This past week has been cozy, soup weather. I finally invested in a large stockpot... so I decided to make Vegetable Soup tonight. I love making soup, because you can put WHATEVER you want in it! You can use whatever you have in the fridge and pantry. Next time I make vegetable soup, I'll probably end up using completely different vegetables. My favorite soup to make is Chicken Tortilla Soup, but I didn't have what I need to make it to it's tastiest potential. I think this week I'll be making Chicken Tortilla Soup, so stay tuned for that recipe. I am going to list out exactly how I made tonight's soup, but feel free to add or omit whatever type of veggies suit your taste buds.
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1lb bag carrots - peeled, chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tomato, chopped
1 can green beans, drained
1 can sweet & crisp corn, drained
2 cans diced tomatoes, Mexican style (do not drain)
3 potatoes - peeled, cut in small pieces
2 - 32oz low-sodium, fat free containers of chicken broth
4 cups water
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Ground Cumin
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Directions
1. Heat olive oil on a medium-high heat in a large 12qt stock pot. Add onion, carrots and celery. Saute for about 3-5 minutes. Veggies should be starting to turn tender.
2. Add broth, water and diced tomatoes with juice.
3. Add corn, green beans, chopped tomato and potatoes.
4. Add all the seasonings to taste. Start off with 2 tsp of each (except pepper - only 1 tsp for pepper). Taste your broth and add more to the liking of your taste buds. I use more Ground Cumin and Chili Powder because I really like those flavors.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low (simmer) and cover. Cook for about an hour or until all veggies are tender.
Side Notes:
1. Other veggies that would be great in this dish are mushrooms, squash, zucchini, parsnips, fresh green beans, broccoli.
2. Beef broth would also make a great base for this soup.
I'm serving our soup with salad and biscuits. This soup is great as a meal itself or start to a meal. Have fun with this soup! Hope you enjoy it!!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Chocolate Chip Cookies
I was feeling blah today... and with the weather as gloomy as it was, I decided it was time to bust out some homemade cookies. Growing up, my mom and I always made cookies on cold, rainy days, such as today. My mom spent the afternoon with the boys and I, so I invited her to stay and make cookies with Dylan and I. This is her recipe, I cannot claim it as my own. You can use chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips... basically any flavor "chip" they make. I prefer the good old fashioned chocolate chip cookie, with a glass of cold milk. Yum!
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 granulated sugar
3/4 light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 package chocolate chips (12oz bag)
1/2 cup nuts (walnuts, pecans), chopped (optional)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Mix together. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, add butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Beat with a mixer until smooth.
4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing completely with butter, sugar and vanilla. This mixture should be very creamy when both eggs are beaten in.
5. Slowly add in the flour mixture, spoonfuls at a time, until all is added and mixed well.
6. Mix in quick oats, chocolate chips and nuts by hand.
7. Place cookies by spoonfuls onto baking sheet. Should be able to fit 12 cookies on each baking sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.
8. Should yield about 3 dozen cookies (depending on spoonful sizes).
Side Notes:
1. I use whole wheat flour, rather than all-purpose flour. It doesn't change the taste or texture of the cookie and adds lots of nutrients that the white flour does not contain.
2. I like to sometimes split my batter before I add the chocolate chips and nuts. I will mix half the batter with one type of chip and the other half with another type.
3. Adding coconut is a great flavor booster too. It goes especially well with chocolate chip and butterscotch chip cookies. To bad Denis like coconut! :-( I love it!
Hope you enjoy the cookies!!! :-)
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 granulated sugar
3/4 light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 package chocolate chips (12oz bag)
1/2 cup nuts (walnuts, pecans), chopped (optional)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Mix together. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, add butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Beat with a mixer until smooth.
4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing completely with butter, sugar and vanilla. This mixture should be very creamy when both eggs are beaten in.
5. Slowly add in the flour mixture, spoonfuls at a time, until all is added and mixed well.
6. Mix in quick oats, chocolate chips and nuts by hand.
7. Place cookies by spoonfuls onto baking sheet. Should be able to fit 12 cookies on each baking sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.
8. Should yield about 3 dozen cookies (depending on spoonful sizes).
Side Notes:
1. I use whole wheat flour, rather than all-purpose flour. It doesn't change the taste or texture of the cookie and adds lots of nutrients that the white flour does not contain.
2. I like to sometimes split my batter before I add the chocolate chips and nuts. I will mix half the batter with one type of chip and the other half with another type.
