family. Other fishes are too fishy and don't taste as good. This is very similar to this recipe, but it has a lemony taste to it. 1 1/2 lb salmon fillets
lemon pepper
garlic powder
salt
1/3 c soy sauce
1/3 c brown sugar
1/3 c water
1/4 c vegetable oil

Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic and salt. In small bowl stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in plastic bag and pour mixture over the fillets. Refrigerate for one hour. Preheat grill to medium heat. Lightly oil grill grates. Place salmon on grill. Cook for 6-8 minutes per side. OR preheat oven to 450. Lightly grease baking sheet. Cook salmon for 15 minutes. Serve with vegetables or rice.

Misson Complete

2009-08-27T20:02:00.001-05:00

I guess I've completely my mission to find the best cookie, because the husband told me that these triple chocolate chip cookies are the perfect cookie. Seriously, go make them! You won't be disappointed.

Ratatouille

2009-08-25T10:39:00.003-05:00

I searched high and low for a meatless meal that I know my husband would eat. It's really starting to become a real challenge. I stumbled across this recipe and it looked really good. Then I discovered that it had a lot of cheese on it, and I recently discovered I'm lactose intolerant. No meat and no cheese in a meal. What can you eat? None the less I went a head and made the meal. Half with a lot of cheese, half with a sprinkle of cheese. I really enjoyed this meal. So did said husband, for being meatless.

1 T olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 chopped onion
2 c peeled and chopped eggplant
2 c chopped zucchini
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 can diced tomatoes
1 T basil
1 T parsley
1/2 t salt
1/8 t black pepper
8 0z frozen cheese ravioli (I didn't use frozen but a bag and followed the directions on the bag)
3/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2 1/2 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir garlic, onion and eggplant until vegetables are soft. Stir in zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes, basil, parsley, salt and black pepper, bring to a boil and stir frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until vegetables are tender. Cook ravioli according to directions on package. Spread cooked ravioli in a layer on the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon vegetables over the ravioli and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling. Serves 6

Chicken Pot Pie

2009-08-20T20:00:00.003-05:00

I've always wanted to make a chicken pot pie. I really like chicken pot pie, mostly the crust. Every time I think of chicken pot pie I think of Marie Calendar's frozen chicken pot pies, which honestly aren't good and I don't know why I think of those. This recipe was delicious. I used a frozen bag of vegetables, frozen peas and fresh celery. I also made my own pie crust, which can be a little tricky and if you aren't up to it don't feel ashamed using prepackage crust.

(photo courtesy of allrecipe.com)

Crust

1 c shortening
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 t salt
1 c cold water

Mix shortening, flour, and salt together with a fork or a pastry blender until very crumbly. Add as much water as needed to hold together, and mix lightly with a fork. Roll gently, one crust at a time, on a floured pastry cloth, to about an inch larger than pie plate. Fold carefully in half. Lift to pie plate, and unfold. Fit into pan. Makes 2 pie crust.

Filling

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 c sliced carrots
1 c frozen green peas
1/2 c sliced celery
1/3 c butter
1/3 c chopped onion
1/3 c all-purpose flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1 3/4 c chicken broth
2/3 c milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.) In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-08-19T21:13:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite things to make is chocolate chip cookies. I always use the Nestle Tollhouse recipe but I make my own adjustments to what I think will make them better. So far I've discovered using half butter (real, unsalted butter) and half shortening plus a teaspoon of baking powder. Ever since I was younger and made cookies for my brother I was always on a mission to have the best chocolate chip cookies. This time around I made it with three types of chocolate chips; semi-sweet, white, and milk chocolate. They turned out really good! Everyone who likes a different type of chocolate will be satisfied with one cookie.
2 1/4 c all purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 c butter, softened (very important it's only soft)
1/2 c shortening
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c milk chocolate chips
1/4 c white chocolate chips
1/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips (or you can do it in any variation, we prefer milk chocolate)

Preheat oven to 375 and spray cookie sheets with cooking oil. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. In a larger bowl beat butter, shortening, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoon. Bake for 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.

For High Altitude: Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 t water to flour and reduce both sugars to 2/3 cup each.

*You can wrap dough in plastic wrap and then again in foil and freeze. Then let thaw to make cookies for another day.

Lasgana Cassarole

2009-08-12T09:56:00.003-05:00

When I had my little boy back in February we got this delicious meal from a friend one evening. It was really good and what I think of comfort food. Just what I needed after having a baby. I got the recipe a while back but never got around to making it, as you can see it makes a lot of food for just two people. The only problem I ran into is no grocery store in the area sells provolone cheese in block form. So I bought deli slices and used my magic bullet blender to shred the cheese. It's really simple to make and it's great for left overs, which we'll be having all week. Warning: it's definitely not low on fat! But high on taste. 1 lb ground beef
onion flakes (to taste)
8 oz shredded provolone
8 oz shredded mozzarella
4 oz shredded Parmesan
1 c sour cream
1 lb rotini noodles
jar of marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe's)
parsley

Cook noodles. Cook beef and onion until done then add marinara sauce and simmer for 20 minutes. Mix noodles with beef and marinara. Take 1/2 of noodle/beef mixture and spread in a 9x13 pan. Spread 1/2 c sour cream, then 1/2 provolone, mozzarella and Parmesan. Sprinkle with parsley.. Repeat steps one more time. Cover and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Uncover the last 10 minutes to make a little crispy. Serves 6-8.

tip: you can half the recipe for smaller servings

Balsamic-Glazed Salmon

2009-07-31T07:06:00.005-05:00

I'm still on my search for finding delicious salmon recipes. Without having a grill I often find myself at a dead end. I keep coming across recipes using a cedar plank to cook the salmon on the grill, but I always have to skip over them because I can't put a cedar plank in the oven. This recipe was very good. It has a distinct taste, due to the balsamic vinegar. It was quite and easy to do, which is always a winner.

4 salmon fillets
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T white wine vinegar
1 T honey
1/3 c balsamic vinegar
4 t mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 T oregano

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Over medium heat cook and stir garlic, white wine, honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for about 3 minutes. Arrange salmon fillets on baking sheet and brush with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with oregano. Bake for 12 minutes, or until flesh flakes. Brush fillets with some glaze and serve over rice.

Caramel Apple Pork Chops

2009-07-29T19:29:00.004-05:00

It's like apple pie for dinner! I'll admit I do not enjoy pork chops. I don't enjoy pork unless it's slathered in BBQ sauce or some kind of sauce that masks the taste. But my husband does enjoy pork chops and I'm sure he is getting sick of chicken, salmon and meatless. I sucked it up and made this recipe. Now for you other pork chop haters, and I know you are out there, you can substitute the chops for chicken. But the apple part of the dinner was delicious.
4 thick pork chops
1 t olive oil
2 T brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 t cinnamon
18 t nutmeg
2 T unsalted butter
2 tart apples (I used Pink Lady Apples), chopped

Preheat oven to 175 degrees and place a medium dish in the oven to warm. Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Brush chops with oil and place in hot pan. Cook for 5-6 minutes turning occasionally, until done. Transfer to warm dish and keep in preheated oven. In a small bowl combine all ingredients except butter and apples. Add butter to skillet and stir in mixture and apples. Cover and cook, until apples are just tender. Pour over chops and serve.