3. Adding coconut is a great flavor booster too. It goes especially well with chocolate chip and butterscotch chip cookies. To bad Denis like coconut! :-( I love it!
Hope you enjoy the cookies!!! :-)
Natalie's Spaghetti
Tired of the same 'ol boring ground beef and tomato sauce spaghetti? Try adding fresh veggies and turkey sausage to your standard spaghetti recipe.
Spaghetti has always been a family favorite of ours. I love that I can add whatever I want to it, and it turns out great every time. One standard ingredient that I always like to use is turkey sausage. It adds an incredible flavor to the sauce. Tonight I had fresh veggies on hand and I popped those in the spaghetti pot as well. I will list specifically how I make my spaghetti, but you can use whatever type of meat, noodles and sauce you like.
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
1 lb turkey sausage (hot or sweet flavors)
1 lb ground turkey
1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 package sliced crimini mushrooms
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped finely
1 red bell pepper, chopped finely
1 green bell pepper, chopped finely
2 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp Italian herb seasonings
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large can whole, stewed tomatoes
1 jar spaghetti sauce (whatever type you like, I used Trader Joe's tomato basil sauce)
1 can of large black olives, drained (optional)
1 lb whole wheat spaghetti noodles
1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt
Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and onion and saute for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add mushrooms and mix well with onions, heat for another 2 minutes.
3. Add peppers and mix with other veggies. Continue sauteing the veggies for another 3-4 minutes. Sizzle in pan should dull and peppers should give off some juice.
4. Add the turkey sausage (remove from casings) and ground turkey. Add garlic salt and Italian herb seasonings. Brown meat completely.
5. Add can of whole, stewed tomatoes and chop up with spatula, add jar of spaghetti sauce and olives.
6. Cover and lower heat to simmer.
7. While sauce is simmering, fill a large pot with water, add 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle of salt. Bring to a boil.
8. Cook noodles according to package.
9. Fill a plate with spaghetti noodles, top with meat and veggie sauce. Top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and enjoy!!!!!
I served the spaghetti with a fresh garden salad, fresh baked bread (from the store, not by me) and butter.
Side Notes:
1. You can omit the meat and make just a veggie spaghetti or vice versa.
2. You can use all types of veggies, such as eggplant, tomatoes, asparagus, squash, zucchini, etc.
3. Whole wheat noodles have more texture than regular noodles and are naturally al dente tasting. If you want to try a healthier noodle, but don't want to go the extreme of 100% whole wheat, try using a multi-grain noodle. They have a great taste and texture and have more nutrients than the plain white noodles.
Give it a try, doctor up your spaghetti with flavor and good for you ingredients! Hope it becomes a family favorite, just like it is in our house!
Spaghetti has always been a family favorite of ours. I love that I can add whatever I want to it, and it turns out great every time. One standard ingredient that I always like to use is turkey sausage. It adds an incredible flavor to the sauce. Tonight I had fresh veggies on hand and I popped those in the spaghetti pot as well. I will list specifically how I make my spaghetti, but you can use whatever type of meat, noodles and sauce you like.
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
1 lb turkey sausage (hot or sweet flavors)
1 lb ground turkey
1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 package sliced crimini mushrooms
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped finely
1 red bell pepper, chopped finely
1 green bell pepper, chopped finely
2 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp Italian herb seasonings
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large can whole, stewed tomatoes
1 jar spaghetti sauce (whatever type you like, I used Trader Joe's tomato basil sauce)
1 can of large black olives, drained (optional)
1 lb whole wheat spaghetti noodles
1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt
Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and onion and saute for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add mushrooms and mix well with onions, heat for another 2 minutes.
3. Add peppers and mix with other veggies. Continue sauteing the veggies for another 3-4 minutes. Sizzle in pan should dull and peppers should give off some juice.
4. Add the turkey sausage (remove from casings) and ground turkey. Add garlic salt and Italian herb seasonings. Brown meat completely.
5. Add can of whole, stewed tomatoes and chop up with spatula, add jar of spaghetti sauce and olives.
6. Cover and lower heat to simmer.
7. While sauce is simmering, fill a large pot with water, add 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle of salt. Bring to a boil.
8. Cook noodles according to package.
9. Fill a plate with spaghetti noodles, top with meat and veggie sauce. Top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and enjoy!!!!!
I served the spaghetti with a fresh garden salad, fresh baked bread (from the store, not by me) and butter.