Maple Glazed Salmon with Pineapple

2009-07-21T09:44:00.005-05:00

This was a delicious salmon recipe. I'm yet to find one that I don't enjoy. We absolutely love salmon in this family. I probably could eat it everyday, okay maybe not every day but at least twice a week. This was super easy to make and while the recipe says it takes 40 minutes it really can be done in under 30 minutes. I always made some adjustments to the recipe, which worked out for the better.

1/2 c maple syrup (I just used Mrs. Butterworth, that's all I have)
2 T mustard
4 6 oz salmon fillets
1 1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t black pepper
whole fresh pineapple
1 jalapeno, chopped finely
2 c cooked rice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Meanwhile whisk together maple syrup and mustard over medium heat, bring to boil. Simmer until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside. Place salmon on foil lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Slice the peel from the pineapple and cut into chunks. Scatter pineapple and jalapeno around salmon. Brush with half syrup mixture. Bake for about 15 minutes or until salmon is done. Serve with rice and drizzle remaining sauce over rice. Serves 4.

Jambalaya

2009-07-16T18:01:00.003-05:00

We must really like the South because it seems we are having a lot of food originated from the South. This time we had some delicious jambalaya. It's very similar to the gumbo I make. It's definitely not for the weak. It's has a kick to it, it's so spicy it makes my husband's nose run. If you don't like a lot of spice you can eliminate the Cajun seasoning and do less of the other seasonings. Serve it over some rice.

1/2 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 lb andouille chicken sausage, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 c chopped celery
1 c chicken broth
2 t dried oregano
2 t dried parsley
2 t Cajun seasoning
1 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t dried thyme
1 lb shrimp

In a slow cooker mix all ingredients except the shrimp. Cover and cook for 7-8 hours on Low or 2-4 hours on High. Stir in shrimp for last 30 minutes.

Chicken Florentine & Pasta

2009-07-12T18:52:00.002-05:00

This was a delicious and easy meal to make. I was able to do most of the work ahead of time and then just pop it into the oven when I was ready for dinner. I served it with some rotini pasta but any type of pasta would work great with it.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast
1/4 c butter
3 t minced garlic
1 T lemon juice
2 c fresh spinach
1 T Italian seasoning
1/2 c half and half
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 can cream of mushroom
2/3 c bacon bits
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Place the chicken breast on a baking sheet, bake of 25 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove from heat and set aside. Increase oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, lemon juice, cream of mushroom, Italian seasoning, half and half and Parmesan cheese. Stir constantly. Arrange spinach over bottom a 9x9 baking dish. Cover the spinach with half of the mixture. Arrange chicken in pan and cover with remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned.

Old Bay Shrimp Fest

2009-07-10T18:13:00.003-05:00

My husband's grandparents live right on the beach in North Carolina near the boarder of South Carolina, so whenever we go we eat good Southern food. Well we are heading there at the end of Summer and I'm looking forward to the fresh shrimp and crab! To get us ready I made this shrimp fest, just like good ol' Southern cookin. It was delicious. I was originally going to make hush puppies to go with, but I didn't find the corn meal and I didn't have time to shop around so instead I grab a box of Trader Joe's cornbread. Best decision! If you haven't tried it I highly recommend that! And in place of vegetable oil use applesauce, in fact do that with any cornbread recipe. But if you are in the mood for some Southern style cooking, try this, you will be satisfied! You can usually find Old Bay seasoning and the meat and seafood counter in the grocery store and I eliminated the beer.

1/2 C Old Bay Seasoning
2 T salt
4 quarts water
1 can beer
8 red potatoes, quartered
8 ears fresh corn, broken in half
4 pounds large shrimp in shells

In a large pot, bring Old Bay, salt, water and beer to boil. Add potatoes and cook for 8 minutes. Add corn and boil for 7 minutes. Add shrimp for about 4 minutes. Drain cooking liquid and pour contents into a large bowl. Serves 8.

For a real fun way of eating it. Dump contents onto a new paper covered table and just eat off the table.

Special K Cookies

2009-07-10T09:54:00.000-05:00

Once a month at my husband's work they have a Friday Birthday treat day. Every other month my husband brings treats. Well at about 9:00 at night the night before he tells me he needs to so he throws some frozen cookie dough in the oven, forgets to set the timer and burns them. It's now 9:30 and we still need to whip something up and all I can think about it taking a shower and going to bed. Then I remembered I had a box of Special K cereal in storage and some peanut butter. My Mom would always make these cookies. They are delicious and incredibly easy to make.

1/2 c sugar
1 c corn syrup
1 c brown sugar
pinch of salt
2 t vanilla
1 1/2 c peanut butter
5 c Special K cereal

In a medium saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, brown sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Add vanilla and peanut butter and blend together until smooth. In a large mixing bowl mix the peanut butter mixture with the cereal until cereal is covered. Lay out wax paper and drop scoops of peanut butter cereal in tablespoon sizes. Let cool and they will become firm. Enjoy!

Angel's Pasta

2009-07-08T13:11:00.003-05:00

It's getting to be a challenge to find vegetarian meals that I know my husband will eat. I try to focus on a lot of vegetables and usually pasta because those are pretty basic and enjoyable. This one turned out really good. I had some left over sliced olives in the fridge so I added that to the mix and it was great. Instead of mozzarella I would try feta cheese. I really enjoy cooking without meat some times because the meals take very little time to make.

8 oz angel hair pasta (I used thin spaghetti)
1 T crushed garlic
1 T olive oil
2 zucchini, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
3 tomatoes, chopped
12 leaves fresh basil
4 oz shredded mozzarella

Bring a larger pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Pour in oil and saute garlic until golden. Stir in zucchini, salt and pepper. Saute 2 minutes, then mix in tomatoes and cook a few minutes more. Chop basil and add to vegetables right before mixing with pasta. Combine pasta and vegetables. Serve topped with mozzarella. Serves 6.

Cupcake Bites

2009-07-04T12:59:00.007-05:00

A while back I was talking with my sister in law and she was telling me about these cupcake bites her friend gave as wedding favors. She was there to help and told me about how you do it. Well I was intrigued by this concept. Cake rolled into balls and coated with candy? That must be good. And how hard could it be? So I set out for the challenge and I found the exact recipe. Since it's July 4th and we have a BBQ to attend I'll break them out there and impress. Let me tell you it's pretty easy, except when it comes to the dipping the cake in a candy coating and getting it to look seamless. Needless they turned out pretty good. I used vanilla flavored candy melts, but I'm sure chocolate flavored would taste yummy.1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13x9 cake)
1 16 oz can frosting
1-3 pkg candy melts (Micheal's or any craft store carries this, it's by Wilton), it's for the cupcake bottoms and coating
Candy Cup mold

After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into a large bowl. (The texture should be fine/fluffy).
Using a spoon mix thoroughly with frosting. Roll mixture into quarter size balls (make sure they are smaller in diameter than that of your candy molds) and lay on wax paper covered cookie sheet. Chill in freezer for a few minutes, until slightly firm, but NOT frozen. Melt one color of candy melts in microwave, according to package directions.

Using a frosting bag squeeze each mold cavity about half way. Place one of rolled balls into it until the force causes the candy to push up and fill around the sides of the ball. Stop pushing once the chocolate reaches the top edge.

Place the mold tray filled with cupcakes in the freezer for a few minutes to let the candy set. Remove and then gently pull on the cake ball top to release from candy mold. Holding the bottom of the cupcake, dip the top into another color of melted candy. Decorate if you want. Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2009-07-02T17:20:00.003-05:00

My Mom made this meal frequently when I was growing up and now it's become a favorite in my household. It's the prefect mixture of sweet and sour. I've had many different type of sweet and sour chicken and this is by far my favorite. Make sure you cover the chicken well with the cornstarch and that it gets crispy when cooking in the wok. Also make sure you using a glass baking dish.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 egg
cornstarch
vegetable oil

Cut chicken in to 1 inch strips. In a wok or a frying pan pour enough oil that will cover chicken. Dip chicken in beaten egg then cornstarch. Cook in wok, until golden crispy. Remove and place on a paper towels to absorb excess oil. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a glass baking pan pour chicken and sauce* in pan. Cook for 1 hour turning every 15 minutes.

*Sauce

3/4 c sugar
4 T ketchup
1/2 C white vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1/2 t garlic powder
(I often double the sauce)

In a saucepan over heat mix all ingredients together until sugar is dissolved.

Part Time Vegetarians

2009-07-02T11:42:00.003-05:00

I discovered this website when searching for reusable swim diapers for my four month old. I love this website and just the other day there was an article on part time vegetarians. Before I had even read this I established it into our weekly menu. It really does cut cost and we are eating way more fresh produce then we ever have. Following this allows us to eat fish, shrimp and red meat more regularly. I also feel better not always eating meat. I've now upped it to two nights a week. And my husband doesn't complain, too much. I'll get him converted eventually. I encourage everyone to become par time vegetarians as well. You'll notice the difference, especially in your grocery bill.

Soy and Ginger Ribeye

2009-07-01T15:15:00.003-05:00

Sunday dinners have always been a "special" meal for the week. Growing up it was usually a roast. This Sunday I decided to do a special dinner and made this soy and ginger ribeye recipe. Again this is probably so much better on the grill, but seeing as we don't have a grill I opted for the stove instead. It really didn't take any time, except preparing the marinade ahead of time so that the meat could, well you know, marinade. I paired it with some sweet potato fries, which I declared on Sunday that I enjoy so much more than regular fries. It was a delicious meal. The meat was very tender, but that also depends on where you buy your meat. I'm a huge fan of Trader Joe's, inexpensive and great selection. (If you have one near by seriously shop there you won't go into a chain grocery store again.) And don't forget to add corn since it's that time of the season!

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup real maple syrup
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup Sprite
4 (10 ounce) beef rib eye steaks

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic, ginger root, sesame oil, and hot sauce; mix well to blend. Now add Sprite, and stir lightly to mix. Place steaks in a casserole dish, and pour marinade over. Using a fork, punch holes in steaks so that the marinade penetrates into the steaks. Turn steaks over, and repeat punching holes. Cover with clear wrap or foil, and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or longer. You can also refrigerate and marinate overnight. Grilling: Prepare and preheat barbecue to high heat. Place steaks directly on grill and sear one side for about 15 seconds. Turn steaks over and cook for about 5 minutes, then turn over and cook for another 5 minutes for medium-rare, depending on thickness. Stove: Add a little olive oil to pan and let heat up on medium heat. Place meat in pan and good for about 5 minutes on each side. Test for doneness by cutting into the middle of the steak.

Turkey Meatloaf

2009-06-29T15:52:00.005-05:00

I'm not a fan of hamburger and Keith has made comments how he loves meatloaf but I've never made it since I can't eat hamburger. So, a compromise...Turkey Meatloaf. I ate it and actually enjoyed it and Keith loved it.

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb Lean Ground Turkey

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 egg

3/4 cup ketchup, divided

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 350ºF. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; cool 5 minutes. Add turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, 1/4 cup ketchup, Worcestershire, salt and pepper to onion mixture; mix well. Pack into an 8- x 4-inch loaf pan. Spread remaining 1/2 cup ketchup over top. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until no longer pink in center and internal temperature of loaf reaches 165ºF. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before slicing.

Makes 5 servings.

Simple Salmon

2009-06-28T08:22:00.003-05:00

This is one of our favorite recipes for Salmon. It's incredible simple but so tasty. I bake it in the oven, but I really like it when it's done on the grill. This is the way I ate Salmon growing up and my parents always cooked it on the grill. So if you have a grill go ahead and do it on the grill, just make sure you have fish holders (not sure of the real name) so the fish doesn't fall through the grates. Add a wedge of lemon to it and it's delicious.
1 lb salmon
seasoned salt
dill
lemon, cut in wedges

Season salmon with seasoned salt to taste and a dash of dill. (The dill reduces the fishy smell and taste). Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet either use cooking spray or olive oil to prevent salmon from sticking. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Or until opaque. Serve with rice and broccoli. Squeeze the lemon over the salmon.

Tip: Fish continues cooking even after it's been removed from the oven or grill.

Chicken Roll-Ups

2009-06-27T07:09:00.000-05:00

This is one of my husband's favorite meals. I'd consider it his comfort food. They are super easy to make and can even be made ahead of time. It's a pretty cheap meal too. This is probably a meal the rotates more frequently in our menu line up. When ever I make these my husband likes to sneak some of the dough from the crescent rolls, I find it disgusting, but he loves it and I love him so I let him usually sneak some dough. I will usually add some rice if I'm feeding a lot of people.

4 boneless skinless chicken breast
8 oz pkg of cream cheese
4 T margarine
2 c bread crumbs
salt and pepper
1 pkg Pillsbury 8 crescent rolls
can of cream of chicken
1/2 can of milk

Cook chicken all the way through (I used the tin foil method, but anyway gets the job done). Cut into small chunks. Mix together cream cheese, 2 T margarine and chicken. Salt and pepper to taste. In two bowls melt the other 2 T of margarine and in the other bowl pour the bread crumbs. In each roll wrap about 2 T of cream cheese mixture. Fold and then dip in margarine then bread crumbs. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees. For 20 minutes or until golden brown. Heat cream of chicken and milk to make a gravy. Serves 4.

Chewy Caramel Popcorn

2009-06-26T15:19:00.003-05:00

The other day I was having a conversation about caramel popcorn with my friend and we were both wanting it right then. Well we never made it. So I jumped at the opportunity to make it for a ladies night I attended. It was a "Chicks & Chocolate" theme but I decided someone is going to want caramel too. Besides caramel and chocolate go together, second in line to peanut butter and chocolate. I got this recipe back in a foods class from high school and it is the best one I've ever had. I don't like hard caramel popcorn, but this is chewy and so good. There was a ton left over so I've been munching on it, which can't be good for my semi-diet I'm on.

1 3 oz microwave popcorn (I used butter, but I'm sure it would taste good with extra butter or air pop 4 cups)
3/4 c brown sugar
6 T margarine
2 T light corn syrup
1/4 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t vanilla

Pop popcorn according to directions. In a saucepan combine brown sugar, margarine, corn syrup and salt and melt. Bring to a boil, stir constantly. Let sit on heat for 5 minutes. Take off heat and add baking soda and vanilla. Pour over popcorn. Let cool. Enjoy!

Cashew Chicken

2009-06-26T09:29:00.004-05:00

Cashew Chicken

10 3/4 oz can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom

1/3 cup of Milk

1 4 oz can of sliced mushrooms

2 cups of baby carrots

1/2 cup of whole cashews

2 Diced up Chicken Breasts

Optional: 1 cup of sliced celery
Combine Cream of Mushroom and 1/3 cup of milk in slow cooker, mix well. Chop baby carrots in half. Add mushrooms, baby carrots and celery to crock pot, mix well. Place diced up chicken into crock pot, mix well. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Add cashews approx. 30 minutes prior to serving. Serve over brown rice with a side of steamed broccoli.
Serves 3-4 adults

Haystacks

2009-06-24T19:00:00.005-05:00

A super easy meal that tastes delicious is Haystacks. This is on our weekly rotation.