Side Notes:
1. You can omit the meat and make just a veggie spaghetti or vice versa.
2. You can use all types of veggies, such as eggplant, tomatoes, asparagus, squash, zucchini, etc.
3. Whole wheat noodles have more texture than regular noodles and are naturally al dente tasting. If you want to try a healthier noodle, but don't want to go the extreme of 100% whole wheat, try using a multi-grain noodle. They have a great taste and texture and have more nutrients than the plain white noodles.
Give it a try, doctor up your spaghetti with flavor and good for you ingredients! Hope it becomes a family favorite, just like it is in our house!
Chicken Fajita's
So Tuesday was Taco Tuesday and I wanted to do something different other than regular ground turkey tacos. So, I baked some chicken (I use Barefoot Contessa's trick of drizzling just a tad of olive oil and sprinkling Lawry's salt over the chicken - the olive oil keeps the chicken MOIST!) to make chicken fajitas. I also made my Spanish rice and doctored up refried beans. Please refer back to September's postings, those recipes are listed there. The fajitas were soooo simple and such a great change to our normal Taco Tuesday menu.
Here's how I made the fajita's:
Ingredients
1 medium white onion, sliced in long thin strips
1 red bell pepper, sliced in long thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced in long thin strips
1 green bell pepper, sliced in long thin strips
1 tomato, sliced thinly
2 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
1. In a medium skillet, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes or so.
2. Add all the pepper slices and saute until tender.
3. Add the tomato and saute 2 more minutes.
4. Turn heat off, cover and let sit while you get the rest of your taco fixings ready.
Other Fixings:
1. Chicken (shred once it's cool enough to handle)
2. Cheese (freshly grated)
3. Sour Cream
4. Salsa
5. Microwave warmed tortillas
Assemble tacos with chicken, cheese, fajitas, sour cream and salsa. Serve with homemade Spanish rice and doctored refried beans.
This dish was so simple to make, incredibly healthy and super tasty! Hope you give it try and enjoy it as much as we did!
Here's how I made the fajita's:
Ingredients
1 medium white onion, sliced in long thin strips
1 red bell pepper, sliced in long thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced in long thin strips
1 green bell pepper, sliced in long thin strips
1 tomato, sliced thinly
2 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
1. In a medium skillet, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes or so.
2. Add all the pepper slices and saute until tender.
3. Add the tomato and saute 2 more minutes.
4. Turn heat off, cover and let sit while you get the rest of your taco fixings ready.
Other Fixings:
1. Chicken (shred once it's cool enough to handle)
2. Cheese (freshly grated)
3. Sour Cream
4. Salsa
5. Microwave warmed tortillas
Assemble tacos with chicken, cheese, fajitas, sour cream and salsa. Serve with homemade Spanish rice and doctored refried beans.
This dish was so simple to make, incredibly healthy and super tasty! Hope you give it try and enjoy it as much as we did!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Chicken and Noodles Alfredo
Tonight I'm making Chicken and Noodles Alfredo from my Pillsbury magazine. We haven't eaten dinner yet, but I just sampled it, and I think this may be my favorite dish yet (from this magazine). I'm serving it with Pillsbury Grand Biscuits and marinated tomatoes (cut tomatoes marinated in balsamic vinaigrette).
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, but into 3/4 inch pieces
1 can (14oz) artichoke hearts, drained, cut into quarters
1 jar (16oz) Alfredo pasta sauce
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped dry-pack sun-dried tomatoes
3 cups uncooked medium egg noodles (6oz)
2 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Spray 3 to 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In slow cooker, mix chicken, artichokes, Alfredo sauce and water.
2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 5 to 6 hours.
3. About 25 minutes before serving, stir tomatoes and uncooked noodles into chicken mixture. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 15 to 20 minutes longer or until noodles are tender. Sprinkle individual servings with Parmesan cheese.
No side notes - I'm happy with it as is! :-)
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, but into 3/4 inch pieces
1 can (14oz) artichoke hearts, drained, cut into quarters
1 jar (16oz) Alfredo pasta sauce
1 cup water
1/2 cup chopped dry-pack sun-dried tomatoes
3 cups uncooked medium egg noodles (6oz)
2 tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Spray 3 to 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In slow cooker, mix chicken, artichokes, Alfredo sauce and water.
2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 5 to 6 hours.
3. About 25 minutes before serving, stir tomatoes and uncooked noodles into chicken mixture. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 15 to 20 minutes longer or until noodles are tender. Sprinkle individual servings with Parmesan cheese.
No side notes - I'm happy with it as is! :-)
Chocolate Raspberry Dessert
Last Friday we went over to Amy and Brennan's for dinner and I brought dessert. I always let Denis go through my dessert book's and let him pick out what I should make. I wanted to make something chocolate and from scratch, so I had him choose from my Hershey's Recipe Collection book. He chose Chocolate Raspberry Dessert. It's very good, but VERY rich. A small square is all you really need. I actually think this dessert would be great served at a bridal or baby shower, cut into small squares served in small candy cups (that is how rich this dessert is). If it was a baby shower for a boy, you could substitute the raspberry liqueur (or preserves) for blueberry, making the center filling blue rather than pink.
Here is the recipe:
The Cake
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs
16oz can HERSHEY'S Syrup
Raspberry Cream Center
Ingredients
2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter, softened
2 tbsp raspberry liqueur (or 1/4 cup raspberry preserves mixed with 1 tsp water)
Few drops red food coloring - optional
Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients
6 tbsp butter
1 cup HERSHEY'S Special Dark or Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9x2 baking pan.
2. Combine flour, sugar, butter, baking powder and eggs in a large bowl; beat until smooth. Add syrup; blend thoroughly. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool Completely in pan on a wire rack.
4. Combine powdered sugar, softened stick of butter and raspberry liqueur (or preserves) in a medium bowl; beat until smooth.
5. Spread Raspberry Cream Center on cake.
6. Refrigerate and chill cake and center for at least 2 hours.
7. Melt 6 tbsp of butter and 1 cup chocolate chips over very low heat. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
8. Pour Chocolate Glaze over chilled dessert.
9. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Cover; refrigerate leftover dessert.
Side Notes:
1. If you are a chocolate lover, this is a dessert for you.
2. I used the preserves, rather than the liqueur, because it was cheaper to buy raspberry preserves, rather than a $20 bottle of alcohol. Although, I would imagine that the liqueur is quite tasty.
3. You could substitute the raspberry for any flavor, boysenberry, orange, apricot, apple, strawberry. I would think all would taste great.
4. Making this dish is a little time consuming because it's a 3 step process and you need to include time to chill the dish in between steps, but it's worth it.
Hope you give this dessert a try, it's quite tasty! :-)
Here is the recipe:
The Cake
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs
16oz can HERSHEY'S Syrup
Raspberry Cream Center
Ingredients
2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter, softened
2 tbsp raspberry liqueur (or 1/4 cup raspberry preserves mixed with 1 tsp water)
Few drops red food coloring - optional
Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients
6 tbsp butter
1 cup HERSHEY'S Special Dark or Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9x2 baking pan.
2. Combine flour, sugar, butter, baking powder and eggs in a large bowl; beat until smooth. Add syrup; blend thoroughly. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool Completely in pan on a wire rack.
4. Combine powdered sugar, softened stick of butter and raspberry liqueur (or preserves) in a medium bowl; beat until smooth.
5. Spread Raspberry Cream Center on cake.
6. Refrigerate and chill cake and center for at least 2 hours.
7. Melt 6 tbsp of butter and 1 cup chocolate chips over very low heat. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
8. Pour Chocolate Glaze over chilled dessert.
9. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Cover; refrigerate leftover dessert.
Side Notes:
1. If you are a chocolate lover, this is a dessert for you.
2. I used the preserves, rather than the liqueur, because it was cheaper to buy raspberry preserves, rather than a $20 bottle of alcohol. Although, I would imagine that the liqueur is quite tasty.
3. You could substitute the raspberry for any flavor, boysenberry, orange, apricot, apple, strawberry. I would think all would taste great.
4. Making this dish is a little time consuming because it's a 3 step process and you need to include time to chill the dish in between steps, but it's worth it.
Hope you give this dessert a try, it's quite tasty! :-)
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Gingered Broccoli Chicken
Last Wednesday I made another new dish from my Pillsbury magazine, Gingered Broccoli Chicken served over white rice. This was better than I thought it was going to be. I was a bit leery of putting frozen peaches in the dish, but the peaches actually dissolve to make a sweet sauce more than anything else. I make rice in my rice cooker (white and brown), but you can use any type of rice you like and can make it any way you like (instant, microwaveable, over the stove, rice cooker, etc).
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken pieces, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 1 1/4 lb)
2 tbsp fresh grated gingerroot
1 medium sweet onion, cut into thin wedges
1 bag (16 oz) frozen peaches, thawed
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
3/4 cup water
5 cups frozen broccoli florets (from 22oz bag), thawed
2 tbsp cornstarch
Directions
1. Spray 3 to 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place chicken in slow cooker; top with gingerroot, onion and peaches. In small bowl, mix teriyaki sauce and 1/2 cup of the water; pour over chicken mixture.