1 8 oz. can of pineapple tidbits

1 2.25 oz. can of sliced olives

chow mein noodles

1 12.5 oz. can of chunk chicken (or 1-2 diced up and cooked chicken breasts)

1 10 oz. can of cream of chicken

1/3 cup of milk

grated cheddar cheese

1 cup of rice

optional toppings: diced celery, diced tomatoes

Cook rice using your preferred method. About 5-10 minutes before rice is done heat cream of chicken, chunk chicken and milk in sauce pan on stove pan just until warm.

Serve sauce and toppings over desired amount of rice.

Banana Bread

2009-06-24T10:36:00.003-05:00

I mentioned previously how I had 13 bananas in my freezer waiting to be put into banana bread. Which I did. 2 large loaves and 3 mini loaves later here it is. It's a simple recipe. No yeast. No waiting for bread to raise. I only made a few alteration to the original recipe, as I do to most recipes. And it's a prefect turn out. It's important that you have enough bananas otherwise it will end up a little dry and make sure to wrap the bread when are done or it will dry out.

2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
1/4 t salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 c mashed bananas (5 medium)
1 c sugar
1/4 c cooking oil
1/4 c melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of one 9x5x3 or 7 1/2x3 1/2x2 loaf pan; set aside. Combine flour, baking, powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix together. In a medium bowl combine eggs, bananas, sugar, oil and butter. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). Bake for 55-60 minutes for larger pan, or 40-45 minutes for smaller pan, or until toothpick comes out clean in the center. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. To keep wrap in plastic wrap and again in tin foil.

Gumbo

2009-06-22T18:36:00.003-05:00

When I was about a week away from delivery we tried everything possible that could induce labor, including spicy food. We have a Cajun restaurant in town that we went to and I got some spicy food and gumbo. It was delicious gumbo, but looked disgusting. I decided to make my own gumbo that would look and taste delicious. Needless, none of the spicy food helped induce labor but I found a new favorite recipe for us. It always makes enough for dinner and plenty for left overs. I recently discovered chicken sausage and replaced that instead of pork sausage and it's much better.

1 lb Italian sausage links, sliced
1 lb uncooked, peeled and deveined shrimp
3 T vegetable oil
1 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 t dried thyme
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t cayenne pepper
3 c chicken broth
2/3 c uncooked rice
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (I used a fresh tomatoe this time and it was just as good)

In a large pot brown sausage in oil. Meanwhile in a crockpot combine all other ingredients except shrimp. Add sausage to crockpot. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Add shrimp. Cook for another hour or two. Gumbo should be thick. Serves 12.

Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-06-20T15:22:00.006-05:00

I buy bananas almost every time I go to the store but they usually end up brown before I can eat them all. So what do I do? I throw them in the freezer until I have time to make banana bread. Well this time it got a little out of hand. I had THIRTEEN, 13, bananas sitting in my freezer taking up precious freezer space and not getting put into banana bread, much to my husband's dismay. Well I set out to make banana bread, but after I doubled the recipe and had 2 large loafs and 3 small loafs I still had 3 bananas waiting to be put in something. Then I came across this recipe in Cooking Light. I already enjoy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies so why not add a little banana. And the nice thing is it reduces the butter and sugar in the recipe so I don't feel as guilty eating one. One cookies has 115 calories and only 3.6 g of fat.

1/2 c mashed banana (about 1 medium)
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/4 cu softened butter
1/4 sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/4 c flour
2 c oats
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add egg, beat well. In a medium bowl combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Stir. Add flour mixture to banana mixture beat until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop batter by tablespoon onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 18 minutes or until golden. cool on pans. Enjoy! Yields: 2 dozen Serving size: 1 cookie

Lemon Asparagus Chicken

2009-06-18T21:25:00.004-05:00

I'm a huge fan of the crock pot. It makes it so easy to cook, especially when I have a little one at home who doesn't always allow me to spend an hour whipping something up. Most of the time it takes less than 10 minutes to throw everything into the pot and turn it on. One of our favorites is Lemon Asparagus Chicken.

1 10 3/4 oz can of Campbell's Cream of Asparagus

2 Medium Sized Lemons

2 Chicken Breasts

Combine Cream of Asparagus and juice from 2 lemons in crock pot, mix well. Place chicken into crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Serve chicken and cream sauce over whole wheat thin spaghetti with a side of asparagus.

Serves 2

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

2009-06-18T18:05:00.003-05:00

This is a nice take on baked chicken. It definitely is more spicy than sweet but it's enjoyable. I love recipes that requires little preparation and I can just cook it in the oven. I gives me time to spend with my little baby. Plus with the summer around the corner (yes around the corner because it seems like it just keeps raining) it's great to just pop it in the oven and go do what you enjoy. Just don't leave the house with the oven on. The original recipe called for a whole chicken but I used some chicken breast. Serve with some pasta, rice or vegetables.

1 T olive oil
1 T chili powder
1 T brown sugar
1 t dried oregano
3/4 t kosher salt
1/4 t pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

Heat oven 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the oil, chili powder, sugar, oregano, salt and pepper. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place the chicken in a roasting pan and rub with the spice mixture. Roast until cooked through, 45-50 minutes. Server hot, room temperature, or chilled.

Sour Cream Chicken & Veggies

2009-06-17T16:51:00.002-05:00

This is a new take on cream of chicken and rice recipe. It is super easy. It's one of those last minute idea meals. I'm sure everyone has a can of cream of chicken, sour cream, rice and chicken in your cupboards or freezer. I spiced up the original recipe because it just seemed to blah. And it called for white wine but seeing as I don't keep it in the house I used water instead and it tasted great. I baked some veggies in tin foil like this and it made a complete dinner.

Sour Cream Chicken

1 c sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/3 c water
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast
garlic salt
Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350. Combine sour cream, soup, and water. Season with garlic salt and Italian seasoning to taste. Mix well. Place chicken breast in 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour mixture over chicken and bake for 1 hour. Serve over rice.

Tri-Tip Steaks, Sweet Potato Fries & Sugar Snap Peas

2009-06-14T23:06:00.004-05:00

Lately I seem to be hearing more about sweet potato fries and how delicious they are. I already knew that sweet potatoes are good for you so I decided to take on the task of making sweet potato fries. And what could be better then a steak to go with and a side of sugar snap peas in a lime, ginger dressing? The only down side with the sweet potato fries is they don't get crispy like regular potatoes that you deep fry, but I'll take baked fries over deep fried any day. It was a delicious meal.Sweet Potato Fries

3 sweet potatoes
1 t salt
1 t Italian seasoning
1 t lemon pepper
1 T olive oil

Preheat oven to broil. Cut sweet potatoes into thin slices, about 1/2 inches thick. On a baking sheet spread potato slices evenly and sprinkle with olive oil and seasonings. Bake for about 40 minutes, turning them over half way through. Serves 4.

Tri Tip Steak

Tri Tip Steak (depending on amount serving)
kosher salt

Season steak with kosher salt and bake in same oven as fries for 15 minutes rotating after every 5 minutes.

Sugar Snap Peas

8 oz sugar snap peas
1 T ginger
1 T fresh lime juice
1 t kosher salt

Mix all ingredients together and let sit in fridge for one hours, at least. Make sure to coat peas well. Serve cold.