2. Cover, cook on Low heat setting 6 to 7 hours.
3. Stir broccoli into chicken mixture. In small bowl, mix remaining 1/4 cup water and the cornstarch; stir into chicken mixture. Increase heat setting to High; cover and cook 15 minutes longer or until sauce is slightly thickened.
4. Serve over steamed white rice.
Side Notes:
1. I have never grated gingerroot before, so I actually looked up how to do so. Here is what I found: Cut off knobs of gingerroot, using a peeler, peel gingerroot, rinse, pat dry and then grate. If you have excess gingerroot, peel and rinse remaining gingerroot and seal tight in a freezer safe plastic baggie. Gingerroot will stay fresh for about 3-4 months. The website said that frozen gingerroot is actually easier to grate.
2. I prefer a little extra flavor, so next time I make this dish, I would add minced garlic and an extra tbsp of gingerroot. The dish was good, but lacked just a tad on the flavor side (for me at least).
If you make this dish, let me know what you think of it and if you added anything extra for flavor. Enjoy!
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken pieces, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 1 1/4 lb)
2 tbsp fresh grated gingerroot
1 medium sweet onion, cut into thin wedges
1 bag (16 oz) frozen peaches, thawed
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
3/4 cup water
5 cups frozen broccoli florets (from 22oz bag), thawed
2 tbsp cornstarch
Directions
1. Spray 3 to 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place chicken in slow cooker; top with gingerroot, onion and peaches. In small bowl, mix teriyaki sauce and 1/2 cup of the water; pour over chicken mixture.
2. Cover, cook on Low heat setting 6 to 7 hours.
3. Stir broccoli into chicken mixture. In small bowl, mix remaining 1/4 cup water and the cornstarch; stir into chicken mixture. Increase heat setting to High; cover and cook 15 minutes longer or until sauce is slightly thickened.
4. Serve over steamed white rice.
Side Notes:
1. I have never grated gingerroot before, so I actually looked up how to do so. Here is what I found: Cut off knobs of gingerroot, using a peeler, peel gingerroot, rinse, pat dry and then grate. If you have excess gingerroot, peel and rinse remaining gingerroot and seal tight in a freezer safe plastic baggie. Gingerroot will stay fresh for about 3-4 months. The website said that frozen gingerroot is actually easier to grate.
2. I prefer a little extra flavor, so next time I make this dish, I would add minced garlic and an extra tbsp of gingerroot. The dish was good, but lacked just a tad on the flavor side (for me at least).
If you make this dish, let me know what you think of it and if you added anything extra for flavor. Enjoy!
Roasted Red Potatoes
Last Tuesday I made turkey meatloaf, which I already have posted (see back to September's postings). Instead of mashed potatoes, I made my roasted red potatoes, a classic favorite in our house. They are super simple to make, healthy and delicious.
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
5-6 medium red potatoes, rinsed (do not peel) and cut into halves and then each half cut into 4 equal pieces (should end up with around 40 potato pieces)
About 1-3 tbsp of olive oil
1-2 tsp garlic salt
About 1 - 1 1/2 tsp of fresh rosemary (or dried rosemary, or another fragrant herb of your choice)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place cut potato pieces onto a clay baking dish (or a cookie sheet lined with foil).
3. Drizzle oil over potatoes evenly (you do not want the potatoes soaking in oil, it's a light drizzle).
4. Sprinkle garlic salt and herbs over potatoes.
5. Bake for 30 minutes and then check on potatoes. Potatoes should be starting to brown. Stir potatoes and continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
6. Serve warm!
Side Notes:
1. These potatoes go great with meatloaf, baked chicken, egg dishes, grilled fish, steak, pork chops... basically anything.
I hope you enjoy this great potato side dish as much as we do! :-)
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
5-6 medium red potatoes, rinsed (do not peel) and cut into halves and then each half cut into 4 equal pieces (should end up with around 40 potato pieces)
About 1-3 tbsp of olive oil
1-2 tsp garlic salt
About 1 - 1 1/2 tsp of fresh rosemary (or dried rosemary, or another fragrant herb of your choice)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place cut potato pieces onto a clay baking dish (or a cookie sheet lined with foil).