Greek Pasta with Tomatoes and Beans

2009-06-12T11:10:00.002-05:00

Here is a healthy pasta dish. It contains whole grain pasta, tomatoes, spinach and black beans. The last two are "super foods." Remember when I mentioned super foods? Seriously you should eat them more because I'm guessing most people don't get enough. Since my dear husband can't handle more than one meatless meal a week I made this pasta a side to the Greek Style Rib-Eye Steaks. It was a great combination. But the pasta would have been good on it's own too.

1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
10 oz chopped fresh spinach
8 oz whole grain penne pasta
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese

Cook pasta in a large pot until al dente. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes and beans in a skillet. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add spinach to the sauce, cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly. Serve sauce over pasta and sprinkle with cheese. Serves 4.

Eggplant Parmesan

2009-06-09T12:56:00.003-05:00

I was a little skeptically when I decided to make this. I had never had eggplant in any form and I was more nervous that my husband wouldn't like it. But it turned out great. I loved. Husband loved it. It was easy to make. The hardest part was peeling and cutting the eggplant, and that wasn't very hard. It's a great alternative to chicken.
1 eggplant peeled and thinly sliced
1 beaten egg
1 1/2 c Italian seasoned bread crumbs
3 c spaghetti sauce
8 oz mozzarella cheese
1/2 grated Parmesan cheese (use fresh)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dip eggplant in egg, then bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes on each side. In 9x13 baking dish spread sauce to cover, Place layer of eggplant then sprinkle with cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients ending with cheeses. Bake for 35 minutes. Serves 4.

Sour Cream & Blueberry Pound Cake

2009-06-07T20:53:00.004-05:00

Blueberries are a "super food", or rather any berry is. They can reduce your odds of heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, and are full of anti-oxidants, hence why they can reduce cancer odds. It's important to eat them regularly, frozen or fresh are the best. I found this recipe from the lovely Martha Stewart. (Okay maybe not lovely but she does have some cool stuff). It fulfills your need for "super food" and your sweet tooth. And when I say pound cake a slice is all you need because it really does feel like you are eating a pound. So make sure you share!

3 1/4 c all purpose flour
1 T salt
3 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 c sour cream
2 c sugar
1 t vanilla
9 eggs
1 c blueberries
1 T flour

Preheat oven to 325. Butter two 5x9 loaf pans. Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Cream butter, sour cream and sugar with a mixer on high until pale and fluffy, for 8 minutes. Reduce speed and add vanilla. Lightly beat eggs and add in four additions, mixing thoroughly after each. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in four additions mixing until just incorporated. Add 1 T flour and blueberries and blend. Divide batter between pans. Tap on counter to distribute; smooth tops. Bake for 65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 30 minutes. Makes 2 cakes.

Jerky Chicken

2009-06-06T19:55:00.002-05:00

This is a spicy and sweet chicken recipe. It was very simple to make and goes great with rice, zucchini and asparagus. You can take the jerky sauce and put it on beef, pork, shrimp or anything else you can think of. I had a red pepper so I traded that for the habanero pepper and I just used garlic powder since I didn't have any garlic on hand. It still turned out fabulous.

(photo courtesy of allrecipes.com)

1 t onion, chopped finely
3 T brown sugar
4 T soy sauce
4 T red wine vinegar
2 t thyme
1 t sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 t allspice
1 habanero pepper, sliced
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into strips

Combine the onion, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, thyme, sesame oil, garlic, allspice and pepper in food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Place the chicken into a large resealable bag and pour in 3/4 of the sauce. Squeeze out excess air and seal, Marinate in the fridge for one hour. Preheat oven boiler. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Broil chicken for 7 minutes, then flip and cook for 8 minutes. Heat remaining sauce and pour over chicken when serving. Serves 4.

California Veggie Sandwich

2009-06-06T19:42:00.002-05:00

With summer here I like to keep my meals light and flavorful. I discovered this meatless sandwich and really enjoyed it. It calls for grilling but since I don't own a grill I changed it and did it in the boiler. I also added the marinade and asparagus, since I didn't have yellow squash and I don't care for onions. The recipe calls for focaccia bread but I did asiago cheese bread. I added a side of a sliced mango. It was a perfect summer dinner.

1/4 c miracle whip, or mayo
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T lemon juice
1/8 c olive oil
1 c sliced red pepper
1 small zucchini, sliced
handful of asparagus, cut
1 small yellow squash, sliced
bread of your choice
1/2 c feta cheese

Marinade
1/2 c brown sugar
4 1/2 T soy sauce

In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator for one hour. Mix brown sugar and soy sauce. Marinate vegetables in mixture. Preheat boiler. Cook vegetables in oven for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Spread mayo mixture on slices of bread and sprinkle with feta cheese. Place bread on separate baking sheet and place in oven until cheese melts, watch to make sure bread does not burn. Remove and layer with vegetables. Enjoy.

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

2009-06-03T20:30:00.005-05:00

This is a great chicken recipe, because it requires no effort! I was a little skeptical at first because I am not a huge fan of honey and my husband is not a fan of mustard, by any means. But the honey and mustard neutralize each other to create a great taste. I added broccoli rice and a fruit & lettuce salad with feta cheese crumbles.
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c honey
1/4 c mustard
1 t Italian seasoning
1 t paprika
1/2 t parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle chicken with seasonings and place in a lightly greased baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the honey and mustard, mix well. Pour 1/2 of mixture over chicken. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Turn chicken over and pour remaining mixture over chicken. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve immediately. Serves 2.

*For more servings add chicken and double honey, mustard mixture.

Greek Style Rib Eye Steak & Salad

2009-06-02T12:21:00.003-05:00

I'm not a big red meat fan, but I do try to have it every once in a while because it has good iron in it and I've been known to lack in iron. Also red meat can be a little on the expensive side. So I bought one steak to share and added a lot of sides. This was a great recipe. Really simple, no grilling and it tasted delicious. I could have eaten my entire portion but I'm trying to eat until I'm full, not beyond.
Greek Style Rib-Eye Steak

1 3/4 lb beef rib eye steak
1 t garlic powder
1 t Italian seasoning
1/2 t kosher salt
1/8 t pepper
1 T olive oil
1 T lemon juice
2 T crumbled feta cheese
1 T sliced black olives

Rub garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper on both sides of steak. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Cook steaks in skillet for about 4-7 minutes on each side. I'd flip mine after every two minutes so it wouldn't get too burnt. (for medium-rare the meat thermometer should read 145 degrees, medium 160 degrees, well done 170 degrees). Take off skillet and sprinkle lemon juice, cheese and olives. Serve.

Fruit & Lettuce Salad

2 c baby spinach
1 Romaine lettuce heart cut
1 apple
1 c Crasins

Dice apple and place in bowl with spinach and cut romaine lettuce. Sprinkle Crasins over salad. Serve with Poppy Seed or Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing.

Chicken, Zucchini & Squash

2009-06-01T06:48:00.003-05:00

Here is another recipe I made up by taking ideas from other ones. I've discovered cooking chicken in the oven wrapped in tin foil is a simple way to do so with great results. Sprinkled with kosher salt it brings out the juices but the tin foil holds it in resulting in a moist, tender piece of meat.
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast
medium zucchini
medium yellow squash
one lemon
kosher salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice zucchini and squash. Cut chicken in halves and place on separate large sheets of tin foil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon all over chicken and vegetables. Wrap in tin foil. Bake for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. I added Rice-a-Roni Rice Pilaf as a side. Enjoy. Serves 3.

Shrimp and Feta Cheese Pasta

2009-05-19T14:42:00.003-05:00

This is a great meal with shrimp. It's light and flavorful and very simple to make. I made a few alterations by using Italian seasoning instead of just oregano and basil and a can of diced tomatoes instead of fresh and I think it turned out great and was ready in about 20 minutes. And for you seafood haters (though you really should enjoy seafood it's good for you) I bet you could throw in some chicken or sausage instead.

4 T olive oil
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 T white vinegar
1 lb spaghetti noodles
1 can diced tomatoes
Italian seasoning
1 pkg crumbled feta cheese

Bring a pot of water to boil and place pasta in and let good until al dente, drain. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet heat 3 T olive oil. Heat tomatoes, garlic and vinegar. Add shrimp when pasta is close to being finished. Add Italian seasoning to taste. Cook until shrimp turns pink. Mix together pasta and shrimp mixture. Toss with feta cheese and serve. Serves 5.

Dad's Fried Chicken

2009-05-18T13:10:00.001-05:00

Technically this isn't my Dad's recipe, he got it from somewhere but I don't know where, all I know it's some good oven fried chicken. Often when I would visit my Dad on Sundays he would make this with mashed red potatoes (with the skin still on), gravy, green beans or salad. It was always delicious. After many failed attempts at making fried chicken I got the recipe from my Dad and use it on Sundays, call it tradition.

Boneless, skinless chicken breast (depending on how many people are eating)
1 cup flour
1 bread crumbs
1 egg
1 T water
1/4 c margarine
1/4 shortening

Preheat oven to 425. In a 9x12 baking pan melt margarine and shortening in preheating oven. Meanwhile, whisk egg with 1 T water. Dip chicken in flour then egg then coat in bread crumbs. Place in pan of melted margarine and shortening. Cook for 30 minutes, flip chicken and cook for another 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Depending on size of chicken may only take 20-25 per each side. Serve with your choice of sides.

Cinnamon Rolls

2009-05-17T10:31:00.004-05:00

My husband is a huge fan of cinnamon rolls. Almost every Sunday he requests them, but they do take some time to make. I finally broke down and made them. I chose to do a different recipe and they turned out so much better. One is more than enough, but it's a nice indulgence. The recipe calls to make the dough in a bread machine, which I did, but I did find how to make the dough without a bread machine.

Dough
1 c warm milk
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 c margarine, melted
5 c all purpose flour
1 t salt
1/2 c white sugar
1 pkg yeast

Filling
1 c brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 T cinnamon
1/3 c butter, melted

Icing
1 (3 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 c butter, softened
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1/8 t salt

Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start. WITHOUT BREAD MACHINE:Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl. Mix in the sugar, margarine, salt, and eggs. Add flour and mix well. Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour. Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour, or until doubled in size. After dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough into a 16x21 rectangle (does not need to be perfect). Pour melted butter over dough then evenly sprinkle brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll dough and cut into rolls using thread. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled (I skipped this step because my rolls were already big). Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake rolls in oven until golden brown or about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls. Serves 12.

Chicken Broccoli Pasta

2009-05-16T18:19:00.003-05:00

This recipe I made up from stealing ideas from different other recipes to create this. It turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. It's very simple, quick to do and has lots of flavor to it. And it's really nice and light.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast
12 oz penne pasta (you really could use any kind you like)
1/2 lb broccoli
kosher salt
garlic salt
garlic powder
olive oil
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
1 can black olives
3 T Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 425. In tin foil place chicken breast seasoned with kosher salt and garlic powder. Lightly drizzle with olive oil. Wrap chicken in tin foil then bake in oven for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta and steam broccoli. Drain pasta and mix with broccoli. When chicken is done cut into cubes and combine with pasta. Add olives and tomatoes. Drizzle about 1-2 T olive oil over pasta mixture. Season with garlic salt, to taste and add Parmesan cheese. Serve. Serves about 4.

Steamed Salmon and Asparagus

2009-05-15T18:33:00.006-05:00

Real Simple has done it again! It's salmon, asparagus and potatoes in another delicious recipe! I highly recommend it. It has a nice lemony taste to it and clean up is really simple.

1 1/2 lbs small new potatoes
2 t kosher salt
1 t black pepper
2 T olive oil
4 salmon fillets
1 bundle of asparagus, trimmed and cut
1 T olive oil
2 lemons, halved

Preheat oven to 400. Place a piece of parchment paper (can substitute with tin foil) on a 13x12 inch baking sheet. Put the potatoes on the sheet and season with 1 t salt and 1/2 t pepper. Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes. Roast on top rack of oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Meanwhile, lay out 4 sheets of parchment paper (or tin foil), at least 13x13 inches, and place 1 fillet on each. Top with asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil and season with remaining salt and pepper. Top each fillet with a lemon half, after squeezing on the juice. Pull the sides of paper over each fillet, folding several times to seal. Fold and twist the ends to form rectangular parcels. Place them on a sheet pan. Back on lower rack of over for 20 to 25 minutes while the potatoes finish cooking. Place salmon parcel on each place and cut open. Serve with potatoes. Serves 4

Broccoli Chicken Divan

2009-05-14T14:58:00.003-05:00

I discovered this recipe when we were both going to school and had little time to cook a real meal. It very quick to make and I often have all the ingredients on hand. The best part, it's delicious!

4 cups cooked broccoli flowerets
1 1/2 cup cubed cooked chicken
1 can Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Broccoli Cheese Soup
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Place the broccoli and chicken into a 9-inch casserole dish. Stir the soup and milk in a small bowl. Pour the soup mixture over the broccoli and chicken. Sprinkle with the cheese. Stir the bread crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the cheese. Bake at 450°F. for 20 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot and bubbling.

Panda Express Orange Chicken

2009-05-12T07:42:00.004-05:00

When I was in college I had a roommate always get Panda Express Orange Chicken and I always wanted it. But being a poor college student I couldn't afford to get it, instead I found a recipe for it and I think it taste even better and I know what is going in it. It's one of my favorite recipes, but it does take some time to make, but it's so worth it.

2 lbs chicken
1 egg
1 1/2 t salt
white pepper
vegetable oil
1 T cornstarch
1/4 c flour
1 T minced ginger
1 t minced garlic
dash of crushed red chilies
1/4 c chopped green onions (optional)
1 T rice wine
1/4 c water
1 t sesame oil
1 T cornstarch

Cut chicken into 2 inch squares and place in large bowl. Stir in egg, salt, pepper and 1 T oil and mix well. In a gallon size baggie mix 1 T cornstarch and flour. Pour chicken into bag and shake until chicken is coated. Heat oil in wok to 375. Add chicken pieces, small batch at a time, until golden and crisp. Remove chicken and drain on paper towel. Clean wok and heat 15 seconds. Add 1 T oil. Add ginger and garlic and stir fry until fragrant. Add chilies and onions. Add rice wine and stir 3 seconds. Add orange sauce and bring to boil. Add cooked chicken. In a separate bowl stir water and 1 T cornstarch until smooth. Add to chicken. Stir in 1 T oil and sesame oil. Serves 4. Serve with rice.

Orange Sauce

1 1/2 T soy sauce
1 1/2 T water
5 T sugar
5 T vinegar

Mix well together.