3. Drizzle oil over potatoes evenly (you do not want the potatoes soaking in oil, it's a light drizzle).
4. Sprinkle garlic salt and herbs over potatoes.
5. Bake for 30 minutes and then check on potatoes. Potatoes should be starting to brown. Stir potatoes and continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
6. Serve warm!
Side Notes:
1. These potatoes go great with meatloaf, baked chicken, egg dishes, grilled fish, steak, pork chops... basically anything.
I hope you enjoy this great potato side dish as much as we do! :-)
Chicken Pot Pie with Flaky Crust
I haven't blogged in a while, it's been such a crazy hectic week. I did however make several new dishes from my Pillsbury Pot Pies & Casseroles magazine. Last Monday I made Chicken Pot Pie for the first time. It turned out really delicious, despite all the trouble I had making it. Denis thinks the recipe calls for to much thyme leaves, so if you are not a fan of thyme, I would suggest omitting the thyme altogether. I'll explain my troubles below in the side notes section.
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from 17.3oz package), thawed
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup quartered ready-to-eat baby cut carrots (5 to 6 oz)
3/4 cup frozen sweet peas (from 12oz bag)
1 jar (12oz) chicken gravy
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg beaten, if desired
Directions
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. On lightly floured surface, unroll puff pastry. With rolling pin, roll pastry into 11-inch square. Cut off corner to make an 11-inch round. Cut slits or small designs in several places in pastry; set aside.
2. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink in center. Add onion and carrots; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender. Remove from heat; stir in peas.
3. In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients, except egg with wire whisk until well blended. Stir into chicken mixture in skillet. Spoon into 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate. Place pastry over filling, allowing pastry to hang over edge.
4. Bake 20 minutes. Brush crust with beaten egg. Cover edge of crust with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning.
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Side Notes:
1. I used Big & Flaky Crescent Rolls instead of the puff pastry. I couldn't find the Pillsbury brand puff pastry and the Pepperidge Farm brand was over $6. It worked out fine, it was just harder to roll with the rolling pin and lay across the top of the dish. It worked out fine as a crust and it was delicious.
2. I also didn't have a 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate (thought I did when I was at the store). I had a round 8-inch casserole dish. It worked out fine, however it was hard to lay out the crust and it didn't bake according to the directions.
3. My dish only lasted a total of 25 minutes in the oven. Although I attempted to cover the edges of the crust with foil, the foil didn't stick and the edges cooked to long and were overly brown. I pulled the dish out and let it set on my warm cook top. Everything was bubbly and cooked thoroughly inside, so it worked out fine, but I'm guessing if I would have had the proper ingredients and cookware, it would have take the entire 45 minutes to cook.
4. The dish actually turned out really tasty, but Denis didn't like the thyme in it. I didn't mind it. So, if you are sensitive to thyme, I would suggest omitting it altogether, or finding another herb you would prefer to use.
5. I served the chicken pot pie with homemade mashed potatoes and salad. It was the perfect additions to this all American classic.
If you try it, let me know how your dish turns out! Hopefully you have more success the first time around than I did.
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from 17.3oz package), thawed
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup quartered ready-to-eat baby cut carrots (5 to 6 oz)
3/4 cup frozen sweet peas (from 12oz bag)
1 jar (12oz) chicken gravy
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg beaten, if desired
Directions
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. On lightly floured surface, unroll puff pastry. With rolling pin, roll pastry into 11-inch square. Cut off corner to make an 11-inch round. Cut slits or small designs in several places in pastry; set aside.
2. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil about 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink in center. Add onion and carrots; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender. Remove from heat; stir in peas.
3. In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients, except egg with wire whisk until well blended. Stir into chicken mixture in skillet. Spoon into 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate. Place pastry over filling, allowing pastry to hang over edge.
4. Bake 20 minutes. Brush crust with beaten egg. Cover edge of crust with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning.
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Side Notes:
1. I used Big & Flaky Crescent Rolls instead of the puff pastry. I couldn't find the Pillsbury brand puff pastry and the Pepperidge Farm brand was over $6. It worked out fine, it was just harder to roll with the rolling pin and lay across the top of the dish. It worked out fine as a crust and it was delicious.
2. I also didn't have a 9-inch deep-dish glass pie plate (thought I did when I was at the store). I had a round 8-inch casserole dish. It worked out fine, however it was hard to lay out the crust and it didn't bake according to the directions.