Baked Potato Soup

2009-05-06T18:01:00.003-05:00

Soup is always a delicious choice for a rainy day, like today. I don't know what it is but it's a comfort food during bad weather. I suggest making the potatoes like you would for mashed potatoes instead of baking them in the microwave, but either options will work. 4 baking potatoes
1/3 c butter
1/3 c flour
3 c milk
3/4 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/4 c bacon bits
2 green onions, chopped (optional)
5 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 container sour cream

Prick potatoes with a fork and cook in microwave, 5 minutes rotate 5 minutes again, repeat twice. Scoop out the flesh. Or peel potatoes chop cook in boiling water. Mash leaving it chunky. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour and cook about a minute. Whisk in milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in potatoes, salt, pepper, most of the bacon bits, green onions and most of the cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in sour cream and heat through. Serve topped with remaining bacon and cheese.

Glazed Salmon With Broccoli Rice

2009-05-05T18:00:00.003-05:00

Real Simple has done it again. A salmon recipe that is easy to make and oh so delicious. I changed the recipe a little bit to fit my needs and it turned out good. I had some new potatoes still so I added it to the menu and it was a good addition. Even if you aren't a big salmon fan I'm sure one of these recipes will agree with your taste buds.

1/4 c brown sugar
2 T low-sodium soy sauce
1 c white rice
1 head broccoli (stems discarded), chopped
10 small new potatoes, halved
4 pieces skinless salmon fillets (1 1/4 lbs)
1 T olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Heat oven to 400. On a rimmed baking sheet place potatoes on sheet and season with 1 T olive oil and kosher salt and pepper. Roast about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine sugar and soy sauce, set aside. In rice cooker cook 1 c rice to 2 c water. During last 3 minutes add broccoli. Let stand until broccoli is tender. Fluff with fork. When potatoes are done push aside and place salmon in the center. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon half glaze over salmon. Cook until salmon is opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve salmon with rice and the remaining glaze.

Barbequed Pork Sandwiches

2009-05-04T10:46:00.004-05:00

I typically don't enjoy pork, but I've been trying to branch out and barbequed pulled pork sandwiches are a delicious choice. It's slathered in barbeque sauce so you don't taste the pork as much. Plus this is done in a crock pot which makes the meal even better. Pair it with a spinach salad or some fries.

2 1/2 lbs boneless pork roast
salt and pepper to taste
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic (or 2 t of minced garlic)
3 c beef broth
1 c water
1 small onion, diced
2 (12 oz) bottle barbeque sauce (I use Sweet Baby Rays)

Season roast with salt and pepper. Place roast, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, beef broth, water and onion in crock pot set to LOW. Cook 3-4 hours. Scoop garlic out of the cooker and mash with fork, return mashed garlic to crock pot (if using minced garlic skip these step). Cook another 3-4 hours. Transfer roast to a large cutting board and discard liquid. Shred roast using two forks and return meat to crock pot. Stir in barbeque sauce and continue cooking on LOW for 1-3 hours. Serves 12.

*To make it for a smaller group just cut roast in half and save for a later time. I still keep the other ingredients the same.

Roasted Salmon with potatoes & asparagus

2009-05-01T18:30:00.003-05:00

This is an amazing dish! It's incredibly simple to make but it taste amazing. The recipe originally called for mushrooms instead of asparagus but my husband doesn't like mushrooms so I substituted with asparagus.

1 lb small new potatoes (about 10), halved
bundle of asparagus
3 T olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/4 lb skinless salmon fillet
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T whole grain mustard (I used yellow mustard)
1 t honey
2 T chopped parsley

Heat over to 400. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes, asparagus, 1 T of olive oil and 1/2 t each of salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until potatoes begin to soften, about 20 minutes. Push vegetables to the edges and place the salmon in the center. Season with 1/4 t each of salt and pepper. Roast until the salmon is opaque throughout and the potatoes are golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the vinegar, mustard, honey, parsley, the remaining 2 T of olive oil and 1/4 t each of salt and pepper. Drizzle over the salmon and vegetables before serving. Serves 4.

Hires Big H

2009-05-01T10:00:00.003-05:00

I love a good cheeseburger every now and again and the best burger I have ever had is at Hires Big H in Salt Lake City. I don't know how they do it but it's delicious. A little fry sauce on the bun, cheese perfectly melted all around...delish! They also serve homemade rootbeer in a frosty mug, what more could you want? Not only do they have great burgers but all their sandwiches are equally delicious. It's a fun atmosphere because you can order from your car if you want to and eat in your car. Or you can walk in and enjoy a diner feel. Don't forget to get an order of cheese fries and extra fry sauce. Forget about the calories, indulge!

French Fries

2009-04-30T19:51:00.004-05:00

Some days after taking care of a little one I don't have energy to make dinner, but I still want to provide something for my husband and I, without having to get take out. I keep a bag of Tyson chicken nuggets in the freezing in a quick fix. Then I grab a large baking potato and make some homemade french fries. They are delicious and so much better than McDonalds or Wendy's fries. These are great for any side and take no time at all.

1 large baking potato
2 c vegetable oil
seasoned salt

Without peeling, slice the potato into long strips. In a frying pan pour vegetable oil, make sure it's enough to cover the potatoes. Heat oil on high. Put potatoes into frying pan and cook until golden brown. Place potatoes on paper towels to absorb oil. Sprinkle seasoned salt to taste. Serve.

Serves 2

Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes

2009-04-29T18:20:00.003-05:00

My husband is a big fan of twice baked potatoes but they some times take a lot of work when you have other things cooking. I thought up making them into the entree instead of just a side. I added broccoli and chicken and it made a delicious, really simple meal.

3 baking potatoes
2 1/2 c cheddar cheese
2 slices of Kraft singles American cheese
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 crown of broccoli
1/4 c Milk

Preheat oven to 350, place unwrapped potatoes in oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, cook chicken in skillet with a little olive oil until cooked all the way through. Cut into chunks. Chop broccoli and steam. When potatoes are done, let cool, then carefully scoop out potato meat leaving the skin, it doesn't have to be completely skin, leave some potato meat in so the skin doesn't rip. Mix potato meat with milk 1 c cheddar cheese and Kraft singles until creamy like mashed potatoes. Add chicken and broccoli. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon mixture into potato skins. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of potatoes. Put in oven for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and it's hot. Serve.

Serves: It probably will serve about 4 people, unless they are big eaters then only 3. I was full from one, so it could serve up to 6.

New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp

2009-04-28T17:44:00.006-05:00

I grew up on this recipe. It is one of my favorite shrimp recipes, it has a lot of flavor and is really simple to make. Just serve it over some rice and add a side of green beans or a salad. This makes enough for two with leftovers for one. Add more shrimp if serving for more.