3. My dish only lasted a total of 25 minutes in the oven. Although I attempted to cover the edges of the crust with foil, the foil didn't stick and the edges cooked to long and were overly brown. I pulled the dish out and let it set on my warm cook top. Everything was bubbly and cooked thoroughly inside, so it worked out fine, but I'm guessing if I would have had the proper ingredients and cookware, it would have take the entire 45 minutes to cook.
4. The dish actually turned out really tasty, but Denis didn't like the thyme in it. I didn't mind it. So, if you are sensitive to thyme, I would suggest omitting it altogether, or finding another herb you would prefer to use.
5. I served the chicken pot pie with homemade mashed potatoes and salad. It was the perfect additions to this all American classic.
If you try it, let me know how your dish turns out! Hopefully you have more success the first time around than I did.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Natalie's Chicken Enchiladas & Cilantro Rice
Last Sunday we celebrated my parents 31st wedding anniversary. I told my parents I would make them anything they wanted and they chose my chicken enchiladas accompanied by cilantro rice and black beans (we are HUGE Mexican food lovers). I also made them a special cake, but that will be a separate blog. Everything turned out great and we had a wonderful time celebrating their anniversary with them!
Here are the recipes:
Chicken Enchiladas
(This will make 2 - 13x9 pans of chicken enchiladas)
Ingredients
3 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4 cups fancy shredded Mexican style cheese (2 - 8oz bags of cheese)
1 large can (28oz) green chile enchiladas sauce
1 can of sweet corn, drained
1 small onion, chopped and sauteed
Dash of ground cumin
24 corn tortillas
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray both 13x9 pans with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Saute your chopped onion with nonstick cooking spray first. Add a little cumin to season up the onions. Cook until onions are soft.
3. Place tortillas in a large Ziploc bag and heat in the microwave for about 2 minutes. This will soften up the tortillas and make them easy to roll (and not break).
4. Place all ingredients in bowls in front of you, so it's easy to assemble your enchiladas. To assemble the enchiladas; take a warm tortilla, add a small spoon full of corn, onions and chicken. Roll the tortilla and place in pan, folded side down. Repeat until you use up all your ingredients. Should be about 12 enchiladas per pan.
5. Pour 1/2 of the can of green chile enchiladas sauce over one pan, pour the other half over the other pan.
6. Top with 2 cups of cheese per pan.
7. Cover with foil and bake about 35 minutes, or until enchiladas are bubbly and the cheese has completely melted. Once done, take out of oven and let set at least 10 minutes.
Cilantro Rice
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups packed cilantro leaves (about 3oz)
3 medium garlic cloves
1 medium serrano chile, halved lengthwise and seeded
3 1/3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, minced
2 cups long-grain white rice
1 tbsp kosher salt
Directions
1. Combine cilantro, garlic, chile and 2 cups broth in a blender and process until smooth; set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
3. Add rice and salt stir to coat in oil and cook until rice becomes opaque, about 2 minutes.
4. Carefully pour the cilantro mixture and the remaining 1 1/3 cups broth into rice and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low so rice is at a simmer.
5. Cover and cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let rice rest covered about 5 minutes.
6. Fluff with fork and serve.
Black Beans - I've blogged this recipe before. See Taco Tuesday.
Natalie Notes:
1. You can omit the chicken and add shredded beef or pork to the enchiladas, or just use all cheese inside.
2. You can add diced green chiles and black olives inside the enchiladas or on top when baking.
3. You may substitute red enchiladas sauce for the green (we just prefer the green sauce).
I hope you enjoy these enchiladas as much as we did. They are a staple in our house! :-)
Here are the recipes:
Chicken Enchiladas
(This will make 2 - 13x9 pans of chicken enchiladas)
Ingredients
3 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4 cups fancy shredded Mexican style cheese (2 - 8oz bags of cheese)
1 large can (28oz) green chile enchiladas sauce
1 can of sweet corn, drained
1 small onion, chopped and sauteed
Dash of ground cumin
24 corn tortillas
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray both 13x9 pans with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Saute your chopped onion with nonstick cooking spray first. Add a little cumin to season up the onions. Cook until onions are soft.
3. Place tortillas in a large Ziploc bag and heat in the microwave for about 2 minutes. This will soften up the tortillas and make them easy to roll (and not break).
4. Place all ingredients in bowls in front of you, so it's easy to assemble your enchiladas. To assemble the enchiladas; take a warm tortilla, add a small spoon full of corn, onions and chicken. Roll the tortilla and place in pan, folded side down. Repeat until you use up all your ingredients. Should be about 12 enchiladas per pan.