1 lb peeled & deveined shrimp
1 stick of butter or margarine (I prefer margarine)
1/8 t ground red pepper
1/4 t salt
1 t garlic salt
1 t barbecue spice (seasoned salt)
1/8 t paprika
1 1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
1 lemon sliced

Rinse shrimp well, cover with cold water 1 tsp salt and lemon. Refrigerate 1 hr. (If I'm in a rush I skip this step, and it still turns out delicious). In saucepan melt butter on low heat. Add all other ingredients. Mix well, pour over drained shrimp. Cook at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Buffalo Wild Wings

2009-04-24T10:26:00.005-05:00

Often the weekends are the time to take a break from the kitchen and head out for a great dinner. Once you decide you want to take a break and head out this conversation occurs..."Where do you want to eat?" "I don't care, wherever" "I don't care either, you pick" and on and on it can go. Well I've decided every Friday I will post one of my favorite restaurants in hope that you don't get stuck in that dreaded conversation. Some of my picks will be local, regional or national. If you don't have one by you, at least whenever you make a trip to the Chicago area you'll know of some good places.Buffalo Wild Wings has become one of my favorites, it has a great atmosphere. Especially with the many playoff games and ball games going on it's a great place to watch many games while eating good food. Their buffalo wings are really good and they offer 14 different sauces, ranging from very mild to "blazin". Warning: stay clear of the "blazin" unless you want to burn your mouth off, plus it's not very good. They offer plenty of other options besides buffalo wings, including burgers and sandwiches. Buffalo Wild Wings also offers take out if you aren't in the mood to eat there. They are reasonably priced too!

Teriyaki Wraps

2009-04-23T18:33:00.003-05:00

Recently I've tried to establish one night a week that is a meatless meal, for the purpose to save money and to cut back on meat. It hasn't gone over well with my husband but I still try. Teriyaki wraps are a light meal with lots of color.

Teriyaki Wraps

1 cup rice
2 cups water
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 small yellow squash, chopped
1 1/4 c teriyaki sauce
3 T soy sauce
2 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt
1 t black pepper
4 whole wheat tortillas

In a saucepan bring 2 cups of water to boil, add rice. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. *Or cook your rice in a rice cooker. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, pepper, zucchini and squash until onions are tender. Stir in teriyaki sauce. When vegetables are tender, stir in the cooked rice, soy sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Place 1/4 of the rice and vegetables in each tortilla, and roll up. I add a little Parmesan cheese.

*I cut out the soy sauce and extra salt because I make my own teriyaki sauce and I don't want too much sodium

Teriyaki Sauce

3/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c honey
1/2 c sugar
1 clove garlic
1/2 t ginger

Versawear Crock-pot

2009-04-23T10:32:00.004-05:00

A Crock-pot is a must in the kitchen. It is a wonderful thing to have, especially when you don't have time to cook a meal. Dump all the ingredients into it in the morning and you have a fabulous dinner ready when you get home. I have two different Crock-pots and this one is my favorite. This is a Versawear Crock-pot from Target, again another wedding present. My favorite thing about it is that I can brown a roast on the stove in the pot then place it in the holder to cook. And it's nice enough that I can serve the meal right out of the pot, which means less dishes. This is dishwasher safe though after I accidentally smashed the handle against the counter and broke it I hand wash it to make sure the handle doesn't fall off again.
I highly recommend having some typed of a crock-pot on hand. You can't mess up a dinner in a crock-pot, well unless you just put it to warm (guilty).

Shrimp Scampi

2009-04-22T12:40:00.004-05:00

Even on a budget we are still able to eat shrimp almost once a week. It's delicious and high in protein. This is a very simple recipe and can be made under 30 minutes. I usually buy shrimp fresh from the the store but last time I bought a two pound frozen bag of deveined and peeled shrimp and it's allowed me to have shrimp on hand.

1 pkg angel hair pasta
1/2 cup butter
4 cloves minced garlic
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup dry white wine*
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

*I don't keep any kind of white wine on hand. I found that you can substitute by using half white wine vinegar and half water but I didn't even have white wine vinegar so I used vinegar and water and it was still delicious.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in pasta and return pot to boil. Cook until al dente. Drain well. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and shrimp. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes. Stir in wine and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 seconds while stirring constantly. Mix shrimp with pasta in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Serve.

Serves 4

To make it a healthier option you can use whole grain pasta and cut back half of the butter and use olive oil. Also add a spinach salad to the meal to make it complete.

Penne With Chicken and Asparagus

2009-04-22T12:25:00.002-05:00

In my family we love asparagus. love it! Except I was getting sick of the same way we were having it. I found this recipe and I love it, plus it's healthy! Not fattening. It's got enough flavor and it's delicious warm or cold. Plus it makes great leftovers for the husband.Penne With Chicken and Asparagus

1 (16 ounce) package dried penne pasta
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into cubes
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 bunch slender asparagus spears, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in chicken, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until chicken is cooked through and browned, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken to paper towels.Pour chicken broth into the skillet. Then stir in asparagus, garlic, and a pinch more garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cover, and steam until the asparagus is just tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet, and warm through. Stir chicken mixture into pasta, and mix well. Let sit about 5 minutes. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, stir again, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serves 8.

Calories Per Serving: 321
Total Fat: 10.2 g
Cholesterol: 17 mg
Sodium: 77 mg
Carbs: 43.2 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.1 g
Protein: 15.7 g

Cafe Rio Pork Barbacoa & Rice

2009-04-21T11:51:00.001-05:00

Cafe Rio is a hit in Utah and is making a hit in Arizona and Nevada. This is one variation of the recipe for their pork barbacoa which can be served either on a tortilla or as a salad. It's a hit with my husband, who doesn't like Mexican food. I usually cut the roast in half and only cook half of it and that makes enough for about four people or two with leftovers.

Pork Barbacoa

Boneless Pork Roast
1/4 c brown sugar
8 oz tomato sauce
black pepper
chili powder
garlic salt
chopped fresh cilantro
green chilies (optional)
hot sauce
minced onions (optional)

Trim off excess fat. Rub roast generously with spices. Place roast in crock pot. Add chilies, tomato sauce, brown sugar and cilantro. Cook for 5-6 hours on high, or until tender. Add hot sauce. Pull pork with two forks until shredded. Serve with tortillas, rice, beans, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and lime sauce.

Rice

4 cups water
4 t chicken bouillon
4 t garlic, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can green chilies
3/4 t salt
1 T butter
1/2 onion
2 cups rice

Blend cilantro, green chilies and onion together in food processor. Place in rice cooker with all other ingredients. Cook until done.

Lime Cilantro Sauce

1 lime
cilantro
dash of hot sauce
1/2 pkg dry ranch dressing
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup sour cream

Chop cilantro. Place in food processor and add buttermilk, sour cream and ranch mix. Add more sour cream if needed. Add lime juice and hot sauce. Blend well.

Aroma Rice Cooker

2009-04-21T10:53:00.001-05:00

My all time favorite kitchen gadget is the Aroma Rice Cooker 5-in-1. I received this three years ago as a wedding present and it is used at least once a week. Not only does it cook rice, it can also steam vegetables. Plus this one is even better than the one I have because it offers TWO steaming trays. I highly recommend a rice cooker if you don't have one already. I prefer this rice to minute rice and it is what I will use repeatedly in recipes. I always use two cups of water to one cup of rice to achieve sticky rice.

If you don't have a rice cooker and don't want to run out and get one (though you should, Target has a great selection) you can boil your water in a saucepan, add rice, reduce to simmer and cover until rice is tender, usually about 20 minutes.

About ...In My Cupboard...

2009-04-21T10:10:00.000-05:00

I created ...In My Cupboard... to share my favorite recipes and kitchen gadgets. The recipes I share use ingredients that you can usually find in your cupboards. If it's not in your cupboards then you can find the ingredients at your local grocery store. I rarely use items that come from a specialty store. I strive to serve healthy dinner items as well and provide a balanced meal for the entire family. I also want to share my favorite kitchen gadgets. Many of them I use repeatedly for recipes and if you don't have one there are other things to use to achieve the same results. I hope you enjoy looking ...in my cupboard... as you prepare meals for you and your family.