5. Pour 1/2 of the can of green chile enchiladas sauce over one pan, pour the other half over the other pan.
6. Top with 2 cups of cheese per pan.
7. Cover with foil and bake about 35 minutes, or until enchiladas are bubbly and the cheese has completely melted. Once done, take out of oven and let set at least 10 minutes.
Cilantro Rice
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups packed cilantro leaves (about 3oz)
3 medium garlic cloves
1 medium serrano chile, halved lengthwise and seeded
3 1/3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, minced
2 cups long-grain white rice
1 tbsp kosher salt
Directions
1. Combine cilantro, garlic, chile and 2 cups broth in a blender and process until smooth; set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
3. Add rice and salt stir to coat in oil and cook until rice becomes opaque, about 2 minutes.
4. Carefully pour the cilantro mixture and the remaining 1 1/3 cups broth into rice and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low so rice is at a simmer.
5. Cover and cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let rice rest covered about 5 minutes.
6. Fluff with fork and serve.
Black Beans - I've blogged this recipe before. See Taco Tuesday.
Natalie Notes:
1. You can omit the chicken and add shredded beef or pork to the enchiladas, or just use all cheese inside.
2. You can add diced green chiles and black olives inside the enchiladas or on top when baking.
3. You may substitute red enchiladas sauce for the green (we just prefer the green sauce).
I hope you enjoy these enchiladas as much as we did. They are a staple in our house! :-)
Deep-Dish Lasagna Pie
Tonight's dinner was Deep-Dish Lasagna Pie. I bought the Pillsbury Pot Pies & Casseroles magazine last week and I'm very excited to try their dishes, my first dish I made was the Deep-Dish Lasagna Pie. I feel like I make the same recipes over and over and over again... so I'm very excited to try new recipes. The meal was good and everyone liked it. It's a make-again dish. I also made a garden salad to go along with the lasagna.
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
1 lb mild Italian pork sausage
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups tomato pasta sauce
1 tsp Italian seasonings
1 large egg
1 container (15 oz) park-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8oz)
2 cans (13.8 oz each) Pillsbury refrigerated classic pizza crust
Directions
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 13x9 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, cook sausage, onion and garlic over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain well. Stir in tomato pasta sauce and Italian seasonings; cook until thoroughly heated. In medium bowl, beat egg. Stir in ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella cheese.
3. Unroll dough for 1 pizza crust. Press in bottom and 1 inch up sides of baking dish. Spread cheese mixture over dough in bottom of dish. Spread sausage mixture over cheese mixture. Unroll dough for second pizza crust; place over sausage mixture and press edges to seal. Cut 4 slits in top crust.
4. Bake uncovered 15 minutes. Cover with foil to prevent excessive browning. Bake 9 to 11 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Natalie's Notes:
1. Recipe did not call for garlic, but I added garlic. Who's ever heard of an Italian dish without garlic?
2. My oven is electric and bakes way faster than normal ovens. If your oven is the same way, I suggest turning the temp down to 400 degrees and checking the pie after about 11 minutes. Mine was starting to burn after 15 minutes.
3. You could add mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, zucchini or any other veggie you like to the dish. Or make it vegetarian altogether.
Hope you enjoy it! :D
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
1 lb mild Italian pork sausage
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups tomato pasta sauce
1 tsp Italian seasonings
1 large egg
1 container (15 oz) park-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8oz)
2 cans (13.8 oz each) Pillsbury refrigerated classic pizza crust
Directions
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 13x9 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, cook sausage, onion and garlic over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain well. Stir in tomato pasta sauce and Italian seasonings; cook until thoroughly heated. In medium bowl, beat egg. Stir in ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella cheese.
3. Unroll dough for 1 pizza crust. Press in bottom and 1 inch up sides of baking dish. Spread cheese mixture over dough in bottom of dish. Spread sausage mixture over cheese mixture. Unroll dough for second pizza crust; place over sausage mixture and press edges to seal. Cut 4 slits in top crust.
4. Bake uncovered 15 minutes. Cover with foil to prevent excessive browning. Bake 9 to 11 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Natalie's Notes:
1. Recipe did not call for garlic, but I added garlic. Who's ever heard of an Italian dish without garlic?
2. My oven is electric and bakes way faster than normal ovens. If your oven is the same way, I suggest turning the temp down to 400 degrees and checking the pie after about 11 minutes. Mine was starting to burn after 15 minutes.
3. You could add mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, zucchini or any other veggie you like to the dish. Or make it vegetarian altogether.
Hope you enjoy it! :D
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